Bonkers!

This is my new word of the year and aptly describes the current state of play at this end!  In between two horrendous terrorist attacks and a totally bonkers General Election, Benedict and I had our birthdays.  Mine was the significant half a century, *sniff* can I really be that old?!!  In my head I am a mere slip of a girl but the grey hairs and forgetfulness regale a  different story :-)  

I had all sorts of plans for my 50th, some forged two years ago but life issues got in the way and so in the event we had a quiet day at home. The children managed to get through a whole day without arguing and so peace truly reigned at "chez 22" and it was bliss.

   Some of the birthday bouquets.

Two weeks later Benedict turned fourteen on the 11th June: 

 A rather bleary eyed "Benedict Bear" being told to open his cards by Little Miss Organised :-)

Lemon Drizzle Cake for Breakfast.

Once we had washed and tidied round it was time to visit family at the newly refurbished Swan Hotel: 

 Benedict is super happy with his present from Sara and Tom.  Another Nerf Blaster to add to the collection!

 Grandma and MG colouring in some sheets whilst waiting for lunch.  Looks like "butter wouldn't melt" but that "little tinker" led me a merry dance during the course of the meal!  One great thing about grandkids is that you can hand them back at the end of the day, LOL!

My brother ( see the photo below) had us in stitches with a very funny jibe at my dad and his unwillingness to part with money, especially when it comes to purchasing a broadband deal!  My poor mum reads the blog from his smart phone and it is a challenge for sure!

He is seven years younger than me and for his "sins" is head of department for Maths, in an inner city secondary school an hour from our home. He has a cunning plan and hopes for  early retirement at some point!

 Sadly both my mum and dad were unable to make the meal due to ill health and so mum in particular has been waiting for this blog post since last week!  Sorry Mum!

Although the hotel has a five star rating I was very disappointed with my meal and for the third time in my life I actually refused to pay for my meal.  The prices were overrated and the food was not outstanding so I don't think we will be dining their anytime soon.

We have also celebrated another Little Flower's First Holy Communion, which was held at Ladywell Shrine:

 Four little flowers standing in a row.

  Pip is the last to make this sacrament which we have arranged to take place during our visit to Walsingham in August.

 Despite the grey skies on Monday we packed a picnic and visited a local park for a lunch break:

 Pip and Ben eating their lunch on the zip wire platform.  They pretty much had the park to themselves and then later in the visit Pip found a friend.

In amongst the attempts at home schooling, household tasks and coping with ongoing health issues, I have remained faithful to my work hours.  My latest blog post for the website can be found when you click on the red below:

We All Need Each Other

Hoping you are having a blessed weekend x

Little Flowers Tea

We had our first ever Little Flowers Tea on Sunday.  Despite the weather forecast predicting rain, the sun shone and a lovely time was had by all.  The food was in three courses interspersed with quizzes and games.

 Saints bunting made by the girls and mums.

 Three of the flowers.

 Gluten free scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

 

 Table decorations, flower posy, paper tea cups and spoons holding a scented rose and three rose candy melts as party favours.

 A small selection of food :-)

The girls worked really hard, they made beautiful hanging rose baubles, bunting and mini saint pictures as well as serving the sit down tea to their guests, over twenty in all.  The tea was declared a success by one and all x 

This Week

It's been a while since I blogged and radio silence at this end usually means only one thing and that is I have been struggling with my health, caring for family members and keeping the house running at a bare minimum.  I think the previous two weeks caught up with me and my body decided to let me know in no uncertain terms :-)  Still, I have managed to snap some shots of this past week and thought I would share them here:

Monday was our "Little Flowers Group."  We were low on numbers since one family was travelling home from a christening but the rest of us had a lovely time.  Our saint for the session was St Joan of Arc, so after the usual introductory prayers, song to St Therese and memory verse, we listened to the story of St Joan and then completed a page for the notebook as well as a colouring sheet:

Benedict had some fun in the workshop on Tuesday and spent a good hour or so whittling.  We bought him some whittling tools and a book for Christmas and so he chose to have a go at a spreading implement, so here are some shots of a work in progress:

In amongst the paint tins and in front of Dad's work bench.

 Stage One Complete.

Wednesday was an unexpected home school day for Pip.  I had been up half the night battling a migraine and had only managed to settle again at half past six in the morning.  Since Dave is currently unable to drive and we do not live within walking distance to school, the only option was to teach her at home alongside Benedict.  Pip is an enthusiastic learner and easy to teach, we worked on Singapore Maths, Cooking, Reading and Religious Instruction.  Here she is wearing the apron I made her from her drawing of an angel, it is a combination of applique and machine and hand stitching:

 I think she is happy with it, don't you agree?!

On Thursday we watched the documentary "One Simple Question" produced by Teresa and Ben Carey.  The whole film from start to finish was expertly put together, the scenery was epic, the story well told and the photography just awesome.  Pip was very impressed and drew a picture of Ben battling the elements during a violent storm with Dory the ship's cat in tow, Teresa was below decks navigating.  We posted the picture to their face book page so hopefully they'll see it before too long:

The boat is named after Ben's mum.

Friday was a struggling along home day and to be honest just getting Pip to school and back was my successes for the day.  In the past seven days I have had two days in total where I have felt remotely well, not a great hit rate I know!  To keep my spirits up and as an accountability tool, I have decided to undertake the 30 day minimalist challenge; on day one you rid yourself of one item, on day two, it is two items and so on up to day thirty, whereby over four hundred items should in theory have left the house!!  Now I am not a hoarder and had a substantial clear out just before Christmas and again before I was hospitalised, so this challenge should prove interesting.  The following is a montage of items for the charity shop:

So Far, So Good!

God also gave me a great big nudge today, to remember to look for the daily joys :-)  I let that slide when I was ill and no surprise my mental and emotional well being also took a tumble!  My daily joy today is a blog link.  I found this lovely lass via another blog and her site is such a happy place :-)

Be Blessed x

 

Daily Joys :: Epiphany Week

Benedetto's Pop Up Restaurant

 Sweet potato and celery soup 

In the pan

 Chatting and chopping

Paleo cottage pie, using mashed cauliflower and leeks as a topping.

Working Together

 A rare occurrence these days, the two of them working on a Lego project whilst Dave and I enjoyed a few moments peace :-)

Little Flowers

 Making sugar paste roses to top ...

 ... eton mess for our afternoon tea.

Epiphany Day Presents

 

 

  Beautifully wrapped presents, thank you Dorina, Greg and all.  Benedict read the Star Wars book in one sitting and we are using "Adam of the Road" as a read aloud.  Pip's "Blue Willow" book is our chapter book at bedtime and you can see from the smile on her face that acorn girls were a real hit.  Dave and I have yet to try the tea and coffee and this bag ...

 ... is now my knitting bag :-)

Looking back over these images not only makes me smile but is a reminder that joy really can be found in the midst of great difficulties.  It has been a really hard week this week:

 A very dear friend is dealing with a suspected serious medical condition and the thought of losing her seems to sad for words, so we are storming heaven for a good outcome and healing.  Both her and her husband have played a major part in our lives these past sixteen years and in the absence of family near by, they are our "local family."

 Dave started with a nasty virus on New Year's Day which in turn has exacerbated the MS, so his walking has dropped off again and I've lost sleep helping in the night.  We are both exhausted and frustrated by our circumstances but God's will is found in sickness and in health as well as in sorrow and joy.

Pip really did not want to return to school and she made a very convincing case on Wednesday night:  "You, Dad and Ben are at home each day, so why do I have to go?  All I do is work, work, work and Ben gets to go swimming, do some cooking and play with Lego!"  Despite her complaints she did get up the following morning and after a breakfast of her favourite food, boiled eggs with corn crackers, her and I were soon on the commuter run across town.

I am stretched thin and find it increasingly hard to deal with everyday events; it is by God's grace that I have not succumbed to a breakdown, but in my weakness is His strength.  In addition to my "daily joys photography" I have been writing out scripture passages  today's writing says it all:

"This is a great joy to you, even though for a short time yet you must bear all sorts of trials; so that the worth of your faith, more valuable than gold, which is perishable even if it has been tested by fire, may be proved ~ to your honour when Jesus Christ is revealed."  1 Peter 1 v 6-7

Be Blessed x 

 

Looking for joy :: DPP Weekend Catch Up

DPP Day Eighteen ~ Gaming

 Cousins ~ birthdays within three months of each other, one six foot tall the other a whole foot shorter :-)

DPP Day Day Nineteen ~ The Canon Who Came To Tea ...

 ... and caused a riot with an impromptu magic show :-)

DPP Day Twenty ~ Christmas Lunch With Friends

 The two littlest girls waiting on dessert and having fun pulling the crackers at the table.

DPP Day Twenty One ~ Solstice Little Flowers

 "It's the latest rage wearing a home made peony on your head!

 

 "Surprise!"  An early birthday song and good wishes for the forthcoming year, get ready and ...

 ...blow!

Pip and I always have a lovely time at the little flowers group and my heart is truly blessed to spend some time with like minded souls.  When I was sharing about being disorganised and not having achieved the things I had planned this advent, Kara reminded me that, I was rocking the Advent that God had organised :-)  And yes that included, MS relapses, ear problems, peeling wall paper in the playroom, still to be painted wood work in the hallway and a major clean of the rooms yet again!

On the way home there was one image I longed to capture but it was not safe to do so and that was the image of a gorgeous ball of fire hanging in the sky!  The return of the sun and a happy memory for me :-)

Advent Blessings x  

 

Looking for joy :: Hope

Still feeling numb with it all but we are slowly finding our new (hopefully temporary) normal.  As ever I run on practical mode and have worked out ways of making life easier, such as shutting down the back part of the downstairs so we now have the caravan table and dining chairs in the front room/schoolroom/playroom.  During the daytime we keep Dave company upstairs and then we gather downstairs for tea, after which it is back upstairs again!  It has been interesting to see Benedict settling earlier of an evening, I guess it is something I have always known, that he relies on the reassuring presence of a parent to help him settle at night :-)

Today Pip and I made our way over to our fortnightly "Little Flowers Group."  I am so blessed to know three lovely gals who exhibit such loving kindness and Pip loves spending time with her friends, it is a precious time. We are still studying St Monica and our memory verse is:

"For you are my hope, O Lord, my trust since my youth."

Psalm 71 v 5

The flower represented for hope is the ivy and it is a reminder to us that we need to cling to the Lord.  God is good!  He is using the lessons in the meetings to remind me that He truly is near and that we are not alone.  Such comfort, when little else makes sense right now.

 

Saying Hello :-)

Some folks might have thought that I had fallen off the face of the earth but in truth life stuff got in the way and as in all things health, family and work come first.  We have celebrated a wedding anniversary, Dave's 50th, a new home school club for Pip, known as "Little Flowers" and I am part of a group of ladies taking part in a knitting design boot camp.  Add to this the daily round of chores, home school, after school clubs and twice weekly swimming for me and it is no wonder I have been missing from this tiny part of cyber space :-)

 First fire of the season on our wedding anniversary.

 Pip's sunflower cake made at Little Flowers on Monday.

Pip's decorated faith sheet and her memory verse at the bottom which she needs to learn before the next meeting in a fortnight.  We have a lovely CD with all the memory verses in musical format.  That verse is quite pertinent for us right now as a family, so I have adopted it as my own :-)

 

 Birthday boy, always smiling 

Hopefully I won't leave it so late before popping by again and thanks Ellie, for your prayers and concern xx