F & F

It's been a strange old week so far, I'm beyond exhausted what with the littlest VK having a bad chest over the weekend and waking in the night coughing himself silly to Marc being ill at the beginning of the week meaning I've had to juggle work, kids and even cooking (let it be known Daniel was VERY impressed with my chicken fajitas and homemade dairy free pizzas!). Having disturbed sleep has clearly made me an emotional wreck but this week especially I've really begun to miss friendships... In fact that's a lie this has been brewing for a while, maybe it's old age heading for the dreaded BIG birthday... Maybe it's social media and seeing people and what they are up to...whatever it is I've really been missing my friendships. Life is so busy and I think it is vital to make time for friends whenever you can whether they live down the road, in the next town or hundreds of miles away. Friends are so important to our lives and our lives are ever so much richer for them. There's something so special about being able to pop out for a coffee or something stronger with a friend, to text someone who gets you and to see someone who's known you for years and receive a hug. I'm so grateful to all the friends I have , but I truly do miss those of you I don't get to see . And so I'm not ashamed to say I've been feeling a bit down about it all
And then...
Last night I had a lovely chat with one of my oldest friends that made me feel so loved and even though the missing is still there being connected by social media helps.
This week has also been rubbish for some dear friends here and I won't go into details as its not fair for them but life can be really really poo at times but
As I bathed the boys tonight I was left thinking WOW I made these kids, they have their moments (don't we all) but they are so amazingly awesome individual and especially together I am truly blessed.. So tonight I'm taking each moment each blessing and each God given opportunity to seized life, take every option given and appreciate every person that comes my way....life is unpredictable so embrace it but please make those close to you know just how much they mean to you ...it may just be the thing they need to hear today x

(F & F ...Friends and Family)

Perspective

this morning I woke up feeling dreadful, sore throat and very tired; was woken a few times in the night by the littlest with his asthma and cough and slept a second night "sleeping" with him on my shoulder.
The last thing I felt capable of doing was leading worship and preaching coherently ..but that was the task in hand.
As always I had a really blessed time in Upnor the small but perfectly formed congregation are always so lovely, kind and friendly and gracious too. After leading their service I then hot footed it too Frindsbury , again feeling inadequate and praying that God could make sense out of my words. Both churches were particularly cold today so shivering. Aside we got through a nd again everyone was very gracious and soem even complementary of my words. As I got to the car to take a friend home we were greeted by a little dog and no owner...I vaguely recognised said dog and managed to pick him up shivering and soaked from the deluge and take him home....to find two paramedics and his own collapsed on the floor ...the clever dog I'm sure had come To find help .
Dog returned and friend delivered I return home locked out as hubby had taken the boys out (they did church yesterday !)  on return marc was fuming as a car had zoomed passed them flicked a stone up and cracked the windscreen ...deep joy.

This afternoon Dan had choir practise for the children's choir and so we trundled back to Frindsbury, we'd literally just got through the door when a lady looking frozen appeared in search of warmth and food, she had run out of money, had no food or heating, her partner is in hospital with late stage cancer and her children staying with her mother ... After a long conversation various things were put in place, we got her warm and gave her some food and temporarily sorted her out u til tomorrow when we can get professional assistance.

2 things today happened that made me stop and think how blessed I am, I don't live alone so God forbid if anything happened to me someone would be there or find me, I've got a roof over my head food in the cupboards and people I can talk to .
What's the world coming to when people are walking the streets looking for someone To talk to, in need of a cup of tea and no one to provide it.
The art of community is lost and I really feel we need to inject it back.

Tonight I will go to sleep thankful that I'm fed, watered and warm...and if Elijah wakes I will cuddle him extra hard , because I can.

Take care of yourself  and especially their around you xxx

Away

The last 6 weeks have been exceptionally exhausting ...what with all the build up to Christmas and then the Christmas week services and activities followed by family Christmas and new year visiting everyone , unfortunately our house isn't very big for entertaining ..the last few days are the first time the bits have actually had a chance to sit down and spend time playing with their new toys..I'm embarrassed to say that yesterday Daniel was still opening presents and Elijah still has some left, they just love playing with everything they receive.

Our boys have been really blessed with gifts and time spent with family here and up north , they've loved building bears in the Trafford centre and walking excitable doggies on the Lancaster/lakes boarder , playing with cousins and learning the art of playing pool (yes even Elijah!)  the problem comes when you've got to come back to reality and realise how much you miss dear friends and family ...

This year is a biggy for me and whilst trying to plan time off I'm looking more at planning opportunities to visit /spend time with friends and family rather than actually just going away.

So as this week tries to get in to some sort of normality we are just as exhausted as before my time off  but looking forward to what the year may hold....