Birthdays!!

Birthdays are a strange thing aren't they.... to me it seems that they are a bit like Marmite, people love them or hate them!

I have always been a lover !! I love the excitement, the surprises the sense of feeling special just for a day. Birthdays were always a big event in our house, cakes, candles, prezzies and an event to mark the occassion!

However we then grow up and as we get older things change, priorities, time, money etc. My problem is I still feel like I am 17 or even 7 when it comes to birthdays, I still want the surprise and excitement which doesn't always happen.

For many different reasons, not excluding an exhausting week with a poorly son last Friday was a tricky day, even my 3 year old announced that it wasn't quite right as there was no balloons, bnanner, cake or candles!!

I have to confess I was feeling a bit deflated but managed to pull myself together enough to go out to Taggs for a drink with a nice surprise of my parents coming too..and then the whole day was transformed. Marc, apparently at the last minute, put a note on Facebook I had mentioned on Twitter and some very dear friends turned up to celebrate with me. It was a really lovely night of fun, cocktails, cake and banter. It was great to spend time with folk I don't usually get to talk with because of a little distraction, it was great to be able to relax and unwind and it was amazing to be spoilt with people dropping things at the last minute and thinking of cakes and candles!

Its times like Friday when you realise how people feel and I felt blessed!!

Thank you so much for those who shared the day with me...you know who you are!!

Late night reflections!

The last few nights have been tasking, Daniel has developed a  terrible cough ( not an infection) but a problem with his asthma or hay fever, anyway, medical issue aside it has meant that he has been coughing and coughing until he has been sick. After a few trips to the doctor and a late night visit to the emergency doctor nebulizer and all I have spent 2 nights propping Daniel up so he doesnt cough too much. During these sleep deprived nights it has actually given me the time and space to think. Of course I would much prefer to have been catching up on my beauty sleep , goodness knows I need it! but it has put things into perspective.

I have been thinking about the past, present and future of our current situation, I truly love the Peninsula and Hoo especially, I love the new contacts and friendships that have begun to form and I love how close our old friends and family are for support when we need it.

It may be exhaustion kicking in but reflecting like this makes me realise how much I really appreciate all I have been blessed with, a lively toddler, a devoted and creative husband a supportive family and the pleasure of doing a job I love meeting and engaging with people in the community. The next 2 years could invovle many big changes across the board and these 2 nights have helped me to realise that I need not worry, I have one greater who can deal with that, but to truly enjoy the moment that I have been blessed with...which I shall try to do!

Home Alone!

Today is the first day of  a 4 day marathon...

My wonderful family, Husband and parents have gone off to lead a conference for a few days leaving me and Daniel home alone!  As time off and holidays are so precious I have decided to try and juggle work, Daniel and survival all in one !

I think I must be mad but so far things have been ok, Daniel is at pre school now so that gives me a few hours to cram work in and evenings are free to work solidly whilst he sleeps so how is it going..

Well so far so good, we have had just one melt down when I had an unexpected meeting during toddlers, Daniel afterwards told me he didnt like me talking when I was there to play with him!! ( lesson learnt!) I have managed to cook a home made healthy ish dinner that was eaten and finished with an ice cream treat!! ( dairy free) Daniel went to bed and so far I have finished a sermon and a funeral, a reference for a dear friend and cleared a ridiculous number of emails...

But I am shattered...I can cope because i know in 4 days time the cavalry will be back and the pressure will be shared yet again.

So, how do single parents do it? My hat yet again is taken off to those people who day in day out have to cope on their own with EVERYTHING. It is so easy to take advantage, forget to appreciate the things we have in our lives, until they are gone, even if it is only temporarily!

I am so grateful for what I have been blessed with and never again will I take any of it for granted...

so til Friday....I may look even more haggered than usual, I may be seen running around, driving around more than usual, I may even forget many things...I just hope and pray that the week will be one of blessing and not stress for Daniel more than anyone ;)

HAPPY IN HOO

This last few weeks have been manic....we had a residential weekend away last weekend in Aylesford Priory for a course Marc and I are on...we took Daniel with us as Grandma was teaching on the course too and so Grandad also came along  to have Dan during the sessions....it was an awesome weekend of learning and reflection but also slightly exhausting worrying about Daniel as he didn't eat much all weekend and struggled to get to sleep at night....but he left that place saying it was "So Great!" and asking when he could return....that boy would totally thrive living in community!!

Then, we came straight back into Bishop's visitation week...a week where the Bishop travels around the deanery...in our case Strood, and looks at all the different things we do, talks to the clergy and local community where given the opportunity to discover what issues there are. 

Unfortunately the Bishop was unable to visit some of the  things I am personally involved in but I did get a chance to present my work, the things and projects I am involved in and the things I am really passionate about. I found myself becoming really passionate and excited about    the place in which we live. I just totally love the Peninsula and Hoo specifically!

Since leaving the North West I don't think I have really ever felt so much community spirit....you can go out just for a walk and people stop and chat whether you know them or not, you have a coffee in Taggs and conversations naturally start... in spite of wearing a dog collar....and we find ourselves involved in some amazing things with some wonderful people....this makes me happy!

My only anxiety is the future...the unknown....can I sell to the Bish the amazing work that is here on the Peninsula...can we sell our case to the powers that be that 4 years is just not enough time to develop stuff....who knows...but for now I am so happy to be here!!!

Work, rest and play

This last week has been a real mixture of work, rest and play...after a very manic, exciting, exhausting and envigorating Easter weekend of services and celebrations I managed to collect a rather nasty chest infection resulting in ke just about making it through all the services I was leading but then hit the ground hard with coughing all night and sleeping very little...not the best start to our time off..

However despite being ill and exhausted we managed to have a really lovely time away at our parents caravan...we toured the local castles of Dover, Deal and Walmer and as many Costa coffee shops as we could possibly find...purely to drink soya lattes to enable us to thaw out from the -2 degree temperatures !

Daniel also enjoyed going swimming every day and dancing the night away at Sparky's Crew club and even had his first ever street dance class !

Being away really gives you the chance to take stock of life and reflect on things. I really do love my job, love the people I get to meet and spend time with in the name of work... But I trully love my family...despite disturbed nights sleep, mountains of ironing, eating battles  and the other joys of having a toddler I do feel truly blessed to be here right now with my wonderful family

The holiest of Weeks...

Yesterday began the week long serial known in the church as Holy week...a week where we are building up an amazing story line with twists and turns all the way, celebrations, jubilation, cheering, processions, meals with friends, meditation in gardens, arrests, trials, torture, crucifixion, death, heart break, heart ache, confusion, despair, amazement, confusion, awe-ness and RESURRECTION!

Sounds to me like a week in soap land...a story line planned, advertised, rehearsed and looked forward to for months on end.
But htis is not made up script, this isn't a televised story plot rehearsd and played out by actors this is reality, this is true, this is the true events of Holy Week.

On Saturday I had the real pleasure of sharing the Easter story with 29 children aged 3-15 at our Kidschurch based in Chattenden ...the children through fun, games, film and an Easter egg hunt unravelled the story of what Jesus experienced that first Holy week/ Easter day. just watching their faces, listening to their questions and explanations and hearing my own son ( aged 3) retelling my parents the story bit by bit was spine tinglingly awesome.

For this is a life changing account. We can so easily get lost in the bunnies, chicks, eggs of Easter but forget why we are celebrating anything at all. Easter is even more commercial than Christmas at least you can find a Nativity scene at Christmas in the shops, at Easter there is nothing that resembles the true meaning of Easter.

Easter is  a great time to celebrate Spring ( what a joke with the weather we are having!) It's a great time to spend with family, it's a great opportunity for fun. But ultimately it is a time to think about our lives and to fully appreciate them.

A wise person once said that if we were the only person left ont eh planet Jesus would still have suffered on that cross just for us...

this week I shall be sharing the story with toddlers , experiencing the last supper with adults, being cre8ive with families on Good Friday and helping to clean up Hoo village on Saturday but what am I looking forward ot most..I am getting up at 5am ( really 4am with clock changes) to lead 30+ people in welcoming the risen Son..I wouldn't be doing that if I didnt believe it was something true to be celebrating!!

Have a blessed Easter however/whatever you will be doing xx

BIRTHDAY!

This week saw Daniel turn 3..3 years old! I truly can't believe it... it seems only yesterday that I was in shock discovering after all this time I was pregnant and even less time that I was in Medway hospital alone the first night terrified beyond believe and only survived thanks to the wonderful Jenny Clements in the bed opposite.

Unfortunately due to the wonderful chicken pox, Daniel had to postpone his party and has been struggling to cope with too much, getting tired easily but we have certainly made up for it and he has had a wonderful birthday few days, spending time with his grandparents, seeing our neighbours and special friends and looking forward to a trip to Leybourne with some very special guests.

Daniel has really turned our world upside down...in more ways than one...he is our little miracle baby, hes a whirl wind, he's full on 24/7 but he is our ray of sunshine.

We have been truly blessed by everyone's thoughts, cards, presents and prayers for Daniel and we look forward to the next many years that we will celebrate with him.