Forgive me, I am a bad bad blogger!

I know it feels like forever since i sat here and tapped away on the keys. It seems like a lot has happened to me, to us but i have not had the energy nor the inclination to write. I guess i lost my way in the blogging sense. For a little while i have sat here and wanted to type but nothing sprang to mind. I see a lot of you onFB and catch up or read your goings on from there. And although i may not comment i do still read your blogs! SO i guess it is time to put fingers to keys and reciprocate.
So July.. was it really that long ago that i last typed? Whats been going on here then. Crumbs. Lots!
Ok ok so you want a little more detail than that.
Let's go monthly:

July: Saw me return to work FULL time for the first time in 14 years! I am loving it! Really, really loving it! I am a receptionist at British Car Auctions Europe head office!

August: saw us on the Isle of Wight, a small island off the South coast of the UK. We spent the holiday with Richards family. Oh i got my NEW camera from my Dad! A CanonEOS 350D. I L♥ve it!

September: Saw David turn 10! All the kids settled back in to school well and are still happy.

October: Rae turned 14 and Becky became a teenager! Rae is doing extremely well in school and music! Becky is also doing very well. We are still having on going Epilepsy tests for Becky... (explained more in Nov!).

November:
I am diagnosed with life threatening allergies to some fresh fruits and vegetable (but am OK if they are cooked!) So i am given epipens! It is all good fun!
Becky had a sleep deprived epilepsy test today. We stayed awake for 24 hours (not easy in the slightest!) so that she could sleep during her test! She is currently sound asleep on the sofa. Results in two weeks.

And that is a very quick run through to now!

So now i am determined to be a better blogger! I am back, keen and raring to go.

The blog is a bit sparce but i am working on refreshing it! Watch this space!
For now here are some photos of my friends new baby girl, taken with my new camera this past weekend:

What a weekend!

No news on Becky...still waiting!

However i did have the best weekend EVER (well in a lot of years) this weekend! LOL
I got a text on Friday from an old army friend Pip, she was coming to Twickenham to see the Army v Navy rugby match and was staying in a hotel 20 mins from my house with 3 other old army buddies, Ali, Ali and Kerry,...could i meet them there for a drink?? Haha silly question really!
So i went along to see them:

Pip

Kerry (green top)
Ali B!
Ali W

The gang! l-r Pip, me, Kerry, Ali W, Ali B.

Its been roughly 12 years since we've been together and man we laughed so much, fell back into the old ways had some drinks and talked well into the night! Pip rang my hubby to get permission to kidnap me for the night and bless him he approved! So they then decided how to "sneak" me in...they had plans of dragging me in the window on the ground floor..but i decided on the door..we've all got a bit bigger since our stealthy army days and i did not want to be responsible for any backs being put out (especially mine) however funny it may have been!

So i had to sneak out on Saturday morning and head home to collect the hubby and kids as they were spending the day with my Dad while i took my Mum to a spa day for her 60th birthday!
And what a day we had!

Full Body Massage.
Specifics Facial
Nails
Hair
sauna, jaccuzi, steam room, pool....
Lunch
Drinks all day on tap!

We had the best girly day together, it was wonderful.

So now we are all home, today is a UK bank holiday so we just hung out and chilled! Back to work tomorrow but wow what a weekend!

Patient, unwillingly.

“God's way of answering the Christian's prayer for more patience, experience, hope and love often is to put him into the furnace of affliction”

Richard Cecil quote

So results day is in...I knew the doctor would be busy first thing so we set to tidying a little in the living room and not going near the phone. At 10am I phoned for her results to be told by the machine that results are given out from 2pm! Honestly do these people NOT understand that i am not a patient lady, that i want to know NOW, that i tossed and turned a lot the past few nights and am tired and irritable, but mostly i want to help my baby and can't because i do not know what's wrong with her and wont be able to find out till this afternoon?
So i have had patience thrust upon me! I am aware that patience is a virtue but i have plenty other virtues and patience was never top on my list of priorities. Especially when it comes to my children.
Richards Mum and step Dad are coming for a visit today too. They are taking us out to lunch, which right now is probably the best thing for all of us, but mostly me! I hope Becky will be able to eat at least some of her meal, I also hope i do not seem too pre-occupied. But mostly i hope that when i call at 2pm on the dot we get the answers we really wish for, even if i have no idea what a good answer will be. I am sure its not BAD bad news because if it was they would have phoned up before now. Wouldn't they?

Is there anything you aren't good at? Patience? Forgiveness? anything at all? Can anyone out there relate to this?

This man.

This man is my best friend.
He is probably the only person who truly knows me, what makes me tick and how to read me.
This man believes in me, whole hearted, unquestioningly.
This man can make me laugh or giggle like a school girl, he can make me cry, he frustrates me, he is my everything.
This man's hands have held mine, they have held me, they have reached out to me when i needed them to and they have just rested gently on me when i needed to know they were there. They have written to me from Iraq, Canada, Poland and various other places. Letters i still hold dear and read from time to time.
This man's hands fix things, they make things and they were the first hands to hold three small babies when they made their way into the world. This man's hands hold my heart in them, so strong and so gently that i know it is safe there. This man, the father of my children, is my reason for being. He is my reason for smiles, laughter and love. He is my soul mate, my best friend and my lover. This man, this lovely gentle caring man is everything and more to me. I do not tell him often enough how he really makes me feel. Our lives so busy with working and raising our family. So my wonderful man, thank you for loving me the way you do, thank you for our lovely children, thank you for just being you...my husband. I love you.

Am i too late

to wish everyone a very happy new year and all the very best for 2009? Gee i hope not!
It has as always been manic off the new year starting blocks, no excuse for me lack of posting i know, but i have just been enjoying evenings with the kids on the sofa. We have been watching the diary of Anne Frank, which has been raising questions and debates, that have just been wonderful for us to enter into as a family. I guess learning doesn't always stop when the school day does! The kids have been thoroughly moved by the story so we are now getting the book to read. They were (i hesitate to use the word delighted or pleased) proud to know that they have been to Bergen-Belsen where Anne and her sister, Margot, died. They (the children) were very small when we took them, but it was an experience we wanted to share and since we lived near there at the time we did not pass up the chance.
And that my dear friends is where we are at up to this point in the new year!
We did start the year with our very good friends and as usual it was just a wonderful day. Chilling out, relaxed and just enjoying each other. All children are back to full health and we are looking forward to a lie in tomorrow!! (Still not too used to these early mornings!!).

Pics of Bergen-Belsen as requested by the girls:

Main Entrance:

reads: Here Lay 500 Dead. (so sad, R.I.P)
Looking at the wall with all the names on it.
Becky laying a stone out of respect.

Christmas photos and merryment!

One of my favourite things about Christmas is when the kids are all asleep and the tree is surrounded by gifts, the lights are low and the wine is flowing! Our tree always looks so small compared to the amount of gifts under it. (Then i think of "Octamom" and "Boy Mom" and smile at the thought of how their trees look!!) So here is our tree before the children woke on Christmas morning.

The Tree.

Then there is the childrens faces when (if) they get the one gift that they wished so hard for, the gift they did the dishes for (in December anyway) the one prize that would make this Christmas the best one "ever".

Rachel and the "new coat"

Becky and the "grown up make-up set!"

And David the "Clone Trooper" with "Gordon" the monkey puppet!

Then there is family! Since Christmas day we have now spent 2 days at home, yesterday and today! On boxing day we visited Rich's family (no pics i forgot my camera..aaaagh) and then on the 27th we visited my family. It is always so great to see the cousins together and here the all are..

Back - Becky, Elouise and Rae.
Front - Jack and David!

So yes it is pretty safe to say that this was their "best Christmas e-v-e-r". With all gifts opened and peace restored the children are playing with their toys, or watching new DVD's, reading new books, applying make up or bathing with bath bombs! Lego all over the place and go-go's under foot we can now sit back and enjoy the gifts we recieved...until our next Christmas...Jan 01. 2009 when we visit our "best friends in the world" for the day, a tradition we started around 3 or 4 years ago. We stay away from each other over Chrsitmas to allow family and other friends to visit and new year is our day. I am looking ofrward ot it very much particularly this year as K has been seriously ill recently and we were all worried that Christmas may not go ahead as planned with them. All is well now though and we can look to 2009 without worries and concerns for him. (K - i am so glad you are better we love you tons!).