All the kids except Jack are back at school today. We woke to a covering of snow, and got to walk to school surrounded by flakes - lovely. Scott's friend Gary stayed over last night as he is working in the area today. Obviously he was forced to learn to play Settlers of Catan, and then play all evening! He bought Chinese for us all too, so no cooking which was very nice!
Scott felt much better yesterday after being sick on Sunday and missing church. I made Kashmiri butter chicken in the slow cooker before church (which turned out brilliantly!), but it meant Scott had the smell all day of food, which I hadn't thought about...poor thing.
Also last night I did my first run from the training programme for the half marathon. I was meant to be out for half an hour walking/jogging, and I didn't think I'd be able to jog for too long, but I managed to for the whole half hour! I couldn't believe it! It was pretty slow, but I am so happy I did it. It's made me realise that I am going to be running miles though, and I'm going to have to think of things to keep from getting bored - download talks/books etc to listen to, as well as just music. The order for Scott's and my new MP3/4 players was cancelled yesterday - out of stock which was disappointing - we won't find them for that price again. Lucy's new pink LG Cookie phone came yesterday though, so she is one happy chickie. (She was looking out the bedroom windows for the delivery van almost all day! It didn't come till 4.30!)
Just lots of ironing today. (I ache so badly though!)
Later... ironing done, but I ache worse than ever - can hardly walk!

I'm actually sitting here back in bed (yes it is lunchtime) and have just looked out to see more snow - big fat flakes and a snow sky. This has been a wonderful Christmas time - for the abundance of snow as well as everything else!
Our Travellers of Catan game arrived in the post (good old eBay), and Scott and the kids are downstairs playing.
I love this time of year when I feel so ready for the new year, and ready to start with renewed determination to achieve the things I want to, and spend time deciding what those things should be. I genuinely believe we can change ourselves (though in my case, progress is slow, but better than none.)
I made some goals and resolutions yesterday, the most physical of which is to run a half marathon with my sister Katy. I am somewhat terrified about this, because I can only run for 1 minute 30 seconds at the moment, before feeling like I will drop dead.
I've been thinking too about the fact that the kids are growing up. This makes me literally cry sometimes - that I can't keep their bodies little and close to me forever, but it also makes me excited and I get happily surprised at things which show their independent thought and growth. I love their minds, and their intelligence, and that they aren't just little me's, but far more. Lucy is actually becoming my friend - someone I can't wait to tell things to, and laugh about things with, and get opinions from. Noone told me all these good bits!! I just hope we have done enough that they will see how logical and wonderful the gospel is, so they will stay close to it and be protected by Christ's teaching. The reason I am saying this is that for a long time we have just been in the 'raising-young-kids-and-surviving-mode', and I can see that this will begin changing (Harry starts school this year for instance, and Lucy will become a teenager). Change is scary, but hopefully I will make it be good!
I really should properly get up now. My goal for today is to vaccuum!

Christmas & Our Impromptu Travels

Lots of pictures, sorry, but not as many as I took!! What a week! We have fitted a lot in. Here is Harry on Christmas eve writing out names for place settings.Scott took the kids to a 'play-place' as well on Christmas eve, while I got everywhere tidy and did nice getting-ready things like wrapping a few last presents, taking presents to our neighbours and making cranberry sauce.

Everything all ready. (Spot the burn mark on the CD shelf, made by the advent candle!!) This is the first Christmas morning that we have ever spent at home on our own! We usually go to Mum and Dad's. We really enjoyed it!

Mum, Dad and Grandma, Niki, Robin, Adam and Emma all arrived a bit later, and Niki and Dad helped me with the dinner. It's the first time we got to see Emma, our new niece! She is lovely!

Dinner went OK I think, and we were all totally podged.

Katy, Dan and Amy came later, and we had more present opening! We just about fit in. Adam seems to like playing with his cousins.

Tom was in the queue to hold his new cousin of course! He really adores babies. Love this one of Harry...

Had tea (and I got to have a play with my new laminater), then everyone headed home, though Katy and Dan stayed late chatting - it was lovely.

On Boxing day we cleared up a bit, then went to Shane and Dawn's for a nice lunch, with Meg and Dave. Got to meet our new nephew, Levi! Another cutie! Good to see Dawn looking OK.

We then drove to Mum and Dad's in Nottingham, in time to get the kids to bed. John and Hannah, and Katy and Dan were staying there too, so we slept all over the place! John taught us a new game 'The Settlers of Catan', which was pretty addictive and we all played lots of. What else do we do when we all get together??!

The next day everyone went to church except Harry who had coughed ALL NIGHT, and Jack and Lucy who felt ill too. Bit tired, but everyone managed OK.

On Monday 28th, John, Robin, Hannah, Lucy and I went into town to shop. Lucy and I both did well in the cardigan department, plus got some other bits and bobs. Scott took the boys to Ikea to get Tom a book shelf, and to Decathlon where more footballs were bought!

We planned to go home after tea, to give Mum a chance to recover, but John invited us up to his and Hannah's (mainly so he could carry on playing The Settlers of Catan, I suspect!!), so we all packed up, and drove up to Yorkshire in convoy.

Got the kids settled, then got playing!

John and Scott. (I liked John's top, so had bought Scott one the same, earlier in the day.)
Next morning we all walked into town, to the locally famous biker's cafe, to get a BIG fry-up each for breakfast. Totally yum. John was feeling rough though.
The walk back from town. More playing of THE GAME (I went online and bought our family a set too while we were at John's!)We then headed to Bolton Abbey for a walk, and a spot of sledging... (after stopping off to buy some gloves etc. - we hadn't really come prepared - just had the stuff we'd taken to Mum's!)
Scott sledging. I also had a go, but John pushed me, and I went flying off the edge of the path...
I was so happy to be among HILLS!!!
Hannah and John (still feeling a bit rough here.) One of the penny tree trunks. This picture makes me laugh! I love the choices you get here!!
The next day we played some more (here is Harry with his new playmobil), and then thanks to me jokingly asking who wanted us next, on Facebook, we got invited to Juli's up in Sunderland! I felt relatively adventurous setting off again with 4 kids in tow, on the spur of the moment!
Juli and Chris have only been moved in a few weeks, but have done tonnes of building work already. It was great to see them and the new house!

Here's Scott with nearly all the kids. (Eight out of nine!)Juli and I enjoying the fire. After that we played a game, and watched some of Twilight, which noone else had seen. Scott admitted it actually seemed OK, and he might even watch all of it with me later at home.

We stayed for a night (during which I bashed my eye HARD on a bunk bed, whilst giving Harry some cough medicine at about 4am. I've got a bit of a black eye, which now looks like dodgey eyeshadow...) and headed home after a fab breakfast of pancakes, thanks to Juli.

It was so good to catch up and get to be proper friends for a bit (and of course look at cookery books...)
We could have stayed for New Year's Eve, but I didn't want to push my luck with the kids - they have been so good this week, inspite of sleeping on all kinds of floors and beds all over the place, and I didn't want them to get too overtired, then ill. It was a good journey home, and we are all nice and organised now.

Scott and I stayed up last night and watched the fireworks on telly, then I wrote in my nice new diary. I am going to try and be better at keeping my personal journal, as well as blogging. I've always been good in the past, but blogging has seemed easier. It's a year exactly now that I've been doing this family blog.

Have spent a lazy day at home, playing with presents, making new year's resolutions (more later on that!) and unexpectedly buying MP3/4 players. Robin knew that Lucy was saving up for an Ipod, and rang to say he'd seen a brilliant online sale bargain on a Sony one instead. It ended with Scott and I both buying one, and Lucy changing her mind and buying a pink touch screen phone instead!

Roast beef dinner, Dr. Who, play on laptops, bed!

xxxHAPPY NEW YEAR xxx

First of all here is the fudge I made last night that I am very proud of! We had a great day - Scott is off work now till the new year, and we went over to my Brother-in-law Dan's Mum and Dad's house, and then off for a walk in some nearby woods with Katy, Dan and Amy. It was lovely with so much snow!!
I took this picture near our house on the drive over.

We saw loads of dear crossing one of the paths we were walking on, including a pure white one. Followed by a good old snowball fight!

Some things in the wood. Scott and Dan helping push someone out the park. It was easier for cars to get in, than out.

I love this one of Lucy.

And this one of Harry.

How cute is Amy?!!

We had potatoes and chilli back at Dan's Mum and Dad's made by Katy...yummmmm...
Tom of course had to have his hold of Amy before we left. Can't wait for Christmas!!!!!!!

We finally put up our Christmas decorations last night. I got to hang the wreath on the front door with heavy snow falling - it was just lovely. Scott said let's not put up so much rubbish this year (though I'm pretty sure he's usually responsible for it), so anyway the kids each have a tree and tonnes of sparkly stuff in their rooms now instead :)

Harry trying to get me.

The ladder was still out from getting down the decorations, and it kept Harry entertained for a lot of today. He said he was 'Captian Tall' and invented all kinds of situations. He cleared away all of his toy cars by climbing the ladder with one at a time and dropping them down into the tub. Here he is eating one (of about 7 he's had today) clementine, up the ladder: