New Year's Eve

Looking forward to celebrating the New Year with friends who are coming over from Cambridge today and are staying until tomorrow.

Listening to UCB radio and have been challenged by being asked to think about words to describe God, and to write them down, and to remember them when praying to our father in heaven. We too often get caught up with 'asking for' prayers and focusing on the gift and not the giver. God wants to give us good gifts but desires our worship and time with Him. No resolutions this year but my aim is to spend more time just being still in His presence and I am thankful that through Jesus Christ we can know Him.

Happy New Year to everybody and I pray that God will give you the desires of your heart during 2010.

End of the year

We've had a lovely Christmas and we took my mum back to the station to catch the train home yesterday afternoon. Church was great on Christmas Day, and my mum enjoyed the service. I spent most of the day in the kitchen preparing the meal. Graham's parents arrived just after we returned from outdoor mulled wine and mince pies at a neighbour's ( the one who lost her partner on Dec 27th last year). Two young friends from church came round early evening and it was nice to see them and exchange presents. I finally sat down in the evening to watch the Christmas special of Gavin and Stacey ( which I hadn't seen before, but enjoyed as I love Rob Brydon ) . I concluded that it is hard work being a woman on Christmas Day, but worth it to see all my family enjoy their presents and the Christmas dinner. I was given an ipod touch this year which is really cool. However, despite the lovely day I did feel that materialism is getting in the way and next year will be different. The children were really grateful for their presents though.

On Boxing Day we took my mum for a walk around the park which was good exercise for all of us and today Graham, Harry and I did three laps of the park which was invigorating.

Can't believe we are approaching the end of 2009 and the second year of my blog! I still haven't worked out how to print it out.

Happy Christmas

Back from the outdoor village carol service. Drinking mulled wine. Cakes iced and most of the presents wrapped. Happy Christmas to everyone. May God bless you all as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Waiting for the electrician and the A.A.

My car wouldn't start this morning so I phoned the AA at 11.30am and they arrived at 6.30pm! Due to the awful weather conditions I wasn't a priority. Whilst Rosie was in the shower all the upstairs lighting went and as the fuse box is a bit old and dodgy I phoned an electrician and also had to wait for him to arrive. So, I managed to wrap all the presents I have bought so far without the children being remotely interested in what I was doing as they were outside in the snow. Harry tied two sledges to his bike and gave Rosie and her friend rides up and down the road. Charlie started his revision today so was busy studying or not in his room.

The car battery was flat so I had to take a trip in the snow to Halfords to buy a new battery. Why do these things happen when Graham is away? Anyway, I'm back home, relaxing in front of the T.V and watching Outnumbered series one.

Almost Christmas- cakes to be marzipanned and iced tomorrow.

Saturday 19th December 2009

Week-end. We're off to Cambridge this afternoon and are staying overnight. We are meeting up with friends for a meal in the evening and then tomorrow morning we are going to their church to hear J John preach. We are then going to see other friends for lunch after the service.

The snow is still here and it is very cold, but the sun is shining. I am feeling virtuous after writing most of my Christmas cards and posting them yesterday. The overseas friends won't get theirs until next month now, but never mind. I had a change of heart after planning not to send cards for the first time ever this year, as I feel slightly anxious about the environmental issues concerned with using all that paper and transport, not to mention the expense. However, as they've steadily dropped through the letter box throughout the last few weeks, I changed my mind and gave in to Christmas pressure!

Still can't add photos! Oh how I wish I was more computer literate

John 20: 30-31

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31But these are written that you may[a] believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Feeling Christmassy

I wanted to add a photo of my Christmas tree but the link does not appear to be working. Not sure why as the video one seems ok. Had my last supervision today before Christmas which went ok. I'm now winding down from work and have started to think about Christmas a bit more. We went to see Graham's parents today for lunch and I was pleased to see that they seem well and are looking forward to Christmas Day.



We've had a good week so far. It snowed lightly today and much more is expected overnight which the children are delighted about.

Weekend again

It is Friday, and I've had a good week so far with many things to be thankful for including:



Family- Graham has been unwell with a cold and actually spent most of yesterday in bed. He is better today and went to London today for a meeting. He told me it was much worse than man flu! Not convinced though. Rosie was also ill, but was desperate to go to school for the end of term parties and fun stuff so I let her. She was fine. The boys have gone away with church for the week-end. They almost missed the coach though as we thought we had to be at church for 5pm. We set off about ten to five and then I received a call from a friend to find out where we were as the coach was leaving! Apparently the coach was leaving at 5pm. Thankfully it waited for us. So the boys are away until Sunday. Rosie has been to a bowling party and to watch her friend in a play this evening.



Good health. I'm taking echinacea, vit c and zinc and acai berry in an attempt to boost my immune system.



Harry's musical gift. He played in a concert on Wednesday evening and did a solo in front of over 500 people!



My work- I enjoyed a Christmas lunch this week, and am also enjoying my fieldwork.

We have a lovely week-end ahead. The children broke up from school today and are off for over three weeks. Tomorrow we're going to a Christmas party, and on Sunday we have two services to look forward to. the morning service is the Christmas giving service where we donate our hampers to be distributed to the needy families in the area. In the afternoon we have an outdoor Carol service in Bedford Park. We have invited several friends to it and then we are going back to the golf club for a drink.

Tomorrow morning we have our group. Last week was so good!

Bought the Christmas tree today. The guy who sold it to me said I should win the prize for being the quickest person ever to decide on which tree to buy! I laughed and told him that life was too short to be spent on decisions involving Christmas trees!!

Wonderful week-end

It is early on Saturday and I've just dropped Rosie off at school as she is playing in a Lacrosse match in Berkhamstead. Feeling a slight disappointment though, as I wanted to go and watch her and we can't as we have our church group this morning.

The boys are still in bed and Graham is playing an early round of golf and will be back at 9.30am for our group.

I've had a busy week, and I'm so delighted that I've got the whole week-end at home and an evening in. Plans include Christmas cake baking and starting my new knitting project ( cardigan in a beautiful sage Rowan Tweed wool ).

Charlie has a rugby match at Stowe school this afternoon and Rosie a party later.

Yesterday was a good day despite feeling nervous about giving my presentation. I really do need to update my PowerPoint skills though as they let me down towards the end of the presentation when the slide show reverted back to the notes page and the audience could see what I had written! Never mind. It's good experience and just before I stood up to present I recalled the scripture ' I will never leave you or forsake you' and my nervousness vanished. A friend came with me to Oxford and went off to meet her friend for lunch whilst I went to the conference. Afterwards, we went to Bicester Village and did some Christmas shopping which was a nice end to the day.

The weather is milder today and the sun is shining. I'm hoping to get outside in the fresh air this afternoon.

Ist day of advent

Now I must start to think about Christmas, but I can't as I have so much on at the moment. The week-end was memorable with a lovely meal at L'Escargot and then jazz at Ronnie Scotts.
I felt so tired on Sunday as we didn't get back until 4am. I can't remember when I had such a late night.

I am busy thinking about my presentation on Friday, and really can't focus on much else at the moment. I've had my hair cut today into a bob- very short for me. Got to dash to take Rosie swimming. Back later.