For the first time...again!

Wow, sometimes it feels like I'm often doing things for the first time. This either means that that I'm just a bit sad at catching up with things or... I'm not quite sure what!

Anyway for thr first time, I'm login on and updating the blog at an internet cafe - can't believe this is really a first for me!!

This week has been an eventful week, actually thinking about it, this year has already had a few events to write about, but I'm still positive and excited about 2007!! The week began at Netball on Monday when my friend (Lucy's best friend's mum), had a little collisionn and very badly sprained her leg, it was (and still is) very swollen and black and blue and she's now on crutches and has a air boot for a couple of weeks!

Then I got a stinking cold and the dishwasher decided to stop working (again!), but the most exciting was still to come. On Friday I had a fantastic day out shopping - spending some vouchers I had been given, I haven't yet managed to spend them all. I started off in Starbucks, did a few shops, met Gary for lunch, did a few more shops then headed home with quite a few bags. I had a great day.

Then (wait for it, this is the exciting bit!), in the evening Gary was filling the bath up for Lucy and I was on the phone, when a water pipe in the kitchen burst and water gushed out everywhere. At first we couldn't quite work out where it was coming from as it literally sounded like an overfull drain pipe. The Gary moved the washing machine to find the water spurting out, and he then had to move the dishwasher to turn the water off. All very exciting, in an odd kind of way! The new floor that Gary laid just before New Year is slightly ruined to say the least but the insurance people are coming out on Monday and will fix that.

So on we role to the next month...

English Country Garden

The other day I was doing Lucy's hair, and she started singing, that's not unusual - she often does that! Anyway at 2 and a half years old - I hear her sing "pull down your pants and suffocate the ants in an english country garden" although she couldn't quite say suffocate.

I was amazed, so I asked her, who taught her that song. She had a little think, looked at me and said .... "daddy..." surely not, then she started listing a load of names, obviously wanting to 'protect' the real culprit, who I found out later was daddy! She's such a daddies girl. Unfortunately as I laughed and then quizzed her about it she thought it was funny and kept saying "did I make you laugh mummy". Oh she's a one. So I told her it was a naughty song and later when I caught myself singing it she said "don't sing that mummy, it's a naughty song"!

The lunch hour!

Nearly got completed thrashed, actually have been totally thrashed at Table Football but not today.

The youth have bought a Table Football amongst other things (table tennis, air hockey etc), and at the moment it's in one of the rooms at the offices. So after a quick game of pool it's onto Table Football - I love the frustration and excitement of the game. When your men don't do what you want them to do (does that ever happen), and you look completely stupid swinging your men back and forth hitting air because you keep missing the ball.... or is that just me? And then somehow you score a goal. YEAH!!

Nothing like a bit of competitiveness in the lunch hour!

New Year new....

Hope you had a great Christmas and New Year - even though it seems like ages ago! New Year, new... I was going to say you as we're on a diet to lose a few pounds! But the New Year so far has been new things for the house. Washing machine broke last week, right after Lucy was sick all over me and her bed (not so nice), poor Lucy, but she's better now. Also the radiator decided to burst in the middle - spurting water onto the wall - not a big spurt but still a spurt. So New Year, new... radiator and washing machine (at some point), new flooring in the kitchen, new sofa bed and new wardrobes. Wow what a start to the year.

It's only just begun

Yes I have made yet another appearance in the newspaper....stardom here I come. Well not quite, but it all begins somewhere!! Last week we had a photo shoot for the Carols in the City event we're involved with on Saturday. Lots of preparation and work has been done and amazingly we're all organised and sorted - we just need to get on with it. So if you're around in Birmingham on Saturday 16 December go to Victoria Square for fun and an outdoor Carol event at 4.30pm. Oh and take a look at Birmingham Forward newspaper!

Not surprisingly life has been busy with Christmas not far away. From the beginning of December we only had 3 free evenings! But the good thing is most of our evenings were/are nice social things and catching up with friends.

Little Lou-lou is doing well, she doesn't quite understand the whole Christmas thing..... she is only two and half! But seems excited, when you ask her what Father Christmas might bring her for Christmas, she has a little think and says "maybe he might bring me a present" very sweet. What's probably even cuter (if that's a word!) is that she opens her calendar every day and is amazed there's a chocolate there, every day! But then tries to stick her fingers down behind the doors to find more chocolates!

I'm really looking forward to Christmas, as I'm looking forward to going to Kent for a week and seeing family, with no agenda or things to do but enjoy myself, relax and catch-up with peeps.

Oh my goodness...

I can't believe it has been so long, in updating the blog - sorry. But hey, life has been busy.

We moved into out house a couple of week ago, and it's fantastic to be in. So nice to finally feel like I can sort and order things. There are a few boxes we've yet to unpack, but as storage is a little issue, unpacking becomes a little harder! But we're getting there. Lucy really loves her bedroom, we were given a cabin bed, which is fantastic - it takes up most of her room but she loves it, loves playing with her toys underneath, and generally can't wait to get to bed... now that can't be a bad thing! May it continue. Oh, and of course she loves to have Erin round to play now she's just round the corner.

There's a few jobs to finish, but that's probably always the way with houses, it's just so nice to be in, to have a kitchen and bathroom and bedroom and .....space. We're really grateful to those that have had us staying, they've been such a blessing.

So now we're in life is steaming towards Christmas and I can't believe it's nearly here already!

Work seems to be busier than ever, both for Gary and I. There's lots going on and our office is excitingly preparing for Carols in the City. The beanie hats have just arrived, the chocolates have been delivered, the glowsticks are here and the flyers are being sent out. Just a few more things to get and we're ready!!!

Well that's it for now. When I've got a bit more time I'll put some photos up of the house.

Should i be proud?

Am not sure whether this is something to be proud of or not????

For the first time ever I finished a whole balti; Balti Chicken Dhansak was the lucky dish! Had to take a picture as evidence, even though I did get a few 'weirdo' comments as I was taking the picture from Mr Jones!

Proud or not? What do you think?

Can you believe it

Well the busy weeks go on, but next week we finally have the carpets arriving.... YEAH..... Then we move in - on that same day, next Tuesday, am really looking forward to it. I'll keep you posted, and take some pictures with the carpets in so you can see the transformation.

Crazy or not, probably crazy but hey, my parents are coming up on the Tuesday evening - hence moving in on the same day as Carpet day. I'm not quite sure who's more crazy.. my parents.. or us! Anyway, Dad is going to help put a shed a up, amongst many other things I'm sure. I'm going with my mum to have a 'style consultation', Trinny and Suzannah fashion, but hopefully not quite as brutal :o)

So I'm finally looking forward to next week.

From one to another

Weekend to weekend, it's what it feels like at the moment - bit of a mixed blessing, but we're nearly there! I'm loving what we've been doing at weekends but also feeling slighty tired (!!!).

Last weekend we were away at a church leaders weekend at Hothorpe Hall, which was lovely. However it was still quite busy for me as I was working here and there, but nevetheless it was great to have the chance to catch-up with some friends that we don't always have the time to catch-up with. God also did some fantastic stuff at the weekend, for both Gary and I. I have found things quite tough lately because there is so much going on, which has often meant that when I spend time with God or am in worship I have a bit of a barrier up as I feel there's too much to think about or sort through. Well, as you can probably guess, God decided to sort through some of the stuff at the weekend and break the 'dam' that I had built, so that was good.

Lucy enjoyed it, playing with friends and generally having fun, she loved her little bed. On the Sunday we had chance to pray for all the kids that were there, this was a brilliant time and at the end of it Lucy was telling me about the Angels that were at the back of the stage area that she was singing with - fantastic.

This week has so far proved to be fairly busy, with a long unexpected trip to Ikea, don't we just love that place!! We got our kitchen from Ikea - it looks great - but have had a few broken things and things missing. Anyway after that I went to Netball - must be crazy as really was shattered but needed some Sarah time. Last night we had cell, tonight we've catching up with some friends then tomorrow we off to Kent for an 80 celebration at the weekend.

Oh it's a busy time in murray's house going from one to another......

In the loop

Well a lot has happened since i last posted, and i can't possibly write it all down - you might get a bit bored!!

The house is nearly there, can you believe it, we will soon be in... i'll hold back on giving a date though! When we're done, i'll do a little 'from this.... to this...' film strip. And of course we'll have a house warming party, which you just can't miss.

We've got a few busy weekends, in September, the weekend before last Gary worked on the house, and i went to London to the 125 Anniversay of the Church we use to go to. It was a great time, very nice to catch-up with people and i was amazaed at all the info they had including originals from when the church started in 1881. So that was a good time, tiring as i was trying (not very well!!) to stop Lucy sticking her fingers in the cake, climbing up the stacked charis, removing her clothes and dancing round the grass with nothing but her socks her because she was hot... and and catching the buggie (or not catching it) as it fell backwards whilst lucy was supposed to be 'sleeping' uuuummm!

Last weekend was the youth weekend away - it was a really great weekend, God did some fantastic sutff and we all had a lot of fun. Lucy and Erin made a great terrible twosome running here there and everywhere - most of the photo's are blurred as it was tricky to get a photo of them standing still!! But they had a good time too.

Well, this weekend we've got the church leaders weekend away, no doubt Erin and Lucy will have fun at that and i hope we will too - i'll let you know.