Bye Gail, we will always love and miss you x

It’s been a long time since I last posted anything and so much has changed, both for good and bad. Devastatingly for my family was the sudden passing away of my aunty Gail at only 44, the morning after arriving on holiday in Marseille. Even more unfortunate was that it happened the day after Jasmine’s 3rd birthday and I found out just as guests were arriving. I have never experienced anything so completely devastating in my life and it has changed me so much. Gail was such an intrinsic and focal point of our family – in more ways than we even realised when she was with us and her passing has left such a gaping hole. The kids adored her and she them, and they regularly say they miss her or they want her to come back. It was the hardest thing I have ever done telling them that their aunty Gail had gone to heaven, made easier only because I don’t think they fully grasped what it actually means in the long term. I definitely think that us no longer living in Leicester has helped both me and them to deal with it. If we had still been living five minutes away from her house then it would be all the more painful as she often dropped by after work and we would visit most Sundays and she would also babysit during the week for us. I couldn’t possibly hope to condense all that she meant to us and all that we did together into a short blog entry, but suffice to say I feel that I have lost a mother, a big sister and a best friend all in one. Gail, we miss and love you and always will until we meet again in a better place x

Christmas and the New Year

Despite the sadness, we actually had a really nice over Christmas and the New Year. We had Nick's mum, my mum and my brother over for Chrsitmas day, and boxing day all my family visited from Leicester and so did my best friend - and godmother to Ben and Jas - Joss. In all we were 18 and yes, I cooked for us all - on both days! For the New Year we went to stay with Nick's family in Birmingham and much eating, drinking and playing of games was enjoyed. Benjamin and Jasmine got to go wild with the Theo and Emile (Nick's much younger brothers!), and their cousins Joshua and Jonathon and also got to eat whatever they did or didn't want. Apart from the odd fight, or banged head they were content to amuse themselves leaving us adults to far more serious pursuits such as girls v boys on articulate!

Ben took this photo and I think he did quite a good job!

Those presents are almost bigger than they are!

Ben and Jas with their 'Nana Debbie' and their 'Uncle Ben'

Look at that! Gambling in front of children!

Jasmine and Theo pose for a picture

For the above reason Christmas and the New Year was particularly hard for me, but I have decided that this Year things will be different. I will stop making excuses and finding reasons why I can’t do the things that I really want to, or need to do. Case in point would be taking my practical driving test. It is now here on record that by the end of this week I shall have booked myself some refresher lessons to familiarise myself with my new surroundings, and my practical test.
Another thing is to get up earlier. I always want to do this to give myself time in the morning to prepare better for the day before the children wake up, but especially at this time of year, it is just too cosy under the duvet and too dark outside to stick to any promises I make about waking an hour earlier. But life is too short to waste sleeping, so as of Monday just gone I have been getting up at 6.30 instead of 7am – ok, so it’s only a babystep, but as confuscius said; ‘a journey of 1000 miles begins with one step’. This is my first step. Next week I will aim for 6am. I will also be setting myself regular daily and weekly goals to keep up the momentum. I shall keep you posted on my progress……