I dont know how or why - but I am thankful x

As you already know I have 3 children and would love more, my dream would be a house full of kids like they are in Cheaper by the Dozen where it is all organised chaos, - we have the organised chaos sorted already, but circumstances and finances dictate that we cant have any more children, I do however love all the films with large families in and love reading books about large families. I recently picked up a fantastic book written by a lovely lady Mary Ostyn who actually writes on of the other blogs that I follow http://www.owlhaven.net/ the book is called The Sane Womans Guide to Raising a Large Family, and Ill be honest with you I have read it minimum 4 times and still love it!!

Anyway in the book it tells the story of how Mary and husband are raising their family, and the financial obstacles that they have overcome in order to adopt, A paragraph stands out so vividly to me (I am summarising here) "adoption is an expensive business but somehow a door always opens and god provides for us, enabling us to proceed with the adoption process and alowing us to open our doors to care for another child" - Sorry Mary I know I havent quoted it exactly !!

Which now brings me to our situation, for the longest time (in fact for as long as I can remember since being with my husband ) we have had to scrimp and save for everything, I am not overly religious but I do believe that something/somebody is looking down taking care of our family. Whenever we have the wolves at our door (collection agencies), just before they manage to get in something always comes our way, I dont believe that it is down to luck, twice it has happend to us this week, we had some concert tickets that we couldnt go to - had them for about 6months no joy in selling them, but this week when we had a Friday deadline for a debt, someone out of the blue said they were unable to get tickets because it was sold out ! this is not the first time, I was crying because of the relief.

Later that evening, I was taking to Mark (husband) about it and he had thought the same thing - he likes to think that it is his mum looking down on us still taking care of us - I hope so - I dont think that we are ever going to be rich and affording foreign holidays, but we are so much richer than any millionaire who doesnt have to wait and save for anything, I have my family, and we have camping holidays, but my family and the time together with them is so much more precious than any amount of money in the world.

Shirley Valentine Syndrome

"Hello Wall - Its me Shirley"
Anybody remember the 80's film Shirley Valentine, where Shirley tried to escape her humdrum life and spoke to the kitchen wall with the hope that someone would listen and whisk her away to sunnier climes, well as soon as I finished my last post I thought about it and dont you think that blogging is like a modern day Shirley Valentine? you take a few moments every day share your thoughts with your pc and hope that someone, somewhere listens to you and helps your day just that little bit sunnier, well wall I'm off now, I'll speak to you tomorrow

So many thoughts, so little time

I have come to the conclusion that as soon as I had my kids I have become the queen of lists, I write a list of what I need to do then write another list of lists AAGGHH - lists of lists!! I have no time which is why I write lists at least it gives me a sense of some organisation - - One list that I do write and try to keep to is that of the new years resolution, although it is March, I dont think that you have to start in January as long as you take the time at some point throughout the year - (preferably before december and the next new year is due up) which is why at about the end of Feb/Beginning of March after all the festivities have calmed down (and we also have daughters birthday January sons at the end of February) I take a morning to sit down and take stock on what I want to achieve throughout the following few months, which is where I am today.

My mid-year resolutions

1. Start a blog - and to take at least 15 min per day to get to grips with blogging and to learn as many tips as I can to make this the best blog that I can for my own personal achievement

2. Start to scrapbook - I have so many photos all in wallets/folders fro our wedding, Children born, Holidays, relatives no longer with us, and what better way that to take the time to arrange them in such a creative way and what better way to reminisce as you are arranging the pages together with loved ones

3. Learn how to make cupcakes - I've got the baking of the muffins/cupcakes down - no problem but I love the way that they are decorated with the buttercream on top and to also learn how to decorate cakes I would love to have the discipline to sit down and to take the time to make icing/marzipan roses.

4. To chill out more and to not live by the lists as much as I been !!

5. and the old favourite ----- to declutter as we go along so that I dont need to have a full blown blitz every couple of months, logic says do it as you do along, practicality says - I'll do it tomorrow. not no more - down in black and white now (even though that goes against number 4 about the lists - o oh ! its started already !!!)