10 years since we first ventured from being a couple to a family! Now that has made me feel old! double figures! What a handsome young boy that scrawny little baby has turned into...To be honest he was easier to look after when he was newborn! his demands and needs were fewer!! But here he is. Have a blessed birthday Matthew, may the Lord shine on you and highlight your caring and thoughtful nature may he help you use your inquisitive and imaginative mind to purposeful and satisfying ends and may he grace you with an understanding of how to control your pre-teen moods, and yearnings of independence; may he also fill us your parents with the patience and continuing unconditional love to guide you through these growing times.we opened presents last night after a family tea so that Tom could share in the fun... as he will be in London for the next couple of days... Thank you to all for your generous gifts and cards. Today will be a pancake breakfast, fresh fruit and leftover cake from last night! and two special friends will be coming home with us tonight from school and once the little ones have gone to bed, my friend Julie will be babysitting as I take the big kids to the cinema! BIG TREAT on a school night! but it's the last school night of term so.... it's a special day!
And here they all are, excavating dinosaur bones! a messy job, but fun and kept them occupied for a while... until the cold got to them!
A late night indeed,they thoroughly enjoyed the film although the journey back in thick fog freaked them out somewhat!! (I was fine as I could see the little bit of road in my headlights, but to them I was driving blind!!) Home just after 1030pm... lucky it's the last day of school tomorrow, no work and lots of fun.
For all those who come to this blog, could I ask you to hold Bob in your prayers... My sister's partner suffered a heart attack last night... although "mild" there are always consequences. And so we ask you dear Lord, to be with Bob, giving him the strength to recuperate fully and for Sarah who is with him, at his bedside feeling scared. For all family members who feel helpless because they cannot be there with them. Help us Oh Lord, to channel our insecurities and fears into positive thoughts and prayers of healing and strength.
Edited to add :Bob is doing well, being kept an eye on and thankfully they managed to remove the clot that caused the attack. We continue to hold him in our prayers asking to keep him safe from a secondary attack and for a restful and recuperative time in hospital. Thank you Lord for your gift of healing, help us to let it work fully and have the patience of giving it the time it needs to work...
Today was her last day with us... Carole, a lovely volunteer helper, has been coming to spend time with our family since Leah was a babe in arms. Coming once a week, to give me space to "do" things, a chat,looking after the little ones so that I could go out for a walk and think, and on occasion meeting up in Sleaford to give me time for a dentist's appt!! Homestart, a lovely charity help young families under stress...I had three at home when Carole first visited. If you know of a mum with a houseful of preschoolers, or is finding times a struggle with a new baby.... mention Homestart. Referrals can be made by Health visitors but also by the family itself.You can qualify as long as you have at least one child under five in the house. If you want to find out more, click on the link above or find out about your local scheme by ringing 0800 068 63 68
An afternoon of fun was planned... but the Billinghay Family walk was cancelled! The weather, horribly wet and miserable was not condusive to enjoying a constitutional! What to do? Well Jeremy arrived (later than Blythe, Lorraine and Polly as he was "working" at a Christmas party...) and his boot was laden with our family Christmas present from them. I have to be honest in that I was feeling fairly apprehensive with Lorraine's covert comments... "I'm not sure where it'll fit in the house", "I don't know whether you'll appreciate this"... Well the box itself was difficult getting out of the car! Tom struggled in with Jeremy and the fun began. The boys were called in and the lid was taken off...
A PUB SOCCER TABLE!!!
The children were sent back out of the room to go and watch a film as the four adults spent the rest of the afternoon putting it together!
And the big boys had to try it out to check it worked OK!!
Thank you so much for an inspired present, solid it'll last the children through their teens...
He's yet to change one of his own tyres, but here he is to the rescue of another damsel in distress...(see his first recue here) Lorraine, here for the weekend, had a "great big dirty nail" in her smart Land Rover tyre.(even posh cars get flats!!)
As they prepare to perform at the Billinghay Christmas concert tonight! A jolly evening of comedy (mostly goan value!), entertainment, culture and music.
Leah and I met up with Poledragon and her mum (not forget not so little RJ) for a lovely amble round the market stalls... Once we got up Steep Hill (and no they didn't believe me when I warned them it WAS steep!!) we caught our breath and got swept along the one way system with the crowd...I forgot my camera which was a shame but the smell of spruce, mulled wine interspersed with sweet waffles permeated within the castle walls. Stalls filled with beautiful creative and festive gifts and decorations painted a colourful scene on a cold day.(darling Tom had refused to give me any pocket money to spend :( sensible decision with hindsight!!) All too quickly the time to go home for school pick ups arrived and we parted... but we left laden with a bag of clothes for Leah to grow into!!! I love to get new to you clothes! Thank you Kris, hugs to your mum, snuddles to RJ and speak to you on MSN soon ;) Thank you Su and Asha who picked Benjamin up from nursery, allowing me the freedom of a leisurely day.
I never did secretarial work... can you tell? Here was my "office workstation" on Thursday evening... and then on Friday @ 1am! And no, for the cynical few of you out there... I didn't just a/ just throw it all away! b/ hide it out of shot I will admit that it is sorted but not yet filed, but for now it's safe from the children using bank statements as drawing/ aeroplane making paper.
So what exactly have WE been doing for this preparation time? This year the lead up to the start of Advent was fairly intense as we prepared for the Christingle service as Tom and the boys were playing/singing... It focused our minds so much more on the true meaning of Christmas that we have taken on a more contemplative approach to this Advent tide... In the morning, we sit round the kitchen table and say a short prayer and then I get the appro- priate book from the "story of Christmas" advent calendar, to read out, which is then hung on a tree that Tom and I made when Matthew was a baby. In the evening, before we lay the table, one of the older boys lights our candles and then they sing "like a candle", we then may read a Bible passage. Before going up to bed the children take it in turns to take one of the nativity figures to stick on the fabric calendar scene. (Matthew ALWAYS gets to do the 19th with the "silent night" singing star, as it's his birthday!)
Only a snippet as Penny's cam battery ran out at the end of the first verse! (my fault aas I only gave her 20mn notice of wanting her to record it and the batteries weren't charged!!) But I think you get the feel of what was a beautiful children's rendition of a simple song.
A time of preparation, anticipation, reflection and hope... Hope stemming from humble beginnings... Looking back at the promise made through the birth of Jesus, our baby in a manger... and looking forward in hope to his second coming in glory and majesty and the promise of eternal life.
The first candle of our Advent wreath was lit, one of four red ones (one for each Sunday in Advent)the central white one reserved for Christmas and celebrating the arrival of the Christ light. As is traditional in St Michael's and All Angels (or has been since we have been here!) We sing an Advent song adding a new verse each week a new candle is lit.
The words are as follows and are sung to the tune of "One more step along the world I go" (clapping to the rythm on the last line of each verse):
Winter's here, we hardly see the sun, Cold damp days can make your spirits glum, Though it's dark when school is done, Advent tells us that the Lord will come. So through all Decemder's dark and dreary days Clap your hands and sing your Advent praise!
Hope is given us by candle "one". Though God judges each and everyone, Those who trust Him need not fear, Advent tells us that the Lord is near. So through all December's dark and dreary days Clap your hands and sing your Advent praise!
Next we'll light a candle for the Word Teaching us about the living Lord; Telling how God's will is done, Through the advent of His Holy Son. So through all December's dark and dreary days Clap your hands and sing your Advent praise!
Candle "three" will speak to us of John Who prepared the way for God's own Son; Preaching from his desert home That the Saviour of the world will come. So through all December's dark and dreary days Clap your hands and sing your Advent praise!
Then we'll symbolise, with candle "four" Mary, holy mother of the Lord; Soon we'll shout with joy and say: Advent's over and it's Christmas Day! So through all December's dark and dreary days Clap your hands and sing your Advent praise!
Although a little over exposed, you can see Walcott Church's Advent wreath with it's first candle lit and our little Benjamin holding the lit Christingle as made up during the play below...
At 3pm we took part in a Christingle sevice and as dramatised by our young group of budding actors, our Christingle play offered an explanation of what a Christingle is, to the un-initiated.
and just in case you didn't quite get all that was said! here's the transcript!! ;)
Christingle play
Joseph(8) So we’re going to make a Christingle. I wonder what it is? Matthew (9) I’ll tell you. The word CHRISTINGLE means CHRIST LIGHT. (Benjamin(3) picks up an orange) Isaac(5) Why an orange? Matthew Well the orange is round just like the earth, so we think of the orange as a little planet earth. (Benjamin puts in the candle) Isaac But what about the candle? Matthew The candle is Jesus . THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. (As Matthew puts in the cocktail sticks with goodies into the orange Benjamin is holding, Joseph says) Joseph Right. The orange is the world and the candle is Jesus, so what about the the four sticks with fruit and sweets? Asha(10) That’s easy. The four sticks are the four seasons and the fruit and sweets represent the fruits of the earth. Charles(8) And what about the red ribbon? I bet you don’t know what . that means? (Holds up a piece of red tape) Matthew OH YES I DO. (Congregation – OH NO YOU DON’T) Matthew OH YES I DO. The red ribbon is used to represent Jesus’ blood. (As he places it around the girth of the orange B is still holding then lights it from the main candle and carefully gives it back to Benjamin to hold up high)) Asha OK. It looks as though we ‘ve made it. Our Christingle. Shall we show everyone? Charles Yes, lift it up. (each child picks up a pre prepared Christingle and joins Benjamin in lifting it up high) Asha Now we can hand one out to all the children and then light them… (helpers, Brenda, Audrey, Beth hand out Christingles into the congregation) Charles Be careful it’s hot! (The sketch children light their candles from Benjamin’s and then light the Christingles in the first pew telling the recipients to light those of the people behind them and so on until all the candles are lit and the church lights are switched off) In the candle lit darkness the "actors" sang Graham Kendrick's "Like a candle flame" (you can listen to it on this link) more subdued and reflective than the traditional "Shine Jesus Shine" which we kept for the last sending out hymn!
The service had a contemporary feel, with many newer, faster paced songs. We wanted it to be a new service, attracting new people interested in learning something new and hopefully learning and reflecting more on the real reason for the season.
Seperately, David and Penny have recorded parts of the service and as soon as I receive them I will share them with you! Come back soon to check!
Not the usual Saturday: as I was upstairs pottering, changing beds,putting away washing, tidying up and sorting out Christmas presents I thought I could hear some bizarre noises down below... Benjamin came up excitedly "mummy Daddy moved the sofa!", next I overhear Joseph on the phone to Papytail "We've had to put one sofa balanced on top of the other" Dare I go downstairs? Tom promised the boys a super duper cool track, and a super duper cool track they got. Thanks to a kindly donation of an unused track from Tom's cousin Phillip (Thanks!!) Tom added to ours and produced: Hours of fun have been had... but gladly (and with a touch of relief)I can report that our sitting room is back to normal!!
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1Corinthians 13,4-7
Not too sure about the strange guy in the red outfit!
Benjamin as a star in the night...
Isaac as an ox
Saturday, and an early Christmas lunch with Bumpa, Mark and Charlotte... mmmm duck, christmas pudding and crackers of course!
The children in their church nativity costumes.
The nativity play in church. Then home for a quick lunch, pack up the bus and off to a French Christmas!
Have a blessed birthday Matthew, may the Lord shine on you and highlight your caring and thoughtful nature may he help you use your inquisitive and imaginative mind to purposeful and satisfying ends and may he grace you with an understanding of how to control your pre-teen moods, and yearnings of independence; may he also fill us your parents with the patience and continuing unconditional love to guide you through these growing times.
we opened presents last night after a family tea so that Tom could share in the fun... as he will be in London for the next couple of days... Thank you to all for your generous gifts and cards. 
Today was her last day with us...
And the big boys had to try it out to check it worked OK!!
As they prepare to perform at the Billinghay Christmas concert tonight! A jolly evening of comedy (mostly goan value!), entertainment, culture and music.
morning, we sit round the kitchen table and say a short prayer and then I get the appro- priate book from the "story of Christmas" advent calendar, to read out, which is then hung on a tree that Tom and I made
when Matthew was a baby.
Although a little over exposed, you can see Walcott Church's Advent wreath with it's first candle lit and our little Benjamin holding the lit Christingle as made up during the play below...
