Arrrrrrrrrrgh!

How quickly we become reliant on modern technology..... after a fair bit of use, at least four 2lb loaves /week for the past 4yrs, our bread maker can longer be of use, the tin itself has worn through and is leaking when we put in the ingredients!
Now I'm not averse to trying to make it by hand... but my family may just have something to say about having to eat what is equivalent to a doorstop!
we will be looking for a replacement ASAP as the shop bought stuff is ...well.... tasteless and horrible!
For once my husband has given me the OK to go to Amazon!!!!!!! See you later ;)

A quiet weekend in...

Anyone for a BBQ breakfast?
With Joseph on camp, we were all in a mood for an outdoor breakfast, so we started cooking... and it started to rain!









We ate in the sitting room.
Yummm...............









Later it was time for Isaac to join the Billinghay under 8's football team for their first training session.













The rain wasn't easing but Tom unperturbed set out to start clearing the beds which have, with the warmth and rain, been overun with a variey of unwelcomed weeds.

Life goes on...

And with children there are developmental milestones met, 'firsts' in their lives. Some obvious, first steps, riding a bike, some unseen like a sudden comprehension of consequences, some vocal, first words and sentences... and then there is the first tooth falling out! This as a family is our third 'first tooth' but it still twangs my heart just the same to see a gappy smile!!!

Happy Birthday...

To my darling Tom, a wonderful loving and caring husband and father. Have a lovely fun day. A day of family and friends and fellowship... and I'll join you this evening! The children have all your presents stashed away somewhere safe!!

Missing my husband and my bunnies...

I'm in Derbyshire tonight,alone in a room...
A residential weekend at The Hayes conference centre (very nice)as part of my year long "Mission Shaped Ministries" course I started earlier this year. I am learning so much about my journey with God and about my call to Vision, together with how best to live my Christian life, something which is all too difficult at times.
We arrived for dinner at 7pm followed by the first teaching session: talking through Spirituality for Mission... So what does spirituality mean to you?
Su is in the room opposite (just in case I need to knock on someone's door!!) and I'm up for breakfast at 0830... so Bonne nuit.

OK can sit down and catch my breath now...

The children are back at school, I have finally caught up on the washing (although with the rain there isn't much drying going on!!)
firstly:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSEPH, BIG BOY OF 9

(photo to follow... can't find the camera just now!)
A big thank you or should I say " un grand merçi" to Christophe and Véronique as well as Victor and Paul for the warmest welcome in Ballon. It's a brave person to take on the whole Stainsby clan! We had a great time despite a few less than dry days!We visited LeMans old town and the cathedral (very much like Lincoln's). Together with the twinning group we learnt about how Rapeseed oil is made, the use of sunshine solar panels to sell green electricity to the grid, had an impressive restaurant lunch followed by a demonstration of heavy horses used in forest management to clear old trees in sensitive areas too fragile for heavy machinery... the skill involved with working those horses was amazing. Another city trip taught us about environmentally friendly city transport systems with trams and cycleways, with impressive tramlines set on lawns to be proud of! right in the middle of the city! We missed out on the bio-fuel run buses as Matthew and Joseph joined me to visit the village primary school where the year 6 had prepared questions to ask us! It was really interesting to compare the different schooling systems, or at least the pupils' take on them! We joined in with the main group again for a good knees up on the last night.

We were unsure about what to expect from our twinning trip... but good memories, good food and good wine with new friends made it a fun and most enjoyable break.
So if anyone wants to have a go.... language needn't be a barrier, hosting a couple or a family doesn't require much of a commitment but what an experience you can offer yourselves of sharing in a different culture, different food and making new friends.
Contact your local twinning group and widen your worldly horizons! Ballon and Billinghay

A taste of France...

We are off to visit our twinning village of Ballon this weekend! All exited we are setting off tonight.... lots of tidying, packing and last minute shopping to do... and the children are joining a school race for life today, raising money for Cancer Research.
Believe me it was not easy getting the boys to wear pink for today (as you can see by our eldest's enthusiastic demeanour!)
Remember click on the link here-> daily, to provide free mammograms!

Update: both Matthew and Joseph were the fastest boys for their respective years and each got a medal. Well done!

A stunning sunrise

Was up too early this morning... but look what I was treated to! Bless our Lord and all his creation.
(the photo doesn't do it justice, the sun was a deep pink and the pheasant in the middle of the field and I, just watched on)

... and home again!

Following a rather energetic swimming lesson, Isaac was limpping Sunday night, by Monday morning he could barely walk and by lunchtime he couldn't bear his weight!
A visit to the doctor and an immediate referral for an Xray got us going into Lincoln again! (we had zipped in in the morning to drop off a load of donations for the Nomad Trust!)
Silly Mummy forgot the referral letter! In such a rush to get to the Xray day clinic before it closed. They couldn't see him without the letter..... So we went to A&E and following an examination was referred for... an Xray (at least the doctors were in agreement!) The registrar then came through to say no fractures or breaks but they would like to have him admitted to be seen by the othopeadic team. So Tom in Billinghay with four children and no transport (his van being in the garage) and the minibus in Lincoln hospital car park with Isaac and I staying on the children's ward. Bloods were taken and after being seen by the a junior we snuggled in for the night.
Isaac was somewhat apprehensive but we decided to tackle the unexpected enforced overnight stay as an adventure for him to recount to his teacher and school friends!
All was better this morning on waking, he was seen by another team of doctors who initially told Isacc he would be spending another night in bed! NOT a happy bunny. However although still limping he was weight bearing and with medication for pain management he managed to walk to the playroom and visit the teacher in the schoolroom! She gave him some jigsaws and some suitable worksheets which he set about to tackle back at his bedside.
By the afternoon the nurses decided that he would be allowed home but he had to promise NOT to play football, climb trees, ride his bike or run around until he goes back to the clinic in a fortnight.
Try telling an energetic little five year old he can't play football!!!
A lot happier now we are home, we are going to snuggle in for a good night's sleep!

Thank You!

Mamine and Papytail for coming up again so soon after the last visit because we needed you!
We are so lucky to have you and really appreciate you looking after all the children whilst we went on our course and then in the evening went out for some "wine and wisdom" fun! Merçi XXXXXXXXX
I know the weather wasn't at it warmest! but with the deck and the BBQ meals we made it feel like summer... didn't we? ;)
And the children thoroughly enjoyed their Mamine getting in the water with them for the Family fun swim after their lessons.
Lots of good memories... it's the little things that stay in their minds!
The children's table!













Warming those old bones......