Busy as ever

With the boys starting back at school and me returning to work this week, the normal routine has descended upon the Vizor household.  In keeping with my new year's resolution though I have got back in to an old good habit of baking my own bread and our fourth home baked loaf is cooking as I type.

Jacob is back at tennis training and both boys were involved in coaching sessions for younger players this week and this has meant I can get back to the gym or swimming.  Scouting events don't start back till next week but we did have bell ringing practice and rang our first plain hunt on seven bells following the repair of the seventh bell in our eight bell tower.  Josh was, as he predicted, the first in our family to ring the new seventh bell.

The weather reports are talking of a turn in the mild start we have had to 2013 and snow could be on its way.  With this in mind I have crafted a new word of the month for January, which will take pride of place back in the cupboard now that the nativity scene has been packed away.  The snowflake was an extra one I had made for the garland at Christmas, but looks at home here.

January's word of the month

I have also managed to go out for a hen night, for which I am crafting something for a scrapbook of the night.  We are also preparing for my cousin's 40th birthday next weekend so I have made a card for her.  I discovered I had a template for making rosettes and thought it would look great as a birthday card for those that end in a zero!

40th birthday card

In our busy week we also managed to fit in a trip to the cinema as a family and made a last minute booking and then realised we were off to see Les Miserables on opening night!  It was an amazing film, Andy & I had seen the stage version but it was a first for the boys.  We have now been listening to the sound track all weekend.

Another resolution started with Josh and I sorting through all the bits and pieces we collected during the Olympics and Paralympics and choosing our first pictures to scrapbook.  We are pleased with our efforts and just need to find some time and friendly help to create the page titles (a friend has a machine that cuts out letters).

Olympic Hockey scrapbook page

The only resolution not to have started is to study the Bible more and as our service today started by looking at resolutions people make and why they fail, I think I need to do more to ensure I make a start on this.  The reason we fail, we decided is that we don't address the issue at the core, which is how do I spend more time with God to be the person he wants me to be?

This week's Bible passage echoes that thought:

I have died, 

but Christ lives in me. 

And I now live by faith in the Son of God, 

 who loved me and gave his life for me.

Galatians 2 verse 20

 Our prayer as a family this week comes from our service today and we pray that those caught in circle of the past will find the strength they need in God to break free and face the uncertainty that a fresh start brings.  May God guide them closer to encouraging friends and away from past repeating actions.

With God's blessings from my family to yours,

Jo x