Life getting in the way

This week was a week with plans all made and then life happened and all that changed.

Monday morning saw the phone call from school that you dread as a parent - Jacob had fallen off his bike on the way to school and could we come and pick him up.

Life happens

Following a trip to our walk-in centre, he was given the all clear from broken bones and confirmation that all the blood just masked surface wounds and nothing that needed stitches. Just observation and cold compresses for the swelling.

Our one tip to anyone else with facial wounds - "Vaseline".  Especially in the first few days, keeping the wound moist with a layer of Vaseline prevents any scarring as the scabs don't form and therefore cannot be picked  or knocked off.  We have used this on both boys now and the healing process is wonderful.

We are grateful that we have a God who watches over our children and even though does not intervene to prevent certain things happening does keep them safe.  We are also thankful to all our friends and family who sent him get well messages.

As plans changed I was able to keep on top of everything around the house using my housework system and have managed to stay on track with the Grand New Year Cleaning Plan.  This week was the entrance way.  I have deep cleaned the front door (inside and out) and the hallway.  Several of the challenges through the week I have already tackled; a home for keys, the coat rack but one place that always needs sorting and resorting is the under stairs cupboard.

Under the stairs - before

This cupboard has many functions but the left-hand side is the coat cupboard part of its life.  So I have decluttered it this week and managed to get the vacuum cleaner back on the floor, rather than lodged on top of other things that had made their way in there.  I have also found that I don't need to buy Christmas wrapping paper this year!

I have managed some craft this week and have made a birthday card for a lady at work.  I took the colour inspiration from the card blank I used and then found lots of decorations to match.

This week's Bible passage is a good line for everyone to follow in life, whether they are a Christian or otherwise:

So in everything,

do to others what you would have them do to you,

for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 7: 12

Our prayer as a family this week is a prayer of thanks to God for watching over us in all parts of our lives and keeping us safe from harm.  We prayer that we will always remember that God is there in the good times and the bad and shares in our sorrows and our joys.

With God's blessing from my family to yours,

Jo x

New Year tidy up

The start of a new year and the start of organising the house in the post Christmas tidy up.

Having decluttered throughout the house using my SHE cards housework system and cleaned the house thoroughly in my Christmas preparations, it is time to start all over again.  Throughout Christmas, items get "stored" in odd places to create room for the festivities and other cupboards become inaccessible while the house is decorated for Christmas.



SHE cards - helping to organise the housework

So starting this week I am following the New Year cleaning grand plan challenge.  This past week has been time to clear away Christmas and prepare for the challenge to begin.  This week we start by cleaning the Entryway and sorting out morning routines.

My craft this week has been to help complete a SHE card system for my best friend.  Sometimes it is good to share with someone how you are doing at starting a new routine, so hopefully she is reading this for encouragement and working on her homework ready to start decluttering.  We also crafted a Hot chocolate jar, using Jamie Oliver's Epic recipe,  very yummy.

Jamie Oliver's Epic Hot Chocolate

Andy has been out in the garden, digging over the green manure we grew over Christmas to get the vegetable plot ready to start planting some early potatoes.

I am also helping our youngest Son with his blog, which he has started to record his trip to the 23rd World Scout Jamboree in Japan in 2015.  You can follow him here, and see how is fundraising is going.

Today's Bible verse reminds we are all one in God's family, no-one higher or more important than the other:

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,

for all of you who were baptized into Christ

have clothed yourselves with Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,

nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:26-28   

 

Our prayer as a family this week is for all those we know who are facing uncertainties this week, that God will be with them and grant them HIS peace.

 

With God's blessings from my family to yours,

 

Jo x 

Review of 2013

This year instead of sending a family letter with our Christmas cards, we have sent out a card with the link to my blog.  We hope our family and friends have found their way here.

Christmas 2013

As the blog gives an update throughout the year, we thought it was a better way to let everyone know what we had been up to.  So here is a summary of our activities this year.

Jacob
Has continued to develop his tennis and is coaching the younger members of the Academy.  One of the children he hits with even played at Wimbledon this year.  Jacob moved up to Explorers this year and has been appointed Head Boy at school.
Jacob's exciting news is that he has been selected as part of the Wiltshire unit for the 2015 World Scout Jamboree in Japan!! He will be setting up a blog of his own to journal his preparations, fund raising efforts and the trip itself - watch this space for more details.

Josh
Started College this summer and has settled into the very different routine that this entails, with late starts and full days.
He gained both the Chief Scouts Platinum and Diamond awards this year through Explorers and has continued to help at Beavers.  He returned to Scandinavia again this summer, attending the Norwegian National Scout camp.  He has also joined the youth team at the regional scout camp site, Youlbury.

Chief Scouts Award Evening

Jo
This year, I stepped down as Chair of governors, having completed nearly ten years and having appointed two head teachers and starting a second build project.  It has been a great honour to serve the school but with Josh entering his exams and Jacob having left two years earlier, it was time to hand over the reigns.
Together with Josh, I led holiday club this summer, taking the children to the laboratory of a mad Robot scientist, with Razzamatazz Robots.
I have continued crafting, baking and getting organised and sharing all of these developments here on my blog.

Andy
Is still working on our grand plan to make over the house and garden.  Having built a patio, BBQ decking area and larger vegetable patch, he has moved back inside the house and finished the lounge and hall decorating, just in time for Christmas.

Sporting events
We have continued the excitement 2012 brought through sport last year into this year and we have been to several events, although fewer with it being an exam year for Josh.  Wimbledon, Welsh Rugby and Swindon Town have given us great days out.

We are looking forward to 2014 and the challenges and excitement it will bring.  We are particularly excited about "Le Grand Depart" for the Tour de France and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer.

With God's blessing from our family to yours this Christmas and for the year ahead,

Jo x