Holidays nearly over, where has the time gone

Well back again and it is coming to the end of the school holidays - Tiz is back next Monday.
It has gone quite quickly despite the everyday question of 'Can I go to school today?'.
She hasn't really understood why she needs so much time off from school and the difference between being on holiday and going away on holiday.

We had 2 weeks away in the middle of the hols - first week with my aunt (mums sister) and the second in Tenby - a lovely welsh seaside town.
Weather was very kind to us and we only really had 2 miserable days of rain.
We got to go swimming in the sea at Tenby and Tiz has found a whole new confidence of water which she never really had before - so we are really pleased.

My birthday was slap bang in the middle of the two weeks away and John bought me a lovely ring which was part welsh gold and part silver with a white topaz stone.
For the rest of my presents I always get money, so that has gone towards more of my Denby China collection which I am slowly building up.

We had a friends wedding last Saturday and it was lovely. I had the priviledge of lacing the bride in. So thank you K for letting me be a part of your special day.

I went to the hospital for my appointment before the holiday and the consultant decided that he needs to do a laperoscopy to see if it's endometriosis. I haven't had the pain now for 3 months, but he wants to be sure.
I have a day surgery appointment on 28 September. I am very nervous to say the least as it's under general, but I would rather that than being awake.
Please pray it goes well.

When Tiz goes back to Pre-School she goes 3 full days - Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I don't need to find a job, but it would keep me from twiddling my fingers for those 3 days. I qualified as a teaching assistant last year, but here they are cutting ta jobs instead of hiring, so not sure what I will do. Ideas welcome.

Anyway here are a few pics of our summer

On the beach at Bosherton

Eastbourne

Elan Valley

Mwnt

All Calm and Update

Well it's been a while again since last posting.

I have calmed down a lot since my last post and just to say about my brother is that I texted him to say that I would give him his space. All that I am worried about is that if he leaves it too long he will find he won't be able to find the courage to contact us.

We are off to Wales for a long holiday in a couple of days. Firstly to my aunts in Mid Wales, then off to Tenby.
We have got Tiz a wet suit as the sea in Tenby can get really cold and last year after 10 minutes in the sea she started turning blue, but refused to get out.

I am off to gynae tomorrow as my periods are just getting so painful, so much so I am either sick or pass out from the pain - so docs decided I needed checking out.
I am very nervous to say the least. I am worried what they will find.
Our friend E is having Tiz so that John can come with me. We are blessed with such good friends :o)

Tiz has been off for 2 weeks from pre-school and so far she has been really good. When she goes back in September she will be going 3 full days - Mon, Wed & Fri. The pre-school has said she would manage more, so perhaps we will increase after a couple of terms.

I have to find a job - it's not urgent at the moment, but if the right one came about, who knows what will happen.

Exciting news is that Tiz rode her big bike on Sunday for the first time. She has always had a balance bike, (no pedals/stabilisers) so I think that has helped a lot as she can balance really well, all she needed to do was get to grips with pedals and she has.

Anyway will try and get on tomorrow and update as to how I got on at the hospital.

Rach xx

My Brother

Excuse this blog but I have to vent.

It has been 8 weeks since I last heard from my brother. I (and my aunty) have been very worried, the worst things have been going through my mind, seriously injured, even dead and they don't know who to contact etc...

Today after much pestering him by leaving message after message on his work and personal mobile phone, I get a text basically saying he is alright, but doesn't want to be bothered with family at the moment.

This has really upset me partly because I need an explanation why and partly because when mum was dying we promised her we would always be in contact and be there for each other.

I don't know what to say or do - all I have done is texted him back and told him that he has really upset me. So the ball is in his court.

I know we as in dh and I have upset him for being in contact with my father, but he has to realise I only have 1 parent left and he has said sorry for the way he treated us and mum.

My basic instinct is that he needs to grow up and realise he is nearly 27 years old, that he has a very easy life, most of it handed to him on a golden platter and what he is missing out on - A gorgeous little girl, who misses her only uncle and a loving family.

He thinks his friends fill all of this gap and we don't 'understand' him and I know we live very different lives, but I love him and he is my 'little' albeit 6ft 2" brother.

I apologise for this rant, but needed to make some sense of it all.

Rach xx

Letter to my Mum

Dear Mum

It has been nearly 5 years since you left us and not a day doesn't go by when you are not missed.
You were taken from us too early, but I know God had other plans for you.

I never got a chance to tell you how much I love you and to thank you for the great job you did raising me and Jon even through the hard times.
I know we argued, we were both stubborn and at times I didn't make your job easy. You were only watching out for me and caring for me as mums do.

Your grand-daughter Tirzah was 3 yesterday and I am saddened that you will not be around to be the great nanny I know you would be and to see her grow up and blossom into a beautiful young woman with hopes and dreams.
You would be on hand to offer advice when I am struggling with her and when I am being silly to say "Oh Rachel" and oh boy do I need both sometimes.

Even after 5 years I still go to pick up the phone to tell you something exciting, to get some advice or even just for one of our chats, but then realisation sets in and I remember you are not here and I will never be able to share with you, ask your advice or just chat again.

I know you are in a far better place, no longer in pain and are cancer free.

I miss you so much every day and Love you with all my heart.

Love Rach xx

Race for Life, down on the farm and scooting along

I had my mole removed and it went well. It was very sore, but has healed very well and the stitches are out. I haven't had the results, so I am working on no news is good news.

I did my Race for Life yesterday and it was a very hot day. I did it in 40 mins, 10 mins better than last year

Above is a pic of the 4 of us who did the Race.

On Saturday we went to a lovely place called Blackberry Farm with some friends for her sons birthday. We had a lovely day and the 2 kiddies were exhausted.

Here they are feeding some chickens.

Tomorrow we go to one of Tizzie's friends 3rd birthday party. She is the first one of our friends whose little ones who turns 3.

Tizzies birthday is next wednesday, she will be at school for the morning, then dh and I will take her out for dinner. On the Saturday following Tizzie's birthday we will be going to London for the day with dh's parents, aunt, cousin and 1 of Tizzies friends.

After the party tomorrow we go to Dh's parents for a couple of days and then on Friday we go to the New Forest for the weekend.

I will leave you with a very short video of Tiz scooting on her balance bike

See you when we get back :)

Rach xx

Success, Goodtimes and Nerves

I am back again - time flies doesn't it?

We have potty training cracked - day and night - Hoorah!

Our first baptism preparation class went well last Thursday.
Our second class is tomorrow night and we are going through the different services they can opt for - Thanksgiving, Blessing, Christening, or even full infant immersion.

Last Saturday we went to Kew Gardens. We met up with John's parents and 2 of his aunts. We had a lovely day and were blessed with lovely sunny weather.
They now have a treetop walkway (over 100ft in the air). I hate heights, but Tiz asked me to go up with her and daddy, so I went as not to show her I was scared. I was okay to begin with, then as we got halfway around it started swaying and to make it worse some boys were making it sway more, but I managed to stay calm and made it all the way around without panicing.
Tiz was a star all day, not one tantrum and she ran around for nearly 6 hours - boy was she tired when we got home!

This Friday we are going to Legoland - it is Tizzies early birthday treat/present from us. They have a special offer on at the moment for certain dates - £15 per adult, although only 1 adult at a time, so John and I will have to go in seperately to benefit and Tiz goes in for free - she will love it as she just loves Lego/Duplo.
On the subject of her birthday John's parents have bought her a trampoline - she just loves bouncing and it holds up to 100kg, so even adults can go on it :o)

Tomorrow I am off to the docs to have a mole removed on the back of my neck - it has become rather red and is bleeding. To say I am nervous is an understatement. I don't think the doc helped by telling me exactly what they will be doing and that 2 needles will be involved. John is coming with me to hold my hand - he is a star.

Rach xx

Hospital visit, Success & Good News

Well what I thought would be a quiet un-eventful week turned into a eventful week.
After seeing the doc last wednesday who confirmed what the first doc said that my mole definately has to come off, I spent a lovely couple of hours with my friend E and her son D, it was really nice getting to know then a bit better.

Went to bed as normal and come 10.30pm I was in absolute agony, it was worse than labour. So much so I was sick a lot with the pain.
John rang out of hours doc who said I definately need to be seen. We had to wake Tiz up and take her with us and considering the time she was very wide awake and very good.

Out of hours docs said after examination that I needed to get to Surgical A & E as they thought it could be my appendix.
Got there - I think the doc I saw was a trainee, she just coulldn't get the needle into a vain without it collapsing, so know I look like a very bruised pin cushion.

Was told I had to be admitted for observation, well observation lasted 2 days and whilst there I had a ct scan and a ultra-sound scan.
I was told all the way through this was because there is such a high cancer rate in my family, so they had to rule everything out, which was really good and I can be relieved there is no cancer anywhere in my stomach etc..

I am soooo pleased to be home. Firstly I missed John and Tiz and secondly I actually would have something to eat - thats right the whole 2 & 1/2 days I was there all I got was a sandwich and water.
Mind you I did loose a few extra pounds :0).

Tizzies potty training is going well - I think we have cracked weeing and yesterday she was dry coming out of pre-school, thats twice now. Pooing on the other hand is still hit and miss.
The other thing is for nearly 2 weeks she has been completely dry waking up in the morning and goes straight on the potty.
Everyone says I should go for it and take nappy off at night, but I am a bit nervous :}, but I suppose I have got to do it at some stage, so perhaps I should just bite the bullet and do it.

Had some good news, my friend K is getting married - Yay. It will be end of August at our local registry office.

We have finally managed to organise the first evening of the Christening preperation class, it's 7th May with only 2 couples as the third couple decided to go to a different Church. Please pray it will go okay and they respond to what we tell them.

Rach xx