blogging before my daughter!

I was checking Sarah's blog, realised she hadn't blogged for over a week, was going to nag and then thought - she'll nag me back so I better blog first!
I'm having a good week, was at the Wellchild Award bash on monday http://www.wellchild.org.uk/Events-Awards.asp
Its a lovely event, this was the third year I was invited (just a humble guest not an award winner!) I love the glitz and glam and celeb spotting, my favourite is Ian Waite from Strictly Come Dancing (piccies to follow) but as you will see from the web site Prince Harry was there too! I was about 15 feet from him at one point :) He seemed quite shy but great with the kids.
Paul is decorating - yeah - we resolved the colour debate by choosing wallpaper for one wall and a neutral colour elsewhere - hopefully it will look great. I've been helping a bit but he's done most of it.
And this weekend we are going away, just the two of us, to a hotel in Cheltenham, relaxing, shopping, good food, good wine.
Better get ready to go to work!

Prison.............

Yesterday I went to prison..............I was invited to go and meet the nurses who work in a local prison for boys age 15-18. It was sad, very sad, hearing about boys who have a literacy age of 7-11, who, generally, have been brought up to believe that they can trust no one, who find that prison is the first safe place they have ever been in, and do not want to leave. Hearing of a small number of boys who are registered sex offenders - at 15!!!! Who have a 99 year life service on them. It made my heart cry - what have we done to let them get to this place. I know that's a stock phrase - the failings of society, but I was really challenged about what have I ever done to help them? Now I'm not about to radically change careers here, but I will be praying that somehow, someway, God will reach them, and for the people who work with them.
It was all the more poignant of course because PJ is 16 - that could have been him, in another life.......

How difficult can it be to chose a paint colour for the hall?

Paul and I seem to be making it harder than achieving world peace! We're not arguing, we just cant find a colour that we both like and think works in a hall. Its complicated by some fixed items, ie wooden floor, cream carpet etc which makes creams and neutrals too samey, I like blue, Paul doesn't, he likes apricot, I don't and so it goes on........... its almost funny really, except Paul's taken next week off to paint so we are running out of time :)

Work continues to be mega manic - I feel like I'm spinning too many plates but I have to hang on just a bit longer to a point when someone will hopefully come and help.

Sarah's knee is getting better and its almost half term so hopefully things will get better, and you never know, I might get my hall painted :)

Any chance of a quiet life?

Silly question I know!
It was a good week, with everyone settling back into a routine, with Sarah back at home, attending Uni.......work somewhat manic - the continuing health care project that I've been working on at the DH has kicked off which means 2 days a week travelling but its just for a few weeks, and then Sarah has to go and fall and hurt herself! She was at the CU weekend away, having a blast, playing a silly game at midnight! The good news is she hasn't chipped a bone in her knee (which they were worried about!) but she is to be on bed rest for a week! (The story of getting her to have an Xray when I was in Derby and Paul was in Farnborough was fun - rescued by my dad!). They gaily said no lectures :( Anyway we have found a way of obeying instructions whilst ignoring them - involves wheelchairs, lifts and friends who are lecturers - lol
So a quiet life.........I'm not holding my breath :)

What a difference a week makes :)

I hadn't been expecting to be at this point yet.......
So we began the week with Sarah spending sunday night at Halls, she didn't panic but she didn't like it, and she saw one of her flat mates for about 10 minutes.
And we were back to the regular what does she do that is right? Stay or come home?
I was fed up with the emotional rollercoaster but knew that wasn't a reason to rush the decision. Sarah felt that the flat offered her nothing. Paul felt that he had failed her as a parent if she wasn't ready to do this, and if we tried to make her do some more nights maybe it would help for next year?
Sarah is aware that sharing a house next year will be a challenge if she does it from home.
So we carried on waiting and praying.
The only sense I had was trying to apply the ideas we share with the kids of knowing whether something is from God or not - does it agree or contradict the bible (this one didn't help me) is it selfish (possibly) is it good? Now the one thought I had was would God be asking Sarah to stay in an environment that made her feel awful and which could tempt her into a lifestyle that isn't Godly. Sarah at one point let slip that her flatmates begin drinking at teatime ahead of going out clubbing each night.
Anyway as you can see I wasn't much further forward, and anyway this was Sarah and God's decision, not ours.
And Paul comes home from work, he'd spent the day fasting and during his quiet time at lunch, had clearly heard God say 'its time to bring Sarah home'.
So Sarah has moved home, and I am so grateful that the decision was made by the right person, and heard by the person who had most reservations about it.
For anyone still anxious (and don't be -this is God's plan) Sarah is totally committed to her course, to CU (she is going away with them next weekend), to church in Oxford, to staying over with friends in Oxford etc etc
And I am very grateful to God, that He is Sarah's infallible, all knowing parent,
:)