Thursday 23rd October 2008

It is official, I LOVE England in the Autumn!!!!

Woke up at 6am to make rock cakes for the children to take to school for their cake sale (no more bought cakes from me) and it was still dark, no worries, lights and central heating on and while Simon exercised in the conservatory and all three children slumbered upstairs, I baked.

At 7am when Si went upstairs to have a shower (and three children continued to sleep) it was still dark - I was amazed, it was like the middle of the night, and cold, oh my word you have no idea....I opened the door to photograph the car park at night in the morning and I nearly died - absolutely freezing, but not freezing enough it would seem coz when I rushed outside to photograph de-icing the car there was no ice....will have to wait for another morning.

After getting the children off to school (sun finally rose about 7.15am) I dressed myself and Nicholas up all warm and cozy....me in socks, shoes, jeans and two jerseys and Nic in a vest, fleece suit, woolly hat and 2 blankets and off we walked first to have his injections and then to clinic. Injection appointment was really quick with no waiting and I found myself with an hour to kill before clinic opened so I decided to take Nic and I on a walking tour of Lindfield....

I walked for an hour and just loved it, I loved the freedom, I love the fact that my nose was streaming and my hands freezing from the cold and that Nic was fast asleep all tucked up in his pram, I loved the beautiful autumn colours and being covered in leaves as they fell from the trees, I love the fact that the shops were only just starting to open on my way back at 10am and I love the fact that every person I walked past greeted me and commented on the lovely blue sky and crisp wind....an AMAZING way to spend a morning and I can't believe that this is my life and that I am actually living in a tiny quaint village in rural south east England that dates back to the magna carta, and that I have my precious and much longed for 3rd baby - who would have thought, every now and then I still have to pinch myself.....but I guess you could call it a "secret".

Now on this walk I had plenty of time to think and as so often is the case my thoughts turned back to South Africa and my family and friends and in particular the Bratz and Tracy and Scrapkits...well as I walked along with a goofy smile on my face I remembered a layout I did about this time last year called "What I know for sure at 34" and this, inspired me to put together a list of "What I know for sure at 35" so here they both are.....

@34......(1) I really don't enjoy having my photo taken (2) There is nothing more important in life than family (3) Communication is the key, keep talking and anything can be resolved (4) Good friends are a rare and beautiful gift and don't come along every day (5) Orange and Green are officially my favourite colours (6) God gave me the girl I wanted and the boy I needed wonder what I will be given for number 3 (7) I don't like confrontation (8) I can cook but can only bake if it comes out of a packet (9) My parents gave me the foundation of my life, but I have made my own choices and all that I am today good or bad is because of me (10) I am an entrepreneur (11)I still don't like geckos (12) Marriage isn't always easy but it definitely is worth it.

@35.....(1) Although change is scary and we are programmed to resist it, half way through my life I have survived it and loved every minute of it! (2) Being in a totally new and scary situation does wonders for your marriage (3) Children are more resilient then we give them credit for and we should learn from them (4) God gave me another boy and I adore him (5) Friends will always be there if the bond is strong, no matter the distance (6) We don't have to be born with sisters to experience sisterhood (7) I still don't like geckos but now I don't have to worry about them (8) I like the cold and just because the sky is grey doesn't mean your mood has to be (9) I can bake....and it doesn't have to come out of a packet (10) Sometime when we are on our own we learn the most about ourselves and we can actually be quite pleasantly surprised (11) I adore my family and the time I have been given to spend caring for them and looking after them has made me happier then I could ever have imagined (12) housework isn't that big a deal! (13) I live to hear my parents voices and being so far apart has made us even closer if that is possible (14) even though you miss something so much it hurts you don't have to be miserable.