Coffee & Cupcakes

Well, my dear readers it as come to the point that I must share with you a journey that I have been on for over a year. A journey that I have so longed to share with you but for various reasons it has remained a very private and personal journey until now. I am not ill, nor pregnant as most people seem to conclude when you begin a conversation like this but I will no longer be writting my blogs from the South Coast of England, a sunny place someone once told me, but rather from April this year my blog writting shall happen over the sea, on the green green grass of Ireland! It is time for me to return home! I cannot begin to tell you the range of emotions that venture around your body when you decide to up root and move your family to a new country, leaving behind the security of a job, a home, friends, such wonderful friends! I go from laughing with excitment to struck with fear and then end up in tears at the thought of those I won't see day to day... sounds silly when we are...

Hi ho hi ho, it's off to work I went. As promised I thought I would fill you in on my few weeks - and the main change in my life routine was the trip back into the office! My lovely team had decorated my office with presents, posters, flowers and I was even allowed to drive my boss's mx-5 to my favourite totally "girlified" coffee shop for a huge slice of carrot slice! It was a lovely day and I left the children with a lovely friend and young person from our church who I knew the children loved and were excited to spend time with. It was fun, arriving back to work a month before our annual Holiday Club meant there was no time to ease back into things. I was back and my to -do list was already the length of my arm.... and I have weirdly long arms;-) I love my job, if I haven't said I am a Children & Families worker for my church. I get to spend my days doing children clubs, assemblies, popping in on new mums, visiting families, running toddler groups, pla...

Well it's almost payday, a wonderful day that is always so overshadowed by bills, direct debits and standing orders. For me however, the greatest pain of payday is knowing "budget night" must precede. In the nights before pay day, Josh and I, painfully give up a rare evening of relaxing together to go through the calendar in a bid to work out our monthly budget. There are few people I have met who actual enjoy this activity, my father in law is one, yes I know, I do know someone who enjoys budgeting! In-laws are a rare breed, and should have a blog entry of their own (it will follow, one day)! For most of us however, budgeting is simply something we must do in order to keep track of our ever too quickly disappearing finances. My hubby and I are pretty pants at the whole thing and it is an evening and activity we have to seriously discipline ourselves to carry out. We have finally found a way that works for us and is allowing us to pay off the dreaded 'debt', tha...

These past 3 days I have been at a work related conference near Nottingham. It has bee a mix of emotions but some amazing things have happened, I am leaving quite excited by how God might use me over the next year... Watch this space I guess!! However there are some things about work conferences that make me giggle, confused or impulsive and it is these I want to share with you: 1. Why is it that conference centres are either freezing or burning hot - this conference is a sweat producing conference. There never seems to be a good balance in theses places! It is just me, does anyone else attend work meetings or conferences and wonder why it is so hard to get the temperature pleasant? 2. We have been playing the "look-alike" game. As a church team we have been trying to find as many people who look like people from our home church and town! This conference we have spotted  6 look-alikes. 3. I'm not sure if you'll have ever watched the episode of "Miranda...