latest news

Family life seems tumultuous at the moment......and so I feel that I need to post these pictures to remind me of the simplistic good times.

My brother who's adopted has a half sister that we've always known about but who has now been in touch via the adoption agency and wants to meet my brother........my Dad has sadly turned to alcohol once again after being off it for 2 years.......my brother and his girlfriend have been told that unless they are willing to told to officially leave my Dads home and live in an extremely unsavoury area of Rhyl for a couple of months there is little chance of them obtaining a house through the council......and I feel like I'm trying to hold this family together as we go through arguments and tough times......it's tiring and not a burden I should be carrying and instead needs to be left with God.......I'm learning to on a daily basis!

Anyway here are some pics from when I went to Anglesey on a day out with them a couple of weeks back; once again some from my phone and some others from my digital camera. I highly recommend a vist to this island if you're ever in the North Wales area........it's stunning......let me know and I'll be your guide......after many summer holidays there I feel I know it well!!

Osian was scared of going down the hill too fast so Lowri came worlessly alongside him and held onto the side of his bike to slow him down.......cute!!

Taid, Lowri and Osian.........Am sure it's only us Brits that go to the beach in the winter!!

Taid and Osian watching the planes coming into land..........Lowri was in the car wailing!!!

Lowri picking the petals off a daisy..........she's such a treasure!

I just love these last 2 pictures..........just awesome!!

Haddon Hall

I've been meaning to post these pictures for weeks and am only just getting around to it! I visited a place called Haddon Hall with my friend Kathy at the end of September. It took us around 1 and 3/4 hours to get there and was so much fun! It's the place that they filmed the latest version of Jane Eyre by the BBC and used the hall as Thornfield, the home of Mr Rochester. Anyway I forgot to take my camera but did have my new mobile phone with me; the photos are great! I never thought that I'd get this good photos on my phone!

I got this next photo by using the panoramic shot on my phone. It allows you to take 3 different photos, lining them up as you go along to create a panoramic picture. I know this isn't very good, I was just astounded that my phone could do this!!

And just in case you're wondering, this is Kathy and I!!

Autumn Sunrise

No words are really needed! How awesome is this?

Phil Collins Gorilla Ad Cadburys Dairy Milk

I loooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee this advert....it always bring a smile and a giggle to me when I see it.....thought I'd share......also isn't a bad thing that I love Cadburys chocolate!!!

Life.......

This might sound wierd but I've been reluctant to post pictures of my niece and nephew after some comments were made about her. Comments that upset me and had me questioning what the world had in store for her and wanting to protect that innocence that is in her at the moment. But I love my niece and cannot not share photos of them both......they bring me such joy and laughter........

Osian, who's birthday it was on 26th of last month, had his party and sadly managed to fracture his wrist on the bouncy castle......I saw him and he was going around with this face on that said "show me sympathy" while he craddled his arm in plaster.......I had to giggle, I think he may go into the theatre when he's older!!!

Anyway here are some recent photos of them both. I want to try and get one with Osian tomorrow and his plastered arm; he's said that Auntie Emma can decorate it!!!

Lowri pointing at the Turkeys

Lowri - Daddy's girl

Osian and his Dad- there is no mistaking that he's Gareth's son!

Family photo!

Busy busy busy

Life has been busy but good recently.....my brother has discovered the wonderful world of e-bay and as I'm the one with the internet access and the laptop he has arranged visits down to my house 'for me to see the kids'(!) while he surfs the net......I have to say I have loved having them down here though, it's been great. The picture below is of Osian having his face painted by Gareth. He wanted to be a bird and so this was the outcome.......it was very funny watching him run around the house saying "tweet tweet" and flapping his arms!!

Lowri on the other hand wouldn't sit still and started throwing a tantrum half way through her face paint, so she merely looks like she's going to war!!!

The second time they came they were banned from using crayons as I'd found drawings up the stairs wall where Lowri had decide to decorate with a crayon. So the next weekend that they came down we went to Greenfield Valley and saw all of the animals and played in the park. I love these following photos!

Osian traversing the perils of the rope bridge!

Lowri making sure another child is not playing on what she wants to play on!!

Osian on his rocking dragon......doesn't have the same ring as a rocking horse does it!!!

Lowri talking to the chickens and turkeys through the fence......Osian was petrified of them while she was trying to pet them!!

Todays reading

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you" Psalm 37:4-5

When we delight in the Lord, we celebrate our relationship with Him. We love to spend time with Him and to share every aspect of our life with Him. We tell Him about our hopes and dreams, and let Him dream with us. God loves that kind of relationship with us. It brings Him joy and makes Him want to give us joy. He wants to give us good things and fulfil our deepest heart's desire. We can trust Him with our dreams and delight in His love.

Soul Survivor

So it was that time of year again where we took the youth group to camp and this year we were blessed with a 1 hour journey rather than the 7 hours it normally takes us. In addition to the 2 weeks down on the Bath and West Showground, they also did a week on the Cheshire Showground which is so much closer to us!

Anyway it was an awesome week, smaller (3,500 compared to the normal 10,000 people down south) and more intimate. There weren't as many cafe's and no skatepark but I think that kept the kids more focused on God. 2 of them became Christians and another recommitted her life; it was such an awesome blessing to be a part of it. For us as leaders as well, we had such a laugh and were so blessed by what God did in us as well as helping the youth. Though I wasn't too pleased when the youth group that was camped next to us didn't go to bed until 2am (though others have said that wasn't when they went to bed, it was when I eventually fell asleep) and were up again at 5:30 yelling all over the campsite! I was in a grumpy mood until 8am or so!! but was convicted of my attitude when the first session of the morning was on moaning!!! Ooops!! Anyway here are some pictures! Enjoy, I know we did!!!!

This is what happens when you mix teenagers and face paints!!! I'm under there somewhere!!

Sandra and I on the 1st night, I'm looking quite awake and refreshed here!!!

Sharon and I on the last day; me not looking so refreshed here, look at my eyes!!!

Sunset on the Sunday evening, gorgeous!!!

Dirty feet!!! Though relatively clean compared to mine; I couldn't get my toenails clean so ended up just painting them!!!

Mike asleep........

.....Dan asleep....

....Sandra asleep.....a common theme I think!!

Unbelievable!

OK, so this morning Was funny (though I can say that looking back on it; this was not my reaction when I woke up!)
I arrived home yesterday to find a skip outside our house. Our cottage looks onto the back of shops and this one electrical shop is closing down so has placed a skip on our road so they can dispose of rubbish from the rear of their shop. It was pretty full and so I went into the house muttering under my breath how inconvenient and inconsiderate it was for them to put it there.
Anyway I was lying in bed last night about 11:30 and could hear this rummaging and scratching outside. It was pretty chilly last night so I didn't want to get out of bed to investigate and eventually fell asleep (with thoughts that someone was trying to break into the house but that's by-the-by!)
I woke at 6 this morning to the same noise again and when I opened my blinds I saw this guy practically in the skip fishing DVD players, video recorders, cable boxes, vacuum cleaners and whatever else he could find out of the skip. There was cardboard and polystyrene all over the road. He placed them all in a pile, put his bag on his shoulder, picked up his can of Stella Artois beer and headed up the road. I was dumbfounded! It felt like we were in civil unrest and these people were looting! Bonkers as it had rained for most of yesterday and all of the electricals were soaking wet!! As I said I found it unbelievable at 6am but just can't stop laughing as I sit here now! Hope I'm not woken this evening!!!!

Where have I been!

I promise that I'm in the process of updating...........I lose momentum at times and wonder whether it's worth keeping this up to date......but I have a renewed desire to update as I have holiday pics.......I'll post them in the next few days.

My holidays........

Oh my goodness, I didn't realise that it'd been that long since I'd updated......I can always tell whether life is going good or not by the number of posts that I make on my blog!!

Anyway as an update before I went to the States on my hols there was lots of family drama going on with my brother and I was signed off work for 2 and 1/2 weeks with back pain. Sadly the back pain has returned but I'm trusting in God that I'm going to be healed.

The holiday in the States was awesome and though I didn't get to spend as much time with people as I wanted to (I'd have liked to have caught up with my host family and some other friends) it was still a jam packed time. As it was my Dads first time over there I didn't want to overwhelm him or do too much so hopefully I'll be able to catch up with some people when I'm back there next summer!!

We did so much....Chicago for 2 days........Holland, Michigan for 4 days........Niagara Falls for 2 days........... East Jordan/Charlevoix, Michigan for 3 days........Holland, Michigan for 3 days.......and then the final day bumming around Chicago.....a lot of travelling (in particular me driving) while we were there! Had an awesome time and think that my Dad would move over there if it weren't for the grandchildren!!! Anyway here are some photos as promised!

Blessings!!

Dad and I at Cloud Gate or "the bean" in Chicago

Kendra and Quincy on their front porch

Amy and Rodrigo making Smores over the fire on July 4th before the fireworks

Myself, Amy, Rodrigo and Dad on Grand Haven Pier

Dad and I in our gorgeous Poncho's on Maid of the Mist, Niagara Falls

Dad and Pancho on Amy's parents coach! I promised you this photo Amy!!!

Dad having a Root Beer float before we flew home from Chicago....he can't be related to me, he loves the stuff!!!! To me it tastes like toilet cleaner!!!!

Saying goodbye......

I've just said goodbye to some dear friends who are emigrating to New Zealand. Ray and Eunice are going to work with Father Heart Ministries and are flying out there on Wednesday.

They have been an awesome blessing to me through their love, guidance, support and encouragement in so many areas of my life and I'll truly miss them.

Saying goodbye reminds me that there are seasons to our life that God has planned; and though our hearts do not want to say goodbye and for the friendship to change into something different we know that there is a reason for it and that God is moving us into another time, another area, another blessing in life.

Anyway here is a picture of myself with them. I pray that God will bless them mightily in their work in New Zealand.

A great day

So I had a really fun day today....though am truly exhausted now!

I was able to have Gareths children for the day, Osian and Lowri, and took them to Park Hall Countryside Experience near Oswestry. These guys have had it really tough over the past few weeks as Gareth has been in and out of hospital and as that issue is still unresolved I thought that the kids could do with a fun day away from it all. What was great was that the kids group from church were also going so it meant that they had other children to play with and we're able to just fool around and play all day. They petted rabbits, fed lambs, played in sand pits, went on a tractor ride, petted pigs, played in the parks, bouncy castles and on the minature tractors......it was great to see. Osian made a friend, Kathy's son William except Osian couldn't say his name so kept saying "lilliam"! So cute!!

Anyway all praise to single mums, especially those with more than one children.....I felt like I needed eyes in the back of my head!! From Lowri getting car sick after travelling up the Nant-Y-Garth pass to the constant toilet breaks Osian needed, to how much they were allowed to eat, to where Lowri had managed to escape to at that moment. Am truly exhausted now, but they were wonderful and it was such a great day. Anyway here are some photos!

~blessings~

Lowri in the 'playbus' eating wotsits!

Osian stroking the Shire horse called Charm

Osian and his friend "Lilliam"

Lowri spent about 1 and 1/2 hours on these little tractors (there were bigger ones for the older children) and was so content in her own little world!

So ready for bed now!!!

Stick jokes!!

Someone sent me these by e-mail and I just find them hilarious......hope that you also enjoy!!