New Years Eve / Day

On New Years Eve my sister and her husband

renewed their wedding vows. We all went to the service, had some food, 

and then to a close by friends house to see in the New Year.

Thats my camera shy brother (Bruce) in the kilt btw

we came home in a cab at 2am and poor wee Oscar was totally exhausted,

but by his own admission he had a brilliant time (the friends home we were in has 7 children).

New Years day was an all together more relaxed day and we enjoyed a lovely dinner of

chicken stew and dumplings followed by chocolate Christmas pudding and cream.

Oscar came to dinner in his pyjamas because he was still a very sleepy boy :)

Valerie

She Sells Sea Shells On The Sea Shore

Ok, well perhaps not 

Happy New Year !

Lets hope its our best year yet

To start the year off I have made a few goals for myself.

1. Sketch EVERY day

2. Be asleep before 11.30pm EVERY night

3. Read my scriptures EVERY day

4. To carry on healthy eating and loosing more weight 

(did I mention I have lost 2 stones since September?)

5. Busy myself in service

6. Try and get to our Temple at least 4 times

7. Get outside more often.

In preparation for 7 I have decided to take a picture (or 2 or 3) of the beach 

where I live, every week and make a feature of the changing seasons

on the blog.

I love living by the sea, I don't think I express it often enough.

Here are the first weeks photo's (actually taken in December)

If anyone is actually reading this, and have set any New Year goals,

please let me know, I love to hear how others are doing.

All the best in 2015

Valerie

xxx

What A Year

I started the year in January full of optimism.

I had a feeling changes were on the horizon, but I wrongly assumed my big life event

of 2014 would be Oscar starting school. 

In February Oscar had his 5th birthday ! 

I could hardly believe he had been dancing around the sun for 5 years.

March was a quiet month.

I spent a lot of time cooking and knitting and thinking about my faith.

In April we sadly marked the passing of another year since we lost our baby, Ellie-Rose.

April is always a sad month now.

May was very busy. We went to Edinburgh to say goodbye to one of our missionaries. 

I went to our Temple in Preston and had some special experiences, and we also had Duncan's birthday 

and Aimee's birthday.

natural history museum - Edinburgh

In June Oscar had his school induction days and did really well. 

We also had some actual sunshine

In July the school holidays began 

and Oscar did his first ever stage performance with his theatre group.

In August, my baby started school !

September !

We went on holiday.

I found out my husband was not the man I thought he was,

our marriage ended.

In October we had to re-home the pets, and ourselves.

The children and I moved to a little apartment of our own.

In November we just really did some settling in. I focused a lot on my Faith, and 

began to establish new routines.

December, and I coped with my first post break up birthday and wedding anniversary.

Oscar did his 2nd stage show.

My friend and I started our little business venture, 

and we celebrated Christmas where I had my mind firmly fixed on our Savior Jesus Christ.

Who knows what 2015 will bring. 

My Faith has grown and grown this year, and because of that

I can trust my future is safe in the Lords hands

Happy New Year when it comes !

See you on the other side.

Valerie

xxx

Christmas Dinner With The Family

This will be the last year we are all together.

Many people have been questioning 'how' I can have my ex-husband

here for Christmas. 

The answer is very simple. My precious son.

Oscar is only 5 years old, and as far as he knows, his Daddy works away

all week and returns at the weekend.

I know this can't go on much longer, but Christmas was not

the time to tell him.

Being Christ-like is very important to me, and when ever I am struggling,

I ask myself

'what would our Savior do?'

It gives me a quiet strength I never knew was possible.

Anyway, here is Christmas dinner in pictures.

Look how Christ is at the head of our table. 

This made me so happy.

Oscar & Aimee

Oscar, Aimee & Christopher

Duncan, Oscar & Aimee

Christopher & Me

Christopher & Me

Oscar

Oscar

Aimee

Duncan

Christopher

lunch

Time with the Savior when the house fell quiet.

Merry Christmas

May you feel the Spirit of The Lord with you.

xxx

Christmas Eve And Christmas Morning

Sorry for a photo heavy post, but they were mostly too cute to leave any out.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you remembered Christ in amongst the celebrations of His birth.

We Have A Tree

For Family Home Evening we put up our Christmas tree, ate mince pies, listened to Christmas music and learned about the angels role in the nativity story. It was all great fun.

Especially the pies ;-)