My little sis has big chopped

Last Friday my little sis big chopped, and when I say big chopped, I mean; Big. Chopped...in its literal sense. As in, cut all her hair off.You may think this isn't too much of a big deal, but this girl is a self confessed glam queen. She likes, for the most part, her hair to be long and straight, which would usually mean she'd be rocking a weave of some sort. She is very experimental too, so they'd be colour, tracks, shaved one side, short and relaxed, you name it she's done it.

When my other sister and I went natural, we'd drop hints that she should join us, and she wouldn't regret it, but she was having none of it. She complained that her hair was 'too hard' and she couldn't deal with a 'fro' and natural hair wasn't for her, but slowly her opinion began to change. I also think she was becoming discouraged with the health of her hair. She had been trimming frequently to remove the breakage, but still relaxing and colouring, so the health of her hair wasn't really improving. It was dry and weak and I think she just got fed up, so drastic measures were required.

Fast forward to last Friday and I accompanied her to her local salon where her hair was snipped to about an inch from her scalp. The transformation was fantastic. Her natural hair is so soft and black and glossy, I think she was in shock with how good it looked. I was so proud.

Well done little sis for jumping feet first into your natural hair journey and embracing the hair that God blessed you with. The journey will not always be easy but I promise you, you will not regret it xx

Silent Sunday

Friday Reflections - Week 4

This image has very little to do with this post, but my sister took it (she is in Barbados enjoying these views as I type) and I love it, and it is very uplifting don't you think?

Exciting news alert!! Yesterday I bought my wedding dress!! Hallelujah! Praise God! I could gush about my ridiculously fabulous, bargain basement find, but I'll save that for another post....today is reflection day and I want to do as the title suggests so here we go....

On Monday afternoon I had the most wonderful experience with my children. It was so simple yet it made me so thankful for the three little lives the good Lord has blessed me with.

We were on our way home from school and my eldest was telling me about her day in a really odd voice. I asked her why she was talking that way and then I noticed her very wobbly, bottom front tooth pointing out awkwardly. I started saying (in the funny voice she had been using) 'Hello there, my name is toothy and I'm going to be falling out soon...' well that just tickled her beyond belief and she started giggling hysterically. It doesn't take much to set her off and when she starts she doesn't stop and it is very infectious. So there she is laughing away, which sets me off, then mid mimmick I get the most hilarious bout of hiccups (that'll teach me) which of course sets my little boy off. He starts copying me so every time I hiccup, he giggles manically and copies my hiccup and then daughter number two starts laughing and my eldest is pleading with me to continue doing my silly 'pretending to be her wobbly tooth' voice, and I'm trying to do that whilst driving, still hiccuping and lil man still copying me and lil sis giggling. It was complete chaos, but I can honestly say my heart was so swollen with love at that moment I thought I would burst. I was so completely happy and the reason couldn't be more simpler. Love and laughter. Thank God for moments like these.

Taking the dress shopping seriously

After a long hard think, I've come to realise that I really must get out there and start trying on bridal dresses. I know that's usually a given, but I've been so rushed off my feet that I've been trying to do everything the quick and easy way, but that way doesn't always work. Especially where getting married is concerned.

Oh and before I forget, my sister saw me in the dress I bought online, the one I thought was bleurgh and she loved it. Admittedly it is way too big, but she loved the colour and style on me. Plus she took some pics, and when I saw them I was quite surprised. It did look pretty good. Goes to show, a second opinion really can make all the difference. The dress will still get returned, but it got me thinking that I really do want to try and find a 'proper' dress, so I asked my sis to have a little search for some local boutiques as I've had zero success at finding any. Lo and behold 5 mins into the search she found a local wedding dress shop which is closing down and is selling bridal dresses, shoes and accessories at a fraction of the cost. Please excuse me whilst I pass out with EXCITEMENT!!!

So tomorrow my little sister will be accompanying me whilst I go and try on dresses. Hopefully I will find the dress. God willing.

Yes, yes and YES!!

Well despite OH not being able to make the fast track passport appointment last Saturday, guess what? His passport came in the same time frame anyway. Woohoo! Praise the Lord! We saved at least £200, as we didn't need to pay for petrol or the premium rate passport fees. God is such a magnificent God!! Nothing is too difficult for Him. Our little man's passport will come tomorrow, I can feel it. Excuse me whilst I give my God a praise.

"O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever"

Psalm 118:29

I must admit there have been moments of brief doubt when I have thought to myself, what am I doing? Or, how is this going to work out exactly? But it's not for me to worry about the details. God will always make a way where there seems to be no way. This is what He specialises in. Can I get an Amen and a Hallelujah!

So the passports are here...(yes I trust and believe) and I bought a more traditionally styled wedding dress online last Friday in the hope that it would be what I envisioned it to be when I put it on. Well it came and I tried it on and it was too big and maybe ivory is not my colour, so at least I know that much.

I'm aiming to return the dress some time this week. I've been searching high and low online for a more traditional dress which does not cost the earth but to no avail. I'll keep searching, I know something will crop up, only a matter of time. If I'm honest I think I need to get out there and find some wedding dress boutiques.....*breaks out in cold sweat*

In the meantime I do believe I have a last minute holiday to book.....

The late post....

This is the post I wanted to blog last Friday (19 Oct), but got totally caught up with some pressing matters....so here is what I wanted to say then. My next post will follow with what I have to say now. Hope that all makes sense ha! *please bear with me*

So........to update on last Friday's super charged post. OH got a dose of man flu on Saturday, (wouldn't you just know it), so he wasn't up to making the 10 hour round trip to the Durham passport office. No biggie though. His application along with our son's, were completed and countersigned with all the relevant supporting documents and I special delivered them on Saturday morning. So that's done. *air punch* We should get them back by the first week in Nov. Yes Lord!

In the meantime I've been keeping my eyes peeled for last minute package deals, and I also enquired at a hotel in Barbados re their very reasonable wedding packages. I told you! Ain't nothing stopping me. God is working in me and my situation and I'm stepping out in faith.

On Friday I ordered a lovely dress from Asos, that got delivered yesterday afternoon. I think it could work pretty well as a bridal dress. I'm going to get a second opinion from my sis (shown her and she likes it a lot). I've also seen a more classic style dress on the Monsoon website, but it's currently sold out. Natch. I've been scouring the Debenhams website too and there was one dress that caught my eye. It is rather plain but I'm sure it'll do the job if I need something more traditional. But maybe I'm rushing the whole dress situation and need to slow down?? Hmmm...

I've bought my son's outfit and shoes, just need to get him a little shirt and I bought my daughters shoes. I feel like I may be going slightly mad because here I am getting stuck right in, buying and planning for something which hasn't been confirmed, (well not as far as the OH is concerned), but I know that with God by my side everything is going to work out. Probably not in the way that I'm planning. But the end goal WILL be achieved!!! Thank you Jesus. Amen!

Love

I saw the cutest couple ever today. They must have been in their late 70's early 80's but they looked so in love as they tenderly held hands and spoke softly to one another. It was such a pleasure to see and something I hate to confess, I don't see often enough.

I was in two minds whether to take a photo but their love just seemed to radiate towards me and I felt compelled to capture the moment.

Just goes to show that despite the challenges, true love can indeed stand the test of time.

Wobbly tooth

A few weeks ago my eldest told me she could feel something hard in her gum. When I took a closer look I could see a slither of white enamel cutting through. Wow! my little girl has big teeth coming already. She's five next month, so maybe it's time, (although I'm sure I was older when I stared losing my milk teeth - so long ago). I tried to wobble the milk tooth in front of it but it wasn't really moving. Fast forward a week and that same tooth is wobbling like crazy now.

It's funny, because that very same milk tooth got chipped a few years back when little sis threw a plastic toy and it hit big sister in the mouth cracking her tooth in the process. Very naughty. Of course little sis got a good telling off, but luckily it was big sister's milk tooth and now it's the first that is set to go. Thank God. My big girl is so excited. She is growing so fast.

Friday reflections - week 3

This Friday reflections is a rather EXCITED one. I don't know if my explanation will do what I am currently experiencing justice, but I feel God moving in my life in a powerful way.

All those who read my blog frequently will know that at the end of July I had a profound experience whilst at a women's conference at my church. It moved my inner being so much that I knew it was time for me to stop playing and give my life to the Lord. Submitting myself to the Lord and claiming Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour is the most empowering thing I have ever done in my life, and seriously as I write this my heart is racing, I am brimming with excitement.

You see when I got saved, the Lord also convicted me. Conviction is when God speaks to your heart to turn away from a particular sin you may be indulging in, either knowingly or unknowingly. Mine was fornication (I wrote about it here). I am not married to my fiancé - the father of my three children, so of course if I am saved, if I am a Christian I can not continue to carry on with behaviour that is not pleasing to God. Needless to say this has caused a certain amount of discontent in my relationship. Not because we are not doing 'that' per se, but more so because he is not where I am in his walk with Christ.

I have been praying non stop, with all of my heart on this matter, I have been on my face pleading with God to show me IF we are meant to be together and that He would draw my fiancé closer to Him and place a sense of urgency in his heart for us to be married; if that was in His will for our lives. Well slowly but surely I believe my prayers are being answered. Firstly, we have been meaning to get our son's passport sorted for months. My fiancé lost his and he didn't seem to be concerned about finding it or replacing it, so rather than nagging him to death, I just left the situation for God to resolve. I refused to waste my energy getting stressed. Been there done that. It don't work.

Well on Wednesday OH starts asking me if he thinks we'd be able to fly out to Barbados this Sunday. Excuse me?? I was dumbfounded. I mean he's always been a spur of the moment kind of guy, but really?? You and your son have no passport bruv!! Then I began to think, what if this is God working in my situation? Nothing is impossible for Him.

Anyway to cut a long story short the OH is making the 10 hour round trip to Durham tomorrow (yes, Durham near Newcastle)  to get his passport, and our son's fast tracked to arrive in a week's time. No amount of nagging I would ever do, could have got him to do this. I am telling you God is working in my situation.

Now maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit here, but if we go on holiday to a tropical paradise in a week's time, I'm sure a wedding can be arranged whilst we are out there too?? Then a blessing in the UK in the spring, for the rest of the family?? I can in no way second guess God's plans, but I am stepping out in faith and positioning myself for the blessing, so I'm buying up all my holiday supplies over the next few days, so I don't get caught short. I'm buying outfits the lot ( actually I've already got my daughter's dresses. Do you remember this post? hmm hmm)...I'm not messing around.

God has revealed to me that my fiancé is The One, and by this I mean He has placed a strong sense of knowing in my heart, there are no doubts, there is no fear, just a sense of peace. So who am I to argue? The enemy's speciality is breaking up the family, but not mine. NO WAY!! I got a Holy boldness covering me. Glory to God!!

To those of you who don't believe in God and his supernatural power, this whole situation may sound crazy or not much of a big deal, but this is all truth and it's completely rocking my world right now. I can't sit still. Prayer is powerful!

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
Matthew 21:22

I'm going to leave you with some messages to give some food for thought. Keep the faith, keep praying and keep, keeping on. God is good. Hallelujah!!! Amen!

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I won my wedding invitations!

Wedding invitations by Dotty Pink Designs;

Last Monday morning I checked my inbox only to discover I'd won a competition; courtesy of Dotty Pink Designs, to have my wedding invites designed and made. I was ecstatic. Still am. When I entered the competition I had a feeling that God was prompting me to do it and that I would win. The OH and I have been engaged for nearly five years and money is most definitely a concern, so to win this competition, and not have to worry about this expense is such a blessing. Amy Seager the fabulous designer is also a Christian, which makes me even more convinced that this is the good Lord's work, I even nabbed Amy's girl of God badge from her blog (as displayed at the top of my side bar) she has such a beautiful talent.

I am beyond excited. All we need to do now is confirm the date and venue, which God willing will be pretty soon (we have a gorgeous, budget friendly venue lined up, which we are preparing to view any day now). All will be revealed soon. In the meantime I can rest assured that my guests will be receiving beautiful bespoke invites. I'm so happy!

Below are some examples of Amy's work. All photos are courtesy of  Holly Booth. Please do visit Holly's website here and of course Dotty Pink Design's too.

I'm looking forward to working with you in the coming weeks Amy. x

The next holiday we book will be through Expedia

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Oh Barbados, how I love you!

Why? You may ask, well 8 weeks ago I booked a package deal to Barbados for my mum, dad and sister which was MUCH cheaper than other deals available at the time. I was really surprised because Barbados is one of the more expensive Caribbean islands, and even for a two star hotel you are looking at £1,500 (at the very least) for a two week package deal.

Last year my folks and sister booked direct with the travel agents and ended up paying £1,700 each for three weeks in a two and a half star hotel at half board. Pretty steep. This time they were looking at much the same price and more, that was until I started trawling the net and discovered that Expedia were doing deals that seemed, (quite frankly) too good to be true. For a while I was slightly concerned that it all might be a dodgy on-line trap, but NO, all is well. I checked them in on-line and everything and they are up in the sky as I type.

The deal I found was for three weeks in the same hotel they were in last time and includes bed and breakfast and flights. It all ended up costing approx £1,000 each - a staggering saving of £2,100 (granted their missing a meal, but hey, who needs food when you're in Paradise - ha). Plus there's always family close by who can feed them up if needs be. To top it all off, two kids go free at the hotel. Bargain city or what? If my girls hadn't just started school, I would have been all over that deal. Oh well there is always next year....... Maybe for the honeymoon......*kneels and prays*

This is not a review post. I just had to share because seriously we will, without a shadow of a doubt be using Expedia for our next holiday. Bring it on!

Friday reflections - week 2

This week's Friday reflections is short but sweet, quick yet powerful and very appropriate for me right now. Maybe it'll give you the encouragement you need too.

No matter what situation you're going through keep praying, keep the faith and keep pressing on. The road may seem long and hard, but if you believe, and God wants you to have it, you shall receive it no matter what. Amen!

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For last week's Friday reflection post just click here.

Have a blessed weekend x

Hastings and Camber Sands

I'm a bit late with this post but hey, I'm getting there (two more to go I think). During the summer holidays, the OH, children and I decided to go to Camber sands for the weekend. It coincided with one of the really hot weekends the UK was experiencing, so we wanted to make the most of the last of the summer days.

OH booked a chalet at Pontins for two nights, the reviews were not great, but the price was so good £108 for two nights we thought it'd be silly not to grab the opportunity. (In hindsight it is very true that you really do get what you pay for sometimes - ha!)

We planned to meet the OH's mum, sister and nephew in Camber on the Saturday and make a day of it at the beach. That didn't go to plan as the traffic was gridlocked from Rye to the Camber coast, so we made a quick diversion and headed to Hastings to spend the day with the family there instead, with the intention of making our way back to Camber in the evening when the traffic had eased. Phew!

The historical, seaside town of Hastings is about a 20 minute drive from Camber, along the East Sussex Coast. The beach at Hastings is mainly pebble but nevertheless we had a wonderful time. We made the most of the tide being out, and the children were able to paddle in the sea and build sandcastles in the wet sand before the tide came back in. The sun was hot and luckily I picked up a tent type hut from Tesco a few weeks prior, which was only £12 and really works well to keep everyone out of the sun. It's super roomy too and folds down into a neat and compact flat circle; a bit like a hula hoop with a cover over it - that was most certainly one of my best purchases this summer.

After a several hours on the beach we headed off for a fish and chip supper and had delicious ice creams for dessert. The OH had ginger and choc chip and it was divine. Wish I'd bought myself one, it was sooo nice.

The OH's Mum, sister and nephew headed back home in the evening and we made our way to our chalet at Pontins in Camber Sands. The Chalet's are extremely basic, but clean. There were three playgrounds for kids to have fun, plus an indoor play centre and various other activities dotted around the complex.

In the morning we headed straight to the beach where we discovered exactly why Camber sands is so named. There were miles of sandy beach with not a pebble in sight. Unfortunately the weather was over cast and it rained off and on for a few hours before the sun finally broke through and stayed out in full force.

All in all Hastings was lovely and I would go to Camber again, but only for the day. The accommodation was OK, but not the greatest. Saying that, we thoroughly enjoyed our time there and the children adored the sand and the sea, they simply couldn't get enough.  We have fond memories and that is what really counts.

Hastings in the sun

Sandy toes

Sandy beach at Camber Sands

Making the most of the rides at Pontin's.

Someone is not happy the ride finished.

Activity time at Pontins Camber sands.

Egg on face

That little girl in the blue is something else. Lol

Last Thursday, after only a day (well 3 hours) of being at pre-school my youngest daughter informed me, that she didn't get any snacks and she wasn't listened to when she asked to go to the toilet at pre-school. I thought nothing of it and just put it down to it being her first day and her maybe not speaking up enough. When she told me the same thing for a second day in a row, I thought I'd have a quick word with the teacher just to clarify what was going on for my own piece of mind.

So the next morning, after walking her into her classroom I went over to the teacher and asked her what the procedure was for going to the toilet and snacks. She said the children are able to go to the toilet whenever they like except for during story time when they have to put there hands up to ask. OK nothing out of the ordinary there. I then asked her about snacks, and she said pieces of fruit were left on a table at one side of the room where the children could graze at their leisure throughout the three hour session. Oh. Again nothing sounded amiss. I mentioned to the teacher that my daughter had told me she wasn't getting any snacks or being allowed to go to the toilet. She said she'd remind her of the process and let the other teachers remind her as well. 

I went over to my little girl and let her know that it was OK to go to the toilet whenever she liked except for during story time and she could eat the snacks whenever she liked as well. She responded loudly; 

'Yes, I know that'. 

Sorry what?? The teacher looked at me and laughed. Apparently children do that quite often, tell their parents one thing, when really they mean something else. *scratches head*

Ahh well you live and you learn.