204 days...

...since I last had anything remotely interesting to say to the world at large (interesting by my standards at least!) I find it amazing how 6 months can zoom by so fast that you can barley catch a moment to just think about everything you've achieved. Remember how long 6 months was when you were 5, or even 15. Why does life speed up as we get older??? Is it just because we are too busy to appreciate the small things, those that become so everyday and mundane?

My garden has been abysmal this year. A combination of neglect, bad weather and the neighbours tree which sucks the goodness from the soil. Luckily we are tough enough to survive on 25 dozen zucchini (6 plants worth), a crop of half sized sweetcorn, a hat full of disfigured tomatoes and a truck load of rocket. My inability to grow anything worthwhile in the garden, is completely overshadowed by the fact that I grew this...

 

...in my belly.

We welcomed our beautiful Hazel Alice into the world (5 days late) at 10.45pm on Christmas night. I wasn't kidding the kids when I told them the baby would be here at Christmas . Unfortunately I missed out on the HUGE Christmas lunch I had planned on eating (breastfeeding and all) due to the fact that I was in labour all day.

But it is now march and that is all long forgotten...

... the months since however, have been a complete muddle. you'd would think that after 3 babies one would have the hang of things and all would be a breeze. But where is the fun in knowing just what to do, being organised and coping with all the day to day things we are expected to cope with??? The washing pile is just the tip of the ice berg (a monstrous ice berg, which is mostly hiding in the cupboards and in wardrobes)...

just keeping it all together is such hard work.

I'm tired to say the least,

but glad that by the end of this week I don't at least feel as though I'm drowning in it all (couldn't say that this time last week... hence writing this tonight...not last Friday!) It's so hard some days to pull yourself out of the doldrums and get on with what we know we need to get on with, and its so wrong that we don't allow ourselves to ask for help. I know that my friends and family would drop everything to give hand when i'm feeling overwhelmed... I must remind myself next time not to try and be so tough. One can't be so brave all the time!

Look at this though...

                                         

look at what I have achieved and what I have to be proud of!

And I am SO proud... these are my beautiful, wonderful, funny, kind and loving children

They make all my lifes trials worth it!