Four F’s sake!!!!!!!! (Fun, Fellowship, Family, Friends)

Posted on by MrsN

  
The one thing I miss when on holiday is weekends! It’s not that weekends don’t exist on holiday, it’s just that you lose track of the days, they all roll into one and then the next thing you know the holidays are over! Don’t panic I am not complaining about my holidays – I appreciate I get long holidays as a teacher etc etc etc

HOWEVER I have really enjoyed this weekend. Last week was slightly manic at work, the husband was away with his work, and I went slightly overboard on making sure I didn’t get lonesome by going out every night! So by Friday evening when he returned home we were both so exhausted that we sat on the sofa falling asleep and barely able to talk to each other! But then Saturday came, and the weekend started! 

I know I’ve spoken about fun, friendship, fellowship and family before but it really is someone that is on my heart at the moment! And it is something that I have really cherished this weekend, as I have experienced all of it!

I’ve spent loads of time with the husband, catching up with each other and catching up with TV; it was my nephews 7th birthday so we had family time; I thought I’d have a quick chat with my mum – 53 minutes later I got off the phone; I watched Kung fu panda; went to church and spent time with friends over lunch! 

The perfect weekend which has left me energised and ready for the week ahead – which I know faces challenges and changes – more on that to come! But by spending time having fun, in fellowship with friends and family it encourages you and gives you the strength to know that support is there even if you’re unsure what lies ahead!

This weekend was a bit of an anniversary (more on that to come as well) and a chance to reflect on the year that has passed. On Friday my pray as you go podcast asked me to think about relationships which nourish, strengthen and challenge me – and to thank God for them. I am lucky that I have those relationships and I do thank God for them. 

I am realising more and more the importance of having those relationships where you can be yourself, have fun, rest, relax and re cooperate – ready for what is to come! 

I feel I should end with a quote from Kung Fu Panda “yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift that’s why it’s called the present”

It’s an exciting and scary week ahead, I look forward to sharing it with you, but for now I’m going to enjoy the present, by going to bed! Goodnight everyone

11 years a slave

Posted on by MrsN

  
11 years ago I said ‘I do’ in front of a church full of people, agreeing to marry my husband and promising to be faithful to him for ever. I’ve just given him a card, within which I wrote ‘I think our 11th year of marriage has been the best one yet’ and he agreed (without being prompted)! 

I’ve possibly confused people by the title of this blog, but it’s not as bad as you might think! 

In March this year I had an epilepsy sister appointment. Whilst at the clinic, my epilepsy sister asked how I was coping being off one of my drugs, I said that I was feeling much better and had a lot more energy. She then turned to my husband and asked if he had noticed a difference in me. His response “well she does more washing up”! VERY DANGEROUS! But also very true!

I often use this anecdote as a joke, but actually he was just pointing out something he had noticed, I’m just upset that I hadn’t really noticed it about myself. When I say 11 years a slave I mean it in two ways

Firstly, I was almost a slave to a way of thinking, to a way of life. No matter what was going on I always had an excuse not to do anything around the house, whether that was cooking, cleaning, washing up. Either I’d had a long day at work, or it was my holiday! The simplest of things and I would try to get the hubby to do them for me!

Which brings me to the second thing, the hubby has never once complained about pretty much running the place, he felt I was tired, he wanted to care and look after me, instead I can’t help but feel I treated him a little like a slave!

But this year that has all changed, we were both stuck in a rut, again we didn’t necessarily realise it until we were out, but we are now out of that rut! We are so much happier in all aspects of our life, and we are becoming more and more of a team. That is why this year, the 11th year of our marriage, has been the best one yet, and I think so much has changed for us that there is no way we will be going back to the way we were.

Love does strange things to a person, over the last year I’ve asked the hubby numerous times how he put up with me the way I was. The response is always the same ‘I didn’t put up with you, I loved you, but I do prefer you now as we have a lot more fun’! That’s enough of a statement to make sure that I NEVER enslave myself or anyone else again!