Holy Cricket

On our street there are just the two houses, ours and our neighbours.

As far as neighbours go they are really terrific. We have no complaints at all. Not like at our first house where the guy on the right walked his cat on a lead umpteen times daily or the blokes on our left gave us reason to believe they were most likely drug dealers. (Not that we're judgmental at all.)

A year ago our current neighbour also became our Bishop. Initially I slightly panicked. Living your lives in such close proximity to your Bishop really helps motivate you to get kick started on the road to perfection I have found.

We soon realised we were not under scrutiny at all and after the worlds worst tantrum we found out that although their house was really close they couldn't even hear the shrillest of toddler screams. I also came to the realisation back in April that they must not hear me either on my worst parenting days when I have been known to raise my voice on occasion because I got called to be the Primary President at church. Hooray for soundproofing I guess.

At times we have had a closer relationship with our Bishop than anyone probably ever should. Like for instance the hot summer day that I was sitting on the loo to pee with the bathroom window open and I happened to sneeze, then following my sneeze I heard the words 'Bless you Carol'. Seriously? That is closer than anyone needs to be to their religious leader right? (I'm sure he'd be mortified to know I was actually in the process of urination at the time, almost as mortified as I am to admit it).

Our boys have a great fondness for Bishop and his wife Judith and their three older sons and frequently stop them given any opportunity for inane conversation about the random contents of the three year old brain. They are really great sports and we appreciate their patience and kindness no end.

Yesterday I could hear Thomas chattering away to Bishop so after a while I went outside to say Hi and make sure he wasn't being unnecessarily bothered. As I stepped out I saw Thomas swinging his yellow cricket bat all around no doubt injuring himself or his brother was inevitable.

Bishop said he needed a word with me and then with a big smile recounted how Thomas had just confessed that I hit him with the cricket bat.

There are times when your neighbour being your Bishop has it's disadvantages it turns out after all.

The truth is I have never hit Thomas (or Eli for that matter) with a cricket bat, plastic or otherwise.

Well I hadn't but maybe I will now!

Sweet Nectar

The Young Women (12-17 years) at Church have been raising funds for their Summer camp. Last week they made jam.

Strawberry Jam, my absolute favourite!

I haven't shared it. Not even a tiny bit. I have even managed to keep Eli the food vacuum at bay.

Fresh and plump juicy strawberries in a sweet and sticky syrup.

Within hours of purchasing it I had happily scoffed down 7 slices of toast with lashings of butter (because really what is the point of having butter if you don't spread it on good and thick?) topped with this sweet sweet nectar.

Now this is no ordinary jam. It is THE most delicious strawberry jam ever. Which is just as well because to cover costs and make a profit it is no doubt the most extortionately priced jam I will ever buy.

It was so worth every single penny.

Though my waistband may have to agree to disagree.

Tagged Again (May must be international tag month or something!)

So, I got tagged again, this time by my friend Allison. So here I go...................

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago I was coming to the end of my 18 month mission for my Church, based in of all the incredibly lovely places on Earth...... Birmingham, England. My assigned companion/co-worker at the time was Amy Knight, we were living in one of the three (yes, three!) houses we had in the 4.5 months we worked together. Life was far from dull and despite the incredible fatigue from working 12 hour days, 6 days a week for going on 16 months it was one of the happiest times of my life.

Amy (affectionately named AJ, short for Amy-Jo even though her middle name is Dawn) was a joy to work with, one of the most patient and sweetest people I have ever come across. She hailed from Thatcher, Arizona (if you're thinking, WHERE??? That is the correct response!) She was incredibly easy to tease/mock being that she was a) from a small town, b) she was a cheerleader in high school (Go Eagles!) and c) she had dated her own cousin but I guess that goes hand in hand with point a. (OK so she didn't realise he was her cousin at the time I'll give her that). Also she introduced me to Mexican food before it ever took off here and for that I'll be eternally thankful!

Here we are on a rare day off in Stratford-Upon-Avon dressed up in clothes at the Shakespeare Museum. (If you're wondering what I am doing, this is when the Spice Girls were at their peak and I am not ashamed to say I loved to imitate them in almost every photo opportunity. Ten years ago that didn't seem so pathetic I promise!)

Oh and lastly ten years ago I was excitedly looking forward to the beginning of the World Cup in France (I even owned France 98 Monopoly) as usual the excitement quickly turned to disappointment thanks to Argentina and David Beckham, but alas who could stay mad with David for long though? Definitely not me!

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

It is a holiday weekend so I wish I could say nothing,

Sadly I have to go to work just for two hours,

I have to do laundry (which is on my to-do list every day)

I have to eat chocolate (also on my list everyday)

I have to shower (I am not fit to go out in public otherwise)

I have to have a nap (I wish!)

3. Snacks I enjoy

Anything containing sugar or fat pretty much without exception.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire

Travel lots,

Pay someone to do my laundry,ironing and cleaning,

Take care of my family,

Contribute to charity.

5. Places I have lived

London, Essex, Coventry, Nottingham, Bedford, Birmingham, Boston, Leicester, York and Huddersfield. All in England.

I was supposed to tag a bunch of people but instead I am gonna say if you wanna do this, consider yourself tagged and go for it!

I love to see the Temple....

Yesterday we took advantage of the sunshine and trekked off for a few hours to the Preston Temple with some friends and their kids to enjoy the grounds. Here is the temple in all it's glory, we're lucky only be 45 minutes away.
Here are our boys (note Eli is firmly grasping Gee-Gee as always) and our friends girls sitting on the steps at the back of the temple, where incidentally Rob proposed to me a million years ago.
Thomas, Eli, Neve and Hannah

Not the best family picture but we get so few taken I thought I had better use it regardless. I'm wishing now that I had actually bothered to do my hair.

The temple spire, featuring the Angel Moroni.

When we arrived I asked Thomas if he could see the temple as we approached. He said "Yes, but I don't see Heavenly Father and Jesus anywhere!" That's what I get for simplifying the explanation of the temple as Heavenly Father and Jesus' house I guess.

My Newest Passion

Since I got called as Primary President I have discovered something that I quite completely love.....laminating.

There is something just so utterly satisfying about covering paper (or even card occasionally!) in shiny clear plastic. I like the warmth of the laminator as well as the slightly intoxicating smell of heated plastic. If only I knew this when I was still working at the hospital, as one of my minor responsibilities was the industrial laminator but sadly nobody ever ever requested anything to be laminated (which calls me to question why any radiographer would actually require anything to be laminated, you're hardly gonna laminate an x-ray are you? But that's the NHS, why focus on patient care when they can fork out for an industrial laminator that does nothing but collect dust) now alas I can only dream about how incredibly enjoyable regular use of the industrial laminator would have been. It would have made my working life significantly more rewarding.

But for now laminating everything I can will have to suffice, and it SO does.

All Change

A few weeks ago at Church I got made redundant from my calling (in our Church everybody has a 'job', nobody gets paid but our assignments give us the opportunity to serve others and develop skills and talents) as 1st Counselor in Relief Society (the women's organisation) where my main emphasis was on teaching and education as well as the general welfare of all of our lovely ladies. I really loved it. I knew the end was nigh though as the current President was moving to China and I'd been in that position for three years and overdue a change of environment. Right after I was released from my position they asked me to fill in a position in the nursery for a couple of weeks while they decided on a person to fill the spot long term. Both of my boys are currently in the nursery and it took months and months (felt like actual years) to get Thomas to settle in there so I declined out of fear of him getting used to me being around and having to repeat the whole process all over again. I enjoyed my mini-break of zero responsibility.

Then three weeks later I got called as the Primary President. Now with my two counselors and merry band of helpers I have the task of taking care of all of the children aged 3-12 at church for 1 hour and 40 minutes of our 3 hour long church services. Suddenly the assignment in nursery didn't seem so bad. I am excited for the opportunity as I haven't really worked with the kids much before. Before my stint in Relief Society I was Seminary teacher (teaching the 14-18 year olds an early morning class before school) so kids are a totally new territory for me and well out of my comfort zone. Kids are just so honest (and lacking in tact) they'll tell you how it is, if they say 'You suck' or 'Boring' they mean it. That makes me a little bit nervous! I'll have to try really hard to not be boring or suck I guess!

Rob has been working in the Young Men's (youth) program for most of our married life which involves teaching them on Sundays and running the social group activities on Tuesday nights and he just got released too, so now for the first time in 4+ years I have a husband on Tuesday nights. Now he has no excuse not to join his Grandad's choir though, or else I'll have to!