Well we are now fast approaching the end of Jan birthday season in the Anstey household the girls have turned 24 and the boys 12. only mine left to celebrate on monday. I heard the girls are making me a birthday cake (something they have never attempted before!!) so should be interesting. Dan has already brought me one as a back up!!.

So there are now massive changes ahead for the family this year......My darling daughter Jessica is pregnant and due on April 11th!!..... a statement that doesn't begin to express all the different emotions........we are to become the proud grandparents of a Grandaughter...the first girl in family since Jess herself........so we have been doing all the pratical working out (a fav pastime in the Anstey house!) of that favourite game of moving the bedrooms around again!. we have learnt from past experiance and so walls and carpets are always netural these days with colour added by easy movable objects only!

We are also heading fast to Sams wedding and in the process of doing the house up so our lives are becoming very hectic. I am really happy that my job is so flexiable and that I work from home.

well its great to be working again and earning some money. There is such a good feeling about doing that.
Christmas is fast approaching and I am very organised this year its been very stress free so far.
This year has been great watching Josh reactions to all the christmas stuff. He has loved meeting Santa and is enthralled with him (just like his mummy always was!). He love the BV carol service and asked if he could stay for always!.He has changed from last year that he loves joining in singing at his nativity play and was picked for Joseph. But wouldn't wear the clothes, he is not into the dress and teatowel. We get to see him today so have promised a prezzie if he dressed up today.
He has said he is fed up with all the secrets as he has realised there is hidden things upstairs and is sure i have taken his cars toy home with me for myself as he caught a glimpse of it and then it disappeared so as I left about the same time he is sure its me wanting it for myself!!.
Jacob is just enjoying taking anything he can get off the tree and is not impressed with Santa at all. He screamed in his face and snatched his present and then hid behind his mummy.
So here's looking forward to a fun filled christmas

so the boys are settling in to secondary school.......

so that leads to the next question what next for me????

now there are always many things i could spend my time doing....... suggestions welcomed on a postcard!!.

do i go for easy option one a job that pays ok. fits around family life OR...........????!!!!

so at the moment its a case of listening, looking, thinking, wondering and soon taking a step to trying

well jack and harry are enjoying their last weekend ready to start secondary school on monday

i have just about survived the 6 weeks holidays!!

jess is just about to start her last year

little josh has just started rugby tots

we are heading for jacob and josh birthdays very soon jacob turning 1 and josh turning 4

so time as always is not standing still

Its a big day in the life of Jack and Harry today as they have their last day at junior school.
We all went to their leavers service yesterday..........lots of film footage from them all of their thoughts of their time at the school and thoughts about going to a new school.....lots of pictures from the days at the school......great performances of dancing, singing, poetry and music all expressing their feelings......it was very moving

for me it is also an end to having children at junior school after many years.....taking a glance at the older 4 children who 3 are now adults (wow) and jess who is fast heading to her last year at school and has this week been doing work experiance i know that their time at secondary school will past by very fast......
as today my thoughts are with them i can clearly picture every other one of the childrens leaving services and even my own at the same school!!!

its dan's 18th birthday today and i just want to list a few things that i love about my son
he has a great sense of humour
he has overcome all of lifes challenges that has come his way
he is loving, kind, and charming
hes a great son uncle brother
hes great to spend time with and is willing and loves spending time with me on our own. he has fabulous relationships with his brothers and sisters and brother-in-law
hes a very capable and talented person who uses his gifts for others
he has the ability to charm all of us into doing stuff and is open with that!!!

i am so proud of the boy he has been and now hes a man!!!. how blessed are we as a family to have him.

well as Gary is on nights thought i would take the opportunity to update my blog..

well this year seems to be flying by and we are heading very quickly into the next two important celebrations for our family, firstly my nephew josh and then Dan turning 18... wow!!!

as i've mentioned in previous blogs this year had had and still to come some great family celebrations and its great to spend sooooo much time on celebrations this year.

i think this year has been great for recovering a sense of some parts of who we are as a family in that we love to celebrate and get creative doing it.

so we had even added to this with our ' ere come dine with I' the anstey bristolian version of come dine with me. kick started off with the taylersons giving us the name and theme of a very funny bristolian evening with karoke singlong and great food. followed by sam and jon giving us an evening at the "Badgeworth Tavern" turning their home into a pub for the night with great pub food and playing darts all night.
next is Dan and goodness knows what he will come up with but i have heard a few rumours of world war two themed evening with blackouts!!, or the typical british bbq. lastly it will be me and Gary.... but i am not giving anything away but as always we play to win!!. when we have finshed this round the next round is the credit crunch round and we all have to stick to budget set.

well thats it for now need to go and plan and plot..ttfn