Catch up Sunday

I started writing on the blog again with very good intentions of trying to post at least every couple of days. Unfortunately, sometimes life has other ideas about how you spend you time and this week was one such time. However, here is a quick recap of our past week.

 

 Emily turned 16 last Saturday.

I can't believe my "baby" is now old enough to work and has her National Insurance Number.  Jon did print out a list of all the things she is now able to do - not all of which I would want her to do ;o)

 She got to open one present first thing in the morning before I headed out for a short while. She had decided to keep opening the rest until I got home again.  This one is a lovely little silver bracelet with a heart charm.  I did mean to get a clearer photo but forgot until I was putting this together (oops!)

 Alice and Claire came back to the house with me and Alice was more than happy to help Aunty Em open her presents.

Emily's birthday balloon was a big hit with Alice and she carried it around for a good part of the day.

 Emily probably won't be thrilled that I've posted this photo ;o)  The one I took when she was blowing out the candles was way too dark so I asked her to blow again - this was the look she gave me lol!

 Sunday saw me meeting up with Claire and Alice again for a cup of coffee at Starbucks.  I guess funny faces run in our family.

 The weather has certainly been cooling down recently but, if I'm honest, I'm actually enjoying the cooler weather and being able to cosy up in warm jumpers.  When we first moved back to the UK I might not have been quite so excited.  I was so chuffed that I managed to get a shot of this spider web in focus.  It looked so pretty from the kitchen window so I'd gone outside to take a photo but it just didn't work.  I came back inside and tried again and managed to get this shot.

Tuesday certainly didn't begin the way any of us expected.  I was woken by the phone at 12.50am and Mum telling me that Dad had had a stroke and had been taken to one of the local hospitals.  I spoke to the paramedic who was with Mum who confirmed this but advised that we wait and phone the hospital in the morning.  Fortunately it was a mild stroke but it has affected the left side of Dad's body and he wasn't able to feel or move his left arm and leg.  Fortunately, each time we go down to visit we are seeing some improvement which is very encouraging.

I've still been having Alice while Claire is at work and she does wonders to take my mind off the more serious issues.  I love watching her play and playing with her ;o)  She really is a little ray of sunshine and so funny too.

 She loves my iPad but did make me laugh on Friday.  When it's time to go and pick Claire up from work Alice helps to collect all her things together - her dummy, her bunny, her blanket (which should stay here but she likes to take it) and then on Friday she said "my iPad!"  She wasn't very impressed when I told her it was Grandma's iPad and it was staying here. 

 

And finally a photo of Dad, taken yesterday.  He was in good spirits and was making us laugh with some of his "stories".  When it came to taking photos he had great fun making faces at me. I did manage to get this one which I really like. 

The good news is that yesterday Dad was able to lift both his left arm and leg off the bed - something he wasn't able to do at the start of the week.  He did make us laugh when he told us the Physio lady said they were going to move him to a bed in the Rehab ward as soon as one became available and he told her he wasn't really that keen on going to the gym or exercising!  So funny!! He was enjoying not having to do physio over the weekend but was sure they were going to make him work twice as hard on Monday.  It's good to see the improvements, they may seem small to him but they are all steps in the right direction and we're hoping they continue. 

My thoughts and prayers this weekend are with Deb (Paper Turtle); Deb's Mum, Marti; Carrie (Rosalind Revival) and their family. Love to you all. xx