There is nothing like a trail run to recharge the batteries!

 Music festival week is always one of the busiest of the year for our family with children performing every day and sometimes up to 3 times a day. Throw into the mix me starting a new job and you'll see why I needed some time out! Great week though. New job good and the three youngest children performing in the festival brought home various trophies, 1sts, 2nds and 3rds. We are just as proud of them at the times they didn't get placed though. All part of life's lessons! Well done to them all

Back to running

Today for the first time I think I can say I am really back to running.  I had to get up early to see 15yos of on a 4 hour journey further North in Scotland with the brass band he plays with where they were entering a competition.  Their coach left the village at 0630.  As he wasn't around to do his paper round I did it straight away then and then came back to bed for an hour.  It was lovely to be out in the early morning as the sun rose though.  Then I went for a 3 mile run in the forest with a running buddy - so that's 3 times this week which was my target.  It was a lovely hilly run and the weather wasn't too bad.  The dog thought it was wonderful as usual.
So target time!!  Troon 10k is in May so I'll aim for that first and then onwards!

Time Flies

It seems like just a blink and it is March already.  Where has the time gone?  So much has happened and here is a little rundown.
First of all running.  I haven't done an awful lot but have had some nice runs when I have managed it.  Rick and I went up to the West Highland Way at the end of January for him to do a 30 mile training run.  I did an 8 mile section and had a great time.  The weather was appallingly wet and cold which did encourage me to keep moving.

It was a fabulous run and a great day.  Would love to do it again.
Also had a really good run with a couple of friends around the Glentrool area which was a great run albeit in the pouring rain!

Also had two birthdays at the beginning of the year -

The annual Candlemass Ball came and went again at the beginning of February.  We had a great evening as usual and great to have chance to dress up again.  Nothing like a good ceilidh

February 15th we had a great time of celebration when Josh married his fiance Bethan.  We travelled down from Scotland to Hampshire and spent a few days down there staying in a hotel.  We had to chance to visit some friends and help with the wedding preparations and then the wedding itself was fabulous.  It was such a wonderful occasion and won't be easily forgotten.  Great to have all my children around me and Bethan looked simply stunning in my mum's wedding dress, which mum wore 60 years ago last December.  An amazing day for two wonderful people.

Josh and Bethan have kitted out an old camper van and gone off to find adventure.

Last Saturday was a local half marathon and fun run and 15yos and 8yos did us proud in their races.

Remembering the love of running

When I look back over the last few months I can hardly believe some of the things which have happened.  I guess in reality, it is only possible to have one very intense new thing in the middle of an already crazily busy life and working a very lot, some 40 hour weeks, after completing the challenge of my return to practice course had to become a priority.  With thee children still at home, sewing projects for an up coming wedding and elderly parents to cherish and help, plus all the other balls I have in the air I guess it is no wonder that running tailed off a bit in the autumn.  However, it seems just a blink has passed and my running has slowed down and I have put back on some of the weight I lost.  

Today though, I remembered my love of running and what it was about it that is so freeing and relaxing and personal.  Rick had arranged a long hilly run with some of the rest of the running club and it was more that I could keep up with.  My running pal though, was happy to come with me doing a route which had some hills but which I am sure she knew would do the trick of inspiring me again.  And it sure did.  Pouring rain, good company plus being in one of my favourite places in the world..............I am back on the journey I was on before of personal challenges and a love of running (even if I never move from the back of the pack!)

We had a lovely New Year. I only had New Year's Day off work so it had to be good  We spent New Year's Eve with good friends.  We spent New Year's Day with family and good friends. The photo below is Rick and a good friend relaxing on New Year's Day. 

Above is Rick's parents with us on New Year's Day for a lovely meal made by 19yos

Above is a photo of the Sunday after New Year with everyone having a relaxing time - 8yos and 12yod playing battle ships with the dog snuggling up to the nearest available person as usual.

Barnaby managed an 8.5 mile hill run with the Galloway Harriers running club which he was really pleased to have managed.  He is a good runner even though he doesn't get as much chance to train as he would like.

On 9th January my dad celebrated his 82nd birthday.  It was lovely to be able to spend some of the morning with him and we took a cake down and his presents.  I am so blessed to still have both parents living at my age and I am grateful to be living nearby them to help when I can.
It's hard to believe that it is more than half way through January already.  Josh's wedding plans are going well and he and Bethan are working hard on their camper van.  Most of us have our outfits sorted and Tali is very excited to be able to be a bridesmaid and has enjoyed her dress fittings.  This year promises to be just as busy as the rest but also full of new and exciting challenges.

Planning ahead

I suppose this time of year everyone does this, but, inbetween working a lot and getting ready for Christmas and New Year I have been trying to plan some of my running goals for next year.  This year I achieved my half marathon and I would like to do that again next year.  I would also like to complete some off road trail runs, not as races but running while Rick runs some of his ultras.  I so love trail running and would like to be out and about more again.  Unfortunately the last few months of massive changes for us have meant I haven't run for a while and have put on some of the weight I took off.  However - achieved a lot over last winter and intend to start again in January.  The running club has an altitude challenge again this January and I have also committed to Jantastic in 2014 so that should get me off to a good start.  It won't be about distance or speed - just running.
December has been really busy with work.  I have been working all Christmas week apart from Christmas Day and Saturday and am working most of next week apart from New Year's Day.  I so much love my job though which I am really grateful for.  This contract comes to an end in February and I am applying for some more District Nursing contracts as I definitely know now I want to stay in the community as opposed to returning to hospital.
We had some lovely Christmas meals out with the staff.  The photo below is of 2 practice nurses, 3 health care assistants and 4 district nurses.  Sounds like something out of the 12 days of Christmas!

December is always a busy month in our family.  The children are involved in so much that there is always some sort of event going on.  8yos was invested into cubs in the photo below and he has already earned quite a few badges.  He really enjoys has cubs.

14yos had a lot of events with the brass band, including the usual carols in the square on Christmas Eve, which for me is when Christmas really begins.  The band also played at various venues around the area as well as hosting their own concert in a church in a local village.

Busy times

Posting on this blog seems to be slipping.  It feels at the moment that there are really not enough hours in the day.  Work is busy, the children are busy, home life is busy.........
Some things we have done recently though.
We had a great day at the running club awards session.  The run was a 5.6 mile run around a local loch with the children doing a smaller run of one mile.  Barnaby joined us adults around the loch and ran a brilliant time, beating a lot of the adults showing what a good runner he is for his age.  Rick as usual was speedy and I plodded along at the back of the pack where I am happy.  We had a great buffet and games time and then the awards ceremony where I was shocked to win a prize for the most improved between 2012 and 2013.  Really thrilled.
Spent a good day shopping (it that is possible) with Talitha last week.  Managed to get her bridesmaid material to make her dress and spent my birthday money on a pair of boots which I really like.  Successful day.  A week of annual leave was spent shopping, tidying and seeing people I keep missing by being busy in work.
Barnaby went to France with school for 5 days and had a really good time including enjoying the chance to show off his French fluency to his fellow students.  They visited the Omaha Beach and the American graves plus the war museums and a Christmas market.  Had a really good time by all accounts.
Max was invested into cubs last Wednesday and below is a photo of him taking his promise very seriously before shaking the cub leader's hand with a scout handshake.

Work is busy as usual but I am really loving it.  It is great to love your job.  Last night was a Christmas night out with one of the GP practices I work with.  It was a great night with everyone together and really good food and company.  I am blessed to work with such lovely people. The first photo is of the 4 district nurses, 3 district health care assistants and 2 practice nurses.

Below is my main course - cod and swede.  Lots of vegetables to go with it made it a really nice and very filling dish.

Below is my Charge Nurse, Lisa about to enjoy the same dessert that I ordered - meringue.  Really lovely food at the Clansman Restaurant in Port William.

Tonight Rick has taken the scouts on a sleepover in the forest youth hostel and they are doing a night walk among other things.  Tali has gone with him so myself and the boys are at home.  

Another year, a new age

November is my birthday month and this year it seems to have come round especially quickly.  I was working on my birthday so out of the house early on but managed to finish early so could spend more time than I expected with the children.  We then had parents' evening at 14yos's school which seemed a strange thing for a home educating mother to be doing on her birthday.  It was a good evening though with lots of positive comments from the teachers so that was nice.  After that Rick and I had a takeaway.

November itself has been very busy on the whole.  We had a great time with Josh and Bethan spending 2 weeks with us.  A couple of friends and I helped them to do some sewing for the inside of the van, including covering cushions and me making patchwork curtains.

It was great fun to be involved in the project together and we had some good laughs.  It was really good to get to know Bethan a bit more before she joins our family when they get married in February.

We had a lovely walk along the shore a couple of days before my birthday in the crisp cold November weather and although it wasn't really a very long walk it was very enjoyable.  The family was a lot smaller than our last walk though!

Last weekend was the running club annual chip cup and awards.  It was a 5.5 mile run around a loch on a lovely track.  Weather was great and the scenery stunning.  I had a lift for the last mile as I wasn't feeling 100% but really enjoyed the bit that I did.  I am not managing to run as much as I would like these days for various reasons so it was good to get out.  I was also shocked to receive the prize for the person who had made the most improvement between 2012 - 2013 which was a £20 gift voucher for the local sewing class.  I was really pleased although I don't think I will make the same progress next year.  Max did really well on his run as well - he puts 110% into his runs.  Barnaby also was really fast on the long run around the loch, despite having been up early for his paper round, been swimming and not having eaten too much.  He is a really good runner.