2009 is in full swing and life is back to normal. Now we have taken the Christmas decorations down, it has highlighted how tatty our house is. There are lots of little jobs that we need to do throughout this year. Painting the living room and hall, sorting out the horrible laminate in the living room/dining room and hall just to name a few. This weekend we have painted the fireplace wall in the living room in a pale green and it looks really lovely. We have also pulled up the laminate in the hall and spent just over £100 at B&Q buying some wooden flooring. It is finally cut and put down but we haven't glued it yet. That gives us something to look forward to next week. So we don't have to run the beading around the skirting, we have taken it all off and will put new skirting on when we have finished the floor.

Some photos of the cards I sent this year. Almost each card I sent was slightly different. (About 50 in total). The last one was the only one using pink flock that had to be for my Aunt Donna. She is a very pink person.

Each year we have a cake challenge. We all get a bit of cake and decorate it then vote on which one we think is the best. Nobody votes for me because mine actually looks like a cake! Golf playing Shrek is my husbands, Santa drowning on a marshmallow iceberg is Dale's and mine is the one that is a play on words-peas on earth. The winner this year was Craig's with Santa's sledge.

Reason 1 why I shouldn't drink alcohol at family get togethers!!!

Me and my sister-in-law showing off our presents from my sister. Later my husband almost chipped a tooth but I don't think that is a story for this blog!!

Can you see the bowl of something layered? My sister made a pud. Raspberry Tiramisu. Just gorgeous and a contributing factor to my weight being half a stone more than it was a month ago.

Happy New Year.

I wanted to share my favourite photo of the Christmas holidays. It is of my husband and eldest son Craig. Craig had just taught him how to play golf on the X box. Guess who was winning!! I just love the close ups of the image.

It is that time of year when we wish all of our loved ones a very merry Christmas.

I am so very thankful for having a wonderful family and great friends. My thoughts are with all of the families that have said goodbye to loved ones this year. A couple of days ago my husband and I were just picking up a few bits from a near by town. The town was Wootton Bassett and the time was just gone 1p.m. The people of the town were moving away from saying goodbye to our latest fallen hero, (who had been flown into RAF Lyneham). It makes me realise how very lucky I am that my children are happy and healthy and I am loved by an absolutely fantastic man. I count my blessings every day and even though money is in shorter supply this year I know I am rich in other ways. God bless to everyone who reads this and I wish you all a Merry Christmas.

What a real bad blogger I am. No excuse. I have been doing a few crafty bits but as most of them are for presents, I can't post pictures until Santa has been.

I am settled into my new job. I am still working in the school where I ran the After School Club but I am now a Teaching Assistant in a lovely class. (Reception and year 1). We have just finished our performances of the Nativity. What fun, dressing and undressing nearly 30 shepherds. The only mishap was an angel falling off stage but he was OK as he landed on some shepherds!!

A few weeks ago we had a Stampin' up demo at our craft club. There was so much lovely stuff, I decided to become a demonstrator. On Tuesday my kit arrived. Absolutely scrummy. I haven't had time to play with any of it but this weekend is just for crafting after we have finished decorating the house with the Christmas decs. It will give you a laugh when I show you our tree this year. It is very me. Short and dumpy!!!