Loads happening.....

Yes indeed there are loads of things keeping me busy these days.

First Sara is back home for a visit. She came Tuesday evening and will stay until Saturday. She was missing us too much (NOT!) No, she had to finish off her last 4 days at her job over here. She will go back to Aarhus on Saturday and has some interviews lined up for next week. Hopefully something will come of them. Meanwhile she has signed up with an agency who will ring her when a business needs a temp for a day or two, so she could working in a shop, restaurant, hotel, kinder garden....and the list could go on!

She loves her new apartment and loves the city. There is also an other attraction over there, his name is Christian. They have been seeing each other for a few months now. He seems like a really great fella,so lets see what the future holds for them....

Yesterday Sara rang me around 2pm and asked where I was. She then went on to tell me that our neighbour`s daughter was up at our place with her friend who had closed her wee finger on the bathroom door, part of the finger was off!!! Yuk!!!!!

I had to smile though when she said, "Mum you have got to get home and take her to the hospital, we need an adult here!"  (Sara you are now an adult!! haha) Anyway Sara did a great job with the two girls. (They are 13 years old.) An ambulance came and took them to the hospital. Sara spent the afternoon there till their parents turned up. 

I,meanwhile, spent yesterday afternoon at the house. I went straight there from work. The man came to put down the carpet in Leah´s room. So Leah´s room is nearly ready for things to be moved in. I only need to clean the windows and wash the inside of the wardrobe. 

While the man was putting the carpet down I decided to try and take the tiles of the kitchen wall. It was actually really easy. They came off with no problem. Kristian came by after work and I was hoping we could get more things done but  unfortunately he was feeling rotten. He had a sore throat and was aching all over. So we went home. Bit of a set back but we will not panic! at least not yet!!

He is still filling rotten today so he is lying here on the sofa feeling sorry for himself and annoyed because he is "burning daylight" when he could be at the house organizing things!

Leah is also sick, so she has been at home today with Kristian. Her throat is also sore and her body is aching too. (Great!!)

Andrew had his first driving lesson today! He started a few weeks ago attending classes for his driving licence. They have spent the first few weeks going through the theory. His theory classes continue every Tuesday. He also had his compulsory First Aid class a few weeks back. Now it´s the practical part, the fun part - getting out and driving. Today was his first lesson and he will continue to have the practical lessons every Thursday.  He is loving it. It´s great that he is doing this now.

Ok I better get off here. Our friend Jeff (from the Emerald Isle) is arriving tonight and staying with us until Wednesday. I have a bedroom to get sorted out for him so I really better stop all this blogging. 

Slowly but surely....

...things are progressing slowly but surely over at the new place. We took a break from the house this weekend. Kristian was at a go-kart race and our apartment here was in desperate need of a clean up, so my weekend was spent clearing up here at home. 

Today, however we were back over at the house....

 Kristian got the front painted.

 I did what I could to help him....

In the end though I had to get up and do something. 

 We started to take the kitchen apart to get ready for a newer one.

 Leah´s horrible carpet also came off today. The new carpet is coming on Wednesday.

The carpet in the livingroom also disappeared. Next week the floor will be sanded and polished.

Yes things are moving in the right direction. 

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today my dad turned 79 years old! Happy Birthday Dad from all of us. Here is a wee video espeically for you......

Kristian and Sara send their love. They are at a go-kart weekend on the other side of Denmark. They are thinking of you too even though they couldn´t be a part of the video.:-)

A house in Tuscany....

Have you ever seen the movie, "Under the Tuscan Sun"? Well, it is one of my favorite movies. It´s about a woman who buys an old run down house in Tuscany and renovates it. A lot of other things happen in the film but I especially love  it because of the old house that gets transformed. 

Tonight I was feeling a bit like the girl from the film! We went over to clean up our new place and to do a bit of work on it. It has been such a fun evening!  

Kristian started to take down the old, horrible cupboards that were in the bathroom. 

 There was a cupboard in the kitchen that went into the bathroom. The walls were actually just made of that plastic sticky back stuff you put on your cupboards to make them look like wood.....there was no MDF or whatever it is you use to make walls! 

My hubby worked really hard!

 I also did a bit of work myself. The outside of the hosue was covered in cobwebs and needed a good cleaning. I got the cobwebs brushed away and the window and door washed down... 

The hall walls also got washed.

There is still along way to go but so far we are enjoying ourselves. We hope to put in an Ikea kitchen!! Now that will be a challenge has we have no idea what to do! 

In the film I mentioned earlier, the girl had Polish carpenters to help her with all the work. She just cooked food for them....Ummmmh maybe that is something we should consider. Well, watch this space and follow our renovations....we only have 6 weeks before we move in! YIKES!!! :-)

On the move....

...Sara is on the move! She is moving to the other part of Denmark and tomorrow (Tuesday) is the day when all her furniture is being taken over to her new place. Her friend has bought an apartment and Sara is renting a room there. She is so excited! She will go with the moving van tomorrow and stay a week in the town of Aarhus. She has some interviews lined up, so hopefully she will soon have a job there. After a week she will come back here and finish off her work over here.

So the weekend has been spent clearing out and packing. It is sooo amazing what Sara had in that small bedroom of hers! 

In the middle of all the packing chaos, we had our niece Annie visiting.We discovered that Annie had never been to Ikea. She is the same age as Leah, so Aunty here had to make sure she experienced Ikea! We drove in Saturday afternoon and had a great time  well, I had a great time dreaming and planning. We bought absolutely nothing.

Sunday afternoon we headed over to our new home. We got the keys on Sunday so we decided to head over look around the place and plan a little. While there we decided we might as well start our first job, taking off the living room floor. 

 Leah and Mia had a picnic with crisps and dip before we got to work.

 Laura arrived with ice cold Fanta to us all! Delicious! Just what we needed on a hot Sunday afternoon!

We decided to eat dinner together - Pizza on the living room floor. Such fun!!

 Laura had gotten us all a wee present! Tools for the garden!! haha We LOVED them! 

I really think we are going to enjoy living out there. It still feels so right and I have such a peace about it all. So different from all the other houses we looked at over the years, there was never any peace and probably the reason why we never moved to any of them.

It has been a crazy few days and it just looks like it is going to get crazier!!! I´m loving it though (at least at the minute.) We are getting all the paper work done for moving, got the internet set up for the new place from the middle of September. Slowly but surely things are getting done. We even finished getting the carpet off on Sunday! 

A friend, Strawberry cake and Ikea....

...life just can´t get any better than this!

After work today I went to visit my friend Rhona. She had bought the most delicious strawberry cake. We had a lovely hour together, sitting in her garden eating cake and catching up with each others lives. It was really great seeing her again! The time always goes by too quickly when I visit her, today was no exception!

So after a really lovely afternoon it was home to make dinner. There was no one home when I arrived there, this was rather strange as there is always someone around this place. Where were they all? Well ,Leah was down helping her friend re-arrange her room. Andrew started school today so he had not arrived home yet. Sara was working, she had a late shift and Kristian still hadn´t arrived home from work. So I spent a good 45 minutes out on the balcony drawing up how our furniture should be in our new living room. (such fun!!!!) Before long though, the peace was gone and Andrew and Kristian came through the door followed shortly after by an exhausted Leah who had moved furniture around all afternoon with her friend, she had drilled holes in walls to put up shelves, and the shelves hadn´t fallen down! WOW what a real wee handy woman we have!

Sara came home around 7.30pm and was in a panic. She is moving too. She will move to the other side of  Denmark to a town called Aarhus. She will live in an apartment that her friend has bought. Sara will rent a room from her. Her friends furniture is being moved over there on Tuesday and Sara can also get her stuff moved too. She was in a panic because she needed a few big things for her move. So guess where I ended up this evening??!!! Back at Ikea!! Honestly I should have shares in that place!

Sara got what she needed for the move. Now all she needs is a job!! She is waiting to hear from a few places. If she gets one of these jobs she will move in a week or so, if not she will wait until October. 

Life is just a little crazy at the moment...everything is happening at once! But I am not complaining I am finding it all very exciting!

Come and see......

...what we are getting ourselves into!! haha  So as you probably know we are moving to another place sometime in the near future. We have to sign the contract on Friday. Here`s hoping nothing goes wrong!

I was over at the house today measuring everything. I was so in the mood to start cleaning and organising the place. It really does need a good clean out and a lick of paint. I can´t wait to see what we can achieve over the next few months.

Leah had her camera with her today so  we took a video, mainly so dad can follow what we are up to....so dad this is for you ( but anyone interested can have a look!)

A dream come true....

What a night we have had!!!

People who know me well know that I have had a dream about living in the country for a while now. My friend Laura lives in a lovely place, just 8 minutes drive from where we live.It is close to shops and buses, yet it´s in the heart of the country. We always love going out to her place, its situation is just so perfect and her house is so cosy. Well last night she rang and asked me if I was interested in  renting the house next door to her. (The place where Laura lives is one big house that has been made into smaller apartments, but the place feels like a house, not an apartment!!) I couldn´t believe what she was aksing. 

The "funny" thing was that yesterday I had been  praying about our living accommodation. Over the last few months I have been unsettled here in our apartment. I had no idea what to do about it - where should we go if we should move?  I had been looking at houses to buy but even though there were some lovely ones that seemed to be in our price range, I never felt at peace about it. (We would have to move a bit away from here to afford something to buy.) So yesterday I was praying about it all and in the end I said to God that I was leaving everything in his hands, if He wanted us to stay her I was willing but otherwise if this unsettlement was a sign for us to move on he had to move us on, open some sort of door, show us somewhere we should go. Then last night my friend Laura called about this place! 

So off course I said yes that we were interested. So we arranged for us to see the place this evening. Already last night I had such a peace about it all. But I was going to go and see the place with an open mind, I would see if my peace left me or if I still had peace by the end of the evening. Kristian was also going with an open mind. 

So what did we think??? We LOVED it!!!! Kristian loved it!!! Leah  loved it!!! (Andrew wasn´t home so he didn´t see it, but he doesn´t care, he´ll move anywhere!) So we have decided to take the place!!! I can´t believe it!!! There is work to be done on it before we move, some things that need fixed up, but it is just what we have always wanted!! 

 There is a big garage for Kristian and a lovely room on the other side of the garage, opposite the front door, with window from top to bottom, it is perfect for my art gallery!! I feel so blessed!

                      (Leah outside my coming art gallery!)

Kristian will ring the man tomorrow and tell him we want it!! We have a busy few months ahead!!! We should be moved in by Christmas!!! 

It´s been a hard week....

.....having to get up again at 6am has taken it´s toll on me. Yes, I am back in Denmark again and back at work. Where did those 4½ weeks of holiday go?

I arrived back in Denmark late last Monday evening. Kristian was coming to pick me up. We usually just meet out at the "pick up/ set down" car park so we don´t have to pay for parking. As I was walking to the car a young fella tapped me on the shoulder and very politely asked me, in English,  if I could help him find a bus or train to Copenhagen. I was about to explain when I realised it was Andrew! Then suddenly Leah appeared at his side.  Sara was in the car waiting with Kristian It was a lovely surprise that the whole family had turned up.

Tuesday we held Andrew´s birthday. We celebrated by giving him his presents and then, as is our tradition, the birthday boy got to decide where we should eat. Andrew was in the mood for Mexican so we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant and had their buffet.

Wednesday I started work again. It was so hard to get up again at 6am! It was however, great to be back at work and see all my colleagues again. The day went by quickly. Wednesday evening found Leah and I at Ikea. We just went in to dream about how our bedrooms should look when Sara finally moves out and Leah gets the big room and Kristian and I get Sara´s room. (She has plans to move out within the next 3 motnhs.) So we got loads of inspiration. 

On Saturday we decided to head to Copenhagen. Leah has a birthday in a few weeks and she really would love a guitar so we decided to go into the music shops and check out what they had. Kristian came along too. We had a fun day. We discovered that even though a guitar is the same make and model it can sound and feel very different. She found one she loved, it was easy to play and it sounded really good and it wasn´t too expensive. We ended up getting her her birthday present early. We were afraid it would be gone when we went in at the end of the month to buy it. 

She was over the moon! We took the coast road home and on the way we stopped for a while at a lovely spot by the sea. She and Kristian went out with their cameras to take some picures of her new guitar. I stayed in the car with my book. It was a beautiful day but I wasn´t feeling the best. I had a bit of sore throat and head and I didn´t have too much energy. They got some lovely photos though....

Happy Birthday.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW!!!

Nineteen years ago today at 2.55pm Andrew came into our lives and our lives have never been the same!! (Changed for the better!)

My wee boy is now taller and stronger than me and loves to tease the life out of me! I really don´t know where those 19 years have gone. I remember it all like it was just yesterday.

This is the first time in 19 years that I have not been with him on his birthday. I am still in Ireland but I head back home to Denmark tomorrow. We will then hold his birthday on Tuesday. 


So to Andrew, Happy Birthday from your old mum. I miss not being with you today but will make it up to you on Tuesday! (Oh and I have a wee surprise for you which I think you will like. Are you all excited??!! haha) Love you loadsxoxo

Yesterday (Saturday) dad and I went away for the afternoon with Sharon and Jeffrey. 

Sharon had made a delicious picnic. Loads of different sandwiches, among them corned beef and brown sauce sandwiches. I haven´t had one of those in years and years, and it was SOOOO GOOD! She had made buns and cakes, there was fruit and crisps. It was a real feast. 

While we were sitting enjoying our picnic a woman suddenly appeared and said "You are Jim Robinson aren´t you?" then she hugged my dad. It turned out to be an "old" friend, Brenda, from the Mission Hall. She attended the Mission Hall years back, when I was just a wee girl. Her Aunt Sadie lived down the street from us and we were forever going in and out of her house. It was so special to meet her again.

We were at The Argory an Irish gentry house and wooded riverside estate near Portadown. It was really beautiful. We got a guided tour around the old house. I loved it. I was born in the wrong era. 

There was a beautiful old Steinway piano in the living room and the tour guide asked if anyone could play. I wasn´t going to say a thing but Sharon pointed at me and before I knew it I was giving a number - dear help them all! 

The chair here was one that John Wesley stood on when he was here to preach. 

 It was such a great day out and it just got me in the mood to come over here with Kristian, hire a car and tour the whole of Ireland visiting old houses and museums. 

Late afternoon we headed for home but ended up looking at this sign for about an hour. Jeffrey´s car broke down, white smoke was bellowing out of the back before it gave up the ghost. We were stuck on the motorway!! 

Soon help was on the way and we all got an experience of a lifetime! We all got to ride home in the car on top of the truck that came to pick us up! (It was the first time Jeffrey could fall asleep at the wheel without us being in any danger!) Sharon and Jeffrey sure know how to give you a day that you will remember for a very long time! hahaha Sharon and Jeffrey, we really did enjoy our day - thanks for taking us out! 

Dad and his girls....

So today (Thursday) Dad was out with his girls. We were down visiting Gillian in Bangor and since it was a beautiful day we decided to visit the walled gardens. We sat in the sun and talked for about an hour. Really wonderful.

I was then dropped of at KFC to get dad, Lauren and me a chicken meal while Gillian went to McDonalds to get a burger meal for her and Lewis. It was then home to enjoy our food, chat and watch some TV. A really great evening.


Dad has had a rough week. He has been doing so well until last week when he had bother with his Spleen. It was swollen and he was just feeling rotten. His stomach was so swollen and he was just so exhausted. He didn´t look at all well on Monday and by Monday evening he really felt awful. I was worried about him.


On Monday we went to the hospital so he could get his platelets. When we came home I started painting the kitchen ceiling and by  late afternoon I could tick "paint the kitchen ceiling" of my list. 


Monday evening just after dinner the phone rang and it was the doctor. Dad´s blood tests had shown that he was low on Potassium and they were ringing to warn us that he might be going into hospital. Thankfully they rang back and said they could treat him using tablets so he could stay at home. I had a happy dad. So it was off to the chemist to get him the medicine he needed.


On Tuesday, Amanda, the Marie Curie nurse was here to give dad his blood. Those nurses do such a great job and they are just so wonderful with dad. They also needed to take blood tests to check how his Potassium was, so I got the job of running up to the hospital with the blood as soon as it was taken. 


In the afternoon I started to fix dad´s bathroom. He got new lino put down a while back but it needed fixing along with some touch up to the paint work. It didn´t take long to do and I could, once again tick something of my list. I then started to paint his bedroom. 


Tuesday evening at 8pm. I stopped everything and went for a coffee with my cousin Lorraine. Wonderful:-)


Wednesday my Aunt Kathleen came to visit and we had our traditional fish and chips. It was so great to see her again. She spent the afternoon with us. Dad was starting to feel better on Wednesday, the tablets for the Potassium and the extra blood transfusion seemed to be doing him good. 

Wedensday evening was spent in front of the TV. I just thought that I needed a rest.


This morning I spent about 3 hours painting the rest of dad´s bedroom before we headed off to Gillians.  It´s nearly finished. Hopefully I will get the last coat done at the weekend. 


It really has been a pretty good, productive few days.