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.

Belfast days....

I arrived back in Belfast late Friday evening. Oh it´s good to be home again! (I love this wee place!)


Saturday: I slept to about 9.30am. I then got up and made dad his breakfast. After breakfast I  headed into one of my favourite places - Belfast city centre. 

I had a few hours shopping. I was in Primark trying to find something to wear for myself. I was needing something new (I can´t fit any of my clothes!) Unfortunately I didn´t find anything, depressing or what!! I really don´t like going clothes shopping especially when I have extra kilos to carry around! Anyway I cheered myself up by going and getting a Subway!! haha 


After a few hours of shopping I headed home. Gillian and the kids were coming up to dads. As I got closer to dad´s house I could hear bands. Turned out there was a band contest so there were loads of bands going up and down the road. 

Fun entertainment for a Saturday afternoon!  When Gillian and the kids arrived we had a lovely afternoon with them. 


Then at 6pm I headed out for dinner with my cousin Lorraine and my "old" friend Charlene. We had a great evening together catching up with each others lives. 

Sunday: Sunday morning we decided to try a something new. Round the corner from dad there is a wee church, takes 5 minutes to walk there. So instead of driving to his "regular" church we decided just to walk around the corner and visit there, after all we are on "holiday". We really enjoyed it. The people were so friendly.  The whole service was very different from his "regular" church, very much like our church service in Denmark. There was about 25 minutes of worship at the start and communion was in the middle of the service. People shared testimonies and verses from the Bible about how God had helped them in certain situations, during the week. It started at 10.30am and it first finished at 12.20pm. It was great, we came away blessed. 


Sunday afternoon we spent relaxing and then Sunday evening we headed to church again. This time to the wee church on the other side of the road that dad goes to every Sunday evening. Afterwards we invited his neighbour over for a cup of tea and we had a great evening discussing things from the Bible.    


Monday: Today is a new day! I have a long list of things to do for dad this week. I am hoping to get his kitchen ceiling painted. It badly needs that. (maybe paint the walls too!!) I want to paint his bedroom and if I have time, paint the back bedroom too. We want to try and get a wardrobe for the back bedroom so that we can organise his clothes and in between all that we will visit the hospital, family and friends. Phew...this week is going to fly by! 


I better get off this computer and get started......

What was he thinking.....

I ask myself that every time I look at Andrew!!

Yesterday I came home from town after being out food shopping. Leah was complaining that Andrew had been in the bathroom for such a long time shaving. She couldn´t understand why he should be in there so long. In the end she left and went to use her friends bathroom. 

As soon as Leah was gone Andrew shouted out to me "Mum, would you be really mad at me if I shaved off all my hair??"  I then knew why he was such a long time in the bathroom!!

So I told him to open up so we could have a look. He was half laughing, half crying saying, "OH Mum I thought it would look good but it doesn´t, and I have soooo many bumps and spots on my head that you couldn´t see when I had hair!" He was painting a very black picture!

Finally he opened the door. He had a towel wrapped around his head.  On the count of three....one, two, three, the towel was off and his shaven head was revealed. Andrew has a good sense of humour (thankfully) and when he showed me his head we both took a laughing fit - we were nearly rolling on the floor laughing.  We laughed till we cried. Once things settled down I got a good look at him. It wasn´t as bad as I thought it would be. IT WAS WORSE!! HAHA - only joking Andrew!! 

I think he looks better with more hair but as it is now, it is ok. He´s not ugly with it. I think we just have to get used to it and once his head gets a bit of sun it will help a lot too! 

Luckily there are still 3 weeks until school starts so time for the hair to grow back, at least a little!!

Then this evening we had family fun night at Anne´s house. We had, as always, a fantastic evening hanging out with her and her family. We ate delicious food, talked, laughed, hopped on the trampoline, played silly games, laughed some more, played some more silly games and ate some more calories!! All in all a brilliant evening which went by far too fast. Thanks Anne, Peter and Co.

I am taking control again....

...control of my weight!!!


In 2008 I went on a diet. Maybe it was not so much of a diet, it was a change of lifestyle. I ate loads of stuff, it was just the right sort of stuff and it tasted delicious. I lost 16kg!! I felt great and I was in really good form. For a few years I held the weight off, without any problem. Then slowly the kilos started to grow back!! It wasn´t bad at first, just a kilo here and there, I couldn´t really feel the difference but over the last year and a half,  little has become much and suddenly I have put on nearly all the weight I lost, and now I can feel it!!!  I can´t fit many of my clothes, I don´t have the same energy that I had and I am not in shape.


How did this happen!!!???? Well I actually know the answer to that. I got lazy!! I started to eat unhealthy again. (Not just once or twice a week but every day!!)  I fooled myself into thinking that being lazy and eating extra would not bring me any consquences. (probably wouldn´t if I was 16 years old again! I could eat like a horse back then and not put on weight!!)


 Life got busy and it was hard to find the time to exercise. It was also easier to reach for a chocolate biscuit when I fancied something, than slice up a pineapple or melon.


Well before work ended for the summer I made a deal with my boss. (He hears my weight complainants everyday. So in an attempt to help he made me a deal.)  If I lost 6,5kg (just got under the 70kg)  during the summer holidays, he would invite Kristian and I home to his place and make us a gourmet dinner. (He loves to cook and his food is soooo delicious!) If I didn´t lose the weight I would have to invite him and his wife home to us and cook a meal for them as punishment!(I hate to cook and my food doesn´t always taste good! haha)  Then I made a deal with another colleague that is also wanting to lose weight but, like me, she loves her food, chocolate and cola. We made a deal that the one who lost the most weight in the summer had to take the other one out for a meal and cinema trip. So far I think I am losing both deals!


I thought these deals would help me start my fight against the extra insulation that I have....but as usual I kept putting it off  "till tomorrow".


So now I have only 2 weeks left of my holiday - YIKES!! This could be an expensive autumn having to treat all these people to their different deals!


Well, Sunday evening I was looking through my computer at some old photos. I was going through the different years, smiling at all the memories. Then I came to 2008. I saw this photo of me (see below) and it just hit me how much weight I have put on again, especially in the last half a year. I got a inspired - inspired to do something with the weight gain. (Also because I remember how good I felt - sooo much energy!)

So yesterday the fight began!!!  My weight was 76,5kg (2,kg less than in 2008) when I started yesterday morning. My goal is 63kg! I did it before (and I was even heavier then) so I CAN DO THIS AGAIN!!! (positive thinking!!!) So do you think I can get rid of 6,5kg of fat before 8th August??? Ummmmhhh don´t know but let the challenge begin. Photo below is for my inspiration!!!

                             (A before and after picture taken in January 2008 and April 2008)

In memory of mum....

I can´t believe it´s 11 years ago that my mum died. She was a wonderful mum. She was always full of fun and laughter. (Although, on the odd occasion, she could give you a good telling off when it was needed! :-) 


I had a wonderful childhood and have wonderful memories of my mum. I felt safe and loved around her. There was nothing she wouldn`t do for us - I really believe that! I still miss her even after all this time. There are times I wish we could go out shopping together, go get a chinese (we loved that!) talk on Skype or visit Ikea together. The list could go on. She died too young! We would loved to have kept her for a while longer but I know she wouldn´t exchange places. Knowing what I know about heaven she is having a blast there! I bet she is helping to decorate my mansion and maybe even looking after my lion! Then again on second thoughts, she never was into animals and she never liked cats, so I think someone else has the job of looking after the lion until I get there!


I made this video below with a few pictures of mum (and me), in memory of her. I don´t have many pictures of her on the computer. All the pictures I have are prints so I had to make do with those I found on my computer.....(I filled up the spaces with some of me at different stages of my life.)

I love you mum. I`m looking forward to meeting you again.....