So anyways...... as I was saying.........

Last Wednesday me and the boys went to centerparcs with Helen and Adam. We had lots of fun! We went into the Subtropical Swimming Paradise everyday and had lots of watery fun :) Helen and Adam took Nathaniel onto the Grand Cascade family raft ride while I bobbed about with Zach. Nat and Zach went into the children's pool which had a small flume ride they could go on alone. It was fab! My friend Deb had booked the break and we had 11 cabins! All those LDS! It was great fun for the boys to play with their church friends. There must have been at least 60 of us there. Happy days!

On Friday we came back home. Hopefully David can go with us next year (if we go again!).

On Saturday, we took the tree and all associated decorations down. So the holiday season is now officially over for another year!

The boys went back to school today. Zach has now started a new class and is now in the school rather than the nursery. He goes from 8.50 until 12pm. Then at Easter he goes into the next class which is full-time. I can't believe my 'baby' is going to be full-time at Easter! He'll be 5 in May. How the time has flown. I still think it's so young to be starting school. Not sure he'll like the 'sitting-at-a-desk-all-day-and-not-playing' kind of school!!

I've decided not to have 'new years resolutions' this year. Well, I'm not calling them that! There are things I want to accomplish this year, goals I want to set and achieve. The first one isn't exactly earth shattering! I've decided to try one new recipe a year. David bought me the new Nigella Lawson cookbook (Nigella Express )for Christmas and I'm going to try some of the recipes. This is actually a cookbook that I think I will actually cook from! I have lots of recipe books but I tend to just 'read' them. This book looks like one I'll actually do more that just read from. I like the fact that the meals looks yummy and mostly nutritious, but don't involve 13 hours and 72 ingredients to complete!! So I'll update you all (as if anyone reads this!) with my latest creation and if it's any good I'll let you know! My sister, Helen, is also wanting to do this so we'll have to check up on each other!!

Another goal is to take a tighter reign on the finances. Exciting, not! Essential, yes!

I also want to start using my breadmaker again. Will have to find some yummy bread recipes.

Also want to get healthier and would like to buy my produce from a farm shop rather than supermarket. Would like to incorporate more organic into my diet. My mum wants to look at growing some veggies in her garden so me and the boys might help her.

Also want to get more use out of my craft supplies. I've decided on a £50 allowance for the YEAR! This will hopefully get me using more of my existing stash rather than just buying more!!

I also want to really declutter my house and get rid of anything that's of no use or value. I need to be in a brutal mood to do this. This will probably be a year long goal, focusing on a different part of the house each month.

I've also decided that this year I need to admit I can't do EVERYTHING!! I learned this lesson over Christmas. I need to say 'no' sometimes to things I'm asked to do, or things that are going on. My home and family need to come first. If I neglect them then we get in a proper pickle!!

And even though I have quite a few goals, I'm going to make an effort not to try and do it all at once!! I was in the grocery store earlier today and was going to buy bread flour. I thought about it and realised that I wouldn't have chance to make any until after the next time I shopped so I put the flour back. If I'd have bought it I know I would have been thinking about it and getting stressed because I hadn't made any. Just like this past weekend. I was going to bake cookies and never had the chance, but it's been on my mind since that I MUST make some (why?? we don't NEED them! but if I decided something in my head I feel guilty if I don't follow through. go figure!).

So I'm planning on 2008 being a productive, family-focused, fun-filled year. Of course things don't always go to plan..........