It's been a busy few weeks, that's why I haven't written so much, between work, after hours work commitments and dance rehearsals for Phoebe, not to mention preparing for Christmas, it's been a little crazy here!
I've wanted to write, I just haven't found the time (ok, a bit of laziness too). But today I want to write about family. There are days when I just think about mine and realise how truly blessed we are to have ours very close to us. My Mum lives in the same town, a quick drive from here, my sister and her family I can walk to in 20 minutes, and Michael's family (which is quite large, seven siblings and one neice in total) also live a short walk away. My Dad and his wife are the only ones that are far, but Skype helps that, ahhh the technology!
When Phoebe was young I always had the support of my sister and also my great ex-next door neighbor (not sure she really knows how much she helped me), not to mention our close network of friends. You know, those crap days, where your baby is crying and your at our whits end and start crying yourself, who do you call? I used to call my sister. But if she wasn't around, I had so many other people to back me up, to come running to the rescue and give me a break.
As soon as I returned to work, well even when Phoebe was just a seed in our minds, we knew we wouldn't have to worry about childcare, Phoebe is lucky enough to be looked after by her Nan and her Aunty. For this, we are so grateful, it is peace of mind for us. We really are lucky! On Wednesday nights her Aunties take her to watch netball, and she is often on sleepovers too.
I know we are lucky, blessed, whatever you'd like to call it, but the last few weeks and it has really been cemented for me. So many people around me either don't have their families closer don't have them at all, some are completely supportive and helpful, others not so much. So I will continue to not take how lucky we are to have a supportive family living so close by!!
Bel x
*the great open road*
