PART II - Keeping you posted....

Evening All,

Welcome to Part II of this week's blog update.

Its been great to catch up with lots of you since part I of this blog, your positive comments and feedback are very much appreciated, thrilled you all enjoy the blog so much, with life becoming busier now we are enjoying life out and about.

Phoebe is well and enjoyed her first few days at school. All the staff and children at St. Teresa's welcomed her and before you knew it, Phoebe had made herself at home and off she went to join all her new classmates...it was almost like Mum...are you still here?!!!! Bless her, she is so confident and just takes everything in her stride.

Recently, I contacted the National Blood Service to talk with them about giving something back to say Thank you to all the people that had given time and donated their blood, without them and particularly our lovely stem cell donor Phoebe wouldn't have survived.

Initially approaching them to offer the Tollgate as a venue for blood donation, they explained that National Blood Donor Week was underway and on Monday were asked to join the Stoke on Trent part of the campaign and invited to release 400 balloons to represent the units of blood needed in Stoke-on-Trent every week.

Phoebe was featured in The Sentinel, our local newspaper with a picture and write up, we were really pleased to be part of the campaign raising awareness. www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/year-old-Phoebe-undergone-dozen-transfusions/story-12766856-detail/story.html

Check out their details to find out where you can give blood http://www.blood.co.uk/SessionSearcher/search.aspx

Before Phoebe started school we took the opportunity to take a break and head South. For the last few years we have enjoyed a camping weekend organised by our dear friends Heidi and Iain Rhodes - hence the camping weekend is titled
'Rhodestock'. Friends new and old gather at Beeches Farm in Chepstow with its stunning views overlooking the Wye Valley. The theme this year was literary characters, Phoebe went as Snow White, Ade dressed as the Mad Hatter and Alice made an appearance too!!

As everyone starts to arrive, Iain puts up catering tents up and keeps the flames gently burning during the weekend and everyone helps out whilst also taking the opportunity to chill and take daily residence amongst the colourful collection of comfy camping chairs. We also have a huge teepee and enjoy sitting round the fire in there at night. The atmosphere during the weekend is so chilled and calm even when we see the clouds making their way over and feeling the first drops of typical Rhodestock rain..."


It was Phoebe's first real opportunity to be at such a gathering and naturally thrived to be able to venture off, having her face painted, creating pieces of art and making dens.

The weather was mixed and when the heavy wind and rain began, to be honest we were glad to be in the caravan!! Another fabulous weekend with a few entertaining games of rounders, a fab walk through the woodlands, sharing fabulous food and toasting marshmellows with some amazing folks, we could wish for a more perfect weekend.

I took the opportunity to experience my first session of acupuncture with the lovely Sarah and what better way to experience it that lying quietly on the floor of a 25ft teepee, think I have been spoilt now by having my first session in such an amazing setting. The only way I can describe the feeling is well...I was clean from the inside and out and incredibly calm, can highly recommend it.

Folks, I've just gone incredibly tired and its very late so will update with PartIII tomorrow with pictures of our holiday and school, but for now take care....

All our love Lynn, Ade, Phoebe and Spirit Eleanor xx