Could They be the Coolest Grandparents Ever?

I often think about how lucky my kids are. They have wonderful Grandparents and enjoy spending time with them. On the one hand I wish I'd had my children when I was younger and then my parents would have been younger too and that would have given them a lot more time before health complications got in the way of some of the things they want to do.

However what will be, will be and here we are. Yes, both of my parents have health ailments that now limit some of the activities they can be involved in but does that stop them having fun? Not at all.

For the last four years the children and I have headed off to Poole in Dorset with them for a fun week away whilst my husband is busy at work and when I ask the kids what their favourite type of holiday is, so we know what to book next year, they always say the one with my parents. Why? Well lets look at some of the qualities of my parents and get an idea of why my kids love them so much -

Reasons to be Cheerful - Feeding Giraffes, Time with my Mum & Being over 40!

Happy Thursday friends.

Can you believe it is September already? This year seems to be whizzing by in a flash and I'd quite like it to slow down really! The weather also seems to have moved into Autumn and I am thinking of packing my summer clothes away.

My parents and Aunt have been to stay with us for nearly a week and it has been good to have them here. They've been babysitters for us so we could have a night away to Port Lympne Reserve and also visit the cinema to see The Shack. My kids really love their grandparents so it is always special for them all to spend time together. I love that JJ chose to spend the day with them when he had an extra inset day off school. Many near 14 year old's would just stay home instead!

Here are my hubby and I getting settled into our home for the night last Friday. Giraffe Lodge was an amazing experience and one we were so lucky to enjoy. I love how happy my husband looks in this photo.

Reasons to be Cheerful - the holiday edition (week 30, year 3)

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Hello, happy Thursday. I hope the sun has been shining on you!  I have been down in Dorset this last week and the weather has been fabulous, I am sunburnt and have even had a dip in the sea!

I am grateful for all things holiday related and time with my parents. We have had a great week - on the beach, in the pool, at the park, out for dinner, doing a spot of shopping, at the arcade, at the splash park, playing games as a family, doing some colouring and craft and just generally relaxing.

Now it is over to you - what is making you cheerful and grateful this week?

If you are new here, welcome.  Do go and have a read about why I started Reasons to be Cheerful and what I feel the key to happiness is. This is a very inclusive linky, it does not come with lots of rules. I just ask for common courtesy, write your post and link it up, say hi to me and then comment and say hi to a couple of other linked up bloggers. They should hopefully come and visit you too and we are all happy - comment love shared all round. I can't promise to get to you all this week I'm afraid as life is just too busy at the moment.

#R2BC Blogger of the week will also be back in a couple of weeks when I am settled in my new house.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.  Mich x

Link up now - 

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Reasons to be Cheerful - The Nanny Mary Edition (Week 20)

This week Reasons to be Cheerful is dedicated to grandparents everywhere.  I will have shared with you before that I am super lucky with my Mum and Dad, they are fantastic grandparents and I am so grateful to them but they are not what this post started out to be about.

Last weekend I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday with my Mum and my Nan. We should have been going away to a caravan on the Isle of Sheppey for a girls weekend and some quality time together, but due to my Nans fall about a month ago we ended up spending the time at my Nans flat instead.

I have to say that I still enjoyed the weekend; time away from the kids, morning lie-ins, a trip to the cinema with my brother and loads of family time were much appreciated.

It was a real privilege to spend such a lot of time with my Nan or Nanny Mary as all the great-grandkids call her.  I enjoyed doing all the domestic chores for her, making tea, washing, ironing, cleaning and cooking her meals but it was the time we spent chatting and her sharing some of her oldest memories and thoughts with me that was really extra special.

My Nan has always held a special place in my heart, I am her only grand daughter and I have such fond memories of growing up and spending time with her and my grandad.  I loved staying at their house on a weekend and cooking with my grandad or pottering in the garden.

On Monday this week my Nan ended up back in hospital having emergency surgery, her colon had died inside her and it has had to be removed.  At age 84 this was a risky operation and there was only a slim chance of survival but God was with my Nan and she has come through it and is recovering in intensive care. As this post goes live on Thursday I'll be heading down to Surrey again to see her and to spend the day with my Mum helping her to come to terms with the fact that my Nan is no where near out of the woods yet and that she now the issue of very limited mobility due to her smashed and then pinned ankle and now due to having no colon.

I am praying for my Nan of course but more than anything praying for her three daughters, this is hardest for them.  Ultimately God's will be done and His perfect plan will be executed. One day my Nan will join her beloved Jack again.

On my wedding day in 2002 with all us ladies looking radiant!

I hope I have not made you feel down. Nan is very ill but whichever way it goes she is a blessing to me and I feel content that we have a special relationship that will go on forever.  She is a real reason to be cheerful.

And now it is your turn to let us know what your reasons to be cheerful are for this week.  Don't forget to tweet your posts with #R2BC, you can snatch the blog code from below and paste the linky on your post if you fancy making me smile and please, please visit each other and comment.  Community makes the blogging world go round after all.

Thanks for all your support, week after week.  I have a super fab bunch of readers and friends from this blog.  Be blessed all of you.  Mich x