Countdown: Four months to go

Cant believe in four months time I will be starting my first few days at University as a Student Midwife (eeekkk!!)

I know that God is in control and that we will be ok but I'm starting to get a bit panicky now, not about Uni just about money & life during Uni really. I received the forms today for my advanced Police check and the health questionaires for Occupational health which is a really positive step forward as it means I am closer to meeting the entry requirements and for my 'conditional' offer to turn 'unconditional'. Its also hard with the children because I realise I will hardly be around at all and its been years since I worked full time (and I only had one child then). Its also been a crappy hard day today.

We have been trying (unsuccessfully) to sell our car because we need a smaller (cheaper to run) one for me to use for University/placement. Ok so we should have thought more carefully at the time before buying this one but there's a lot more to the story than can be written down. So today we learn the car is not worth much at all because of a few things that we thought were going to be sorted but werent and so bang! goes my ideas of a new car and some money left over to fund University-type things. I could scream. But, we take gambles sometimes which dont pay off (in our favour) ... thats life.

Role on conditional turning unconditional.

Today is a good day - I DID IT!!!

Offers started coming out this morning. They were made to people being taught at the same Uni but on another campus so I thought "ok, that's fine, it won't be our time today". I was wrong sitting in my biology lesson my phone acknowledged an email. It said something along the lines of "Your UCAS status has changed". Oh no ... This is the one place I didn't want this to happen. I only has to look at my friend next to me and she knew. The other friend across from me knew too. Half an hour layer the lesson drew to a close and they begged me to look. I said I wanted to tell my husband first! Reluctantly I left the room and clicked on my UCAS app. The words 'conditional' greeted me.

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!

My inspiration ...

I'd like to introduce you to my inspiration for being a Midwife (among other things!) This is my nannie Betty and she was a nurse and a midwife in the 50's (hence my love for midwifery/nursing books and accounts from the past):

She trained as a nurse in Nottingham, then moved to Dumfries to train as a midwife alongside one of the her friends from nursing school. She worked on the district for 6 weeks in Glasgow then moved to Kilton, Worksop. Her mother was also a nurse/midwife so yes, I totally believe that passion runs through my blood. She is a wonderful lady and I am very proud to have her as my grandmother. My grandfather's pretty darn great too!

This is her now (2012) at her 80th birthday party:

Hello 2012 ...

What did 2011 bring to your life? What do you want to do in 2012?

I think my main achievement in 2011 was my trip to Mozambique; an amazing opportunity that brought happiness and sadness side by side and opened up my eyes to the world. To the way people live, to what they live with and without, and to the generosity and kindness of others. And definateley the amazing way God provides for us.

In 2012 my girls turn 3 and 7 (where did that time go?) and I will receive an answer one way or another about my Midwifery application. In 2012 I would also like to get to know my camera!! I've owned it for 2 years and I can tell you know - even though i'm complimented regularly on my ability to take a good shot, the actual use of the camera is fluke. I really want to know what all the buttons actually do and what setting does what ... DSLR's are absolutely amazing but they are so darn complicated!!

I really hope 2012 is a turning point for our family - we have so many things up in the air at the moment that it would be lovely to just set some plans in stone and actually do them. Although, 2012 is a year of weddings for us and we cannot wait for one in particular ... my sister is getting married!!! Hoorrraaaay!! My beautiful girls (oh, and me!) are bridesmaids too which is even more exciting but unfortunatley means I have to diet haha.

I have been having a few 'issues' lately and I'd like to discuss Endometriosis with you all soon. Keep checking for updates.