just another morning here

This is just for Jo – set list as I scrawled it on my phone. Can’t be bothered to link it all up as I’m enjoying a post-Ofsted bath!

(together)
Stay for a while
Everywhere I go

(amy)
Love will find a way
Sing your praise to the lord
Saved by love
Baby baby
Every heartbeat
Better than a hallelujah
Arms of love
Something’s wrong in heaven tonight
El shaddai
Jesus loves me/everybody needs a helping hand

(together)
Lead me on
Emmanuel
Put a little love

(mws)
Go west medley
Place in this world
Track from ‘Freedom’

(together)
Thy word
Angels
Faithless heart
Give it away
Tell me how to say goodbye
Somewhere, somehow

(mws)
Open the eyes of my heart
Forever you are faithful
Secret ambition
Not far away
Rocketown
Hold you closer
Welcome home
Crucify – above all
Majesty
Heavens rain? Healing rain
Alleluia

(together)
Love of another kind
(encore – no prizes for guessing this one)
Friends

Well, we did most of the things we had planned, and a couple more besides. It really was a huge treat for me especially, but for both of us to have a holiday on our own – I can’t go any further without saying a HUGE THANK YOU to all of those people who helped make it happen by having the children for us – Mim and Adam, Grandad and Nanna, the Portico one and all … not forgetting Grandma who didn’t actually have them but was willing to in the first place – and to Grandpa who, of course, holds the fort at the garage every time we go away. I don’t really have time to write it all down but I want to, before I forget it all, so if you’re interested read on
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I thought I should write something, firstly because it has been a week since the last post, and secondly because if I don’t write it now, tomorrow is our screen-sabbath so it won’t get done then, and after that we’ll be into the next manic week and I definitely won’t have time.

Last week went by in a bit of a blur; my Monday and Tuesday were spent doing extra work to get things ready for the class during the rest of the week, while I went up to Kettering for a three day course on Autism. This was good for a number of reasons – I’m interested in autism a fair bit anyway, the course was really good, but also it was nice to have a little break from the norm, and I got to stay with some good friends who just happen to live in Kettering – bonus!

As a result, I’m not entirely sure of much of what went on at home; Steve held the fort admirably, and I got home on Friday night and have been thrown back into the usual manic weekend activity! We did have a nice meal out first though – bumped into a number of people we knew at the Chinese down the road, which was amusing!

Now I am desperately trying to get through housework and the washing but people keep tidying their room (aka chucking all the clothes that were on the floor into the wash regardless of whether they need washing or not ).

This morning we had choir/orchestra/work which kept us busy until lunchtime. The children looked rather shocked this afternoon when I announced that I was going into town to meet *my* friends (apparently this is something only they should be allowed to do!). I spent a happy hour and a bit catching up over a cuppa in Costa before going home to work for a bit. Steve, meanwhile, did the food shopping and then made sandwiches to take to Josiah’s Candlelight Concert this evening – another treat at the Cathedral for us – particularly enjoyed Seek Him That Maketh the Seven Stars again.

So, to save myself from getting boring on social networking sites, counting down the days until our trip, I am writing a blog post, so that I can talk to myself and get rid of the need to tell everyone how excited I am. I promise that after this I will shut up until half term and not bore everyone silly by blethering on about it.

A month or so before Christmas I spotted the 2 Friends tour online and thought it would be amazing to be able to go – Amy Grant and Michael W Smith have both been my favourites since I was about Abbie’s age! Shelved the idea as being too wild and expensive, though. Somehow, it came up again after Christmas, and somehow we ended up discussing it as a serious possibility, then somehowended up booking it! Steve did the bulk of the work which makes a pleasant change as usually it’s me who does all that research type stuff.

I spent the first day of thinking about it being ridiculously excited, I can’t actually remember being so excited since being pregnant! Other than our honeymoon holiday (which was a week staying with my grandmother in France so doesn’t really count!), Steve and I haven’t ever been away together for more than a couple of nights – ok, this is only just more than a couple of nights but it is in America too, so constitutes a holiday instead of a weekend break! Steve has never been to the states, and I went once when I was 12 so can’t really remember that much about it. It is a bit of an extravagance – we’ll be camping for any holidays during the rest of the year! Still, it’s about the best Christmas/anniversary/birthday present I could ever have hoped for

Anyway, Steve and I have a draft itinerary planned, which we did while listening to Michael W Smith and Amy Grant’s latest albums online, just to get us in the mood It consists of:
Saturday – arrive/check-in have dinner somewhere.
Sunday – Music row/wander around/eat out a lot
Mon – Segway tour? and Bluebird Cafe
Tues - Cenetennial park and Parthenon then Amy and MWS
Wed - Lane Motor Museum/lunch then drive out to Franklin for dinner or come back to Nashville
Thur – Check-out/late lunch/airport … travelling back will take until Friday morning.
As I’ve typed that I’ve realised we’ve forgotten the Country Music Museum and Hall of Fame which is a must see … will have to cram that in somewhere!
And I confess I have checked the geocaching map for Nashville, it would be rude not to find at least one or two while in the US!

The children are trying to plan themselves a break too – Grandma is happy to have them but they are trying to complicate matters … we will see! Now all we have to do is wait until February – not long