Things Happen For A Reason (Part One Bs Birthday)

Yesterday our eldest boy turned 4!
I don't know how but we are so very proud of the way he has turned out.
B was born on my Dads birthday and both of these guys are absolutely amazing!
This is going to be short and sweet a simple post of gratefulness and luckiness in equal measure, M should of been in hospital this week, He should of been admitted yesterday , yet some how there wasn't any bed for him to start the treatment... I have never been so grateful for it being put back a week , Yes it means an extra week of thinking it over but and it is a big BUT my boy , mine and Ms world didn't have to be with out his hero and his daddy on his birthday. We had a lovely family day full of Chinese food,cake and time with my parents on my dads birthday, the added bonus was our friend and B's Godmother popped by and it was lovely to see her.
I do believe in this bigger plan and people reading the blog will be sick of me banging on about it but I do believe things happen for the good , even if we don't see it at the time.

Here is a picture of B & My dads Birthday cake:

"I am 4 and Grandad is 5!" (quote from B) 

Normality...

The last three weeks have been a blur of hospital appointments and dropping the boys off with my parents or B at school then driving to appointments or dropping M at work.
Today how ever was normal... I've craved for a "normal" day in so long.
These last three weeks have been a strict schedule, one in which we have had to stick to. Today how ever was a free day. Tribe Wardle has never ran to a timetable as much as we have in the last few weeks. It felt nice to be organised but the free spirited girl inside of me screamed out to be given a little free reign.
Today we have shopped, visited family, had some television time and cooked.  It felt amazing!
During the last three weeks we have tried to keep things normal for the kids, but lets face it our lives possibly wont be "normal" again.
So here is my big question, I ask daily, How as a mother and a wife do i keep family life normal when our world we have known is falling apart?
I doubt I will ever know the answer to this and am sure many nights it will keep me awake.
A week on Monday M goes in for Lemtrada treatment. It's scary in the fact he will be patient number 4 But on the other hand exciting for what it declares to offer. The wife in me is desperate to find the answers of how to keep M up beat and positive, the mother in me is worried about a full week of the children at nighttime without M's support and how to keep the children happy without their Dad who is their world and hero.
It is so hard being a wife and a mother so I ask this of you Please keep Tribe Wardle in your Prayers and please send all good vibes this way. Please pray that I find the answers to do my family proud, when the biggest motivator our family has is receiving treatment. M isn't just a dad or husband he is all our best friend and the head of our family who we look daily to for guidance.
And finally please pray our family finds its new normal, which we find comfort in.

This Journey We Call Life...

So dear reader now that is all out about M and all of our nearest and dearest are aware, Please let me fill you in from my(C) side.

So it has been quiet on here as and as I've blogged about before we were, before Christmas, going through a lot with the miscarriages, As a couple we felt it was important to have it out there that it was happening and we were trying to find a solution. The wonderful consultant decided it was best I went on some tablets to sort my hormones out and it was all put down to two pregnancies close together and breast feeding for 14 months after last pregnancy knocking my hormones all to pot.
I started on the tablets and during this time we got the news my beautiful husband has MS.
We were told to live life as normal and they would do their all to help keep it that way.
So when M was struck with a relapse and it affected his walking, resulting in needing a walking stick to walk, it was decided he would have some treatment called Lemtrada.
So here is the nitty gritty of it all... M will have 5 days of Lemtrada which will need a hospital stay, A year later he will need the same but only 3 days worth. This should make the relapses subside, but we need to stop trying for more children as it is not safe to do so whilst on the treatment or for 4 months after the last treatment.
Everything is not on hold its a simple situation of we won't be trying for another child for the next 16 months. We aren't saying we will be in 16 months but we will see how our situation is going. At the moment though these last months have been painful. It's not every year you lose 3 babies and have a husband diagnosed with MS.

As a family we have stepped back a lot in life and regrouped. We are OK though and we will be OK.
We believe that our family is on a journey, an open ended road trip like journey, we take different paths and we may hit bumps, But the main thing is We as Tribe Wardle will not stop or give up, There is a bigger plan to life which we do not know what will happen but we do invite you to stay with us and keep reading our blog as we go through this journey called Life.

Off topic posts

I am going to be creating a side blog to document my progress (m writing here)  through my diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis. This blog will continue, but the side blog will be at ms journey
My hope is this will help other people in a similar situation and those close to them, giving hope and what I now hope will be a positive outcome to what started as a very scary and negative time.
Coming soon will be the story of my journey so far from obliviously symptom free (as far as I can tell) through diagnosis to where I am today, waiting to start disease modifying treatment in 2 weeks.
Ms is a disease with a very bad reputation, but bear in mind you only hear the extreme cases, people who have it deal with it and get on with life you will probably never hear about and will never know they have ms. Please follow and read this blog to get another viewpoint.

2nd Of December Drunken Cranberry Sauce!

So if like me you can't live with out condiments at every meal here is your turkey/chicken/cheese perfect add on!

Drunken Cranberry Sauce

Cranberries (as many as you like) 

Sugar  (enough to cover cranberries more can be added later)

Generous Gulg of Port (more can be added when tasting)

All ingredients into a pan and simmer down until all cranberries pop and sugar dissolves and port thickens ... 

put a dollop on a plate to taste and add more port/sugar to taste...

put into sterilised jars...

Day 1 of Advent Makes, Beetroot & Red Onion Chutney

Every year i make a different Chutney but the basics are the same... veg/fruit, vinegar & sugar...

This is this years recipe, which is my favourite by far.

Beetroot & Red Onion Chutney

5 Beetroots.

7 Red Onions.

300g Balsamic Vinegar.

100g Red Wine Vineger.

100g Apple Cider Vinegar.

Teaspoon of Mixed Spice.

Teaspoon of Fennel Seeds.

Mixture of Dark Brown Sugar, Granulated Sugar until mixture tastes neither sweet or vinegary.

Cook, Peel and Grate Beetroot.

Peel, Cut in Half and Slice Onions.

Put All Ingredients into a Pan and Simmer.

It will all melt down into the most amazing Colour and Thicken this is when you know it is done.

Put into Sterilized Jars and it should keep a few months.

Enjoy with Cheese and Meats.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas....

So every last Friday in November our family Tradition is to get a take away and pig out, whilst watching Polar express.
This year we had a bit more fun by making some train tickets, Golden stay up late tickets, for the boys to have a later night and to have a family night.

This all leads up to the excitement of our elf arriving leaving us tickets for the North pole express.
So Saturday morning we got up early and went up to the Tanfield Railway, which is the world's oldest railway.
We arrived early, the first ones there, and were shown into a wooden waiting area where there was a small number of stalls selling christmas craft goods, and a refreshments stall, with tables and chairs with colouring materials for the kids. Soon the place filled with many families with excited children, many in dressing gowns as if awoken by a train late on Christmas eve.  After a short while people started to move outside, we joined and were met by a steam training waiting just beyond the end of the platform.  As the platform filled the train slowly pulled into the station and the many helpers at the railway opened the doors on the coaches.

 

We were lucky enough to get a private compartment to ourselves.  We were then taken on a journey of about 15 minutes through the County Durham woods to another station where we left the train.  half of the passengers were led away one way, while we went the other and into the old stone station waiting room to be given tea and coffee, mince pies and a cheeky thimble of sherry, the kids had juice and crisps.  Soon the other  group started to arrive and we went to the other end of the platform where Santa grotto awaited.  The children met Santa and were given some good gifts.  After everyone had seen Santa, we were taken back on the steam train to the starting point with some chocolates to help the journey fly.

All in all it was a brilliant way to start the weekend and start advent.  The excitement of Christmas really has begun and the kids loved every minute (although B did want the train to go through a tunnel, and low top tunnel is not on the Tanfield railway).