July Newsletter & Free Desktop Calendar

Today is the first day of July. July, can you believe it? The month of June went by in a kind of intense haze for Robert the Husband and I. Our babies are three weeks old today and are sleeping by me as I write this. Today marks Robert’s first day back at work since they were born. Somewhere deep down I have been dreading this day since BEFORE I gave birth. I knew it had to come and had a feeling it would be a little tough. Of course we’ve been living in a bubble since the twins arrived and normal life simply has to resume, I know that. But there have been tears today as I get to grips with missing him being around and begin to focus on the fact that he had a wonderful three weeks off with the babies and that he’ll be home this evening.

While writing this newsletter I realised that June was a month of ‘firsts’. I became a Mother for the first time in June.

We harvested the first of the Sweet Williams in June.

Robert and I took the twins on their first trip to Brighton.

And my Dad began work on our first twelve seater table.

A few days later Cathy and I sorted the fabric for the first tablecloth to cover the first twelve seater table. I snuck out in to the garden to do this as the babies and Robert slept in front of the television whilst watching Wimbledon. The sound of a tennis ball being hit back and forth across a net is the most relaxing sound I have ever heard and I have slept in front of many a match this year myself.

I had my nose sucked by Ned for the first time in June…..

…and spotted the first ripened Blueberries I have ever grown by myself.

We also harvested the first of our Courgettes.

A month of firsts. Some HUGE and life changing some simple and life affirming. But as my Word of the Year – 2010 is the word ‘Life’ this all makes sense.

Since our home became home to two babies on the tenth of June I have noticed a seismic change in my thinking. Due to very little going to plan (babies occasionally have plans of their own, the cheek of it!!!) and my daily workload increasing by about a million I have discovered that the only way to get ANYTHING done is to do one thing at a time and not to think too far in to the future.

I have to admit that I’m quite enjoying this new way of going about my day. I notice things I would normally be in too much of a rush to see and at this time I can’t afford to miss a thing. What I mean by this is that my daughter Anaïs has already grown out of her newborn baby-grows and vests and she’ll never again be in them.

That can’t be missed.

It’s with that thought that I chose a basket of Cherries for this month’s desktop calendar download. Cherries are in season right now and this July we’ve got some of the best recipes featuring Cherries that I know of. It’s also to remind me personally that if I stop to look around me often enough life may not be a bowl of Cherries the whole time but there is ALWAYS something to be eternally grateful for. So although I miss my husband today I know that he will be back this evening to be the best father in the world to these babies. And THAT is my focus.