All I Want for Christmas is.....

This is a picture of my favourite spot in my house - it's my chillout spot and I love relaxing here by reading books or listening to music.  However, recently this spot has been used primarily for daydreaming about Christmas.

For some reason, I am really excited about Christmas this year!  Perhaps, it's the arrival of Babygirl or it may be the fact that she celebrates her birthday over the Christmas season.  Whatever the reason, my thoughts are filled with Christmas shopping, decorating the house and what to cook!

As I browse the shops, I feel so excited when I see all the Christmas stuff on the shelf and I am constantly changing my mind about what to buy as gifts.  However, one thing has not changed and that's what I want to receive this Christmas.

On a purely superficial level, I want lots of vouchers and gift cards this Christmas.  This year I have rediscovered my love for shopping and receiving vouchers means that I get the joy of shopping without distressing my purse!  I have noticed that I spend my gift vouchers sooo carefully, and really enjoy the experience.  This year, I spent some vouchers I have carried around with me for over 5 years!  I was just waiting for the right thing to buy!  (Sad I know!!)

On a deeper level, my wishes this Christmas are:

• to watch Babygirl enjoy her first Christmas with us
• to establish some family traditions for our new family - like decorating the tree together whilst listening to corny Christmas songs
• to spend quality time with my loved ones
• to take time to pause and celebrate that Christ came to Earth to save us

So there's my list - what do you want for Christmas?  What are you looking forward to most over the Christmas season?

Don't forget to enter my blog anniversary giveaway!

See you next time,
Cece
xx

Happy Blog Anniversary (and a little giveaway!!!)

 

Wow!  Three years ago, today, I sat down and wrote my first blog post. I didn't fully know what I was doing but I just needed to write something!  I think it's probably my shortest post to date!

I have been blown away by the response and support I have received as a result of this blog, and I can't help but get a lovely warm feeling inside when I hear that what I have written here has helped someone!

I am so honoured to know that there are people out there who take the time to read my blog!

In preparation to write this post, I took some time to go back and read some of my earlier posts.  It was quite a rollercoaster ride!  As I read each post, I could remember exactly how I felt at that time and re-experienced many of the emotions.

However, there were two posts that REALLY got me!

"Pain with a purpose" was the first time I let it all hang out!  I just wrote exactly how I felt that day.  I wanted people to really get what infertility is about and I remember wishing I could just scream at the computer and transfer all that frustration into the post!

A month later, I wrote "The Blessings of Infertility?!".  It was like a light bulb had suddenly switched on and I realised that this journey was less about having a child and more about my relationship with God.  It was a beautiful moment and I did shed a few tears as I read it the other day!

So to celebrate three years of me pouring out my soul to you, I wanted to do a little giveaway to say thank you for being a reader and for your support.

In preparation for the festive season ahead, I am giving away a set of Yankee Candle Votive Samples.

Yankee Candles are fantastic scented candles which I love and the pack I've chosen has six festive scents for the upcoming Christmas season.

SO HOW DO I TAKE PART?

SUBSCRIBE!
You will need to be a subscriber to my blog to take part in this giveaway.  This means that you have either followed by email by completing the form at the top of the right column on my blog, or you are using Bloglovin' to follow my blog (see the tab at the top of the left column).

WRITE A COMMENT!
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below letting me know what you've enjoyed most about my blog so far!

This giveaway is open internationally (not just the UK) and will close on Friday 29 November 2013.  The prize draw will take place on Saturday 30 November at the Sanctuary Brunch I'll be hosting that day!

So subscribe and leave a comment!

Until next time,
Cece xxx

Follow My Blog on Bloglovin'

Just wanted to drop by to let you know that you can follow my post via Bloglovin'.

Bloglovin' is a website where you keep manage all of the blogs you follow.   It is fantastic!  I use it daily - you can bring all the blogs you follow in one place and they even send out a daily email with the new posts for the day!

I have a Bloglovin' button at the top of the left column that you click to follow this blog.

It's my favourite way to follow blogs!  Join me!

Cece
xx

A little thought provoking video for you!

This week is National Adoption Week in the UK.

Just wanted to pop up a quick post to encourage those of you who have been thinking about adopting a child to use the activities this week to learn more about adoption and how to get involved.  You can find out more about what's going on this week at http://nationaladoptionweek.org.uk/.

I am so grateful to God that He has allowed me to be part of what I have grown to understand as the "ministry" of adoption!

Thought I'd leave you with a little video to make you think!

Have a blessed week and see you on Friday to celebrate my blog anniversary!  Woo hoo!

Until next time,
Cece x