Fundraising event for Alzheimers Society

Every year on my facebook page I look to organise a big charity event to raise money for a charity that has struck a cord with me.  This year I decided that it was about time I organised some fundraising for the Alzheimers Society.

This is the lovely man who inspired me to do this charity auction.  Raymond was my hubbie's Grandad, such a lovely chap who was so gentle in nature and just look at those cool sideburns, everyone loved him to bits.

On the run up to our wedding we noticed he wasn't well. He went for a suit fitting and when he went to get changed back into his normal clothes he couldn't find his trousers anywhere ....... everyone finally realised he had put his suit trousers over his normal trousers  It seemed funny at the time but we didn't realise that it was a sign that he had the very early stages of Alzheimers.  He was ill for 12+ years, he went from being this gorgeous chap that we all knew and loved to a shell of his former self. Hubby's Nan looked after him at home until the day he left us.

With grandad in mind I set about arranging a fundraising auction and asking if anyone wanted to join the fun. This is always the nerve racking part of arranging something like this ...... will people feel as passionate as I do about this charity, will people have the time, money, inclination to take part or will I have to just go it alone and hope for the best??? 

So the dates were set and as time went by lots of gorgeous, wonderful hearted artists contacted me wanting to help me with this mission.

A few weeks on and roughly 40 artists came forward, full of enthusiasm and love for the event.  Honestly it made my heart skip a beat knowing that there was such support for the event and so many lovely people out there.

Of course I had to create something special for the event too so 'Hope' the tea-party loving bunny was created complete with a lace trim dress, wool scarf and bag.  She now has a carrot to take with her on her journey too and possibly will have her own tea cup and saucer if I can find some to send with her.

Please do pop along and say hello, even if you can't buy anything sharing the event will help us raise lots of money for the fab cause.

Click this link to see everything in the auction and all the info:  Art From the Heart Auction

I want to say thanks to all those fab artists joining in with the event and also to everyone sharing the event on their pages, twitter or via their blogs.  Thanks from the bottom of my heart - you are all fantastic! xxx

Why did no one warn me Motherhood was so painful ?????

When you are about to have a baby you hear all the horror stories of birth, sleepless nights, colic etc etc ....... your little bundle of joy arrives and you wish for them to work out feeding, you wish for them to sleep through, you wish for them to take their first steps.

Fast forward to child number 3 and I found myself wishing she wouldn't stop feeding from me, wishing I could see her at 2am in the morning, wishing she would stay by my side for eternity and not walk away.  Time seems to be slipping away .......

Last September seemed to take my feelings to a higher level.  My little one was just finding her feet in Primary School, my eldest was already at Secondary School and my gorgeous middle child was taking the big step into the Secondary School system.  She was nervous, upset and angy that I was making her go there.  She doesn't want to grow up, and to be honest I don't want her to either.

I filled our Summer with visits to lovely outside spaces to try and calm her.

Many happy hours spent in National Trust gardens and local forests.

Exploring, learning, enjoying the calming nature of these large open spaces.

We tried to teach my little one to cycle without stabilisers ... another stepping stone in growing up.   Eldest Sweetpea who is growing up far too quickly for my liking took over with his DIY skills taking the stabiliser wheels off.

Middle Sweetpea supported her little Sister to try this new challenge.

She wasn't successful this time but her time will come, is it wrong that I was secretly pleased ??? Another step held back, just for a little while.

Little Sweetpea lost two of her front teeth, one came out with the help of her older Brother (his diy skills again !) when he accidently knocked an already wobbly tooth out.  The toothfairy made it all seem better with the delivery of some special fairy dust to help ease the shock.  Another step in growing up had been taken.

We went on family outings in Katie Camper ....... adored by all, even with her backfiring ways, she certainly takes our mind off how fast time running is away.

And then the day came, the scary first day at big big big School ........ I held her hand tightly on the walk to school, she was nervous, scared, sad.  The bus arrived and I watched as the clock hands slowly slowly moved round towards home time.  Her first time on a big bus on her own without me, he first time facing a school she had never been to without me by her side.    Little Sweetpea and I rushed to the bus stop to collect her and were so happy to see her smiling face when she came off the bus.  She had done it, all on her own, without her family by her side.  

Another step towards her growing up ............ I am not sure I like it :-(  I must confess to finding the pain of them growing up hard to deal with sometimes , can someone please help me halt time?

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