Eyes down for a full house

Last Saturday the boys were guests of a friend of ours at the pantomime in Greenwich. They saw Mother Goose and it seems that they enjoyed themselves. Jonathan and I stayed here and caught up on some cuddles :-)

In the evening Roarke and I were very pleased to be able to join 140 other guests at the M66 Christmas Ball in Chislehurst. It was nice to have the chance to see friends from church in such a relaxed social setting, and great to have a chance to dress up! Sadly, I have some way to go before I've lost enough weight to get back into my glad rags from the height of our World Team Herbalife days, but I did at least manage to wear the shoes and accessories!

Roarke has lost a lot of weight, enough that people are really noticing so I need to catch up fast!

On Sunday our church is hosting a carol service in Orpington and all this week Roarke has been putting leaflets out. I'm hoping we have a lovely turn out. So if you are around Orpington and free at 6pm on Sunday 13th, please come along to Perry Hall School and join us.

Roarke and I finally managed to get out and door a very small amount of Christmas shopping. We always focus on the meaning and message of Christmas rather than the commercial side but this year we will be aided by it not being possible with budgets to do anything else.

Instead, we are making the most of family and friends, and sharing. As part of this we've got four Christmas social events coming up. Tomorrow William and Jonathan have a few friends over during the day, and I'm putting on party food for them. On Saturday we are having over some families - I think if everyone comes there will be just short of 40 adults and children. Then next weekend we are having an evening do for those people we know who can come without children, or who are single etc. Then the following week Josh and Samuel are having a small party for some of their teenage friends.

We would like to have done more as we actually for once seem to have more people to invite than we can accomodate, which is a nice feeling! Or rather, nice to know so many people we want to socialise with, but not nice to not be able to host them all.

These parties are a joint family present from ourselves to ourselves (and our friends!) but it has meant scouring my recipe books and digging for ideas on budget-style canape/buffet catering! I'm not sure I'm going to be able to pull it off, especially as three out of the four events include catering for gluten free guests, but I'm going to go down fighting at least!

Today I finished icing a gluten free Christmas cake, and made and iced a gluten free clementine cake. I also made some fairy cakes. Tomorrow I will be making gluten free sausage rolls, mince pies, star biscuits, savoury straws, and sausage balls along with the other gluten food. I think I may need to get up early... oh and chocolate gluten free pizza, inspired by my friends at Limoncello.

If it works, you'll get the recipes!

Other than baking and cleaning, this week I did get the chance finally to get back to another ladies event at BCC, and I was able to join them for a relaxing morning on Wednesday. We were looking at the verse(s) that have sustained us during 2009 and looking ahead to what God has in store for us in 2010.

As well as the party tomorrow, Josh and Samuel are out bowling with the 11+ home ed young people in Orpington, and then off to the Baseline Christmas party in the evening. All in all a VERY busy day! Roarke was at a training day all day today and didn't get in till late only to go straight out again for rehearsals for the carol service, so I've done all the cleaning and cooking on my own today. At least he is around tomorrow, and then Saturday!

Mind you, having said that, he might be out delivering Christmas hampers for Hope Foundation, so maybe I won't have his help!