New jobs, new house, new play group, new child minder, new life! Oh and it's scan week.

Last time I blogged I was telling you a bit about our training for our first kilt walk and our impending house move.  A few days after the last blog I started a new job in a different school.  I did hit the ground running the first week, and it's hard to believe I've been there 5 weeks now.  Isla had started her new playgroup the same day and new child minder that week, so we had a lot of running around the countryside for the first two weeks until our house move, and change to adapt to.  Six days after starting my new job I took part in 2013's first kilt walk from Hampden to Loch Lomond.

I'm going to do a separate blog on the Hampden kilt walk when I get the chance.  Ross and I completed the 26 miles (28!!) for Logan's Fund along with my Dad, Brother and 3 of his friends and Cameron Mackintosh from Logan's Fund.  I know there were others walking for Logan's Fund that day, so it was a great effort by all.  Three days after the kilt walk and we received the keys to our new house.  Unfortunately the house wasn't clean enough to move into, with carpets needing shampooed and other jobs, so we spent the next few evenings after work cleaning the new house and moving some boxes.  On the Saturday, Ross and two of his friends moved all the furniture and large items in a hire van while I ran the car (in engine safety mode) back and forth across the countryside once more with boxes.  We did achieve a lot that weekend moving enough to live in the house, but it was tiring (not having recovered from our walk!).  Luckily I was allowed a day off work for a house move, so was able to finish emptying and cleaning the military quarter we were in, in time for the official 'march out'.

Then it was officially Ross' last day in the RAF, and then job applications, interviews and college deadlines for him.  Luckily, I wasn't travelling too far for child minding or work.  My eldest started her study leave after the May Day bank holiday.  Weekends have consisted of sorting things out in the house and car.  Unfortunately the cooker doesn't work in the house, nor does one of the showers, so everyone in the household has to use our en suite just now, while we have to shop for new items etc in any spare time.  

The internet and phone was supposed to be turned on a few days after we moved in, but the order was cancelled (something to do with previous owners not having notified of house move when I had), nobody had told me, so the order was not actioned again until I phoned to enquire why we weren't online!  I did manage to get online with mobile internet, but it wasn't great, and not good enough for those people studying.  One time I did manage to get online, I read of the very sad news that another local cancer warrior who was in hospital at the same time as Isla, gained her angel wings. She was a special girl, who had endured so much, I know she leaves a big hole.

The new job has been busy with me in various roles, and sorting/gutting out rooms, helping with exam arrangements and researching new courses to offer pupils for the new curriculum.  I have achieved a lot in a short space of time.  Isla, thankfully has settled into her play group and child minder, like she has always been there, which is a blessing.  I did manage to squeeze in my blood donation the other week with just enough haemoglobin.  

Ross received a job offer, and started work last Monday, so he is currently away from home Monday to Friday on a ten week training course and plans to come home at weekends.  While the timing has not been ideal, it's great that Ross has not been out of work long and his new job sounds really interesting.  Having my other half away from home has been a little stressful, dealing with everything and keeping everyone organised, but it will be worth it.  Isla was upset during the week, missing her Daddy, as he has been her main carer since September while I have worked full time.  However, I think she'll adapt, she gets to speak to him every night on the phone, and clings to him when he does get home.

So, just yesterday, it was our second kilt walk of 2013, four weeks after Hampden (again, will do a separate post).  Originally we had planned on doing the full walk again of 26 miles.  During the Hampden kilt walk, Ross was really struggling with pain in his knee for the last few miles.  Ross had been involved in a few accidents in his time, and has had lots of broken bones, and as a result suffers from aches in some joints.  Ross felt at the time, that he just wouldn't be able to do the full walk at Edinburgh.  While I had struggled at Hampden, I still wanted to complete the full walk at Edinburgh.  But, after a lot of consideration, and a lecture from my mother, I decided I would stick with Ross to do the half walk.  After a very busy month, the last thing we wanted was to exhaust ourselves completely in time for this week.  While I have felt guilt at just doing the half, I know I've had to keep some of 'me' in reserve.

This week, Isla returns to hospital for her routine scans.  I have managed to get a couple of days off work, with Granny stepping in on Wednesday (Maths exam day at school).  Unfortunately, Ross has a busy week at work, with apparently, the most intense week, and lots of assessments.  He has managed to get Friday off work, in order to sit his final exams at college.  I know he's going to be a complete 'stress head' this week, with lots of studying and wondering how his little girl is getting on, and stressing over the fact that he's not with her for the first time.

You could say I'm a little tired with all that's happened in the last 5 weeks, and I am a little stressed with the change and impending scans, as I know Thursday will be a difficult day with sedation and her MIBG scan.  

I have settled into a new job, watched Isla settle into her new playgroup and childcare, settled into our new home, completed 2 kilt walks, thought about how another beautiful soul who has left the earth, coped with the changes to hubby's work life, so let the 'scanxiety' begin!

Kilt Walk Training

As usual it's a long time between posts.  Our training has been sporadic lately due to the stress of buying a house!  We should have been getting keys to a house on the 29th of March, then the date was changed to the 12th April (tomorrow), now the date has changed again to the 24th of April.  I had visions in my head of getting the house move done during the school holidays, but this hasn't happened.  Instead just some packing and cleaning.  After stressing about it, I've just given in to it, it's out of our control and we'll get it eventually.  It would have been ideal to move in the holidays, as I'm starting a new job near the house and Isla is due to start her new pre-school.  It just means extra travelling for 2 weeks.  Life has dealt us worse blows.

Back to training.  One recent walk that we did was the 16 miles from Fochabers to Aberlour, just like one of the walks for the Speyside Kiltwalk and the one that we did last year (see earlier post).  It is definitley not an easy walk, there's not much flat, either up or down hill with some corkers of hills at Cafally, Boat O' Brig and Ben Aigen.  My Dad who has just turned 70 joined us, and it's fair to say he's much fitter than us (still working as a Builder's Labourer makes sure of it).  My Dad is joining 'Logan's Tartan Army' for the Hampden Kiltwalk and possibly the Speyside one too.

One thing that has NOT been enjoyable on every single one of our walks has been the weather.  It's always cold, sometimes wet, sometimes windy and sometimes snowy.  I'm just thinking that we're definitely due the sun on our actual  Kilt Walk's.  If not, we're used to walking in bad weather is still nothing compared to what sick kids have to put up with.

The walk out of Fochabers up to Ordiquish

 Snowing up the hill.

 My view most of the walk.

 Spring Lambs

 Ahead for once after Boat O'Brig

 The difficult part

 The magnificent view

Dad happy, we've done the climb.

 Criagellachie - the home stretch

Nearing the end!

The Speyside Way is not an easy walk, and we'll try to get plenty training done throughout the summer before the Speyside Kilt Walk so that it's not so difficult, although during the summer there is planned work at Ben Aigen so a diversion will be in place.

When we walk we use an app on our phones to track distance, speed etc.  We've discovered that although we have identical apps, Ross phone is more accurate, mine must pick up my GPS less, and ends up cutting a couple of miles off my walk as a result.  We have one more large training walk to do before our first Kilt Walk on the 21st of April.  The weather has been forecast to be nicer, I'm hoping that will improve our speed.  It's only 10 sleeps until our Hampden to Loch Lomond Kilt Walk, and 4 weeks after that we tackle the Edinburgh Kilt Walk.  We have a good gap before the Speyside one in September and lots of opportunities to tackle the Speyside Way, and hopefully no more snow on the route!

I will try to blog again before our first Kilt Walk.  If not, this is what my 70 year old Dad will look like at Hampden stadium doing the Slosh!

Oh, I almost forgot, we're still looking for donations.  You can do so here!

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=simpsons4logan

Endomondo Walking Workout

Endomondo Walking Workout: was out walking 12.77 miles in 3h:51m:46s using Endomondo.

February

Thought it was time for an update.  Despite numerous 'bugs' attacking the health of our household this month, Hubby and I are managing to get out for training regularly, missing one weekend.  I have come to an agreement with Cerys, one of my older daughters to babysit for a fee, so far this is working well!

The weather when we're off out has never been great.  Wind, cold, sleet, rain etc.  I guess we've lived in Scotland long enough to be used to this, and on the days of the Kiltwalk's the weather could be terrible and it still wouldn't stop us.

When out walking we've been using the 'Endomondo' tracker on our phones so that we can track our distance, speed and time allowing us to increase the amount we walk each time.  I've shared our last walk on the previous post, although the distance is not accurate as it couldn't pick up the GPS for the first while, hubby's endomondo tracker had a difference of 1.5 miles for the exact same walk.

Our walk on Sunday took us on the Speyside Way from Fochabers to Spey Bay and back again.  A lovely walk, that's almost completely flat, and a different terrain from our previous training walks which have been from Elgin to Lossiemouth on the cycle path and pavements.  There were a few rain showers on Sunday, but it didn't feel too cold walking, I think I'd put too many layers on!  Walking the Speyside Way helps us to familiarise ourselves with the route we'll be walking in September for the Speyside Kiltwalk.

 My Walking Companion

 The Dolphin Centre at Spey Bay - Pit Stop

 Wearing my t-shirt, and keeping warm!

 The view of the Spey mouth at Tugnet

 The mosaic at Spey Bay that we helped to make while in 2nd year at school.

Near the end of our walk.

I've managed to avoid blisters on my feet.  The combination of good walking boots and thousand mile socks are working.  Next time, I'll also be putting moleskin/podiatry felt on my feet as this helped me avoid blisters on last years Kiltwalk.

Hubby also had Isla at her oncology clinic this week.  This was the first time I wasn't at her check-up, but with me working full-time, having had a sick day the previous week and Ross at college part-time it made sense for just Daddy to take her.  It didn't stop me thinking about her all day, even when Ross had texted to say that everything continues to be well, with no signs of disease.  Isla has a regular abdominal ultrasound every three months, and gives a urine sample to be tested for signs of Neuroblastoma.  Isla enjoys her visits to hospital as long as there's no jabby things, and luckily for her they didn't want blood's this time.  

Endomondo Walking Workout

Endomondo Walking Workout: was out walking 9.89 miles in 3h:05m:01s using Endomondo.

Logan's Tartan Army Kiltwalk's

Like the last post, it's been a while.  I last blogged in September after I'd finished my course.  I found out in December I passed so that was a great relief, and makes it worthwhile to have kept on when at times I wanted to give up.  I have been busy working Monday to Friday since then.  A return to full-time work since I went on maternity leave with Isla in August 2008.  I have worked a few days each month since January 2011 when Isla finished treatment, but my focus was Isla, and I enjoyed spending my days with her, selfishly.  Financially, it was extremely tough, but worth it.  Ross is now on terminal leave from the RAF, and is a part-time student, so it's a role reversal in our house at the moment with him at home most days.  I am absolutely loving the work I'm doing at the minute, and I can see my attitude has changed due to what we've been through.

We're at an 'interesting' point in our lives where Ross will soon be looking for a new job, and we'll be looking for a new house.  I don't know where we'll end up, but I do enjoy living where we are just now, whatever will be, will be!

When I last blogged, there was a number of fundraising events going on for Isla's appeal.  These are all now finished.  We're leaving Isla's online donation page open, incase we need to start fundraising again, but not encouraging anymore fundraising for her at this present time.  Isla remains very well, infact better than we had been led to believe all last year.  Just over a year ago, we were told that they weren't happy with the state of Isla's liver, and if there was no improvement in a year, they would order more tests to assess her.  During the scans throughout the year, when I'd asked how her liver was I was always told 'stable' or the same.  When Isla had her liver review in December we were told that Isla's liver was healing nicely and that she had been left with scarring but that her liver was working normally around the scarring.  While we were delighted with the news, I was also upset that we'd been led to believe all year that her liver was not repairing!  Never mind, it's good news.  Isla has now been off treatment two years, and doing amazingly well.  There's not a day goes by where I don't count my blessings at how lucky we are to still have her with us.  Last week, we registered her for the local primary school, that is going to be an emotional day in August!

So, with fundraising for Isla now on the backburner, we decided we needed to focus on something else.  We knew we wanted to do the Kiltwalk again this year, it was such a well organised and supported event last year, and so accessible being on our doorstep, we planned to do it again this year.  When the events for this year were announced in the Sunday Post last year, Ross daftly suggested that he'd like to do three of them, and being as daft as him, I thought 'why the heck not?!'  When we decided to do the Kiltwalk last year, it was all a bit last minute, and we liked the idea of organising a team to support a charity, but knew we didn't have time to organise that.  So this year, we knew which charity we wanted to do it for.  My brother also mentioned that he wanted to do the Hampden one, so when I asked if he was willing to do it for the charity we chose, he was happy to do that too.

The Kiltwalk is all about raising money for Scotland's children, with the partner charities focussing on such.  We both decided that we wanted to support Logan's Fund, a charity close to our hearts that we will always support.  Logan's Fund was set up during 2009 to raise money to take Logan Main abroad for treatment for Neuroblastoma.  Sadly Logan lost his battle in June 2009.  With the remaining fund, his brave parents Chris and Angela decided to keep going with Logan's fund in support of Neuroblastoma and other childhood cancer's in Scotland.  When we decided to fundraise to take Isla to Disneyland Paris at the end of her hospital treatment in July 2010, Logan's Fund came forward to offer us £3000 towards the cost, for this we will always be grateful.  It is not only for supporting Isla that we will be grateful, it is for having the courage to keep fundraising in Logan's name and supporting other families in similar positions, in particular Olivia's family, it must be incredibly difficult to do.  www.logansfund.org 

In honour of Logan, his family and all those families who have been through childhood cancer, we are undertaking three Kiltwalks for Logan's Fund, with 50% of our fundraising benefiting this charity.  The remaining 50% is split between the Kiltwalk's partner charities.  We are inviting people to come and join our team for each one, so far we have 7 people for the Hampden Kiltwalk, 4 for Edinburgh and lots of interest for Speyside.

I have thought often about changing the name of this blog, as the 'slim' part never seems to be happening, but it is a goal that I hope to achieve at some point, so I will leave it as it is.  I had given up on the gym during last summer when I was trying to get on with my coursework, but I'm back at it.  Training in the gym is where I'll stay until the weather warms up a bit, I really can't stand the cold when exercising!  With training underway I'll leave the blog at that just now, and if you're feeling generous, this is where you can donate
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/simpsons4logan

It's been a while!

It has been a while.  I really ought to change the name of this blog too, as the diet never seems to be happening.  I'm back to the same weight I was a year ago with the hope of starting a diet imminently.

What all to tell you since I last blogged? The summer I needed some time to relax, unwind, enjoy my family before getting into study.  My eldest went off on scout jamboree, while the rest of the family enjoyed a holiday to Tenerife. We stayed in Golf del Sur in Tenerife, which was peaceful and just what was needed.  The weather was brilliant and Isla enjoyed the pool everyday.  Focusing on family has been a way to get through stuff and allow me to relax a little and prepare me before I locked myself away in my bedroom to complete my last assignment for my Open University course.

My last assignment was completed last weekend, and I feel an immense sense of relief to have completed the course.  I was so tempted to quit about half way through, just because focus on study was sometimes difficult, but having got to half way and having paid for the course I was determined to finish and hopefully pass.  I don't find out if I've passed until December, a long wait!    I'm sure going through a difficult time affects the brain's ability to focus and produce academic assignments, as it doesn't come as easy as it once would have.  I have found this year difficult, watching my support network of oncology parents going through hell losing their children.  Study has given me a distraction.  I was a little tempted to continue studying wiht another course, but I know it would just be too much, so giving myself time off from that kind of study this year, and I will complete my masters at some point.

Holiday and study have not been ideal for watching the diet or exercise, but hopefully I'll get back into it.  I'm really looking forward to getting back to the gym, I really enjoyed it.  Exercise was a great way to shut off the world and just get rid of stress.  I'm definitely feeling the weight back on my hips and daren't try on the jeans I was wearing before summer.  I want to be fitter and leaner for next years Speyside Kiltwalk so I can do the whole thing.

Over the summer, we came to the decision to stop fundraising for Isla's appeal.  We wanted a safety net incase Isla relapsed to give us options for treatment that might not be available to us in the UK.  It was not an easy decision setting up the appeal, and it has been emotionally difficult to fundraise aswell.  One thing we did want to fundraise for, was for research into Neuroblastoma, and we certainly hope that Isla gets the 'All Clear' in the future, and that is what the money in Isla's appeal will go to.  Recently, we've had a lot of support from others offering to do events for Isla, and we're so grateful.  Co-operative at Pansport Elgin has a charity bucket, a local woman who has set up 3 online auctions for Isla, and a friend organised a pamper evening in a local hall.  The ladies from Spey Bay golf club organised an open greensome, Fabulous hairdressing from Lossiemouth is having it's second fun day on 15th September and as I type my cousin Gareth and girlfriend Debbie are cycling from Lands End to John O Groats.  Please do visit their blog http://dnglejog.blogspot.co.uk/  it's a great read, even just to note the food they're eating!  We're feeling a little overwhelmed at the support, and so grateful that others are thinking of us.  But after this year, we want to concentrate on fundraising for others.  When (if) Isla gets the all clear, then we may do one last event to raise money for research.  Please sponsor Gareth and Debbie here - https://www.charitiestrust.org/members_data/event/1000_miles_10_days_one_bike_one_charity_lejog_4_f_a_n_/index.html

The next challenge for us probably will be next years Speyside Kiltwalk, we've decided to also raise money for Logan's Fund through doing this.  Team's of 6 or more can nominate a local charity that half the money they raise will be donated to.  Logan's Fund is very close to our hearts.  They gifted Isla money to go on holiday just as her hospital treatment finished, and we had such a magical time.  Logan's parents lost their firstborn to Neuroblastoma in the summer of 2009, not long after Isla was diagnosed, and continue to fundraise in his name to support local children and Neuroblastoma charities.  By helping Logan's Fund, we want to help pay back for the support we've received and to help others.