We are still here

This was taken today.

As i watched Anouk today on an adventure playground I was reflecting on the fact that one year ago today, we were sitting in St Georges hospital digesting the news about her diagnosis and waiting for her surgery. Today the girls and i (me running behind Anouk on her trike and Neave cycling her bike) travelled for about a mile and then had a great day at a nearby field centre, making dens, and catching up with the cousins who last year lived near St Georges and partly due to Anouk now live up the road in Ewhurst.

What an amazing, awful but also life affirming and life changing year we have had. We feel so lucky to have Anouk and to be able to enjoy normal life together as a family.

One of the big things i have learned is how amazing people are when the chips are down, we have got to know friends and people who a year ago we hardly knew on a completely new level.

People ask how we have got through this year - I want to know how others have got through this year with us, we didn't have a choice but others did and chose to hang around and support us in so many ways - thank you.

We have had a very special summer, enjoying our new house in its fantastic location, chilling our together and reconnecting with Neave after what for her has been a very topsy turvy and stressful year. We had two lovely weeks in France with the family. Now Neave is back at school and this week Anouk goes back to nursery, i have gone back to work and slowly life is returning to normal - it is great.

The girls on Neave's first day back at school - she is now in year 2 in the top class in school.

Anouk occasionally likes to ride her bike without anyone at the helm - this is what tends to happen
There was a bit of this on holiday
but more of this
and lots of dressing up
playing with cousins
and then there was this, our campsite with rather a nice beach attached!

We are doing very well with our fundraising for children's brain tumour research at the Marsden. The village carnival donated £1700, we raised £300 in shaker tins and we have just tipped over £2000 on our just giving site for the Great South Run (10 miles) which i am doing with Julia, Jo Moore, Calie Pitts-Ticker and Sakia Hopson on 24th October. Training is going pretty well, i have been surprised to find that i actually enjoy running what seemed preposterously long distances before i started training. Thank you so much so your donations, we are very grateful.

The link for the just giving site is http://www.justgiving.com/catherinevantriet