"What's my excuse?"

Heres an inspiration from what just occured for a friend in order for her to travel to join me for my big 50th...I asked her to write her story.....When I heard this from her, my reaction was "What's my excuse?" (I'm a single financially secure girl) You see Janelle married a widower in 1993 and took on 3 young children, one with a disability, and has three more children with him, is now a powerful independant mother to the youngest three still at home, whilst living with Government assistance.

See www.vitalpeace.co.nz and read on.....

"You now know my total love for travelling and for having things happen easily and smoothly, without a fuss - especially when it comes to travel, adventure, celebrating, hanging out with inspiring people etc. Have wanted to come down to your birthday for a month or so now since I first heard about it but not attached to whether that occured really. I did not feel urgent about it. It was a kind of "what will be will be" type feeling. Have looked a couple of times lately on internet trying to get the very cheap seats that have been on offer. Was quite aggravating, annoying and time-wasting experience with no result.

Had that gorgeous day with you the other day and when you asked whether I was coming to your birthday, again I was really in a state of "I don't know, and time will tell." Got up this morning, cleared my email box and had an email from House of travel. Immediately went to it, noticed I could get a fare for 49 bucks one way (Auckland - Christchuch). Then came the decision whether to take my young ones with me or not or whether to try and get them looked after up here for 3 nights in 3 different places. A bit of a pain generally to do that (plus a hint of mother's guilt) but I was equally wanting to enjoy some time on my own in Christchurch.

Something in me just said YES, push the confirm booking button NOW. Did that and decided the circumstances would pan out well and easily. Within 10 mins the following had happened: I had booked for 4 of us - totally less than $400 return , rang my mother to invite her to come up to meet us in Christchurch so she could get together with me and her grandkids.

She said "Crazy, Janelle, I was coming up that weekend. Yep that's easy to come up a day or so earlier and I will look after the kids the day you want to go to Gayel's all day party celebration." Immediately rang my sister who lives in ChCh who just happened to be able and willing to accomodate all of us plus she had already asked for the Friday off work - so she is going to hang out with the kids that day as well plus give me her car to use for the day!!! (as I needed to get from Rangiora to Sumner somehow!)

She was going to have her little daughter's birthday party on the Saturday which has been postponed to the following weekend, so we are having a joint birthday party for my 3 young ones on that day instead who are having birthdays within the next 2 months and have seldom (and perhaps never for one or two of them) celebrated with their aunty or nana. My sister was also wanting an excuse to get out of going to a camp thing, so we are the perfect excuse! Also touched base with my dad and he can do the airport pickup and spend some time with us on the Thursday. So all good Gayel and when I went back to my diary I see I already had Chch written in my diary for exactly those days!!!

Gayel