Silly Thing, You Can't Swim! (Updated)

H: What do you want to do today?
Me: Hmm maybe decorate or something?

What did we end up doing? Well...

I was pottering around trying to decide what to do today when I see something splashing in our pond. I wasn't too worried given that our pond is full of tadpoles and has a big mummy/daddy frog in there too. But as the splashing continued my gut said to go and check. So off I toddle out the front door expecting to find the frog has got himself stuck in a plant or something. But what I saw made me question my own eyesight.

Me: Uh, babe? Can you come check something for me...

So out comes Hubby and he glances in the pond, then he leans in for a closer look. "That's a hedgehog!" he says. I nod and sent him in for gloves and a towel. Meanwhile our lovely neighbours have overheard the racket. "There's a hedgehog in your pond!?" They exclaimed. I nodded again. Next thing I know the neighbours are helping us fish him out and put tadpoles back in. I wrapped him in a towel and called the local vet, while rocking him like a baby which he seemed to like.

We rushed him on down there and while a little dazed, he seemed to be okay. But to be on the safe side they took our details (for when he can come home) and took him for some tests and to be cleaned up and fed. I had been a little nervous about feeding him because although I have cared for hedgehogs before, I am not familiar with ones that have taken a dunk.

We came back to neighbours asking where he was and if he was okay and I hope he will be pleased to know the whole street loves him already.

While this did mean I got to meet a bunch of my new neighbours, I would rather you didn't throw a hedgehog in your pond every time you move.

This picture was taken once we were heading to the vet - my primary focus was getting him checked over and taking this picture was an after thought once he was safe.

Update (9/6/2014): The vet has called, the hedgehog is happy and healthy and we can collect him tomorrow ready to release him. They had to wait until he was eating, drinking and had some medicine (almost drowning and being out in the day was a big shock to him) but now that he is we are welcome to go and get him.
As we will be getting him tomorrow during the day we should hopefully be able to get some pictures before he heads back into the wild.

In Laws or Out Laws?

We've all heard the rants, from monster in law to out laws everyone has a horrible in law story. Or do they? I was always told I would understand when I got married, warned almost. But my in laws aren't monsters or out laws. They don't insult me or try to talk my husband into divorcing me, in fact usually they always support us both.

This is not a "look at how lucky I am" post, this is because I want you to think about how lucky you are.

Maybe it is just because my Dad didn't support me, but I see every hug and phone call from my in laws as the sweetest thing in the world. Are there times they upset me? Sure. Just the other day my mother in law made a joke which upset me, but the second I said "that's a touchy subject" she dropped it mid sentence. Nobody is perfect, we all say things we shouldn't without meaning to or even knowing. No doubt I will have upset or annoyed them at some point, but we always are there doing our best and that makes those times so easy to move on from.

There are many things my in laws have done that make me feel so special, they almost heal the wounds left by my father.

The first time I visited them, I was so nervous. I had had so many warnings that in laws are horrible people that I was preparing myself for their hate almost. But they were great! They talked to me about movies and foods and so many things that I cannot list them all. But they were friendly. By the second/third visit they were giving me hugs and telling me they were so pleased their son had me in his life.

When we told them we wanted to get married a bit sooner than planned (we went from planning a two year away wedding to a month away wedding) I was prepared for the hate. But they hugged us and said they would support us whatever we chose to do and while they would absolutely be there if we wanted they would understand if we didn't want anyone. Silly! Of course we wanted them there!

For our actual wedding they drove down the day before and stayed up until 2am the day of helping me with wedding prep (like flowers). And even bought me an actual wedding bell! My Mother in law ran around organising everyone whenever I needed so I could get ready. She was amazing!

On my birthday I was supposed to go to London, unfortunately I was so ill I almost collapsed. So off to hospital I went. When we got back she made sure I took my antibiotics, tucked me up on the sofa and waited on me hand and foot so I could recover. My father in law sorted out a bunch of movies for me to watch and they chipped in with my husband to get me a Hudl!

But the biggest thing was helping us move. Not only did they help financially (my father in law loaned us money for moving costs), they helped emotionally (my mother in law listened to me complain about a million things and gave me a hug when I needed it) and physically (they arrived 2.30pm Sunday and helped us load and finish packing (clean washing and kitchen stuff mostly) as well as unload and unpack on the other end. They treated us to dinner, made sure we were settled and then took the 2 hour drive home late Monday night, just in time to roll into bed when they got home.

I guess what I am trying to say is, I won't always see eye to eye with my in laws. But they are amazing and I love them. And you know what? When they do annoy me or upset me it is because they are FAMILY and that will happen. You fall out with your mum and dad sometimes, this is no different.