Christ is Risen!

Happy Easter!! This is what happens when we're rushing to get to church and I ask Patrick to take pictures of the kids ... he took 4 and thought he might have gotten a good one .... without reviewing them .... Oh well. My cousin Michelle said she would still get her babes all dressed up in their outfits and take photos after the fact (her little ones were horribly sick for Easter) but I am not as ambitious as she! So, maybe next year.
Otherwise we had a wonderful day - despite occasional snow showers and freezing temperatures! Church was great, roasted chicken at the pub was great, we are so grateful to our Savior for this day! Aidan loved hunting down those eggs!

I DO, however, have a fantastic photo of Joshua with the chocolate bunny he won in school last week. Out of all the Year 5 students Joshua won top prize for an illustration he drew for World Book Day. Well done, Joshua!

For Reflection

Moving can be a hard thing. It is exciting to go to a new place, see new things, make new friends, visit new places. But it is hard to leave good friends and what is familiar. Caitlin wrote a blog several months ago about how her friendships have evolved over the past year and a half since she left the states. I found it poignant and interesting. I have wonderful friends and sisters who are faithful in their communication with me through e-mails, care packages, and prayers. I am so grateful and thankful for all of you who are so faithful - you know who you are, and I thank you. And I have made some good friends here. But there are times that I still feel lonely - for that KNOWN, if that makes sense. I have hard weeks where I miss my sisters and girlfriends and just wish for a Beck's chicken quesadilla with a beer!

Last week was particularly tough. I don't know why - those weeks just happen, and it's okay. Because when you have a tough week you really appreciate the easy weeks!

Every Sunday our pastor prints an excerpt in the bulletin to reflect upon before the service begins. I always enjoy these readings - they are always insightful and thought-provoking.

Here was the excerpt from this past Sunday:

FOR REFLECTION - written by Octavius Winslow

"Cultivate Christ's friendship - love Him as your Friend - confide in Him as your Friend - confess Him as your Friend - consult Him as your Friend - be faithful to Him as your Friend - ever repair to Him as your Friend. Your love delights Him, your faith honours Him, your service glorifies Him; and every need and trial, every sin and infirmity, that brings you to Him, but tests His friendship, and endears Him to your heart, and makes you better acquainted with your best, your only Friend. You may be called to learn this precious truth - the friendship of Christ - by a painful discipline - amid the fading of earthly friendships - by the rupture of ties once so close, sacred, and endeared - distance separating you, misunderstanding alienating you, death sundering you from the friend your heart enshrined as God's most precious earthly gift. Be it so, if this the result - your closer intimacy with Jesus, the 'friend who loves at all times,' and who, in all the changeful, chequered scenes and circumstances of life, will 'show Himself friendly.'"

What a comfort to me, and I hope to others who are lonely, missing friends and needing comfort.

Piano Recital

Gillian had her very first piano recital last Friday at school. She played 'Morning Song,' which all three of my sisters will know. We alllll played that song! Gillian had her song memorized, of course, and took a bow afterwards. My camera stalled right at the bow - I was disappointed, she looked so great and had such a big smile on her face! She played perfectly, and her music teacher was overheard saying, "Very professional," as Gillian walked back to her seat. We are so proud! Now looking forward to Joshua's first concert coming up in early May! Gillian with friends, Annabelle and Elizabeth at the recital.

World Book Day

At school last week the kids got to dress up as their favorite story-book character for school. Gillian is a character from the Pony Pals series; Joshua is 'Private "Dutch" Schultz' from The Longest Day. Not sure of any other kid who would pick The Longest Day as his favorite 'story-book.' But I couldn't say no!

Conversation with Gillian

Gillian, finishing up her birthday thank you notes: Whew. Last one.

Me: Do you want me to put that in the envelope for you, or do you want to do it?

Gillian: You can do it.

Me: Thanks. I have to do EVERYTHING around here.

Gillian: I know. You DO have to do everything around here.

Me: That's what happens when you're the mom. You might want to consider that when you're making your career choice.

Gillian: Yeah. I'm going to be the dad.

Things

There are lots of small cars here, especially compared to the States. There are small SUVs here, but you rarely see a big, fat SUV like an Expedition or anything like that. You'll see Land Rovers and RAV 4s, but that's about as big as it gets. But it gets small. Very, very small. This is a Smart Car:I don't know who that girl is in the photo - I just uploaded it from the internet. But anyway, you see these cars all over the place. Very, very convenient for parking and getting around town. Very, very scary on the motorway.


When you buy chicken here in the store with the skin still on, a lot of times there are still feathers stuck in the skin. Grody to the max. I mean, totally grody. Caitlin told me this happens in Germany, too, and her husband's family burns off the extra feathers at the gas stove. I don't have a gas stove, and that kind of freaks me out, so I just pluck them. Which actually really makes me lose my appetite for the chicken.


I mentioned beans on toast in a previous post. There is actually a website called beansontoast.com. Here is a photo of someone having beans on toast and tea:


Before I lived here when I heard of someone having "tea" I thought it meant a mid-afternoon snack with a pot of tea. In some places in England it might mean that, but not here. It was very confusing at first. Gillian went to an English friend's house to play, and she had dinner there. Later, the mother told me that she was sorry she hadn't mentioned she intended that Gillian have tea with them. It took me a long time to realize that many people here call dinner - "tea." So now we don't have dinner, we have tea.


Rarely will you see this in England:Instead, you will see this:But there are regular street lights everywhere you go. And there is no turning on red. You might also see this (Beatles fans will certainly have seen this):This is called a Zebra crossing, and when a pedestrian steps into one of these cars are supposed to stop immediately. It's the only time that pedestrians have any right-of-way in this country. Seriously. It is hard to be a pedestrian or a jogger here. You have to watch out for cars, buses, and bikes. Not the other way around.

Those are my English tidbits for the day. Enjoy!

We Can't Believe She's Already 7!

This beautiful little girl entered our lives seven years ago, and our family has never been the same. She is a wonderful daughter who never ceases to amaze us with her wit, her humor, and her abounding love. She's a true friend to many, loyal to the core. She is her own person and has a strong sense of 'self.' She is a true blessing to all who know her. We love you, Gillian!

Check out Gillian's new big girl bike!Gillian and her friend, Elizabeth, digging for fossils at the Bristol Science Explore Center
Pizza and ice cream at Pizza Hut
And a 'Darn Good' chocolate cake to top off the day