Kite flying

Ezra had so much flying his kite on a very windy and sunny day. Sadly on day two of kite flying, the wind got the better of him and the kite quickly disappeared into the sky and out of sight!

Life’s a circus

The circus set up its big top just a 2min drive from our house so it seemed a good chance to take the kids along after school.

Ezra didn’t like the noise at the beginning but gradually warmed to the experience. Calvin was engrossed from the start. MJ pretended to be disinterested but I loved catching him giggle at the clowns and he loved the music and light show. Of course Lj loved the gymnastics and the animals.

Teething trouble

Red cheeks and constant dribble can only mean one thing, teething trouble. After a week of sleepless nights we are catching up this week but still no sign of those pesky teeth.

Workmen

Finally someone has decided to fix the handle on my pantry door. He walks in from the garage with purpose in his step and a screwdriver in hand.

Procrastination

It's amazing what these two can find to do when they are supposed to be doing homework or going to bed!

Ping pong

I've been meaning to get a table tennis table for awhile now but no one else seemed enthused. Finally I got round to it and it has been a great hit. Who knew it would also double us as a super den to play in!

Back to school 2019

Yes, we have been back to school over a month now (what...a month?) but it took us a couple of weeks to remember to take a 'back to school' photo and then another couple of weeks to get it on here! The top pic pretty sums up our life at the moment...always on the move, always something in our hand, happy, but slightly chaotic.

Joe Berry

Joe Berry was one of those people who was always there and then he wasn't! I grew up with him living in the two storey farmhouse opposite ours. We saw him almost every time we were playing outside. Joe, a farmer would wave as he walked back and forwards between field and farm and house. Always with his tobacco pipe hanging from his lips, which he would remove to shout 'hello' and then pop it straight back in. When I moved away from my childhood home, to go to university I never really thought of Joe until I discovered 'Lapsang Souchong' tea. It's smoky aroma always brought me straight back home to the familiar smell of burning tobacco coming from Joe's pipe.

As was mentioned at Joe's funeral a number of times, he was a quiet and likeable man. Having over 300 people at his funeral said volumes for his presence in the community. So I raise a cup of Lapsang in memory of this dear man and I hope I will see him again one day on the other side.

Summer 2018, Bishop's Stortford

Our summer holidays started with a trip to Bishop's Stortford to stay with my sister and see our old friends.

Our first trip down memory lane was to visit Hatfield Forest.

Waiting for a train back to Bishop's Stortford after visiting our friends at our old church.

I used to take MJ to this spot in the river by Grange Paddocks swimming pool when he was just a toddler to play 'pooh sticks'. This time we enjoyed the cool water on our hot feet.

A game of 'Settlers in Catan' with Auntie Corrie and Uncle Jamie.

Photo taken by Ezra and the only one I have of our afternoon on our old street, hanging out with our neighbours.

This photo was taken on the sly as MJ caught up with his old friend, Joshua. It might be the first time in 4+ years that they have seen each other but they clicked straight away.

As usual we walked lots, stayed up too late, had lots of memories triggered, absorbed lots of vitamin D, caught up with lots of treasured friends and felt like we had never really left this special place.

Sunny days!

It feels like we have been blessed with so many sunny days so far this year and it is only the end of June. Summer is without a doubt my favourite season, as life just seems easier when you can pop on a dress and sandals and be ready to go. Let's hope there will be many more warm days before Autumn begins.

Lj is an Otter!

Lj has conquered her front crawl breathing and completed her certificate. This will see an end to us hanging out at our local leisure centre on a Monday afternoon, until Ezra is ready to learn! I will miss my weekly catch up with the other hot and sticky poolside mums.

Feeding Calvin and my soul

Just catching up on 'February- Grace' on my calendar and trying to get Calvin taking solid food. Listening to 'Scandal of grace' by Hillsong.
Amazed at how if we entrust ourselves to God, he calls us his children and promises that no matter what this life throws at us, he will hold onto us.
Isaiah 54:10 '... My faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken.'

Last day of P5 and P3!

It's hard to get a good photo of this motely crew but I thought it appropriate to take a photo of their last day in P5 and P3 and the end of their first year in a new school. We feel so blessed with how they have settled in and become part of their new school. Now no pack lunches and 6 less journeys per day in the car for 8 whole weeks. After that the fun will really begin when God willing there will be four to get out the door in the mornings and MJ will begin studying for his transfer test...ekk!

Say 'no' to screens!

This is what happens when I say 'no' to screens and endure 5mins of tantrum. I love how they play creatively with Ezra's toys! Ezra helps by emptying the box of duplo onto the floor and then crawls off to play with the hoover!

Lj's EGR enrollment

Lj was enrolled into EGR (Every Girls Rally) back in November.

Lj loves EGR, in fact on Monday morning she woke up saying 'This is going to be the best day ever!'. EGR was beginning again after the Christmas holidays. As soon as she came home from school she got her uniform on and bounced around the house for 3 hours until it was time for us to take her. She says she is going to become an EGR leader when she is older. I'm delighted that she loves it so much as I too attended EGR from age 6 til I left for university and loved it too.

As you can see I'm catching up on some blog posts this morning! I should really be cracking on with the perhaps more important items on my to do list, such as 'clean pink bathroom' or 'wash floors' but on this cold and windy morning it is much more enjoyable to be sitting at my laptop with my cup of tea, uploading photos!

Last week I...

Last week I was...
- Breaking down on the highway and needing to be towed by breakdown recovery back home.
- Living in the cold when our boiler ran out of oil and then had to have its filter replaced.
- Trying to stay friendly with our neighbour who is cutting down our trees.
- Herding a cow back into its field after it escaped through an open gate!
- Driving at 15 mph along a main road to take our poorly car to the garage.
- Visiting our new doctor with a poorly Ezra.
- Medicating Ezra with his first ever antibiotic to treat his sore ear.

- Chasing a mouse around our kitchen.
- Purchasing 10 mouse traps, mouse poison and throwing our plug in scarer in the bin.

Thankfully this week is turning out a little calmer although I wasn't sure how long the calm would last when I found my mobile phone bobbing in a puddle of tea yesterday!

I'm back...

Where do I start and how do I start again?
It has been over two months since I posted and I really don't want those, rather important months to slip into the past with out a little blogging memory trail.

So I think I will start with today and work backwards as it was today that made me think that we are beginning to find our swing in this new life in this new place.

A few weeks ago the kids received a leaflet from school advertising the Millennium Court Arts Centre and the activities they have planned for Autumn. Today we went along to their 'Open Art Day'. A free event for families to attend, which consisted of watching a movie, today's was 'Honey, I shrunk the kids' followed by Art meets Science activities. We all enjoyed making paint explosions using vinegar, paint and baking powder and bubble pictures using water, paint and washing up liquid. It was a great event and with the Arts centre being in our nearest town I am so excited about spending more time there.

P.S. I also discovered a new wool shop just a few doors down which has me itching to get crocheting again.

Camping indoors

It really feels like we are camping indoors! What I have found interesting is that with little to no toys the kids are playing better together, creating their own games from nothing. With no cooker, fridge or microwave, M had to make do with a bought chocolate muffin for his birthday cake!

Goodbye to our worldly goods!

The day has arrived for us to say goodbye to most of our worldly goods as they head off across the Irish sea.

We spent the day in the garden as the men worked hard in the 27oC heat emptying our house and loading their lorry.

And off it goes, fully loaded, not an inch of space to spare.

Counting down

I'm not keeping up with my blog very well, I seem to have as many 'draft' blog posts as completed ones. I don't want to miss reflecting on these few weeks of life in this home but on the other hand, these few weeks are so busy that I don't seem to be able to sit long enough to capture my reflections.

Now as little man sleeps, Lj is at school and MJ is soon to return from 3 days at a residential trip, I have an hour before the second 'goodbye' lunch of the week begins, to tidy up my thoughts and my blog!

Our rooms are becoming more empty as the conservatory fills up with boxes. The kitchen shelves are clearing as I try some weird and wonderful (more weird than wonderful) ways of using up their contents.

I'm excited at the thought of starting some where new yet there continues the anxiousness of not having sold our property and reading almost everyday in the news of falling house prices. I know God has given me enough faith to trust His plan for our lives but some days I just wish that things were a little more straightforward and simple. A friend reminded me this week of a verse in the Bible.

Romans 4v17

'...Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.'

I too believe in this same God, so if our God can 'create new things out of nothing'...then I know that He can sell our house, or rent it out, or do what ever He wants with it, when He wants...it is not too much for Him. So I continue to pack up, use up and say goodbye!

 Banana and chocolate bread

 MJ goes to Burwell

Boxes building up