Ezra loves watching the wind in the trees

but hates me putting my camera in his face!

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

London with little ones #Tate Modern #Georgia O'Keefe

As the boys went off to Silverstone for the weekend, Lj and I had our weekend planned. She wanted to go into London, visit a gallery and eat at a café. Great idea!!!

My very lovely friend is a member of the Tate so she joined us and gave us free entry into the new Georgia O'keefe exhibition. What a treat to see such amazing artwork and we were both filled with joy to watch Lj and her son, Archie engage with the artwork too. In fact so much so, they were holding us back from moving to the next room before their audio guides had finished talking to them.

We had the best day, eating in the new Tate extension café, looking out over the London panorama, watching the kids play on their scooters along south bank and playing in the sand pit near Waterloo.

Thank you so much, Jenny...it will probably be the last time in London before we move so a real blessing to have such a great experience.

Sports Day 2016

 2016- Sports day.

MJ's drawings

Some of the drawings I found in MJ's room. I'm slightly concerned about his interest in all things battle related...shooting, blowing things up, weapons, tactics, battle plans or anything involving warfare. M assures me it is just boy fun...I hope he is right!

Mj's first Cub camp

My excited big boy heads off to cup camp.  I am amazed how much he has changed in a year. This time last year when offered the opportunity to go camping with Cubs he flat out refused. Fast forward 12 months and I asked if he would like to go this year. He confidently answered yes and has been so excited as the weekend drew nearer. It has been a long time since I have had a night without him (apart from two months ago when I was birthing his brother and he stayed with my sister!!!) and I think this is the first time he will have a night where he is not with a family member. He seems  undaunted by the weekend ahead and I am personally reassured by the fact that he is going with his best friend and his dad. I can't help but wonder if this is the beginning of having to say goodbye to him and let him find his own way. Although there is a tinge of sadness on my part I am also really proud of his strength of character and his growing maturity.

My sister reminded me of Psalm 139 this week and told me to put in the place of 'I' or 'me' the name of my children...it is perfect for MJ this weekend. The whole chapter is great, have a read. I have just picked out a few verses and substituted 'MJ', 'him' and 'he' for 'I' and 'me'.

Psalm 139.

¹ You have searched MJ, Lord,
    and you know him.
² You know when he sits and when he rises;
    you perceive his thoughts from afar.
³ You discern his going out and his lying down;
    you are familiar with all his ways.
⁵ You hem him in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon him.

⁷ Where can he go from your Spirit?
    Where can he flee from your presence?
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide him,
    your right hand will hold him fast.
¹⁵ His frame was not hidden from you
    when he was made in the secret place,
    when he was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw his unformed body;
    all the days ordained for him were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious are your thoughts of him, God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were he to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when he awakes, He is still with you.

Skipping

The half term holiday challenge was set when we arrived in N.I. and Lj learned what a great skipper her cousin was. Nana supplied the ropes and for the next 3 days Lj skipped from morning til evening. On day two I set her the challenge of 20 consecutive skips by the end of the week. By the end of day two her best run was 47 skips. She showed unbelievable determination and energy!!! I had witnessed her determination to succeed when the dentist said she must stop sucking her thumb and here again I marvelled at her stickability and commitment to achieve. She did take the odd minute out from skipping to draw some pictures of herself and MJ skipping!