Especially for Kelli!

Apologies to those who check my blog often and have been quite disappointed over the last few weeks. Let's just blame it on the pregnancy! Which will be over any day now and then I'll have even more excuse as to why I haven't blogged, or maybe I'll be more motivated to blog showing off pictures of the new baby...we'll see what happens.
Below is a picture of 'The Home Delivery Box'...it's something that I don't like to think about too often, but it is in my mind more than I would like it to be. This box is the 'emergency box' in case I don't make it to the hospital. I am prone to having very quick labour so the midwife team has kindly requested that this box have a special place in our home...just in case the medical professionals have to come to me!!!! I am praying that this box will NOT be used.


We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of 'the baby boy' - as he has come to be known in our house. Every extra twinge sends eyes darting around the room. I think that we are ready to go...bags packed, baby items washed/purchased/set out. Now it's just a waiting game...but life must go on. AND it does!!!


The bags are packed and ready to go...with medical notes at hand.


Moses basket with clothes folded in it ready to be used.

Today, I am looking after 2 sick kids with the cold/flu lurgy that seems to been running riot around these parts. Aleah seems to pick it up every time it passes by, and Samuel came down with the aches and shakes last night. So, besides not sleeping well because I'm being kicked and pushed on the inside, having to get up several times to use the 'loo', I've also woken up to coughing, sniffling, crying children outside of my body. Actually, I must admit that I have only really opened my eyes to check that everything was ok...Dean has been doing most of the night-nurse duties. He is really good and patient about all of this.





The next big job on our 'to - do' list is to get the Christmas tree and put up all the decorations. I have started with our 'playmobil' nativity set that is only out because it got left behind from last year. All things going well, we will pick out our tree on Friday and 'Deck the Halls' on Saturday...unless we have a new arrival then we'll just have to see how things go!



So, Kelli - hopefully these pictures will please you especially, and you'll have to wait and see if I allow a picture of the bump to be taken, let alone posted!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We have just finished enjoying a Thanksgiving feast with many of our friends (American and British) here in London. There were about 30 people in total taking part in the celebration. Dean helped organise most of the menu and dividing up of food which was a great blessing to me! Our meal included a BIG turkey, mashed potatoes, cornbread casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy and loads of vegetables!! For dessert of course there was pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple pie! It was all delicious and the fellowship was just as sweet!
Here are some after pictures...the first one is what was left of the turkey after everyone got to it!





We give thanks for the many blessing God has bestowed on us!

Remember, remember, the 5th of November

Guy Fawkes Night! The 5th of November is a holiday known as Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night. It seems to me quite a peculiar celebration. Basically it's to remember the night a man named Guy Fawkes tried to bomb the House of Parliment and was thwarted. He himself was then burned at the stake...hence the 'bonfire'! Anyway, for about this whole week there are firework celebrations going off all over the place. We had our own little 'Firework Party' on Saturday evening at Dean's Mum and Dad's house. Here we are having fun with sparklers. In the pictures you can see Russ (Dean's brother) and his boys, Noah and Jonah. Dean and our kids, as well as a few glimpses of other members of the family. Enjoy!

Hard workers!

Dean is a man who loves lists. One thing he asked me to do is make him a list of things that need to be done around the house each month. Slowly things have been checked off the list, but I must say there was a bit of flurry around the house as Oct 31 approached. Dean quickly employed a few lackeys to help him get the work done.

Autumn Fun

This week is half-term which means that the kids have the week off school. It has also turned VERY cold here, and isn't much fun to be outside. We've had a day of entertaining guests, and helping out another family by watching their kids. Today we went on a pumpkin hunt. Yes, we've left it a little late to get out pumpkins and after striking out at 2 stores, Abigail spotted some pumpkins outside a small fruit and veg shop.
We don't celebrate Halloween as a rule, but we do find carving pumpkins an enjoyable activity. I do encourage the kids to be creative with their designs and not do 'scary' faces...although boys will be boys. Here's a few pictures of the kids working on their masterpieces.

Later today I enjoyed a moment of pride as all three of my kids independently sat down to play a game together. Oh, the joy of motherhood!

(The pictures aren't where they should be, there was a problem when trying to edit them, but I'm sure you can figure it out.)

Long time comming

Again, I have to apologize for the length of time between updates. Dean has added a few things of his own and I do hope that you have been able to view them and enjoy them. Part of the delay has been no batteries in the camera, and the other part is that I am definitely slowing down as this pregnancy progresses. As you may notice, I am 33 weeks along now, and I must say that having 3 other children uses up my energy quite quickly.
Here is a little snippit of our English 'crazy golf' experience. We went for Dean's birthday, and it was a beautiful day. Unfortunately my camera ran out of battery and memory all at the same time so I was only able to get a few shots!

One for the wives

Some might argue that my last post was biased towards husbands so here's one for the wives. Men how are you doing on this score? Do you protect your wife physically, emotionally and spiritually? Are you working to provide for all of her needs? It is not manly to keep quiet just because we aren't doing so good the true manly thing to do is admit it and confess it to God and to our wives and take steps to correct things. I find myself needing to do this often. Any way here is a clip from my boy Mark who is kind of talking about the same thing in his usual Mars Hill way. (I recently heard him say he classed people into two groups 1.People who have been offended by something he has said and 2.People who have never listened to him preach!) I hope it causes you to think about your own life. Blessings Dean.