Ebb

Ebb & flow is part of the rhythm of life. Sorry for the gap in blogging!
Last weekend (Before Amie & Andy visited I had a great 3 day youth forum residential up at Staylittle in hills.
Then Amie & Andy came - see post below.

Then we spent a couple of evenings hanging out, laughing and worshiping with my brother Adam & Rachel who had one of their youth group over at Quinta ( about a 40 min drive away.) Good time!

On Sunday it was Joff's 12th Birthday. Happy & blessed birthday to you Joff! We shot up to Manchester for the day, we hung out at Waterstones, Hally bought sweets from Whittards, Joff & I got to explore the apple store which is so cool and we stopped for coffee & stunning carrot cake before heading to my parents for roast beef dinner with perfect gravy - mmm! It was special that Sylvia (otherwise known as granny Smith) came over for the afternoon too. Joff even managed to enjoy his second birthday cake. We came home via our Wrexham Church. A busy but really fun day.




Being a bloke I love gadget things! I've just got a new PDA which is a whole mini pocket computer. It's a MP3 player, a phone and it's got a camera & video on it. I took these on a walk the kids & I went on yesterday to learn some Spanish. (Walking & learning goes well) then I press a button and they appear on my laptop. How cool is that!

Andy n Amie

Today was fun! It's strange how showing someone round where you live reminds you of why you moved here in the first place. Andy and Amie came down and it was fun to take them up to the Montgomery Castle, which by the way was built originally in1223 but became redundant as a castle in the 1600's after somebody important decided to move the border of England and Wales a few miles. (Thankfully there was a sign that had all that historical information on it that Meg and I read on the way in so we didn't look like complete ignorant natives when Andy asked about the castle.....shhhh don't tell him!)

Nidge, Meg and Hally also got to take them to Montgomery Church which is so beautiful.....(Nidge and I have always thought it would be a great place for weddings!) whilst they did that Joff and I headed down to town to pick up a chinese meal so that Andy would have the strength for his monopoly play off with Hally! Amie won in the end!

Valentine Pigs!

I took a day's holiday from work today. Sadly Pickle & Pastry left home today, they've gone to hang with their new boy friend! You think you've got something special, that they care and then some fancy looking 'bore' grunts their way and they're off! So here we sit, lonely and deserted, all we could do was to sit down to and enjoy the most AMAZING Valentine's meal in a FABULOUS little Restaurant that our kids found for us. Joff, the Chef de cuisine created a sumptuous Nacho Medley
Megan the Chef du Partie delivered a tremendous Lasagne
and to follow Halandra our Sous Chef presented heart shaped chocolate with strawberry on chocolate dusted cream.

Winter Wonderland

We have had a great few days snowed in on the hill. The kids are frustrated that school isn't canceled but we've had so much fun.

expectant imagination

Beth's working and I'm sat here with Meg & Joff dancing with each other round the living room, very cute! Yesterday, being Groundhog day, we watched the film we the same name with sticky popcorn, ice-cream, homemade lemonade, fruit and marshmallows to toast on the fire. A fun evening that left Beth & I at least, feeling a little sickly! Then last night we went to a conference at the little church in Brockton I've mentioned before. Great worship and speaking that came from men that knew the Loving Father Heart of God. It was good to be gently reminded of some things I've lost focus on. I think we've got things - destiny - dreams in life that we're believing for but after a while; hope can start to fade. Faith needs hope (expectant imagination) and some of my hope was revived last night.
Now the kids have stopped dancing and we're watching the film 'Parent Trap' which always make me cry - how pathetic is that!
ps Bar a hick-up last weekend, I'm doing great on getting up at 6:30 daily. Miracles happen.