Flowers from the boys!

 The facebook status of one of our sons:

Would love to congratulate and thank his parents for the 30 years of marriage they celebrate today. 'Matthew 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.'

I reached for my hankie....

The three boys sent us these, classy or what?!!

Lilies and Roses with a small pearl in each centre, for our 30th...

And the Lilies are perfumed....

 

After my previous post which included our song The dh has his suggestion of the song which takes us into the next chapter, posted on his facebook page:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqOMuR5Z530


and then the card...

So just to say thank you to everyone who has commented and helped us celebrate 30 years, I'll shut up now!

You're still the one...thirty years on!

 Thirty years on....


Our Song......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXtc-TH0Iv4


10 things I would tell my "newly married" self, 30 years on:

•  Your marriage will go from strength to strength, there are adventures to be had!

•  Marriage is not 50:50, sometimes it is 90:10 on either side due to outside influences past or present and the time will come when you no longer need to "unload your issues" at ridiculous hours of the evening

• "This too will pass"- 120 hour working weeks when you spend evenings and weekends alone with small children.

• Enjoy the fact that you both have very different personalities and learn from each other! 

• Don't talk to him when he is reading in bed....

• Always feed him before you tell him something that will cause irritation, when he arrives home.

• He has totally  different "love languages" from you, try and remember that (constant note to self)

• Map reading in cars will cause major stress if you are the navigator....but Sat Nav is on the horizon!

• He will introduce you to growing stuff, dogs and chickens and you will tell him about India....

• He will always love you, just the way you are and will encourage you to become who you were made to be!

Who knows what the future holds, the next 30 years?!

One thing is certain, our marriage has never just been about us.....

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

Ecclesiastes 4:12

God has always been our third strand...without His transforming work in our lives, I wonder where we would be today?

Greece Days 1&2 in pictures

A little insight into the first few days!  Waiting for the ferry over to Evia to browse the market and enjoy a local taverna, no moussaka though...or stuffed tomatoes but the Pasticcio, a sort of baked pasta with bechamel sauce and mince was not a disappointing alternative just rather a huge helping!

No time wasting, the ramp is lowered before it docks!

The Olives at the market on Evia

Would love to grow one of these in my garden.

Not sure about one of these though, we tried one, too much effort for not enough eating delight!

Black olives against the blue sky...in the back garden.

Introducing Lisa,

and Connie ? basset/bloodhound cross,  rescued from certain death by  the roadside, starving. a bag of bones about 5 months ago.

and finally Elsa, leader of the pack.

D, man of the soil, getting stuck in!

and into the raised bed in preparation for the spring bulbs.

Over to me for the planting bit...

Tulips and crocuses beneath the olive tree.

Consultation on matters botanical....

and I knit and watch and listen.... and smell the fragrance of thyme and oregano on the breeze.

View to the right.

and the left, the sea in the far distance.

Compassion is a child called Puja

Tomorrow Puja will be 5, she has no idea that I exist...yet. Last week at "New Wine", I made the decison to sponsor her until she is 16, I was quite surprised at how emotional I felt, once I had chosen her. I specifically wanted a child from India as at some point, when she is older, we would like to visit her. As many of you know, India is a country close to my heart since I visited Asha, an NGO which works alongside the urban poor in the Delhi slums, in 2005.
http://www.asha-india.org/

Puja lives in Orissa, her father is a subsistance farmer. She is one of three children. I will be the only Sponsor she has. I hope I do her justice.

Her photo sits on my dresser, awaiting a frame, her little face has the expression of someone trying to stand still for the photo...Her palms pressed against her legs, trying to do the right thing...she looks so innocent and cute in her pink outfit, I just want to scoop her up!

In the next week I will write my first letter to her. It will be translated and read to her and she will dictate one back to me. I will send a photo of us and probably a small page of stickers or something. Everything must be flat for posting. Compassion seem to have thought of everything.

I like the idea that Compassion partners with local churches to reach out to the poorest children in their community. The projects where they work are safe places where children are free to enjoy being children...It's not just about giving money, it's about building a future for a child, their family and the wider community.

I will be praying for her and developing a relationship over time. I need to see that poverty and injustice have a face, but that I can play my part in enabling her to break out of the cycle and be given the opportunity to fulfill her God-given potential.

This will explain far better!

http://www.compassionuk.org/

A Weekend in London

Chris and Andy resigning themselves to their Mother pointing a camera in their faces!




Sometimes you come across the unexpected....






Had a great weekend in London, spending time with C and A in their natural surroundings! They wanted to show us the "nice bits of London" as they reckon the East End where we both lived and worked hadn't shown the capital off to the best advantage. They are right, I find myself wondering why I used to travel everywhere by tube which meant that I never understood where certain areas or sites were in relation to each other! Perhaps now I will enjoy discovering what London has to offer! It still good to get to Stonehenge and feel I'm coming home though!

The boys were amused at my excitement over the Oyster card...I have been out of the city for too long!

We managed to capture some sights throughout the w/e, and having found an ideal little hotel in the Docklands, now know we can pop up when we fancy touching base with the boys!

Tower Bridge at 10pm





Andy working near London Bridge at a smart Restaurant just opened. I recommend the hot chocolate....oh and the waiter service!



This is the main reason for the visit, to see Chris performing at The Scoop ampitheatre next to Tower Bridge. Here is a taster of one of the shows "Jason and the Argonauts" a comedy in which Chris plays Narcissus, an Argonaut who thinks he is God's gift to women! This show was aimed at a pre teen audience, but had appeal right across the board. The second performance was Medea which as a Greek tragedy had a far more serious feel. The same actors played in both performances with a 45 minute break in the middle.

http://www.morelondon.co.uk/events_details.asp?ID=58

The Tree of Magic Faraway memories....

A tree...that has been climbed on by small sons...at different times, that catches my eye as I walk by and the memories come back. So why do my eyes smart with tears at the sight? A sentimental indulgence, a quiet smile and a knowing that now new adventures beckon, different challenges are faced and I am their biggest Cheerleader!