holidays

Well here are a few pictures from various activities in the holidays - just ordinary things but friendships with extraordinary friends make for great times...

Friends having fun

Pappa up to mischief with the young uns'

Josh strumming away and inventing his own groovy songs.

We shortened a bed for Owen who had been on a mattress on the floor for too long. The only way we could fit another bed in the room to avoid bunks... Owen was on it straight away and looked proud as punch.

Easter Sunday with friends

Meeting up with friends to let kids play in the park

Joining friends on a weekend camp away (Yay - have missed these friends so much!)

This waterfall is a testimony to the Lord's goodness in sending much needed rain. When we last visited these falls the water flow was much smaller and the creek bed much smaller.

I also really enjoyed:

• working on a quilt with a sweet friend (so close to finished so I am oh-so-keen to find ways of getting that green thread to finish it off!) Photos promised when I finish the binding...
• some quiet moments with my beloved while Joshua spent a few days away on an Easter Camp with Grandma.
• Learning to be more still in the mornings to pray more for eachother and the kids. I tend to jump up early in the morning to tackle a dozen things on my list. David encouraged me to stay in bed longer and pray/enjoy some quiet together moments and talk before the day begins. As hard as it is (and honestly - I so hate to be still - feel like I must tie myself down when I want to be running around) I have felt the benefits of this precious time already. Oh well, washing, folding, various other jobs and hobbies - you'll just have to wait

And while the holidays (short as they were) were speckled with the joys of the above photos we have also had some extremely challenging parenting struggles... oh it all takes so much energy and wisdom and persistence and all of that over and over.... Oh, for wisdom Lord!

We also continue to pray with folks from church about a new pastor (current pastor is to be retiring next week). David and another deacon are involved in praying for and finding a new pastor. In the meantime David has selected passages from Ephesians for various speakers/pastors to preach from. Again wisdom from above needed... in full measure.

And tonight we said goodbye to our friend Aparna who has moved to other accommodation closer to Uni. Owen kept telling her to "wait" and then said something about "home" - he really didn't want her to leave... she has been such a treat for the children and we hope she will drop in again from time to time. She has been a part of our family and while away this last weekend stayed in our home until her new accommodation became available tonight.

So I guess all of that happened (along with David helping neighbours move house) and a lot more in the short space of about a week!