Skype is our friend

Since Melody has finally earned some money, she has been able to buy a PC that can actually handle Skype and Laura has been able to have a couple of good chats to her family over the last couple of days.  We'll send out the webcam we bought and that should complete the circle.  it will be nice to be able to get into visual contact again.  It is such a blessing having broadband and being able to do all these incredible things that, just a few years ago, were still science fiction.  

I'll try to get some more photos onto the site so that people can keep up with the boy's meteoric growth.  

Spring has sprung

Well, the garden has done its usual and gone mad now that the really cold weather has gone for a while.  The grass is growing faster than I am interested in cutting it and all the bushes that looked dead and gone are very much alive and growing.  We had all the bushes in the garden cut right back about 2 months ago and you can hardly notice that it has been done.  I am looking forward to the next garden since there are mainly trees and not too many ornamental shrubs and things that need attention.  I have managed to get the top down on the Mazda a few times over the last week or so, even though I got a few raindrops on me and needed a cap to keep the top of my head and my ears warm.  When the sun is shining, it seems as though all is well with the world.  

We are happy with news of Jack's improvement after his triple bypass-surgery and are keeping them all in prayer.  It's at time like this that it is really hard being so far away from family.  I am really glad to have Gordon in the same country, even if he is not actually in easy reach of us.  We're looking forward to my folks coming over in the next few weeks and then Jacques and Sarah after that.  It will be good to catch up with family.  

Happy Easter

All the blessings of this season of abundant life to you and yours.  We have a quiet day ahead - church in the morning and then the rest of the day playing in the snow in the garden.  Just watched the dog running around in the snow and the boys will join her as soon as they get some warm clothes on.  The weather is a bit weird - 2 inches of snow in Easter!  Laura should be back from her training soon enough this morning.  At least the roads would have been gritted, so travel should be OK. 

Chez MacBean is now open

Well, we've done it!  The house is now ours.  Laura loves it (which is just as well since she only saw it after we had signed for it).  The sellers were very kind to us and left us a whole lot of useful things, such as pots and pans, pyrex dishes and even some tea and coffee.  They also left the house immaculate, even cleaning out the rubbish from the storerooms downstairs.  I am really looking forward to going over in May and sorting out one or two little things so that we can relax when we get there in August.  It is a scary thing to have this debt again, but it is also good to have an asset.  The people we stayed with at the B&B the night before we signed know the property market in our area very well and they said we had an absolute bargain.  They also have contact with a large number of artisans in the area, so we can use their knowledge to sort out the rest of the house.  We can take the next two years getting things sorted and then we can use it to its full potential.  Roll on summer!

All shook up

We had an earthquake that measured 5.3 on the Richter scale at 1 this morning.  not a very nice thing at all!  The entire house shook (obviously) but there doesn't seem to have been any damage done.  There are reports of chimneys collapsing in Gainsborough and the like, but nothing too dramatic.  The news channels are making a meal of it.  Apparently it is the worst earthquake to hit the UK since 1984.  We're all OK and the kids slept through it, so no harm done.   

Tea leaves!

Gordon and Csilla have been robbed of car, motorbike and passports by some 'orrible tea leaves!  Just spent 2 days with them, trying to sort out how they go about replacing all their bank cards, doorlocks, car and motorbike.  It has been good to see how blessed they are, but it is also painful to see how high the emotional cost of theft is.  I am sure they will continue to be looked after, but it is a real pain to try to sort all this out in the shortest possible time.  They are finding that they have good neighbours in their area, though.  Many people are rooting for them and have offered to help them, even some people they have never met face to face.  Gordon got an offer of a loan of £1000 from someone on a motorbike website.  That is quite something!  He also got a gift of £100 from one of my congregation members and that covers the replacement costs of the children's passports.  We'll hang in their for them and pray that things get sorted completely.  We'll keep you updated.

Pantomime

Sean took part in the school Panto and only got a bit part, but he really enjoyed it.  It wasn't the best Panto we've been to because it was so hard to hear the kids that both of us missed most of it.  Still, it was quite good.  It took Sean 2 days to recover from the late night.  

The weather has been really cold for the last week or so.  It is going down to -7 at night and barely getting over 5 in the day.  There is thick fog for most of the day and we have to keep scraping ice off the windscreens of the cars, even if we only stop for a short while.  I have taken a few photos of what I think is called 'hoar frost' - I've never seen it before.  It covers the trees, hedges and grass in ice crystals and it looks as though it has snowed.  I'll get them onto the web soon.

Today is a round of Lent lunches, a Local Preacher meeting, Church Council in the evening, and sorting out the legal license for one of the churches.  I'll also have to put together a bid for a grant for Ermine Community Group by the end of today.  Roll on holidays!

Odds & ends

I (Duncan) went to watch 'No country for old men' last night.  It was very violent but was an excellent film.  It is so nice not to have a typical and predictable ending to a movie, especially an American one.  The Coen brothers are easily a match for Tarantino when it comes to quality movies.  

We did another run around Whisby on Monday, but with Elaine Taylor and Daniel, Ellie and their dog, Honey (who is a spoilt Labradoodle).  Cassie did her usual and fought with Honey every time she came near one of us.  Cassie is terribly protective and this can be a real pain.  Still, they had fun running and swimming.  Honey is gold coloured, but not after that little excursion.  The other 2 kids came back to our place afterwards and all of them went onto the trampoline for an hour or so.  It can only be good for them.  Not much else to say.  I am keeping busy with work this week and Laura is keeping the kids busy since they are on holiday for this week.  

Taking puppy for a trot

Since the weather is cold but clear and quite bright, we're off to Whisby nature park to take Cassie for a walk.  It will do the boys good to have a run as well.  Liam was off school yesterday afternoon as he had lost his voice and couldn't make a sound.  Unfortunately, normal service is resumed today and he is in full flight.  The doctor prescribed some antibiotics and they've kicked in.

Liam bid on ebay for a LEGO Starwars PS2 game and he won it (using his pocket money) and all 3 of them are really enjoying it.  The legend lives on.  

We'll try to get some photos of Whisby this morning since the weather is so clear.  Roll on Summer!

Sunday night and we're tired but happy

What a day. I was up at 7 and on my way at 8 to take two services at a church 10 miles from here while D got the boys ready for a local covenant service. Met back home at 12:30 for lunch, watched Evan Almighty on DVD while the boys played computer games and then had a nap before shooting out with all three in tow for a service this afternoon at which I was planned to do the children's workshop. D had another covenant service this evening. When I got home (before him) I spent the time getting the boys ready for bed, setting out their clothes for tomorrow and preparing their lunches, in addition to sorting out the logistics of a trip an hour south of here for a diaconal placement I need to do this month. Have just finished a well-needed cuppa rooibos and am just about ready to go to bed myself. GMT is 21:25. Not a bad day weather-wise - quite sunny with blue patches and not so unbearably cold as the last few days. 

A cold Friday night

Had a lovely drive to our new place for next year - sunny skies, calmer wind than the gale of yesterday, still icy cold but delightful. I do so love Lincolnshire! The boys' new school is wonderful. Smaller than where they are now, government run, and very friendly and well organised. We can see they will be very happy there. Stopped off for some shopping on the way back and D went off to Gordon for the evening and tomorrow. Darkness has descended, the rain has been lashing at the windows and while Durban swelters, our temperature is set to plummet from a balmy 3 degrees down to minus 3 overnight. Roll on the summer (so-called) so the dog and I may walk in peace and warmth. Even she found it way too cold and windy on our brisk trot out this afternoon!

Off to see the school

A fun day ahead as we book the boys into their new school for next year and visit the manse to get some photos to show you.