Happy Christmas

Hope that everyone has a great Christmas . Christmas here is slightly different to Uk apart from the weather . the main holiday of the year is thanksgiving which is agreat time and Christmas without jesus and the presents buy still brilliant and you could add both!!! but Christmas then sort of gets tagged on afterwards!!! a bit strange.Hardly any churches have achristmas day service !! We however have 6 on Christmas eve and one on Christmas day . We have made mince pies and sausage rolls so it feels like christmas to us .

I will learn to post photos

Decided today i must learn to post photos. the only one we have is of charlie when matt and jo were here and they could help me!!Sam has exams today and tomoorow ,how weird is the USA school system ,having exams on the last 2 days of term!!!Libby is back from texas today and we are delivering the presents around the neighbourhood.Enjoying going to my trainer and actually enjoying weights . Never done them before but the body does hurt afterwards!!!

Christmas is nearly here

Well its nearly here . Beccy and Libby have arrived. Libby has left again for Texas to see joshua her boyfreind but is back tommorow. Still finding stuff to do for christmas when i thought it was all done last week!!!Great to have us altogether . the cars are now well used with 4 out of the 5 of us able to drive and sam will learn after christmas. i love cchristmas it makes me jolly lots of fun things to do, seeing friends, christmas smells, christmas food!!. Less christmas food this year as iInow have a personal trainer and I really enjoy doing weights!!! how amazing is that and i have lost a stone in weight !!! feel very pleased with myself . so we are off to colorado on Christmas day . mike thinks only a 10hr drive last time we did it it took us 19 hrs in a snow storm so it could be fun .

Sam's confirmation

Sam got confirmed today at The community Church of Joy . He gave a testimony of how he became a christian at age 6 at our Parish weekend away and felt certain ever since. Gareth and lizzie and Chris and Jo and my mum were there. amazing that he could have so many of his Godparents there with him praying for him ( a real Blessing) All this made me have a sentimental moment !!!! I can remember attending Mike's confirmation when he was 16 , not because i was going out with him then but because i was going out with his best friend the other guy who was getting confirmed that day!!! . Beccy got confirmed at Ponds Forge, libby at the Roxy and sam in the youth hut in arizona. Do you think they could be missionary children!!!!Any way it was lovely we had a BBQ in our yard lots of yummy food and some of his friends . Taylor his girlfriend also came which was lovely. She goes to the largest church in anthem and is a real sweetie. Of to TOM huddle in a little while always great you never know who or how many will turn up to the open meeting after last week it was 30 !!

It is not really getting any cooler

This morning it was chilly but by 10.30 I was drinking coffee in the garden with the Mansierghs which was lovely . they are returning today with more stuff than they came with. those outlet malls have to be the cause !!!! i of course love them. Sam went for Lacrosse trials tonite so we are now into that season which means 4 practises a week , no wonder the youth are "driven "!!!!. The christmas tree is now up and the inside decorations begining to look festive. the girls tell me it is only 10days till they land in Phoenix Hurrah. it sometimes seems ages since I have seen tham and sometimes just yesterday.

Mum and brenda

Well mum and Brenda have arrived and I have enjoyed showing them around the sights. Thanks giving was memorable with 20 out of 25 getting food poisoning of some sort not sure where from !!! but it made it interesting
.We then put up our outside christmas lights several trees and lots of icles (very tasteful ) will try to get a photo of them !!
Christmas is fast approaching and the girls will be here soon hurrah !!!!! We do miss them
Sam had 4 wisdom teeth out this week so he looks a bit like aboxer !!!! he did very well despite being sick from the anesthetic .
Mike is busy as ever setting up the lifeshape leadership centre at joy which will make the whole thing more stream lined and easier. There are conferences etc planned for next year and our first visitors week here at joy. The decorations at joy this year under Gareths watchful eye are very tasteful and look great. i am really enjoying reading others bloggs and keeping up eith people and their lives . Well must take Charlie for a walk