Saturday Six

What was the "Friday Five" has now become the "Saturday Six" as the days tick by without my getting around to the writing that blog post! So, here are 6 recent happenings and thoughts all packed into one post:

1. Tower of London
Last Friday we visited the Tower of London... Hmmm... that just came out so casually! Can I repeat that for emphasis??!! Last Friday our little family got to visit one of the most history-packed, amazing and thrilling fortresses in the Western world. Better...

We've become those parents that keep telling our kids things like "You won't appreciate it now, but someday you'll hopefully be thankful for such an incredible opportunity!!!"

One of the most amazing parts was seeing all of the crown jewels... I mean diamonds and rubies and precious metals EVerywhere! The abundance of scarce resources just dazzling before our eyes! To think of the centuries of monarchs reigning throughout history with all of their worldly treasures glittering around their golden thrones, and then to read the prophesy repeated in Matthew 21 in BSF this week:

"See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey..."

He comes to us! He doesn't sit and wait for us to wake up from our stupor. He's not enclosed behind a glass case and armed guards. He comes to us! And he is gentle and he rides a donkey, though "he is before all things and through him everything holds together." What a mighty servant King we worship.

2. Breakfast for Dinner
Is there a tradition that you and your husband's families both enjoyed that just feels like the most natural thing in the world to incorporate in your own home? Breakfast For Dinner is definitely one of these for us! We eat it OFTEN... if not weekly at least 3 times per month. It's just a crowd pleaser - the girls will honestly eat as much as I put on their plate. And it's fast and cheap! I can whip up some eggs, grits, bacon and toast with maybe sliced tomato & fruit with my eyes closed by now.

Bacon-lover at Christmas Breakfast

3. Robert's Internship
For the past 3 weeks Robert has been interning at Westminster Chapel, and what a gift this time has been. He's been able to work closely with our regular church staff and with other interns preparing to be pastors. For a guy who thrives when working with a team, this time was very refreshing. Robert was able to preach on a Sunday night, help out with Chapel's community food bank, and attend a conference on church planting and revitalization. It was also a good reality check for me having Robert gone from 9am - 6:30pm everyday - man, have I been spoiled by having him nearby most days! Reality set in for Robert as well when he had to ride the jam-packed tube in and out of the city everyday!

4. Pregnancy Update
If I'm being honest, I feel a little like a first-timer again with this pregnancy. I was induced with Ellie and Meg at 40 weeks and I don't know that I've ever really even had a natural contraction without the help of pitocin. So the thought of actually going into labor on my own is a little thrilling (and terrifying?) and they'll let me go up to 2 weeks after my due date here, so maybe it will happen this time! I met with my midwife on Thursday for my 28 week appointment and was struck once again with how normal this pregnancy has been. I'm measuring exactly 28cm, low blood pressure, negative for gestational diabetes, healthy heart-beat... I think I took this "normalness" for granted with Ellie and Meg, but it has been a reason to joyfully praise God at each appointment this time around. I am already starting to get the "You must be due ANY day!" and "Is it TWINS?!" comments... these were also frequent towards the end of Meg's pregnancy, and I'm starting to reconsider my maternity wardrobe. Maybe I should start rockin' those old school tent-dresses our mom's wore when they were pregnant with us! That or just start lying... "Yep, I'm pretty much a ticking time-bomb!" or "Triplets, actually!"

No need for a maternity jacket when you have a personal space-heater in your mid-section :)

5. Ellie's school
This may come as a shock to many of you, but there are a lot of people that live in London ;) Apparently, this makes for a lot of children waiting for school places in particular areas - and in the UK children start a full day of "Reception" at age 4 and education is compulsory at 5. With this in mind, we put Ellie on a couple waiting lists last September - not intending for her to start school right away, but more as a way of just getting the ball rolling. She hasn't been awarded a place yet at either school closest to us, and it has truly been a sweet time of praying with Ellie for the right class and right teacher at the right time. In fact, I called last Monday to check and see where Ellie was on the list and she had actually moved down the list. Though tempted to worry whether she'll have a spot for Year 1 in the fall, I'm so thankful for the time we've had to work at home, adjust together, and trust in God's provision in a very practical way.

6. The Weather
We have had some beautiful days, lately. Today, we spent a long time at a park about a mile away from our home, but most days we can be found right down the road at our nearby park. We try not to waste the gift of sunshine when present, and we've had ample opportunity to enjoy those lovely rays the past few weeks.  These are some of my favorite pictures from the nearby park:

We love this place.

What a fun dad :)

Panoramic shot of the park's green area