This Time Last Year... Selling the House

It was 2007, we were both working full-time and thought it might be better to put our rent money into a mortgage. We also lived in south Alabama where you can buy a 3 bedroom, 2 bath "starter" house for what Londoners pay for a closet on the "wrong" side of town :)

So we looked and we prayed and we found it.

And we loved living in that house for the next 6 years.

We brought our puppies home to that house...

Christmas 2007 picture

and they promptly dug up the backyard :)

BEFORE

AFTER

We brought our babies home to that house...

Ellie's homecoming. Don't let the smiles fool you - we were (rightfully) terrified!

Proud Dad and Sister when Meg came home

We had lots of guests and special occasion dinners and wild fun in that house...

Robert's surprise birthday party circa 2009

2011 Anniversary Dinner 

Making ice cream with the oldest while letting the youngest clean out cabinets.

Yes, that's a doll stroller...

There just really is no sufficient caption for this picture....

And, most painfully missed, Robert and I each had our own walk-in closet...

Robert's closet on the left and mine in through the bathroom

And one year ago today we packed up our last load of stuff in the minivan and said good-bye to that wonderful home...

Sale Pending!

God had graciously sold our house... in a poor market... in a month... to a medical student who bought lots of the furniture (that we couldn't take with us) along with the house.

In many ways this seems more like a lifetime ago than a year ago. Though we can list the many comforts and memories we miss about that house, we wouldn't trade our lives in London. Not because one place is better than the other, but because of the peace that is present when you know you're where God's placed you.

And to think, this time next year we should be close to preparing for another move!

One Month Away!

We're at the one month countdown until we meet this sweet baby!!!

Ok, I guess I should clarify that I mean I'm one month away from my due date... it will probably be June, folks, if history repeats itself!

But either way that makes me so excited! ...and nervous ...and hopeful ...and ...hungry (everything makes me hungry these days... sigh...)

So, I happen to have a very talented photographer right down the hall from me. She is continuing to build her already stellar portfolio and she asked if she could take a few maternity shots of me.

I kindly told her no.

I'm sure I was feeling particularly large and insecure when she asked, and normally I'm happy to go along with these things, but I just had horrible visions of seeing my perceived self on film and thought I'd better pass.

Thankfully, Lydia convinced me that it wouldn't take long and I might even like a shot or two! The woman is convincing, and I now believe she also is a miracle worker :)

These are my two favorite shots:

Oh, and she doesn't even own photoshop! The woman knows her lighting!

I am now really thankful for these little snapshots in time. As uncomfortable as this last month can be, what a humbling gift it is to carry new life within you.

I can't wait to see what Lydia does with baby girl's newborn pictures!

Happy Easter!

He has risen indeed!

It has been another special Holy Week and Easter Sunday, worthy of recording in the ol' blog.

I said a tough good-bye in Paris to my sweet sisters and mother last Monday (this trip of a lifetime will merit its own post as soon as I can get my act together :) ), and I rode the Eurostar back home to London thinking about the week ahead.

Our last night together

Tuesday was a bit of a recovery day and then Wednesday we all headed into the city for our church's "Messy Easter" day. It was really fun! Lots of play and crafts for the girls and then an Easter egg hunt through those historic church pews.

On the hunt

Then Robert got to share the Easter story with over 75 children their caregivers from our local community (most of those in attendance were not members of our church).

As a picture of placing our sin & yuckiness on our savior all of the children got to smear paint all over Robert dressed in a white sheet. What an important picture for us all!

Then on Good Friday we picked up our long-time friend, Tucker, from the airport and headed to Oxford for a little time away.

We enjoyed the sights of Oxford on Saturday and headed back to London that night to be ready for Easter services on Sunday.

Walking around the colleges and gardens in Oxford

Thanks to Grandma the girls had beautiful new Easter dresses to wear. I could just eat those two up!

Church at Westminster Chapel was wonderful and encouraging - filled with the hope and excitement of the resurrection we will share with our Savior. Any other pregnant women out there find it near impossible to make it through a Sunday morning without weeping??

After a little nap through a rainy afternoon, we enjoyed Easter dinner together.

I actually braved lamb this year and I have to say it exceeded my expectations! The lamb leg wouldn't fit in the slow cooker so I practically covered the whole cooker in tin foil and prayed for the best :)

Dinner, just like the rest of the week, was another reminder of God's faithful provision in all things. Even these little unmerited things have a way of reminding me of the most important and unmerited thing, my eternal redemption - God's Riches At Christ's Expense (as I remember Pastor Rob explaining GRACE to us one Sunday).

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said."

We have a 5 year old!

Ellie turned 5 years old this week.

Excuse me, what? I always wondered why parents were so shocked to wake up and find their children older and bigger than expected... and then it has happened over and over again to me. When did this precious light of a child become 5 whole years old?!

We had dinner with all the sisters and Grandma to celebrate and Ellie chose the entire menu: ham, grits ("Just plain, Mom, not the fancy kind!"), green beans, strawberries/raspberries/blackberries, and garlic bread. It was delicious!

We all packed into our living/dining room as we'd done for a few nights already.

Ellie also picked out the desserts for the evening: Pecan Pie, Peanut Butter Balls, and Fun-fetti cake (imported of course!). We also included Aunt Emily & Aunt Tracey in the birthday celebration as they share April birthdays with Ellie.

After cake we opened gifts. Ellie received several sweet cards from friends and family across the pond. She enjoyed each of them.

Then she opened her fun gifts!

But I have to say, I think the best gift was all that love she received from Aunt Tracey, Aunt Shelley and Aunt Emily (the name "Aunt Grandma" was even created this trip - and I'm surprised she didn't start calling Robert "Aunt Daddy"!!)

Ellie's birthday celebration also continued with a Daddy trip to Hamley's (7-story famous toy store in London) to pick out her birthday present.

On her actual birthday, the girls were with Robert away on a preaching assignment (while Mom was in Paris with the sisters & her momma). I was disappointed to miss (and, honestly, worried about not being able to help manage it all), but it was the only weekend it could work for him to preach there... and of course God provided the most generous and wonderful family for them to stay with. They even threw a little party of their own for Ellie - complete with a cake and gifts!

What a treasure you are to us, Ellie girl! I think back to knowing you as a newborn... and then a toddler... and now a big girl... and I think it just keeps getting better and better.

The day we brought you home...

Your first birthday...

You are kind and tender, cautious and clever. You are a true gift from God and you are dearly loved.

Happy #5, Ellie Belle!

My thoughts at 2:00am

As yall have noticed, Kim does most of the posting in the family. I love the way she writes, and she is doing a great job keeping yall updated and cataloging our family's life in London...I can't believe we live in London - I say this about every other day.

So I thought I would give you a quick update on how things are going from my point of view. Point of view - from where I'm sitting right now, I'm looking at an empty library except for the table I'm sitting at with a Greek textbook, my Greek homework for tomorrow...I mean today, a commentary on Hebrews, and the Collected Writings of some guy named John Murray (he's a pretty cool professor/theologian from 20th century). This is my point of view, this is my life right now. Oh, did I mention it is 1:30am. Apparently only 12 translation questions for Greek homework takes me a couple hours to complete (ok, ok, I might check ESPN once or twice, but not thrice times...thrice is a cool word...sorry, it's 1:35am now).

But this is the stage of life that I am in, studying God's Word and the Christian faith in a vigorous way.

Here are 3 things that come to my mind about this experience.

1) It is hard work. But as my wife pointed out to me a couple years ago that has really stuck with me, work was instituted by God pre-fall of man (Genesis 2:15). Work is not a result of sin (although we tend to see it as that sometimes), but it is a good thing given to us by God. So reading lots of books, memorizing prefixes and suffixes to Greek and Hebrew verbs, and writing essays can be hard work, but just the simple task in of itself is good because work is good. Discipline is good. And by nature, I'm a lazy dude (ask my dad), therefore anything that makes me work hard is good for me.

2) Studying these things is actually pretty cool. I know, that's not the most profound, seminary..esque statement, but it's just cool to be given time to read lots of amazing books by profound thinkers past and present; it's actually fun when you read something in Hebrew and realize what it says; and it's amazing getting to do this in an environment like London Theological Seminary with guys from around the world that grew up very different from me. What a blessing.

3) It's worshipful. The more I study about God, the more I realize the truth of Isaiah 55:8-9, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." This is not a hard verse to believe. God truly is holy, set apart, transcendent. I find myself in class wanting to shout "Amen!" to what is discussed. Studying God stirs the soul. However, this great God doesn't just dwell high above us, but He crosses that gap (we don't do the crossing, He does), and He comes to dwell with the lowly. He comes to dwell with me (Isaiah 57:15). And as I have found myself completely OVERWHELMED at times by my studies and by this life I believe God has called us to here in London, I am comforted that the God who inhabits eternity hangs out with me too and revives my heart (quoting Isaiah 57:15 again - check it out). So the more I learn about the triune God, the more He inspires love in me for Him, and that leads to worship. He is worshipped, I am satisfied. That's good stuff, huh?

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support for us - we love you and miss you terribly! Send us a message and let us know how you're doing!

Ok, it's now 2:00am in the morning. I have to get up in 5 1/2 hours to go to Greek class, then New Testament, then eat lunch and spend the rest of the day researching and writing a long essay on the First Crusade, of which I know nothing about, so far. Did I mention this was hard work?

Robert

p.s. I have the 2 cutest girls and the most amazing, beautiful, and supportive wife in the world!

p.s.s. - I have nothing else to say, just wanted a p.s.s...it's 2:10am now...

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

Relivin' Grandma's Visit

Grandma is back in Tennessee with Papa. She left a week ago... and I think it took me this whole week to remember how to do the dishes! ;) She came bearing many gifts, but washing just about every dish we dirtied for 10 days straight may have been one of the best.

For memory's sake, I just wanted to record some of the fun we had while she was here.

Thursday - Somehow I made it to Heathrow with the girls in tow in enough time to park and be standing tall when Grandma walked out of the Arrivals door. The tears on her arrival made me a little concerned with my ability to cope with the tears sure to come at her departure. We made it back home, showed Grandma around LTS, and ate a celebration dinner that night.

Playground time with Grandma

Friday - No rest for the weary... or jet-lagged! We brought Grandma with us to our 9:30am Friday playgroup at St. Paul's. Grandma got a good first dose of what our life looks like here in London. After lunch and a relaxing afternoon catching up, Grandma and I met 4 other LTS wives out for dinner at a local Italian place. The food was good and it was so fun to enjoy a GNO with Mom along.

Saturday - After debating the night before on our Saturday plans, we finally decided on taking a trip to Alconbury to look around the ol' stomping grounds, see the first house I ever lived in, and get in a little shopping. It was a nice day with some hilarious (or maybe horrible... I can't decide on the right adjective here) hiccups. I will say my children were total rockstars and just rolled with it all day long.

Sunday - We all drove Grandma down to Westminster Chapel for church and then we all stayed after for lunch. Mom loved visiting our church and meeting the pastor, his wife, and other friends we've made - it was fun to see her enjoy the same things that first drew us to this church. We had a restful afternoon at home while Robert worked tirelessly until dawn the next morning on a paper. He did this so Mom and I could catch a proper afternoon tea and show the next night - what a man! I don't deserve him!

Monday - After breakfast Grandma, I and the girls went to Ikea for a little baby shopping. Grandma was a little concerned with how little I've planned to baby #3! She'd ask, "Where will the baby sleep?" I don't know... "Where are you putting the baby clothes?" Uh, not sure yet... "Where will you change the baby's diapers?" Ummm... on my bed?? "KIMMY!!!" So, we went to Ikea and bought an approximately 800lb assemble-on-your-own white dresser. Luckily I live in a seminary with lots of kind men willing to drag these things up the stairs for you! We ate lunch at home, got the girls down for quiet time, and Mom and I headed into the city! We enjoyed a beautiful TWO AND A HALF HOURS uninterrupted tea at a fancy hotel (where we both fell in the door and then I accidentally pulled the alarm in the handicap bathroom) and then Once at the Phoenix Theatre (chosen because it won lots of Tony's and my mom has literally seen ev.er.y.thing else - BUT I can't say that I'd recommend it!) It was SUCH a fun night!

Outside of Hotel - right before I fell OFF the curb and Mom fell UP the curb...

Tea Time

At the theatre

Tuesday - We all went back into the city in the morning for Bible Study Fellowship. I loved introducing my mom to my group and then taking Mom out to lunch at our usual Tuesday place, Pret. After making it back to our neck of the woods, we got the girls down for quiet time and commenced Project Make A Box of 8,000 Pieces Become a Beautiful White Dresser. I did most of the assembly while Mom made everyone dinner (how do I EVER get anything done without her???). I'm happy to say it actually DID turn out beautifully!

Always nice having another traveler along on the Tube!

New dresser for sweet Baby Girl!

Wednesday - I had my awful glucose test at the hospital where you drink that sweet sugary drink and then they take your blood 4,000 times in the span of 2+ hours. Yes, they do this test in the UK, too :) I was really thankful Grandma could watch the girls for me while there. Then, Wednesday afternoon we loaded up the girls and made our way to Oxford. We got settled into the beautiful place we were staying and then headed to a nearby shop for some grocery essentials. Next door to the shop was a lovely looking restaurant called The Anchor. We were nervous about finding a kid-friendly place, but they were MORE than welcoming! Sat us all down at a table near the fire and served us a delicious dinner - it was a treat!

Kid-friendly dinner at The Anchor

Adult-friendly as well!

Thursday - We all made our way into the city centre for some shopping and just enjoyed a day of taking the sights and fun little finds along the way. I know I was just an hour away from London, but it felt like I was in a completely different place. It was such a wonderful retreat from the city that, by lunchtime, I was begging Robert to join us the next day so we could spend another night there.

Troopers!

Meg's view of the city!

Meg with her new boots

Ellie with new headbands and bracelets

Friday - Robert agreed! And we drove back to London to pick him up after his Friday classes. We made it back to Oxford in time for Robert and I to get an early start on our Valentine's night out. We walked around the city for a bit and then started checking restaurants to see who still had tables available. We found a nice looking one with some live music and a friendly hostess who squeezed us in. We had some amazing mushrooms for a starter, I had a delicious pasta dish, and Robert had one of the best salmon dishes we've ever tasted. A night out with the love of your life is gold in and of itself, but a really tasty meal put it over the top!

Valentine's Dinner

Saturday - After the windiest night in recent memory (maybe except for this one?), all the adults sleepily pulled together and got everyone packed and back in the car. We stayed in Oxford to go and see the movie Frozen with the girls before heading back to London. I have to say getting there (Robert's iPhone suddenly stopped giving directions...??) and buying tickets (there was no ticket counter and the glitchy ticket kiosk was enough to make anyone go postal) was extraordinarily stressful. But the movie was SO worth it! We've been re-watching the songs on YouTube ever since.

Sunday - Another wonderful Sunday morning with Mom at Chapel. Then we met our long time friend Michele and her daughter, Ellie, for a long lunch together. It was so good to see them and catch up over the afternoon!

Lunch at Prezzo with Michele and Ellie

Monday - Ugh, this day always has to come, doesn't it? We had breakfast and then got Grandma and her things in the car and made our way back to Heathrow.

I had a friend at church ask me if it was a restful time with Grandma here and I gave him an emphatic "NO!" Hah! Grandma is a go-er, and I think all of her girls fell right in line with this model. I told the friend "It wasn't restful, but it sure was fun!!"

Please come back again soon, Grandma!