Holidays

Last week we managed to get away for a well deserved holiday and some rest. We went to Keswick in the Lake District - a favourite place of ours. It was Convention time which meant that the boys could go to meetings both morning and evening, while Gordon and I went for coffee in the morning - although we did go to the evening meetings. Some photos of the week

We are now back into the swing of things. On Thursday night Gordon was inducted into the charge of Craiglockhart Parish Church in Edinburgh - it was a lovely evening, with some great preaching and speeches,  and fellowship. Tomorrow is his first Sunday in his new church.

Boxes Boxes...

everwhere! Most of them have now been unpacked but not all yet. I am so thankful to have a large double garage for storage space and that is where the remaining boxes are. No photos of our new house yet but perhaps next week. The move went well - Pickfords were great!! The right furniture and possessions went to storage and the rest came with us. It is a much smaller house we are in, but it is only temporary - although sometimes this last week it has felt like trying to push an elephant into a mini car. Now if only it would stop raining!!!!

Goodbyes

Goodbyes are seldom easy and this week has seen a few goodbyes. On Sunday we said goodbye to our congregations where we have been for the last 12 years - not easy. They gave us some lovely gifts, of which these are a couple

Today was the last day of school, so I said goodbye to my work colleagues and to the children. Although I have only actually worked there for the last 12 weeks, I have been associated with the school for the last 12 years, as my children went there. Again not easy. But they did give me this great gift - a 'flitting survival kit' containing all the things you need most when moving house - tea, coffee, cake, chocolate.

We are almost ready now to move. Pickfords come on Monday to start packing and by the end of next week we should be safely into our new, albeit temporary, home. A lot of our furniture and possessions are going into storage (including all my scrapbooking stuff -eek)  as we hope this move will not be for too long before a new manse can be purchased.

All ready to start with some new beginnings.

Never Give Up

We used this clip yesterday during our Church Service. It is an inspiring video of an athlete who did not give up, but who carried on and finished his race.

If you are feeling tired or weary then I urge you to watch this and realise that God is ready and waiting to lift you up and help you finish your race.

Summer Scavenger Hunt 2012

Last summer I had great fun taking photos for Rinda's summer scavenger hunt, so I am really glad that she is doing it again. We have until September 21 to take photos of all the items on Rinda's list.  You can find out all about it here. I hope you will join in.

So what have I been up to this week. Well Nursery has been really busy - we have had a trip, a visit to the Library, Sports Day and a visit to the theatre to see Hairy McLairy. Thank goodness there are only 8 more working days until the holidays.

Of course the decluttering is continuing. How could I have collected so much stuff I am asking myself. I obviously need a lot more self-control and need to stop buying silly things, which of course did not seem so silly at the time!!

10 things on the 10th

It has been a few months since I have posted anything under the title of 10 on the 10th but I thought I would today. Being in a bit of a reflective mood about moving and things that have happened over the last 12 years of our stay here in Stranraer I thought I would try a post about 10 things/places that have been in my life here in Stranraer and significant things in Church life over the last 12 years.

1. Friends - I have made some good friends here (I am not going to name them) and I hope that some, at least, will continue after I move.

2. My house here - I spoke more about that in my previous post - I have been privileged to live in a lovely big house for the last 12 years.

3. Babies and Toddlers Group - one of the first things I was involved in was the setting up of a Babies and Toddlers Group within the church. I am pleased to say that this group is still running and I hope will continue to run for many years.

4. Messy Church - this has been great fun and a real privilege to have been involved in setting it up.

5. I attended college here and got my HNC in Childcare and Education - this then led on to my studying with the OU and getting my degree.

6. The lovely countryside around us - especially Sandhead Beach (and tea room)!!

7. The Ryan Centre - sometimes in the early years it felt like we almost lived there - as the children had so many activities on there - swimming, gymnastics, athletics, cinema, soft play area.

8. Rephad School - the primary school where my children went to, I  was involved with the PTA and now work in the Nursery there.

9. The ferry - Stranraer was a ferry town until late last year when Stena moved up the road to Cairnryan.

10. St Ninians church celebrated its 125th anniversary and we did many wonderful events that year - a pilgrimage to Whithorn (in awful weather), a flower festival.

I have many more memories of the last 12 years but these are just a few that came to mind.

You can see more posts on 10things on the 10th at Shimelle's blog here

Finding Fun - Wk 2 - Houses

I knew I was going to keep this post until after I could make my announcement about moving. As you can imagine houses are very much on my mind at the moment. Normally when a minister moves the church has a manse and you just move straight into it, no problems. Not this time though. The church we are going to have decided to sell their manse, so it looks like we will be going into rented property for a time. We are going through to Edinburgh next Friday to look at some houses and hopefully we will be able to decide then.

I thought it would be fun to think about how many houses I have lived in since I was born, sadly I don't have photos of them! I was born in Broxburn, West Lothian, so house number 1 is there (only for 6 months mind you). Then we moved to Selkirk in the Borders, then to Allandale for a very short time, then we moved on to Kirkcaldy, where my sister was born. Then we moved to Kilbirnie Ayrshire, then on to Kelso in the Borders. You keeping up that's six houses so far! We only stayed in Kelso for six months then moved back to Kilbirnie, while there we stayed in two different houses (that's us up to 8). We then moved to Greenock. When I was 22 I struck out on my own and moved to Glasgow, I stayed in two different bedsits during that time, (that makes 10 now). Before my wedding I moved back home briefly, back to Greenock - but to a different house as my parents had moved. That makes 11 houses before I was married at the age of 27.

Married life started off in Partick Glasgow, then we moved to New Cumnock Ayrshire and then here to Stranraer, where we have been for 12 years.

That makes a total of 14 houses so far in my life. How many houses have you lived in?