The back garden

Spring is here. And as always, one of my all time favorite things to do is meander through a garden store or flower nursery. Today we went to a lovely place in Coton and picked out several six-flats of pansies and a few primroses and set to work sprucing up the back garden!

Julia did a great job with her pot arrangement~

Claire and her new friend Frances worked very hard pulling weeds and preparing the soil for all the pansies.

When it was time to plant in earnest, I had no limit of helpers! As you can probably see, the length of our little garden was just able to squeeze in each child!


Sarah told me she was going to grow up to be a "Garden Girl." Julia told me that she wanted to have a house someday with as many gardens as Nanna King. Claire told me she wasn't sure she was intended to weed her whole life. Andrew only stepped on one plant.


A good day.

O My Soul

O MY SOUL, ARISE AND BLESS YOUR MAKER,
For He is your Master and your Friend.
Slow to wrath but rich in tender mercy:
Worship the Saviour, Jesus.

King of grace, His love is overwhelming;
Bread of Life, He's all I'll ever need,
For His blood has purchased me forever:
Bought at the cross of Jesus.

And I will sing for all my days
Of heaven's love come down.
Each breath I take will speak His praise
Until He calls me home.

When I wake, I know that He is with me;
When I'm weak, I know that He is strong.
Though I fall, His arm is there to lean on:
Safe on the Rock of Jesus.

Stir in me the songs that You are singing;
Fill my gaze with things as yet unseen.
Give me faith to move in works of power,
Making me more like Jesus.

Then one day I'll see Him as He sees me,
Face to face, the Lover and the loved;
No more words, the longing will be over:
There with my precious Jesus.

Stuart Townend
Copyright © 1999 Thankyou Music

Needlepoint~

Our friend Dorinda has lovingly (and perhaps bravely) offered to teach our girls to needlepoint. She is quite gifted in this area, having designed patterns for many years. Please check out her website if you are interested in this yourself~~it is www.marybeale.com.

First on today's agenda was to go to the Fitzwilliam museum to see some beautiful samplers made in the last few hundred years. Here are the girls and Dorinda in front of the museum~


Since we couldn't take pictures inside, I was thankful to find a picture of one of the samplers somewhere else. This one was done by Elizabeth Bates, age 10, in 1801.

She was only 10? I don't think I could do this! This was definitely done in the age where young ladies were known for their accomplishments~Our girls will start with a significantly simpler project~their initials!


Afterwards we headed to a haberdashery to procure the needed linen and floss~


We will keep you posted on their progress!

Bullar Bread

In honor of Jim's Swedish Grandma we made Bullar bread tonight (pronounced "Bull-a").

How often does one crush cardamom pods? After peeling about 25 pods we had to figure out a way to crush the small seeds inside. Since we didn't have a mortar and pestle, Jim did the next best thing!

This Swedish cinnamon buns are lovely!! We could smell the fresh cardamom even as these buns were rising~


We had friends over to watch a movie tonight, and this taste of the "old country" still remains a favorite.


Thanks to Rebecca Idestrom (our resident Swede) for the recipe!

Starship Discovery Club

This week has been very busy with our church's holiday club~


This "Space-themed" Vacation Bible School was very exciting and fun! John Hardwick was our speaker, and I would recommend him on either side of the pond~

Special crafts (and space people)



Amazing treats~

lovely helpers (like my friend Fernanda, isn't she beautiful?)

here is my little group of children, and they were dear. We were really privileged to bring several children from school to hear the gospel clearly presented! Pray that they come back with us to church~

A fun afternoon with friends, and a surprise treasure hunt!

Rachel and Me

When I first met Rachel I had the feeling that she was going to be my friend. And now it is like we play with each other every day and she is my best friend in England. Sometimes we make up really funny jokes and she brings over fun things. She is really nice. Today she came over and she was really funny. She brought over some chocolate and it was so good (like Reese's Pieces). I love Rachel really really I do love her. It is so fun when Rachel comes over. We play lots of things. We have so much fun.

Easter Break

19 days off from school for Easter Break.


4 busy children~


Thankful for little friends!


I smiled today as they each paired off with someone different to play~

Easter Sunday!

Happy Easter! At the end of our day we are thankful for many opportunities taken to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.

We woke early to finish rolling out our yeast rolls, a favorite activity for each of my daughters~and a favorite food group too!


Claire said, "It feels like Christmas; it's snowing, we're making rolls, and look, our Christmas tree is covered in snow!" Yes, it's true, we still have our Christmas tree outside on our patio~and here is Julia catching snowflakes in her hands.

We were amazed to see snow here in England at Easter!

A lovely Easter breakfast~


After a great message from our pastor, we took the traditional Johnston family Easter picture~aren't the children getting big?

We ran home to get ready for the Tyndale House Easter dinner. What a feast!


and the children's favorite table~

At the end of the day, I pray this has been a day of great rejoicing in your family as well!

AMEN!

He is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

Jesus is Lord

"Jesus is Lord," the cry that echoes through creation:
resplendent pow'r eternal Word, our Rock.
The Son of God, the King whose glory fills the heavens,
Yet bids us come to taste this living bread.

Jesus is Lord, whose voice sustains the stars and planets,
Yet in his wisdom laid aside his crown.
Jesus the Man, who washed our feet, who bore our suff'ring,
Became a curse to bring salvation's plan.

Jesus is Lord, the tomb is gloriously empty!
Not even death could crush this King of love!
The price is paid, the chains are loosed, and we're forgiven,
And we can run into the arms of God.

"Jesus is Lord," a shout of joy, a cry of anguish,
As he returns, and ev'ry knee bows low.
Then ev'ry eye and ev'ry heart will see his glory,
The judge of all will take his children home.

Words by Stuart Townsend and Keith Getty

a lovely surprise~

Dinner at Anchor Inn, Sutton Gault~


We were treated to an amazing meal! My highlight was the bacon-wrapped dates, one of my favorite treats~and 'lemon posset' a classic English pudding. Jim's favorite? The cod, and then the apple-sultana roulade! Needless to say, we were stuffed!

Highly recommend it, but the friends made all the difference~

And here was a lovely surprise, 40 presents for my birthday! It took the whole evening to open them all~


There were many joke gifts, at least that's what I want to believe with all the 'anti-aging' paraphernalia!


Jim and I drove home so full, and so thankful that God has continued to bestow His kindness on us through dear fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.


Thank you dear friends, a night (and meal) we will never forget!

New Glasses

So happy, these two girls, to have new glasses! And Mom and Dad are happy that they were free (under the National Health Service here)~

Helping animals~

This is Science Week here in Cambridge. The University's science faculties sponsor special exhibits for children and we were able to go to the Queen's Veterinarian School Hospital to see how animals are helped when they have special medical problems.

There were many hands on exhibits that showed normal animals having surgery~


A few exotic animals as well~!


Lots of skeletons~


And many veterinarians! The highlight was of course getting the "Doctor kits" to play with~

Those sisters of mine are crazy!


The school was PACKED! We were all actually glad to leave, because we could barely move through most of the exhibits, and the queues were very long.

I don't think we have any budding Veterinarians among our children, we were all a bit squeamish with the surgery pictures! Except for Andrew, who asked the nurse lots of questions and wanted to know everything that was happening to the animal. Hmm...

Palm Sunday

Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
Hark! all the tribes Hosanna cry;
O Savior meek, pursue Thy road
With palms and scattered garments strowed.

Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die!
O Christ! Thy triumph now begin
Over captive death and conquered sin.

Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
The wingèd squadrons of the sky
Look down with sad and wondering eyes
To see the approaching sacrifice.

Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh;
The Father, on His sapphire throne,
Expects His own anointed Son.

Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, Thy power, and reign.

“Your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey."

Zechariah 9:9

Haircuts and Daffodils

Walking everywhere we go here has it's advantages; we almost always find beautiful things to photograph!

This morning we were off to 'Lui's' (the Barber) for a haircut for Andrew. I couldn't resist photographing this beautiful bush on the way~


Andrew now looks forward to his haircuts, gone are the days of woeful tears~

Here's my handsome little boy~

After obtaining the obligatory lollipops, we headed home through Newnham College~

I can't resist the beauty of Spring!

Psalm 62

My Soul Waits for God Alone

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse.
Selah

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
Selah

Those of low estate are but a breath;
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.

A blustery day

~ The children weren't allowed to play on the playground today at school because it was too windy.

~Our recycling has blown over and about Tyndale House, and I have had to close all the windows because things inside were actually flying through the house.

~The girls were excited to fly their little kite after school, in fact this picture was taken about 4 minutes after they arrived home~


~Besides kite-flying, another windy day advantage was that our sheets dried quickly!