Virginia

Meet Ginny, (a.k.a. 'Virginia). This little four-year old Tyndale House child has made quite an impression on our family. She is quite a character! I will miss her~


Today, she walked in our flat, came over to the sink and asked me without any preamble, "Could you tell me your secrets?"

I obligingly wrote one down, (and yes I will share it with you, "I love to swim") and off she went in search of other willing participants.

Don't you love this little face?

They're back!

A very interesting element to Cambridge life is the livestock. Seriously. Today the cows have returned to the parks and the fields around town.


I had to walk off the path today to avoid one ambling bovine, and more importantly, it is crucial to watch where one steppeth~

8 more days.

Afternoon at the Harris home~

We spent the afternoon and evening today with our friends Adrian, Fiona, Anna, Rachel and Kirsten. We enjoyed a lovely meal (as always Fiona!) and Jim was treated with a very special gift, HAGGIS!!!


Fiona had agreed to try Peanut Butter and Jelly at our home, in return, Jim promised to try some Haggis. What is Haggis? Here's what Wikipedia says:

"Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish.

There are many recipes, most of which have in common the following ingredients: sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours."

Delicious. At least that's what the Harris family thinks. We, well, we TRIED it~


After some lovely desserts, we also played cards (the four adults that is) where the U.K. soundly beat the U.S., much to the United States chagrin. Adrian very kindly sent me the below picture, so we could remember the scores for posterity sake. How kind~


Thank you friends!

Happy Birthday Jim!

Last night we celebrated Jim's 42nd birthday on a large Tyndale House scale~above is Jim with friends Jason and Pete~

Jason kindly made 24 pizza's for the Tyndale House weekly Friday night BBQ~and they were delicious!



Jim's birthday cake is right behind Julia~notice that two small mice did a little "pre-taste"


Today we celebrated again with breakfast in bed, our family tradition~


And now, Jim and I are off to a restaurant for dinner!

Jim has told me that the best birthday present he could possibly want he now has, a FINISHED dissertation! Hallelujah!

Happy birthday Honey!

Legoland!

Yesterday we surprised our children again with another treat~LEGOLAND!

We of course didn't tell them until after they had gotten their uniforms on, eaten breakfast, etc. Jim and I love to catch our children unaware!

We set off immediately, for a good hour and half drive. Unfortunately Andrew got carsick and gave up his breakfast about 1/2 way there. What were we to do? Fortunately we found a T.K. Maxx, (England's version of T.J. Maxx) and bought a pair of pants (trousers).

That, plus a lot of traffic for Ascot (a huge horse race, where everyone dresses up to go and all the women wear hats~see below~


meant that it was quite a drive~~but we made it! Here are a few of our favorite pic's of the day~


New friends~




and foes~


LOTS of Legos~




Favorite rides~




Learning how to drive~





A great memory, and a great day especially for Jim because he is now done! He just finished his bibliography today, hooray!

Tomorrow is his birthday, and he couldn't wish for a better gift than to be finished, now we just wait to hear back from his advisor on what he might need to change. Pray for this please~

Also, please pray that we can sell our van. Thank you!

15 more days!

One more link off the paper chain...

London, as a family~

After discovering that Sarah had found the largest honey-nut cornflake EVER made, we proceeded to surprise our children at breakfast yesterday morning.

Jim to Lisa, "Have you called the school?"

Lisa to Jim, "No, I wrote a letter, and talked with their teachers~"

Lisa, "And so, children, change your clothes, because you are not going to school today."

Children, "Where are we going?"

Lisa, "We are going to London!"

Children, "Are you kidding?" "No?" screams all around, a hurriedly finished breakfast and rapidly changed clothes, and we were off!

We drove down to the first tube stop, Epping and took the tube into London~

Got off at the Tower of London~

and then took a short cruise down to Westminster Abbey~


Tower Bridge

the London Eye~


Big Ben and Parliament~


In front of Westminster Abbey

On to Kensingston Garden, for a picnic lunch at the Princess Diana Memorial Children's playground.

The whole playground theme is Peter Pan and Neverland~



Next was the Science Museum~

A family portrait, aren't we lovely?




Then, off to the Natural History Museum,


You may wonder why we took this picture, but this is my Dad, "King Vulture" or better known as the stealer of all his children's and grandchildren's toast.

Giant Sloth~


Victoria and Albert Museum, where the only thing we did was run into to look at their beautiful chandelier, and the children played outside on the railing. Playing on the railing was Sarah's highlight of the whole trip.


Piccadilly Circus~

Then, off to Pizza Hut, in honor of our friends, the Sellers.

A tube ride home, a car ride home, and we all fell into bed happy. A great day!