The Final Countdown!!

We have just 8 weeks to go before we head back to the US. It has been a busy month or so since we last posted. Our time in the UK was great fun, if a little exhausting. Abi's parents Ruby wedding celebrations were a huge success and it was great to see family and friends who we hardly ever manage to get together with. We did some lovely day trips with Abi's parents too while we were with them which were alot of fun.

We did see as many people as possible during the time we were in the UK. It was lovely to catch up and reconnect. Apologies to those who we missed. We realise the timing wasn't great due to the holidays etc.

We managed to get away for a week's holiday, just the 6 of us, which was sorely needed. We had a wonderful time, although Jems did decide she had had enough and gradually slept less and less as our time away went on!!! She is back into the groove again now we are home - thankfully.

Brad is in the UK at Radstock meetings and returns tomorrow. His schedule is looking very tight. We have already had 4 guys from Northern Ireland here for a few days looking at investment opportunities since we have returned so his time has been full to say the least. There are plenty of people coming for different things before we leave - several of whom are looking to work in the area of micro finance and business as mission so we are thrilled about those opportunities and pray we will be able to get everything done before our plane leaves!!

To say Abi is thrilled to have Vicky here from Northern Ireland teaching Quin and Ezzie would be the understatement of the year!!! School is in full swing and she wonders how she managed to do life here and teach too. A huge relief to be able to concentrate on the relationships here and the day centre in the spare time she has. She is madly trying to organise our departure and sell off all the things we wont be shipping.

The children are doing well. They do unravel slightly during times of transition, but they are holding up so far which is good to see. Quin is growing before our eyes and is desperate to master skipping with a rope before we return to his school as they have a big "Jump rope for heart" competition in the new year which he is keen to be a part of.

Ezzie is losing teeth by the minute and is raking in the cash!! It seems so strange to see her with a mouth full of adult teeth. She and Quin are enjoying our co-op which now has 3 families participating as the other 2 who were with us last year are back in the US for a year. We had the first one 2 days after we returned here at our house. As it was also just after Ezzie's birthday we decided to have them all sleep over!! I have the utmost admiration for people who have 8 children or more!!! They ate constantly and used up tons of energy, draining us of ours!! We obligingly filled them all up with sugar on Saturday morning and deposited them back to their parents!!!! (I am sure we were really popular!!!)

Tate continues to keep us on our toes and Abi is loving having some time in the mornings when the older 2 are in school to hang out with him. They have done some little visits together and he is great company. He is the joker in the family which keeps us all doubled up with laughter. He is particularly proud that he gets to go to pre-school at the Day Centre when the others dont!!

Jems is 7 months today and is wearing clothes Ezzie wore when she was walking!!!! She is an absolute delight and giggles constantly. She is getting teeth as fast as Ezzie is losing them. She will have 6 by the end of this week I think as she is cutting 2 more. She isn't too bothered about baby food, much prefers ours, and chomped her way through a quarter of a byrek the other day (for those of you who haven't been here that is a flaky pastry filled with meat - not what you would expect a small baby to be eating!!)

I will post a calendar in the next week or so as we have guests and teams coming up to the time we leave. If you are interested in making a quick trip before we leave - let us know!!!