Babies, Baptisms and Banter in the Snow

Babies first, Jerome (my colleague who went back to France in April) had a wee girl last week. So excited! I don't know what they named her, but she looks quite like both him and her mum, Angela. And I knew he was going to have a girl - not great when wanting to start a rugby team. He could have a women's rugby team... So that's the first baby this year, another 3 expected in February and 2 in June... it gives me a chance to go to the baby section of H&M which is my favorite section. It's all so tiny and soft!

Baptisms next, Nadia and Laura got baptised on Sunday. Really great time. I cried! They were prophesied over and the accuracy was amazing. God is awesome!! Their non-christian flatmate, Heather was there with her boyfriend, Andrew and a couple of their friends too, along with Nadia's mum, step-dad, auntie, Laura's dad and grandparents. So good!

Before I go onto the final "B", I have a "C" and a "T" to mention. I got a contract for Camp Wonderland, I leave on the 15th June, starting camp the following day and ending on the 17th August. I now have to decide how long to stay on afterwards, since I need to give a date for the return flight. And the other quick thing is that I just had the best tutorial ever. Really interesting (on sustainable development and a booklet the UK government have published) and entertaining, as lots of us were participating in the debate, rather unusual, seeing as tutorials are generally boring and the tutor labours to get anyone to talk as no one does the work - but since it was an essay we had to hand in and people on this course are really interested in the topic, it was brilliant!

Banter in the Snow is for this coming weekend, though it is snowing right now. Index are all being transported close to Glenshee near the Cairngorms for the weekend. Should be fan-foogoo-tastic if it's anything like the weekly index meetings, and it's expected to snow, so we may need to take time off work on Monday if we get snowed in. I'll take plenty of notes as always and will tell you all about it!

Starry Skies and Soap Bubbles

"By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth." Psalm 33:6
Imagine this: it was no harder for God to create the world than it is for a child to blow bubbles. Amazing! And what's just as amazing is that He is active even still now. If He were to remove Himself from just one of us rebelious people, that person would cease to exist. If He removed Himself from His creation, it would cease to exist. I love it. "He is upholding all things by the word of His power." Hebrews 1:3

He's so awesome!

Today I met up with Leanne which was great - hadn't seen her in over a month so we had a lot to catch up on. Then I went to an Ecosoc Committee meeting which was ok, but it meant I couldn't go to the mission prayer meeting, bou. I thought it would be my last committee meeting, but it turns out that no, because we're the first committee, we're going on til the end of term (which kind of makes sense since we have trips and events organised til March) which I have to say was somewhat dissapointing. I study Ecology, but am not the most ecologically minded person and I would rather be doing something else.

Laura and Miriam

Mark and me

Yesterday evening a large group of us went to a restaurant to celebrate Heather's 22d birthday which was lots of fun - good food, good company, interesting conversations about mice, parabolas and the like... so the photos above are of that meal (because there were so many of us, we ended up only chatting to a few folk, so I don't have any photos of anyone else really, bou)

Recently we've had some fair weather which has meant cloudless skies, and at night (well, from 4pm to 8am) you can see the stars. Looking up at the stars is one of my favorite things to do. On my way home last night I stopped and looked up. It was amazing. Just beautiful! The people I was with didn't seem to share my awe, so we walked on. I hope we get some clear skies at the Index weekend away (not this weekend, but the next) cause we'll be (I think) fairly in the middle of nowhere which is the best place to be to look at the stars. When I was home this Christmas, there was one night I stood outside my house for about 10 minutes just looking at the stars.

This weekend is looking almost as busy as this week is, Sunday particularly, since Nadia (and Laura) is getting baptised! Yay! Having forgotten it was this weekend, I went on and said I'd cook for Index with Bethany, Joel and Odd Harold (real name, Norwegen) so I'll be going to church, cooking, going to a baptism, cooking, indexing. But I can't wait! I think Nadia's bapism will be amazing. I've seen God work in her SO much even just these past few months, and it definitely time!

Hama Beads

I'm having a pretty good day. So far, I've danced on the dance mat (this was last night, nito the early hours of the morning, had a Bible study with Nadia and Heather (who isn't a christian), made a flower out of hama beads, slept in Nadia's bed, had lunch with Nadia, Laura and Laura. Then we took turns in the shower, though it's almost 6pm and Heather's only now about to take hers. I've had my hair dried and straightened. And Nadia and I are going for a meal and a film in a wee while. So it's been fairly dossy, but nice nonetheless. This past week has been a little crazy, and had to change my uni courses (again) because the French teacher wouldn't allow me to take her class because I know too much (what???!) so I'm now doing oceanography (which isn't as interesting as it sounds, it's about sediments). I'm waiting on a phone call from the Camp Director to chat for a few minutes, then the application will go through and I'll have to start organising things like medicals, insurance, visas and the like. Wahey!! This week at work has been fairly easy going, the kids have been very well behaved and I've helped them with making hama beads stuff each day I've worked (which is only two this week - may have something to do with the sense of easy goingness I have!!) . And finally, Andrew's favorite joke: Two fish in a tank, one says to the other "So how do you drive this thing?"

2007... gonna be a good year.

Happy New Year from the Lambos!

I flew back to Edinburgh yesterday. Don't you just love airports? Crowds, crying babies, uncomfy chairs, delays. It was great! But I'm here, I've been grocery shopping so I have dinner other than 2 month old eggs and pesto sauce, and I'm going to church tomorrow, so I'm happy. What's more exciting than being back in the swing of things after a relaxing holiday and time with mum, dad and the boys though is that I got an email from a lady at a camp in Massachusetts asking me to be the Nature Director at their camp this summer. It's a Salvation Army camp for inner city kids (so rough) and it's going to be awesome! Already, I cannot wait.

Sunset over Scotland from the plane.

Boxing Day

I'm writing with a furr ball on my lap :o) I'm so happy that she's a cuddles mood. I'm cold and need the warmth! So, I'm back in Paris for 2 weeks, and am loving it, though it's taking a bit of getting used to the less frantic lifestyle. I slept a whole 14 hours when I got here, probably catching up from having no more than 7 per night for the past 3 weeks. So that was good. On Saturday, I took it easy and left plenty of time to get to the airport, since first of all, last time, I missed my flight and second of all, there was fog and a lot of craziness on all travelling methods or so the news told me. I left at 10am giving me 4 hours before check in even opened, for a 2 hour journey to Prestwick... So I got there well early, though not quite early enough to see my friend Jonah off to Sweden (his plane left 4 hours before mine, so I guess that was a good thing, or his plane would have been one of the delayed ones). I just chilled for a while, which was actually quite nice! When check in opened I went to queue and almost immediately got a phone call from my friend Flo. All she said was "I think I'm behind you in the queue" so I turned round, and sure enough, there she was! She's a friend from my church in Paris and has lived in Edinburgh for 5 years now. So we ended up travelling together. I almost regretted it when she said she got air sick last time she flied, but it was all good. I can't deal with people being sick. That is the one thing my husband will have to do for me when our kids throw up. Can't do it. Anyway, back from that tangent. The whole family met me at the airport, Flo caught a coach into Paris, and we drove to the lovely town, sorry, "town" that we call home, Verneuil. Nathan was feeling very ill, had his covers with him and a bowl to be sick in. So all I could do was pray that he wouldn't be sick in the car. I did. God answered my prayer, we got home and within about 5 minutes, Nathan was sick, but no where near me. Thank the Lord!!! Sorry if this is not the nicest of all stories I have ever told!! Since then, I have celebrated Christmas in a multitude of ways and on many occasions, been to church twice, enjoyed some family in-jokes, slept lots, read some, listened to some good music, sang along to Nathan playing the guitar, cut Joseph's hair (note to self: never do that again), played with Manuela, eaten some nice food, reflected on coming back to Paris, laughed lots, prayed some and walked in the cold. And other stuff. It's nice to be home you know. But I really miss Edinburgh when I'm here, the people there and my church in particular. But it really feels like a rest here. Sometimes like a forced rest, like when I just want to meet up with people and go out and do something but everybody's away or doing stuff, so instead I'm picking up one of the many books I want to read and chill with God. You know, sometimes that can be really difficult to do. But always worth it! Merry Christmas!