24th July - Showers of Blessing

     We turned up in the UK 6 years ago yesterday, to say we are blessed would be an understatement. It is amazing when you look around our home here in Overton, you can count on your fingers the household items that we actually bought. The amount of man hours that have been accumulated in helping us move house 3 times, in helping with DIY projects is quite staggering too. We have been on the other end of generous monetary gifts as well throughout our time whether it has been to help with travel expenses, everyday expenses or to take a special holiday. They say that April is a month of showers and while true, I think that July showers are quite awesome (American word for ya'll) too.

     Allow me to explain, last night I went out to my friends to play Dominion while Rebecca had a special evening, the kind that whole photo albums are dedicated toward. Some friends from our church spearheaded by Jo put on a baby shower for her, it was held at the hall where we gather for our church meetings. How many times has she gone out the door for someone else's baby shower, I'm not sure but it's been quite a few. It was very exhilirating seeing the excitement on her face as she came down the stairs in her beautiful dress ready to go to her baby shower!

     There was a large group of women who came along to join in the festivities, I was told that they played some fun games, enjoyed food together and watched as Rebecca unraveled the gifts from paper and gift bags. Last week we were blessed to be given some practical gifts from friends in the village, then we bought a buggy, have been looking at beds and other practicals. The shower gifts weren't practical they were toys; musical, bath, cooking, dress up, a paddling pool, art easel, DVDs, CDs, books, the kind of stuff that is downright fun to open up and play with ourselves. We have had basically no toys in this house till now, soon there will be misplaced duplo blocks, little doll dresses, a favourite book and the like, a bit searching for lost items sounds like fun to me.

     The prep is going swimmingly as we carry on getting the bedroom and front room ready. This past week we were blessed with a gift from the church and in the card it mentioned a 'wendy house'. I was not familiar with the term, for those of you that aren't it is a playhouse, not so much a little plastic one but a proper wooden building like a small shed. We researched a bit, with the help of Lizzie found a great spot in the garden and actually bought it on Monday on the spot. By Tuesday there was already a group of guys from the church who have agreed to collect it, even the ground and build the wendy house. We have so enjoyed the showering of the giving, care and joy of so many friends around us, yup the showers of July are a real blessing.