Happy New Year! I'd like to say that my resolutions included blogging everyday but that would be lying (which really goes against some of my actual resolutions).
Chris and Penny Cox are the most wonderful people. I spent Christmas Day with the Coxes, a family from church. Both of their kids, Matt and Josie, were there with Carrie and John, their respective spouses. We had a fantastic day. I have to say, Christmas Eve was not the best. I'm used to being really busy that day, since our family does a dinner that night. But the Coopers were so efficient with their time that EVERYTHING was done by Christmas Eve morning (I know this will put some people to shame). So I spent a huge amount of the day doing nothing. Which felt weird. Which gave me too much time to think. Which made me sad. BUT the entire evening was salvaged by watching Love Actually for the first time in England with Oscar. One of my new favourite movies.
On Christmas morning, I woke up and went to church (after finding a little stocking stuffed outside my door). After church, we all headed back to the Coxes and had a massive lunch (it was a bit odd having the Christmas meal at the beginning of the day). We had turkey, potatoes, brussel sprouts, parsnips (the best!), celeriac, carrots, stuffing etc. Very typical - very delicious. Afterwards, we piled into the lounge to open gifts, and I have to say that this ENTIRE family was too good to me. Matt and Carrie, who live in the States, and have never met me, bought me a beautiful scarf. I received a bag, lotion, shower gel, a baking magazine (I think this is Chris' way of getting me to bake for him) etc. Seriously - I'm so blessed. Afterwards, we played the biggest game of Jenga... seriously, when those blocks fell, it was dangerous! We went for a walk in the evening, and briefly played rugby in the street. Later on the McAbe's (the people whose house we go to for housegroup, and dear friends of the Coxes) came around and we ate more food and played more games. You can see the pattern. I was home by midnight (where I quickly opened my gifts from my lovely family back home) and then I had a short skype date - I was falling over from exhaustion. But what an amazingly blessed girl I am!
Boxing Day was spent with the Coopers. They were having upwards of 20 friends and family members over, and they made the LARGEST amount of meat ever. Beef, lamb, ham, turkey... it was shocking. What was more shocking was how LITTLE was left over. But it was so nice to get to know their family better - we went crabbing with their cousins (to all my crabbing friends back home, we do the REAL DEAL crabbing. These were little babies that we tossed back).
I was in Cambridge for a few days after Christmas - sadly, everything was closed. But I got onto the back of Trinity College right by the river and that made the whole trip worthwhile. King's College was to my left, Trinity was behind me, and St. John's was to my right. The River Cam was right in front of me, complete with bridges, willow trees and punters. It was how I had imagined England before I came over.
New Year's Eve was extremely low key. I didn't get home from Cambridge until about 8:00pm, and I rang in the New Year at church. We had a little party/quiz night in the lobby, and then prayed in the New Year.
TODAY- I went on a classic English walk, and I am exhausted. We (a group of people from church) walked about 7 or 8 miles over the rolling English countryside. Up and down hills, over stiles, under tunnels and through LOTS of mud. We lost children, someone fell and got hurt, and I was the muddiest I have been in years. But it was a perfect day - not a cloud in the sky. I met some lovely new people, and ate massive amounts of food afterwards. It's my last day of vacation, and it was a lovely way to finish it off!
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