The final blog....

Well, it's only 2 more sleeps until we return God willing and this blog has no news about exciting adventures or places we've visited...
It's simply some of our recollections of the ordinary, special and unique events or experiences we've had during our time away (compiled during a brainstorming session one evening over dinner)...
We've played in the snow, picked and eaten blackberries, scraped the car when it's frosted over, survived -1 to -14 degrees weather, slid in the muddy, waterlogged fields at the park, fellowshipped with many different brethren and sisters, shattered some ice on a large pond with the top layer frozen over, seen the sun go down at 4pm and not rise until 8am, tried various cuisines, ski-ed, driven for hours together, slipped on black ice, climbed mountains, crossed rivers (by bridge!), walked miles, seen beautiful forests and waterfalls, been awed by the grand mountains, walked in the tropics of Singapore, seen the night sky of the northern hemisphere, sung together, felt overwhelmingly homesick at times, prayed for you all, been encouraged by brethren and sisters along the way, cooked meals together, eaten out so much we're sick of it, seen snow making machines on the ski slopes, seen a single snowflake with it's unique design, played indoor hockey and badminton at the gym, endured squad twice a week in a 25m pool, watched the rushing of the River Dee after torrential rain, waited for an hour in traffic to drive through the flooded motorway, driven in mist, ski-ed in the clouds, seen red deer, laughed at Mase as he fell over in the mud, eaten cheese fondue, tried mead (Irish) and Gluhwein (Swiss), devoured too many Swiss chocolates and Dutch salted licorice, had days with no central heating or hot water, made use of many different toilets, driven through the Highlands, felt what it's like to land in new snow, had fingers, toes and face numb with cold, gotten used to the drip that's always on the end of your nose in the colder climates, experienced the silence of the snowy mountains on a chairlift, been thankful for safe travel, watched trees heavy with snow bend under its weight until finally the snow slides off, appreciated a comfortable bed and a warm shower, been confused by the traffic signals near roundabouts, eaten a bridie, had 'frosty' moments when discussing direction in the car, split our sides laughing together, read together, eaten many tatties and rosti, used the underground train system, lost (and then found) each other, been locked in and kicked down doors, survived long distance schooling, made flapjacks, sleep walked in a London hotel, taken thousands of photos, watched a backyard fireworks display, played in a ball pit after the meeting, been to Sunday School during the meeting, played on the percussion instruments at Aberdeen, woken up to the stairs creaking as Dad went to work each morning, eaten curry in the car at Inverness, hit our heads on the low angled ceiling upstairs and the stairwell in the bathroom, eaten mushy peas, stovies and orange cheese, seen Highland dancing, tried haggis and black pudding (Mase), endured the narrow, windy roads, driven at 70mph, marvelled at the huge grocery stores open 24hrs, toured castles and their gardens, been to a country fair, shot clay pigeons, lived in a two-storey house, gotten used to parking on the road at the front of our house, learnt some new words (by the noo, wee, aye), eaten baguettes in Paris, lived in the typical Aberdeen grey, granite house, thrown stones in the rivers, tried curling, used different currencies, enjoyed Wed Bible class in homes, driven on the A90 countless times, seen the unending stone walls in Scotland and Ireland, observed carnivorous plants, tried haddock, chips and turnip mash, touched sleeping grass, been up close to the huge Angus cows and much, much more.
What will I miss most? Definitely the Wednesday night Bible classes where 5 or 6 of us got together to do the readings, listen to a tape or present a talk. For me that was the highlight of the week, as there was always interesting discussion, debate or opportunity to talk about life in the Truth. It was also where we got to know Joe, Vernon, Tony and Jack and appreciate their wit and wisdom. (It will be a very special memory for me.)
But I think we'll also miss the cold, refreshing water straight from the tap, the quiet evenings together during the week, the grandeur of the mountains that make you look up and consider their Maker and the cold air on our faces when we're out running/walking...these are a few of our favourite things!
God be with you, till we meet again....