Michael and Isabelle's farewell to their UK friends

Truthfully, we find ourselves somewhere between outright denial that there is a property notice planted in Michael and Izo's front garden, making the utmost of the time we have together, wanting to keep them right here with us in the UK, great thankfulness for the last 3 years and butterflies in our tummies at the thought that in as little as 10 days time all 4 will be in their home in Northern Germany - and then a few months on - start their Tokyo adventure.

This is our prayer for all our children and every reader of this post:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you

in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has granted to us

all things that pertain to life and godliness,

throught the knowledge of Him

who called us to His own glory and excellence.

Michael and Isabelle arrived 3 years ago in the UK with a 2-week-old Josie

Evie was born in Portland, Westminster London in June this year.

What a privilege to have a part in the great milestone of the birth of a child!

Josie is helping to set the (coffee)-table for her little friends.

She started the evening off dressed in party clothes....but shed the hair band and

bangle during the evening!

A framed picture of Josie in the kitchen one of her own creations

Josie has the typical round tummy of an almost 3-year old little girl:

that party skirt had nowhere to "rest" and it did not take long till

Josie  lost patience with it.  stepped out of her skirt and played in her pretty pink tights!

Bliss is Josie scratching Gwamp's back.

A moustache kiss

Michael - the loyal South African rugby supporter

There were a whole lot of dear and  lively toddlers at the party - here are some of them:

Zaw

Hannah

and Markus

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Dashing through the left-over snow in Buckinghamshire

Gordon and I are acutely aware that Michael and Isabelle and the two little girls have only two weeks left in the UK.  Time is running out far too fast!!!    Without having our spirits too much dampened,  we just enjoy our children and grandchildren in the last 14 days we DO have living in the same country - with thanksgiving.

Evie and Isabelle hugging as a 7 month-old and a Mamma do.

Isabelle dressed Josie in her snow-suite and penguin hat and the two of us

set off  for a slippery walk  in what was left of the snow.

"Remember when...?" - conversations of recalling days of fishing with branches and nets in the little stream,

walking in the water with our wellies, floating autumn leaves and berries.

One day Josie even slipped and fell right into the stream - good thing it was summer time!

Josie flying like a plane - which in the all-too- near future would be reality...

first back home to Germany and after a few months, to Japan.

This is Josie's house under a clump of trees on the top of a very small hill.

Here we played and cooked and ran for shelter from the rain under these same trees that

charmed us in the autumn, sheltered us in the summer, and gave us spring-leaves of promise.

Exuberance!

Josie wanted me to lie down next to her and listen to the small waterfall.

Being a gran - gwan - obliging is a pleasure.

Two minor challenges, though:

1) Gran had no snow-suite so it could be a cold and wet affair.

2)  Hanging in mid-air, pushing myself up by my hands and toes could not be maintained

much longer than about a minute at a time.

A few push-ups and a few priceless, close little times of togetherness....thank you for the memories, Josie!

Wish we had a photo of both of us  lying next to each other, but that is what imaganiation is for!

Home and a warm welcome!

Josie often caught a ride on my neck when her little legs were tired at the end of a walk

and this is our song when she rides high:

Me and you and you and me

No matter how they toss the dice, it has to be be

the only one for me is you and you for me

so happy together

with a little twirl on "So happy Together"

Except in the case of the Schmidts' 3-year stay in the UK, it was not a matter of tossing a dice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAfPuV8ZyJk&feature=related

So happy together!

The joys of a party for three year olds!

Gordon and I spent Sunday afternoon at 3-year old Zaw's birthday party. How come?  His mom and dad are friends with our Michael and Izo and we have had the joy of getting to know some of their friends during their three year stay in the UK, Milton Keynes.  Our Schmidt Family's time in the UK is running out all too quickly - stop the clocks, cancel the moving van tear up the air-tickets!

Zaw's parents hired a small hall and a Mr Cheese who entertained the bunch of 3 year olds with help from the parents.  Mr Cheese was the full time entertainer and all joining in with the Hokey Pokey, the Chicken Dance and the Wheels of the bus goes round and round.

Josie and her Pappa Michael - so happy together

Evie snoozed through quite a lot of the party and woke up red-cheeked. The memory of Michael and Josie joining in all the party games together will stay with us a long time.

Isabelle and Evie still in snooze-mood

Josie growing up quickly and beautifully!

What a rapport between Gwamps and his Fifi (Josephine in French)

The beautiful mom of the birthday boy

Happy Birthday Zaw! the cute boy in the middle