Just a few days since our last entry and they have again been filled with stuff to report. On Sunday we got to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary. It was a typically crap one – I say typically because any birthday or special anniversary that falls on a Sunday is shot for us because of who I work for. We were at church most of the day – and that was not the worst of it – on top of that we chose this to be the day where we told the rest of the church congregation that we are leaving in March. It actually was not going too badly – the people of the church were shocked and somewhat upset but they were also very supportive of what we are doing and encouraged me to go fully into my studies and to give it everything. You know for two years this church family has done nothing but love us and make us one of their own and in many ways it was a harder decision to leave here next year than it was to leave home. And now, even in their own ‘loss’ and ‘struggle’ with our decision they are supporting us and choosing to love and understand us. I don’t know if the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Port St Lucie will ever know how much they have impacted and influenced our lives, all I can say is that their part in molding and shaping us as a couple and now as a family has been nothing short of huge.

We got to celebrate our anniversary tonight when Jen graciously offered to look after Eva while Margaret and I went out and had some us time. That’s just what we did – we were going to go to this nice wee restaurant that Jen suggested but when we got there it was closed. So we ended up in Olive Garden and had some really nice Italian food and had a McDonalds ice cream after (classy I know, but lets be honest – McDonalds ice cream is hard to beat!!!!!) We just had a good time together and talked about what going home will be like and how things might work out. It is another scary step we are taking, but it in faith we are making it, knowing that God holds us and goes before us.

Eva has just got funnier and funnier over the last couple of days. Her face just grows more and more expressive with each 24 hours. I have some cool pictures for you to look at of her when Margaret was reading to her and her face is so funny in some of them. The coolest thing though happened this morning when Margaret went in to wake Eva up. Somehow in her sleep she had maneuvered herself over to the side of the cot and had managed to move her arms in between two of the wooden bars and it was hanging over the edge of her bed. It looked so funny and again we have some pictures to show you how she ended up and how she woke up. I will let those pictures do the talking.

Next week Eva will get to meet half of her Grandparents when my Mum and Dad make the journey across the Atlantic to visit for a couple of weeks. We are so excited to see them and we know that they are also excited to meet her. During their stay we are going to take a few days up in North Carolina in the mountains there – not only will the temperature be a bit cooler up there but it will also give mum and dad the chance to see some of the beautiful mounts in NC. The leaves on the trees will just be starting to turn in colour and it should be pretty special. I cannot wait to share the photos with you all and whoever else reads this blog of mine.

The other major event to happen in the last week is this. Little Northern Ireland which is extremely poorly ranked in the world footy standings managed to take on the glamorous millionaires of the English game as they played England at Windsor Park in Belfast last Wednesday night. The unbelievable and impossible happened as Northern Ireland’s green and white army beat the English 1-0. A great display apparently by northern Ireland and a great goal by David Healy on 74 minutes sealed an historic result on an historic night in Belfast. I must confess to having felt a little homesick as I repeatedly updated the ‘live’ results page on the BBC website (I also felt remarkably sad that watching international football has been reduced to mouse clicking for me!!!). What a wonderful night for the game and what a wonderful night for Northern Ireland.

It is ironic somewhat that since then the nation has been in turmoil as the bigotry and hatred that has marred our nation for hundreds of years took over as scenes of riotous violence replaced the scenes of sporting celebration and unity. Some will argue that it is small minded and ridiculous, some will argue that it is the only way to get the process moving along (in their direction), some will even argue that it is justified as one group has reached the end of its tether. Whatever your viewpoint on it all, I think we agree that it is definitely a step back when a nation is united in song and celebration on one Wednesday night only to be divided in hatred and bigotry 48 short hours later. But such is the state of Northern Ireland – it truly is a nation that beholds simultaneously amazing, glorious beauty and deep, ugly hatred. Who knows where it will end up – but me? I am holding onto what happened at Windsor!!! Its always good to beat the English!!!!!