Earthquake - in England??? yep

Kevin, wake up. Kevin, wake up. I think we're having an earthquake. KEVIN, WAKE UP!

Of course, the most I got was a grunt from him... but I can officially say, I was RIGHT.

Wednesday morning at 1am England had the first Earthquake of this magnitude in 20+ years. There was a small earthquake last year (April 2007 in Kent), but I didn't feel it. I know 5.2 on the Richter scale is nothing compared to what the California coast has felt, but it was enough for me...

You know, I have lived through hurricanes and tornados but never an earthquake. As a little girl my grandfather lived in California. I remember him talking about the refrigerator dancing across the floor. Now I have an idea of what he was talking about.

I woke at 1 am (I immediately looked at the clock) to a loud bang. Then I realized the house was shaking - it seemed like a long time but "they" say it was 10 seconds. The wardrobe in my bedroom shook to the point that I thought it was going to fall over. I tried to turn the light on but the bed & the light were shaking too much. I could hear other things in the house trembling but was not willing to investigate. Duke and Daisy, the dogs came running into our bedroom and actually got under the covers. The girls (like their dad) slept through the whole thing.

A few minutes after everything settled down I walked through the house to check on everything and did not find any damage. I opened the windows to listen for any sirens or alarms, but it was unnervingly quite - like the still before the storm, but this was after the storm. There were no bird sounds, no dogs barking, nothing - just absolute quite.

First thing in the morning I turned on the tv to see that I was right - there was an earthquake. The epicentre was about 60 miles away. However, less than 10 miles from me there were some homes with downed chimneys, missing roof tiles, etc. Needless to say, the earthquake was the topic of choice on Wednesday - every where you went you could hear the conversation centered on the earthquake. But my favorite quote for the day "the British earthquake, it seems, is rather like the British summer - fleeting and mild-mannered, a pale imitation of what we experience when we head south to somewhere like the Mediterranean" (Iain Stewart).

Who knew I would travel half way across the world to feel an earthquake!!!!!!!!!!

Sunny Fuerteventura 2008

We spent our February school break in sunny Fuerteventura (part of the Canaray Island group west of Africa). It is a very windy island, which makes for ideal wind surfing and kite surfing. There isn't a lot of vegetation until you get into the more touristy areas, because it is mostly made up of red and black lava rock. It is said to be warm & sunny year round, so we put them to the test.

Arriving in Fuerteventura we were greeted with 20C temperatures which would hover in the mid to low 20s the entire week - awesome! The water was warm enough to play in, and the nights were cool enough to leave our balcony doors open for a nice breeze. It was great.

Travelling around the island by car was a little tricky but we saw some great views. We found the maps not to scale. Plus they are putting in new roads (which is a good thing) but makes the maps outdated. We spent one day looking for a road that just does not exist any more. The main roads are 2 lane-paved roads, anything else can be considered an adventure (dirt road or just plain winging it). You can travel from the north tip to the south tip in about an hour and a half; which, if any of you know Kevin, that is a must (see every inch that is possible).

We stayed at the Elba Palace Golf Resort - a five star facility. Even with five stars, the staff was accommodating for Brittney & Sophie (and they were both on their best behavior the whole time). The pool is said to be heated ~ the kids enjoyed it, but the adults found it to be too cold. The golf course looks to be gorgeous but with 2 little ones in tow, we did not try it.

If we go again, we'll stay on the southern most part of the island and at a resort. The beaches around the resorts have had “white” sand brought in; otherwise the beaches are rocky. Both types of beachs (rocky or white) are beautiful and make for wonderful sand castles and wave riding. Even in February the water was warm enough to play in.

We spent three days on three different beaches, but we needed to remember we aren’t in the USA anymore. If you stay around the resorts, the most you will see is a topless woman and maybe a child without a bathing suit. But, if you venture away from the resorts, beware – the sight can be disturbing at times… One day Brittney & Sophie were playing in the water with dad when an older couple (without bathing suits) decided to come into the water right next to them. In a combined shock & childish innocence, Brittney said 'dad, they don't have bathing suits on' of course Sophie kept asking why they had no bathing suits. Kevin & I were asking ourselves the same question - you know, some things just don't need to be publisized and should be kept covered up.

We spent one day at Oasis Park – a must visit for everyone. The park is a combination zoo, animal shows, and beautiful gardens. There was a 30 minute camel ride that took us to a high point on the island. The camel ride is not the smoothest of rides, but is an adventure everyone should try at least once if possible (unless you don’t like heights).

The animal shows are as good or better than any you could see in the USA. They actually bring a sea lion out into the audience to interact on a limited level – so cool. For the Reptile Show they bring out a crocodile and a python – and the really brave can hold these for pictures ¬ Kevin volunteered with the girls right behind him (I was then @obligated@ to take pictures). There was a Bird’s of Prey show and a Tropical Bird show.

The zoo is full of all different types of animals. It is very clean and close up (while still being safe) - monkeys, zebras, hippos, otters, you name it. The walk around the zoo was filled with shade from beautiful gardens. The tropical atmosphere was mixed with a desert feel from the cactus garden. It was a great day by all.

On our last day we ventured to the south-western side of the island to see that the waves are made for surfing – breathtaking to watch, but no child of mine is going out in that (at least right now anyway). I was reminded of the opening scene for Hawaii Five-O. We opted to go back to the other side of the island & enjoy the water & sand.

For us, it rained periodically on the island, but it would blow through pretty quickly. The first day we decided to go on a submarine ride during the rain shower. The ocean floor is easy to see because the water is so clear. The fish swim along side the boat. My only complaint, too short of a ride. At the end of the ride we saw a short show with a sea lion and got to stroke a man-of-war (quite slimy). But the man-of-war waved good bye as we left (that's him waving below).

Well, that pretty much covers all of the trip. We spent as much time as possible in the sun and at the beach. We all enjoyed the water, and the best for Kevin & I was watching the girls have a blast. It was a great holiday... too bad they have to end:-( Sooooooooo, until next time-

Singing

In Ecclesiates 3 it says there is a time & a season to everything in life, but it never promised that the seasons would be easy. In fact it describes good & bad times - a time to be born, a time to die; a time to weep, a time to laugh; a time to speak, a time to keep silent. But it does continue with the promise that everything God does is good. There is a song and a saying, "God is good all the time, All the time God is good".

It is no secret, that I have struggled since moving to the UK. I have struggled with leaving my career; I realize now that I had wrapped my identity in my career and my "success". I have struggled with loosing NeeNee, though I was blessed to know her for 7+ years and will be the better because of it. I struggle with the daily routine of life now - how do I fill the 6 hours the kids are at school with anything meaningful. I have struggled with leaving Willow Hill and all the friends/family there, forgetting to thank God for the blessing of KingsGate and all the new friends He has surrounded me with.

But what I miss the most is singing! I miss singing in the Praise Band (both rehearsals and Sunday mornings); I miss singing in the car to WCIC (Christian Radio in Peoria); I miss singing with the youth & jumping up & down to crazy songs; I miss singing at Snyder Village; and I miss the occassional solo or duet opportunties.

Singing is a release for me in so many ways. It is a way for me to verbalize and identify my feelings; it is a way for me to worship & be close to God ~ sometimes I believe it brings me to the Throne Room & gives me the ability to process the experience...

It has been a long time since I brought out my performance cds and tapes, but tonight I did for a little while. Of course the constant interruption from Kevin & the girls cut short the experience, but it did give me a glimpse of what I miss the most.

I'm not sure what this particular season is supposed to teach me, but I will stand firm in the promise God is good all the time and all the time God is good. And I will ask God to put a song back in my heart...