Last Monday...wait what?!

Time is flying by so fast! Today was my last Monday at youth groups! I don't think it has really hit me yet. Probably won't until I land in Texas! Firecrackers wished me a goodbye with a cake, a teddy, a new recipe book and a card full of sweet messages. We hung out, painted stones and the kids went on a bear hunt (Ste made me be the bear). Overall it was a lovely end to my wonderful time with them! Thunderbolts and Lightning Bolts was a bit different as we had a fashion show where the kids modeled clothes to raise money for the youth work. It was fun to watch the kids and we raised 200 pounds for the youth work! I got some more lovely cards and some beautiful flowers! Really can't say how much I've loved getting to work with these kids over the past 10 months. Some drove me plum nuts but I wouldn't have had it any other way! Definitely leaving a piece of my heart here with them when I go!

The stone I painted. 

The whole Firecracker gang!

 All my sweet gifts!

Texan Time!

Today we woke up bright and early (4:30am) to see the Texans off. The last week and a half with them has been awesome. So weird to think that I came on the same trip only a year ago. We did a lot of the same work in the schools, but this year we took 19 kids on a residential weekend to Marrick Priory. It was so much fun! The kids and the leaders all grew so much. The Texans did a great job leading sessions and on Monday night at youth groups several kids were teary eyed as they said goodbye to their new friends. I could go on and on about the past week but instead I thought I would just mention some highlights: 

• Taking 45 primary school kids on a field trip/walk to see the Methodist church and St Mary's Church then running three youth groups. It was exhausting, but so much fun.
• Baking cakes with kids in enrichment classes at the secondary school.
• Getting in our recipe books and tea towels!
• Taking a day trip to York. I immediately fell in love with the city. It has York Minster, the cutest shops and the streets look like Harry Potter.
• Climbing Roseberry Topping.
• Doing archery and hauling my fat butt up a ropes course at Marrick.
• Having wonderful and moving conversations with some of the greatest kids ever.
• Sharing a house with three boys instead of one. Needless to say I got picked on!
• Spending a gorgeous and SUNNY day in Whitby!

I'm sure there are some things I'm forgetting, but hopefully these will help give an idea:

York

Great Ayton/Roseberry Topping

Marrick Priory

On the train to Whitby.

Whitby

Happy Birthday Edward!

                             
So today, thanks to Google, I learned that it is Edward Lear's 200th Birthday! Who is Edward Lear you ask? Well he was a  was a British artist, illustrator, author, and poet, renowned for  his limericks, a form that he popularized. And what is a limerick? It's a humorous, frequently bawdy, verse of three long and two short lines rhyming aabba. One of his famous limericks is The Owl and the Pussy-cat. So enjoy!....




                            

I

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea     In a beautiful pea green boat, They took some honey, and plenty of money,     Wrapped up in a five pound note. The Owl looked up to the stars above,     And sang to a small guitar, 'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,       What a beautiful Pussy you are,           You are,           You are! What a beautiful Pussy you are!'

II

Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl!     How charmingly sweet you sing! O let us be married! too long we have tarried:     But what shall we do for a ring?' They sailed away, for a year and a day,     To the land where the Bong-tree grows And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood     With a ring at the end of his nose,           His nose,           His nose, With a ring at the end of his nose.

                        

III

'Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling     Your ring?' Said the Piggy, 'I will.' So they took it away, and were married next day     By the Turkey who lives on the hill. They dined on mince, and slices of quince,     Which they ate with a runcible spoon; And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,     They danced by the light of the moon,           The moon,           The moon, They danced by the light of the moon.

 
                  

HERMAN

Today was the day, day 10! Time to see what Herman was all about...

I divided Herman into fourths and took him to one of my girls and two of our neighbors with his instructions.

Then I came home added some more ingredients and baked Herman! And I must say, he was worth the wait!