Hi Everybody...

Thought it was about time to let you all know that I am still allive and well. I do confess how bad I am at putting time aside to let you all in on the details from our lives in the Howes-house. What you need then is a thirteen hour shift at work which gives you plenty of time to write some special things for all of you that likes to keep on top of what's happening.

First of all the HOUSE - finally it all went through and I am sooooo excited about my new house. EVerytime I walk into it I just realize how blessed I am. God has so richly open heaven over us and thrown a massive portion our way... showered in his goodness. It's amazing can't wait to have you all around so you can see it with your own eyes.

I am also very excited about decorating, and we have decided to do all at one time to specially my mothers frustration, she calls to check up on me almost everyday to make me sit down, relax and put my feet up. I am trying to be obedient (and also submit to my husband) but having waited over 5 months for this house I can of itch to get on with it.... and man we've been blessed with help from the people we serve Jesus with here in Coventry. There's been people around everyday to help us out. Special THANKS to all you great servants!!!

Nick has ODed on IKEA for a while I think... and we did do two trips out there over the weekend to get stuff. There is just no place like IKEA, what can I say. We had fun buying all kinds of furnitures to kit out our new home and we'll have to wait and see if we love it just as much when we have to put it all together. Question is -how many screws will be missing!?! We've already realized that they forgot to send us the coverings for our sofa....

Another thing to update you all on is the baby... it's kicking and allive. But has gone from beeing very big for 20 weeks to very small for 30... so we'll have to wait and see what happens; not long now... just over 2 months and the little beautiful son or daughter of ours will be born. It's getting very close and I can't really understand how quickly it's all gone...

Well, I am at work and have to prepare a coffee station for a group of coaches that's here having a big do... so I'll leave you there.

Please come and visit us soon... and I'll show you my pride; the RED wardrobes... that's all!!!

Working round the clock!

The excellent news is that we finally got into our new house last Friday – at last. The move was a bit of a hassle cos they’d left the place pretty dirty and weren’t even all done with their moving out when we got there with the keys. Not the best way to get into a new place, and we had to spend the whole of that evening with a team of about 8 people just cleaning so that we could move stuff in. We have started about 20 separate jobs round the house – new flooring which I’m busy with at the moment, laying wood floor in the main living room which is going ok. Sure it won’t be the perfect job but it will do us ok. We’ve got some carpet being laid next Monday and loads to do to be ready for then, so another weekend of stripping and painting etc. It’s manic for now but the place is starting to look at little bit like we want it and more like ours. It is such a good place – loads of space downstairs to have people over, with 3 bedrooms upstairs. We ripped out some fitted closets in the main bedrooms so there’s loads of rubble all over the floor in there at the moment.

So many people have been round helping us, so a HUGE thanks to you all - we would have been really struggling without you. It's great to be part of such a large family in the kingdom of God.

Gotta get on with some painting...and laying this flooring! Bye for now.

Could get hooked on uploading these pictures!

Ok, honestly, I will get back to work soon. It's just that i'm sat here waiting for the call to be able to go and pick up the keys to our new house and I'm finding it difficult to concentrate on anything serious! I've got ants in my pants.

So, for your enjoyment, is one of my favourite pictures ever - My nephew Toby in the morning!

Just playing now with the facility to upload a file to this blog so that you, the hallowed viewer, can have a butchers!

For starters, here's an exciting picture of me in my more wild early days.

We're moving house today, and in case you hadn't picked it up...we're very excited!! That's all.

Yeaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!

Fantastic news this morning is that we have been told by our solicitor that we can finally exchange & complete on this house purchase and get the keys tomorrow!! Wow, began to feel like this was just gonna keep going and going...but we really will have our own house in Potters Green hopefully by this time tomorrow. i can't express properly how good that feels and how grateful we are to Jesus for bringing this to a swift conclusion after so much hassle.

It had looked like we weren't gonna make it for this week after the mortgage company sent through the mortgage offer with the wrong amount on it. Unbelievable! But they managed to get a new one out and have agreed to release the money quicker than their stated '5 days' holding time. So good to hear that.

Silje & me went over to the solicitors to sign the papers this morning and were waiting for the call to see if it would go ahead tomorrow. Wonderful to get that call saying it would.

I still have that verse in my mind from the Bible which says that God determines the exact times & places where we should live. This is his right time for us. Hallelujah.

Well, we shall let you know more once we're in. What a glorious day!

Told off in Bergen!

Greetings once again from a very humbled Nicholas Howes, having been severely told off by my youngest sister in law (yes, you know who you are!) for not having updated anything on this site for some time now. I offer my deepest, sincerest apologies!

We are currently visiting the rellies in Bergen as it's the last week that Silje is allowed to fly before she reaches 28 weeks pregnant and then she has to stay at home. The good news though is that we think we have (finally) a moving in date for the new house of next Friday, that's 17th October. PRaise Jesus for that. It will be so fantastic to have our own place at last.

All you in England will be glad to know that's it very wet and grey out here, so rejoice and be glad! Although, ah, wait a moment....yes, the sun has just come out.

That's all for now, more news when we get back to Blighty. One final thing for this evening..."Come on England". Beattie in for Owen?.... naah, don't think so.