Almost home….

Friends we’ve had a great time over on the mainland and it’s almost time to come home.

We are outside Edinburgh at the moment at Morton Hall Caravan and Camping Park.  I recommend it .

We spent a few nights at Blair Castle outside Pitlochry and then a few more in The Lake District.

Tomorrow we travel home. 

God Willing.

Blessings to you all.

Mummymac.

I’m not in ..

yep, we’re out of here folks - the holiday starts here.

Waterproofs at the ready and we’re off.

At this late stage I should tell you that we haven’t yet decided whether to head North or South when we get off the ferry in Scotland.It depends on 2 things, the weather tomorrow and the availability at one campsite which we like the look of.

Regardless there ain’t gon a be no chat round here for a day or two.

If JP finds an internet cafe that actually sells a good coffee no doubt I’ll let y’all know where we are and how many pairs of wet clothes we’ve gone through…

until then……

Take care……

Mummymac.

** How disappointing my little pic actually says “Kids on-board…. Somewhere” but you can’t read it Great start to the holidays **

Robert E Lee - Quotes (3)

Sunday 27 December 1863.

Lee’s son Major-General W.H.F. Lee was a prisoner at Fortress Monroe for nine long months. General Benjamin F. Butler, in charge, refused to allow him to visit his dying wife, although his brother, Cusits Lee, of equal rank, had volunteered in writing to take his place for forty-eight hours as a hostage, until the brother should return to his captivity. The wife died calling for her captive husband.

In a letter to his wife, dated as above General Lee said:

“Custis’s (his other son) dispatch which I received last night demolished all the hopes, in which I had been indulging during the day, of dear Charlotte’s recovery. It has pleased God to take from us one exceedingly dear to us, and we must be resigned to His holy will. She, I trust, will enjoy peace and happiness forever, while we must patiently struggle on under all the ills that may be in store for us. What a glorious thought it is that she has joined others in heaven! Thus link by link is the strong chain broken that binds us to earth, and our passage soothed to another world.Oh, that we may be at last united in that heaven of rest, where trouble and sorrow never enter, to join an everlasting chorus of praise and glory to our Lord and Saviour! I grieve for our lost darling as a father only can grieve for a daughter, and my sorrow is heightened by the thought of the anguish her death will cause our dear son and the poignancy it will give the bars of his prison. May God in His mercy enable him to bear the blow He has so suddenly dealt, and sanctify it to his everlasting happiness”.

Her death was a great blow to Lee.

Note that there was no word of bitterness against General Butler, the most hated Northern general in all the South.

End of Quotation.

Truly this man was resigned to God’s providence.

Mummymac.

101 things to do……

In a tent when it’s raining

Now I may not have mentioned it before, (except for here, here, and of course here) but we’re off camping early on Saturday morning for 2 weeks.

Yes two weeks in the glorious sunshine basking beside the Lakes in the Lake District of England and also we plan to be slapping on the Sun-tan lotion in sunny Scotland.

Wrong.
According to this, It won’t be so much of the Sun screen as the Sunny Jim’s I’ll be needing.

So because I’m more or less packed up and ready to go and I’m actually beginning to think about it all I’m thinking “So what do 2 adults and 3 kids 6 and under do in a tent when it’s raining?“

Here goes (this could be a long post):

1. Read books. (And have we a bazillion few books packed).

2. Play board games (Yea like we’ve got room for anything else).

3. Talk about life in general (Can you tell I’m fading already).

4. Play, let’s keep warm by lighting the stove (After-all it isn’t ours anyway).

5. I spy with my little eye something beginning with “T”.

6. Hide and Found you.

7. Remind the kids that God created rain for a reason but promised he would never flood the world again.

8. Give thanks for the above.

9. Talk about where Dad would like to go for next years holiday.

10. Draw straws to see who takes the semi-potty-trained-2-year-old to the toilet next.

11. Sing “Ging gang goolie goolie goolie“.

I give up…

And so that’s where you come in because I’ve used up all my brain power packing boxes and menu planning, leave me your ideas, funny or serious at this stage I’ll take them all………… I’m desperate…….

Mummymac

Robert E Lee - Quotes 2

In a letter to his oldest son, written on Sunday, May 4th 1851.

“Hold yourself above every mean action. Be strictly honorable in every act, and be not ashamed to do right. Acknowledge right to be your aim and strive to reach it”.

In a further letter to this son, written on Sunday, December 28th 1851.

“May you have many happy years, all bringing you an increase of virtue and wisdom, all witnessing your prosperity in this life, all bringing you nearer to everlasting happiness hereafter. May God in His great mercy grant me this, my constant prayer”.

Mummymac.

Works-for-Him-Wednesday Piping Bag.

Ok folks, so I saw Jamie Oliver do this on TV last night and just thought now there’s a Works-For-Me-Wednesday Tip.

Thing is I haven’t actually tried it but I do know it worked-for-him

If you need to do some piping and you just can’t be bother assembling your piping bag or perhaps can’t be bothered with washing it - just grab a plastic sandwich bag and put your “stuff” into one corner of it. Then clip the end of the bag with a pair of scissors to whatever size you want. Give the bag a twist to take the air out and pipe away.

I thought it was a great idea and so much easier than trying to wash those cloth piping bags.

Perhaps one day - this will work for me.

There are loads more tips here.

Mummymac.

Robert E Lee - Introduction to Quotes.

As I continue to prepare for our family holiday I’m trying to complete my reading schedule for our church reading roundabout. I hadn’t included this book (Robert E Lee The Christian by William J Johnson) in the sidebar as I couldn’t find it on Amazon when I was compiling that list but this is my current read anyway.

Regardless, this is a great book. I have little knowledge of American history and am enjoying learning in short bursts these days. The one thing that impresses me about this man is his yearning for his family to honor the Lord in all that they do. Shouldn’t this be the cry of all our hearts?

I’m only at chapter seven but have already come across various quotes I want to remember.

Saturday February 27 1847 in a letter to his sons (aged 14 & 10)
“I shall not feel my long separation from you, if I find that my absence has been of no injury to you, and that you have both grown in goodness and knowledge, as well as stature. But, ah! how much I will suffer on my return, if the reverse has occurred! You enter all my thoughts, into all my prayers; and on you, in part, will depend whether I shall be happy or miserable, as you know how much I love you. You must do all in your power to save me pain”.

I was thinking of this in regard to our own children, it shouldn’t surprise us that they don’t see that it’s because we love them so much that they can potentially cause us so much pain.

How many families do you know (even in Christian circles) where the parents have been caused so much pain because their children turned away from the things of God?

Praying that God would humble us to realise we must plead with him for the souls of our children and daily instruct them in the way they should go.

When General Lee wrote this letter he was sailing to Mexico and was potentially going to be away from home for a long period, yet the letter and his prayers show us his heart was concerned with the Spiritual growth of his children.

What are you concerned for with regard to your children?

Mummymac.

As a service to the public…….

and because I’m just a really nice person I reckoned I should tell you about Shannon’s new site.

She has been inundated with companies wanting her to review products but because she doesn’t have time to do the reviews she is instead inviting the companies to advertise on her new blog by giving away one of their products.

You don’t have to have a blog to enter for any of the give-aways and believe me there are some really great products to be had

It’s worthwhile just checking what Shannon’s giving away as you read your blogs…..

Now go get yourself some freebies……

Mummymac.

**Note added - to say that the current give-away is only open to US Residents, mostly this is not the case, it’s due to the weight of the item.** 

The sky, not the grave…..

Is it well with your soul?

Take the time to read the story of this hymn here.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain

---

Hoping you have a beneficial Lord’s Day.Mummymac.

Too Busy….

Did I mention we go on holidays in one weeks time

I’m just feeling rather busy round here preparing.

The kids return/start school 3 days after we come back so I need to be organized before I go.

I have visitors tomorrow and I haven’t even decided on the pudding yet!!

I need to finish 2 books before we go as I have a few that I’ve been holding for the holiday in particular.

The to-do list is in my head but only half on paper. I’m sure to forget something.

The stress is on.

Oh yea and stress - I almost forgot - as I type Daddymac is off to town with the car - it’s going through it’s first MOT. It’s the only time you see Daddymac stressed which is a good job really. Let’s hope it passes or the holiday could be off.

I have absolutely no inspiration to blog - I guess that means I need a holiday.

I’m glad tomorrow is the Lord’s Day - It’s at times like this that you realise why there was one day to rest in seven.

Oh and Daddymac’s calling in for an Indian on the way home I think the only reason for this post was to tell y’all that!

What a guy.

Mummymac.