Withywindle Wanderers

My dear friend Kerstin's precious baby daughter Ani died yesterday. Kerstin, her husband J and her boys, Daniel and Paul, miss Ani with all their hearts - they miss her laughter, her beautiful smiles, her darling presence with them. Kerstin went in to pick her up from her sleep, and little Anita had died. Kerstin isn't able to sleep or eat. She said: "I wish you'd have met Ani - she was the most delightful little girl, always smiling and laughing." Ani's funeral is 2pm South Carolina time (3 hrs ahead of Seattle time) tomorrow (June 27th). Please pray for Kerstin, J, Daniel and Paul. May Jesus comfort each of their physical bodies with refreshing sleep and nourishing food as they long for precious Ani's presence with them. I like to envisage baby Ani and my little brother Stephen, who was 2, nearly 3 when he died, each sitting on one of Jesus' knees, laughing, playing, held tightly and safely in the loving embrace of Jesus. (Ani's name is short for...

(From left to right) Daniel, Dove, Eowyn, Calvin, Eden, Zoe, Judah and Chet. (The other half of the class were off on adventures with their dads, as it's Father's Day in the USA and people here are really into these 'day' celebrations! Even random things like St. Patrick's Day and Valentine's Day and Halloween inspire gawdy garden decorations.) (Actually, given the fact that I'm about to be given Irish citizenship by descent, through my Grandfather James and my Grandmother Rachel, my Mum's parents who I never met, ST PATRICK'S DAY IS VERY IMPORTANT!) (And so is Father's Day - Happy Father's Day Dad!!!!!!!)

...after finishing the New Horizons Walk-a-thon. Thanks to Eowyn and Coco's sponsors, and an extra BIG thank you to Becca and Sam for your VERY generous gift!!! Three cheers for you all, and for Eowyn and Coco walkers extraordinaires!!!!

Here are my lovely little family. The little girls are fast asleep in bed. Eowyn's teacher Holly suggested we shower them with praise at every possible moment, and they've learnt to go to bed again! Yay!! Thanks Holly! Bens is in California playing Blackjack. He'll be back late Monday night. Mum is having her mastectomy on Monday. Please pray for her, and Dad, and Tom, Rachel, Seren, Sam and me. It's really hard being so far away at a time when I would like to tangibly minister to her. Love, Megs

Here are Bens and I, just after his Calculus exam, celebrating with good ol' Aussie Coopers' Pale Ale!! (See the green kangaroo?!) He's finished his Associate of Arts degree at Seattle Central scoring 4.0 (out of 4.0) in everything, and has been accepted into the University of Washington starting in September! Bravo Chico!

Eowyn and I were talking about our trips to the zoo when she was a tiny new baby. She said: "I could only see the little animals because I had little eyes. Like mouses!" She talked to her 2nd cousin India on the 'phone today, and is very excited that Indy, Taylor and Ethy (AND their Mum and Dad!) are coming to visit us... (She's practising for the World Cup.)

Coco has been so charming and delightful through all her tests, and described as 'the model patient'! We are most relieved that the docs have come to a conclusion - it seems Coco has dysphagia. When she swallows thin fluids, a little creeps under her epiglottus and down her windpipe into her lungs, irritating them and making it difficult to breath. SO now we have to thicken all her fluids to the consistency of nectar, thus preventing this from happening and allowing her to learn to swallow, which her doctor predicts will take a few months. She's finding it a little weird, having to drink gooey thick concuctions, but is being a little champion, all in all! Eowyn (who is beginning to READ!) wrote Coco a nametag at gleaning, which Coco showed me, declaring: "I have a sticker, and a name!"

Here's the first picture around our house, 'Bag End', at Grandma's special request! Here are my herbs, cocktail bar and lovely plant Grandma gave me, with the outdoor furniture reflected in the window. (Yes, after being freezing cold all day long, the evening sun is shining!!! How lovely! Out we go to play...)

...at the end of our garden, where we play Robin Hood and steal from the rich and give to the poor!!

Coco is next to me, saying 'There's Coco and Doctor Ami!' We're in the middle of lots of tests and assessment of Coco's difficulty breathing. She is a delightful little patient, to be sure! I've been feeling really worried and scared about her health. She's the age my youngest brother Stephen was when he died, and the sad memories of Stephen's sickness and death make me feel particularly vulnerable about Coco. It's hard. Bens is working a lot and I'm sick. Thanks for reading this, and please pray for us all!! Love Megs PS Eowyn would like to write something for you: from eowyn

AND he got a wonderful scholarship! Here he is, that brilliant husband of mine, talking to Uncle Jack about the aleph 2 set of infinities....