Happy Birthday Joel

So today we celebrate Joel's 19th birthday and we couldn't be prouder of the young man he is blossoming in to!

Paula wrote the following on Facebook and I can't say it any better:

"Happy 19th birthday to you Joel, our amazing miracle child! You have blown Dad and I away from the moment we knew about you. Today I celebrate you. You are thoughtful and kind, strong and courageous, an overcomer, wise and brave. I love that you are living a life of purpose, running hard after the things of God and unafraid of what people might think. Dream big and fly my boy, this dark world needs you! I love you forever and always."

Happy Birthday

I want to wish my lovely wife the happiest of happy lockdown birthdays.

It was a bit strange going out for a post-workout breakfast without Eli who was at school but the rest of us had a fun time at Dinner for 20  where we were spoilt rotten by the lovely hosts.

Tonight a bottle of bubbly will lose its cork as we continue to celebrate under these bizarrest of circumstances.

Exciting Times!

Planting a new church is never easy and doing it from scratch is tougher still, and at times it's easy to feel down and like nothing is going to plan. Those negative feelings can be especially tough to deal with when growth is slow and commitment of some is sporadic at best.

However, as one persists and remains faithful in prayer, things begin to turn and whilst I don't think church planters ever have that feeling of "we've done it" things do seem a lot more positive through faith and prayer.

Green Shoots 5th Birthday

Paula & I had the privilege of attending Green Shoots 5th Birthday Celebration last night.

For those that haven't kept up, our Homework Club at The Gathering runs Green Shoots Maths@Home online programme.

Our Homework Club is a complete joy to run and as an extra privilege last night I was asked to share a little about the impact Green Shoots has had on our learners and the wider community.

Happy Birthday

I'm posting this a day late, but want to wish Joel a very happy 14th birthday.

Paula said it best on Facebook: "Today this amazing human turns 14! Happy birthday Joel! The courage and integrity with which you face life constantly inspires and challenges me and those moments when you "hit gold" and you laugh and find such joy are priceless. Keep on being all the young man that God made you to be and I pray that you blossom, flourish and fly high this year!"

Happy birthday son!

Birthday Boy

Here's wishing our baby a very happy 11th birthday.

When Paula first met him in Bloemfontein hospital at a mere 12 hours old he was simply labelled "Baby number 9".

This total world-changer, Eli (the Lord is my God) Thomas Finnie, is destined by the King of Kings to bring light and life to all he comes into contact with. This unique, highly slightly off the wall, loving, funny young man is going to bring together people of all different ages and cultures.

Surprise!

My Saturday began like any other regular Saturday, I'd taken Eli to football practice and after that I was expecting to have a nice quiet breakfast with Paula and my boys.  However, Paula's scheming knows no bounds and I was blissfully unaware of just what she had planned!

As Joel & I arrived at Fred & Max I noticed a lot of cars in the car park but just assumed it was a typically busy Saturday, and there's a gym above the coffee shop so that explained things. However as I approached the venue I saw a few balloons through the window and as I entered I was gobsmacked to see so many people. It took a few moments to realise that they were all there for my 50th!

I didn't think I was that gullible but I guess I'll have to work on paying more attention to what's going on around me!

Happy 50th

I've always had a fear that one day someone is going to realise I shouldn't be where I am doing the things I am, but I also feel that until they catch up with me I might as well carry on and see what I can get away with.

Part of my plan has been to put this meme into action and I think I might just have pulled it off, but don't tell anyone.

Sadly however, I think JM Barrie was right when he said "All children, except one, grow up". So  this is a big year for me as I turn 50 and have been married for 25 years, and if turning 50 isn't proof of growing up then being married for 25 years definitely is.

Still, I'm not going to stop trying to behave as my inner child wants to, but don't tell anyone!

The Teenager Has Landed

Wishing our big 13 year old a 
Very Happy Birthday.

We can't quite believe that we got here but we're so proud of you son!

As Paula said on Facebook: Joel you are an exceptional, unique young man and we are so excited to walk into this next stage of life with you! Praying that "you will grow in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man" just as Jesus did here on earth. Love you loads!

10th Birthday

We can't quite believe that this little bundle of joy is 10 today.

He's not so little now but he's still a bundle of immense joy.

Eli truly is a blessing, he's always ready for a laugh, a joke and a bit of teasing and life would be very dull without him.

Happy 10th birthday Eli
XXXX

Happy Birthday

Happy 12th birthday Joel.

What a great young man you're growing into, it's a privilege to be your parents!

Happy Birthday Eli!

Our beautiful, crazy little boy turns 9 today!

Nine years ago our Christmas was totally turned upside down by his unexpected arrival and today our little world-changer is still having that effect!

Happy birthday Eli
XXX

10th Blogoversary

We're not sure how but somehow we missed the 10th birthday of our blog, though according to blogoversary.com the anniversary isn't for another 37 days!

We've been a bit lax with the blog over the last few years and we'll make no promise to be better at it because that would most likely be a lie. We do love the blog and enjoy it but sadly facebook has largely taken over.

Happy Birthday Sunshine!

Happy Birthday to our amazing 11 year old!

It's scary to think about how quickly the years slip by but it's definitely a privilege and a joy to be your parents and we're enjoying every minute of it.

You are our sunshine!

8th Birthday Party

What a fun afternoon we had celebrating Eli's 8th birthday.

It was all very noisy and very messy. Everything an eighth birthday party should be.

Hopefully all the kids have gone home exhausted because we certainly are!

Eli can't wait to celebrate his actual birthday on the 21st now.

Happy Birthday Eli!

Happy 7th birthday to our amazing boy!

Eli is such a joy and a total blessing to our family and we love him dearly.

Having had his party a couple of weeks ago, Eli's had a quiet day at home playing with his new toys and completing his 500 piece jigsaw. He's also very proud today of his brand new unicycle which has seen a bit of action today.

Now we're looking forward to our birthday tea at Eli's choice of restaurant tonight. So that'll be a massive bowl of spaghetti bolognese then!

7th Birthday Party

On Tuesday we celebrated Eli's 7th birthday with his party. His actual birthday isn't until the 21st but with the summer holidays beginning a lot of his friends will be away so a party would be a bit thin on the ground if we waited 'til then.

Much fun was had by his friends and Eli loved having his class mates over to play for the afternoon.

Mummy was also very clever with the party food, ordering 10 burger meals from a local takeaway which saved a lot of hassle.

Happy 9th Birthday!

Our amazing miracle celebrated his 9th birthday today and what made the day even cooler than normal was the fact that Grandad had come out with Lesley to help celebrate. What a happy memory that he'll never forget!

We've had a lot of fun which sadly was interrupted by school, though Joel did enjoy seeing his friends and being the centre of attention for a bit.

The day was made even better by getting the things he had asked for, including an mp3 player and even more Starwars Lego and a celebratory meal at Taste restaurant.

All in all a perfect day to be 9.

Birthday Party

Joel had his birthday party a week early to accommodate a top secret event happening this Friday, stay tuned!

What a joy it was as he invited his four best friends from school to join him for a meal at a local restaurant followed by a movie at home and a sleep-over.

After dinner Transformers was the movie of choice with lashings of popcorn (we're still finding it down the back of the sofa - nice!). It was quite amusing watching it with five experts on the subject of Transformers.

Eli's 6th Birthday

A very happy birthday to our special six year old bundle of endless energy and fun!

It hardly seems possible that it is six years ago today that Paula flew to Bloemfontein and held Eli for the first time as she waited to bring him home.

This little bundle of joy has transformed our family life with his boundless energy and sense of fun and also making us a truly international family.

We're so grateful to God for the miracle that is Eli and especially grateful that he blessed our lives!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELI!