Making Cambridge Home

It has been a long time since I have blogged and I feel like so much has happened since we have been "home". That has been strange to me to call Cambridge, England "home", but it is, and I realize more and more how much I am going to miss it when our time comes to an end here. In the month we have been back, I have been "Mrs Nesting Mum to Be". Brad and I have completely rearranged our bedroom, as well as "re-decorated" the living room and the "girls room". I have found a lot of joy preparing our home for the homecoming of our baby and I have had a lot of help from our dear friends at Clare Hall who have now moved back to their homes and left us behind some of their things.

We have been blessed to be the recipient of MANY hand-me down gifts from several of our neighbors who have moved in this last month. Our closest friends/ neigbors at Clare Hall gave us a bookshelf with baskets, a couple of drawer organizers, a house-plant, as well as some family games to play. My friend Ruth from New Zealand gave us a very nice three-wheeled double stroller, some beautiful hand-knitted New Zealand baby girl sweaters, and a flower plant . Gry from Denmark gave us a moses basket with stand, a baby bath tub, a nursing pillow, a baby sling for our Chariot trailer, and some 0-3 month baby clothes. Friends from Japan gave us a hand mixer, friends from Russia gave Jillian a play "pushchair" (stroller) and pack and play for her dolls, and another American friend gave us a "real baby" pack and play with some baby toys!

We feel so blessed to have friends from all over the world. Every one of these neighbors gave us these gifts with the condition that we send pictures of Baby Girl Holmes come this October! I, of course, wish that they could be here with us, but I know God will be faithful to provide new friends at the college. Just tonight, some new neighbors from Canada brought us over some freshly picked/ home-made Blackberry Pie with vanilla ice-cream. I gave them chocolate chip cookies upon their arrival, and have been lending them measuring cups, wrenches, maps, and even my bike (I can no longer ride it for the next couple of months). It is so strange that I have become an "EXPERT" on living here. I still find myself suprised when I have the answer to people's questions, whether it be about transport in London, places to visit in Cambridge, or things about college life, I have learned so much about English culture and living in Cambridge. And I am loving it!