The Fun Outdoors with Jillian (by Brad)

Below we have posted some pictures from our time outside enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. About 15 of the last 18 days have been dry and about 72°. Simply wonderful!

Here is a picture of our neighbors. They are here with their Mom and Dad from Michigan. He is an MD/PhD on a 6 month sabattical at Addenbrooks. Almost every day they come outside to play with Jillian, and sometimes will even watch her while Lauren finishes up dinner. Melanie is 13 and Danny is 11. They both love to read, and kick the soccer ball and their parents are really nice too. Their Mom told Lauren that they think of Jillian as a cousin. Most of all, Jillian loves their attention and getting to play with them.



Here Jillian is with Thomas the train, on loan to us from another nice neighbor. We had gone to Chili's for lunch that day with friends from church, and Jillian had been given a balloon. You would think we would branch out and go to a pub, but we feel so at home at Chili's. The tables look the same, the food is almost as good, and the decor is full of Texas chili cookoff signs!



Jillian here is playing just outside our front door with a couple of college balls. Just this week, we have taught her to smile on cue (though she only listens 10% of the time). So here it is, Jillian's camera smile! It is really funny to watch, because she starts with a blank expression, you ask her to smile, then she moves her lips a little bit, concentrating really hard to get them to go the right direction. Then, she remembers, and she crunches up her entire face into a toothy grin! We love it!



Yesterday, we biked to the Botanical Gardens of Cambridge. It was a dream come true for me. It was again really nice out, about 62° in the morning. We hooked up the bike trailer, and set off through the "fen" and across the river. We rode past the ducks and baby ducklings to the garden. Calling this place a garden is a bit like calling Texas Stadium a plot of grass. HUGE UNDERSTATMENT! It is absolutly enormous! It goes on and on, and has the most enormous old trees and shrubs, and all sorts of flowering plants. Below we captured a photo of Mommy and Baby enjoying the setting.





While at the garden, we came to a beautiful fountain with Jillian's favorite wild-life: ducks!

First "Bump" Photos

I (Lauren) am 16 weeks pregnant TOMORROW! Ordinarily, I wear loose fitting shirts that disquise my growing abdomen but for the purposes of you getting to see our "bump" grow we thought it necessary that I wear my tightest fitting shirt. :) I have gained a significant amount of weight but all of my maternity tops are too big for me to wear yet. I am at that really ackward stage, where nothing fits right and I am tempted to wear a sign around my neck that reads "Yes, I'm PREGNANT!".

I hope you enjoy watching our BUMP grow! Jillian watched Daddy take these pictures of me and decided she wanted to have her own pictures taken. So after I left "my spot" by the wall, she stood over there and posed for the camera as well (and we even have a mommy/ daughter picture)! They are absolutely darling, and she is even wearing some of her "new" handy-me-downs! :)








April Tulip "Prego" Photos:

A picture taken of Brad and I on Saturday (15 weeks 5 days pregnant) in front of the tulips by our friends the O'Shea's. If you look closely you can see I have a little pooch! :)



This is a picture of us as newly-weds and was taken almost exactly two years ago when we were pregnant with Jillian. Brad had just accepted the offer to be a NIH/Oxford/Cambridge Scholar and we were visiting Maryland for the first time together to find a place to live (this picture was taken at the Maryland Tourist Information Center).

I was a little anxious about moving to MD and having a baby there without knowing ANYONE! But God in His grace and sovereignty, had moved Brad's family friends Todd and Carol Elliott from Dallas, TX to VA a few years earlier. They were so gracious and invited us to stay with them for the entire time we were visiting. We had an amazing trip, for one I was told about Community Bible Study (CBS) for the first time from Carol, we heard Ravi Zacharias, one of the most articulate and gifted apologists speak at a dinner, had some great food and wonderful fellowship with their family AND even found a place to live for after we moved. :) The boys, Clark and Blake, made us pictures while we were there and were so welcoming. And one of the nights Brad even got to go to one of the first National's game with the "boys" (including Todd). It was a great trip. I fell in love with their family and they quickly became our "family" away from home when we lived there. I love thinking back on God's FAITHFULNESS and remembering how He has blessed us. I have wonderful memories from that time and from being in Maryland. We miss TEXAS and Maryland LOTS but continue to see God's provision in bringing us to Cambridge too.



P.S. Jillian's due date was October 5th (she came 5 days early) and this baby's due date is October 8th. I am excited! Just in our immediate "Brad Holmes family" household we are going to have 3 birthdays to celebrate together every year... my birthday is the 3rd of October! :)

Edinburgh, Scotland

Since the beginning of January,  I have been leading a Bible Study on "Lies Women Believe" with four ladies from Eden Baptist. I have loved my time with them. We meet every Tuesday at 7:45 at our flat and we enjoy lots of American goodies together.

The first few weeks, we just focused on sharing our spiritual testimonies, on praying for one another, and memorizing Scripture (and holding one another accountable to do so). I feel so blessed to have each one of them in my life and they have become some of my closest friends in Cambridge!

To continue on with the story, I was tremendously honored that Cheryl invited Jillian and I to go to Scotland with her and Vicky. Cheryl arranged everything for us, she asked her fiance's grandparents if we could stay with them, arranged with her pastor's wife to borrow a "pushchair" and a travel cot (because neither would fit in the back of the "boot" or trunk of her car).

Cheryl really made our time about exploring a new town and spending time together, not about seeing every attraction. It was an extremely relaxing trip, except for the 8 hour trip up to Edinburgh. Jillian threw up three times on the way there, because of car sickness. And she and I both threw up on the way HOME (thankfully only once, and we both did into a bag).  I can laugh about it now, but it wasn't nearly as funny when it happened. Cheryl's car is very tiny with manual transmission, has no air-conditioning, and on the interstate there are lots of little round-abouts, so it made me feel a little sick (especially with expecting)! But it was an amazing trip!!! I loved it ALL!


"Greyfriars Bobby Bobby is a Skye Terrier dog that became famous in 19th-century Edinburgh, Scotland.

Bobby belonged to John Gray, who worked for the Edinburgh Police Department (EPD) as a night watchman, and the two were inseparable for approximately two years until Gray died. He was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in the Old Town of Edinburgh. Bobby, who survived John Gray by 14 years, is said to have spent the rest of his life sitting on his master's grave.

In 1867, when it was pointed out that an unowned dog should be destroyed, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Sir William Chambers... paid for a renewal of Bobby's licence, making him the responsibility of the city council.

Bobby died in 1872 and could not be buried within the cemetery itself, since it was consecrated ground, instead he was buried just inside the gate of Greyfriars Kirkyard, not far from John Gray's grave. His headstone states, "Greyfriars Bobby - died 14th January 1872 - aged 16 years - Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all".'

Sir Walter Scott Monument - Ivanhoe was one of my favorite high-school readings!

"Oh! what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive!"
- Sir Walter Scott (not from Ivanhoe)




National Gallery of Scotland- we really enjoyed our visit. The works in the Scottish gallery (by Scottish artists and about Scotland) were my favorites, especially the ones that depicted domestic life over a century ago.

St. Giles Cathedral- This stroller was borrowed from a person from Cheryl's old church...I couldn't believe it was the same pushchair that we have! It made it much easier for me to collapse and open-- I knew all of the "stroller secrets"! :)

This is probably one of my favorite pictures that was taken, despite my ridiculous facial expression (I didn't know that the picture was going to be taken at that moment)! I had just spit into the the infamous "Heart of Midlothian" for GOOD LUCK! Neither Vicky or Cheryl were willing to spit in public, but my thinking was I have come this far, and I will most likely not have this opportunity to do it again, so I have to do it! :)

A Scottish man in a traditional kilt with bagpipes (with a UK red phone booth in the background).






Jillian and I outside Edinburgh Castle


Beautiful pictures of gardens


Robert the Bruce, the most famous of all the Scottish Kings


Edinburgh Castle's prison--this is where the "pirate/ traitor" Americans were kept during the War for Independence. In the introductory video to the prison, they talked about the "traitor" John Paul Jones (and we have seen the crypt where he is buried at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland)!


The city of Edinburgh


Cheryl lived in Edinburgh for four years and had visited the castle a number of times already. So when Jillian fell asleep in her pushchair, Cheryl happily volunteered to watch her while watching the children's programs.

 Meanwhile, Vicky and I went to explore the castle that had many stairs and were inaccessible to a push-chair and a sleeping baby,  The highlights for me were seeing the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny--- which sits under the coronation chair every time a sovereign is crowned.


Our next adventure was the Royal Brittania.  The royal yacht was attached to a mall that had a Build a Bear. We had to take a photo of this adorable Scottish lamb.



We ate lunch at one of the many restaurants that has a view of the former yacht of the royal family!



This was Queen Elizabeth's bedroom onboard ship!



Vicky, Cheryl and I taking a picture on deck!



The Scottish Parliament Building. We went inside the Scottish Parliament and it is not nearly as modern on the inside as it was on the outside!


This is Cheryl with Jillian with her car and in front of Joyce and Ian's home in Edinburgh (Cheryl's fiance's grandparents)


Ian and Joyce with Jillian-- we could not have had a more ideal place to stay! They have eight grandchildren and love kids. They were so sweet to Jillian and made it an extremely child-friendly environment for Jillian to visit.

 Jillian slept through the night every night and woke up about 6:40 every morning, so the two of us would go to the sun-room and eat breakfast, play with some of her toys and she would explore a little around the house.

It really was a perfectly pleasant trip for the both of us. Jillian loved being "one of the girls" (with Cheryl, Vicky, and me) and felt very grown-up. At the same time, she was extremely doted on by all of us too! She looks a little tired in this picture, because I had already given her some anti-histamine for the trip back.

Our Aggie Girl

God is so rich in His blessings to us! This last week, we received TWO boxes of clothes for Jillian. My second cousins Kris and Carter sent ALL the clothes, shoes, socks and coats that their youngest girls, Faith and Avery have outgrown. Kris told me in her note that Avery went through all the clothes with her mommy and was so happy that they were going to Jillian! :) We can not wait to see them this summer in Houston. We have been so blessed by their generosity. All of our furniture and decorations (crib, rocking chair, bumble bee table, decorative lamp) and the beautiful bumble bee bedding that we had in Jillian's nursery were gifts from the Breed's that their girls had outgrown. God knows all of our needs and HE knows how HE is going to provide for those needs. Something that Brad and I pray a lot about is how we too can be generous with all that God has given us.

Included in the clothes (some that just make you want to cry, because they are so sweet and pretty!) that we recieved were these FUN pajamas of our Alma Mater- Texas A&M (Kris is also a fellow Aggie). We were excited to show off our Aggie Pride on Jillian! :)




Jillian is demonstrating that she knows where her nose is in this picture! She also touched her Daddy's nose and her Mommy's nose. She knows where her tummy is, her hair and head are, and her toes are as well. She understands so much more than she is able to say right now. Its been so much fun for us to see how her language ability is developing. The other day, Jillian was "talking" (with much animatino and excitement but in non-decipherable baby talk) and our Japanese neighbors were outside with us, and I responded to Jillian by saying "Oh really? That is so interesting!" in an effort to encourage Jillian to continue using her words to express her emotions and thoughts on things. But our neighbors, who don't know English fluently, asked "what did she say?". I told them, "Oh I don't know, she is speaking in BABY TALK." I look forward to the day when I can understand a lot more of what's going on in that beautiful head of hers!

Julian Hardyman's Sunday Sermon

Church this morning was especially spectacular for both Lauren and me (Brad). An mp3 of Julian Hardyman's sermon can be found here. But, I would like to summarize some of the points. Almost everything is a quote from Julian, and I take no credit for any "deep thought" or "catchy statement".

It is taken from Jeremiah 35. This chapter talks about the Recabite people group. They were something of a sect within Jewish culture. They were all descended from Jonadeb, son of Recab. Jonadeb ordered his descendants not to drink wine, build permeant homes, or farm, as did all the other Israelites. Rather, he saw, perhaps, this was too similar to the Canaanites, and wanted his children to be "set apart". They adopted a life-style similar to Abraham. They were "frozen" in time. They were rigid. They were ultra-ultra-conservative. Wherever you are, they are to the right of that.

If you read the chapter, you see that God tests their commitment to a man's edict. The great prophet gives them wine in the temple. It would be very hard to turn down, but they do, and perhaps all the wine is wasted! God commends them. He blesses them for sticking to their commitments.

Near the end of chapter 35, Jeremiah draws a dichotomy between the Recabites and the Israelites in general. The Recabites keep a man's command under difficult circumstances. The Israelites abandon the Eternal Creator's commands.

Things to learn:
1. We all know people who are more rigid than we are. It might be movies, children, TV, alcohol etc. Often, I think we look at them and snicker a little. We chuckle, and thank God that we are more enlightened than they are. We know better, and interpret the scriptures more clearly and our "left-of-them" position is well justified. However, these people are an opportunity to grow. We should use them as a mirror. "Am I being consistently faithful and listening to God?" "Am I being completely obedient, or selectively to what God has called me to. These modern-day Recabites are being completely obedient to "man's" edicts, that hopefully draw them closer to God, and what He has specifically called them to by the Holy Spirit.

Remember, truest freedom comes through obedience.

2. In the world, but not of it. A withdrawal from society is not being mandated. God does not commend the Recabites and then command the Israelites to follow suit. He just wants obedience from His chosen people. There is a precarious balance between withdrawal and assimilation. Each makes the church invisible. Often, I feel like I have assimilated more than withdrawn. Do you?

3. We can expect God to test our conscience. Christian character is built not by a single decision, but by successive choices. Heb 11:17 What an amazing verse. Can you put yourself in Abraham's shoes? It makes my heart skip a beat when I do.

"Issue that goes to the heart of the differences (of Britain and) America"

"Issue that goes to the heart of our differences with America"
By Michael McCarthy

Published: 16 April 2007 in The Independent (A UK newspaper)

We are blasé about abortion in Britain; opposition to it is as muted as is the support for it (which is why we are running out of doctors prepared to carry it out). It is merely an unexceptionable part of the fabric of society.

Contrast us with the United States, where the issue splits the nation, and each side gives itself a powerful, emotive label: one is Pro-Choice, the other is Pro-Life. Early termination has an infinitely greater social, religious and indeed political resonance In the Land of the Free than it does here.

Why? The reasons go the heart of our differences as countries. For Americans, the issue encapsulates a major fault line in their society: the one that opened up in the 1960s, between freedom and authority. On one side is the heady freedom from age-old social constraints that the Sixties brought in - especially sexual freedom, and in particular, sexual freedom for women. America was the birthplace of modern feminism, and one of feminism's central tenets is a woman's right to choose what she does with her body. The contraceptive pill, and legalised abortion, were the means to this end.

But on the other side of the divide is the old attitude that has never accepted abortion as a woman's right, or as a justified act. And what lies behind this, and keeps it alive, is religion.

Many British people probably have no concept of just how religious American society is, and how distinct that makes Americans from us. We speak the same language, eat the same food, take part in the same wars; but on Sundays, we do things differently. According to Gallup, 98 per cent of Americans believe in God, and 73 per cent believe in life after death (compared to 38 per cent in Britain); even more strikingly, 40 per cent are regular churchgoers. Every Sunday, 120 million Americans make the effort to worship in Christian churches, the wealthy, the middle-class, the poor.

That is not to say, of course, that the Catholic church has not tried to stem the tide of pro-choice legislation in Britain. Last year it threw its weight behind efforts to pressure the government into changing abortion laws, claiming that public opinion had shifted after ultrasound images were published showing striking details of foetuses seeming to "walk" in the womb. Cardinal Cormac Murphy- O'Connor, leader of the church in England and Wales, lobbied the Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, for a review of laws which set the limit for termination at 24 weeks. "What has happened is that there has been a quite considerable change in public opinion, especially after those photographs," he said. "That has touched a lot of people's hearts."

Although the attempts to cut the age limit came to nothing he may, in light of the looming abortion crisis, have had a point, though not quite the one he intended. There does seem to have been a gradual, almost imperceptible change in public opinion - not because so many people have been converted to the pro-life cause, but because many seem to have taken the pro-choice cause for granted.

Complacency can kill off any campaign, however passionately it is taken up. No doubt the women who fought with such fervour to achieve the 1967 Abortion Act and those who continued the battle through the Seventies and Eighties until the word "termination" lost much of its stigma would be aghast at the way in which their hard-won gains have been squandered.

What do we fight our battles over in 21st century Britain? Only the extreme end of the animal rights movement seem to involve such a strong element of passion. Many Americans looked on bewildered at the amount of time and energy spent on banning foxhunting in Britain, just as we look on assassinations of American abortion doctors as something entirely outside our experience.

There's the difference between us. America is a society based on religion, where half the nation has not accepted legalised abortion. Ever since the historic Supreme Court decision of Roe versus Wade made abortion (up to three months) a constitutional right in 1973, much of this vast body of religious opinion has fought back, firmly believing that killing a living human foetus is prohibited by God. Sometimes the fight has been violent, and gone beyond demonstrations outside clinics; the phenomenon of "Pro-Life murder" has seen several abortion doctors and clinic workers killed by gunmen or bombers.

We in Britain, meanwhile, have lost our religion, and acquiesce entirely placidly in all the liberations of the Sixties and Seventies, although as a society based on class, many of us can still get very worked up at the prospect of a toff on a horse.

A Sunday Afternoon Walk