"These are a few of my favourite things..."

My Favourite Thing about... Summer:

KATE: Doing things outside in the sun. There's something about doing things outside that makes it somehow more fun, more worthwhile than doing things inside. You feel closer to nature and (this may sound cheesy but..) closer to God. Out in the sun, sprawled on the warm grass, the heat spreading accross your back. Or picture, playing guitar in the sun, on a beach, with a picnic lunch, with friends all around. Ah... what could be better. I find myself trying to find a way to do everything (within reason) outside, dragging my family outside to have lunch in the garden, drawing and doing little craft projects outside. This summer, I can't wait to draw up my summer reading list, dig out my shorts from the back of my wardrobe, play guitar until my fingers hurt and just enjoy the company of friends and family before embarking on my gap year.

GINA: Sunshine and colour. It may seem obvious (although a cynic might complain that there's not much of it in an English summer) but seriously though, the cold is the bane of my life. It makes you stressed, sad, tense...you're in pain most of the time without even realising it! But warmth...ah! Probably a more accurate definition of what I love is sunshine. It lightens up the world, makes everything seem brighter and full of life, it relaxes me, puts a smile on my face for no reason, enables me to walk slower (something I just cannot do in the cold!) and take life at a more comfortable pace. And the colours that bloom in summer are so lovely and wonderful that they make the whole world look suddenly brighter! You almost forget they exist, but the turn of the season always brings with it the flood of color that is drowned by the greys and darkness of winter and overcast days. It's like the earth has suddenly been saturated or doused in a pot of paint. So there you go, my favourite thing(s) - I was cheeky there - about summer are 'sunshine' and 'colour'... what glorious inventions. Thank you God!

SARAH: The seemingly never-ending stretch of days, occupied with nothing more than what you want them to. I love being able to set myself art projects to do, under whatever topic I want, make something new, create a new habit, or get rid of an old one. Time seems to be somewhat longer during summer, perhaps due to the prolonged amount of sunlight crammed into one day. The earth wakes up at 5am and goes to sleep at ten thirty, yet it never gets tired and it fills me with more energy than any winter day can. The elongated holidays seem to ignite a new creativity in me, and fill my head with endless possiblities. Conjuring up new recipes with my sister, setting out picnics in the long grass by the stream, having a day where French is the only language allowed. I hope that these golden days will never cease - even when my summer holidays may not last so long. There is so much rest that comes from them, my heart is rejuvenated by it. It's an important aspect for me.

MILLA: The Sun. Again- fairly cliche? But surely it deserves recognition. The sun isn't just the warmth that hits us, it's light and it's life. It creates smiles where frowns were, it lifts spirits and it chases the winter out of our side of the world! Yes... I think the sunshine is why I love Summer so much. I love waking up, opening my eyes, bleary, but able to see the dust illuminated by the sunshine. I pull away the curtains and outside the green trees are shining like gold. Immediately, I feel ready for the long day ahead, be it filled with work, revision, or relaxation and recreation. Jesus said "I am the Light of the World", and when I'm lazing about in the grass with it warming my feet and shining on the top of my head, lifting different smells from the otherwise dormant earth- I realise why. It lights the way- Just as Jesus does. It gives life- Just as Jesus does. It creates joy- Just as Jesus does. It removes darkness- Just as Jesus does. Sun-Son- they even have the same name! I take inspiration and joy from the sunshine. God made the sun for us, and I love summer because it lets me enjoy it in all abundant glory.

MEGAN:  The flowers. I love how the earth comes alive for about 4 months each year. It's so wonderful to see the cold darkness of winter coming to life: blossoming. I love sitting with friends making daisy chains and acting like we have nothing better to be doing with our time. I love picking daffodils and putting them in a vase on our kitchen table. I love walking around the fields where I live and reading among the tall grass and wildflowers which are enveloping me. I love watching the blossom trees flourishing and picking cherries. Summer is the epitome of beauty, which is really just the face of God. 

ABBIE: family and friends. Love time where my brothers come back and it's just like old times, sure they pick on you with their endless 'banter' but despite our quibbles its great to have the house full again! Then there's the crazy summer trips with friends where you create memories that last a life time.

EVE: freedom. I ususally thrive on routine. Without a schedule I literally collapse! But for some reason, the freedom of endless rolling days in the summer doesn't freak me out. It just fills my mind with endless possibilities and allows my heart to relax. My emotions and my ideas are no longer confined to 9-5 walls, but rather, they're free to roam in fields and lie in flowers with good books and warm smiles. I feel the strength of God's presence in the freedom that he blesse me with in this time. I can spend days with him without the restraints of work and lessons. With no routine to be accountable to, I can dedicate my days to God's plan for the here and now. Bring on the holidays!

Never forget that

In a few weeks' time everything I know will simply be a memory. The place that I've called 'home' and  the people that I've called 'family' are going to violently ripped away from me. Put slightly less dramatically, School will be finishing... Forever. And ever. And. Ever. (I lied about the 'less dramatic' part!)

I don't know about you guys, but I love my school. I love the 'quintessential' grounds, the teachers who feel like friends, the atmosphere that just screams 'God is present', but most of all the people who I have gradually come to know as a part of me.

I can't walk around school without remembering a thousand different memories.

This is the library where we decided to smuggle in a picnic one day and where have got to a stage of having 'our' seats. This is the classroom that holds so many memories of GCSE English and too many laughs to count. These are the toilets where we locked all the doors and I fell in the toilet after breaking the lid that I was standing on. This is the dining room where we have sat for hours eating, laughing, praying, foot stomping, shouting, and frequently getting told off for doing so. This is the stage where I met a person I shouldn't have, as well as having an oodle of laughs with the 'Hot Box girls'. This is the art block where 'under pressure' was sung in the last 5 minutes of an exam, we have been a bit 'in the dark', we never get a computer, we didn't get a cookie, but we have done some pretty ridiculous stuff for our grades. This is the Hockey block where we were threatened with a 'sitting plan' every week and crawled on the floor doing gun drills (for CCF, I hasten to add!). This is the bridge we hid under during a 'latin treasure hunt'. These are our 'preferred' toilets which we daily frequent, even when half of us are actually only keeping the other half 'company', which sertinly amuses some people. This is the room where I'm never lonely, we stay up until the wee hours of the morning, we watch endless movies, we strum guitars, we write songs, we occasionally do some work, and we get to share each other's company. This is the house that always has an open door, always warms our hearts, lights our smiles, calms our troubled minds, provides props for our photography, quenches our thirst with endless cups of tea, and can be called none other than 'The Tea House'.

For anyone who thinks several of those memories were ridiculously weird, then you would be excused for thinking so, but I think we've all got to a stage now where we can embrace our insanity. It stems from being in the company of good friends, and my friends are simply wonderful.

As we come to the end of our time together, I want us to remember the laughs, but also the tears. We have all faced troubles in one way or another but with amazingly comforting friends and a glorious God, these times have shaped us to become the (Dare I say?) 'women' of God that we are today.

The constant in our relationships has always been God and although the rest of our lives look utterly terrifying, as long as we have Him, then we will always hold a tiny piece of each other.

Right now, I want to look at these few short weeks ahead and cherish the present. It truly is a gift.

Whatever the future brings I want you all to know that in this moment, I love you. Please never forget that.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

The First Day of Easter in Pictures

Rain

A hint for the below: this is all tongue in cheek.

Gina wanted to call this 'twinny tunes'- there is no WAY I would let that happen. The fact that we look the same is enough, but to...to....ENDORSE that way of life...no. no. just no. I just tried to hug her in consolation...but you know Gina, hugs don't work as well as a well-placed word or smile. :)

Milla refused to let this be called 'twinny tunes'. In my humble, glass-half-full opinion we should milk this God-given genetic happening, embrace this chance! But no, when I suggested the idea I recieved a cynical roll of the eyes and a single: 'Nooooo!' (as a side note - I apologise for the incessant amount of shuffling before hand)

So there you go, two twins stuck in the catch 22 situation of never being able to break from the bonds of our DNA.

Gina and Milla