New school year.

We moved house almost a year ago. Hard to believe. I also have been working for the Dept Agriculture for over a year now too. Where does the time go? Eileen is settled into her primary school too. Two jobs we both enjoy, good stuff.

The long range forecast is good for the end of middle of September. I have some farms to inspect in the high Sperrins - those hills are calling.

I was at a meeting in Elijah's primary school last week for P7 parents on transferring to secondary school. We cannot believe our wee son will soon be leaving primary. Here he'll be going to Lurgan Junior High so we have not worries about transfer tests. They have a selective transfer again going into 3rd year. The kids are both very happy in school here.

We were just looking out some old photos, pre-digital days, to scan into the Mac. You sometimes wonder if life existed before kids.

Off sick today. We all are in fact, Elijah, Hannah and myself. Thankfully Eileen was not at work over the last two days and could nurse us all. We thought Han had taken food poisoning after a Mc'D's last weekend, but it turned out to be a winter vomiting virus. I cleaned up the vomit of chips beside her bed and must have infected myself. Two days incubation later I was kneeling beside the loo in the en-suite retching repeatadly, wiping down, then crawling back into bed. A few hours later Eljah joined in the fun and Eileen had to mop the decks.

Two days later we are all just about recovered.

New year has been good. We invested in a new patio at the back, the dog does not need bathed after every pee. Work has been going well for both of us. Eileen loves her new school and I'm enjoying seeing much of Co Tyrone and visting the farms.

Hannah wins Christmas card competition!

Hannah has won a Christmas card design prize for her school.  Her design was selected from everyone in the school to be the school Christmas card!  This follows Elijah winning an environmental art design prize last week!

Elijah wins environmental art prize

Elijah won a prize for designing a page in a calendar about recycling. Here he is collecting his prize from the Mayor.

Teaching post

After several months of search Eileen found her perfect job. It's a two day a week principal's release post. She went to a pre-interview visit last week and just loved the school. After preparing and praying hard for the interview she felt really ready, and it went fine. A few days later a letter arrived saying she had got the job. She was thrilled.

She starts tomorrow and is really looking forward to it. We found after school care for the kids too. Everything just fell into place. God is good.

Home making

Almost three months since last update, sorry about that. Well, we did move house. On Thursday 18th September to be exact. We found a lovely home in Lurgan. It's invester magnolia, and has a really big back garden. Which is very muddy at the moment, roll on the Spring when we can sow grass.

The last few months have been settling in and making a home. The kids changed school and really like their new one. They settled very quickly, much quicker than last year when we returned from Paraguay. Both of them have been selected for music lessons - Elijah for Clarinet, and Hannah for Violin. We'll have a little ensemble before long!

My job is still going well, based in Loughry now and a 45 minute commute. Not too bad. I'm involved with press and communications which is keeping me more in the office than I'd like. I get out and about once a week or so at the moment.

Eileen is still job hunting. Next week we'll take the plunge and go for after school child care so she can start subbing. We just pray it will all come together soon.

New Job, new home

Well things are moving quickly. I started my new job last week and I have to say it's just what I hoped it would be. I'll be out in the wilds much of the time visiting farms and drawing up management plans to improve the conservation value of farmland habitats. This first few weeks have been training and job shadowing. There have been some long commutes, up to 100 miles, but hopefully that will reduce when we move house.

It looks like we'll be moving at the beginning of September. We managed to get a mortgage and have found a lovely house in Lurgan. It means a big move for the family, but we have prayed long and hard about this and we know it's God's timing.