Krugers in Cambridge

The last few weeks

2009-12-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

We've had a great last few weeks in Cambridge. Here are some of the highlights:

Our pastor, Tom, came for a visit while he was on a trip to London. He finally got Mike to join him on a bike ride, although he couldn't get Mike to sport the spandex biking shorts.

The next weekend, Mike and I took a trip to Bath. It is a beautiful city. We enjoyed the best fish and chips we've had this time around in England.

We had tea at the Pump Room. If you are a Jane Austin fan, she mentions the Pump room in a couple of her novels. It houses a pump that collects water from the natural springs in the area.

Melissa & Jake - I think you should have waited to baptize the boys in something like this:

We took the Jane Austin tour of the city - Mike is a fan!

Here's the Royal Crescent:

And, since the rain kept pouring, we finally found a cozy pub to warm up and eat some lunch.

On November 22, Kate turned 3!

For some reason, I think she looks like Martha Stewart in this picture:

Christmas lights in the Cambridge:

Jessica and I took a fun day trip to London. It was cold!

Emma and John in front of King's College:

Kate and JoJo rowing the boat:

An afternoon movie and tearful good-byes on our last day in Cambridge:

Packing, cleaning, packing, cleaning...

A few of my favorite things...

2009-11-13T15:26:00.000-08:00

Here are some scenes from our everyday life in Cambridge that I love.

On my morning runs I go by the river Cam, pass King's College (with the cows) and enjoy the fall leaves.

Kate, playing in the leaves with Miss Jessica:

Our rainy British day treat: Hot chocolate, Turkish Delight & shortbread - yum!

Every morning this is how Mike leaves the house - everybody loves Daddy!

Making pumpkin bread with real pumpkins:

Our days end with all the kids and Mike sitting around the computer, watching He-man and She-ra... not kidding. I'm just not sure who enjoys it more, Mike or the kids.

Halloween: Pippi, Sir John & the Princess

2009-11-12T08:11:00.001-08:00

Carving our Pumpkin - we went for a royal theme to celebrate Great Britain.

Pippi Longstocking, Sir John & Princess Kate:

Most children don't go trick or treating (or really celebrate Halloween) in Cambridge, so we had a party with some of our American friends. All the kids still got their fill of candy!

Emma's 9th Birthday

2009-11-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

Emma just celebrated her 9th birthday. It is probably one of the few birthdays she'll actually get to celebrate anywhere near her birthplace. On Thursday, we took Emma and John for their first train ride up to London.

For all you Harry Potter fans - this is as close as you can get to 9 3/4 at King's Cross. We must just be muggles because there was no train to Hogwarts waiting for us.

We took Emma and John to the Tower of London.

I took Emma to get some Krispy Kreme doughnuts - a sweet taste of NC!

And then we went to see the play "Wicked", her birthday present. She and I both loved it!

On Friday, we celebrated with the neighborhood friends.

While we were in London, Kate had much fun with Miss Jessica. She stole her scarf, rode bikes, went to the Library and got a pinkalicious cupcake.

Trip to Spain

2009-10-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

The past couple of weeks have been blessed with good friends from Charlotte. After Angela came, we got to share a fun and encouraging evening with our friend Tom Ellis. He was in London with work and came up to Cambridge to join us for dinner. Jessica headed to South Africa to visit another friend from Charlotte, Jeremiah. Here is John's depiction of her trip after hearing her stories(she really did kayak with hippos and alligators!):

Mike stayed in Cambridge with Kate and John. My depiction of what that looked like:

Actually, that is much more likely to (and did) happen on my watch.

While Mike stayed in Cambridge and JD was in South Africa, Emma and I boarded a plane to visit my good friend Susan Foster in Spain. Susan, her husband JJ, and son Jack are missionaries there, helping to plant a church.

They also help to give aid to people in need. The economic situation in Spain is truly difficult for many living there. Some people they encounter have been out of work for over a year and have multiple children. Their church partners with an EU food distribution and helps to give food to these families in need. On our second day there, Emma and I got to help their team. I think for both of us, it was our favorite activity. Emma was such a worker - she unpacked boxes of cheese and milk and always had a smile on her face. She also got to chat with a lovely missionary on their team who spent such sweet time listening to Emma's excitement and desire to be a missionary herself one day. I think it was one of those moments that Emma will never forget.

Just outside this garage (of the house owned by their team leader) was a huge line of people waiting to get food.

Food was stacked all around their basement. Our day was their last day to distribute and eventually they ran out of the EU food. However, their church went out with their own funds and bought more food to give to many of the families later that evening. It was such a blessing to see how they are working to meet people's physical needs, as well as their even greater spiritual needs.

On our first day there, Susan took Emma and me to visit the Alhambra. After seeing multiple castles and cathedrals in GB, the Alhambra was a welcome change. It was built by Muslims who lived in Spain until Ferdinand and Isabella (of Christopher Columbus fame) drove them out, so the architecture was completely different from anything in Europe.

Here it is in the background:

Inside, entire walls were covered with carvings. The windows below allowed women to observe the courtyard, yet kept them from being seen.

Susan also took me for some great dining experiences. We tried Moroccan food (it was great), Spanish food and enjoyed a tapas meal that I loved. Emma tried everything and enjoyed it all.

Smoking is still most certainly allowed in Spanish restaurants:

The Pomegranate is the symbol of Granada. We found a tree with some growing as we were walking through town:

After three days, many sights, shopping, great food, late-night conversations and much fun, Emma and I headed back to Cambridge. We had a great time seeing and experiencing their life. I also learned that my Spanish needs some serious work - Muchas Gracias Susan, JJ & Jack!

Kate loved her "pinkalicious" Moroccan outfit and shoes.

St. Edmund's College

2009-10-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

Last week I was inaugurated as a visiting scholar at St. Edmund's College, Cambridge University. We first got to enjoy a chapel service with the Fellows of the college, where everyone was dressed in full academic regalia. This was followed by "high table" where Melissa and I dined at the head table with the Fellows of the college (where we sat right across from the Master). It was very much like the dining scenes at Hogwarts in Harry Potter (except there were no owls!). We had a great time enjoying a sophisticated and elegant Cambridge experience. See the picture below right before we left:

Angela's visit

2009-10-16T03:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, our good friend Angela came to visit. I knew she was here when I heard Kate squeal with delight, "Miss Angela!!". We had a great time getting to share Cambridge with her. We rode bikes, visited Pubs, went to Evensong at King's College, picked apples at the Orchard and spent time catching up on life in Charlotte and Uptown church. We spent her last day in London, shopping in markets and stores all over the city.

The bookstore from the movie Notting Hill - we just happened upon it while shopping there:

John's Birthday

2009-10-16T02:57:00.000-07:00

October 8th we celebrated John's 6th birthday. A gas station in the city just next to ours has some American products that we can't get here(chocolate chips, Kraft Mac n Cheese, pretzels, etc). Of course, they are all sold for a ridiculous price (a box of Mac n Cheese costs around $5). So it was a big deal for John to get to have Pop Tarts for breakfast, Kraft Mac n Cheese for lunch and pizza for dinner, followed by a cookie cake with friends. He had a great day!

Presents at breakfast:

His new knight costume:

The neighborhood kids came over to share in the cookie cake. It was John's first "all-girl" birthday party.

Lego Land

2009-10-06T11:08:00.001-07:00

John's birthday is on Thursday and he wanted a family party. We found out that Lego Land Windsor is only about two hours away, so we decided to take him there for a special celebration. He loved it - Legos are his favorite toy and they were everywhere.

Here is miniature land. Everything was made of legos - the London Eye, St. Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben. It was pretty amazing.

Our favorite in Miniature Land was the Lego replication of Edinburgh - it was spot on (to use a good British phrase).

It rained all day, despite a clear forecast. However, the Aero hot chocolate kept us warm!

Emma just finished reading the Harry Potter series, so she was very excited to find both Harry and Hagrid at LegoLand.

Star Wars + Legos = Bliss for John John!

Opa and Grandma come to Cambridge

2009-10-01T08:43:00.001-07:00

This past week, Mike's parents, Opa & Grandma came to visit. The kids were so excited. We spent the morning before their arrival picking blackberries. We picked around 4 lbs altogether and made them a cobbler for after dinner and fresh blackberry jam for their scones in the morning.

We took them for lunch in the Orchard:

We also took them to Hedingham Castle. It was also a Norman castle, built around 1140.

John's quote: "Mommy, what happened to the poor little bunny?" If you can see in the background, the bunny is being sawed in two pieces for cooking. Once again, these British castles show what life was really like before the modern grocery store.

This morning, they headed on to France to visit the beaches at Normandy. They left behind some sad grandkids!

A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes

2009-10-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

Kate has found her first Prince Charming:

Cooking Out

2009-10-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Every Friday evening at Tyndale House we grill out with other families studying there. The kids run around and play while the adults chat with one another while sharing a meal. It has been a great way for us to get to know people. This past Friday, they built a small bonfire for the kids to roast marshmallows.

Trip to Prague

2009-09-21T11:45:00.001-07:00

We spent the past weekend visiting dear friends, Phil & Shanna in Prague. We had a great trip. Seeing the city was fun, but most of all we enjoyed visiting with our friends and seeing their life as missionaries and church planters in Prague. I was amazed at how life was so similar (kids love to play at the park) and yet so different (it took about 30 minutes of walking/riding public transportation to get everyone to the park). They have lived there now for four years and started a church two years ago. It was wonderful to be sitting in church with them, singing Shane Martin's "Jesus", feeling more at home there than I've felt since we left Charlotte. It was a blessing for us to see their life and hear the many ways the Lord has worked among them.

Seeing the city:

The kids enjoying ice cream after school pick-up. I think that is a good Friday afternoon tradition to bring back to Charlotte.

We ate dinner with Phil & Shanna, as well as Chris & Laura. C&L are also from Charlotte and moved to Prague to help with the church plant. They run a hostel in town if anyone is heading to Prague for a visit. It was great to have a good meal and uninterrupted conversation!

Phil & Shanna's kids, Lucy, Clark and Piper all provided the most fun play dates for our kids. At dinner this evening they all were begging, "Can we please go back to Prague?" because their family fit just perfectly with ours. Lucy and Emma formed a kid's "Missionary Club" - the goal being to share Jesus with a friend who doesn't know about Him. John and Clark played with cars, knights and dressed as pirates. Piper and Kate had fun playing dress up. For a look, check out the video below. We left Prague feeling refreshed, encouraged and thankful for good friends!

Wimpole Hall

2009-09-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we visited Wimpole Hall, a country estate about 30 minutes outside of Cambridge.

On the property, there was a chapel that would have been used for the family and those in the area to have church services(it reminded me of Lady Catherine de Bourgh's home "Rosings Park" from Pride & Prejudice).

Maybe Mike's OK with women in the pulpit if they have the name Kruger?

I kept waiting for Mr. Darcy & Elizabeth Bennet to walk up the lane.

Free food everywhere

2009-09-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

Cambridge has fruit growing everywhere. The Tyndale House Gardens have apple trees, pear trees and hazelnut trees. Blackberries grow all over town and are free for the picking. My neighbor brought me some great Plum jam she made from the plum tree in my backyard. She inspired me to actually use the free fruit growing in my backyard. So, I picked two pounds of plums and we all got to enjoy a yummy cobbler.

Anglesey Abbey & Gardens

2009-09-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we went to Anglesey Abbey. Here are the pictures.

We got to travel around the Gardens with Princess Kate:

Kate's favorite color is pink. This summer at the beach my mom read her the book "Pinkalicious". Well, as soon as she saw this rose, she ran up to it and squealed, "Look mommy, a Pinkalicious flower." We've seen pinkalicious bikes, sweaters, cars and every other item that could possibly be pink - all are met with equal delight.

My Average Day

2009-09-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

Given that many of our blogs have been about excursions to castles, cathedrals, and English estates, one might wonder what my average day looks like. So, I thought I would blog a bit about that. Although we take some day trips on the weekends, during the week I am busy writing a book on the origins of the New Testament canon (due out with Crossway). Tyndale House has one of the best libraries in the world for biblical studies, so I spend most of my time there. My average day includes arriving at my desk (see pictures below) early in the morning and leaving at dinner time, and a number of nights each week I go back in after the kids are in bed. The research and writing has been intense and exhaustive, but at the same time exhilarating and refreshing. Back in the states I have so little time for extended blocks of writing, so this feels like a real privilege. At the same time, I regularly tell people that the hardest part of my job is writing. It is the most difficult thing I do. But, progress has been steady and I am confident that God will bless my efforts here. So far, my first chapter is nearing 30,000 words. Given that the whole book is only supposed to be 100,000, it looks like I have some cutting to do! For the sake of Jake Hunt (!) I have included a picture below of my desk at Tyndale House. At least I have a window...

I think I fixed the problem...

2009-08-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

I had some people tell me they were unable to post comments on the blog. I think I've fixed the problem, so we'd love to hear from you. It would also be great if you would try commenting just so I know it's working. Thanks for keeping up with us!

Last day in London

2009-08-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

Scott was leaving out of London, so we all traveled up to have a day in the city. We did the usual tourist sights and then finished out the trip enjoying the play, Les Miserables.

Big Ben:

Parliament:

Westminster Abbey:

We enjoyed a pint at the Salisbury Pub just before the play. After the play, we came out to a city that was teeming with people. It was 11:30 pm on a Thursday night every Pub was packed. It was quite different than Cambridge, where everything closes down by 5:30 (not kidding!).

Colleges in Cambridge

2009-08-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

There are actually 31 colleges in the Cambridge college system. Students live and eat in their college and are assigned to a tutor to lead them through their years of study.

The chapel at King's college is below. The organ was donated by Henry VIII. H & A is inscribed into the woodwork - representing "Henry and Anne". Obviously, it was donated before he decided to behead her.

St. John's college:

Below is the entrance to Trinity college. The tree just behind me was planted from a graft of the apple tree that Isaac Newton sat under when he discovered gravity. The original tree was struck by lightening and they planted this graft outside his college.

Here is the pub where Watson & Crick discussed their discovery of DNA. They eventually won the Nobel Prize.

The Orchard

2009-08-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

My favorite spot in all of Cambridge is actually just outside of the city and is called the Orchard. It is an old apple orchard with a tea house that has served Cambridge students for over a hundred years. Various writers, poets and scholars have met here - it is an idyllic place to sit down, enjoy a cup of tea and have a scone with clotted cream and jam. One day while Mike was working, I took Scott for a visit. It is about a mile and a half bike ride to get there, traveling past fields, raspberry bushes, cows and the River Cam. On the way back, we got to enjoy a double rainbow - it was an amazing view!

Rupert Brooke wrote a poem about the Orchard (it is in the hamlet of Grantchester). Here is a portion that fits it so well:

I only know that you may lie

Day-long and watch the Cambridge sky,

And, flower-lulled in sleepy grass,

Here the cool lapse of hours pass,

Until the centuries blend and blur

In Grantchester, in Grantchester...

Ely Cathedral

2009-08-28T15:38:00.001-07:00

Just down the road from Denny Abbey was Ely Cathedral.

I love stained glass and the Biblical stories they tell. Here are two of my favorites - I'm not sure if they are large enough here, but can you figure out the stories?

Kate, whatever you are thinking about doing, it is probably not a good idea.

Denny Abbey

2009-08-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Scott, was in town this week, so we took to the road and saw some sights around Cambridge. Our first stop was Denny Abbey. This abbey was first established in the 12th century and eventually was converted to a private home.

This archway was filled in when the abbey was converted to a private residence.

The Laundry room made me thankful for my washer and dryer - we have it so easy!

John and I got to build a stained glass - it made for a great home-schooling project.

They had some fun dressing up places for the kids. I'm still unsure of what the beach picture has to do with an old abbey, but the kids enjoyed getting to take the picture!

Mountfitchet Castle

2009-08-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Today was our first "field trip" with the kids. We took them to Mountfitchet Castle, which is a restored castle from medieval England and shows what life would have been like in 1066. It was amazingly well done.

The most striking thing for all of us was the various forms of punishment used to keep everyone in line. There was a whipping post, a "Hell Hole", where you were placed to die, the stocks and various others below. The punishment for women was the most interesting to me.

Here is the jail. On the left, a man is about to have his hand cut off for stealing (they showed the blood, knife, everything... yes, this was a castle for KIDS!) The man in the center is being hung by his wrists from ropes. The third man on the right was placed in some sort of iron cage and hung up with an iron mask.

Here is the "Hell Hole" where people were placed to die.

In the middle of the courtyard a man was hung. I was warned about this from a nice British lady who said her little girl was quite upset the first time she saw it... well I guess it is a rather unusual sight.

The most interesting one to me was the Ducking stool, used to punish women. Here is the poem that goes along with the stool:

There stands, my friend, in yonder pool

An engine called a Ducking Stool;

By legal power commanded down,

The joy and terror of the town.

If jarring females kindle strife,

Give language foul, or lug the coif;

If noisy dames should once begin

To drive the house with horrid din;

"Away" you cry "you'll grace the stool'

we'll teach you how your tongue to rule."

Down in the deep the Stool descends,

But here, at first, we miss our ends;

She mounts again, and reges more

Than ever vixen did before.

If so, my friend, pray let her take

A second turn into the lake;

and, rather than your patience lose,

thrice and again repeat the dose.

No brawling wives, no furious wenches,

No fire so hot, but water quenches.

WOW - I guess that would be a serious reason to stop all gossip and inappropriate language.

John needed a time out:

The Castle complex - in medieval times they were built of wood instead of the stone castles we usually see.

Sir John, the Knight:

A fertility chair:

The Loo - with grass to use instead of toilet paper!

The mill stone for grinding wheat:

They had animals wandering the castle complex. We all loved feeding the little sheep below.

Scooters and Bikes

2009-08-14T06:59:00.001-07:00

Cambridge is a biking city. It is completely flat and very friendly to bikers. Pedestrians have to constantly be aware and listen out for the "ring" of a bike bell meaning that someone wants to pass. Truthfully, you are much more likely to be hit by a bike than a car!

The kids are getting around town on their scooters. After spending our first couple of days complaining about walking everywhere, John declared yesterday that he didn't want to ride in a car anymore, just use scooters and bikes. I am finding that instead of refueling my gas tank, I'm having to feed three hungry kids all day long to refuel them after all the activity.

Home-schooling

2009-08-14T06:52:00.001-07:00

While we are here, I am home-schooling the kids. So far, we've had a lot of fun. Every morning John asks, "Can we please have school now mommy?" However, we did run into a snag yesterday. The letter of the day was "D" and John kept wanting to call it an "M". By the end of the day we had gone over it so many times that even Kate was calling out "D" when asked what letter was on the board. I'm enjoying teaching again - it is nice to have a classroom of two!

Our house

2009-08-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

I never posted pictures of the house, so here they are. Our house is called "Hawthorne House" and is owned by Wheaton College for their professors. It was available for our time here and they graciously allowed us to rent it. We love it.

The Lane leading up to our house:

Kids playing with new friends in the garden:

Punting on the Cam

2009-08-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

It is an ancient tradition in Cambridge to spend lazy afternoons floating ("punting") down the river Cam that runs through the city. This past Sunday I took Emma punting with a friend from Tyndale House and his kids. We went along the "backs" (named for the back sides of the colleges you see from the river). I even had a chance to steer the boat myself which is harder than it looks! Enjoy the pictures.

Behind Emma is a picture of the famous "mathematical bridge" and a shot of me punting.

This is the famous "bridge of sighs" named after its counterpart in Venice, and also the ornate King's College Chapel that can be seen from the river.

A little lost in Vienna

2009-08-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

One afternoon while Mike was out of session, we decided to go on a walk through the wineries. We took the tram up the mountain and expected to have a nice stroll down the mountain vineyards, sipping wine along the way. Well, the mountain was a little steeper than we imagined (our shoes were not up to the challenge) and, of course, we got lost. We spent two hours wandering through the vineyards, going up and down hills in our attempt to get back. Mike even offered to call a taxi, but we laughingly realized - where would we tell him to come and pick us up? Finally, we found a little wine shop and got to experience a taste of the vineyards we were walking through. I'm not sure that wine is the most refreshing drink after a two hour hike, but it certainly did help our feet feel better as we continued down the mountain.

An amazing view over the city:

We found a graveyard along the way:

Still reading the map while we enjoyed the fruit of our labors.

Our trip to Vienna

2009-08-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our trip to Vienna, Austria. Mike was there giving a paper at the University during the Society of NT Studies Conference. It was a working trip for him and I got to enjoy being the accompanying person and going on prescheduled tours with other spouses. While there, I did get a much greater glimpse into what Mike does (and how little I understand it). We had lunch and dinner each day in the building above, called the "Rathaus" or town hall. There were around 300 NT scholars all very interested in discussing apocryphal gospels - it was as if they were all speaking a foreign language (and many of them literally were). While there, the conference truly hosted us well. We had a dinner and dance in the center of the town hall courtyard with a welcome from the Mayor of Vienna. The next evening, we went to a winery and got to eat Austrian favorites, as well as sample wine grown in their vineyards.

Here we are eating under the vines with grapes hanging down:

One of my favorite experiences was enjoying the Vienna coffee shops. Here we are at Cafe Central, enjoying cafe melange, hot chocolate and sachertorte (chocolate cake with an apricot layer inside).

We also visited the church in city center. Check out the pulpit on the left of the picture. It is guarded by a gate and is reached by a spiral staircase. I think Mike secretly wants to preach from a pulpit like that.

My Paper in Vienna

2009-08-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

Today I gave a paper at Vienna University (see above) for the 64th Annual Society of New Testament Studies conference which gathers the finest New Testament scholars from around the world. I was an invited guest and gave a paper to the Apocryphal Literature seminar entitled, "A Lost 'Lost Gospel': An Introduction to Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 840." There were about 25 experts in apocryphal gospels gathered in the seminar including, Christopther Tuckett (Oxford), James D.G. Dunn (Durham), Joseph Verheyden (Lueven), Bruce Chilton, and Andreas Lindemann (the president of SNTS), and others. Aside from some technical difficulties with my slides of the manuscript, I think the seminar went very well. I was subjected to over an hour of Q&A after my paper (kind of like a presbytery exam, but worse!), but that went fine and I think most found the arguments persuasive (I hope). Its been a great time to meet with other scholars and discuss biblical studies at a high academic level. After my paper, Melissa and I went to see some Vienna wineries in the mountains outside the city to relax. Unfortunately, we got a bit lost and it turned into an exhausting hike down the mountain. So much for relaxing!

Other happenings...

2009-08-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

The kids enjoyed wandering around the college nearest our home. I think Jessica ate a raspberry off a tree from the garden there. Do raspberries grow on trees?

Eden Chapel Church

2009-08-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

This morning we attended our first church service in Cambridge. We arrived early and, as usual, took our place in the back row. The worship leaders were preparing for a special international service and as we sat there, both Mike and I noticed one lady walking around who looked familiar. She also kept looking our way and finally I said to her, "Did you used to attend Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh?" We finally made the connection that we had all been in a small group Bible study together ten years ago! She was at Eden that morning because she worked with an International Ministry that was in Cambridge for six weeks. It was a treat to have someone we knew at our first church service. After the service, as we were chatting with people, another lady came up to me and said, "I know you - I sat beside you on the bus the other day. I knew you had to be a Christian." Again, I was amazed at the providence of God - I just happened to sit and talk to this woman on the bus, and now here she was, welcoming me to her church. We then started talking to an American couple, who invited us over to their home for lunch. We spent the afternoon with all of our kids playing (they have a trampoline!) while we got to sit around and get to know them. From beginning to end, we felt so incredibly welcomed and cared for by the community at the church.

Here's Mike enjoying a cup of tea just before church. The kids were all sitting right beside him - it was a cozy British morning!

We Bought a Car - In Need of a Name

2009-08-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well, an opportunity came our way that we decided we couldn't refuse. Just as we were coming to Cambridge, a Ph.D student was leaving and he sold us his about-to-break-down-any-day car for 80 pounds. It actually works great for our family. It is a Volvo station wagon (called an estate car here) and can hold seven. Emma and John love riding in the back, while Kate enjoys "Miss Jessica" sitting beside her in the middle. On Wednesday night, Jessica and I ventured out to the local grocery store, Tesco, on our own for my first British driving experience. I learned three things: Google maps UK are not a reliable source for mapping trips, Jessica is very good at staying level-headed when riding with a completely lost and inexperienced driver(I only ran one red light... at least I missed the biker) and Cambridge city planners forgot to put out road signs telling drivers the name of the roads. However, we did make it to the grocery store and back. We even stopped to get gas - it cost almost as much to fill up as we paid for the car.

Jessica and I decided that the car needs a name - any good ideas out there? We're both convinced it will finally break down while we're out in the countryside with sheep wandering around. If so, we'll be sure to take a picture...

Tyndale House

2009-07-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

While still jet-lagged and disoriented from our recent travels, I went to the Tyndale House library for the first time today. I saw my study desk where I will spend virtually every day for the next 4 1/2 months and was very pleased. Though obviously a clear down-size from my office at RTS, it is cozy, quiet, and has a nice view out the window. I also met a number of the other scholars studying here from all over the world and had many interesting conversations about each others research and writings interests (one of which took place in the nearby dining hall at Selwyn College at Cambridge University). In the midst of these visits, I realized again what is so stimulating about research institutes like this: scholars get to interact with peers rather than only with students. As much as I love working with students, it is refreshing from time to time to engage with academic peers where you can present your ideas with greater depth and thoroughness and benefit from insightful responses (rather than blank stares!). Research times like this are a gift.

I also had a chance to make my first pub visit last night at The Anchor, a historic little pub located on the river and (apparently) a former hangout of the guys from Pink Floyd. A nice selection of Ales, with some new options I have not had before (I particularly like the locally brewed 1229). The inside was standard wood paneling, cozy tables, and fireplaces, and populated largely by university students. However, as much as I liked it, it lacked the charm and simplicity of the pubs of Edinburgh, particularly the Jolly Judge off of the Royal Mile. Oh, those were the days...

The Garden

2009-07-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

More pictures of the garden... Emma and John are playing under the plum tree. The other picture is our garage beside the house.

I think I'm Bilbo

2009-07-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

Mike is currently reading the kids "The Hobbit". As I've listened over the past few evenings, Bilbo's reticence for adventures keeps popping up in the story. He is described in the following way: "People considered them (the Bagginses) very respectable... because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected; you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is the story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected."

After we collected our bags at the London airport, we lugged our seven 50 lb. bags, carseats, five carry-ons and three children across the street and up to the fifth floor of a parking deck to pick up our rental car. I waited outside with the kids and bags, while Mike went inside to rent the car. All of this happened around 3am body time, with no sleep. As I tried to keep John out of the lane just next to us where cars were zooming by, I decided that I was Biblo and that new adventures really weren't my thing. Thirty minutes later, as we loaded and stuffed all of our belongings into the rental car (yes, they fit - we just had to unpack one bag to distribute the contents all over the car), I told Mike in no uncertain terms that we weren't doing this again.

We then drove an hour and a half to Cambridge. Finally, the last thirty minutes of the trip, all three kids succumbed to sleep. As we arrived at the house, I experienced a different side of Bilbo that is described in the book: "Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick." Upon seeing Hawthorne House, I was all of the sudden filled with the amazement of getting to live here and fell in love with the house. The house is everything I would want: quaint and old on the outside, with new plumbing and furnishings on the inside. The garden is simply my favorite thing. It is full of rambling paths, stone fixtures, herbs, flowers and even a plum tree. The pictures below just don't do it justice. After wandering the garden, I turned to Mike and told him how glad I was to be here, with him, on another adventure. I would gladly do the packing, logistics and travel all again. He's the Gandolf to my Bilbo, pushing me out the door for a new adventure.

On the plane

2009-07-26T15:43:00.001-07:00

Doesn't it look like everyone is sleeping soundly? Oh, how a picture can lead one to believe many false ideas. Actually, the kids were awake almost the entire flight. Finally, around 1am body time, John fell asleep. Kate did get around two hours of sleep, however, she keep having bad dreams. She would half-awake, crying and kicking violently the seat in front of us, and then five minutes later, fall back fully asleep. I'm sure the lady in front of us is telling people what an awful flight she had because of the little girl behind her... am I supposed to discipline her for sleep kicking? Emma stayed awake the entire flight - didn't sleep a wink. However, she thankfully refrained from kicking anyone.

Getting Ready in Greensboro

2009-07-26T15:24:00.001-07:00

On Friday morning we headed to the Greensboro airport to begin almost 18 hours of travel. The kids were excited to get on the plane. I think Mike and I already look tired - maybe a bad sign?

All our bags are packed

2009-07-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

It is Thursday morning and we're packed and ready to head to Greensboro. All of our world for the next few months has been reduced down to seven bags. It feels restful already, just to have less stuff to manage. We'll spend the night with Mike's parents and then fly out tomorrow afternoon. Our route is Greensboro to Atlanta and then on to London. Once in London, we'll rent a car and drive down to Cambridge. Jessica should be there already and I'm sure she will be a welcome sight to our travel weary eyes!