Wedding day fast approaches

Two weeks tomorrow is the day we plan to get married! Life is hurtling past at speed and the day is fast approaching - and it is exciting and scary at the same time....

The EFG graduated from Aberdeen in June and did well enough that she is now doing postgraduate studies at Edinburgh uni - still in Scotland, bless her! The YFG has just started at Newcastle uni to do Geography. Once I get to Carlisle at the end of the month, we will all be within a reasonable distance of one another. 

Graduation was a special day in June when the chap and I went up to Aberdeen to share it with the EFG. We arrived the day before and took her out for a meal that night as she was going to the graduation ball the night of the graduation, and the chap had to hike back to Cumbria on the train to go to work again the next day. I was able to stay and bring her and all her stuff back home - the Yeti was packed to the maximum capacity! It has been great to have her here all summer and to have some precious time together.... although my dad did very generously send them off on a cruise in July - they saw some of the coastline of Croatia and Italy, embarking the boat at Malta so the trip included their first experiences of flying. They did very well and enjoyed every minute.

I had a more sedate holiday in Northumberland in a cottage at Belford with the chap and his son, and the YFG joined us for most of the time.

The house has just about sold - God's been teaching me a valuable lesson about trusting him for the times that things happen so He has brought us to this point before the right buyer came along! I had three couples all wanting to buy the house but all subject to selling their own properties - and then a young first time buying couple came along so that there is absolutely no chain: it is just them buying this house.  I do suspect that they may be getting some parental support with the purchase, but as long as they come up with the money, I will be happy - and it is such a weight off my mind to know that I don't have to rent it out or leave it on the market once I am gone from here.

And I shall be gone from here in about three and half weeks - a man and a van are booked and we head north on the 31st.  I shan't be growing in the fens any longer, but I'm certain I still have a lot of learning and growing to do.  Cogitating in Cumbria? Maturing in the mountains? From Fens to Fells? We'll have to think of something!

I have officially stopped working here now and my time is focused on the candidating procedure for the ministry, packing, organising last minute things about the wedding and wondering how to fit it all in. I was quite stressed at the beginning of the week but I seem to have calmed down a little bit now, thank goodness. The YFG is nipping home tomorrow until Tuesday due to some cancelled lectures, so I am looking forward to hearing more about her first two weeks in Newcastle - she has already connected with a gymnastics club there so she clearly has her priorities straight!