Weekend Review: Part 2

Which is worse: That it's taken me nearly a full week to give a report on the second half of our weekend or that I am sitting in a quiet house choosing to sacrifice sleep in order to achieve my self-set deadline of posting "Part 2" before the new weekend begins? (One of my shoulder-Angels says, "Get a grip, Steph... Your true blog-followers would excuse a little blog-slacking if they knew you were getting a good night's rest." And the other shoulder-Angel says, "Blog followers? ...you truly do live in your own little world, dontcha?"

Well, ultimately it's head-over-shoulders tonight in my cozy cottage and here I sit at the strike of midnight (Oxford time) entering a new weekend and blogging about the last... but it was a great Sunday and well worth blogging about.

Our first Sunday morning in Oxford looked vastly different than our typical Sundays in Texas. Sure, it's always rush-rush-rush on a Sunday (Why is that?) and that one element remained the same for us here in England. The main difference was the mode of transportation. It used to be easy: Load up in the Jeep, hit southbound 75, exit, park, see several familiar faces on the walk in, everything familiar and comfortable. The UK version was quite different! It involved lots of walking and stroller-pushing, a couple of bus rides changing routes in the city center and then walking into Headington Baptist as first-time visitors, not really knowing a single soul and only hoping not to completely stand out! Were we nervous? Honestly, No. Curious? Absolutely. Collin and I were both ready to see how church operates here and if it's much different from home, and this sweet church was recommended to us by friends of ours who attended here for a number of years so we were anxious to take a peek inside.

We were instantly greeted and welcomed with a choice of hot coffee or tea (or "squash," which Collin and I both thought was a strange thing to serve with tea and coffee until we found out that it's actually just juice... Not squash, or squash juice or anything having to do with the vegetable called squash.) We stood and spoke with several nice members of the church as we waited for the start of the late service. It wasn't long until the Johnson family found us and introduced themselves. Our friends, Lindsay & Jonathan Arnold, had introduced us to them via Facebook and we had been invited to their house for lunch following the service. They truly took us underwing and made us feel perfectly at home.

The worship service was wonderful and refreshing! This is a congregation that loves the Lord and loves each other. Profoundly. The girls really enjoyed getting to play with toys and other people their size as we attended the service and they were SO proud to show us what they had made when we returned to them.

Following the service (and more tea, coffee & squash!) we hopped into a car with Becky and her son, Bruno, and headed to the Johnson's home for Sunday Roast. Our folded stroller filled the entire boot (boot=trunk) of the car and nearly didn't fit! Riding in the backseat of the car was a fun adventure as we rode on the "wrong" side of the road. I kept having near panic attacks, but we were always perfectly safe! I just kept forgetting how different "opposite" can feel. We arrived back home a little before Becky's husband Andrew and daughter Nadia, but killing time was EASY for the girls as they made friends with the Johnsons' sweet Golden/Lab mix, Leo, and also found a trampoline in the garden! (garden=backyard) The girls were in jump Heaven... and then it got better! Nadia came home and helped the girls feed cabbage and carrots to the family's pet rabbit, Honey. (Does a Sunday afternoon get any better for a couple of kids?)

Lunch was amazing- Think Thanksgiving feast, but it was just an every-Sunday thing for them. "Sunday Roast," they call it, and they do this EVERY WEEK! Not just the Johnsons... The British! And we think we work hard on Thanksgiving?? Seriously. Every Sunday. Becky is a genius with roast chicken and stuffing. The roast potatoes and parsnips were a treat and the cabbage and carrots were such fun for us as a family who doesn't tend to make those for ourselves. Smothering everything in dark brown gravy was the best part. ...Well, actually the BEST part was dessert: Warm pineapple upside-down cake with warm custard poured-over. And coffee. (...can you read me smiling as I type this?)

I must admit, there was a specific time at lunch that I had to take a step back and allow myself a little out-of-body feeling of, "Am I really here right now, eating with this positively fabulous British family and being spoiled with an incredible lunch? Is this really happening?" Of course it was happening, and it was the best way possible to spend our Sunday afternoon.

Sometime around 4pm we were back at our Summertown flat. Gotta love it!... A long, leisurely lunch wrapping up just in time to start thinking about dinner. :) Sunday Roast: I think they're onto something there. America should think about incorporating this tradition. (So long as I don't have to cook it!) :)

Thank you, Johnsons! You are wonderful!!

(Everyone together! Andrew, Bruno, Nadia, Collin, Julia, Steph, Avery, Becky & Leo)