Dad's 90th birthday was 29th December 2024. This was a great milestone for him to reach. God had granted him long life. Sure he had many experiences, stories and feelings to reflect upon from down through his life. The occasion deserved to be marked some meaningful way for him. On Saturday 28th, relatives, friends and neighbours dropped in to wish him happy birthday and get some tea and birthday cake. He was in good form that day and really enjoyed the afternoon and appreciated everyone calling. Little did we know that day, this would be the last birthday he would celebrate.
Now let's start 2025. Isaac and Heather got engaged at the beginning of February. This was a delight for us. Heather is a lovely girl and we cannot wait for her to be our daughter-in-law.
Then, our 2025 roller-coaster was about to take a sharp nose dive down. On 23rd April Adrian's mum Ella passed on to be with the Lord. She was 91 and had lived for the Lord most of her long life. I first met her in a Christian bookshop in Bandon, Co. Cork over 40 years ago and have many precious memories of her but the thing that I remember about her most is that she was a great woman of prayer. Ireland had lost one it's great prayer warriors and the French family were left with an aching void in their hearts.
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Next, Adrian and I went in July to Carlisle and the Lake District in England. What a special break we had with some new experiences. A visit to Goathland where the village of 'Aidensfield' was filmed in Heartbeat series. It is a quaint little village in the middle of nowhere where the sheep wander free through it. We loved it. Then, the day we visited Keswick we drove out into the countryside for a walk and just happened to come upon a farmer bringing 2000 sheep down from the mountains for shearing. Delightful experience and the quietness of the area for walking was unbelievable.
The next great joy for us was Edith's birth on 27th August. She came 3 weeks early and weighed 6lbs 10ozs. We are so delighted for Jemima and Josh on the birth of their dear little daughter. She is such a little dote and we are overjoyed to be grandparents.
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Then came September when Isaac moved gym. It was a stressful time for him moving and getting everything set up in new premises but we are so pleased he overcame every hurdle. Also, in September, Isaac and Heather got the key for their house and it is a joy to see them sort it out to their liking. God is good.
Our next happy joyful time was our holiday in October to Albufeira in the Algarve, Portugal. Another holiday destination ticked off our bucket list and it was worth doing! Every day taking the little tourist train, walking the beach, wandering around the Old City and just relaxing, enjoying soaking up the atmosphere. The marina nearby was a relaxing place for us, too. The boat trip to see the dolphins and caves was worth doing but difficult to capture on my phone.
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Then, came another sharp nose dive....Dad's death on 23rd October. He had told me before I went on holiday that he wouldn't be here when I got back but I didn't expect him to pass on as quickly. I returned early hours of Tues 21st and visited him late that afternoon. He was unresponsive at that stage, so in a sense he wasn't here. But what happened was amazing... He lingered a couple of days and died in the 45th anniversary of his own father's death (23rd October, 1980).
However, our roller-coaster began to rise again to give us a lovely family Christmas day together. Praise God for all He has done for us and for His help throughout 2025.
Now the curtains have shut on 2025 and we do not know what 2026 holds for any of us. However, I send you this greeting for the New Year:
"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."
Numbers6v24-26
Best wishes for 2026
From Rhonda