Hello again! Once again we're sending a little update on the Fouch Family (Chatham Chapter) by way of one of these new fangled blog thingies
This year has been a time for a lot of new things for all the family. One of the first was Steve and Debbi being whisked off with work for a three day conference in Budapest in January - lots of hard work (especially for Steve), but also time to see the sights and spend time with colleagues from any organisations from across the globe. Another new first was taking a dip in a hot tub at midnight in the middle of a snowstorm at the start of January with our good friends John and Kate in Stroud - certainly nothing any of us had ever tried before (the kids had a go in the afternoon - also in the snow).
In the summer the family went to New Wine, a major Christian conference/holiday event in Shepton Mallet. Along with 12,000 others we took over the Bath and West Show Ground for a week, and had a whale of a time. The kids in particular enjoyed both the activities, and the freedom to get around by bike, to hang out with other kids of their own age, and to learn more about their faith while having a great deal of fun. The grown-ups also had a lot of fun, but all were so exhausted they needed another week off to recover!
Another first was Aimie starting school in September, to which she has taken like the proverbial duck to water, taking every opportunity to read aloud to anyone who will listen. She loves her two teachers, is making lots of new friends, and although sad to say goodbye to her pre-school, generally thinks school is the best things to happen to her. Ever!
Hannah on the other had is coming to the end of her time at St Thomas Moore Primary School, and after working hard all summer on test papers (with the able assistance of her grandmother, Fi), passed her eleven plus in September and has now applied to go to grammar school in 2012. She also passed her grade 1 flute exams in July. She continues to experiment with knitting and needlework of all kinds, constantly creating new clothes, toys and bags for her and her siblings. In September, Hannah's first big adventure was going away for a week to an outdoor activities centre in Bude, Cornwall with her school. She was buzzing by the time she got back, having practised body surfing abseiling, canoeing, and goodness only know what else! The highlight of her year however, was New Wine in August - and says that apart from having loads of fun at the Fridge (a venue for older pre-teens that opened late into the evening) she really enjoyed getting to know God a lot better.
Sam's highlight of the year was visiting the Doctor Who Experience at Kensington Olympia in August, although,truth to be told, it was a bit of a high point for all of us! But while the good Doctor remains Sam's firm favourite (and the theme for his eighth birthday part in July), he has now become a massive Harry Potter fan - the sonic screwdriver having been replaced with a wand in most of his games. He enjoys endlessly quizzing that family on Harry Potter and Doctor Who trivia, plus an endless round of maths questions and jokes from various children's joke books. He has also recently discovered the delights of the Bilibo - a sort of bucket seat in which he can spin around for ages. It is literally his favourite way to unwind.
Debbi started the year wondering what God had in store for her with the prospect of Aimie joining her brother and sister at school in September, and her (in theory) having more time on her hands. Well the extra time didn't materialise at all! She continues to give a morning a week to a year four class in the children's school where she is a parent helper. This has helped claw back a little of the professional confidence lost in the dark days of her short lived teaching career. The Parent and Toddler group is still going great guns and provides a valuable support and haven to parents, grandparents and child minders in the local community. Debbi's heart is for outreach to the local community and the families within it which led to taking a key role in the churches together in Walderslade Holiday club for 130 Primary age children in July. Such a fantastic time followed by going to New Wine where she discovered a wonderful team of people supporting the parents of children and young people with Special Needs. Just what she needed. Following on from all of this, Debbi was surprised to be approached by the leader of the Pre-School attached to our church (and which all three of our children attended), about taking it over in the next year. So, along with her good friend Claire, who has a background in pre-school teaching, she is getting to know the ropes with a view to taking the whole pre-school over in September 2012. It's a huge step, but an exciting chance to put all she has learnt over the last few years, and her heart to reach out to the local community into practical action.
Steve's team at work is slowly expanding, with a new part time member joining in the autumn. Work has been getting busier again, but it has taken him away from home mainly around the UK rather than overseas. This has meant seeing rather less of the family than he would have hoped over the autumn in particular. Apart from the above mentioned highlights of New Wine and Doctor Who, the big Spencer family get together in Center Parcs in late May and a weekend camping near Sevenoaks with half a dozen families from the church in early May were great times of caching up with old friends, making new ones, and enjoying the great outdoors. Steve continues to be a keen runner (despite failing to get into the London marathon), and has mostly been listening to Elbow' 'Build a Rocket Boys' - although is anticipating hearing a lot more of Kate Bush's '50 Words for Snow' in the coming months!
This year has been a time for a lot of new things for all the family. One of the first was Steve and Debbi being whisked off with work for a three day conference in Budapest in January - lots of hard work (especially for Steve), but also time to see the sights and spend time with colleagues from any organisations from across the globe. Another new first was taking a dip in a hot tub at midnight in the middle of a snowstorm at the start of January with our good friends John and Kate in Stroud - certainly nothing any of us had ever tried before (the kids had a go in the afternoon - also in the snow).
In the summer the family went to New Wine, a major Christian conference/holiday event in Shepton Mallet. Along with 12,000 others we took over the Bath and West Show Ground for a week, and had a whale of a time. The kids in particular enjoyed both the activities, and the freedom to get around by bike, to hang out with other kids of their own age, and to learn more about their faith while having a great deal of fun. The grown-ups also had a lot of fun, but all were so exhausted they needed another week off to recover! Another first was Aimie starting school in September, to which she has taken like the proverbial duck to water, taking every opportunity to read aloud to anyone who will listen. She loves her two teachers, is making lots of new friends, and although sad to say goodbye to her pre-school, generally thinks school is the best things to happen to her. Ever!
Sam's highlight of the year was visiting the Doctor Who Experience at Kensington Olympia in August, although,truth to be told, it was a bit of a high point for all of us! But while the good Doctor remains Sam's firm favourite (and the theme for his eighth birthday part in July), he has now become a massive Harry Potter fan - the sonic screwdriver having been replaced with a wand in most of his games. He enjoys endlessly quizzing that family on Harry Potter and Doctor Who trivia, plus an endless round of maths questions and jokes from various children's joke books. He has also recently discovered the delights of the Bilibo - a sort of bucket seat in which he can spin around for ages. It is literally his favourite way to unwind.
Debbi started the year wondering what God had in store for her with the prospect of Aimie joining her brother and sister at school in September, and her (in theory) having more time on her hands. Well the extra time didn't materialise at all! She continues to give a morning a week to a year four class in the children's school where she is a parent helper. This has helped claw back a little of the professional confidence lost in the dark days of her short lived teaching career. The Parent and Toddler group is still going great guns and provides a valuable support and haven to parents, grandparents and child minders in the local community. Debbi's heart is for outreach to the local community and the families within it which led to taking a key role in the churches together in Walderslade Holiday club for 130 Primary age children in July. Such a fantastic time followed by going to New Wine where she discovered a wonderful team of people supporting the parents of children and young people with Special Needs. Just what she needed. Following on from all of this, Debbi was surprised to be approached by the leader of the Pre-School attached to our church (and which all three of our children attended), about taking it over in the next year. So, along with her good friend Claire, who has a background in pre-school teaching, she is getting to know the ropes with a view to taking the whole pre-school over in September 2012. It's a huge step, but an exciting chance to put all she has learnt over the last few years, and her heart to reach out to the local community into practical action.
Steve's team at work is slowly expanding, with a new part time member joining in the autumn. Work has been getting busier again, but it has taken him away from home mainly around the UK rather than overseas. This has meant seeing rather less of the family than he would have hoped over the autumn in particular. Apart from the above mentioned highlights of New Wine and Doctor Who, the big Spencer family get together in Center Parcs in late May and a weekend camping near Sevenoaks with half a dozen families from the church in early May were great times of caching up with old friends, making new ones, and enjoying the great outdoors. Steve continues to be a keen runner (despite failing to get into the London marathon), and has mostly been listening to Elbow' 'Build a Rocket Boys' - although is anticipating hearing a lot more of Kate Bush's '50 Words for Snow' in the coming months!
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