Quick trip to the US

On the spur of the moment this morning, we decided to take a quick trip to the US. We had a great time. Sorry if we missed you. We are already back home here in Horsham.

No, they haven't revived the Concorde. We drove over to Runnymeade, where King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. In 1963, in commemoration of the death of John Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth granted a plot of land at Runnymeade to the American people. This land is technically American soil. Here we are at the British memorial at Runnymeade to President Kennedy: Here we are at the monument at Runnymeade donated by the American Bar Association:

No fair comparing the quality of the British and American memorials.

25 Years of Blessings and Fun

On March 2, 1985, we were married in Anniston, Alabama. The Lord has blessed us abundantly over the years. We're copying some photos below, mostly from the last few years. It has been an adventure. We have lived:

1. Mountain Creek Apartments


2. Stuart Road, Signal Mountain


3. Heywood Avenue, Chattanooga


4. West Daytona, Red Bank


5. ILC (8 weeks)


6. Laxava 104, Pilea, Thessaloniki, Greece


7. Lower Mill Road, Hixson


8. Tracewood Circle, Richmond, Virginia


9. Ferrier's Court, London Road, Horsham, West Sussex UK


10. Campion Road, Horsham, West Sussex UK

We hiked to a waterfall in Wales.

At Stonehenge, looking for Chevy Chase

At Red Square in Moscow

Orioles/Yankees game
Christmas time in Thessaloniki
Bon fire at Guy Fawkes Day in Cranleigh, UK
TGIFriday's Budapest
Beechy Head on the English Channel

The world says that walking with Christ is boring. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). We have had an exciting life. Together we have been to:

• United States--Yellowstone; Hollywood; Williamsburg; Mount Vernon; The Mall in DC; Montana; Colorado Springs; Wurst Festival in New Bromfelds, Texas; Gatlinburg; Christmas tree farm overlooking the Connecticut River in Vermont; St Simon's Island; Hilton Head Island; Isle of Palms; Destin; Gulf Shores; Savannah; Charleston; Callaway Gardens; Opryland Hotel; Whitestone Inn; Baseball games in Howenwald, Jasper, Jackson, Gruetli-Laagger, Goodlettsville; Helen and Ellijay Georgia; Chicago; Mount LeConte; Six Flags; Dollywood; Opryland


• Sporting events--Sugar Bowl; Masters; Peach Bowl; Neyland Stadium; Atlanta Stadium; Turner Field; that little stadium in Tuscaloosa; Commonwealth Stadium; Dudley Field; Legion Field; Atlanta Classic; Sanford Stadium; Olympics in Atlanta and Athens; Engel Stadium; Bell South Park; Baseball spring training games in Florida; Camden Yards; World Cup Skiing in Adelboden, Switzerland


• Camping at Elkmont; FDR in Pine Mountain, Ga; Fall Creek Falls; DeSoto State Park; Chester Frost; Cloudland Canyon; Sequoyah Caverns


• Europe--Adelboden, Switzerland; Milan, Italy; Zurich; Vienna; Poland; Prague; Budapest; Germany; France; Brussels; Netherlands; Macedonia; Cyprus; Russia; Romania


• United Kingdom--London; Canterbury; Oxford; Stonehenge; Beechy Head; Brighton; Hampton Court; Cambridge; Wales; Salisbury; Chartwell (Churchill Home)


• Greece--Thessaloniki; Philippi; Athens; Corinth; Mount Olympus; Edessa; Vergina; Kastoria; Mount Pelio at Volos; Berea; Meteora; Metsovo; Ioannina; Corfu; Thassos; Litoxoro; Tria-Pente Pagadia; Seli; Katerini; Halkidiki (100 times)


• Other places--Ephesus, Turkey; Thailand (later this month); Honduras

We have been blessed with three wonderful boys. Sam was born in 1989, Ben in 1991 and Caleb in 1995. They are a joy and we are so proud of them as they try to walk with Jesus every day.

We have also seen sorrow with the deaths of Grandma White in 1987, Grandma Ellis in 2003, Mike's Mom in December 2003 and Mike's sister Marie in March 2006.

Praise be to the Lord, who is always Faithful and True.

English Channel in December

A trip to the sea has a little different meaning in England than in Greece. Here we are at Beachy Head and Seven Sisters.

Some American boy left his mark on the bridge (written in chalk)

Yes, it was a little chilly.

Caleb the windmill.

When you gotta wee...

Sammy on Beachy Head above the Lighthouse

Dad was nervous as the boys got close to the edge.

Mom and her boys

More from London--All together

All 5 Pineda's took a trip into London to see the British Museum and to hang out. We saw some cool things. The Rosetta Stone. Amazing.

The boys hanging out in front of some of the things our present host country "borrowed" from our previous host country from the Parthenon

Everybody is taller than Mum now.

We took some photos similar to these in Athens several years ago.

The Wesley Brothers' pulpit

Ben especially liked the many guitar shops on Denmark Street.

London Pre-Christmas

We had planned a family trip into London to enjoy the pre-Christmas excitement. However, Ben was not able to join us. He is still in Germany. His flight was cancelled and he has been trying for 2 days to get home. We missed him, but we still had fun. We went to a Christmas Carol singing at St Paul's Cathedral.

Julie, Ben and Sam in front of Buckingham Palace, watching the changing of the guard

Big Ben

Parliament at dusk

Westminister Abbey

Sam and Caleb in a phone booth. These are all over London.

A festive time of year.

Guy Fawkes Night

We had a fun time out Staurday night with some friends from church. We went to a nearby village, Cranleigh, for the annual Guy Fawkes Night celebration.

Thanks to Wikipedia, here is a summary of this centuries old tradition: Guy Fawkes Night is an annual celebration on the evening of 5 November. It marks the downfall of the Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605, in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to destroy the Houses of Parliament, in London. Festivities are centred on the use of fireworks and the lighting of bonfires.

You will notice the dummies on the top of the bonfore pile. These are "Guys" ready to be burned for their crime of treason. Townsfolk have a contest to see who can make the most creative Guy. This year one was wearing a Simon Cowell mask.

Before the fire is started, the mayor reads this Prayer:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd (or by God's mercy*)
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring. (Holla*)
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!

Many people carry torches and throw them onto the pile to start the fire.

The pile must be 60 feet high!!

Our own Guy.

The American spies.

Caleb's head is not on fire.

Yes, the fire was quite hot.

Very nice firework show for probably 25 minutes.

A very good time was had by all.

Beachy Head

Our good friends Randy and Kittie Trail were here a couple of days last week, so we decided to head down to the English Channel to see Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters.
It was chilly and windy, but the sun was bright! A beautiful day.
A lonely lighthouse.

What a wonderful bit of God's creation!

Randy and Kittie had flown all night, but they were full of life.

Amazing! Quite amazing!