Putting the Out in Scouting!

Last weekend well and truly marked the end of our honeymoon, as James and I, and Ken, Doug, Matt and Colin took 23 of our Cubs and Scouts to Croydon District Centenary Camp.

It was well organised on the whole and there were lots of adventurous activities to do on site for the kids.

Whitsun bank holiday weekend had been earmarked by the Scout Association as a weekend for Districts to celebrate the centenary on a local scale. Many by camping

However no one had informed the weather.

Friday was sunny, I wore flip flops to work. Hooray I thought a weekend at camp in the sun, with nothing to do but provide three meals a day for my small charges. Friday night stayed clear, but as the sun went down, and the opening ceremony started the temperature dropped, and dropped. At 3am I woke James up and made him swap sleeping bags, because despite the fact I was wearing socks, joggers, a t-shirt and a hoodie with my sleeping bag cord drawn around my face I was still cold.

Saturday morning was grey, but dry, and cold. The Beavers arrived for their fun day and the clouds got thicker. Then the rain came. and stayed. The campfire was in a tent, and we went to bed hoping for a better Sunday.

Sunday was wet. For 24 hours. I'm glad I picked up my waterproof trousers. Sunday night's campfire was inside too. A meeting of group representatives was called. A severe weather warning was in place, for gale force winds and people began to leave the site. Leaving behind tents and kit.

We stayed, and pegged in our tents firmly, and storm guyed our mess tent. The wind got stronger, and those who had left site hadn't secured their tents. Havoc ensued. James and Doug helped to go round site and secure badly pitched canvas. They were narrowly missed by a flying toilet tent.....and full toilet.

Monday morning showed no let up, activities were cancelled and everyone went home to the warmth and dry of a solid structure.

It was hard work, and had it not been for the technical knowledge of our leaders we would have blown away.

When our County Commissioner opened camp on Friday night he said that Croydon Camp 2007 was about putting the 'out' into Scouting. I'm all for that, but boy I was glad to get 'in' to my house on Monday evening, and stand under a hot shower.

We're doing it all again in July - here's hoping for better weather.

H x

Here comes the bride......

On December 30th 2005 James Gordon asked me to become his wife. On Saturday May 5th 2007 that finally happened. It has taken me a long while to think about what I want to write here and I'm not sure I've quite got it but here goes.
James and I have been a couple for a long time. Six years, six months and three weeks by the time of our wedding day. I have known that he would be the man I would marry for at least six years and six months of that time. We have waited so long for many reasons, but mainly and truthfully I think it was because until James had finished his Masters the time just wasn't right for us to start the next chapter of our lives as man and wife.

Planning our wedding has had its ups and downs, as this blog has known. There are times when commercialism and competition has threatened to cloud the idea of what our wedding should have been about. There were times when I wondered why we were waiting so long. However there was never a time when I wondered why we were doing it at all.

From the outset we talked about how we wanted our wedding to be a celebration. First and foremost we wanted it to be a celebration of God's amazing love and grace. We wanted people who don't come to church, who don't know God, to come to our wedding and feel comfortable, we wanted them to be able to learn a bit more about who God is and what He means to us. We wanted the songs to be full of meaning and life and joy and love. We wanted the reading to be serious but accessible. We asked God for His help and He delivered in the way only He can. When the doors of church opened and I saw everyone's faces turn, and the music start I felt overwhelmed with emotion. As I arrived at the top of the aisle on my father's arm, to join James a wave of joy and peace came over me. God took my spirit and said 'this a moment I created for you and you for.' From that moment on I had the most wonderful day of my life. The music was superb (cheers band) and every ounce of me wanted to worship my saviour and creator. Saying my vows, and hearing James' felt like putting the final piece in a jigsaw puzzle.
We wanted to end the ceremony on a high note, with a signal to start the fun so we walked out to the Emmanuel Band's rendition of 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles).' Andy Buchanan's native Scottish accent topped it off perfectly. Thank you so much.

The rest of the day was fun, although as everyone had promised, it went far too fast. My only regret is that we spent so much time outside with the photographer and not at our drinks reception. However the food was good and we managed to go round all the tables between courses to say hello and thank you. The speeches were good, my daddy made me cry and Doug made me laugh. The evening was a whirlwind of dancing and hugs and pictures.
It was an exhausted Mr and Mrs Gordon who were driven away from The Warren through a gauntlet of sparklers!
There were times on the day when I thought this is so much fun, I want to do it again. But now I've had a week in Malta enjoying the sunshine and the company of my husband, and we've returned home and started to build our marriage together I've changed my mind. It was a superb, lovely, joyful and exciting day. It was an important day and one that will play through my mind over and over for many years. It was a day when our friends and family came together with God and with us to celebrate our love and commitment to each other. But I realise now that it was a single day in a whole lifetime together. It was like opening a crisp new book, inhaling the glorious new paper smell, and bending the spine a little. The anticipation and excitement is there, but you know that there is a whole story that lies ahead!
Hannah x

I'm getting married

This might seem like rather an obvious statement, considering that I have now been engaged for 16 months. However over the last week the reality that I am actually going to get married has hit me. And finally the excitement that everyone has promised me is starting to attack me in waves!
There have been a few odd 'lasts' Like on Sunday evening I realised that it was the last time I would leave the church as Hannah Watts, although not the last time I'd enter it ;-)
Sitting in the pub on Saturday evening I caught sight of James' left hand and thought that the next time we're all out on a Saturday evening there will be a wedding ring on that hand.

The actual sequence of the day and the walking down the aisle, saying my vows, all of that still seems like a far off dream. I think the rehearsal will bring it home and saying goodbye to James after that.

I am excited that I am about to start a new chapter in my life, with my husband by my side. I am excited that two families are coming together. I am astounded that this is MY time. Although I think I thought I'd always get married my lack of boyfriends during my formative years was a contra indicator. However God snuck into my life in my first year of Uni and then plonked James in my path in October 2000. The rest is a story for another day but the first chapter closes on Saturday and a new one, with bright shiny clean pages waiting to filled with fun, adventure, sadness, joy, pain and prayer, opens. I cannot wait....

H x