We've Moved.

Well, that time has come. It's come and it's gone. I turned the key in the lock on Saturday. The Builder and the boys had left on Friday; Katie and I cleaned up and left on Saturday.

I was sitting in the car, having locked up when I realised I hadn't taken a photo. That is the ultimate no-no for a blogger - even for a semi-lapsed blogger such as my own self.

And so, of course, I did the necessary thing: I re-ran the whole locking up thing, and this time I clicked my camera phone to capture the moment.

And so, Saturday lunchtime saw Katie and I on the ferry leaving Lewis, not for a holiday, but to go and live elsewhere. It's not as though we're going to be far away. We're still in the North of Scotland, which in American terms, is practically only a block away. 

But this isn't about the number of miles. This is about leaving the island that's been home for most of our lives. This is about leaving the island on which my Mum and Dad live, and have lived all their lives. This is about leaving my sister and her family; my brother and his; the Builder's siblings and their families. My kids are leaving the island on which all their cousins still live.  Quite frankly, it's home. It was for the first twenty-four years of my life. It was still 'home' for the twelve years the Builder and I lived in Glasgow. It's been home for the past dozen years, and in our hearts, it will always be home. Whether we ever actually live there again, we don't know. We honestly don't know. But we do know that it will always be home.

And, at the risk of sounding rather the-king-is-dead-long-live-the-king-like, this was the sunrise on our first morning in our new home. I'll show y'all more photos very soon: suffice to say that the landscape is quite different from what I had, but I am still totally and utterly surrounded by God's beautiful creation.

That means that the Builder and our kids still have to hear an almost endless stream of:

"Oh, guys, have you seen this?"

"Katie, wow ... come and see the sunset."

"Have you seen the moon? Looooook!"

"Wow ... I just love seeing these fields. Look at that!"

Yes, it honestly has sounded rather like that these past few days.

Just one thing: whilst trees are lovely, in moderation, I can't help wondering why folks wanted to plant so MANY of them?? Seriously, they block out so much of the stunningly beautiful countryside. 

Aye, I guess whatever I am, a tree-hugger I am not.

Views, More Views, and then ... Some News

This post is rather picture-heavy, but bear with me and read to the end.

As y'all know, I love the scenes presented to me from the windows of our home.

I love it in the evening, when the sky becomes alive with so many shades of orange,

and pinks, and purples.

I love the scenery in the morning, 

when the village is silhouetted against the rising sun,

and the sky can seem like it's on fire.

 I love it in the afternoons, when a blue sky and gentle breeze can give perfect conditions for drying the laundry.

Or later in the afternoon, when the sun's glow is more gentle and the rays soften the landscape.

Even Jackson seems to appreciate the beauty from time to time.

And I love it when the sky isn't quite so blue, and the drama of the sky and the landscape make for a perfect scene.

I love it when the evening is calm, and a busy day melts away with the peace and serenity that follows the busy-ness of a hectic day.

And I love it when I am fortunate enough to see the heavens light up, not only with the countless stars up above, but with the dancing colours of an aurora.

 In all the years we've lived in this house, I have never, ever tired of gazing out our kitchen, our lounge, and our family room windows. 

How could one tire of this kind of beauty?

Beauty that never stays the same,

but changes with every passing minute.

Beauty that reflects God's glory and His promises

 that speaks of His mercies being new every morning, and His glory being declared in the heavens above.

Of course, you all know that I love these sights, because I go on and on about them constantly. Those of you who follow Homeschool on the Croft's Facebook page know all too well how much I love them because you are inundated (constantly) with photos of 'this morning's sunrise', or 'this evening as the sun set', or 'today's Atlantic waves crashing over the Butt'. 

Yes, I have been known to go on and on about the beauty of our surroundings. And the reason I've spent all this time in this blog post going over some of these previously posted photos is that I have to tell y'all that soon, this will no longer be the view out of my kitchen window. 

Indeed, I have no idea what I will see out of my kitchen window. All I know is that it will not be the Atlantic, it will not be Habost Machair, it will not be the Butt of Lewis lighthouse and Eoropie. We are moving. 

There, I've said it. Written it, even ... which makes it seem even more sure. The Builder has work on the mainland. He is leaving in the next few weeks, and we will all leave here once our house is sold. I'll speak more of it over the next wee while, but for now ...

... anyone want to buy a house?

(I can recommend the view!)