GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS!

I am so excited, I just wanted to share it with you all...

For the first time in months, I woke up completely NAUSEA-FREE this morning!!! Whaaaahooooo!! For being a busy Mother of four preschoolers, that's just the ultimate blessing! It's been really plauging me and difficult to handle, so fingers crossed and many prayers going out that this is only one of many Nausea-Free days! We're heading off to Library Story-time this morning. We're walking there, and I'm so excited to be able to share in the adventure with the kiddies. I'm not dreading seeing people! haha. Many happy days and blessings to you all!!

Elephants and babies and all things nice

I'm utterly and completely obsessed with births at the moment. Can you blame me?! Knowing that my time is coming again soon is a sure way to get me researching, seeking answers, pondering about the awesomeness of it, and reading birth stories till they come outta my ears. James will often come into the office just to say Hi, and find me sobbing my heart out over some beautiful birth story. He just smiles, shakes his head, and leaves. I don't think guys really "get" it, but he's so kind, and never mocks me...infact, he listens for hours while I relay the stories back to him. Have I said lately what a wonderful husband I have?! Anyway. I could talk about that dude forever, but this blog aint about him! It's about birth! But not human birth... as you can see I've posted a videa of an elephant birth! (sourced from an awesome lady who's blog is jam-packed full of the most incredible stories! I spend alot of time there these days. http://beautifulbirthstories.blogspot.com/)  Rather graphic (what birth isn't, really), but so So SO incredible and amazing to watch the mother know what to do for her newborn, as soon as she delivers. Ohh...makes me wanna be an elephant! Give me a few months, and I know I'm gonna feel like one. ;-)  Enjoy! And feel free to shed a tear... I sure did. :-)

We've got a busy couple of months coming up. (Who hasn't?! Christmas time sure is all hustle and bustle!). Rachie turns One Year Old on Saturday! Seems like only yesterday I was UNpatiently awaiting her birth, and jumping on the trampoline to try and get things going. I finally went into established labour on Friday morning, the 27th November, at about ohhh 6am-ish. Roundabout then. I remember lying in bed and feeling her whole body ROLL over inside me. She was lying on her right side, and needed to be on her left side for labour to begin (my rules. Right siders can tend to do posterior *shudder*). Oh boy oh boy did that maneuvor hurt! But contractions started right after, so I was pretty pleased. She was born 10:53am, in the water, at home. I found the labour to be quite intense (compared to Christian's easy and peaceful one!), but it was so worth it. And of course, all pain was forgotten once she was born into Daddy's awaiting hands. I, myself, had a few dramas after the birth, but once we had all of those sorted out we settled in for some awesome bonding time. I have such an awesome midwife, and really couldn't recommend her enough to you New Zealandites. She was calm, supportive, non-intrusive, and a real pillar of strength for us. She let me labour in my own way, and never made me feel embarressed or restricted in what I could do. We love love love having her at our births!

Anyway. So. Yes. Rachel is turning One on Saturday. (That's for all you family who have a tendancy to forget these things!). We're looking forward to celebrating the day with her! Maybe a trip to the beach will be in order. :-)

Monday brings on Jimmy's Prep Orientation Day. He gets to pack a schoolbag and a lunchbox, and trot off to school for the morning. He is super excited! He already knows most the kiddies in his class, and gets along REALLY well with them - he is going to love school, I just know it! Daddy (yes, Daddy as well. I'd hate to miss it, so why should he have to?!) and I are going to take him along (with all the others in tow, of course). We don't watch them "practice" school, but have a morning tea and such. I can't wait to hear all the tales he comes out with! (Jimmy, not James). This is a big deal for us... we're super looking forward to sending off our big handsome red-head to school. Although, I'm going to miss him terribly! He's such a big help at home, and I know the others will be sad with him gone. :'-( Ah well, we'll survive... just in time to send Dede off the next year! *sob sob* We took him into the Optomitrist to get his eyes checked the other day, and I'm pleased to report that he has peerrrfect vision. YEEESS! He was a tad disappointed though, as he would really love to get glasses "like Lochie". hehehe.

We are very much looking forward to Christmas this year, and then Katie will be coming to stay for New Years! Yaahoooo! She'll be here for about 6 days, and we're highly looking forward to it! February is bringing with it a Dream Come True for me, but I won't blog about that just yet. We'll wait till it happens. SOO super-duper-huper-mooper excited! (and yes, you know who you are!) :-P

So, enjoy the elephant birth... maybe one of these days I'll put up Rachie's birth for ya. That one's not graphic at all, and is a lovely tear-jerker.

Tootle Pip!

I'm writing this blog post, after having survived The Birthday Party of all Birthday Parties! Well done Alice and Ben for putting on a wonderful evening for kiddies and adults alike. We had such a marvellous time, and it was just priceless seeing all the smiles and wonder on the children's faces as they got all their treasures, and throughly enjoyed the jumping castle! Very very cool. Feel free to throw a party for my kiddie's birthdays any day. ;-) I know a day like that doesn't come without great effort, so thankyou very much. :-)

We've had a pretty big past couple of weeks, with a visit from my mum, a holiday down South-ish with precious friends, and many little bits thrown in here and there. The next couple of months are promising to be just as busy, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us. Some things that have happened lately haven't been easy. At times it felt like we were climbing Mount Everest, but God is so faithful and his grace brought us through each time. One verse, that a dear friend sent me via email was Romans 15:13 " Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."

I like that. "The God of hope". Yeah! That's my Lord. :-) 

I am just entering into the second trimester of my pregnancy now. I feel like it's hitting hard, and the tiredness is really getting to me. But how can I not but rejoice in a healthy pregnancy so far, and many wonderful blessings already coming from it. We truely serve a wonderful God and to Him I am most grateful. I sure can't wait to meet this little bundle, too!!

Now I must sign off... Until next time!   

What do you do when your child has an "accident" on the bedroom carpet, and while you're cleaning it up with vinegar water, another child trips over the bucket, sending it flying all over what was left of the dry carpet?? You put down lots of towels and vacate the house for a while!

We woke up this morning to a cold, grey and rainy day. And some sniffley and out-of-sorts children. Oh no! I had to cancel looking after two little boys, who's Mumma was due to give birth a few days ago (the poor thing) as  I didn't want to pass along any of our sickiness to their blossoming family. So, after a sloooww morning, and everything turning to custard, I bundled up my babies and we took off for a visit to some friends, who don't mind our germies. :-P It was such a blessed time of fellowship! The lady is such a sweet Christian woman, who just oozes warmth and the love of Christ. Me and mine trudged into her house and were welcome with open arms. It was so lovely! She has four young boys of her own, so it was an absolute delight to my munchkins to spend times with hers. A cup of coffee, wonderful conversation, and some freshly baked cookies (at which Livvy could barely contain her excitement!) made my morning seem soo much easier to cope with! She sent me home armed with a child-training dvd (one I've been wanting to see for the longest time!), an Above Rubies magazine, and Christian's freshly washed and dried blankie. I'm so spoiled!!
 God is so wonderful to give us friends to help along life's way. It is a treasure that I will never ever take for granted! Of course, I came home all inspired and have been busily making up stock concentrates to take to various other friends. Just sharing the Love! :-)

Oh the excitement!!

I've just been sitting down having my quiet time with a cuppa coffee, but the excitement welling up in me just can't be contained anymore! My MUM is coming for a visit! Like...on Tuesday!! Ohhhhhh! I am so so soo excited!

I can't wait for her to hear Christian talking in his sweet husky voice

I can't wait for her to see Rachie scooting around and saying "Daa duuu" (Rachie language for LOVE YOU!)

I can't wait for her to spend some time with Dede, painting her toe-nails and reading stories

I can't wait for her to see how much Jimmy has matured and the fine young man he is becoming

I can't wait to take her out to coffee at Choco-Latte. She's gonna LOVE it!!

I can't wait to go to the beach with her and sit on the sand, with a basket full of fruit, laughing at the kiddies and their funny antics

I can't wait to sit next to her in church and say "This is my mum!!"

I can't wait to go for walks, and chat together

I simply can't wait!!!

Thanks Pa for organising all this. I'm so excited! You're the best. :-)

I love you Ma, and I can't wait to see you!!

We have had such a delightful day!

The kiddies and I raced around furiously this morning getting all our housework done fore 8:30am, so that they could have the treat of watching Sesame Street, while I did some extra bits and also got some time alone with the Lord. It was lovely! Time alone, for me, doesn't come very often, so it was a real blessing to be able to stretch across my newly made bed and read a chapter of the Bible without being chatted to by my sweet children! I then quickly whipped up a chocolate cake (ohh yes I do love my Thermomix!), and after dusting the finished product with icing sugar, we took off to the park for a fun morning in the sunshine. As I now sit and reflect back on that time, I'm realising how well-behaved they were! They played, all three of them together on each of the activities, laughed and had such a delightful time! It was priceless to watch them giggling with each other. I am so blessed to have my children so close in age! I wouldn't trade it for the world. Yes our days are busy, yes it's demanding on my body, yes it's noisy, yes it's messy, yes it's stinky, yes it's oh so tiring, and yes...it's molding me into someone that I would not have been without my sweet babies to teach me the simplicity and JOY in life!
I've felt so bad lately, as when it comes to nighttime...I'm had it. I'm exhausted. I'm like a limp dishrag. And so I find myself snapping at the children, my patience is at nil, and I rush through the "get into bed" routine, because all I can think about is some peace and quiet with my feet up.
And yet...I miss so much! This is the time of day when they want to snuggle. The bedtime stories come out, the thumbs go into the mouths, the blankies are dragged around, and the satisfied chatter about their day is spread throughout the house. How I long to be a Mother who is "swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath". It's so easy to find myself frustrated that yet AGAIN Livvy is pulling Christian off the couch by his feet, Jimmy is wearing his Pyjama pants on his head (grinning like the chesire cat), and Rachel is fussing because all she wants at the moment is to be held. Yet, fustration shouldn't be my first response. My Lord doesn't repond "frustrated" when I, yet again, forget what He wants me to do...or get sidetracked organising someone else. He is ever patient, and when He does chasten, it's done in love. What a wonderful Example we have to follow!!

So, nighttimes are changing around here. I'm planning on starting bed-time routines half an hour earlier, just to allow for the fun fooling around, and the extra stories, and the extra cuddles. I want my children to go to sleep knowing that they are loved, secure, and not a bother to this tired pregnant Mummy. I sure do love my kids, and I thank God for them daily!

Now.. I'm going into my boys room to read some stories with them, and share some smiles. xxoo :-)

Excuses, Fare thee well, and Happy Birthday!

Hi everyone!

I knoowww, I haven't "blogged" much lately. My excuse? It's tiring being pregnant, and no longer do I have the luxury of sneaking computer time whilst the children are napping! When they go to bed, then I do too! My days have been jam packed full lately, but we've have some good times. The kids and I have been scouring the Op-shops lately, looking for baby furniture. (because, of course, I had to leave everything behind in New Zealand!). God was so good, and we found some wonderful bargains. I now have a changing table (a pure treat for me, as I've managed four babies without one yet.... but it's fun and does make changing the nappies easier!) and a rocking chair. I've always wanted a rocking chair. It's been like one of those romantic notions... you know, sitting in the lounge knitting with the squeak squeak squeak of the rocker. As of yet, no knitting has been done, but the kids sure have had a grand ole time playing on it! Rachel was fussing this morning, and next thing Jimmy had scooped her up and was rocking her in the chair. She loved it! And so did he. :-) And so did I! It's wonderful having a spare pair of hands!

Anyway. Tomorrow is October 16th. And two very interesting things are happening on this day! First of all... my little baby sister is stretching wide her wings and going faaar faaar away on a cruise ship for many moons. Working, of course. ;-) We will miss her greatly (I already do!!) but I'm sure she's going to have a wonderful time and come home brimming full of stories to entertain everyone with. Until she heads onto the next adventure. Farewell Secret Agent 001 - you are entering into unknown waters, but I'm sure you'll do us proud and have a blast!!! (secretly, we're all jealous, you know that aye. haha)

And secondly, it's my Mummy's birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!!!! I hope you have a wonderful, fantastic, amazing, awesome day!! I would love to be there to go out for a coffee with you, and let the grandkiddies amaze you with their cuteness... but since we can't, we thought that this might help...

And then of course, they all wanted to do a special one for you...

We love you Grandma!!!

And that's all folks. :-)

 

What a lovely weekend!

Just thought I'd share some photos of what we've been up to this weekend...

 

The weekend started out with a bang and alot of wrestling fun. When Daddy gets home from work, without fail the kiddies will ask him "Can we jump on you Daddy????". Well, this time he obliged them, and they had a wonderful time out there on the grass. The days have been very hot, so it's so nice to muck around in the cool of the evening outside. :-)

Saturday morning bloomed bright and early, with a trip to Bunnings to get some wood to fix our fence. While the boys were working with the tools outside, Dede and I were working with our "tools" inside. She's such a great little helper, and we got lots of lovely cleaning done!

 

After Rest Time, we headed off for a bit of a hike through the "woods", Steve Irwin Style and looking for snakes. Much to our pleasure and the children's dismay, we didn't find any! But we did had a great family time, and will definately be repeating that excursion again. :-)

This morning was our church's 30th Anniversary, and there were lots of fun thing happening all over the show. :-) If you check it out online (www.lighthousebaptist.com.au) and scoot to about halfway through, you'll see James and I saying a few words. Fun fun fun!

And with that, I shall sign-off. Tootle Pip!

Sillyness?

Something has been on my mind lately, and since I've had not much success trying to come up with answers of my own, I thought I'd put it to the "crowd" and see if any of you have pearls of wisdom to offer me.

I've been observing teenage girls, watching the way they dress and interact with others, and the sillyness that seems to be clouding all their judgements. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not so far out of my teenage years that I can't remember what it was like.... I had my own fair share of sillyness and immaturity, and quite frankly it really scares me. We're trying to raise two little girls here, and we don't want them to follow down the path that so many others do. Paths of naivety and the belief that the world is here to amuse and serve them. The girls of today (in our churches) seem to have no discernment and because they have been sheltered so much... (now, don't get me wrong here, I believe in sheltering and protecting our children...but you also need to teach them about the world and the wickedness therein. ) they can't seem to discern between right and wrong. There are young Christian girls, on my facebook page, who are being raised in good homeschooling families. Sheltered to the utter max. But once they're let loose online (silly silly parents! How foolish can you get?!) they're into all sorts of evil stuff...and they don't even realise it! Actually, maybe they do realise it... and maybe they're enjoying it, because it's "forbidden fruits" and they've never been allowed to see the evil consequences of it.

Ohhh it bothers me so much!

I want to raise my girls to be able to discern between right and wrong, even when Mummy and Daddy aren't there to "make" them choose right. I want them to grow up confident and assured of their place in Christ, and knowing that dabbling in the world will only cause them heartache. I want them to be modest and pure, and desiring only what is good for their lives. I want them to grow up and marry strong men who will lead and guide their families for, and only for, the Glory of the Lord.

But how do I do it?

How do I instill in them the character that they're going to need to bypass all the silliness of youth? How do I practically teach them to be meek and sober-minded (and no, that's not "quiet" and "dull-minded"!)?

I know that the first way is to do it myself. :-) More is caught than taught. And prayer, as only GOD can change lives and give the wisdom that comes from above. And if anyone else has any suggestions, feel free to comment! It's not easy being a parent, and I very much do value the imput of others, especially the older women who have been here and done that. :-)

I told ya to watch this space didn't I??! Hehe, she's not walking yet, but today she pulled herself up and stood for aaaages playing with this toy thingy. Won't be long now!!

We all enjoyed a fun morning at the park with friends, today. What a blessing it is to have friends!! They are one of God's richest gifts to us, and I really do treasure them. :-)
 

Snippets of News

Oh dear! I have been rather slack lately, haven't I??! My days have been passing in a blur, with barely enough time to get the dishes done, let alone sit at the computer for hours! Unless I'm skyping with Wozzie, of course. :-) It's been suuuch fun being able to talk to my family and catch up with them on Skype. On Saturday my face got "passed around" at a family party (for Wozzie who is going cruising around the world soon, BAH!) and I was able to see babies that I've never had the chance to see before, and dear familiar faces who are such an important part of my life. Most of the people at the party helped to shape me into who I am today, and I love them all very very dearly. It would have been nice to actually have been there, but with the price heading around the $2000 mark for the kiddies and I to make the mad dash back.... well, we're grateful that Skype is free. Haha.

Everyone here is doing just fine. James is busy working, and doing a maaaarvellous job of selling and marketing Solar Hart. He's a clever cookie, he is! Jimmy is growing up like a weed. I was cuddling him in bed this morning, and he was rivaling me for size! Won't be long and I'll be like the Hillbilly Granny shaking my fist at him. ;-) He's such a sweetheart, and is always telling me how much he loves me and doing the sweetest little things for me. Olivia, too, is growing growing growing. She's such a hard worker, and is happiest when she has a cloth in her hands and is scrubbing away at something. Think Mum Fraser, and you have Livvy. :-D Christian is such a little machine. That kid can go and bump, and go and fall, and go and bump again...and still keep going! Nothing rattles him! He's starting to experiment with words a little bit. He still thinks it's "funny" to not talk, but is getting used to the idea of experimenting with sounds and finding his fun in that. Sigh. I think Rachel is going to beat him to talking! She's is such a honey! She LOVES playing with the other kiddies, but will often just disappear into the boy's bedroom (where the toys are stashed now) and spend big chunks of time just exploring their treasures. Jimmy is her hero, and she can barely contain herself when he pops into her range of vision. They have such fun together! Won't be long till she's walking, so watch this space for a "First Steps!" video clip, haha. 

We have all been really sick this past week with a flu bug. The poor kids were really hit hard by it, but have all recovered now. The sickness also coincided with a week of pouring rain and flooding, so we just hunkered down with lots of "Princess" and "Soldier" dvds and took it easy.

As some of you already know, I am pregnant with baby number 5. :-) We are, of course, very excited! I get mobbed by my oldest three, all the time, asking for a look at my belly. I think they're hoping that Button (yes, I've nicknamed it. haha) will come right then and there. Well, they have a loooong wait ahead of them, I'm afraid. Jimmy is already planning on being at the birth (dreams are free!) and Livvy spends her days bustling around getting ready for the new addition. I've been feeling quite nauseaous, usually at the end of the day when I'm very tired, but it's so completely worth it and I've decided to enjoy each and every moment of this pregnancy. I sure do love being pregnant!! Yes mum, I'm eating well and taking my vitamins. Not spiralina, but have been using up some Floridix tablets that Tracy gave me.

I decided on a new motto for this pregnancy:

Leave the Housework and Love the Children.

I have a tendency to stress about always having the house tidy, and can often be guilty of neglecting the children in the process. How silly is that?! No more! haha. Sooo....if any of you come over for a visit, either close your eyes to the toys everywhere, or bring your working apron. ;-)

Anyway! Baby is due, ooohhhh.... sometime earlish June I'm thinking. Maybe earlier. Maybe later. Who knows. :-)

Must flit, my husband is home from the gym and I have a salad to make.

Cheerio!

Ooohh we have had the most delicious morning! It started out bright and early with a little face peering over me, giggling, as she announced that we have a biiiig bed. For those of you who don't know, Dede gets the "honors" of coming into our bed in the early mornings, and only her. It's like her One on One time with me, and we always enjoy a good ole snuggle and giggle before letting the Boys get up. Jimmy gets special time with me when the others all have to nap during the day, so it works out fair. Anyway, the kiddies all seemed to wake up in a sensational mood this morning... they were finding the littlest things absolutely halarious, and playing beautifully together. Sigh. It was one of those mornings that I've tucked away in my memory especially for those mornings when everything turns haywire. :-)

So we (Tracy and I) bundled everyone into the car and headed out to take care of some errands. First stop, the school, to get the Application Form for Jimmy starting school next year. Ahhhh! I can feel my tears coming on already! My baby boy has grown up so much, and is soooo looking forward to next years adventures! We then stumbled across the most glorious butcher ever! All his meats are growth hormone and antibiotic free...YEEEAH! Can you feel my excitement! And they're cheap! Like, cheaper than the supermarket! I was like a kid in a candy store...almost. Because our next stop saw me literally like a kid in a candy store.

*drum roll*

We discovered, this morning, the most divine coffee (Yes, I'm a Fraser, what can you expect?? haha) shop. In. The. World. Mum, you would feel like you were in Heaven. It's called "Choco-Latte" and it's all on it's own pretty much in the middle of nowhere. It's a quaint little shop, pretty unassuming from the outside, except for the tables and umbrellas that look promising all on their own. Upon entering, you are faced with a counter. And behind the glass, in this counter, are rows upon rows of the most delectable chocolates that would melt the heart of any woman. Or man, for that matter. These chocolates are all handmade in this shop, which is owned and run by ONE lady. And I'm talking about alot of chocolate. So, when Tracy and I had picked up our chins, we went to order. First off, of course, I order the babychinos (Fluffies, for you kiwis). "Oh no honey, they're free. We feed your children for free here." (And this is australia, where I struggle to find a fluffy for under $2!!) And boy did she live up to her word! Each child got the most perfect fluffy in a little white glass cup with a chocolate heart drizzled on top. AND a little paper bag each, containing a handmade chocolate circle covered in sprinkles. You should have seen their faces!! And mine! I was bogoggled. The service was out of this world, the ice chocolate was the best I have ever had, and it was the cheapest coffee stop I've ever made. The girl who made our drinks came over and chatted, cooed over Rachel, and made us feel so very welcome. I've never seen a coffee shop done as well as this one was and now I want ALL of you to come back here, and have a COFFEE with meeee!!

So, now everyone's tucked up in bed, recharging their batteries after such an exciting morning. Life has returned to normal, after such a huge couple of weeks, and we're just loving the "normality" of it, haha. On Saturday, our church has it's "Ladies Retreat". I usually don't go to those retreaty things, mainly because I don't understand what we're supposed to be retreating from? Home? hah! My home and kindred are dear and treasured to me...may I bring them with me?? :-) But, this year I am going to go, just for a day visit. I love something that Bro Hyles used to say "Every man knows something I don't know, therefore every man is my teacher." There are some very wise ladies at this church, and I'm looking forward to going and hopefully learning more about how I can love my husband, my children, and keep my home in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.

Until next time! xxoo

Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all two of you that read my blog! :-)

Since I couldn't march my little rascals up to Grandpa at church this morning with strict instructions to wish him a very happy day...this will have to suffice:

Love you Grandpa! xxoo

The Little Bruiser.

Oh the drama!

Many times over this past week I've thought of a conversation I had with my friend a few weeks ago. She was telling me about a woman we both know, who had just recently been in hospital with her son. I commented, to this friend of mine, that while I was sad for her, I couldn't emphasize with her as I'd never had any of my children go to hospital. Except when Jimmy broke his leg a couple of years back (Hi Grandma!! haha) but that didn't involve a hospital stay. Well! I'm pretty sure (actually, I KNOW) God heard me and decided to show me how heartbreaking it can be to have a child in a hospital bed and be helpless to stop the pain. 

For many years I've been praying for compassion for people. This week, God taught me compassion for those with sick and hurting children. 

I'd love to tell the whole story, but my talented husband is SOO much better with words than I am, and is already in the process of recording it on his blog (click on the blue words! You'll be amazed), I'll try not to steal his thunder. However, he is under strict instructions to not forget to finish the story! I'll keep on his back until he does, since he's borrowing my faithful readers. ;-) Now, our camera had a "Full Memory Card" on the day IT happened (Murphy's Law!), but we did manage to capture some pictures on James new flash work phone.

  Whoops. Not that one...

Ahh. There you go. This is us waiting at the Emergency Department for the kind doctors to take a look. Someone had finally come around and taped the big ball of fluff to his nose...prior to that I had to HOLD it to him, which made him squirm, which made it bleed more, which distressed us both more and more. One doctor, who was just passing through, informed me that I was supposed to be "pinching" the edges (the slashed parts of his nose) together. Hah! Not nice! I was a happy Mummy when that tape came out!

And there we are again. That cast was put on his arm to protect the IV, through which they literally poured the antibiotics. :-) 

Christian then spent the next 24 hours with that bandage on his face, until after his surgery when he came out sporting this new look...

He was happy to be able to see and breathe again! What a brave chappy! Now, you'll have to scoot over to James' blog and read all about it. :-) I shall be adding a video soon of the little man trying to play "ball" with Daddy in the ward - very cute, and so typical of him. He wasn't about to let an almost cut off nose get in the way of FUN!

Thankyou all so much for your prayers, and all the blessings you sent our way. It has amazed me how God has helped us through this and shown His Glory in everything. We really do serve a WONDERFUL God who is our ever present help in trouble. Thank you Lord!!

Oh! And I forgot the BIGGEST news! If you don't know already...

RACHEL IS CRAWLING NOW!!!!!

Ahhh good times. She's absolutely loving it, and can get from one end of the house to the other in no time at all. :-) It's payback time for her, and she's enjoying stealing back all her toys. :-D

This is her very first crawl. Aren't we the clever cookies managing to capture it on the video?! :-)  Make sure you click on the "play" button and watch it! xxoo

It's so hard moving countries! Not only do I have to help the children adjust and find good friendships, but I have to do the same for myself. You think it would be easy to find friends in a large church, but much to my amazement, it's been harder than any little church we've ever been to! Anyway. It was getting me down. So a couple of days ago I cancelled everything on my calendar, and took the time to talk to the Lord and try to understand His mind in the matter. My lovely friend Tracy, who is (with her husband) living downstairs at the moment, came bounding up the stairs this morning with her Bible. "LOOK what I found!!" and she had these verses for me:

Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

YES! It was like a message straight from the Lord for me. I had been struggling with trying to make friends with people who are doing things that goes against everything I know is right. But I thought I had to be friends with them, because well... just because. Beggers can't be choosers right. ;-) Now, I'm not talking about being friendLY with people. A smile doesn't cost anything, and I give them away freely.  But when my smiles aren't returned, it's not going to bother me anymore. YEAH! I'm excited about that!! I'm looking forward to taking my time and finding the right kind of friends. Those who will encourage (and be encouraged!) me to love my husband, love my children, keep my house, and walking all the more closer to my Lord.

On the flip side, these couple of days "off" have given me some extra opportunities for fun with the kiddies! Here are some snaps of them playing with playdough (made it in the thermomix, for a change. It's the BEST playdough ever!) this morning. They had so much fun, and I found myself thanking the Lord for the wonderful life He has given us!

Pictures!

BREAK MY LEASE

Lord, make me to purchase eternal abundance and no longer borrow temporary trinkets.
Grant me wisdom and currency that I might buy bread that is meet.
Lead me in the way you have gone before and cause me to dwell always in Your house.
May my heart so desire and be filled with You that other charms cannot entice.
Fill me with truth. Make my eyes see, my ears hear, refusing all falsehood.
Bring your words to my mind and speak to my heart that deception cannot stand.
Keep me from those that speak leasing. Have mercy. Your delight is my joy and strength.
Let me not rent chaff and dross. Cause me to be a purchaser of eternity’s riches.

(Judges 4:14; Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 4:2-8; Psalm 5:1-12; Psalm 23:6; Isaiah 55:1-5; II Timothy 1:12)

-Written by a wise woman, who unknowingly ministered greatly to my heart.

Chocolate anyone?

Don't they look sweet?? This is us enjoying a picnic outside, when I was having one of those "Mummy don't want no mess" days.

I was sitting outside with the kiddies this morning, watching them play soccer, when Dede sauntered up to me with her little dollies. "Mum! Watch this!" she says, as she lays her new doll from Grandma on the ground. Then she pulls out a toy gun and proceeds to shoot it. Horrified, I tried to talk some sense into her "But Dede, Mummys are supposed to protect and love their babies..." "I know Mum, but this isn't a baby, it's a DOOOLLL".  Silly Mummy. What else can I expect from a girl sandwiched between two rough brothers?! :-) I've been working hard on my relationship with Dede lately. It's so easy to get caught up in doing things, going here and there, and being busy with "outside of the home" activities, and before you know it, there are behavioural problems them seem to evolve from nowhere! And they're always harder to fix than they were to break! I've learned with Dede that many cuddles and time one-on-one works wonders for her spirit, and thankfully (to You, Lord!) my sweet little girl is emerging from her Monster Skin, and our days are pleasant once again. :-)

And on the lighter side of life...

RULES OF CHOCOLATE


If you’ve got melted chocolate all over your hands, you’re eating it too slowly.

Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices & strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.

The problem: How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car. The Solution: eat it in the parking lot.

Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It’ll take the edge off your appetite and you’ll eat less. ;-)

A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Isn't that handy?

If you can’t eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer. But if you can’t eat all your chocolate, what’s wrong with you?

If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet? Don’t they actually counteract each other?

Money talks. Chocolate sings.

Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger.

Q. Why is there no such organization as Chocoholics Anonymous? A. Because no one wants to quit.

If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control top pantyhose. An entire garment industry would be devastated.

Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you’ll get one thing done.

Author unknown.

We had visitors!

Last month was a busy one for us, with the highlight being a visit from Mum, Big Sis Bex, Neice Nellie, Big Sis Kate, and Lil' Sis Wozzie. Boy oh boy did we have fun! The kids absolutely loved having Nellie around to play with, and I soaked up the days of girlish giggling, late nights, sightseeing, and experimenting with my new and wonderful Thermomix in the kitchen. I miss my family so much, and it was good for my spirit to see them again.

This group shot was taken on a beautiful summer's day, as we were just about to board the ferry to Keppel Island. What was that? Cold? Nooo, what would make you think that? Other than the goosebumps on Katy's legs of course... :-/ Murphey's Law struck, and the week my family was here, it was freezing. Like, really really cold. By the way, Wozzie...that cardi I nicked off you, I haven't had to wear it since you left. It's been like a sauna here. I'm telling the truth! You're welcome to have it back. :-)

We had a wonderful day, freezing ourselves silly on the Island, watching the grey corrals, and spotting Mr Turtle again...and again. (Won't be trying that one again, will we dear sisters??)

The Ferry Trip was a tad harrowing on the way over, but much more peaceful heading home. Even Nellie braved it and headed upstair to catch some fresh air. Mum, Rachie, and I stayed nice and cozy downstairs...spineless, but sure did enjoy the nap.:-)

There is more to come. I have hundreds of photos to sort out, so will get onto that probably tomorrow. All in all, it was a superb visit, and I was very sad to see it come to an end. I love you, my dear family!

Ok, so I thought I better start out this blog with a disclaimer:

If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared to not only retract it, but also to deny under oath I ever said it. - T. Lehrer"

I was told, about a year ago, not to write about my feelings, since (according to this person...) no one wants to know anyway. So... if you're one of those people, I wouldn't bother checking back here too often. :-)

This blog is mainly for family and friends who want to keep up-dated with what's going on in our lives, since y'all live overseas to us now. ;-)

Enjoy, leave comments, and have fun watching my family and I as we treasure our days together!