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!