Justine Clarke Concert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q55dqVHgyoU

What a lovely morning for me and Princess. We had an extra special outing today. We went to a concert by a play school presenter called Justine Clarke. She was really great and Princess said how fun it was. I can never really be sure about Princess as she never is very obvious with how she feels, except grumpy. She was really quiet during the concert and just stared at Justine on stage, and occasionally out at the rest of the audience of Mummies and kiddies.
I don't really know why she doesn't smile very much but it would sure help me to know that she is having a good time, I guess I can just feel blessed that she can so eloquently use her speech to let me know 'that was so fun'.

It is just so sad.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1036760/Pictured-Chilling-indifference-Italians-sunbathing-just-yards-covered-bodies-drowned-Roma-children.html


What is up with the world. What kind of world is it when people are so passe about two children. It is a sad state of affairs when no one seems interested or even bother about these two children. I am sorry to any Italians that may read this but this story has made Italy a little less charming to me. I understand these children were on the beach to pester people for money, they may have even stole people's wallets but how can we not care about this loss of life.

Although I do once remember someone mentioning to me that the loss of a child's life should not be singled out as much as they do. E.g news reports generally mention 57 people dies including 8 children. The person who told me this pointed out that the child at least is going to be reunited with God whereas with the adults we can not be sure where they are going.

Even though I do agree with that I still find it so distressing that these children were taken in such sad circumstances. Children should feel loved, they should feel like they are an important member of the family, they should know what 'fun' is, pure childishness, playing games, giggling at bodily movements.

I just wonder how someone can be so indifferent towards a child, no matter what their life circumstances.

What a lovely weekend

I have just enjoyed a very lovely weekend with my gorgeous family. I don't really have too much to share except that I got to have a nice quiet Saturday having brunch with the ladies from my prayer group (without any children in tow). And then in the afternoon I mowed the lawn. I know a lot of ladies don't like me sharing this as they don't wish their husbands to get any ideas but it is actually a job I prefer over most jobs I need to do at home. If I had a choice of mopping the house or mowing the yard I know where I would choose. I get out into the sunshine and I can make a series of patterns in the lawn as to whether I go around the garden or up and down or across, and that all I really need to think about when I am doing it. Another good thing is the exercise and lastly the sense of achievement when I am cleaning the mower at the end looking at my freshly mowed lawn. Love it!

This is an old photo and not all that good of Princess but the lawn looks nice doesn't it.
In truth I remember that the smell of fresh lawn clipping was one of the things I missed most when I was stuck inside our apartment in Windsor (UK). My dad is a big mower, he likes the lawn to be just right and in summer he sometimes mows every weekend. I know I have said it before but I am really looking forward to summer, it will be a great year. Princess will love to play outside (with hat of course) and Sweetness will be walking and able to have lots of fun playing outside too.
I love living in Australia:)

Moses

What a blessed man Moses was, and I guess I am not going to mention the very obvious reason that He was chosen to be one of God's great leaders. No I am going to say how blessed Moses was to have such amazing women in his life. Really if one thinks about it he owes his life to God (of course) and to 3 very amazing women. Firstly and most importantly to his mother. This woman put her life and most likely her whole family's life in danger in order that Moses could live. Everyday for 3 months she would have had to be there every moment with him so that he would not have had to cry. She would have needed to know what was wrong with him even before anything was obvious. Think about it- Moses had to be hidden from everyone else and therefore he would have not been able to cry, as a crying baby would have been a very obvious giveaway that there was a baby around. So 24 hours a day she most likely would have had Moses by her side. I know as a mother that you just feel such relief at the end of a day when you put the children to bed and you know that you then have an evening to yourself. So many people would say when I had young babies that I should then go to bed while they were sleeping because they would be waking soon but I didn't because I wanted to have some time just to myself. Poor Jochobed didn't get that peace until he was 3 months. But then again I am sure she would have continued doing it for as long as necessary but she then had to make such a difficult decision. She took her tiny 'beautiful' baby and put him into a river that was the home of crocodiles- CROCODILES! What an enormous amount of faith in her heavenly father she must have had to put her tiny baby boy into that basket and -let go-.

Then by God's grace Moses then found his way into the bull rushes where Pharaoh's daughter found him. Maybe this was the plan of Jochobed but we can not be sure. Who could have predicted what would happen next. We all just take it for granted that this woman would show mercy and take this baby in, but considering the circumstances that surround it. One lady at our bible study today mentioned that Moses was said to be beautiful because that would have made him more attractive for Pharaoh's daughter. But even if this is correct Pharaoh's daughter must have been quite something too in saving Moses' life. Can you imagine- hello dad, hello husband, look what I found today. Yes father I know you said that they all had to die but I have decided to keep this one as my own. I wrong it might look a bit funny to everyone else that your daughter is disobeying your decree but I AM keeping him.
Amazing really aren't these women. I won't mention Miriam right now because a) this blog is long enough and B)I am doing the next study and it is on Mariam so I want to think her through some more.
One other thing I wanted to note was just how blessed I am to have women of similar character to these women. No I wasn't going to be thrown in the river at birth, but I have women who have looked after me and protected me. My mother took care of my needs as a child. She also sheltered me by sending me to school where I was in a Christian environment. Even now she gives me encouragement and help with raising my own children. My other mother provides comfort and encouragement and relief, she spurs me on to be a good mother and to protect my family as she has hers. Listen I could go on and on about all these ladies I know who provide me with such excellent examples of faith, courage and strength as women and mothers but I have written so much already. I think I might without naming names do that in upcoming blogs because I really want to share these wonderful people I have in my life.

So hard

I was reading another blog the other day and they were discussing how difficult it is to get five children to sit down and have a nice photo together. Well I only had to get two and it wasn't going to happen for me.
One looks the other doesn't. These were actually the better ones.

Mind you this was the mood Princess was in so I really was never going to get her to smile for me and especially not when there was a little sister around to lean over and poke.

Never mind I did get two I really liked of my Sweetness.


By the way these photos were taken before we left for a wedding, which was lovely and held at an excellent reception venue. And the staff there were the best in the business. Actually it was at my-in-laws and they were just wonderful to hold it there. I really am blessed to have such wonderful people who are so generous and kind-hearted in opening their home. Poor D2 had been so sick leading up and he had many hats on during the day such as waiter and photographer.

I'm sorry that this blog reads quite strangely as it starts with me complaining about my anarchical model and ends with me telling you all how blessed I am with my in-laws. But its a blog so it doesn't really need to make sense.

Must be the time

Well it seems that after not blogging for a little while I still do not have too much to share, but here are two things or thoughts that I wanted to note.
Firstly there is nothing like a health scare in the family to make you aware that we really need to look after ourselves. I mean I really shouldn't be looking at dieting to lose weight, I need to be thinking that I need to be healthy so that I can be around for my girls. I know that even though people may do these things such as the strange concept called exercise or healthy eating I still think it is important to know our bodies and not leave it to the last minute to get it checked out. Just typing this has made me remember that I keep promises myself to get some moles checked out, I just need to do it, this is the only physical body I am getting.

The other issue I have been thinking about is my very messy house.


I was taking photos of my lovely girls and just look at the terrible backgrounds. I know, I know I should consider my camera angle a bit more but really it is like this at just about every angle. Anyway I having been reading a book that mentions that life is something that has cycles. In this particular cycle I have a very 'busy' house with toys and food and clothes strewn all over BUT this too shall pass. One day I will be able to have a neat front room, the messes may be contained to the girls rooms, who knows maybe my girls may take after their grandmas and have neat rooms (highly unlikely, but I can dream). One day the girls will be all grown up and I will enter a new mothers house and I will long for this time when there were toys all over my house. I just need to remember when Princess decides that her little kitchen toys look better when they are scattered all over the house rather then in their proper places to CHILL, and to RELAX. "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven" Eccl 3:1.

Ahh remember when...

We had a lovely dinner tonight with my bil and soon to be sil. They were sharing with us their wedding and marriage plans and it got me thinking about how much Gorgeous Husband and I have changed.
One particular thought popped into my mind just a few minutes ago and I thought it was a funny story to share. When Gorgeous Husband and I were first married we had to learn to apologise to each other -properly! I will never forget one particular apology I received which went along the lines of - "I'm sorry- that you feel that way".
I saw red. My lovely new husband had just trodden on my feelings and then rather than a sweet -"I'm so sorry my gorgeous wife, I should never have said those things" I received another blow telling me it was my fault for feeling that way. As you can imagine the apology was not accepted.
Now fast forward to a few minutes ago where my gorgeous husband is in bed and reading a book about marriage and he chuckles to himself. He then turns to me and smiles. "Do you know it says in here an apology is not "I'm sorry you feel that way".
It has been a long time since I have received an apology like that and it does make me think about just how much we have changed in the way we talk to each other. I know that sometimes he is dying to use that old line again but he never does. And you know what? I am inclined to believe it is less from fear and more for love.
I hope my lovely bil and sil to be will be blessed with many happy years which they too can look back and see how much they can grow with someone who loves them and forgives them.