new things

This year I've gone from working 2 days a week to three. I have worked 2 days a week ever since I had my first baby...NINE years ago - so basically nearly all my working life. 

I am nervous about how it will affect me and the family. I tend to get really worn out :( and then have nothing of value to give to my family. Plus I'm always cautious of the migraines. Having a messy house and not being able to oversee routines kinda stresses me out. 

I am learning to let go. I can wish I was a different person, with a different personality (and believe me, I have!) or I can work to my strengths and learn to let go. I've never really been a fan of letting go, but I'm learning.

On a different topic, I've been reading a lot about goal setting/why people don't reach their goals/resolutions etc etc and there are two things I want to make a part of my life in order to feel a little more purposeful:

- choose ONE goal, that if achieved I would feel like I had added something of value to my life - kinda a 'bottom line' goal that is most important to me

- write out your goals every day (this would mean you couldn't really have that many, cause who's got time for that?!)

My ONE goal is to re-establish my personal devotion time with God. Of course I still have prayer/bible time etc but nothing like I used to have and I LOVED IT and miss it. So there it is - my one goal broadcast to the internet ;) 

On another completely different topic, my baby girl started kindergarten this past week. I don't like it. The thought of taking her out and starting next year instead did cross my mind. I cried when she walked into the classroom without a backward glance. So yeah...not a fan at all :(

Next installment of gratitude...

Welcome 2014! We've been away at a church conference in Melbourne and then had a good friend of mine staying with us so I am still processing the start of this new year.

As you know I am one of those people who love new beginnings and can't resist the lure of setting fresh goals/intentions for each new year.

I also have my 'word' or theme for the year (which I've done since 2006! Wow) and for the first time I'm doing Ali Edward's 'One Little Word' class to document it :) I'm excited about having a record like this to look back on at the end of the year and am also hoping it helps me stay on track with my goals (somehow!)


I tried to have a few other words for this year, but I couldn't get away from 'abundant' as in abundant life - the kind of life Jesus promised in John 10:10 etc. I'm looking forward to doing a bit more study on it and seeing what it really means for me personally.

Month of gratitude...

Thought I'd share some of the pages I made for my 30 days of gratitude album. I loved doing it! I try to be grateful all the time, but it really took it to the next level to document 30 photos of things I was grateful for :) I'll hopefully share all of them over the next little while...

daybook

I am thinking...about goals for 2014

I am thankful...that the year is wrapping up. Looking forward to the *only slightly* slower pace of summer ;)

I am wearing...pj's as it's time to go to bed

I am creating...Josh's project life mini album and hoping to get onto the kids school albums over the next few weeks

I am going...to catch up with a lovely friend tomorrow afternoon :)

I am reading...the Good Morning Girls Advent Devotional on youversion, Michael Hyatt's blog (focusing on goal setting) and 'Power Thoughts' by Joyce Meyer

I am hoping...that I can succeed in keeping life as simple as possible next year.

I am hearing...the podcast from Michael Hyatt on how to develop more discipline

I am looking forward to...a lovely wedding this weekend! and the birth of a special friend's 3rd precious blessing :)

Around the house...it's clear that Christmas is almost here ;)

One of my favourite things...deliveries from online shopping which mean that my Christmas shopping is almost finished!

Plans for the rest of the week...cleaning and sorting and hopefully wrapping presents

Must remember

What a weekend!! Have to record it here so I can remember everything :)




We headed up to Sydney this weekend to see the Canada vs USA ice hockey game at Allphones Arena in Sydney Olympic Park.

Originally we were going to travel up and back in the one day, but just this week it kinda dawned on us that the game would most likely finish quite late (even later if there was overtime) and it was a sell-out crowd so that's about 21,000 people to have to manoeuvre our way out of...so of course we then had the fun of trying to find accommodation at the last minute. We decided we'd really like to be able to walk to and from the game...and after much searching online and several phone calls we ended up having to go with a room in the Pullman (5 star hotel!!! Breakfast included! Lol!!) soooo...it almost made this weekend like a second honeymoon lol.

We don't stay in 5 star places usually (ok - ever). So it has been heaps of fun. We ended up on the 14th floor - awesome view of the city and you need your room key for the lift to even go to that floor (actually ended up being embarrassing asking people to move so we could put our room key in the slot lol) plus there's a doorbell for each room (!) and lots of other fun features (like valet parking for the price of normal parking). So yeah, we enjoyed our stay here.

We went to ikea and got some things I've been waiting for over a year to get and also stopped in at DFO and did a bit of shopping :)

The game last night was awesome!!! I'll have to do a separate post on that :)

Such a great weekend. Very thankful to the grandparents who stepped in a looked after our babies while we lived it up!! I really want to bring the kids next time tho :)

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Simple woman's daybook

Outside my window...such a gorgeous winter day :) even if it happens to be the shortest day of the year

I am thinking...about how perhaps sometimes we only come to God to use Him for what He can do for us...when in fact if we nurtured true relationship with Him it blows our mind!


I am thankful for...my wonderful friend Nat sending me Canadian gear to wear to the (ice) hockey game!! So incredibly blessed :)

From the kitchen...nothin. Absolutely NUTHIN.

I am wearing...my beat up black boots that really need replacing ;)

I am creating...only a blog post today lol. But I made a photo book of our 2012 trip to the Gold Coast earlier this week ;)

I am going...to stop eating Toblerone before I eat the whole bar!

I am reading...lots of scrapping blogs...but will be reading the ice hockey game rules when I finish this!

I am hoping...my project life page protectors come SOON!

I am hearing...quietness before the boys get home from school.

Around the house...washing!

One of my favourite things...getting to go on Josh's class excursion to the National Gallery today.

Plans for the rest of the week...out of my mind excited for this hockey game!! And ikea...!


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Ramblings

it's after 1.30am and I can't sleep :( so I thought I'd show my blog a little love ;)





Kai & Ella have both recently brought home their class 'pets' for the night. Of course that involves lots of photo taking and I have to restrain myself from wanting to make a mini album out of the experience (just kidding...but only just!).

Winter is almost here and of course we had our annual leaf raking fun! I am so proud of how hard the kids all worked :) it's always a great time, but they significantly contributed to getting the job done this year like never before.

We celebrated National Thanksgiving Day here in Australia on Saturday. It's a relatively new thing here, to have a designated day and this year I decided we'd start a tradition of celebrating as a family.

I made a 'Thankful' banner, we all decorated the table nicely and shared a meal of slow cooked roast lamb, potato bake and veg with 'special' drink of sparkling grape juice (the excitement over the juice was pretty cute!).

We all took some time to share things we are grateful for and those WILL probably make it into a mini album (or photo book lol).

We finished off the meal with Aaron's homemade chocolate self saucing puddings with ice cream ;) such a great night together :)

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making me happy

Some things that are making me happy lately are printed photos :) printed photos that are getting into Project Life albums :)

I'd forgotten how much I love it. LOVE IT. The guy at big w photos is fast becoming my new best mate ;)




Another thing that's making me super happy is the quality of photos I can get on my iPhone 5 :) such a great decision to finally upgrade from my iPhone 3!

I'm getting the 'good' camera out a big more lately too, but my iPhone is still the camera that's with me most often and I'm really happy with the pics I've been getting from it.

Last but not least, being on school holidays has made me most happy :) love having my kids around all the time. Love listening to them playing and learning together. Love the reminder that I'm blessed beyond my wildest dreams :)


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Inspired

So aside from yesterday (when I spent the whole day in bed sick, unmotivated and miserable) I've been enjoying a return of my scrapbooking obsession :) I'm finally using the Project Life product I bought last year and working on both a monthly album for this year and a childhood mini album for each of my children - that will form part of their birthday presents this year.

I'm really trying to just take baby steps, as its been so long since I've scrapped (or even printed photos) that it can feel completely overwhelming if I'm not careful. And it takes longer because I don't have a stack of pictures that I'm using - I'm printing everything just before I put it in the page protectors. But I'm just really enjoying being a little creative again :)




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Lately

  

wonderful, priceless girly days

 

  

swimming lessons (and photo refusals!)

lots of great stuff happening at church (Josh at the fete earlier this year)

running jogging ;)

princesses dressing up for birthday parties

2 out of 3 with no training wheels and baby girl getting a 'big' bike

science time

A new era

So I now have 2 of my babies at school...such a strange feeling. I've been changing things around the house too. No more baby or toddler toys. Our 'play area' under the stairs is now a study area complete with desk and bookshelf and we've converted the dining room into a slightly more grown up play room.

I am so excited about this new phase we're entering into...but of course, being sentimental and all...there's still that part of me that misses what we just left.

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Daddy had a change in his heart

That's what Kai said this morning about the newest addition to our family.


Koko is a Labradoodle :) Aaron came home 2 weeks ago saying he was ready for us to get a dog - so I did my best to get one as quickly as possible lol. We brought her home last night.

It was a surprise for the kids and they are so excited, almost as excited as I have been!

Her first night went well, she found a spot on our bedroom floor and went to sleep. When we moved her into the bathroom she cried for about 1/2 hr and then slept all night :) good baby!!

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Another visit to Floriade :)

The Fire truck was kinda out of the way and no one else was at it, but the boys spotted it anyway and wow, what a great experience. The firefighters were awesome! They put all the gear on the kids and got them using the fire hose (on me at times!)






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Floriade

I'm certain I've said it before - I love spring! Partly because my birthday is in what I consider the best season, but also because I just love the waking up from winter and one of my favourite outings of the year, Floriade :)


Kai actually smiled a normal smile for the camera!



We managed to make it there with some friends this year too


We visited the farm animals for a pat :)



Such a lovely day :)

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a couple of posts that have spoken to me this week:

Only the 'necessary' trials

a letter for the hard days

So excited

This year my birthday present to myself ;) is a spot in Becky Higgins new class at Big Picture Scrapbooking: Project Real Life.

Project Real Life

My personal Scrapbooking journey is still 'evolving' and I've yet to find what totally works for me, but I've got the original project life kit that I haven't properly used (and the class just looked great) so Happy Birthday me!! It starts just before my birthday so it's perfect ;)

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Tenth anniversary

This is a terrible photo in terms of quality, but it tells the story well enough :) it's from our dinner out to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary...Aaron is very much enjoying the seafood at the Hyatt, as he always does!


Wow, 10 years since I married my best friend who is truly God's gift to me.

10 things I love about Aaron:

1. He sees who I really am and doesn't turn away

2. His sense of humour :)

3. That he is always willing to listen

4. His desire to be the best he can be

5. His thoughtfulness

6. The crazy songs he makes up and sings off key

7. How supportive he is

8. He's such a wonderful dad...he goes to work at 7.30(ish) so he can be home by around 4-4.30 and spend time with his family (time that he wouldn't have if he started work later). We are so blessed that he CAN do that in his job, I know not everyone would be able to.

9. That he can cook!!

10. He doesn't allow his hearing loss to become an excuse.

10. His love for God (ok, so I did 11!)

God knew what He was doing when He gave me Aaron. I am so blessed...blessed far beyond my wildest dreams, and so thankful!



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I am so thankful for all the things I can see so clearly now without the need for glasses! How amazing it is :) it feels weird to sit down and watch something without my glasses on...I've been enjoying the second season of 'Lark Rise to Candleford' while I've been recovering from the surgery. It's been getting clearer and clearer as the week has progressed ;)

I am thankful also for my job. I've been doing a lot of praying and soul searching about what God wants me to do and where He wants me to be - but regardless of what might (or might not) happen in the future, I am so thankful for the blessing of working in a Christian environment, as well as in a school where I've been able to watch the students I love grow up. I caught up a few weeks ago with students who are now in yr 11...and although being around them makes me feel old (!) I really enjoyed seeing how mature they were and I just wanna hug the lot of them (of course I didn't! lol)

God is indeed GOOD


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I'm thankful today for simple pleasures like watching Ella wait at the bottom of our driveway for the postman to hand her the mail :) I wish I'd had a camera, she was so adorable!


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