Spring is Coming!!

"Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much." - Psalm 199:140

Over time I have made no secret that we have been going through a "winter" season and not just in the literal sense but in a metaphorical sense as well.  This winter has been nearly three years now and our spring "feels" like it maybe just around the corner. We are hoping and praying. Praise God!  Like the time as winter fades and slowing becomes spring where we see less frosty days, more glimpses of colour in places where there was barrenness and dead-ness and we see and feel more of the sun and its warming rays. So is it for us. Gradually we are seeing less and less of the hard, dark and gloomy days where everything seems to be just plain sucky, more glimpses of days where there is a little more colour in our moments and more experiences of lighter times, brighter days and days where we can bask in the warmth of the sun.

Please understand that our winter hasn't been all bad or doom and gloom and while we have had some pretty low days and weeks, it has been an amazing time of cutting back, pruning, reassessing, and walking out our faith one small step at a time.  We have seen God move for us in the last three years than we have ever seen him move in our entire lives. Yes people we are a living testimony that Gods promises are true and his miracles are well and truly alive today as they were over 2000 years ago!

Yes things may have not gone to plan like we thought best but Gods plan for us as individuals, as a couple and as a family has been far better than we could of imagined for ourselves.  Our steps of faith have literally been one day at a time, one meal at a time and one bill at a time.  We have grown in character and in faith over these years.  I can say that while times and days have been hard, damn hard. I will be forever thankful that we had these years.

But in all that......there is a time for everything, a season for everything and I am up for a change now and "feel" that our spring is around the corner. I am believing for it now. And while I am thankful for our winter, and know that our winter has been important,,,,I am tired of winter. Its time for spring! Time for the sun, time for the flowers and the new life that spring brings.  (hey maybe that's why this baby will be a spring baby).  Unfortunately we all need winter times to bring us back to Him, back to our Creator, back to needing him and recognising that we are nothing without Him and without Him everything is pointless.  Without winter we simply cannot have regrowth and new life, redirection or refreshment.

Without winter one cannot simply bloom!

On a lighter note.....thanks to a beautiful friend and her gift to us, we now have a new "member" to our family, Meet....Clara.

She has made herself at home, like a favourite great aunt who comes to stay and sneaks peppermints to the kiddies when the parents aren't looking.  Oh how I love Clara. She is grandly beautiful!!

Only five to seven more weeks to go until we meet our wee blessing!! I have never been one for due dates so somewhere towards the end of Oct-ish, whenever this one decides to make its way into the world.  Exciting times!  Yes I know I need an updated pregnant belly photo...I'll work on it, promise!

One of my favourite things.
For me it epitomizes the new-ness and sacred-ness of a new blessing into the world. 

What season are you in?

2012 - the year of 'BIG'

Here we are on the cusps of 2013 and I just need to say “What a year it has been!”  I think for me/us it has been one of the biggest, with the biggest changes, the biggest challenges, the biggest growth and a year of the biggest blessings (in more ways than one).

Of course our biggest blessing would have to be the birth of our sixth child, Jesse. Born at home on the 5th December 2012, in the midst of family and some of the people that will love him the most.  Biggest being ‘our gift from God’ and our biggest being a rather impressive 9lb 15oz!  He was also a surprise breech which makes his birth all the more amazing.

Father and Son meeting each other for the first time!

   He is so adorable and he is VERY well loved by all his siblings who fight over who is going to hold him first, who got the longest cuddle and who is going next! 

 I am so in love with this little man and I can only wish I realised the short amount of time they remain so small and dependant when I had my first and second.  Being number six he is getting so loved on and I recognise in myself that I am so much more relaxed, I know how I want to and should  parent and  pretty much no one tells me to do it any differently.  This is me. And if I am going to cuddle him all night long then I am going to do it.  “You’ll be making a rod for your own back if you do that” has been tossed into conversations with me in the past.  And now my response would be (even if it would be in my own head)  “My rod, my back - now leave me alone!!”



Every year our traditions on Christmas Eve is to give the kids one present to open just before bed and its always brand new PJ's (all washed and ready to wear).  The older ones of course know what the present is but never say anything to the younger ones for whom it is still a surprise.  The photo below is the first photo we took of all six kids together.  Aren’ t they a good looking bunch?



Do you know how hard it is to get EVERYONE looking at the camera all at the same time AND smiling!  Near impossible!

 Our biggest change and the biggest challenge this year would be Jamie been at home for a whole entire year.  I am not going to call it being ‘out of work’ anymore because that isn’t where we are anymore.  For the first half of the year we were trying to make sense of all that happen and grieving for the loss of job (and income) and were busy looking and trying to replace what we had loss with the exact same thing. The money, the car, the position and the responsibility.  We prayed hard for a new job for him, believing that we couldn’t survive much longer but GUESS WHAT we have!  I feel quite triumphant about that but also very humbled by it.  There is no way that we could of survive and survived well without the blessings and provisions from God.  Yes we have had to make some changes, big changes.  What we buy, where we go and what we do has all been effected. But our vege garden has NEVER looked better! 



 

 

 

I am not saying that it has been easy because it hasn’t.  At times we have been discouraged and down about not being able to have or do the things that we think we need and want to have and do.  But we used to have those moments when Jamie was working.  By the second half of the year we both really felt Jamie is to attend Ministry Training next year and once we decided that we felt there was a great weight lifted off our shoulders and the last six months of the year has been a time of preparation and rest.  I know that the coming year is going to be a huge adjustment for us all, a huge shift in thinking and it will more than likely be filled with its own kind of hurdles and bumps in the road to overcome.  But we will just take one day at a time, put one foot in front of the other and keep on walking.

2012 has been a year for growth for me personally as I have had to put all my trust for everything in our Saviour.  I have gone deeper in not only in the Word but in also in some of my relationships with people.  Growth is inevitable when you open yourself up and have a determination to learn from whatever struggles and challenges come your way.  I now know more about myself than ever before.  My friendships have grown deeper and stronger because that’s what happens when you are in need of the strength and encouragement of others.    
 

 

 

So as we close the Chapter that has been this year I can say that I will look back on it with fondness and gratitude. I will cherish the year forever.   I am also ready to receive 2013 with open arms, an open mind and an open heart - as scary as that maybe.

 

Photo by Kaysha Leigh Budd

 

 



"I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to me as blossom, goes on as fruit". - Dawna Markova

Happy New Year!

Anticipating....

This may well be the last time I sit here as a mother of five.  I am sitting in anticipation, waiting....collecting my thoughts and feelings, in reflection and wonder.  Birth is very much a mental and emotional journey,  maybe even on par with the physical event.  Ones head space is ever so important.   I think I am there....I must be....as I sit and let my fingers write my thoughts...my body is doing wondrous things.

 

A tightening here, an ache there, a twinge here and a movement there!  My thoughts are never far away from this little one and our journey ahead.  I am looking forward to it. Not just for the end of a pregnancy and the discomfort that end-of-pregnancy brings but for the journey itself, for finally seeing face to face this little one that I have been getting to know over the past nine months and seeing the pride and wonder in my husbands face and the joy and excitement in my children's faces. I can't wait!  This journey has not only been mine but our family's also.

 

Photo by Maria Dorssers

 

I am now on the journey towards meeting this little one and it is good.  Birth is something that we women have been doing since time began. We know.   Its all about knowing and trusting.  Knowing who we are, who we have been created to be and trusting in God our creator, for he made us in his image. For me birth is enveloped in sacredness, in love and in tradition.  This is the sixth time I have been down this road yet it is not any less special or precious or exciting.  I have the people in place and the things that will help me along in this journey.  It may read that this is a serious only time but I tell you there has been some hilarious times too.  Laughter is good. Laughter is essential.   

 

Everything is in order now. Although I am sure I could find more things to clean, sort, throw out and fold but all the essential things are done and organised.  I am pretty sure this baby isn't going to care if the pot draw is in disarray or if the hallway needs just one more vacuum!

 

The birthday cake has been made by biggest brother Casey and awaits the start of our journey where it can be taken out of the freezer, defrosted and iced.

The Bubbles (grape juice) are being chilled.

Baby clothes have carefully been chosen, washed, folded and refolded.

 

We are all waiting......

 

I am ever so thankful that I don't have to go anywhere to have this baby, that I can just be here in my home and bask in the present of those who love me.

 

So this is us for now....(well minus 2 years)

 

we will look a bit different next time we visit together!

 

See you soon!!

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nesting

I am nesting (and I am lucky enough to have my husband helping me)  Phew! At this moment I have this intense need for my bedroom to be a peaceful sanctuary of cleanliness and freshness. I imagine fresh white chiffon curtains billowing and the sweet calming scent of lavendar wafting through out.  I close my eyes and I can almost feel the crisp, line-dried-in-the-sun cotton sheets on the bed. Perhaps something like this...

But alas my bedroom is FAR from this!  In all honestly I could never do white, off white, near white or cream in my bedroom because it wouldn't be that way for very long.  Not when you have five kids that use your bed as a tackling arena, sneak in your bed in the middle of the night and are expecting a newborn who will probably spend most of its time in there.  sigh  Oneday maybe but probably not, then there will be grandkiddies

Two-ish or so weeks, maybe more maybe less to go until we meet this sweet and precious blessing.  We wonder what he or she will look like, how he or she will fit into this precious, crazy, noisy, totally awesome family we have.  Sometimes I can't imagine our family being any better than it already is but I KNOW that this wee bundle can only enhance what we have.  For this I am excited and thankful.  No one can ever tell me that babies/children aren't a gift from our Lord, they are true treasures. It makes me sad that not everyone sees them like that but more of a hinderance, costly (in more ways than one) or even a mistake.  So sad!

I am definately not one to want, expect or try to go into labour early.  God has ordained an appointed time for this blessing to be born, my job is to be prepared.  If I am completely honest with you these last few weeks have been hmmmmmm long, tiring, emotional (I am finding it hard to put my feelings into words)  As I said above my NEED for peace and tranquility has sky-rocketed and as you can imagine that is not entirely easy to get when ones entire family is home all day.  Now don't get me wrong I would not have that any other way and I am ever so thankful that Jamie is home with us.  I laugh as I called this post 'Nesting' when in all actual fact I have a list (you know the one - where all the things on it NEED to be done BEFORE you have a baby because you couldn't possible have a baby until everything on it is complete)  So I was saying, I have the list and Jamie has been ticking jobs off it for me.  So in effect he has been nesting for me. Bless him!!

So I am working on getting in to the right head space for this momentous occasion before us, not entirely sure how one does that BUT I am sure I will get into the zone!!  The kids are VERY excited and we all have taken a guess at when this baby will be born and put it on the calendar.  So far the dates range from the 15th Nov and the 28th Nov. (actual due date is 23rd)  Winner may get a cake of chocolate or the like!

So anyway lets take a look at what we have been up to these past few weeks...

 

Have I introduced you to our second latest member of our family,

'Thor'

I really wanted to call him Carlos but was severely out-voted!

 

My mid-morning treat, a cup of De-Caf Coffee with

a splash of cream!

 

Check out this wee Diva! 

 Yes, she is wearing her swimsuit OVER a long sleeve top!

 

And then there was this face,

the 'you-caught-me-playing-with-make up-face' !

 

Creativeness with food.  Not entirely sure what prompted these creations but

I thought they looked cool and kept them entertained for a long while...

 

Co-parenting at its most basic.

Seems as though this chicken decided to keep this 'mama duck' company and help with the

incubation of a dozen or so eggs.

A week tomorrow we should have some ducklings!

 

 

Operation Baby!

Kaitlyn giving her Dad a hand with one of those tasks on MY list!

 

My boys have been looking for ways and means to make money....

here is one, they had picked the last remaining oranges off the tree and tried juicing them...in the kitchen whizz.  Through much trial and error, twas decided it wasn't going to make the cut!

 

Taste - testers!!

 

A pretty 'new' dress was cause for a spot of tea (or milk in this case)



 

Another one of the boys business ventures...

Painted Rocks!

Good for door stops and looking great in the garden!

...and painted blocks of wood!

I have to admit I was highly embarassed that they were doing this but was quickly told by Jamie that they were fine.   Through out their time of business, a number of people stopped by and I think they made a total of $9 !!

Thank you to all the obiliging people!

 



 

and finally the latest member of our family,

'Stella'

A three week old orphan kitten that was found on the side of the road and brought to us.

Three hourly feeding through an eye dropper plus other motherly duties!

Fortunately we have her sleeping through the night now,  thank goodness for that!

 

Oh....someone needs to hide the face paints!

I thought Kaitlyn did a particularly good job of her tiger face, don't you?

 

Sophie...um yeah well...she said she was a wild dog.

Yeah I can see the resemblance!

 

Enjoy your week!!

And I will keep you updated...promise!