September's Stories Day 1 - A Fruitful Kind of Day

Sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do. And I just had to eat this along with an extra coffee this afternoon. Its my afternoon team/dinner.  Not ticking all the food groups but I won't tell if you don't. Do you need me to tell you how yummy this was?

A fruitful day today. I spent sometime out of the house doing some Loving Arms work. I manage to wade through an enormous amount of sorting and putting away today. I definitely made a dent in my huge pile. I was definitely thanking God for the shelves too. Oh boy the amount of time I rolled buns in and out to put things away.

I met an amazing mama to be while dropping some newborn essentials to her.  We have helped nearly 100 mums and she is only the second mum that hasn't known what sex her baby was. Isn't that amazing?

I am having a rare night out tonight. Whats even more rare is that I am going to the movies. I just don't go to the movies. I am being blessed with the company of three fabulous women and we are off to a fundraiser. Its got to be good ah?

Thank you all to those who commented or sent me messages about yesterdays blog! Its very encouraging and I feel very blessed. Virtual hugs to you. xxx

August's Anecdotes Day 31 - Strength from Exodus

The Bible has been my source of comfort and strength over the past weeks or so now. I don't think it has ever spoken to me as much it has during this time. Nearly everyday what every I am reading I keep coming across the words "believe, trust and rely upon"!  Believe, Trust, Rely. We are nearly inside ten days until we are suppose to be out of this house. We have picked up the pace in our cleaning and sorting and making sure everything is right and in order for our landlords to move back in.

Truthfully, I feel like there is a battle gong on for my faith and trust. It definitely a moment by moment walk. One minute I am up and the next I am down and then I am up again. God and I have had loads of talking time lately. I have enjoyed it and He probably has too.  God must have big shoulders because one minute I am full of praise and joy and worship and the next I am angry.

A life by faith. Its what we as a couple and as a family are called to live.  Right in this moment this is the biggest mountain we have faced. Not only it the mountain standing in our way but there are myriad of other mountains that are standing right along with it.  Timing, finances, resources and other random personal struggles.

When I look back I can see God has never let us down and we have hundreds of miracles that we can recall to you. Each and every time God has come through for us and has not let us fall. So why do I, at times falter and doubt.   Oh I must know every promise and every scripture the points to His faithfulness and provision there is.....I know because I am constantly reminding God of them...you know just in case He has forgotten.

God will move. Like He has done every other time. It wasn't until Moses and the Israelite's had they feet paddling in the water of the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian we bearing down on them from every other side.  It was then and only then did God move and part the way for them and blow their minds with a spectacular miracle.

We have no plan B. God is it.

"Moses told the people, Fear not; stand still (firm confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest. The Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry to Me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward!  Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the Israelite's shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.....The Egyptians shall know and realise that I am the Lord when I have gained honor and glory over Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen. And the Angel of God Who went before the host of Israel moved and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before them and stood behind them........Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land; and the waters were divided.  And the Israelite's went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right and on their left......And Israel say that great work which the Lord did against the Egyptians, and the people [reverently] feared the Lord and trusted in (relied on , remained steadfast to) the Lord and to His servant Moses.......................The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God and I will praise Him, my father;s God and I will exalt Him. - Exodus 14:13 - 15:2

Sunrise this morning!\

August's Anecdotes Day 30 - When Your 2yr old Climbs a Tree!

This is what two of my kids were doing at 8am this morning, one was still even in her pjs.  They actually pretty much spent all day in that tree. Kaitlyn got progressively higher and higher as the day went on. I tried not to look too much.  Frankie taught herself to climb the ladder into the tree when no one was looking and was sitting in the tree all by herself as one stage. I think my heart stopped for a moment then. Of course she didn't see the big deal and did not want to get out of the tree...I mean why would you?  I find it staggering how much little people can learn just by watching and listening.  She obviously had been watching the others climb the ladder into the tree and thought that she would try it herself.

Today was a decidedly better day....thankfully. I manage to punch through an obscene amount of cleaning in the kitchen.  I thought I better keep pressing on in our preparation to shift.  I was finding it hard to get inspired seeing as we don't know where we are going yet. But there is nothing like cranking up the sounds and blasting music away with a coffee close by to get you motivated to clean. I usually hate cleaning but definitely was amped to do it today.

It was good. It took my thoughts off the happenings and stopped me from over-thinking things.  I even found some new worship songs to add to my playlist.

I loved that the weather was beautiful and practically called my kids by name to be outside for most of the day. Everyone feels better when the weather is happy don't you think?

August's Anecdotes Day 29 - Repost (because I can)

I NEED some chocolate!!!   Seeing today was an all-round hideous day...I am cheating and doing a repost of an past blog. Its my blog so I get to write the rules.....Maybe you will learn something new!!

1.  I was born 3 weeks premature and taken to a whole other hospital to be put in a New-born Unit.  My mother didn't get to see me for 5 days AND she was brought the wrong baby.  She wondered why I was a little darker than she imagined I would be. A very apologetic and flustered nurse came tearing in and took that baby off her a short while later.

2.  I walked down the aisle to the song Adiemus by Enya.

3.  I once was a volunteer ambulance officer.  Scary they let me behind the wheel.  After sitting and passing the driving test I ran over and squashed an orange witches hat going through some road works.

4.  If I was born a boy, my mother was going to call me Justin. Yes really!

5.  I had braces only on my top teeth. I signed an I.O.U to my parents stating that I would pay them back. I am now citing that an I.O.U signed by a minor isn't legally valid.

6.  I am house-keeping challenged. In other words I suck at house keeping! I do try really hard but I find there are many many things that I would rather be doing.

7.  My childhood best friend was a girl called Jillian and she born on the same day as me. We would call ourselves 'birthday twins'.   Funnily enough our mothers used to buy us more or less the same presents for birthdays and Christmas.

8.  My nickname as a kid was 'Cyril' which seems bizarre now that I know a man named Cyril.

9.  I quite frequently get words mixed up.  For example today I asked Jamie if he wanted me to vacuum a part of the lawns for him.

10.  When I was a kid I wanted to change my name to 'Jamie'!  Now isn't that hilarious since I married a Jamie.

11. I wanted to be New Zealands first policewoman dog handler.  Even though I don't really like dogs and find the dark a little scary.  Stupid goal really!

12. I am a Great Aunt nine times over!

13. I am afraid of Crickets, Wetas and Cockroaches.  They will induce a panic attack if they catch me unaware.

14. I once forgot my baby in the meat section of the supermarket.  Yes just left him there, all by himself asleep in his pram while I carried on pushing the trolley.  It wasn't until Jayden asked me where Jesse was, a whole two aisles later.  The scary thing is that I couldn't remember where I had left him. I had to run through the supermarket looking for him.  And there he was asleep completely oblivious to the fact that his mother left him with the steaks and sausages!  I am not sure if it was a good thing but no one had noticed either!

15.  I am quite partial to a bit of Country and Western Music from time to time. I quite like Randy Travis and once did a puppet show at school to the song 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton

16.  I came third in a heat in a lip syncing competition.  Performing  'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor and I won a heat in another competition with my partner in crime (Brigitte) performing 'The Phantom of the Opera' by Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. We so ROCKED!!

17.  I am writing a book.  Goodness knows when it will be finished but at least its in progress

18.  I frequently get the words to songs wrong and I mean way wrong.  But I am sure half the population does too.  You know like ' I've got shoes they're made of plywood" instead of "I've got chills they're multiplying" or "Just brush your teeth before you leave me baby" instead of "Just touch my check before you leave me baby"  and "There's a bathroom on the right" instead of "There's a bad moon on the rise".  There, my embarrassing secret is out!

19. I can spot a pregnant women from a freakishly long way off!  I amaze even myself at times!

20. I have not grown in height since I was 12 years old. I am a massive 160cm. (5ft 3inch)

So there you have it. 20 Random facts about me!  Did you learn anything?  I certainly gave myself a laugh while thinking about all the quirky things I do or have done.  I am not weird because I KNOW that everyone of us has their own strange and wonderful things that they do, are and say. 

 I am actually quite normal!

August's Anecdotes Day 28 - Finding a New Groove

If you have been following along lately you will know that I recently weaned Frankie (nearly two). Surprisingly its been quite a smooth process throughout. Phew! Thursday night was our last feed together and for the past two night Jamie has been putting her to bed, therefore I didn't have to deal with any tears etc she might of had. Tonight however, Jamie and all the older kids are out which left just me and the two younger ones at home to do the bedtime routine.  I was determined for it to go smoothly. The photo is of Frankie and I lying on our tummy's watching her favourite cartoon before bed...finding a new kind of groove.

I am so pleased that she didn't get upset with me and at not being able to feed. She asked and I just said that they were all gone because she had drunk them all. She put her hand in my shirt and lay down and closed her eyes. NO TEARS from her (or me)! Yay!  I really couldn't have asked for a smoother process at all. So now its two kids in bed asleep and the house is so quiet. Is this what normal houses sounds like?

A nice Sunday today...some other random happenings included having to go across and down the road to where I saw mama-cat carry her last kitten, knock on their door and ask to rummage through their yard to find a litter of kittens. Little Tart. Fortunately we found them. I hope she doesn't try to move them again.

Jamie preached an awesome message this morning on 'Prayer'. What I heard was fantastic as I was in and out with a little person who only at the very end decided to climb up me and nestle in my arms and go to sleep. Bless her.  I love listening to him preach.....I still get overwhelmed at it though...never in a million years would I have seen us where we are.  That's what happens when you walk with God I suppose.

Happy Sunday people!

August Anecdotes Day 27 - Daily Update

I can see why they say in the movie or photography business that you shouldn't work with animals (or children but I think that is a bit mean). Getting a non-blurry photo of this furry friend was near impossible. But that aside....isn't he CUTE! Actually we have cute as wee kittens are a few days shy of four weeks old.  The worst thing about having kittens is having to keep Frankie away from them because as  you can imagine she likes to love them a lot, with all her energy and all her strength...its quite intense really!  So if we want to continue to have five kittens we must keep her away from them. She is however super sneaky and can find her way outside when we aren't looking and heads on into where they are.

Ok ok so I'll admit I really didn't have anything to say tonight. Nothing of any great interest really. I didn't take any inspiring photos to nudge me in the right direction.  We are down two kids tonight and the house is so quiet. It is also getting more and more weird living here. Today I got home to find that Jamie had shifted furniture around, cleaned walls and packed more things away. Pretty soon it will be like we are living in a motel.  So just in case you were all wondering because I am sure some of you are because I get asked it all the time...no our new house hasn't presented itself to us yet. We are still waiting. No more comments on that.

Frankie seems fine from not having now two nights without being fed before bed. I have yet to put her to bed myself yet maybe in a day or two. But she seems to be coping just fine...she just maybe putting her hand down my top to 'touch them', a little more often than she used to.

Til tomorrow night where I hope I more to say....peace out!

August Anecdotes Day 26 - A Precious Gift

Last night as many of you know I finished breastfeeding after ten years (when you count up all the months and add them together).  It was a momentous occasion for me. Flick back through to yesterdays blog and have a read if you want to.

I had made a joke with Jamie about thinking that the occasion called for a piece of jewelry or a tattoo.  I would never get a tattoo anyway because I don't think it would suit one and I am a bit chicken about the pain.

Anyway last night after the little people were in bed, Jamie came out with a package in his hands and sheepishly presented it to me. I opened it to find a gorgeous necklace with a beautiful pendant. Of course the first thing I did was cry (just a little). He told me that he was proud of me and then thanked me for doing such a wonderful job growing, nourishing and bringing up our children. He said that he knew how difficult this transition was for me and how much I will miss having a baby around and breast feeding. He felt too that it needed a piece of jewelry to mark the occasion.  Of course I spent quite a while sobbing and not being able to speak. (Jamie is very used to that) He also went on to tell me that the ladies in the jewelers teared up too when he told them the reason he was buying me something. Probably the first time they had heard that reason. There is no doubt that I have a very very special, amazing and loving husband. One of the best!! Especially when I know how much of a sacrifice it was for him to buy me this gift.

Thank you for your lovely words, those who took the time to message me. I know that I am not the only one that feel these types of things so deeply.

Hoping that tonight's bedtime will go swimmingly for both Frankie and me and we can move smoothly on to the next stage of our life.