The Nutrients of Life

Stronger

2011-10-10T22:34:00.000+11:00

(My little cherub is growing and shinning on our days more than ever)

I am here and very much on the mend.

Getting stronger and brighter each and every day.

I am lapping up the school holidays with my babes and we have been gardening these spring days away.

We are undertaking a new venture with a large organic crop of fruits and vegetables. It is both fascinating and exciting.

We are all loving it and I am loving feeling a lot more like myself again.

What a big few months it has been!

Thanks for all your emails of love and well wishes..xxxxx

From My Bed

2011-09-05T21:03:00.000+10:00

I have had the surgery on my back and it has proved to be way more painful and far more serious than I ever imagined.

I had not prepared for this.

Maybe a good thing.

Fate usually intervenes and we see the light after the dark patch.

When they did the surgery they found more broken bones that have been broken over the last few weeks.

Shit that explains why I have been so sore!

So all of a sudden here I am again in a place where I have to step out of life and observe it.

I cannot walk except to the toilet.

I cannot sit, I cannot lie on my back - so I lie on my side.

I lie down and think, talk, read and dream. I also watch my little family buzz about around me.

I feel safe seeing their beautiful daddy and dedicated family and friends making their worlds pleasantly secure and as hiccup free as possible.

They gently come over and offer me words or encouragement or rub my back and assure me it will be OK.

I am so proud of these people I call my family.

Such compassionate angels.

I am really blown away with how painful this is.

Every movement is cruel.

I feel overwhelmed at times at how bitter the pain is that I call out, it seems the only release.

It literally takes my breath away.

Although it is so hard, I find this a familiar scene.

This time I am a lot older and I now have my own beautiful family. But I do recognise this healing pattern.

I remember how you wonder how it goes forward from here and I clearly see the growth that is needed from me in order to get through this positively.

I am keeping that focus.

The love, care and dedication my beautiful man shows to me is something truly special. The tenderness he treats me with in my totally vulnerable hour is unbelievable.

He calmly holds it all together here with no grunting and groaning.

He dresses, holds and comforts me. He is the most amazing man. I truly have been blessed with a person like that to share these days with.

The meals, flowers, phone calls, messages, cards and tokens of love from my friends and family are simply amazing. I could not be a luckier girl and although it is easy to wallow in such a hard time it would be crazy to not see the thousands of blessings that are happening each day.

At a time like this although so isolating in some ways, a beautiful clear perspective is at hand because I'm surrounded by such compassionate, caring and spirited people working hard to take a moment of my pain or to pour some joy into my day.

As I look at the path and life I have been dealt some days I wonder why I need to feel these pains and emotional upheavals of physical changes and then other days like today, I see the true blessings and miracles.

Human spirit and the kindness of others is life saving and the most truly touching and uplifting gift of them all.

The small insignificant gripes seem less important and the world seems full of good people.

I am healing and growing again, both inside and out.

My body will take on new shape and I will have experienced losing a part of me and hopefully will gain more inner strength.

It is an interesting time.

So at the moment I will use truck loads of love and support as my medicine of choice.

Thank you so very much for your messages of good health and support. They are gold to me, they truly are.

Happy and slow days to you all
Xxxxx

(I used a photo of our garden in Italy. The lavender that sprayed up all around the grounds were so pretty. I am obviously without my sweet Canon at the moment and Italy is nice place to lay my dreams tonight. Purple a colour suited to healing ones pains....perfect!)

The Road Ahead

2011-08-25T21:42:00.002+10:00

This morning when I woke I knew my life was about change...

I have been counting down the days for around six weeks. My body has been under a cruel amount of strain and pressure for the last few months and I knew this time something had to be done. Despite my use of numerous natural interventions I learnt today I will have surgery on my back in the weeks to come and this will hopefully give me a brighter more pain free future.

I do feel such a huge range of emotions and I am trying hard to recognise them and acknowledge them and yet stay positively focused on the power and beautiful capabilities my body has to heal.

I have always known that since my life was smashed with force and shattered the life I lived I would be faced with some form of over haul again. I have accomplished just under thirteen years fighting this battle and today I learnt the next stage is upon me.

I trust and believe I will be well and this will send me down a new path to a more pain free life. Although at the moment I see a foggy long road ahead of me again.
However I am whole, here and grateful for the lessons I learn from this.

May the sun be shinning on your day today...xxx

(I chose to use pictures of my beautiful family walking down roads together in France because they are some the best roads we have walked together and this is another road again now. Although I am in this one alone they are the most beautiful focus at the end and they remind every day how precious my life is).

Coming Around

2011-08-09T13:29:00.000+10:00

The sun has started shinning here.

The little rays of sunshine found me and led me and my babes out of our home where we have stayed close since returning. I have been struggling a little with parting ways each day with my loves and just the day to day norm. It seems spoilt and not at all what I am about but some days I feel angry at how the world makes it so hard to be with the ones you love.

So I have been trying to get back to normal - the way we do it in our little family.

I miss our adventures.

Oh My Sweet Fowls

2011-07-26T22:08:00.000+10:00

Meet Guinny and Lynnie.

I am proud to announce that they are the new members to our family.

I went to the local poultry markets to see what fun new editions I could find - thinking chickens!

But not long after arriving I hear the auctioneer announce he had some pretty guinea fowls to sell. I looked to my beautiful man and said "can I?" before he had time to answer I was bidding like mad. They were always going to be ours after that and now they are and we could not be more in love with them. With such strange and sweet little personalities they have fit right in with our happy hens.

A beautiful pair that I hope are blissfully in love and ready to make many beautiful small babies to roam and play in our garden.

And tonight when I was reading up on them a little more I read that usually the male will only mate with one hen and they mourn the loss of each other, I thought that was so precious and tonight I love them even more after knowing that.

What sweet sweet creatures.

One, Two and Three

2011-07-22T21:54:00.000+10:00

One.

Two.

Three.

How they are growing at such a rapid rate and are changing more and more every day.

On Monday the older two head back to school and early kindy. I am nervous. I don't want them to go.

I have had four months with them by my side every day. There are so many things I have to catch up on and so much to be done but I truly wonder how I will feel without them by my side and I think for a few days I will not be very productive...incomplete.

My beautiful man and I have been their teachers, parents, friends, playmates and companions for four months and now the shift.

Like anything Monday will come and pass and time will tick by and my normal will change one hundred times over. I will cope and evolve and move with the flow, but I think I will be a little lost, a little lonely without one and two.

They are my very special little friends.

Lucky I have my cheeky and simply beautiful number three. I imagine she will be very lost too and will have me reading books all day to fill the void.

It is nice that we can be a little lost together.

Oh how life just rolls on...

xxxxx

Life here and there...

2011-07-19T23:00:00.001+10:00

We have sadly said goodbye to our dreamy adventure and said hello to our life back here. It does take time to get used to being apart from my man again. I find we work best when we are together, but also our home is so cosy and our friends and family are pretty special- which makes it easy to love life here.
I feel like I am a new woman in so many ways from the experiences and quality time that was shared with both my little family and the wonderful people we met there but I also feel that it grounded me a little more. It reminds me the value of life, love and keeping perspective on the true things we have.

With all that said I really will miss our days waking to the warm European sunshine bathing us through the cracks in the curtains and gazing up at my beautiful man. Then feeling the tiny fingers, toes, elbows and knees placed all over my body as we share the bed with my babies. And hearing the noisy whispers of tiny people asking if we are awake. I will miss seeing quaint village streets that hold so much history within them as I walk with my family making our own history.
But instead I will be grateful to wake being warmed by the Australian sun and the fingers and toes and noisy whispers here. I will walk our bushy streets and continue making memories here too, because thankfully life does still go on and I love it this way or that way as long as we are together.

Sweet days beautiful people, hope you are all happy and safe.

xxxxxx

Sunny France

2011-04-25T18:06:00.001+10:00

We have arrived in beautiful sunny France.

Have a look here at some of the perfect ways we are spending our hours, it is rather magical and I love, love, love it here!

Keep your eye out here soon, I am going to have a giveaway to someone lucky out there in the big wide world.

Happy days sweet friends.

Up Up and Away!

2011-04-12T19:58:00.001+10:00

We are so close to take off.

So close I can taste it.

My beautiful man has finished work. Bags are packed, animals relocated, mail redirected and goodbyes are said.
All that is left is an excited sleepless night...

Our friends and family have been simply amazing and I feel truly blessed.

We have been so supported with dinner parties, visits, gifts, Cd's, words of love and encouragement.

We have also divided and dispersed our precious animals to loved ones and graciously people extend their love to our cherished little creatures.

Our time away will be magical and special and I just burst at the idea of waking each day and exploring with my love and our three bubbling babes, but life here really is something else and I will miss everyone so much.

Life pulses and surges and these days both here and far will never leave my mind and may they light the path of our children and spark adventure that sears from them into theirs for so many generations to come.

Please come on our journey here, where I will aim to share our days away...

Love to all and thank you again to all the ones I love for your support and kindness, the days shine brighter because of you all.

See you on the flip side...
xxxxxx

Little Treasures...

2011-03-10T22:06:00.000+11:00

I wonder what little treasures we will be finding in four weeks time????

(eeekk so so so excited!)

xxxx

Ten Years!

2011-03-01T18:20:00.002+11:00

How exactly can I show my gratitude for this man?

Today we celebrate ten years since we confessed our love for each other.
It was on an icy street in Scotland that I told this man I loved him.
Little did I know he would become my husband, my lover, my babies father and my soul mate.
Ten years in I still want to run, jump and shout about how much I love him.
He is beautiful and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
I cherish every day, every moment and every memory with you baby, you are a dream come true and more.
Everything in life is possible when I share it with you.
Happy ten years baby...

xxxxxxx

NOW and TODAY!!!

2011-02-20T20:51:00.001+11:00

' Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.'
~H. Jackson Brown

Something interesting that I am faced with at the moment is the momentary reminder to love now!
Yes we have an adventure of a life time just around the corner and yes I have little bursts of excitement, panic, anxiety and sometimes sheer joy mixed with so many other fleeting emotions. But I love the challenge that I have put upon myself - I do not want to lose the next month and a half stuck waiting for tomorrow.
I want to embrace these feelings, see them, feel them and except them but also love what every day life is.
Every day life is being a home mother running babies to school, getting them to bed, having late nights playing at the beach, cooking meals and making beds. It is still lovely and sometimes not so lovely, but I love my job and I am ever grateful for doing it.
I have no desire to miss it all now waiting for our trip.
So I can hold onto my myriad of emotions about the journey and feel them for what they are worth. Yet I can appreciate each and every day here to the lead up.
After all dreaming is beautiful, but the present was my dream yesterday.

Lots of love
xxx

Catch Up...

2011-02-15T19:41:00.000+11:00

I am here!

We have had a busy few months with too many tales to tell, so I thought I would share some pictures of just some of the Summer beauty we have been indulging in.

Life has been grand.
And we now have eight weeks until we embark on a huge adventure together, just me and my little family. We will be basing ourselves in Europe for three months to live in the villages, eat the native foods, talk with the locals, ride bikes, see rolling hills and cobble streets, sleep in and most importantly be together as a family. I could almost burst with excitement.

But for now as each of our Summer days come to and end my three precious angels retreat here in our home, reading together and living in their own little dreamy worlds.

I am ever grateful for this summer and for all the seasons I am alive.

Wishing you all happy happy days...xxxx

Cherub turns One...

2010-12-30T07:20:00.000+11:00

Happy First Birthday to our cherub!

I feel so blessed, so grateful and so special to watch this shining star grow.
She amazes me.
She is something very special.
She is captivating.
She is wise.
She is our baby cherub.

I held you for the first time one year ago and at that moment I knew you were magic.
My love for you is so intense.
I love being your mummy.
You complete our family and may I always help to catch you when you fall.

Happy birthday my dear precious baby.

Love your Mummy and Daddy...xxx

Steps...

2010-12-15T21:58:00.006+11:00

I seem to have hit this sombre and sad time.

I had a birthday last week and for the first time in my twenty nine years I did not feel like a fuss. I would have happily let it slide by. Not because it does not matter, not because I do not feel thankful for this life, but because I felt full.
Full of life's mystery and hard surprises.
Things I have only ever known for my twenty nine years of life have changed.
No mending.
An end...
Some days I have resolve.
Other days doubt, sometimes sadness and other times understanding.
But whatever it is it is different.

The thing I coach my children to not fear.
Change....
A healthy part of life.
Yet here I am facing it and I fear the difference it provides.
One step so hard,
followed by two steps of positivity,
followed by three steps of strength and back to one step again.

Change is only hard and scary for as long as I resist that it is the 'new' I guess.

xxxxx

He and I

2010-12-13T21:00:00.000+11:00

He and I have started walking each night.
It is beautiful.
He tells me about his day. I tell him how proud of him we are.
I listen to him with no interruptions.
Just he and I.

As the final colours of the day burst into the sky filling the world above us with orange, purple, blue and gold...
We walk.
I feel grounded.

He feels heard.

It is such a beautiful thing to do together.

Just he and I.
Me and my little man.

xxx

Light

2010-11-30T13:05:00.001+11:00

I feel like I am dusting myself off and coming out from my hole to the light.
We have been working like little beavers on our home and it is pretty much at an end and we can step back into life with a pulse.
We sort of have a commitment to keeping life as light as we possibly can. However we have been reminded at times we cannot always control that.
But we do always aim to walk, run, explore, entertain, eat good food, laugh heaps and take the joy that is available.

So life over the last few weeks has been almost back to normal.
I had a camera and not a hammer in my hand.
AND
We adventured again!

Change is all around me at the moment.
Some good and some bad, so getting out there and loving what I have is remaining at the top of my agenda.
xxx

We Got Away...

2010-11-02T20:30:00.000+11:00

On the weekend we got away and it was so sweet...

So sweet!

I heard the birds singing.
I heard the sound of silence.
I heard the sound of a sunset.
I heard my babies laughing.
And I heard them. Just like a always do.
Life caught me again.
The pull to forget it all consumed me briefly and then I found it again with a new focus to keep it real and close by.

I went for a sunset walk with my cherub and I am sure beauty runs deeper when you feel it in each breath.
Can I always manage to keep that in check?
Damn I hope so.

Happy days dear friends, sorry I am so absent from your spaces.
Love is still strong..xxx

Full..

2010-10-27T19:31:00.000+11:00

Life here at the moment is full...

I realised the other night this is probably the most I have ever been 'needed' by so many people and things in the whole of my life.

All three of my babes are at such different stages in their little lives and I am trying my best to meet all of their diverse needs.

Cherub is proving to be a real character and seems to just hold this HUGE personality in such a tiny little body. She just delights us every day and I have to be honest I feel so blessed to have her in my company. I feel she keeps me grounded and seems to look at me and remind me it will all be OK and that I am getting it right.

My little girl, is my big girl!

Today she spread her little wings and started Early kindy at our beautiful local Steiner school. Her classroom is right along side her big brother and she could not be happier with herself.

When I saw her off there today and walked down the path tears rolling down my cheek, it occurred to me she is a little shinning star that I can not pin down. She is such an extrovert, a highly social, bright little girl and despite me having hopes to have my children home with me until Kindergarten it was something she needed me to accept.

I am so proud of her.

And my little man is challenging me greatly with his ways and I try to remember we were given to each other to teach each other so much. But some days I wonder if I am getting it right with him. I wonder if I should just lie down and let him hide away from the big scary world he sees, to hide under his rock or should I continue to gently push him to face it. To let him see it is OK to try new things, it is OK to be a little daring.

All I know is I just have to keep showing him I love him...

With such opposite personalities in my older two I need to keep focus that their needs are different and see them for who they are as individuals.

There are so many other needs outside of the children. We have the numerous home renovations that are in the process and how I dislike my home being in chaos. A little demon I would like to tame but it creeps up and gets me all the time.

So I feel like I clean one space and another is open needing floorboards to be laid or has remnants of the carpets we have riped up all over it.

I think we can be proud when we finish we will have laid just under two tonnes of floorboards ourselves!!!! ( my beautiful man has worked his butt off).

But all that is happening is positive and at the end of our renovations our place will look great and we will be a step closer to another big dream I am planning.

I am still keeping close in mind how fortunate I am to have this life with this man, this home, these children and this spirit. The one that continues to find positive and always trying to see the best in a busy time despite this frustrating some at times it keeps life a little lighter.

And so I just need some deep breaths, some good nights sleep and to keep focus. Because life is so full at the moment and I do not want to buckle, yet stay strong and keep composure in it all.

This weekend we are getting away. We head off for a beautiful weekend and to kick it off tomorrow we are going to see some great music with our special friends.

Yippee!!!

P.S. Sorry I have not got any wedding pics up yet. The bride and groom are relaxing in a tropical Island and we have not got our hands on any pics. My beautiful man and I were both privileged enough to be a bridesmaid and a groomsman but this meant we could not be happy snapping all day.

But it must be said it was one of the most magical days of my life. Love is blissful to watch.

A beautiful Celebration...

2010-10-09T20:59:00.004+11:00

One more sleep until the big day!

Tomorrow my sister marries the man of her dreams and we are all so excited.
I have the biggest excited butterflies I have had in a while and I am not the only one, some little people are counting the minutes and seconds. They have even practised a dance!

The dresses are hanging, the shirts are pressed and hopefully my beautiful sister is blissfully sleeping tonight for the magical event to take place tomorrow.

This beautiful sister of mine was born to be the dreamy, beautiful bride and I cannot wait to see her shine tomorrow.

Sal and Gray I wish you all the happiness and may your true love and friendship grow deeper and stronger with every year.
We love you guys with every part we have.

xxxxxxx

Oh and hopefully I can share some pictures in here this week.

Have a beautiful Sunday all.

On the Move

2010-09-29T20:05:00.001+10:00

We are loving Spring!!!

And guess who has started crawling!
Daddy went for a work trip to New Zealand and cherub decided that it would be a good time to take her first crawling shuffles.

It is one very cute sight, chubby bottom in the air and fingers spread wide.

I am a little fixated with this baby of mine, she is just so precious.

Changes and New

2010-09-14T19:55:00.000+10:00

We have been busy little bees!

We are doing some major home improvements and it seems fitting with the Spring urge to cleanse and de-clutter. We have been laying floorboards, floorboards and more floorboards and nowhere near finished! Eeek!
Walls, ceilings and doors painted fresh, neutral colors to bring space and light into our home.
It is all coming along nicely and the place already looks so much nicer but renovations with three small people that still have so many different needs presents with it's challenges.
But...
with all that said at the end I think me and my beautiful man will be proud of what we have achieved together (and with the help of some of our beautiful and generous friends). It will be another thing we can say we have done together and working side by side like this allows us to grow stronger in a different way. But I am a bit exhausted by night and this space seems to be getting more and more neglected.
Other news and exciting things that have been happening...
Cherub has got two precious little teeth that have come to see the Spring in. She is a little ray of sunshine and has us all smiling and enjoying her unique little ways.
My little man had his Spring fair at his school it was beautiful. A lot of hours, love and colours went into a prefect day that will never fade in my memory and hopefully not in my babies either.
Great to be part of such a beautiful place.

I hope all you are all well and staying happy and safe.
xxxxx

The Daily Sunshine

2010-08-25T20:51:00.004+10:00

Joy seems to be a choice each day.

The trick is to hold onto it!
The daily grind and the push to step into the sadness and struggle hangs in our face each day.

Outside today the sun was shinning with warmth to soothe the most tested soul.
The power to seek the beauty was available.
I let it soak into me, I let it move me and tonight I feel full of warmth.

I find in these busy busy times a need to breath and still see the world, colours and all.

A little old lady clutching her bag waiting for a bus dreaming of the days where life was so full.

I see me now,
I see me then.
Live in the now.
Not in the then.

I hear tomorrow the sun is shinning ...

xxx

Hello

2010-08-21T19:04:00.000+10:00

Well hello hello blogging world!

Phew busy days!
A lot of sickness has been taking much of my time at the moment. We have all had this yuk 'end of winter' germ that has wiped out so many children, teachers and families at our school.
We have a sick little cherub and she is breaking my heart with her half smiles and puffy little eyes. I am so tired and hoping for an end to the bug wanting to hang out with my little family. So very soon we can say goodbye to this Winter and start to welcome Spring, my favorite season!

Hope you are all happy, safe and well.

Also I made a video of our Winter Holiday here, hope you enjoy it.

xxxx

Sleeping Home.

2010-08-08T20:56:00.003+10:00

Another weekend.
Another road trip to see people we love.

A car full of sleeping angels.
Ahhhh...

Another weekend lived to the fullest.
Another list of memories not to forget...

Sweet madame sunshine is emerging into our wintry days and with her comes energy and a growing need to cleanse.
xxxx

Back From The Mist

2010-08-02T17:53:00.015+10:00

We have returned from our time away with my family.
The days were misty and cold.
Perfect.
The company was sensational.
I spent seven days in a place I have journeyed to every year since I was born. It is the place my beautiful man asked me to marry him and it is the place our family go to each winter as a family tradition.
I love it, it never gets old. It's beauty still manages to astound me each and every year.

The days just passed so fast but yet I feel revived and refreshed.

My small folk had such a beautiful time with their aunt, uncles, grandparents and their great grandfather.
The generations all mixed together and there is something pretty special about that.

I think one of the highlights of the week for me was having this time with my mum. Her days are so busy and I do not get enough time to just hang out with her. So in this time we chatted, shared, laughed and stayed up late.
She is such an amazing person, with such a pure soul and weeks like this remind me how much I love my days around her.
The whole family felt nourished by her love and attention.

After we have had our fun week we return here to our home and I am full of fresh ideas, more inspiration, new assignments and feeling overall very fortunate.

xxxxx

Winter Sunday

2010-07-23T11:48:00.002+10:00

It was my beautiful man's birthday a few weeks ago and I brought him a new camera. It would seem I have come to love this camera just as much (no surprise there!).

So I have made this video.

I hope you enjoy it, I loved making it!

Thank you for all of your kind comments and emails about my little girl, she seems to be getting much better.

We are off for a holiday with my beautiful family. I am looking forward to sharing some of the fun when we get home.

Have a Happy week.
xxx

Fearful

2010-07-15T21:58:00.000+10:00

The last week or so I have had a little girl that has been out of sorts.
My usually resilient, not fussed little friend has been rocked by regular nightmares and an over all fearful feeling.
In my head I know it is a stage. In my heart I want to find peace for her.
She wants me to make her feel secure again. I try and I work hard to bring her calm again, but her dreams unsettle her security just as fast.
I think she is trying to find her feet being the middle child. I see her finding what her special mark is with so many changes occurring and even though we see it, she is trying to find it and feel it again.

These small steps are making her who and what she is and will be. Her unease is teaching her about how to love security, safety and kindness, it is building the person to be.
A beautiful woman and a dear friend to me said
"Amber she chose her place as the middle child, because she is strong and can deal with it".

I believe it is something we will move on from and forget fast, but I love her and dislike having to watch her be afraid.
It is a true lesson in parenthood, when to step in and when to let be.
So for now my beautiful man and I allow a safe, warm bed with open arms to hold her through her fears at night and reassurance and love through the days.
But it is hard and tonight I feel weary.
So...
My little girl come back to your calm, uninhibited world when you can. We are all waiting here for you with so much love.

Sweet dreams to you all..xxxx

Student

2010-07-08T22:04:00.002+10:00

Imagine yourself as small as the blades of grass.
Imagine yourself free.
See yourself with no flaws.
Touch everything like it was the first time.
Love with no fear to love.
Dream like it is all about to happen.
Live in the moment.
See all the colours.
Say what you think without holding back.
Trust your instincts.
Refuse food when you are full.

Laugh.
Climb.
Run.

Enjoy life!

These small folk I spend my days with teach me. Sure I teach them but some how I feel like I am a student in their lesson of how to be the best I can be.

Ah the joy!

My Little Angel

2010-07-07T21:38:00.008+10:00

Cherub is amazing!

Bright and beautiful.

And so utterly lovable.

This brown eyed baby has my soul, this angel fills me with pride.
I love my days with her, after all she is a wise soul and I think she may have been here before.
Maybe we were best friends in some other life too?

xxxxx

The Feathered Ladies

2010-06-28T20:41:00.011+10:00

On the weekend I went down and spent some time with my beloved feathered girls and it was so nice.
They have all been growing and changing so much while I have been so busy and have had so many other things happening. They have been lacking my extra love and attention. Although they do not go without scraps, grain and a dirt bath they have not been getting much of my time and I do miss losing myself regularly to watch them peck, play and show off.
But there will be time for that again and so I am just pleased to share some proud pictures of my pretty ladies.

And as for our cherub, she is growing so fast and she moved to her cot (from the bassinet) last night, although it is placed at the foot of my bed and she is not far I felt the move and she too really felt the move into a bigger space. I feel her changing so fast at the moment, knees being pulled under her tummy, a eager desire to eat what you are eating and an over all stronger awareness of her world. She continues to be a smiling ray of sunshine in our days and I still just keep a firm hold on how precious this time with her is.

We are in for a chilly week and then school holidays are here to hopefully be slow and warm together.

xxxx

Looking

2010-06-26T22:10:00.006+10:00

Today she went looking for a fairy.

A fairy to take home.

We did not find her fairy today.

She says we were too noisy!
Maybe we were?

Tomorrow we will go looking again...

Happy Sunday to you.
xxxx

Secret Sunrises

2010-06-20T18:53:00.012+10:00

One day recently I awoke to the fact my little boy needed a lot less from me and so much more from his daddy. I see he is spreading his wings. I see mine and his love is eternal, but I see he needs to feel his way with a strong man showing him the path and I gently offer the warmth and the comfort.

So the boys of our house wake early, while still very dark and adventure out both with cameras in hand.
What they talk of I do not know?
What they learn from each other I do not know?
But I see the pictures of their time together and these are all my little man's photo's from his time out with Daddy.
I get a taste of the magic they discover while being father and son in a field of beauty and lessons.

All the while me and my two girls lay fast asleep in our warm bed together...safe.
The boys explore the cold world at sunrise and it too oozes with warmth even in the deep cold of winter.

(And if I dare say my little man has pure talent, but maybe I am bias!)
xxxx

Some of the long...

2010-06-15T20:57:00.007+10:00

We had a long weekend together and I believe my little family now have an album of around 1000 photo's, just from three days together and there is no exaggerating there!
You know when each moment feels like it is a good one to capture, when you do not want to forget what it was like and also you wish you could relive the colours, smells and feeling in each shot.
Well we tried and here is just some of only yesterday.

An open playground to run and run and run...

And then when our adventure is coming to an end I walk hand in hand with my beautiful man and we look up and they do too.

A warm and cherished moment.

xxxxx

Hip Hip Hooray!

2010-06-07T20:38:00.006+10:00

Today our beautiful girl turned four!

Four years ago today that an angel landed in my arms.
My thoughtful, kind little lady how proud we are of you.
Life can never be lonely while you are in our company and how
I watch you bring happiness wherever you go, such a special little soul.
I love my days with you.

Happy birthday to you angel
Happy birthday my sweet little empathetic, warm and chatty companion.

Love your mummy...xxx

Two Years

2010-06-05T19:52:00.005+10:00

It has been two years today since my beautiful Nan passed away.

Nan I still can see your face, I still can smell your smell and I still remember your warmth and love.
Your memory never fades and each day I miss you, the most elegant lady I have met.
How I wish you had been here to meet Cherub.

(You would be so proud of us all)

Love you Nan.

Timely

2010-06-03T20:42:00.005+10:00

I watched this...

It was sent to me through a person I love, from another person I love.

I watched the calm creativity, the amazing talent and heartfelt memory created in this video, I felt in it, I felt attached.
It leaves me standing here in thought.
Anyone who knows me knows I love hard,
I hurt hard,
I play hard,
I laugh hard,
I also feel hard.
This seared me, it reminded me we are all a victim to fate, it is the most beautiful thing about life and sometimes the most terrifying.
We do not know what is to come nor do we know our place.
I look into my beautiful man's eyes and I see strength,
I see warmth and
I feel safe.
I look into my small babies eyes and I see innocence,
I see untouched and
I feel unconditional love.
But as fast as we see this it changes to the next stage and it becomes something new.
How do we not see when we are living the good years?
How do we not cherish each day?
How do we grow but not learn?
And most importantly how do we not remember it is always changing, just as we see it it is no longer that.

I felt this video was so timely, a true representation of love and the life cycles.
These men and women who bring us into the world, strong, capable and fresh become the ones we will help and hold.
Life is as beautiful as it is heart breaking, let's see all the beauty today, just try it!

All my love to you in your home...xxx

Cherub

2010-05-25T21:00:00.003+10:00

Watching, listening, learning.

My baby.

Our cherub.

Yep I am smitten!

Love to you all xx

More To Give...

2010-05-19T21:36:00.010+10:00

If I dare say it my one and only regret with being what I am today is that I do not have more time for some of the other ones I love and care about so dearly.

I am more than happy to hang my career shoes up for now. I am more than happy to get my travel fix on an open road with my clan. I am content with a precious meal for five around our big family table and I am equally content with a date with my man in our home or at a local park.

But on nights like tonight when I think of my granfather alone in his home, or my beautiful sister who I could talk the night away with, or my gorgeous friend who has a birthday today, how I would love to share a bubbly with her on her front verandah tonight. How I wish I could sit in my grandfather's company and hear the wise words he has to share and to just be with him.

I wish I had more parts of me to split and give around to those that I love.

Each person is so busy with their own families, work or other commitments but it does not take from me missing what I would love to be to these precious ones.

I will wake tomorrow and one of the most amazing women to have graced my life will be staying with us for a few days. I will get a dose of her priceless and nourishing friendship that I am so fortunate to have and be extra grateful for these days together.

I always find myself surrounded by soulful, strong and inspiring people and I just love dosing up on them.

So to my dear sweet friends that are near and far my time is busy, my days are dedicated to this beautiful man and our children but you are never far from my thoughts.

You are never lost or forgotten yet a big priority on my "to do" list.

I love you friends, I love our memories and I love the place you hold in my heart.

And you all know who you are.

P.S. Happy Birthday beautiful woman...that wish is coming...love you.

His Play.

2010-05-17T21:22:00.008+10:00

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."
-Plato

At the river I watched my boy.
I was still and just observed his way of play.
With everything in life, he takes it slowly, finding his way with all his little feelers out stretched.
He finds his own rhythm in that space and then he explores a little further.
With time and encouragement he seeks out further spaces and then finally he shines out there as strong as he does in my heart.

And I remind myself we are all different people and we all have our own ways of doing things.

His play shows me his true little soul.

xxxxx

The Tree...

2010-05-13T20:30:00.001+10:00

I have wanted to get to this space all week and share some of our time in this tree.

I have wanted to write words and tell tales of the magic that was at this tree and that was there on this special mother's day weekend away.

We got away- just me, my man and our babes. We did what we do best, we just hung out as us a little family and god damn is was great!

When we returned home I had snuffly, feverish hot babies and man from the chilly nights we had while we were away. As the week went on I came down with the cold too and so have not been able to get here.

We did climbing, resting and exploring here, got lost while just admiring the sheer size and beauty of this tree.

I have not climbed a tree since I was a child, I had forgotten what that felt like.

I forgot that it does feel good and you do feel strong and brave.

I have bruises all over my legs from this weekend and I laugh at how they just don't look as cute on my adult legs, actually quite strange!

But I had so much fun doing it...totally liberating!

(Oh and just for the record I got higher than my lovely man...hehehe)

And also since returning home cherub got quite unwell and gave us a real fright.

She fell very sick through the night and then it all went bad fast, I rang the hospital and they said to bring her in as she is still very small and vulnerable to be so sick.

When we got her to hospital she did begin to improve and thankfully she just had a nasty dose of a gastro virus. But wow she gave us a fright and you just get thrown into the world of reality and exactly what matters. It is a sure reminder I am doing exactly what I want to be doing and exactly how precious she and my family are to me.
As fast as you can get caught up in the magic, reality does show her face too.

Some days the weight of reality pull and I am really trying to hard to fight a battle to see all the numerous daily magic and breath.

I get reminded how fast the world we know today changes into a new day with fresh lessons and surprises.

Never dull...

Happy days to you all xxxx

Found...

2010-05-01T20:54:00.007+10:00

Found...

When we are lost we dream of being found.

When we are sad we dream of smiling.

When we are tired we dream of sleep.

When we are angry we dream of calm.

When we are poor we dream of our comforts.

However when we find our true happiness do we see it?

I have found all my happiness and I stopped looking outside for that...

I have it here, now and today.

So I am grateful for it all, today.

Thank you soul for arousing me to this day,

Thank you body for moving me,

Thank you heart for the passion and love.

Thank you imagination and spirit for being able to absorb it and believe it.

Thank you earth for allowing me a space here.

xxxx

Back to School...

2010-04-26T20:46:00.006+10:00

Well we have experienced our first school holidays after a busy school term.

How do I explain what the holidays have been like?

Lovely!

Normal!

Right!

Peaceful!

I still always find no matter what, I like it best when we are all together. No need to be pushing my babies out the door for 'a break'. No need to hurry the slow or the fast days. It is still hard and full on at times but I never wish them anywhere but with me, a family together.

We have experienced so much together over the last three weeks.

Some how in this time we have managed to see so many precious friends and family, we have travelled, we have laughed together, we have bush walked, played on the beach, we have spent a weekend in the big city, we have baked, we have planted, painted, played ,we have even made new friends, we have learnt so much from each other and watched a season change.

Our baby cherub is growing rapidly in front of our eyes. She smiles and warms all of our days with her bright spirit and already I wonder how life ever existed before her.So back to lovely school for my boy tomorrow with no regrets for how our past weeks have been spent and no unhappiness about the lovely place he spends with hours away from me and back to days with just me and the girls, while the boys do their thing and then we meet again at the end of each day and share.

But it does always refresh me to be back as just us, no need for it to be anything but us as a family, companions...

Creating memories,

living special years together

and founding strong bonds to hopefully last a life time.

Peace to all of you...

******

Weekend Love...

2010-04-19T21:10:00.001+10:00

While driving to my sisters engagement party the other night the sun was setting right in front of our eyes, it was such a spectacular sight. We had the top up breastfeed stop along the way right as it was setting.

The moment felt so magical. The warm light, all of my little family sharing it together and the special event we were heading to. A beautiful celebration of two amazing people's love for each other.

I am so happy for them.

My babies had all their best clothes on and were so excited about the fact that their very special auntie and her very special man will be having a 'party' all about how much they love each other! (oh and they could not wait to eat the cake we had heard all about).

And then on Sunday such a simple yet productive day at home and as always it held so many enriching little activities for my little ones.

Here is some of our fun...

Making garlic and olive panini bread to have with dinner.

Then my little man decided to plant some garlic, his own little garden to tend to each day.

And now we can only hope the lovely possums and scavenger brush turkeys keep out of it!

And then finally we baked an Orange and Almond cake to share with my brother in law for his birthday.

I love weekends!!!

Look at her now...

2010-04-14T20:52:00.003+10:00

Our cherub is a smiley delight and we spend many hours and many moments entertained by her sparkly smiles and noises.

(I was just thinking it is about one year since we found out she was in my tummy and now here she is in all of her beauty and yes I pinch myself we have her).

She is just so damn precious!

xxx

Cherished...

2010-04-12T19:46:00.003+10:00

Everything small has potential.

Everything new is beautiful.

Every colour is an experience.

Every day holds lessons.

Every moment is cherished...

xxxx

The Best Medicine...

2010-04-08T21:25:00.008+10:00

It comes from deep deep in your belly, your muscles go weak, you love it but hate it.

The purest best feeling...

Laughter, man it is a good feeling!

My little lady had a good dose the other day, such a fantastic sight.

I wish a dose of this to you all today...xxxx

(And yes I have some Easter celebration tales to catch up on, I will hopefully get those here soon).

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T21:13:00.001+10:00

My little family and I have just returned from an Easter weekend away.

Beautiful memories,

beautiful friends

and

beautiful tales...

to come tomorrow after a good nights sleep and a body that is a little more adjusted to our change in time with the loss of day light savings.

Happy Easter to all of you...xxx

Seeing Autumn In...

2010-03-30T21:02:00.006+11:00

We witnessed our first Autumn festival at my little man's school last week and it was a visual delight!

My little man was so excited for us to come and celebrate the coming of Autumn with him and his classmates.
They ate pumpkin soup and bread the students had made. There was also a leaf toss and each student took fruit or vegetables to give to the homeless in our area.
It was simply beautiful and I am so pleased we are part of such a beautiful and enriching school.

After school we headed home and continued the Autumn celebrations into the night.
Corn soup and a bonfire seemed the perfect way to end the day.Tonight as I sit here writing this I hear the heavy fall of rain on our roof. I see the delicious pumpkin a beautiful friend gave me from her garden and I prepare for the weekends Easter celebration.
So I find myself reflecting about how my children have allowed me able to notice the seasons again like when I was a child, to allow the small beauty of daily change and the little buzz of excitement that comes with the newness of a change of season.
May this lesson stick with me and no matter how many years pass may I remember to be slow enough to celebrate the seasons, to celebrate the beauty of the planet we live in and to continue to pay respect to all we have been given.
No matter how much time passes may I never forget how easy it is to be happy and find beauty in such simple things...

Sweet new season to you all dear friends...xx

Three Months!!!

2010-03-24T21:14:00.007+11:00

Cherub is three months old today.

It has been three months since I saw her precious face for the first time.

She is such a relaxed and contented little soul and we love our days with her.

Her smiley little face watches me everywhere I go. I find myself smiling back the second I see her. As a friend commented to me the other day "we are just besotted with each other".

The world could stop and cherub and I would be lost in our own one together.

And now realising three months is here I just cannot believe how fast the time does fly despite me making sure I am so ever present and aware of every moment it still moves so super fast.

Happy three months in this world cherub, and as my little lady would say

"We love you up to the Lyra stars!"

Nice...

2010-03-22T20:18:00.005+11:00

A splendid weekend

Here is just some of it...

Life is sweet!

Identity?

2010-03-18T21:30:00.001+11:00

As women and mothers in the year 2010 do we feel more pressure than woman did 30, 40 and 50 years ago?

Is there more merit in us being allowed to have careers, to have more day care options, to have computers/internet and community networks to answers some of our baffling mothering questions?

Or was it more simple when we were the queens of our home? Where we woke each day and had our homes, children and husbands to tend to, without much more expected of us?

Was this a lonely existence? Or was it all more straight forward not having to split ourselves so many ways?

At times I get confronted by my choice in not putting our children in day care and rush back to work, or if I am not going back to work why would I not have 'a break' and put my children in care?

Why would I not get back to work and hold my identity in the paid work I do?

I respect and admire woman who feel the need or have no choice to head back to work, I understand for some that is the best option.

Personally I do not want to hand my children over for a 'break' or for me to find my 'identity'. However I choose to embrace my identity as this, it is not tied into my children or my work, but who I am, the person I am and the goals I have in life.

In such transient times these years with our children are so temporary, where as identity is forever.

I remember feeling work would be the answer for my need for space, for my 'me time', it would give me a break from my little man, the funny thing is he has taught me (actually all three of my babies) have taught me something external will not give me the happiness I seek or a break, but only remove me further from the truth that it has to come from within.

To be happy with the now.

So back to my original point is it more stressful and pressing to be a mother in this new day and age where we are meant to be, caring, kind, considerate mothers, successful career women, little foxy demons for our men, knowledgeable and exciting and pressed when we choose to devote our days to our most precious assets?

Personally I love the liberated times we live in and find I can be some of these at the same time but not all.

And so for now I am choosing to be a loving devoted wife, a friend, a book reader, a cook, a chook lover and a mummy and a happy mummy at that. My career will have it's time, my booming days of money earning will come when that is what is needed of me or I guess when I am guided there. My identity however will still remain me Amber for all of what I am, not my occupation.

I spoke to my ma about this and she said for her 30 odd years ago it just was what it was at the time and she was always asked when she would have another child as opposed to when she would return to work.

Very interesting...

xxx

A quite moment...

2010-03-15T19:54:00.008+11:00

Painting Autumn colours with my little lady today.

Just her and I.

A quite moment, just being still together.

She calmly chatted and sang the whole time we painted.

Last week she was so lost and I was wondering where my calm little lady had gone and today I felt her back with me, happily in a flow.

I am so grateful I have this time with my children to be able to just be slow when they need me to be.

xxxx

Three People...

2010-03-13T21:07:00.002+11:00

Three little ones, little ones created in love.

They live here, they share the same mummy and the same daddy,

but they are three different people.

They are three individuals.

They will fall in love with different people for different reasons,

they will suffer different pains and

they will experience the world from their own eyes.

They are all so different.

I was watching them play together this afternoon, playing side by side.

One lost in a world of six year old adventure with some animals, the other lost in a little girl paradise of babies and blissful things and then little cherub searching for a face to explore, to smile and 'goo' at.

Three people all going to have an impact on this planet,

three people to create change and warm the world with their own individual essence.

Three personalities.

It amazes me!

It shows me the magnitude of what we have created together.

They are our children and each one is so different...

I love all they have to offer.

xxx

Ceremony in Small Things...

2010-03-09T20:28:00.000+11:00

Each night in our home we share dinner together and then one night a week we make an extra special meal and have a small celebration, low key but such a special celebration.

We light candles, we all set the table together, the kids collect flowers and leaves from the garden to decorate the table, we get so excited and then we share a special meal by the light of candles.

Why do we celebrate?

Why do I find it so important to mark each week with a special meal?

There are so many reasons but a few I find most important are these,

We can celebrate the small, the simple things in life.

We can show gratitude for each other, for being a family.

I find that we all come together and be slow, we share stories of our days,

we talk about our adventures, we come together and enjoy one another's company.

My children may not see the ritual of this yet, but they enjoy the togetherness, they feel the excitement and they feel the urge to talk and share their stories.

I hope as the years pass they will feel inclined to do this with their own families and to find comfort and shelter in our home as and when they need to share, talk and eat good food as friends and as a family.

After all we are all a small piece of a big puzzle and if we create children who love family time and cherish the sense of togetherness they too will bring a inner happiness and sense of belonging into their own children's lives and the cycle will create men and women who love family time and cherish ceremony for how big or small it is.

Peace to you and your family...xxx

Thanks for the fun!

2010-03-08T21:07:00.003+11:00

On Saturday night we had some our closest and dearest friends come over.

I had such a brilliant night. I laughed till my face and stomach ached, I danced and we all caught up on our busy lives.

I feel so fortunate to have such wonderful friends.

I love the people we know, such great, soulful and fun characters.

So thanks for the laughs and love guys.

And here is to our next catch up.

xxxx

Cherub and I...

2010-03-03T20:25:00.005+11:00

'Seek the wisdom of the ages, but look at the world through the eyes of a child'

-Ron Wild

A child notices the smallest of things.

Cherub can get lost for sometime gazing at the wisteria on our back verandah, no mobile needed.

The natural beauty that is alive in colours, plants, light and a happy face can warm this tiny heart.

She watches me smile and she smiles back.

I hold her, smell her and kiss her and she cradles in and smells me, she feels safe.

We need each other and I feel a little naked when she is not in my arms.

She is so precious and every day I fall more in love with this heavenly baby girl.

****

Tunes...

2010-02-22T21:57:00.003+11:00

If you understand or if you don't

If you believe or if you don't.

There is a universal justice and the eyes of truth are always watching you.

-Lyrics from The Cross of Changes by Enigma

I hear these words from this track and my mind starts rolling with thoughts.

This is one of the many old albums I have been delving into of late to relive it again.

I love when music fills you and provokes thought, when it moves you.

I seem to seek out old and new artists at certain times in my life and go back to rediscover music from influential moments. I remember what they meant to me then and I find what they mean to me now.

I find new artists that have something to say, I find old, wise artists who struggled to find the stage to sing their strong and powerful words and I become immersed in their strength of spirit.

I cannot imagine my life without music flowing through my everyday. I find my love with my man has a solid rhythmical base and we are always sharing something new or old for the other to listen to and then bash it around for a while.

But finding this again a few weeks ago I am hooked on her. Nina Simone has really done it for me at the moment.

I am loving her songs and does anyone remember this?

'I've got Life, I've got my freedom, I've got the life '

Love it!

xxx

(Got any new suggestions or a favorite to pass on?)

Growing and Falling...

2010-02-19T08:45:00.002+11:00

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

-Albert Camus

I can feel the change of the new season coming.

The mornings are crisper, the trees are swaying more with the gentle wind that is stirring.

There are even a few leaves tinged orange.

We welcome our new little cherub into her first Autumn.

We will soon farewell the hot days that she was born into and move to wrapping her with warm snugglies,

lighting our fire and watching the colder days set in.

She will grow as the leaves fall...

*********

For You!

2010-02-13T22:00:00.000+11:00

The most beautiful view is the one I share with you.

~Author Unknown

Baby a confession, no I am not catching up on emails like I told you.

I am catching up on telling you how much I love you.

We discussed not celebrating Valentine's day as it is not needed, we feel every day is a celebration of our love.

So I did not get you a gift, I did not write you a card, but I have this for you,

A message of love...

As you know I would shout to the world,

I would turn every shell on the beach,

I would pick each star from the sky to tell you how much I love you.

Life flows with you,

I want to be the best and more for you.

I can be everything I am, everything I want to be, no faces needed, all is excepted and loved...unconditionally from you.

Life is exciting, new, fun and lovely with you.

And as we say "things are always better when we are together".

They are...

Almost nine years have passed and we are committed to keeping this special, I sit here now promising to make the next nine years and for as long as we have, equally beautiful and fun, amazing and as memorable.

I am full,

I am whole,

I am forever yours, my soul mate.

Thank you for it all and on another day of love, I want to say I love you with everything I have and everything I can give is always yours...

So just like on the night I married you let's dance to our song...

Forever yours...

Amber

xxxxx

A New Pace...

2010-02-09T20:53:00.003+11:00

In our family at the moment it is a time of re-adjusting to so many changes.

With my beautiful man back at work I am having to find my own pace and it is a fast one.

It will slow ever so slightly as I get better at efficiently meeting all of the new and old needs to my growing family.

My little man is very happy at his school, my little lady is a little lost without him and is extremely lost without her best friend - daddy.

As for cherub, she is coming into the world more and more, smiling and 'gooing' at us, more awake time, more personality.

But although the days are so full we are all managing to give cherub lots of cuddles and to let her know just how loved and appreciated she is.

With such new times and so many needs to be met, it reminds me how alive I need to continually be as a mother,

it reminds me why time is precious and

it also shows me that us mother's are such amazing resilient creatures.

Hope everyone is well and having happy days wherever you are...xxx

Each Has A Way

2010-02-02T15:54:00.005+11:00

I am always intrigued by people's take on life.

Having a newborn baby naturally brings the best out in most people I have found and I find that really lovely.

Getting through a shopping centre takes me so much time at the moment as people stop you to have a look, strangers congratulating you, warm faces smiling at you almost like they are personally proud of you.

I find it so sweet.

I also find people's comments so interesting. Like when leaving the hospital with a beautiful round newborn in arms and a lady says to me "lovely now dear but they grow up and break your heart".

Another comment from a lady I know "once there is three life will be different, you wont be able to do all you have done with your other two and it is not easy" and another little old lady "oh enjoy it dear, these are the best of years".

What journey's have these people all been on I wonder?

The smiling woman at the supermarket is she reminiscing seeing and smelling her newborn for the first time? Is she pleased to see a new life in such a busy world? Did she have children of her own? Whatever her journey is is unknown to me but her compassion shows and she feels happiness for another, I felt her tenderness.

What is the journey of the lady warning me of the daunting, heartbreaking world of an older child and then the friend, a mother of three warning me life will not be simple anymore?

Is life ever simple?

At what point do we listen and at what point do we accept that is another persons journey or opinion and it is for us to leave at the place it was told?

I made a very conscious choice with this cherub and I have spoken of it here before.

I am committed to not counting my hours of sleep or lack of, they are guaranteed with babies, I am focusing on the nice moments, the moments she looks into my eyes and a little baby smile buds, the moments when I have three children happily playing or sleeping and I am able to grab a moment to read a paragraph of the fantastic book I am reading, or the moments in bed with my beautiful man and our three children lay draped around us.

These moments are taking my focus totally and I am finding the rushing school run, the hungry dinner hour and the other times of strain all wash over me so much more easily. I find managing my time and health allows me to be more able to see the beauty in 'busy'.

So all I can do is go on my journey, one where I am choosing to be positive and focus on the nicer points and allow the tougher more trialing times to hopefully wash over me. Allow peoples comments to be their way, their experience but leave it at that and not be swayed or daunted by heavy words (which I was a lot more with my first child).

And as my journey continues I guess I will change perspective, change many of my thoughts maybe too. But for today life with three is nice, yes very busy, but so so nice.

We are all on our own journey I guess...xxxxx

My Boy...

2010-01-29T21:40:00.009+11:00

Yesterday my little man started school

and

Today he turned six!

Happy birthday to my special, creative, gentle child.

You are loved as deep as love can run.

You are cherished and appreciated.

You are such a beautiful big brother to your sisters and your love for them is so true.

You were the unexpected angel that chose us to be your parents and I am ever so grateful for the privilege of having you as my boy.

As the days pass I understand you more and more and you remind me

that the world is so big when you are small.

You have taught me to keep it slow and secure.

You are a big part of your mummy and daddy's heart.

I love you...

Our boy, our little caring man, our little creative soul...

Our ever so precious son.

May every wish in your heart be true.

Love your mummy...xxxx

Summer Baby Haze

2010-01-25T21:45:00.001+11:00

I am loving our Summer days as a family of five.

Early morning walks...

Fairies, pixies, pirates and elves playing around me in the day.

Adventuring around,

just the five of us,

my family.

Happy smiles

and

happy hearts.

Waking every day and my beautiful man being here,

spoiling us all,

taking us to so many beautiful and exciting places.

Waking each day with a buzz as we now have our precious cherub to cuddle and hold.

Trips to the beach and all the first time experiences we are able to show cherub.

Breast-feeding in the warm sun as my beautiful friend swims in the lagoon with my kidlings.

And each day brighter and more alert eyes are getting to know us.

These last few weeks have been blissful.

We have only two more days until my little man starts school so we have ensured our time has been enriching and bonding for us all.

He is ready and we are so excited for the big journey ahead in such a special school.

My beautiful man returns to work in a few weeks and life with be slightly less dreamy I am sure, but I have promised myself to be in the present as much as I possibly can.

Remain in the haze, choose a happier way of thinking always and suck up all the good.

And most of all be as thankful as I can be for this life.

Happy days sweet friends..xxx

In Love...

2010-01-20T20:03:00.002+11:00

I am so in love with this little angel.

She is soft.

She is sweet.

She is calm.

She is our gorgeous girl child.

Love is the best emotion and I am full of love for this cherub.

xxxx

A Visitor...

2010-01-17T20:48:00.006+11:00

Well look who came to visit us at our home yesterday!

She was spotted by my sister in law, who calmly and bravely informed us that we had a snake about 1 metre from our deck (where we were all hanging out).

She was a very pretty and very large diamond python, about 2 metres and she wore such fantastic detailed markings.

I am such a snake lover, I have owned snakes in the past and used to relocate unwelcome reptiles to the wild for our local council at the time.

We were all discussing her safety and what was best for us to do.

In this time she had moved her way to our downstairs level where my beautiful man and I decided we would safely catch her so we could release her in a safe place.

With adrenaline pumping, a pillow case and a spirit level we managed to catch her (with no harm) and we released her in the state forest not far from here, there she will be safe from human homes and harm.

It was a truly fascinating thing to see her and admire her sheer strength and beauty.

It was actually really nice to have her visit!

Hope you all have had a happy weekend...xxx

A Dream That Came True...

2010-01-14T20:32:00.002+11:00

I wrote here about a dream I had when I was pregnant, I dreamt about looking into my babies face and how much the baby looked like my beautiful man.

I believe my dream came true...

I look into this cherub's face and I can see him, she has the same gentle, calm nature.

As well as all of her own little wonderful ways.

I feel her warmth and I fall deeper and deeper in love with this precious little soul.

We are all going well, I feel on top of the world, cherub is very settled in our home and my little man and lady are still besides themselves in love.

Thank you once again for all of your beautiful messages about our precious cherub, they too light my days...xxx

********

One week

2010-01-06T20:00:00.000+11:00

It has been one week since this perfect cherub entered into the world and it has been just wonderful.

In one beautiful week we have been just focusing totally on getting to know our peaceful little girl.

We have been doing lots of cuddling, kissing, smelling and smiling.

I have a had a cracked nipple which thankfully is almost better and I had one very teary baby blues day the other day, a combination of sheer joy and missing my babies and lovely man and dying to come home.

But I have loved this week so much.

Our family and friends have been so so amazing and we feel so fortunate to be surrounded by so much love and support. Just today I had one of my best friends drop over a home cooked dinner.

People generosity is amazing, we have been given such thoughtful and generous gifts and so many messages of love.

When did it all become this? I just feel so so lucky for these angels I have here.

I want to shout to the world thank you for all of this...

xxxx

Precious

2010-01-02T21:32:00.003+11:00

Our Special Lyra...

How sweet these first days have been with her.

She is the most peaceful, contented little soul.

She is simply dreamy and we are all so in love.

My beautiful man chose this name for her and the 'Lyra' constellation contains the 5th brightest star in the sky.

We thought how perfect, she is the 5th member to our family and although we all shine equally as bright in our home, we thought this was so special and perfectly suited to our little star and the 5th member of our family.

Thank you for all of your amazing words and welcome wishes to Lyra, what a lucky little girl.

This little girl was such a blessing to our family and I love being the mummy of this cherub...

Happy happy days...xxxx

Look Who Is Here!!!!

2009-12-31T17:52:00.010+11:00

Our angel is safely here and her name is 'Lyra'.

She is so so perfect and we are all utterly in love.

Her big brother and sister are the proudest little people. They are both so caring and gentle with her and I could burst when I see the three of them sitting having cuddles.

She was born at 1:47pm yesterday and all went very well.

I am sleep deprived and it all feels a little hazy, but frankly I do not care. I am just laying low and loving every moment, every smell of her chubby checks, every cuddle and every bit of this new little cherub in our world.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The Final Days...

2009-12-29T22:00:00.002+11:00

The final days are here and how beautiful it has been...

I have taken the last few days very slow, taking in everything.

I am going to miss falling asleep in my beautiful man's arms with my belly nestled in his hands while bub kicks him and connects with him.

I have loved watching my two little ones growing excitement and joy of the new little life about to come into our home. Hearing them chat to my belly and the words of love constantly being feed into this baby.

The gentle calm fog that has surrounded me through the last nine months has been blissful.

And over all the sheer miracle of life growing inside me.

I am going to miss all of that so deeply.

However hopefully so soon I will be holding our little cherub in my arms.

We will be privileged enough to teach another little person about love, life and the big big world.

I will love another person so so much and so unconditionally.

I will share another child with the man I love more than words could ever explain.

And most of all I am pinching myself for being allowed this journey again, it has been beautiful and everything I wanted it to be.

So for now I will sign off until we have some news of our little one.

And from the bottom of my heart I Thank you for all of the love and support in this space over the last nine months.

As one chapter closes a fantastic new one opens...

xxxxx

A Special Christmas...

2009-12-28T19:59:00.008+11:00

Christmas was lovely for all of us here in our home.

Relaxing...

A great time to share and make treats for friends and family...

Santa's snack and all the night before excitement...
Sharing and receiving so many beautiful things...
Christmas day was just beautiful.

My little ones loved every moment of it and as we drove home from our time away visiting my family, I felt rich.

I felt so fortunate for both of our fantastic families.

For the love that my children receive and for the thought and time everyone had put into making each other happy.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy time...xxx

Merry Christmas To You!

2009-12-23T21:03:00.005+11:00

Merry Christmas from me and my little family to you and your beautiful families.

Thank You for all the blogging fun, support and amazing comments, emails etc.

So many wonderful people and real friendships out there and I feel very lucky to have that here now.

2010 is bright, fresh and full of fun I just know it.

Will be back soon with more tales and hopefully some news on our new little edition.

Take care and be safe sweet friends.

xxxxx

Monday Summer Pics...

2009-12-21T21:18:00.003+11:00

Our little Christmas angel.

The halo was made at our final Steiner play group date for the year.

I just want to kiss her perfect little cheek every time I look at this photo.

I hope you are all having a beautiful festive time...xxx

Remembering His World Is Big Too...

2009-12-17T21:00:00.000+11:00

My little man has had so many changes creeping up on him of late and he is such a sensitive little being. Within the last few weeks and the month ahead he will be starting school, our new baby will be arriving, Christmas with all the excitement that comes, the end of his time at his precious mini kindy, many changes in me and my slowness increasing.

So he tested the boundaries for a few days there.

As any mother I ask "oh why now?" and then moments like this picture above it hits me.
He is also human and feels the changes, he feels the pressure of the unknown and I remember life is still such a big unraveling mystery for him. And I am his mother, his rock and I need flow with him and not against him in this time of big changes.

If I can not understand my sensitive little man and his needs, who will?

He is my boy, my little man and my little protector.

I am his mummy and his first love so I shall treat that with all the kindness and respect it deserves.

So with my clarity and calm comes his security...

Monday Summer Pics...

2009-12-14T20:23:00.003+11:00

A typical summer night here and my little man sound asleep with a few of his best friends, his beautiful Teddy who arrived shortly after his birth from relatives in London and our gorgeous big fat ginger cat 'Jinda'.

Jinda is so lovely and he is one of our many cherished babies. He is not at all convinced he is a cat, I think he is is pretty certain he is a human (hence sleeping belly up in a bed, his own pillow and all).

So even though these hot Summer nights are so warm these two still manage to make sure they have cuddles in bed together.

So sweet!

(Thank you for all the kind comments and emails from my last post, they brightened my day immensely...xxx)

A Familiar Stage...

2009-12-11T22:28:00.001+11:00

I have reached it, yes I have reached the stage that has occurred in both of my other pregnancies and now this one again, the part where I internalise. I shut down from the outer world one bit more.

I do not know why I feel I should share this here and actually feel a little exposed when I talk of it too openly, however I want to look back on these times and when we share all the beauty and good it seems right to share some of the not so good.

Each pregnancy and each woman have different experiences and stories this is mine...

I have mentioned on here sometimes about a car accident I was involved in eleven years ago, this car accident has altered many things, it redirected some of my plans and some of my basic choices have been made for me. Some ideal situations are not an option for me because of this.

One is my birthing process, I have a severely obstructed pelvis, coccyx and sacrum to mention a few and this causes me a great deal of pain and discomfort, in particular in late pregnancy.

It means natural birthing is not at all a safe option for me, it means labour is risky and it means close observation with each stage.

Once upon a time I would allow this to really seep into me, I would allow it to deeply upset me, but today and now I am at peace with it, genuinely at peace.

I see the pattern now and I listen to my bodies signs, it does not mean it is easy and frankly the pain is harsh at the moment but it is humbling and it is worth it for what will come in the end.

I do not listen to what others think is best for me at this time, nor do I try to be a hero, I am gently guided by my internal desire to retreat and take care.

I talk to myself.

I tell myself each day at a time.

I take every day for what it offers me and I am highly unreliable at the moment.

I find talking about it much to people non productive anymore because it is more time and energy focusing on it, when I could be channeling it into good thoughts and a positive head space.

Look in saying all of this I sound as if I gracefully breeze through this unfazed, I do not. There was a good teary outburst on my behalf yesterday when I felt it was all too hard and having a very sick little lady and only two hours sleep after caring for her all night seemed to be one thing more than I could handle and I had a big cry to my lovely man (who is a rock all of the time for me)...

But I have seen my growth and my resolve to this issue in life, with my little man I called out about now for him to be born, I could not take the pain any longer. With my little girl I held out until I was 39 weeks pregnant and although I do not know how long I will hold this time I feel mentally stronger and far more in tune with the messages.

I am more confident in the person I am and the choices I make for me, my baby and my little family.

This angel is growing and the movements take my breath away sometimes with the sheer strength of the kick and I remind myself to focus and enjoy all the lovely bits.

I love this baby so much and have made a promise to get the most out of every day growing this precious soul, it is all worth it.

28 Today!

2009-12-08T15:00:00.002+11:00

Today I turn twenty eight!

This last year has been such a year of growth in every way, firstly physical growth from growing a baby but also so much personal, soul searching growth.
I feel my positivity and contentment is really becoming something I am able to get a grip on firmly these days.
I have not finished my studies, there is so much travel to be done and there are things, oh so many things I have to do, but over all for these last twenty eight years I have packed my days, months and years with so much. I have met the man of my dreams, I have children with him, who are my world and I live every day full of love and openness for what this world has to offer. I had a fantastic night with my friends on Saturday night and just love the people I spend my days with.
So thanks Mum and Dad for making the choice to have a fourth child I love to be on this planet each and every year.

(Ironically the day I turn 28 years old I have 28 days until this bubba is due to enter this beautiful world).

Summer Days...

2009-12-07T20:23:00.011+11:00

Our Summer days are proving to be just lovely.

Each day I waddle down with the kidlings and we feed our hungry hens, chicks and adolescent beauties. We are eagerly greeted by twelve of these beautiful little ones.

These are the chicks that hatched a few months ago, they are just so sweet. They love cuddles and have won my babies hearts.

On these hot days my babies spend a lot of their time with them adventuring around in the garden and it is very sweet to watch the small chickens conversing so lovingly with my little ones, never venturing far from their feet or in their arms.

Our little cherub is growing so much bigger and the days are flying, so the real count down is on with only twenty nine days to go!

Monday Summer Pics...

2009-11-30T21:40:00.008+11:00

I am playing along with Jodi's fun Monday theme of a summer photo.

I get the feeling it is going to be a hot hot few months...

Flowing dresses, air and water my best friends at the moment.

(This photo was taken by my little lady, she was getting a photo of the bubba).

In Between Cuddles...

2009-11-23T21:31:00.002+11:00

They are bonding already, siblings connecting and luckily I get to be in the middle of their cuddles.

One kicks and the other talks, they tell bub their names, they tell all the exciting things they are going to do together, they say they are going to be the big brother and sister.

And they wait, ready to meet their little companion...

The feeling...

2009-11-19T14:36:00.002+11:00

Last night the cicada's were singing loud here, the air was warm, I could smell the aroma of mangoes coming from the tray we purchased the other day and I felt it...

I felt the Australian summer calling at our door, the feeling of Christmas coming, the feeling where you want to entertain, indulge the ones you love and celebrate. I had that inner excitement.

This is our fourth year living in this home and we moved in a few weeks before Christmas when all these things were around us.

My little lady has had every Christmas morning in this home and my little man most of his. And now after four years (the longest I have stayed in the same home for a very long time), I felt the familiar feeling of life at this time of year in this home. All the memories flood to me, my excitements grows and now I think this time next year we will have our new little one to join in with the fun, to share our home and our traditions with.

Pregnancy is such a symbolic and defining time, where you break down what is happening and what is coming and the mystery of new things about to happen. My senses seem heightened and I feel aware, I feel balance, I feel ready.

So summer is creeping in, so is the festive season and now each day I am closer to meeting my third child, meeting another big part of me. Finding how much I can love a whole other human being and where unconditional love can be sparked in me all over again.

I almost wish I could freeze this feeling, freeze this contentment, but I have a little angel to meet and time waits for no one as we all know, so instead i will acknowledge this beautiful time and hold onto it for everything that it is.

Life is so full of lessons and I feel so grateful to be able to learn from them all.

Calmly, clearly and consciously I am alive!

Home and Happy...

2009-11-16T21:08:00.003+11:00

Here are some pictures from our relaxed time away. It was a great little adventure and it just fed mine and my little families love for more adventure. Driving on the road, the buzz, the unknown. I love it. And then arriving and seeing new things, creating memories and just being us doing our thing.
And then arriving home has it's lovely moments too, back to what you love and back to our home and all of our animals. I feel so privileged and grateful for what I get to come home to just as much as the adventure.

So life back at the ranch and today we have had a very exciting arrival of some new chicks. Our precious 'silver legs' has become a mother for the first time to two beautiful chicks. She is proving to be a fantastic mother and we are so proud as we hatched her from an egg and now she becomes a mother.
I guess I became a chicken grandmother again today.

And the baby bump, it is growing and round and I look down and cradle this bundle with such delight so many times a day.
The heat has hit and the final weeks are upon me so I am tiring and feel like a huge snooze by five, I am sure it is to remind me of my size and everything that is going on in my body.
I have been slowing down in as many ways I can but having two little ones and dozens of animals mouths to feed and all the other jobs that present each day, means I find my days pass so quickly.

And finally I have been reading such a fantastic and inspiring book that has been feeding my focus, positivity and zest. I am so focused on making the most in every way of these last few weeks as a family of four, preparing my family and myself for our new little cherub and my lovely man and I are putting a lot of energy and time in together. We are taking more time for just us next week. We don't care if we seem a little indulgent of each other or our time and how it is spent, we are just focusing on maintaining our togetherness, ready to roll with this cherub with a belly full of love, energy and togetherness.
Such busy and beautiful times...

I cannot wait to hold you little one!

(Dear fellow bloggers: I have officially become terrible with reading and catching up on all my favorite spots, I miss reading all your words and will be trying to pop into see what has been happening. I hope everyone is safe and well. Sending love..xxx)

Stepping Into A Slower Mode

2009-11-09T17:17:00.005+11:00

We are off for the week to seek some sunshine up North. I am looking forward to a little break away with my little family.

I am growing at a rapid rate at the moment and have just realised how big bub has gotten, I get nice big kicks and the four of us here are getting more and more excited.

Our weekends have been bursting with activity and missions, lots of catching up with good friends and plenty of baby preparations. But I have really got a few reminders to slow it down a little, so I have listened to this and officially I am in slowing down mode.

It is such a busy time of year and stepping out for this week will be lovely.

Look forward to sharing our adventures and sunshine filled days when we return.

Hope you are all happy and well...

xxx

One day, two days...

2009-10-30T16:00:00.001+11:00

So our Spring days are passing by quickly, lots of lovely things happening to fill them up.

I am traveling in my own time, in my own little land to be honest.

Here is some of our daily fun...

Making fruit ice pops together.

This dedicated mummy comes in here each night with her baby in pouch. She is so cheeky and her fat baby is utterly spoilt.

I always feel happy to see the possums come in and hope it is one I have released or a baby from one I helped care for. It is such a great sight, happy mummy with her fat baby.

The beach has been a beautiful place to spend some time out. My beautiful man and i took the kidlings to the beach the other day and as they were playing we spotted a pair of whales also playing in the water behind them.

Now as for this beautiful boy, he comes each afternoon for food, he sits on our hand now to be fed. He comes to our back door and calls to us.

And he and my little man have developed a very special connection.

I have been packing this afternoon as I am off for a relaxed girls weekend tomorrow, should be lovely.

So all in all our days are beautiful and peaceful...

A Dream...

2009-10-26T11:04:00.004+11:00

Last night I promptly went into such a deep sleep and I dreamt of our baby.

I dreamt of being passed the little cherub, a round pink face stared up at me.

It felt so real.

My beautiful man and I holding bub and just being still, there was no sound, there was nothing but the three of us.

I then dreamt I was feeding baby, looking down and watching baby in my arms feeding on my breast.

I was not aware of the sex, but bub looked so much like my beautiful man, huge brown eyes that stare into me and it was all so warm and familiar.

It was such a beautiful and exciting dream.

I love thinking about the day we meet.

*****

Growing and Changes...

2009-10-19T19:56:00.002+11:00

A mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside... when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone.

-- Author Unknown

I have been depriving this space and regretting I am not marking every moment that is happening in our world now. My original reason for starting this blog was to have an online journal of my little families life so I must make sure I get here more often.

Some of the typically strange things are happening to me like I have an increasing need to clean, organise and prepare everything high and low. My need to clean and organise is always with me as I am slightly anal, however this is different. This is once you start you cannot stop, your load of washing turns into the laundry being reorganised, emptied and then scrubbed.
I love it!
I love how my body is telling me to prepare for all of the changes. Not only on the cleaning front but also seeing as I have a baby due on New Years Day my need to have everything for Christmas prepared, purchased and a plan for a back up Santa is underway. My mind tells me to be slow with my kidlings, soak them up, to go on special little one on one dates with my beautiful man, have family time and long chats with special friends.
The days are just passing so fast and I can feel the weight from this cherub increasing, I feel my movements are a little slower, I feel the movements from within are stronger and larger and everything is growing.
I have kept this pregnancy sacred and close to me, working and stretching, mentally preparing in my own way, in my own time.
I write here about hearing the words of Doctors telling me I will not have children. I see them reading my list of injuries and then giving me a speech on the severity on what has happened is and yet I am doing it and doing it for the third time!
Damn I feel proud.
As the days pass and I hit this final stage, I can feel the soreness, I can feel the pressure, but I am ok and would not change any of it, not one bit of it.
Oh this baby inside is already so loved by this little family and every day I get a strong reminder how lucky I am to have it all as it is and how grateful I am for it being this way.
Bearing a life is a constant reminder how special life just really is...
xxxx

More hatchlings...

2009-10-13T20:28:00.006+11:00

Look what has been happening here again...

We have twelve precious little chicks here now.

My beautiful man saved this little one who was having a whole lot of trouble hatching and now it is healthy and happily running around with it's sisters

(I say sisters in the hope that they are all hens...heheh...hopeful ha!)

We have been so so busy in this house over the last few weeks, lots happening and lots of mouths to feed each day. But we are making sure we take time to cuddle these babies a lot.

I have missed coming and seeing all my friends in the blogging world in your lovely spaces and I feel like I have so much to catch up on. I hope you are all well.

(Oh and we have only 80 days until our little cherub is due, I cannot tell you how excited we all are).

xxxx

Spring Days...

2009-10-05T21:20:00.000+11:00

Wow our Spring has been busy and beautiful and time is just flying.

I thought I would share some photo's with some of what we have been up to...

And how much our chicks have grown.

I love Spring it is my favorite season...

xxx

First Tooth...

2009-10-02T21:15:00.003+10:00

Last night my little man lost his first tooth...

I had stitched him a little tooth bag for the tooth fairy to find and hopefully leave a special something.

Through the night she left him gold coins, a crystal and she managed to drop some fairy treasure too.

He is just so so happy with himself.

My boy is growing up...

Have a happy happy weekend xxx

Growing Love...

2009-09-29T13:59:00.002+10:00

I still find it one of the most amazing privileges to share this time and this little person with the one I love.

One part of me wants to pause this moment right now and hold onto it forever. Cherish these beautiful days where my man holds me and we talk of what this little one will be like. Where my babies cuddle up to my belly and tell bub they love it and me and my man can experience something only he and I can share together, being a parent to this particular angel.

The time we are all dreaming of when we meet this little one is coming so fast and I feel so lucky to be doing this right now, happily growing another little person of the world.

xxxx

Red Haze, Chicks and Baby...

2009-09-23T20:45:00.000+10:00

What a strange day in every way and I must say our little family has felt a little unsettled, rattled and just generally uneasy I am not sure if it was the dust storm and the blanket of red or circumstances around it?

We woke to the red glow peeking through our bedroom curtain. I told the babies to stay inside so I could see what was happening. When I discovered it I could not believe my eyes, it felt like something strange was upon us.

My little lady then came up with the idea the fairies had been sprinkling red magic dust all night and had turned the world red. In my sleepy state it made the most sense to me.

My lovely man has been away since Sunday morning with work and we were so eagerly awaiting his arrival tonight, however with the dust storm he has been planted up North and this added to the strange and surreal fog that has filled our day.

It is amazing how much the weather or a shift in what we know as 'normal' can leave you feeling just not right and how these little people pick up on it too.

But as for other news in our home, our little chicks are spoilt rotten. This one is fast asleep in my little man's hand. He gets them sound asleep, legs sprawled within seconds, so so precious to watch. We ended up having seven healthy, happy chicks hatch and we have a whole lot more due to hatch in a few weeks.

With my baby ticker indicating 100 days until this bub is due I am blown away. Yesterday I had a check up and we listened to our beautiful babies heart beat, I was measured (bigger than dates show) and over all everything is rolling along smoothly.

This baby inside is kicking, rolling and feeling the joys of the outside world I am sure.

I cannot get over how fast it is all happening.

I hope your days are lovely and the dust has moved from your space...xxx

New Spring Chicks

2009-09-16T21:30:00.002+10:00

This morning we woke to our first chick hatching and it is such an amazing experience every time. .

We all jumped out of bed to see what was waiting for us. I am sure that feeling will never get old, no matter how old I get.

I love how my babies watch and learn of such a small life in their tiny hands. They get to see their gentle touch earns trust.

As I am writing this another two have hatched and we have another two more working their way out.

These little chicks are bringing so much joy to lots of children in their coming. We have had a few of our friends and their children come to view our new babies throughout the day and we are taking them along to our Steiner play-group on Friday.

Each week since spring has started their teacher has told the story of the mother hen waiting and caring for her eggs for 21 days and then 'crack crack' and out they hatch.

On friday they can see the chicks of Spring that have hatched in our home.

One of my dearest friends has decided to get some chickens and I am now going to pass some of these onto her so her children can hand raise them after a few weeks. We will then be able to keep some for our family and give some of these as gifts to her family. Today they came to see them and she was able tell her children that they will be their chickens. There was a lot of excitement.

I am sure I will have lots more chick news to come and oh how I love it...xxx

Sunshine Craft...

2009-09-13T19:49:00.001+10:00

With all of this gorgeous sunshine we have been spending so much time in our garden and the other day decided to craft the day away there.

My little fairies picked the flowers...

Coloured rice...

And then for hours sat in the sunshine creating pretty pictures.

I love the rays of sun beaming down, warming and glowing around them.

My lovely girl taking photo's like mummy and I smile every time I look at this photo.

My little man has his school interview tomorrow, big day! I am so proud of him and I am so proud of our choice to hold him home and unofficially home-school him for the last year. He has just continued to blossom with that little extra time.

The months quickly pass by before he starts school and the new chapter begins and I am soaking up every bit of our time together.

What a special little boy, what a perfect little surprise he has been to our life.

Happy...

2009-09-10T01:30:00.002+10:00

I was reading this article this morning and thought it was so fantastic and worth sharing here.

Mastering work, fun, family and happiness is a real challenge that we obviously are struggling to balance in Western society.

I had a great chat with my lovely man about this last night and so it was quite ironic when I opened this article today. We were talking about how we want to try and always maintain a "happy" way of living.

Getting away regularly, embracing each other and a life to share together, appreciating what we have, noticing, engaging and teaching our children to be caring, considerate little people and giving to others whenever we can.

As a society do we forget to notice when it is really good and learn from mistakes when it is really bad??? I do not know.

The twelve points mentioned are simple and manageable. I feel nourished and happy reading such a fantastic motivating article like this.

The tools that they speak of improving our own inner happiness:

1. Express Gratitude

2. Cultivating optimism

3. Avoid obsessing over other things and other people.

4. Practice acts of kindness.

5. Make time for friends.

6. Develop coping strategies (focus that the sadness is teaching us lessons)

7. Learn to forgive.

8. Immerse yourself in activity (live life).

9. Savour life's joys.

10. Work toward meaningful goals

11. Practice religion or spirituality.

12. Exercise

I guess if we can practice happiness and show our children the tools to happiness we can teach them for the future and hopefully undo this cycle.

The happier we are the happier our children and the future adults of the world will be.

******

Happy Day to the Daddy's

2009-09-06T21:24:00.000+10:00

The beautiful Daddy in our house had to work today on his special day. So we baked for him, we decorated for him and we wrapped presents for him, just to say a very happy father's day to him.

Happy Father's Day to all the beautiful daddy's out there...xxx

Four Years And A Song

2009-09-04T21:45:00.004+10:00

Yesterday was our four year wedding anniversary and I got spoilt, how lovely it was.

I was told to catch a train to meet my beautiful man in Sydney after he finished work. He had organised the babies being looked after and I headed off to the city for a night of surprises with him.

On the train I was so nervous to see him, I had butterflies as if it was our first date.

When I saw him walking towards me on the busy street I had a surge of excitement.

He then drove us to a beautiful restaurant for the most amazing meal and pre dinner drinks in the Balinese gardens (tonic water for the pregnant lady).

The meal was beautiful and the company was grand.

On our way home he told me he had found this song (listen to it really loud) I had been looking for for years.

As it boomed out of his car stereo, I had a flood of emotions rush to me. Such a symbolic moment, the song I used to listen to at fourteen years of age. At a time when I would dream of finding someone to love so much one day, when I felt quite dark and lonely was now played to me by the man of my dreams. Look, corny I know but it touched me and just finished my night perfectly.

Happy anniversary to my beautiful man. I have loved every bit of it and bring on so much more fun...xxx

* Spring Cleaning *

2009-08-30T21:00:00.000+10:00

We have had one productive and gorgeous weekend working in the sunshine.

We have washed windows, laid new grass, cleaned out wardrobes, de-cluttered our garden and home.

We have officially been Spring cleaning.

We have all worked hard to have our space beautiful for the warmer months.

Last night we lit the sparklers and have been having candle lit family dinners to celebrate the warmer weather heading our way.

Our chickens are also feeling good about life and yesterday laid nine eggs for us.

Our next few weekends are so busy with parties, visiting special friends and so much rushing about so it was so nice getting into our space and freshening it all up.

Have you been feeling the change of season???

New Life and New Thoughts...

2009-08-26T19:30:00.002+10:00

With the continual lovely reminder of the life living inside me, my urge to create more lives, more happiness and more special experiences grows each day. So I have decided to hatch some more chicks to welcome into our home.

The kidlings are so excited to be doing this again and the excitement is extra special this time as we now have our own rooster who is hopefully as fertile as he looks and we can allow the babies to grow up with their own mummy and daddy. I find it utterly romantic and extremely spoilt we have the ability to bring a little chicken family together in our garden.

For months now we have been having a real problem with wild brush turkeys smashing our eggs. We have loved allowing our chickens to be free range and lay in ferns, self-made nests or the laying boxes we provide them, but the turkeys took advantage of their freedom and snacked on dozens of eggs per week. So we have enclosed their space so they no longer have their eggs and potential off spring smashed. It is a great result receiving the dozens of fresh eggs again and the girls having their own space to play.

And so with Spring feeling like it is here, a new baby on the way, some new chicks and all our other goings on I feel particularly happy with how our days are spent together. I am at the dawn of so much change, I sense and feel all the newness around me and it has got me thinking about the small things, these little extras that bring so much joy to me and my little family.

I love how pregnancy is a time of self reflection, inner growth and the newness you feel with everything. I am rolling with all of my emotions, stages and thoughts and loving the lessons that are coming with them.

I have been thinking of my part in the world as a mother and as a role model and how I am able to bring small pleasures to these little people. I am able teach them, show them how to love and play with them. It is such a privilege.

I know I grew up with a mother who was bright, positive and happy. It was such a fantastic thing to see each day. I now know she had the stresses of everyday adult life, she had some heart ache and she had four children. Life was so busy. But each day she managed to smile and was a real pleasure to be around as a child. I really want my children to look back on their time with me and remember me being happy, fun and seeking out joy in life. I want them to remember me smiling and playing with them as they grow just as my mother always did with me.

The quote I have been saying to friends of late to sum up how I feel.

'For now life is just how it should be'

Happy days to you all...xxx

The Nutrients of Life

Stronger

From My Bed

The Road Ahead

Coming Around

Oh My Sweet Fowls

One, Two and Three

Life here and there...

Sunny France

Up Up and Away!

Little Treasures...

Ten Years!

NOW and TODAY!!!

Catch Up...

Cherub turns One...

Steps...

He and I

Light

We Got Away...

Full..

A beautiful Celebration...

On the Move

Changes and New

The Daily Sunshine

Hello

Sleeping Home.

Back From The Mist

Winter Sunday

Fearful

Student

My Little Angel

The Feathered Ladies

Looking

Secret Sunrises

Some of the long...

Hip Hip Hooray!

Two Years

Timely

Cherub

More To Give...

His Play.

The Tree...

Found...

Back to School...

Weekend Love...

Look at her now...

Cherished...

The Best Medicine...

Happy Easter!

Seeing Autumn In...

Three Months!!!

Nice...

Identity?

A quite moment...

Three People...

Ceremony in Small Things...

Thanks for the fun!

Cherub and I...

Tunes...

Growing and Falling...

For You!

A New Pace...

Each Has A Way

My Boy...

Summer Baby Haze

In Love...

A Visitor...

A Dream That Came True...

One week

**Precious**

Look Who Is Here!!!!

The Final Days...

A Special Christmas...

Merry Christmas To You!

Monday Summer Pics...

Remembering His World Is Big Too...

Monday Summer Pics...

A Familiar Stage...

28 Today!

Summer Days...

Precious