Not again!

The day I after my credit card was found...I lost my IPhone at the shops. I had been doing some last minute late night Christmas shopping and low and behold I got home only to realise I no longer had my phone with me!!!! Oh my goodness how could I be so clumsy so have lost it...I couldn't even imagine where on when or it could have happened. To make things worse, the next day was my birthday so I had been looking forward to getting lots of lovely text messages from my friends and family. Sigh. I felt so upset. But my gratitude is for the kind, beautiful thoughtful person who handed in my mobile to centre management and so the next morning at 9:30am when my hubby called, they were like "yep, it's here just come pick it up!!!" Wow I felt soooooo relieved and of course had so much gratitude for this mystery person who made my birthday extra special without even realising it!!!! And yay...I did manage to get al my lovely birthday messages and calls after all!!!!!

Where could it be?

I lost my credit card right before Christmas and although I kept asking my hubby to cancel it he was adamant I would find it (I was convinced I had lost it somewhere in the house). After about 4 days of searching I had given up. But suddenly as we were putting the kids in the car my 3 year old yells out "What's this?" and holds up my credit card!!! Clearly it had fallen from my handbag! So my gratitude is for the fact that she found it while she was clambering around in the back seat of the car! Yippee

A slower pace...

I am so grateful that my husband has had some time off since Christmas. We've actually managed a few sleep-ins, lots of fun with the children as well as some really great progress with our sorting and packing. I feel a lot more relaxed within myself and a little less 'edgy'.

New Place

I am really grateful that my partner and I have finally found a place to live early next year after we get married. We had a number of weeks of going and doing inspections, trying to balance budgets and try to find somewhere nice and cosy but not too expensive (or totally deralict). I then found a place while he was away and had to put in an application which we got accepted for. SO grateful that he approved of the choice and liked the place (since we had to sign a lease before he could see it!). Also grateful for a weeks free rent and the fact that we will be moving in just before Christmas which is exactly what we had hoped for.

I am also grateful for finding an affordable place in a lovely area and great for entertaining. Very exciting to be unpacking all our lovely engagement presents and feeling like its almost time to start this new chapter of our lives together. Now to move!

She's Back Grat!

Another veyr gratworthy occurance - my little sis is back from a year long trip to the UK. So exciting!!

Now, I have to say I would have been able to appreciate this moment more if I had not been in a mild delerium caused by stress, exhaustion and being sick. None the less, I keenly got the the airport early in the morning, spent an hour or two waiting for her to clear customs and then shared excited chatter and coo'ed over all her vintage purchases (no matter how impractical, lol) for most of the day.

So great to have her back and to have her sharing in the excitement of the wedding, to plan Christmas and to hear all about her travels. A year a part has also helped me to see that we can still maintain a great friendship, remain involved in each others lives and feel that things have barely changed when we get back together. A good reminder that its ok for us to grow up, spread our wings and live different lives and we can still be besties from wherever we are!

OMG - Finally!

So I felt this occasion was worth searching out the sign in details and logging in to grat for (also have time to breath and do it, if only a moment)!

So my title applies to a few things - first thing is I just completed my final client session for the year. Since I have finished my course work, and finished seeing clients this means I can officially say I made it through my first year of masters yipeee! I also know that my supervisor passed me on my competancies as a therapist, I did well in all the course work and I managed to exceed the minmum 120 hours of client contact. I think I have about 160 hours or more which means I have been blessed with extra hours to increase my learning as well as having the flexability to draw an extra 35 hours out of this years if for any reason I don't meet my requirements in the second year - yay!

I feel like this has been one of the hardest and most challenging years of my life in terms of learning, growing, facing things that create anxiety and getting through them. I have had to push myself through so many barriers and just constantly challenege myself to believe in myself to get through.

I also feel sooo grateful for the progress made by so many of my clients and the great rapport we have built. I feel confident that for some of them the journey this year has been made that bit easier by having somone to talk to.

I fele so grateful and blessed to be recieving an amazing education, being able to learn, challenge myself and grow professionally and personally in profound ways. YAY!

Lighting up the night sky

I am grateful that I feel much more like myself these days - my spark is returning! I am thankful for the loving people in my life who have each in big and little ways made this process a lot quicker than I had ever imagined possible. I am also thankful for Christmas lights and those precious people who decorate their houses...yes I love you...you who embrace the Spirit of Christmas. May your sack be full this year LOL

Vaccines!

Over the past few weeks, in preparation for our move to Thailand, our family has had a LOT of injections. My little one-year-old had seven in one go and then another two in the following couple of weeks with two still to go.

The other children have had lots too as well as my husband and I.

I am grateful that even though this has been one of the more traumatic experiences pre-travel, it has been made easier by having caring family members like my father-in-law and mother come with me to the Royal Children's Hospital to help out with the children on these days. It's a big trip in to the city and a pretty stressful situation so I am so glad to have not had to go it alone. I am also grateful for the clever people who create these vaccines and make them available to us to help make traveling to a foreign country with children a little less worrisome.

Seeing Clearly Grat

A couple of weeks ago I had laser eye surgery done on my eyes. It's an amazing procedure that's for sure. I'd heard the testimonies of many others who had had it done but until experiencing it first hand, I couldn't fully understand.

I am grateful to be able to watch my children's swimming lessons without my glasses fogging up.

I am grateful to not have to wear glasses while driving.

I am grateful to be able to wear ANY sunglasses that I want- not just prescription.

I am grateful that one of my eyes has above 20/20 vision (the other eye has been slower to reach its full potential)

I am grateful that I can see my children across the room when they want to hold up what they're doing and show me something...

AMAZING STUFF!

Snow flake

It was 39 degrees yesterday and we finally have air con...need I say more?!

Moooove over...here come my grats!

So many grats...so little time!!!

Where to start? Hmmm Grateful for my amazing group of playgroup mums who I have come to love and tresure over the past year especially. We all spent the day at Myuna Farm for our breakup and it was absolutely FANTASTIC!!

For the act that my eldest daughter has shown a dramatic increase in confidence in the past 48 hours and although a bit annoying that she is now wandering off without me (!) lovely to see her self confidence growing. Today she rode a pony without any involvement from me and didn't even look to see if I was watching - too involved in enjoying herself!

For the successful delivery of my handmade christmas presents...everyone seemed to really appreciate the extra effort which always makes me feel warm and fuzzy and makes the sleep deprived headache well worth it.

And finally I am grateful for a number of things in our business which are falling into place as we tie up the first 12 months of our business. What an incredible journey this year has been and how exciting next year looks. I am truly thankful that we will launch into next year with such focus, direction and gusto!

Mel xxoo

Thanksgiving in USA

A few weeks ago Ash and I joined an American family for a Thanksgiving celebration!

It was FANTASTIC! We met some very interesting people ate, had a drive in a Chevy 55 and ate, played card games and ate met a Swedish girl, a native American and a plastic surgeon and ate and ate......

We had the biggest turkey I have ever seen in my life and drank a peculiar drink called glogg!

We all gave thanks for the blessing of the native Americans and the help they provided to the pilgrims in their hour of need and to God for everything that he has blessed us with!

It was a truly amazing time!

Dancing the night away

On Friday night I had such a lovely surprise. My thoughtful husband took me out Salsa Dancing!!! We have been saying for nearly 10 years know, how we would love to take some lessons...well finally we have had our first Salsa experience!!! The way they did it was really clever, they split us into 3 groups...those who have never Salsa danced before (us) those who don't know much and those who know a lot! Then they taught us our first dance ... Eeeeek!!!! It was realllly fun, with about 200 people all dancing at the same time! After our dance lesson they put on some great music and it was free dance .... what a blast it was! It was so cool actually being able to dance what we had been taught!Plus it was really affordable and just such a great night hanging out together. Now I am really excited because we are planning on going to the Salsa Ball for some more fun! Yay...I am grateful for a fantastic night of dancing and hysterical laughter... just some of the things great memories are made of! (Mel)

Kindergarten grat

I am so thankful for the wonderful year my son had at 3 year old kinder this year. He has now officially graduated... well until we move to Thailand anyway and he has to do second semester again (as their school year is different to ours) LOL!

But I am so grateful he had a great last day, for his lovely teacher who sent us a beautiful personal email and for his gorgeous little friends. His best friend Eddie's dad told me they were definitely coming to visit us in the school holidays next year!

It's been so amazing to see how one year has helped develop his confidence and abilities so much.

The soundtrack of life

I love earphones and music. I mean you can be anywhere and with music in your head, and everyone feels miles away...I am grateful for the magic of music. I would soundtrack not only my life but my everyday if I could. I am no musician but I, like so many others, find power in the notes, the words and the stories that play out in the most glorious way.

I am reminded of our wedding day and the poem my husband wrote for me and recited before our vows. He talked about how the song of his life had been written by God as a melody with highs and lows...and how I was the harmony to his melody. And how our lives would play a beautitful song together.

I love music. I am grateful for the song of life which plays all around us everyday, even without earphones.

Mel

Catching up....

I have missed writing down my grats for a week or so now and the "list" that I was storing up in my head is getting long. I won't write them all down but here's just a few:

My son has a little 'bestie' at kinder named Eddie. The other day at kinder I was able to share with Eddie's dad about what we were going to do in Thailand and we ended up having a really great conversation. It turns out that Eddie's dad was raised in Singapore in a really poor family where missionaries helped them get through. He sees this as one of the turning points in his life and now, after migrating to Australia, and setting himself up financially he attends church and supports other missionaries in their work. This was an amazing chat and one that left me feeling such a buzz. We have agreed to keep in contact while we're away.

Also while waiting at kinder another day, I began chatting to a friend (also in my mother's group). She was talking about her upcoming holiday when I asked the usual questions, "where are you going?" "what date?" etc.

Funnily enough we discovered that we're traveling on the same day, same airline, same destination AND same flight!! How funny is that? I am grateful for this coincidence and to have other people we know (and one of the children's friends) on the same flight as us.

Finally I am thankful for the health and wellness that has been restored to our family. After a couple of months of infections, viruses and gastro; it seems this morning that we are all well! Yay!!

Goodbye ACHOOO and hello YAHOOO

I am grateful that I am feeling soooo much better tonight that yesterday. My throat has stopped hurting so much and my head is a lot less blocked and the body aches are subsiding YAHOOOOOOO! O.k so as I write this I am sneezing repeatedly but hey I feel so much better... it's good to celebrate.

Mel

ACHOOoooo

There is always lots to be grateful for but whenever I feel unwell, I find it particularly hard to think of things...as terrible as that sounds. Well I have my 3rd cold in the past 8 weeks (not to mention how cruddy I felt after having the swine flu shot) so anywho...I find myself today once again with a sore throat, blocked ears yada yada and thus struggling to think of something significant to feel thankful about. But I refuse to remain like that so I am writing this to force myself to spend some time reflecting and think about what I am grateful for. Here goes. I am grateful for my Mum agreeing to come and babysit for a couple of hours tonight so that my hubby and I could go to a Parent Information night at my daughters school. I am grateful for some cool watermelon to help soothe my sore throat today. I am thankful for a quiet week. I am thankful that apparently our air con is being installed on Friday (not sure if the guy will actually make it but here's to hoping). And finally I am grateful for my daughter being placed into the same kinder class as her 2 friends for next year! Yay...plus I got to choose her teacher, even better!

See I knew there was plenty to be grateful for, it just required a little persistence on my behalf.

Hope you girls are all well and there is no need for aspro clear in your house tonight!!!!

Smiles Mel

Great trip back to USA

I am grateful for a fantastic visit home (to Australia) and for an amazing flight back. I had over seven hours sleep on the plane back to the USA and I didn't have to use the sick bag once! Yay!

Liesl

CAR grat

I have a few grats about our car. First of all, my husband took it and filled it up for me the other day when he went out so that I wouldn't have to do it during the week.

Secondly, my mother-in-law not only organised it to be serviced (at a time she knew wouldn't put me out) but drove it there and brought it back too.

Then the next day, my father-in-law grabbed my keys off me and went and washed my car for me!!! How blessed am I? A clean, serviced and fully tanked car. Yay!!!

My Home

I am grateful for our home.

I love playing with the baby guinea pigs, jumping on the tramp, picking vegies from the garden, cooking in the kitchen, making endless hot drinks, watching movies on our soft couch with the double ottaman, the baby birds wandering around our backyard, the rabbits which hop around on our front lawn at night. I love watching our plants growing and lazing on our leather couches. I love that our back door opens as wide as I want it to and that I can block off the different parts of my deck with the cafe blinds. There are just so many things I love about our house...I am so grateful to have a home as so many people in the world will never have that luxury and so I want to be especially grateful for it.

To nap or not to nap...

My grat is for a change in schedule...you see my 3 year old had started waking up extremely grumpy from her day time nap and was finding it really hard to get to sleep before 8:30pmish.

Since there is a lot of crying and whinging in our house between the hours of 3pm and 5pm ...adding 2 children just waking from naps in, well it was getting unbearable!

SO my change in schedule has been putting my 1 year old to bed by 11am. This has worked so well since I started... I have an hour and a half to do a special activity with my eldest then a chance to do a quiet job (e.g sewing or paperwork) while she plays quietly next to me with her playdough, or jewels etc. She goes down for a rest (not a sleep) by 12:30pm and then I have about half an hour to tidy up make some lunch before the little one wakes. Then I get about an hour with her where I can give her as many cuddles as she needs after waking up, before my toddler is up again and raring to go. O.k so yes it makes for a long afternoon however at least they are somewhat refreshed and not both crying for my attention. Actually this new schedule has even seen them playing happily with each other for short periods of time!

So my grat is for this change of schedule...like anything it will work for a time and then I'll need to reevaluate again, but for now I am just thankful it is making life more peaceful and harmonious! Plus the extra grat for the things I have managed to accomplish in that time alone with just my 3 year old.

The smell of roses!

This is a photo of one of the beautiful roses outside my in-law's house (where we are living at the moment). There is a row of about ten rose bushes of all different colours.

For the past couple of weeks I have had a cough/cold thing and I've had no sense of smell but my grat today is for the delightful aroma I was able to enjoy last night as I stepped out the front door. It was incredible. Each rose has a different scent and put together was the most amazing combination.

I must admit, I haven't minded having no smell during the times of changing dirty nappies LOL but it was so refreshing to be able to enjoy "smelling" once again!

A few....

Been awhile but..

I'm grateful for finishing classes for my first year of Masters, its gone faster than anything!

Also grateful for the support of my partners mum in a few wedding organisation things - she is being quite supportive and being really great about not putting too much of her own 'stuff' into things.

Grateful for Christian and his kind heart! He knew I was having a really rough day so he went out of his way to completely clean and sort my study (which has gone into increasing disarray as paperwork and wedding related stuff piled up) and also cooked me dinner and sat down for a chat when I got home - just felt so kind and comforting to know he would put in all that effort just to cheer me up and make things feel nicer for me to come home to.

Finally, I am grateful for the sunshine and warmth of spring - I feel like sometimes I am able to actually draw the warmth of the sun into my body and I just love it!

Flowers and friendship

A kind word

A knowing smile

The smell of the flowers bought to brighten my day

A soft hug

Dinner cooked

A walk in the park, all my cares far away

My shiny floors

A cosy sleep in

The warmth of the sun on my shoulders today

Friends who care

Family who love

Humble gratitude... is all that's left to say.

Melxx

So very grateful!

I am so thankful for this little boy. My youngest son just turned one this week. A year ago I was just meeting him for the first time and now it feels like he's been with us for ever. I am so grateful for the sense of "fun" my son brings to our family, for his funny ways and loads of giggles. I am so glad he made his way in to my life and 'completed' our family. He is a wonderful little treasure that brings me so much joy ahhhhh.....

soothing lullaby

I am grateful for a soothing song by Nickle Creek. It's very beautiful and it makes me feel like I sitting by a trickling riverbed. I have particularly appreciated this tonight as my computer has really played up and made about double the work of what it should have been! It has really helped to keep me calm (sigh) and for this I am extremely grateful.

Mel

Windows By the Bay

I am grateful for the lovely dinner I shared with 3 of my 'mother's group' friends last night. We got to sit right by the window and watch the sun set over the water as we chatted. The food was delicious, the company lovely and it was an all-round wonderful night out.

Splash

Well my grat for today, on this Sunny Saturday, is for a great swim at the local pool this morning. It is always so refreshing, fun and the kids always sleep so well afterwards LOL.

I feel very blessed to have the chance to live in this beautiful country with safe and fun activities like the pool to enjoy together. It is also wonderful to see the kids having a blast in the water...although my little one is a tad too fearLESS and was of the opinion that she didn't require any adult supervision! Hmmmm I don't think so my dear!!!

Mel

145th post!

Sometimes I catch myself thinking that “it’s only easy to find things to be grateful for on the ‘good’ days” but so often I am reminded about how many things there are to be glad about on the hard days too.

Yesterday was one example where despite things totally not going to plan; I was clearly able to see acts of kindness, helpfulness and provision amongst it all.

I had to do the kinder run leaving at 8:10am, rush back to get the passports witnessed then go to the passport interview… that’s all but getting through all this was more of a challenge than I thought.

It started in the night with my almost one-year-old having a high temperature and vomiting on me by about 7am. Thankfully my precious father-in-law was able to drop my other son at kinder, which meant my little one could have an extra sleep. This made all the difference in him being able to sit through all the waiting of the next couple of hours. The passport lady was really kind and thankfully didn’t find fault in any of the forms (this was a huge load off my mind). The old lady at the bakery took a fancy to the children and gave us some free bread rolls. The doctor’s surgery near our temporary home is free/bulk billed for children, which is so different to our old one. They are really lovely there too and were so understanding as my little boy vomited again and was so unsettled. My husband then swapped around his day and took my daughter with him to do the kinder pick up and attend a parent-teacher interview. He then stayed out later and played with the two eldest at a park and brought dinner home with him!

So amongst the tears and sadness from my baby (I can call him that for another week!) there was also so much to be thankful for.

Andie

God spot

I'm so grateful for my "God spot" out the back of my house. Andie, you've been here before, and we sat having coffee and chatting (that was so nice!).

Every morning I sit out on my back deck, its not very big, but big enough for this fabulous day bed that I got (for a bargain!) last year. I sit and have breakfast out here. Sometimes I play some music; sometimes I just sit and listen to the birds. It's almost always sunny here (spoilt!) and I love just "being" here watching the banana palm trees sway. It's been like my little piece of paradise while I've been up here. I think I will miss this spot the most when I move on as it's been such a place of peace and refuge through this season. This morning I'm just sitting here with my coffee and thinking back of Gods provisions- like this one- refuge. It's so cool how looking back I can see how He's provided little gems like this to buoy me along the journey. My heart is bursting with gratitude this morning for these things. I'm praying that my next place has a spot like this- it's been so preciouus! :)

$2 Tuesday

O.k so I a bit rushed tonight but I really wanted to grat quickly to say how thankful I am for a refreshing day "off" from playing my mum role today! My lovely hubby offered to have our 2 girls today so I could have some time to myself. I spent the day fluffing about and chatting with girlfriends uninterrupted which was such a treat! I even sat at the park for about an hour chatting and staring at the lake - sigh. It was delightfully relaxing and the weather was perfect for it too. I also wanted to grat about the bargains I got from the op-shop aswell. I managed to get 9 really funky tops for only $2 each wahooooooo!!!!!!! I took a punt and bought them and just tried them on and they all look great! So I have named today $2 Tuesday in honour of the fact that I also got 40 books in a kids series I love - all for $2...plus I nabbed some great bargains from the $2 shop this morning PLUS I got a movie on the way home becos tonight is $2 movie night at our local video shops HAHAHA!!!! Go figure?! All in one day - I love it!

Hanging in the desert

I went to a seminar on the Gold Coast last night with one of my closest friends, Cam. A guy from the USA was speaking about times in the desert. He talked about Moses, and how he wandered the desert for many years- alone and with the Israelites. He said that these times God uses to refine us and prepare us for something big, the next stage on our jounrey with Him. He spoke about that it is in these times that we often feel the lowest and find stuff the hardest where God minsters to us the most. He draws close to us in these times and we can hear Him the clearest at these points- why? Well, I think because we listen more! In the desert you're alone, hot, tired and there is nothing around you to lean on or prop you up. It is in this time when life isnt rosy that we do seek more- more of God hopefully, but in our seeking we listen more. Look for His voice, for signs of life, water, shade. This guy was amazing and he seriously spoke to my heart last night.



I finally understood my year of 2009. Its like it clicked. God has completely taken away everything or everyone that I used to lean on INSTEAD of Him. All year He has been saying to me, My love is enough. I am. I am enough. All year I've been trying ot get it. All year I've been trying to practise it, and well, to be honest friends, I've completely struggled. I've been closer to depression and all those nasty lonless things this year than I care to define. I never thought I'd be where I have been, emotionally and physically, this year. BUT you know what, I'm SO grateful for it. It's been unbeliveably tough, unbelieveably, BUT I see God in it. I see Him walking in this with me. I see Him steering the ship, and now- finally- I get it, in my heart. I get why I've been in the desert, and you know, I love it.

I know I'm out coming out of it because I feel myself wanting to stay there now- which sounds completely ridiculous I know!! but we are so close now- me and my God- I hear Him; I feel Him; we chat. That's what He's taught me in the desert. If i hadn't had all my vices stripped away; if I hadn't had 'poeple' let me down and not be around for me; If I didnt have to struggle with doing many things solo that I normally would have taken someone to, or had someone to help with, I wouldn't know the depth of Gods love for me. I just wouldnt be able to get it. I understand that now. I get Him. I'm so greateful for my desert season cause I know this now, and I KNOW that he is enough. Isn't that cool!!


This guy spoke last night, and all I could do was nod and go "yep, I get it". I finally understand that God loes me enough to let me go into the desert for a season to refine me; to refine 'us' and our relationship. That's such a privilege.

So much love in the room...

On Friday, my wonderful, long-time friend (who I've known since I was about 4 years old) came over for a play with her three children. We started the morning by celebrating her daughter's 4th birthday with a little party and then giving her a present. She is a huge "Angelina" fan (and 'no' that's not Brad and Angelina... Angelina Ballerina).

I'd found a DVD of the actual ballet, which she's been to see at the beginning of the year. She was so excited and asked to put it on immediately. This was great because my children had been asking to watch it too but I kept telling them they'd have to wait. So we put on the DVD and four eldest children sat mesmerized watching the ballet for about two hours. Occasionally they would call us to tell us what was happening in the story which I was impressed about because there was no dialogue to help them understand. They just had to watch really carefully.

I am grateful for this opportunity to sit and chat with my friend while the four big kids snuggled on the couches and the two little ones slept. It was a lovely morning and when the DVD was over my daughter kept lovingly trying to kiss my friend's son who she been snuggled next to on the couch and then later my friend's daughter was caught kissing my son and chasing him around for a bit more affection after they'd been together on the other couch. Ohhh there was so much love in the room. It was a very funny time watching them all - especially seeing the eldest two and realising that that's how old my friend and I were when we became friends and life had gone a full cycle.

Open wide come inside...

This grat is dedicated to my beautiful daughter who just turned 3! Wow what an amazing gift her life has been to me. She is such a cheeky cherub who I marvel in wonder at each and every day. The way she is learning how to structure new sentences, how on Thursday she couldn't hop and on Friday she could!! Man it melts my heart to watch how gentle and nurturing she is with her little sister. So many millions of things I love about her. She just sparkles and lights up my world. So today we celebrated her birthday with a play school party and all her little friends came to join in the activities I had planned. There are so many things I am grateful for it's hard to know where to start - p'haps with the weather which held off raining so that the kids could all have a great go at jumping on the new tramp...or p'haps that my 15 month old slept in till 8:45 am this morning (unheard of) allowing me some precious time to organise last minute things?! Well actually I think I will start with how grateful I am for such generous, loving and kind friends and family. From offers to help clean, bake and lend me things, thoughtful, creative and beautiful presents and simply their 'presence' on the day...I really am thankful for our friends and family both big and little. I feel so blessed to be able to share this special time with people I love and care about and who obviously love our little girl back!

So anyway I had such a great time zipping around the party watching and helping the kids make some special crafts, I got a lot of joy out of seeing the reactions on peoples faces when I said they could take a bag home that I'd made. The cake that my hubby made was fantastic and I am so grateful that he was happy to choose and make it! I helped by baking it but he did the rest - clever boy!! This meant a lot to me as I have a bit on my mind of late and this just took a whole lot of pressure off me. So GRATS for a wonderful party, GRATS for my sweet and wonderous little girl and GRATS for great friends and family to enjoy this precious time.

Mel

SOLD!...or not

So I'm grateful for Gods hand on and in my life.  I'm on the property hunt at the moment which is both exciting and exhausting depending on when you ask me...

Today I went to an auction with my Dad on a property that was within my price range and looked like it would suit my needs.  All I asked God was to make it really clear whether it was or wasn't for me.  We got there are noted that there will be some major re-rendering that needed to be done on the property in the near future. My Dad got a real sense that we shouldnt even bid for this place.  There were a couple of other things that were supposed to be on the property to ie courtyard- that well, didn't really exist! 

So we listened to the auction with interest, kept our hands glued on our sides! and watched someone else buy it.  I'm so grateful that I feel really unemotional about all this.  I really feel God will provide for my needs on this front (not necessarily all my wants - lol).  I'm grateful that He made it really clear for me.  I'm grateful that my Dad could come with me as my support person, and that I had a really close mate praying me through the day.  Mostly though, for God and the way He's teaching me so much in this area of my life, both practically about properties and about Him being enough.  I'm really loving Him in this!!

God is good!

Wonderful warriors

I think I've said it once or twice this year before, so at the risk of sounding like a broken record....I'm grateful for my friends!

I have this little network of what I've come to look at as "warriors" in my world. God, I am SO grateful for them. They journey with me through the ups and downs of the year thats been; we laugh together at life and I share their journies too. What a blessing it is to have them in my world. I am SO grateful! They never cease to amaze me with their kind words of encouragement, the little texts or the prayers of love and support. They are real and honest and faithful- they indeed show me the aspects of God, I really see the face of Jesus in them. What a priviledge.

I wish I could give you all a glimpse into my heart and see it exploding with love for them.
My prayer is that, in return, that i can be even half the friend that they are to me. They are such treasures!
Tam

Celebrating Life grat

My little sister has taught me a lot. She also keeps me accountable for so many things without even realising it. When I was pregnant for the first time, I started feeling fearful about all the things that could go wrong (the "what if....."s) but she helped me see that I could just be happy in the moment and enjoy my pregnancy while everything was going well. If something did go wrong, then I could face that if it happened.

I'm glad she taught me this because it saved my a lot of unnecessary worry that would've robbed my joy at that time.

Another thing she's taught me is to celebrate life... really celebrate it. She insisted I had 3 baby showers (one for each of my pregnancies) and although I tried to resist, she managed to find a way to celebrate in 3 completely different ways. I appreciated this.

She also makes the time, no matter how busy to squeeze in a special moment for everyone's birthdays. It could be weeks later or as simple as a coffee out but it's a moment in time that she sacrifices to let you know that you're valued and that your life is a gift.

There's always choices in life. Hard ones, easy ones, spur of the moment ones and well-thought out ones but we always have a choice.

I remember when I was a graduate teacher back in 2001. I was trying my hardest to make a good impression in the affluent girl's school I had been employed at. A few months in to my job, my grandmother passed away. The funeral was on a weekday and one that I taught a full load. I arranged my day to try and cause as little disruption to everyone else around me so that I could leave at recess and be back to teach the final two periods. As I set out across the city to an unfamiliar area, I got lost and stressed as I drove around unable to find the church. I eventually arrived late and had to listen to service from the foyer as it was full in the church. Afterwards I raced away, making it back to school just in time.

This event has left a lasting impression in my life. It is a huge regret that I live with and choose not to forget because it has taught me so much about the decisions I make. Looking back now I reflect, "Did the school appreciate my selfless actions on that day, trying to create less work for them?" Of course not. The only thing anyone probably remembers from that day was my poor form in showing up to my grandmothers funeral. What I'm left with is a scenario where I viewed something temporary (my job) as more important than the relationships around me. I wasn't particularly close to my grandmother so I could've justified it away like that but I am close to my father (and it was his mum). And I should've been there for him and valued the relationship with him on that day.

Last Sunday our family had plans and the children were excited. At the last minute though my sister arranged a farm day outing to celebrate her eldest daughter's 3rd birthday (an extra event to her party this weekend). I initially said 'no' as we'd made plans and I knew we had her party coming up but when I got off the phone and thought about my grandma's funeral, the importance of my decisions hit me hard again. Was this one of those moments where I would later look back and wish I'd made the decision to go? Yes! So I called her back, we changed our plans and I am SOOOOO glad because we had the most lovely day celebrating and created memories that I will never forget. So my long-winded grat is for my sister. Her ability to celebrate life and all that comes with it. The value she places on her relationships and for the reminders she gives me that even when it's busy, "we still celebrate". I am so glad for this because I just don't want to miss a moment.

Thai, cars and signs of hope

Yesterday I took my neighbours dog for a walk along the waterfront where I walk regularly. I've only recently started soing this with "Brandy", a fluffy full-of-life shitzu. He's really cool, he's got a real overbite which cracks me up, but he' a gentle fellow and loves to get out and run along the wind pushing back his cream fur. He's a real dude, and a kind of subsitute dog for me when I miss my Millie who is having an extended stay interstate! I think I can speak for him in saying we both love our walks!! lol

We got back from our walk, and after a challenging couple of days, I felt refreshed and had my head full of my "God music" that I played as I walked. My other neighbour, Terry was waiting at my front door. He gave me a slip of paper with one of his clients names on it- saying he was looking for a car! how cool, I only told Terry that I was selling my car in passing the other day as I re-told the story of the scammers. I'll ring the person today, and whos knows what will come of it. To be honest, it doesnt matter, what it reminded me is that we never know what's around the corner with God. It renewed my hope in tomorrow. Praise God!

Terry and I ended up going out for a bit of dinner (mmm thai...) which was such a blessing as we chatted and ate. Thanks God for all this.

There is sooooo much to be grateful for!!! Firstly, this amazing cookies and cream cheesecake that I discovered yesterday....oh my goodness soooo good!!! :)

Grateful for the family lunch we had today, where we went to my brothers Tafe and watched Andrew at work as he served up a yummy lunch for us. So grateful to see my brother getting excited about his hospitality course and having a dream to someday set up his own cafe.

Also grateful for Tupperware! Been selling heaps of it which means extra cash and a massive glory box full of Tupperware that I didn’t pay for!!

Also grateful for my new job that I start on Monday!! Yah!!! I’m so excited about it because it’s what I want to do, both business and IT and will be getting a salary higher than what I was on in my previous job!! There is no such thing as a bad economy with God! :)

What a MESS grat!

Since we hurriedly moved in to my in-laws house last month, it has felt like I have not been able to get on top of the sorting. There's still half packed suitcases, random boxes of stuff I don't know what to do with... on top of bags of things to give to people, take to the op shop, sell at a garage sale etc etc.

Well last night (and the night before) I made a couple of steps forward in the "re-organising" department. Our temporary bedroom now feels like a bedroom and not so much of a dumping ground. I actually opened the curtains proudly this morning hoping someone would walk past and notice how tidy it was LOL!

So my grat is just for the small feelings of progress amongst the constant emotions of upheaval, waiting, planning, mourning our old house, feeling overwhelmed at attempting to move overseas... all that!

Grace

It's been a funny year for me this year. In some senses I think I've felt God's presence more this year than I ever have. In other senses the human part of me has experienced a lot of the 'challenges' that life throws at you- loneliness and solitude have visited more than I care to divulge! I find myself often disappointed in human nature. The last couple of weeks a number of situations have occurred that have torn at my heart. We can be really unkind as people- knowingly and unknowingly.

I've been trying to sell my car, and I very nearly got scammed last week, by a man posing to buy the car for his son. He was just setting out to rip me off. That's a long story girls, but again I found myself really disappointed and questioning why people do these things. A Christian acquaintance of mine up here, made some really nasty comments about me this past week with were really uncool, and again I found myself questioning why we do this to each other. Isn't it about love? grace? How disheartened I feel at all the selfishness, dishonesty and cruelty. How easy is it to get resentful of all this and become bitter. I so don't want to live like that. Lately I feel like I'm watching my own movie though with people just throwing stuff at me. It's been a real barrage of things just presenting themselves to me and I feel totally out of control watching all this occur in front of me. It's hard not to hold on to the feelings that this naturally brings up. Instead though, I'm choosing to turn it around. I'm praying for the scamming man! and the others that are doing these things. God reminds me that that none of us are perfect. I'm far from it so who am i to cast the first stone?

This year has been by far my roughest year (roll on 2010), but as I reflect on it I see God's steady hand with me. This morning in one of our 'conversations' He told me that He is here, and that He walks with me through every moment. He sees the disappointments and tears that others don't. He will never leave. How amazing is He that He still has time to care about lil old me! I think it's cool that He cares about the man who was trying to rip me off; about the friends who are unkind or the people who are not thoughtful. It reminds me that it's all about Him. None of us deserve grace, that's why it's grace.

So this long-winded grat and it's roundabout way it just that- I'm thankful for His unfailing love; for His grace and for His refining in times like these. Whilst it's hard to see at the time, I know that He is going to use all of these experiences for His purpose- so that's pretty cool.

tam

Disorganised but still blessed

I am not the worlds most organised person and while I do have several good reasons for being this way, lets just say...I don't plan ahead efficiently like some of my close friends. No, you wont find me at the Toy sales in June buying up my Christmas presents early, nor will you find me tucked up in bed early the night before a big party I am hosting the next day. No...I am the gal who stays up till 4am desperately getting everything cooked, cleaned and decorated for the arrival of guests at 10am!!! Anyway the point I am trying to make here is that we have wanted to buy a either a trampoline or swingset for our daughter who will be 3 on Sunday, but despite my best attempts at getting to the shops, I missed out on the swingset that I really wanted (that was on special). Not only did they take the 'bargain' price off the item they added another $150 to the price!!!! Anyway all hope was lost or so I thought BUT 3 days before her birthday and all the big stores have started having sales on tramps and swingset again and wallaaa we have found ourselves a fantastic bargain for her birthday!!!!!!!!! Yes, I am disorganised but still blessed!!!

A moment in time

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to see my Grandpa again after not seeing him for far too long. He is getting really old and I had never had a chance to introduce him to my youngest daughter who is now 15 months. It was a bit touch and go as to whether I would be able to go due to my girls being sick but my doc gave us the all clear so off we went to visit along with all the cousins, aunt and uncle and grandparents! It was so lovely to have the chance to see him again and I was very grateful that there were lots of other adults around to help keep my kids entertained so I could have a chance to sit and talk with him. I have a real soft spot for Grandpa as he is just like a really old version of my Dad!

Perfume Grat

I have a few bottles of nice perfume but my favourite perfume ran out a couple of days ago and I began to wonder when I'd be able to justify buying myself some more.

I usually wait until an overseas trip and get some duty free but the next overseas trip I have planned is to go and live in Thailand and be a missionary so I was thinking that buying perfume probably wouldn't be a high priority on my list of things needed LOL.

God is so funny how he provides though. At my girl's group last night one of the ladies in the group came in carrying a big bag full of things saying that her sister worked for Lancome and had kept giving her samples of perfume and things that she wanted to get rid of because she had too many. I thought she was talking about sachet samples or something but when she started unloading her bag, they were full sized (large) bottles of perfume!!! I got to take home a bottle of Emporio Armani Diamonds and a bottle of the matching moisturiser. How cool is that?

Food grats...

I really didn't feel like heading out late to do the grocery shopping the other night in the rainy, cold Melbourne weather but I am grateful that my in-laws offered to stay up and babysit our sleeping children allowing my husband and I to do the shopping together!! This just never happens anymore so it was so much fun being out late and cruising round Coles finding bargains and chatting together. I know... how exciting is MY life LOL!

This leads me to my next grat of bargains... while we shopping, the deli kept making announcements of reducing things like salmon from $20 a kilo to $3 a kilo etc. We got 1.5kg of hoki for like $4 and a cooked roast chicken for$5. We ate half our fish tonight cooked with some fresh coriander, garlic, butter and lemon and it was absolutely delicious and sooooo cheap! Yippee.

Two grats...

I am grateful for a really lovely weekend filled with fun and friends, it left me in very good spirits and reminded me of how blessed I am to be surrounded by so many amazing people!

I am also grateful for peace - and the chance to 'grow up' in such a blessed nation, with so many opportunities, not the least of which is freedom! How blessed I am to have this when so many other throughout history have not.

closing doors

Im grateful today that God has closed a couple of doors for me with things I'm seeking Him on. Of course, it's always easier to step through open ones,...as opposed to me ....

"step, bang, ...ouch, I guess that's a no then..."

Still, I'm thankful He does close some, it at least enables me to go "OK not there, right, next". and I'm sure He is preventing me from making mistakes too. Plus WHEN He does open one, I'll know and I'm looking forward to that day where He will confirm His presence and will.

Have a good week ladies :)

Peacefulness...

Yesterday I gratted about temporarily living in a "full house" at the moment and all that I am learning from this experience.

Right now though as my parents-in-laws and husband have all gone off to work, uncle and his guests (who are in adjoining house) are not around today and my two eldest children are having a sleep over at my parent's house; it's just my 11 month old son and myself here.

As much as I love the chatter and bustle of activity, my grat this morning is for the peace, the stillness, the cute small noises coming from my little one as he plays, the soft music in the background, the space to have my thoughts uninterrupted, the prospect of getting some grocery shopping and other small jobs done and the inviting sunny day that awaits. And now to get off this computer and make the most of it LOL.

Andie

The simple things

I got up and made my usual breaksfats this morning- coffee and toast, and I sit outside on my back porch as I have it. Today I am grateful for the simple things. My mum visited me a week or so ago and made some strawberry jam for me. How clever she is and how yummy it tastes! I feel like she's poured a cup of love into it too! As I sit here on the porch, some of my potted flowers have grown- they are beautiful big pink flowers (ahh I'm not I green thumb so don't ask me what they are ok!). Funny how two simple things have brought me joy this morning admist all the up and downs of life. To think that God made these flowers for our pleasure- how cool He is. :) Tam

Full House

By living in a house that is not mine, I am learning more about myself. I am slowly getting used to functioning in a small community of people (outside our immediate family of 5) that comes and goes and changes day by day. I am having opportunities to experience things I would not usually have to as well as think through scenarios different to those I had in my "own" space.

I am grateful for all these experiences that will help me to become a person who can be more flexible, tolerant and look at situations from a different perspective than just my own.

I am also appreciative that my children are having a different 'life' experience too. They are enjoying having the extra people around them and have settled in to this temporary home really well. I am definitely thankful for that!

Watching the clock

I am grateful that my hubby works so close to home - more specifically, in our office!!! (Can't get any closer LOL) It is such a treat to have lunch together, have him home at 5pm pretty much every night and be able to pop in and have a chat when I need to catch some adult conversation! I find this especially helpful in times when the kids are sick and I am housebound like today. And even when there is more work to be done after the kids go to bed, I love that we can sit next to each other on our big long desk and type side by side sipping hot drinks. Sweeeet!

(Mel)

Crawling Around

My littlest is finally crawling! I am grateful that he can now move himself to where he wants to go without the hassle of going backwards, rolling over, shimmying, shuffling, rolling again, sitting, bum dragging and so on. He can now spot his target... head in the right direction... and catch his prey!! It's so lovely to watch children reach their different milestones.

Outdoors Grat

Like a few other people, I am grateful for the days of beautiful spring weather. With the warmth from the sun beating down, it's hard to feel grumpy about anything. It's been so wonderful having the last week or so at my in-laws (we're living here until January). The back yard here is so big and exciting for the children to explore and it's been lovely to watch how they are experiencing new things and using up so much energy.

There's been mini-beasts to collect, puddles to jump in, different things to climb, open spaces to run and hide as well as countless laps to ride on their bikes. What valuable learning they are doing. Roll on the warmer weather and more time to play outdoors!

Teary Grat

I am grateful for a nice warm Chai latte and some friendly faces and words today after I got teary in class today! Public crying is one of my least favourite experiences so it was a big challenge for me to come to terms with the fact that I had done so and very good to have some nice warmth inside and out! Also a bit of a lesson in humility for me, haha. (Meke)

SHINE

I feel like crying with gratitude simply writing this grat! Yesterday, despite being unwell, my mother-in-law came over and cleaned my house from top to bottom. She literally spent hours and hours 'White Kinging' everything, from floors and skirting boards, to the bathrooms, toilet and mirrors. Every single thing sparkles brighter than it ever has before!! For anybody who knows us, life for the past 15 months has been simply full on. From my difficult pregnany, to my hubbys work injury, to unemployment, the birth of our second child, starting our own business, growing our business form scratch, me working from home while being a fulltime mum...has all merged into a big ball of joy and craziness! Between the cars, our garage, our garden and the cleanliness of our house - we have been unable to keep up let alone 'get on top' of it all. Well last week I think I may have gratted about our garage getting a makeover...well this weekend our house has found its sparkle again with the much needed help of our Mum. God really answered our prayers on this one. I feel so relieved, so grateful and so overwhelmed to be living in a clean house.

(Mel)

Lots and lots

I am thankful for some lovely weather and the joy of painting toenails outside in the sunshine with my preschooler.

I am thankful that my bub is getting better every day after a nasty viral infection.

I am grateful for the book I am reading at the moment "5 Love languages of children" which is challenging AND inspiring me in my role as a mum.

I am uber grateful for our business... which is making great progress! It is so exciting to be a part of the things that happen every day in it.

Finally I am grateful that my Hubby completed and sent off a massive project last night...which means our new website can now be started to be worked on and should be ready in 12 weeks YAHOOOOOOO!

(Mel)

Beautiful Day

The weather in Queensland is amazing at the moment and I am just so grateful for the beautiful clear skies, warm breeze and spring sun. We took a drive to the beach yesterday and it just reminded me how grateful I am to live where I live and to have the freedom to just drive to the beach on a whim. I am also grateful for a touch of sun on my uber white winter skin! (Meke)

Special Date.

I had a lovely date with two little friends today. My 2 and a half year old daughter and my 10 and a half month old son and I went out for a coffee/ babycino this morning. Sometimes getting coffee out is more hassle than it's worth (well that's not all true...it's always worth it LOL) but this morning I hadn't had my morning coffee and so after the kinder drop-off I was really hanging out for one. I would've been happy to grab one on the run but both little people were happy for a sit down and relax while drinking their babycinos so I relaxed too. What a lovely opportunity to chat and enjoy their beautiful personalities and feel so proud to have them at my table. It's nice when you catch a glimpse of people staring at you in a nice way and not a, "I wish they'd hurry up and leave" kind of way as we do occasionally get!

Yay for a lovely morning out.

Handiwork

For about 2 years now, I have had half-finished curtains in my little girls room. They were not only unhemmed because I couldn't figure out how to make them more interesting BUT they also kept falling off the little ring things they were on. It drove me a little batty but I just kept putting in the "too hard basket". Well I am here to happily report that as of this evening they have been officially made their way out of this nasty basket thanks to my talented mother-in-law!!! Us four girls all took a trip to spotlight yesterday and managed to grab some really gorgeous material...Ma then proceeded to turn this sheet of material into a piece of art!!!!!! The rooms look AWSOME! My baby's room already had bunting in it and I really wanted to keep it, so we got this candy-stripe material that incredibly matched PERFECTLY!! My Big Girl who is about to turn 3, has a really sweet print with funky strawberries and rainbows and apples and flowers etc etc and it looks a bit like something from a storybook. The colours are bright and vivacious and I am inspired to be able to add some finishing touches of my own now! I am so very grateful that Ma spent 2 days of her holidays hanging out with us and happily created a lovely piece of art in each of the girls rooms. Plus I am extra grateful for the friendship we have...I really had such a lovely time hanging out with her and I feel very blessed.

Cleaning Up

I am grateful for the small crowd of people gathering at our old house tonight for a "clean-a-thon". It's a really humbling experience to have people offering to come and clean your house (and a bit embarrassing- but I'm getting over that!)

I'm thinking it could actually be a bit of fun tonight. How often do you have a team of people there to help you with such a mundane task?

My upcoming grat will be for the completion of this huge job and the chance to properly settle in to our temporary 'home' before our big move in January.

Lazy morning

I am grateful that my husband offered to take my son to kinder today. We just moved house (which is further from his kinder) and it takes a bit more effort to get out the door in the mornings (plus I'm still unpacking our belongings so it's been a treasure hunt trying to locate everything we need).

This morning after a night of disturbed sleep (my 10 month old is teething) I slept in until 7am which made it seem nearly impossible to get myself and all 3 children ready and out the door in an hour.

Just as I started feeling overwhelmed, my lovely husband put himself out to make my day easier. This meant I got to stay in my pajamas for another couple of hours and do some more sorting and unpacking. Yay. It's starting to feel like "home"