melmo's world

Trading One Dramatic Resolution for 10,000 Little Ones

2012-01-02T21:00:00.000+11:00

Trading One Dramatic Resolution for 10,000 Little Ones

yes!

2011-12-01T21:31:00.001+11:00

What then will keep us going and fighting so that we will live?Romans 1:16,17 answers: the gospel is the power of God to savebelievers because in the gospel we can see revealed every day thatour standing with God is not based on our own righteousness but onGod's, freely given to us by faith. And when we see that over andover in the gospel, day after day, as long as we live, our faith isrenewed and sustained, and we press on in the fight. Our confidencethat God will help us in life and save us from the wrath to come isbased on our ever-renewed assurance that our acceptance with him isbased on the gift of his own righteousness, not ours.

So every time the Bible demands you to do something do notthink, "I must do this to take away my guilt or to get forgivenessor to get a right standing with God." Rather think, "I will do thisbecause my guilt is already removed, I am already forgiven, Ialready have the gift of God's righteousness, and so I know thatGod is for me and will help me. So I will trust him and obey himand display by my radical, risk-taking obedience the glory of God'sgrace. And I will draw nearer and nearer to him in the fellowshipof his sufferings and the joy of his companionship.

goo goo

2011-10-04T08:30:00.000+11:00

joel 10 weeks old

2011-09-27T09:33:00.000+10:00

joel 2 months today

2011-09-13T21:51:00.000+10:00

This Week's Sermon: "This Illness Is for the Glory of God"

2011-09-13T20:14:00.000+10:00

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DGBlog/~3/mxraleyQh3I/this-weeks-sermon-this-illness-is-for-the-glory-of-god

Sent from my mobile phone

saturday

2011-09-10T20:37:00.001+10:00

joel 5 weeks old

2011-09-04T13:17:00.002+10:00

Put Strong Pillars Under Your Case for the Unbelieving Poor

2011-08-31T17:08:00.000+10:00

Put Strong Pillars Under Your Case for the Unbelieving Poor

2011-08-29T21:43:00.001+10:00

at the moment:: something on my mind daily {the concept not the poster}

2011-08-22T21:09:00.000+10:00

A Prayer for Gospel Parenting

2011-08-10T20:12:00.000+10:00

A Prayer for Gospel Parenting

joel 3 weeks old

2011-08-05T21:09:00.000+10:00

i think most would know of joel's arrival. i took some video of him the other day and wanted to share...paricularly with you, g'ma and g'pa....here's joel at three weeks...

blogify part II

2011-05-27T08:52:00.001+10:00

I've thought more on the concept of blogifying our lives. Chris made a really valid point in her comment on the last post, and that is the point of privacy. I think that it is important to protect the privacy of my children and my family, because these are my thoughts on them. My thinking in terms of expressing the gospel, is still a desire, but I don't think I could expose (for lack of a better word) our family so publicly. The aspect of progressing the gospel, in this way, I think does have to be done in context of relationship, and while I only have a small readership, most of whom I have a personal relationship with, it is in fact "published" as Chris was saying in her comment.

So, the blog will remain as it was. A few photos here and there of what we're up to, and a few random thoughts of what I'm learning in my journey.

I'm really enjoying the blog, a Holy Experience. I think she does a really good job of being real, yet still protecting the privacy of her family. She expresses the power of the gospel in every post, at least she expresses her need for Christ and dependence on Him to live the life she is living.

Finally, as we read other people's experiences, the responsibility is up to us to remember that while it is "real" life, at the same time it's not. In a way it's like remembering that movies aren't real in the way that they express love relationships, it is only an aspect of the truth, but in no way real life. As the word goes, it is hollywoodized. And that's why we go and watch.

In the same way, we must remember just as movies are hollywoodized, peoples lives on blogs are going to be to some degree, blogified.

blogify

2011-05-21T20:42:00.000+10:00

I've been thinking a lot about that word today, blogify. A word I made up in my head, which I haven't googled yet, but pretty sure someone else has thought it up too.

Blogify: to beautify your life through a blog

So many of the blogs I've read over time (and not all of them) do exactly that, blogify their lives. They only blog on the pretty, the cool, the productive. Sure, ahem, I should switch and say, WE, or I ... Yes, we might mention that we had one of those days, but really do we explain what we faced, how we made it through, and what we learned from it (much less take a photo of the moment).

I want to be clear that I don't think, first of all, that we shouldn't blogify our lives. Secondly, I don't think we should only dwell on the hard. I honestly don't think should is the right word...it's more that, I'm challenged to rethink the way I blog, and how I want to do it.

Lately, I haven't done it much at all for various reasons...like being pregnant and home educating little people, and just finding time to read my Bible and pray is enough of a logistical challenge with my energy levels and responsibilities. Yet, I think something else that keeps me from this space, is that I want to be purposeful in everything I do, and the purpose of it has to be high enough on my priority list to make it to the "actually being done list".

So what's my point? My point is that if I blog I want to be real, and for the purpose of glorifying Christ. What does that even mean? For me that means, showing you how the power of the gospel works in my life. The gospel being the reality that I daily need God's grace and forgiveness in my life...and the power that this plays in my being able to overcome and prosper in holy living. But if I only blogify my life, you miss my need, you miss the point that you need His grace too.

So, where to from here? I'm not sure, but I didn't want to forget these thoughts, and will continue to muse over it I'm sure. And if it's something that is truly worth doing for kingdom building, then I'm pretty confident it will be done. The kingdom I speak of is the one where Christ is King.

The challenge will be to explain properly the jargon I'm using, and back it up with scripture...and explain why scripture can be used to back it up. If not for anyone else, I think that this challenge would be a good one for me.

ps: this is my conviction about blogifying my life, but i don't think it is a conviction that anyone else must have...it's just what's culminated in my heart over the past few weeks.

for g'ma and g'pa

2011-04-15T21:40:00.000+10:00

keeping up...

2011-04-05T20:56:00.000+10:00

We officially now have three full fledged bike riders. Naomi is one determined little soul in wanting to keep up with her big brothers regardless of age or gender. We took off her training wheels a few weeks ago, and in the last week she has really begun to master it. So fun to see her pride in sticking to it. She learned much younger than the other two (though once Ethan did it, Seth had to as well the week after), and so it didn't come quite as easily to her, as you can see in the last photo, with the imprint of the bike handle left on her hand from holding so tightly.

She requested that the last photo be taken, a sign of her determination I think.

stopping in this month to say...

2011-02-05T20:27:00.000+11:00

we're expecting number 5. yup, number 5. due to be born mid july, which makes me 15 weeks. have more to say, but will wait till my brain doesn't feel so foggy. doing good though, can type that out without too much difficulty. smiling. good night.

the grumpy whisperer

2011-01-05T21:17:00.001+11:00

An emerging trait of Matty Moo is that when one of the children are feeling particularly grumpy, he heads straight for them. He gets right up close and makes all kinds of silly noises and faces, until alas, they can no longer control the urge to laugh. This is a special talent, because as we all know, it feels good to act grumpy when you feel that the world has turned against you, but if Matty catches on, he'll prove to you that you're wrong, it actually feels better to smile.

happy jesus' birthday from us to you...

2010-12-26T20:56:00.000+11:00

photo frenzie...

2010-12-26T20:46:00.001+11:00

look chris!

2010-11-04T19:46:00.000+11:00

We've been busily making made by joel stuff and loving it. Thanks for passing on the link. For those interested have a look at the favorites listed on his side bar to get going quick. Simple yet cool designs.

balance

2010-10-28T20:22:00.000+11:00

I've been contemplating the last few days how much there is in life to balance. I'm sure most of you can relate to me even mentioning the word, balance, and it'll conjure up all the things in your life that you have to balance. To help find balance I think asking the simple question of, "How can I now best use my time to love God and my neighbor*?" helps to hush what seems urgent and elevate what's truly important.

*based on Mark 12:30-31, and my neighbor most of the time are my children and my husband.

i see you...

2010-10-16T22:33:00.000+11:00

Hullo from us to you. I think of you all often, and really life just seems to be hurdling me forward at such an incredible pace. We are all doing well. The weather is starting to give us some warmer days here and there, so we get outside as much as possible. We went to the library this week and checked out 31 books and have been really enjoying time of reading. We went to the pool today for our first swim lesson of the term (mama taught). We joined the local home school co-op this week and totally loved it. I'm rethinking our home education style and excited about the prospects. Merging Charlotte Mason with curriculum based type resources. Planned our holiday for the new year, time in the woods at a park with a jumping pillow, and BIG pool (remember it's summer here in January ;) ). So that's us at the moment, at least our agenda, there's much more to us than our agenda as is there to anyone really, but that's the easiest thing to say to pop in for a moment.

much love to you all...and hope to be in touch via web cam soon mom and dad!

contentment

2010-10-02T19:53:00.000+10:00

Ahhhh, so much on my mind. Our regular computer is on the fritz at the moment, and so all my photos and normal way of transferring photos is lost to me at the moment. Hence, no photo today just words.

I'm reading a book by Francis Schaeffer titled True Spirituality. It's knocking my socks off. I've only read the first few pages of the first chapter and it already has me evaluating and thinking and hoping to put this wisdom into practice.

The main theme that I am pondering is contentment. Schaeffer does the topic so much greater justice than I could, so I won't try and recapitulate what he's said, rather explain the effect. The effect is that I feel totally convicted over the sin of not being content, or coveting by being dissatisfied with little things in my life. I'm learning that these grumbles point to a lack of trust and love for God.

This conviction doesn't leave me feeling woe is me, yet hopeful that I'm seeing it and able to take it before God and then practice being content. Paul's words of knowing what it is to be content with little and with much are continually ringing in my ears. To be content even amidst the daily battle, trusting God in putting me into the battle where I am. In other words trusting God even when Matty is screeching because he's tired and hungry earlier than I had planned, and boy child is just having one of those days, which means the day I had planned out isn't going at all to plan. To be content in this, trusting God in His provision and providence. And the point I see Schaeffer making is that I am not just to be content, but thankful.

The result will be a quiet disposition and thankful heart. A true light and joy because my contentment isn't in my circumstances but in my love and trust of my Heavenly Father.

For me, this is an exciting challenge.

right now...

2010-09-10T10:01:00.002+10:00

'm listening to and downloading mozart's music with a baby on my back, jiggling, and dancing to the symphony. totally making me smile.

...added late at night same day...

feeling...philosophical
hearing...matty say his first word, "bird", said after intently watching little birds
thankful...to be a part of each of my children's lives.
appreciating...the grunge of being a human, the sweetness, and even the bitterness
reminded of...who I am, it's a simple statement but profound to live
i am...a child of God, grafted into the Vine
wanting...to live, to not just dream, but to live those dreams
know...to be a doer I have to remember who i am but more importantly who HE IS.
can i...get an amen?

...that's me, right now, talking to myself and the computer...laughing too...

...i seriously need to go to bed.

two things i love...

2010-09-04T20:55:00.002+10:00

and this list is not exhaustable by a long shot! 1. matty 2. matty leg hugs

a fun game...

2010-09-03T22:22:00.000+10:00

I've been researching educational type games for my children to do/play during those down times in our day. Ethan's favorite question at the moment is "What can I do now?", hence the reason we started schooling a bit earlier than I originally planned. As I researched I was reminded of a game we had played impromptu one day a few months ago. It's simple really, using our wooden blocks I pass out an identical set to each player, the more players the fewer pieces you'd have to work with, but it's fun all the same. Each person takes a turn using all their blocks to build anything their imagination and coordination will allow them, then the other players all copy. Simple...yet my little ones played for ages. It ended with them all having their own "playgrounds" and then going and getting their own little men, animals to enjoy their creations.

What about you, do you have any favorites? Or suggestions of one player games that use your brain?

they're having a meeting

2010-08-21T19:41:00.000+10:00

Hello...random photo hey? The red santa man, has been renamed the goblin. Goblin's in our home are curious, friendly, funny minute people that wear that sort of hat, and carry a walking stick.

Just checking in to say that we're doing good, plodding along at a good pace. More and more of my days have been full of God's joy and peace, which I am very thankful for. Lots of moments of laughter, like Matty giggling in the bath as he poured water on his tummy. Enjoying the little moments of just being alongside one of them, quietly riding in the car with Ethan, just him and me, sitting in the hammock swinging with Naomi. Loving watching my children grasp concepts of God. Seth setting up the doll house into heaven, with the lion at the top watching over it all.

So we're doing good, still many little things to organize and reshuffle, but maybe that's just always and I need to stop attaching it to the fact we moved. Oh our oven decided it didn't want to get hot today. And this time we can't just ring the landlord... :)

Leaving you with a photo of Matty Moo...peek-a-boo

my latest lesson...

2010-08-13T22:46:00.000+10:00

is to enjoy the life God has given me. To not take myself too seriously, and to take God more seriously. God's rules are good ones, His desire is to see us full of His joy. Yet, out of a desire to control, or a lack of faith we add so many stupid human rules to God's rules.

Our memory verse at the moment is very fitting to this lesson, "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, Rejoice!" Phil 4:4 (what a sweet rule by God, REJOICE!). So today, I was really trying hard not to take myself or all the squabbles and situations that can feel so weighty in the moment so seriously. Instead to be more light hearted in dealing with them and in the in between times really seeking to enjoy the day, the children, the moment...

I was greatly helped when I discovered him, looking like this:

now seriously, how could I not laugh and enjoy and be reminded of how full of joy my life really is?

lyd look.

2010-08-07T22:46:00.000+10:00

A time when junk mail actually came in handy. Thanks to your suggestion Lyd, I spotted this in the junk mail, went today and got it, and put it together, me, I put it together, only consulting T once. :)

For those of you not named Lyd, we're continuing to settle in. My mighty friend mentioned above, came and stayed with us for three days which allowed me to get HEAPS, and HEAPS accomplished, plus she gave some really great ideas of how to organize. Not to mention the sweet fellowship and all the other lessons about life that I learned through spending time with her.

Thank you, dear friend for loving on all of us so freely. Thank you God for the way that you set up your body to work, and how sweet it is this side of heaven...which points to how much even sweeter it'll be the other side.

snapshot

2010-07-30T22:15:00.000+10:00

A sweet moment that I don't want to forget. I couldn't get any closer without disrupting them and causing cheesy grins, and I'm not sure where my zoom lense is yet. This is a glimpse of our backyard, the rocks and pavers will go and be replaced with grass, much to the delight of the children and their sore knees.

Tonight as I drove to the shops, a neighbor waved into the headlights of my car. The gesture of saying hello, even though even if I had waved he wouldn't have seen, made me feel a bit more like we belong. I was reflecting afterwards that even though our street isn't a court it has a feel of one, in an odd way. It's a short street that doesn't reach directly any of the major roads that surround it; it's not a natural thoroughfare. There are three little shops, a park, and a maternal child health nurse on it...so it also reminds me in an even stranger way of sesame street. All this to say, it's growing on me, even though it started off feeling very foreign, the things that are odd about it, I'm seeing more as character.

hallo!!!

2010-07-29T22:52:00.000+10:00

Helloooooooo, world wide web!!! I'm back, we're moved into our new home, not without incident, but it's in the past now, and we're here and getting back on our feet. I went without internet for nearly 2 weeks, wowzers, did that reveal things to me. Anyway, it's late, but wanted to say, hi, i'm back on the computer, and can now check and hopefully respond to some of your lovely emails, and comments, thank you.

Be back soon.

if she could post...

2010-07-15T19:30:00.003+10:00

Every woman has a desire in her heart to be beautiful. ... True beauty originates in the heart. There is a light and sweetness in the true Christian mother's face which the world desires but cannot obtain. ... The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit adorns your inner being. It's luster is so bright that it is reflected in your facial expression. This ornament is a gift of God.

Christ wants to transform your heart and make it like His own; patient, long-suffering, loving. He wants to take out of your heart the harshness, irritability, impatience, and critical attitude toward those you love. ... He wants you to be adorned with an inward peace.

Too often, perhaps, you talk to your family with a note of irritation in your voice. The love of Christ can be shown even in the tone of your voice. If you speak quietly to your family, they will respond quietly. ... A calm attitude and a quiet voice are unusual traits in most homes. Can you be patient as you answer countless childish questions and respond to numberless requests for help? ...

The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit never grows dim with wear. The longer it is worn, the brighter it sparkles. It is incorruptible. Time cannot destroy it.

based on 1 Peter 3:3-4, 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

posted by Elsie D. Holsinger from "Thoughts for Young Mothers"

photo weheartit

for those interested

2010-07-15T09:17:00.000+10:00

i sent out last night an email to friends in the USA for a very brief update. as i was thinking about it, i realized that if i were them i'd want to see a photo of me...so i took one this morning, and it's on the about me page now. so if you want to check out current me...look there.

oat bar

2010-07-14T15:17:00.002+10:00

Meal planning in our home can be very tricky. I'm sure that any of you who read this, who have small children can relate to the struggle to find healthy food that all of your children like at once. Sometimes I think for one particular child it's his way of controlling the situation by turning his nose up at things that I presume most children would like. A close friend of mine regularly makes these oat bars, and I thought I'd give them a try to eat for snacks or as a complement to lunch time fruit salad (an idea I gleaned from her doing this with her little one, yet they do it at breakfast).

This is relatively simple to make, my only problem was not baking it long enough, easy enough to correct. Plus you can mix and match nuts/seeds that you have on hand, and even add a bit extra honey...I did.

Oat Bar
2 cups rolled oats
1/4c sunflower seeds
1/4c sesame seeds
1/4c pepitas or walnuts
1/4-1/2 c shredded coconut
pinch of salt
cinnamon to taste

(I whizz all the above in the food processor for a minute or two to chop up the seeds a bit and make the oats more floury. Lately I've also been adding a couple of tablespoons of buckwheat flour and/or LSA/flaxseeds which seems to work well)

1/2 c sultanas
1/4c finely diced dried fruit (I use dates & dried apricots or raisins)
about 1/3c oil
2 large or 3 small mashed ripe bananas
around 45ml maple syrup or two or more spoons of honey or combo of both
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Add to dry mixture... press into a rectangle lamington pan and bake for about 25-30 mins on low heat (around 160C).

And I just realized I forgot the coconut. I look forward to seeing how my next try at this recipe turns out.

ouch!

2010-07-13T13:45:00.001+10:00

She opened her little brother's door, then ran over to me at the side of the house, and was asked to go around the back of the house to come in the back door with her boots. Forgot in the meantime that she'd opened little brother's car door and ran smack into it. I was inside by this point and only heard the crash, she got up quickly and ran around the back of the house with blood streaming down her face, which sent Seth and Ethan into hysterics (they were SCREAMING!), all the time I, by the grace of God, and through pre-meditation about staying calm in high stress moments, was able to calm all three and soak up the blood. What I found, was a neat little gash just off her eyebrow. Wasn't sure what to do next, so rang one of our neighbors, a friend from church who is an ex-nurse. YAY for church family!!! She came, assessed, and decided that steri-strips should close it together just fine. So off she went to the chemist and got steri-strips, returned, did her nurse job, and was off again to help someone else.

While all this was taking place, both older brothers got to work, self-initiated, making pink pictures to cheer their little sister. So delightful to see the ways they were tangibly seeking to help her.

Family, so sweet, whether it be blood or church, I am thankful for both.

hand me downs rock

2010-07-10T22:21:00.001+10:00

So fun to see each of them have a turn in these pj's. It's a matching bottom and top set passed onto me via a friend's sister. She made them for her children, who wore them before mine did. I love clothes that have a story, really I love anything that has a story, I love stories. Do you want to tell me a story? What about your favorite item of clothing for children (either you as a child or your own child), and why? If you're up for it.

live music

2010-07-09T20:31:00.002+10:00

Thirsty Merc. For a friend's birthday, we went to listen to this band live. It's been AGES since I've been to hear live music, but it was great. Rai, the lead singer of this band is freakishly talented, amazing on the piano, with a fantastic voice. This is one of my favorite known performances of his. Thankful for the opportunity to go.

matty says hello

2010-07-09T00:51:00.001+10:00

i'm back

2010-07-08T15:03:00.000+10:00

I think I've been afraid to keep a "real" blog in the past because I was afraid it would swallow me up (not very good time management skills). But my heart has so much to share, and what better way than here. So I'll just have to be very diligent in disciplining myself to live in the present with my family and friends, but also to allow myself time to spend here. I am settling into my skin, and have much to say about that...sweet discoveries, yet they've come through difficult times. I'm excited to be here and doing this again. And thankful for those of you who want to share in on the journey.

as promised

2008-11-08T09:11:00.002+11:00

A few photos from this month. If you want to see more go to: http://www.moynahanfamily.com/photos/ It is a slew of photos (all of the ones we take in fact, it's our backup) but you can still see us, endlessly if you want.

change of direction

2008-11-08T09:01:00.004+11:00

Since taking a break from blogging, it's given me a bit of clarity on why I blog and the direction I want to take the recording of our daily lives. For that reason, I'm going to say good bye for now. For those far away, I have something for you still, I'll email you and give details. But for now, farewell.

love,
melmo

ps: there is one more post, the promised photos.

so sorry

2008-10-23T20:55:00.003+11:00

I am here, alive, and doing well. We all are actually. But I'm tired, oh so tired. Right now is the spot of time where I would blog and do a proper job of it, but my brain is on the fritz because my body is ... is ... what's the word? oh yeah, tired.

So, I will come back, very soon, God willing. And then it'll be a bit of a photo fest.

And I'll catch up soon on emails too. Promise.

day-to-day life : : 14

2008-10-08T10:10:00.004+11:00

We've had a few slower days. Time spent indoors. Yesterday morning I made play-dough for them and they played for ages with it. It's so great seeing their imaginations in full swing. Then in the afternoon we made a mural (kind of). I got a lot of paper and said "let's all draw suns" then "let's all draw sky" etc. We ended up with a table that had grass, flowers, clouds, suns, an octopus, planes, helicopters, and a tiger. It was a relaxing and fun way to spend some time together.

I am really learning lots, but my energy levels are low, so that means I have to conserve strength and spend it wisely. Which means that I'm not able to make it here as much to praddle on about my latest lesson. Yet, I do still want to be documenting our days. I hope to pass this on to them one day. So I'll still be about and once this weariness passes (probably around 13 week mark -- see the about me), I'll hopefully be back here in a more full way. Till then, thanks for checking in on us.

ps: I just went into Seth (it's naptime here) because he had poos. After he was cleaned up I was tucking him back into his bed and the following conversation took place.

Sethie: "I want someone to lay next to me."
Me: "PD (his bear) is laying with you."
Sethie: "I want someone bigger to lay with me."
Me: "Look, here's another bear and he's bigger."
Sethie: "I want someone with glasses and long hair to lay next to me."
Me: (laughing) "Sethie, you win, I'm not going to lay next to you though."

thankful

2008-09-30T15:18:00.004+10:00

Sorry this is so quick, we've been bouncing, bouncing, bouncing. And then more bouncing, figuring out how to this and that, and inventing all sorts of games. Every day we seem to get better at balancing, even for little N who has two big brothers who give her a good enough bounce.

I had an awesome birthday. With an amazing gift of having a friend here, plus three lovely friends who dropped by to wish me a happy day, and they made it all the much more. Seriously, I am feeling so full at the moment because of precious, precious friendships. I am surrounded by amazing godly women (those who live close and those who live far) who spur me on to love, and to be a better woman of God, wife, and mother. If any of you are reading this, please know that I am so thankful for each of you. Thank you for your birthday wishes and for being my friend.

day-to-day life :: Saturday

2008-09-20T20:07:00.002+10:00

Saturdays are a special day, because it's the day that Dada is home all day. This day is anticipated throughout the week. So much so, that we made up a calendar to show them how many days it would be until we were all together for a WHOLE day!

Today was just that, a family day. We stayed inside for the morning, the weather not certain what it was suppose to be. Sunny? Windy? Warm? Rainy? We started off the morning with oatmeal, we stayed in our pj's, played games, read books, showed off our new talents to Dada, ate toast with jam for lunch (a very special treat! and we were still in our pj's), watched birds out the window, read more books, took naps ...

... and then we got dressed. Naomi is showing off the kitty on her new pj top thanks to this friend. After naps we went to Dada's work, played with fun new toys, read more books, checked out books, borrowed a few fun games, played three different pianos and two different drum sets. Then a phone call to our new favorite pizza shop, picked up pizza (and ate it too), had baths, then read more books, followed by looking at where's wally books (which Ethan and Seth loved, great idea Dada!), then family worship and lights out.

A slow paced, yet full and wonderful day. Truly, an answer to prayer. God is kind and generous.

day-to-day life : : 13

2008-09-17T09:29:00.005+10:00

Life is always in motion, especially when there is a 1, 2, and 3 year old involved. I love photos that catch life in action.

On days when Ethan naps, which is still quite often, he cuddles with me while he wakes up. Today Seth and Naomi were feeling very impatient as they waited for their big brother to be fully awake to play.

Seth begged and begged and begged, for Ethan to come and watch him.

Seth had woken before Ethan and had mastered the art of getting out of Naomi's cot while his big brother slept. He wanted to show off his new found skill to Ethan. I love this, that Seth and Ethan are starting to want to share their lives with each other. By the way, the photo is of Seth getting into the cot before he showed off his getting out of the cot.

Seth is very happy with whoever he's talking to (in his imagination) and Naomi is letting Ethan know who's boss (which she thinks for certain she is).

Thinking about...I'm continuing to think on and enjoy is Ephesians 1, especially:

4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he^[c] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

I love that we were chosen before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, he knew us, purposed us, chose us, loved us, gave us "every spiritual blessing in Christ" to be seen in His perfect eyes as holy and blameless. Every single person that exists on this planet, He knew and had/has plans for. That's such an amazing truth, and brings immense comfort.

The other thing on my mind today is this post, which belongs to this blog, which is well worth subscribing to.

a time for everything

2008-09-13T20:20:00.004+10:00

a time of peace,

and a time to attack my big brothers,

Ahhhh, season's change. I love the warmth in the air, wearing lighter clothes, playing outside, planting our veggie patch, running barefoot. Very refreshing.

We went and got my birthday present today. Shhhh, don't tell anyone but I'm getting a trampoline. Bet you didn't even know I wanted one? Well, I do, for the family. Actually, the boys know that we got it, but they have to wait till my birthday for it to be set up. I love birthdays, especially the anticipation and build-up to them. Nothing like a trampoline to stir their imaginations as they await their first turn of jump, bounce, bounce.

What has been your favorite birthday present?

I remember the one I got the most excited about. A skateboard. Lots of anticipation, and extreme joy when the day arrived and I found my skateboard, after a treasure hunt, under my parents bed. Simple, child joy.

Soooo, what about you?

it's spring!

2008-09-10T22:35:00.002+10:00

And we are OUTSIDE! YAY!!!! Yesterday we did a park crawl. We went to three different parks in the morning. The first one we got out our little plastic bikes and rode them on the little "dude's park". At the second park, we ate lunch under a big tree and watched a sea plane take off from the bay. Plus, Sethie got to watch "worker men" building. There was construction taking place a stones throw away from where we ate our picnic lunch. Seth would come over, grab a bit of food and then run back to the fence and watch as the men worked. Reminded me a bit of an old man. The third park we went to, we got out our soccer and football, and had a bit of a kick.

Today the sun was out and so were we. Ethan is so very keen for it to be summer. Not sure if that's because that's when his birthday is, or if he's ready to be more "nudie". Do all kids love stripping down? All three of mine do for sure.

I am thankful. Thankful for my wee ones, for my husband, for our health and ability to enjoy all the things that God is blessing us with. Which honestly, is so very, very much. May we soak it up, and take it all in.

where's mama?

2008-09-06T07:17:00.003+10:00

Here I am!
It's spring according to the calendar, and there are blossoms on our apple tree. The weather is slightly warmer, and we are loving it. YAY!

I'm looking forward to more days at the beach. Right now I love going to the beach in the cooler weather. I think with the warmer weather it will be great too, but I love the combination of the crisp fresh air and the warm sun.

I'm still mulling over the things that I learned a week ago. It's really good core stuff, and I'm stoked to be trying to slow down and BE STILL and remember that He is God. That He loves me, like His child, and that He wants good stuff for me, and ultimately for me to love and enjoy Him.

ps: These photos were taken last week, as you well know, I'm a bit behind in saying hello here. But I want to get back into the habit of taking photos and saying hi here.

pps: CHECK THIS OUT. Support them in any way you can!

day-to-day life : : 12

2008-08-31T12:34:00.002+10:00

Two more outside photos, Naomi's turn this time.

Reminding myself of this truth and then asking myself the following, has been incredibly helpful. That is, when facing each day to day life experience, reminding myself "This (whatever it is) is the will of God" and then asking myself "How can I please Him in this situation." Every moment is by God's hand, and if I can remember that, coupled with the truth that He loves me, then my temptation to control, or fret, are overcome. Then if I ask how can I please Him, I am given purpose and am reminded to call out to God for wisdom, which He readily gives if we ask and believe.

day-to-day life : : 11

2008-08-29T20:51:00.002+10:00

A little late in sharing more outside photos, but isn't there some saying, late is better than never?

Hmmmm...so much to say, but not enough energy to type it all down. As the rest of you, I'm continuing to grow, to learn. I'm coming into green pasture, it's been there all along, but I've been resisting and thinking that the brown pasture was where it was at. I finally saw the deception these past couple of days. My heart is coming to rest in the love of Christ.

This verse keeps coming up and has multiple applications for me.

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual^[a] act of worship.

The crux of what I am learning is this: There is much joy and peace in giving my entire self to God, trusting Him with every ounce of faith that He's given me, allowing my whole heart to dwell, trust, and rest in His Almighty Love. May I step further and further into this truth, and never go back to the pasture where I am outside this reality.

day-to-day life : : 10

2008-08-25T14:19:00.003+10:00

We are back outside! YAY! It's cloudy at the moment, but it is actually kind of warm. With sickness, and then sprinkles of rain here and there throughout the day, we've only had short bursts of time outside each day. So it was soooo good to be able to get back out. Hopefully you'll be seeing more of our outside play here.

I learned a lot about myself this weekend. I'm reading this book at the moment, loaned to me by a friend. I highly recommend it. It is challenging me in so many ways. I think when I'm finished reading, I want to read it again and make a few notes. It is rich with practical daily living advice, and this coming from a fiction, easy to read, entertaining sort of book.

Thought on my mind: What does it mean, whatever you do, do it to the glory of God? Soli Deo Gloria. How do I apply this truth? May God grant me wisdom (which He promises to do if I believe). Again, amazing truth.

{edited to add: I just read this sermon, and it drew me a step closer in understanding Soli Deo Gloria. If you have the time, take a look.}

He is so GOOD

2008-08-22T09:33:00.003+10:00

My thoughts this morning are on God's grace and goodness. I hate those moments where I see the utter disgusting-ness of my sinful self. Yet, I am so thankful that I know the God of grace and can rest in the truth that I am made right before him because of what Christ did by dying in my place and conquering death and sin forever.

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.

How is it that the God of this universe takes great delight in His people? Quieting me even in this moment with His love? My head doesn't get it, truly, but my heart does, my soul does. Thank you God for your love and your mercy.

naomi report

2008-08-21T08:47:00.003+10:00

So sweet, and so full of spunk and energy. She's 18 months and totally a girl. Well obviously, but I'm experiencing new things since she's my first girl. Okay, we've talked about the shoes, and she continues to love her shoes and if she meets anyone while she's wearing her shiny black shoes she'll stick out her feet to show them off. Secondly, she loves to talk on the phone. She's saying a few words like, mama, dada, doggie, kitty, hi, bye, eee (for ethan and seth), thank you, knee, but if I am ever talking on the phone, she'll run over to me with her hand on her ear, signaling, I want to talk too! She then gets on the phone and will say a bunch of gibberish, with a few recognizable words thrown in. She loves "talking" both on the phone and off. I'm looking forward to when we can understand more of what she is trying to say.

Spunk - she loves to be the middle of attention. The boys were playing together, not really including her in their games, and the above photo captured what happened next. She attacked Seth because they weren't playing with HER. She's incredibly social and most of the time is my complete side-kick. If I leave the room and forget to take her with me, she'll screech and come running, wanting me to hold her hand to wherever I'm going. Some of that's her age, but a lot of that is her personality.

I love her craziness, the fact that she loves being tumbled around and tossed. She is a handful but I do sincerely love the little personality that God has given her.

i'm a sermon

2008-08-18T08:13:00.003+10:00

Seth put on a tie this morning and declared to me "I'm a sermon."

We are all better now, well for the most part. Last week threw everything out of whack and some of my habits got lost in the muddle. Like blogging. Now it's decision time of what to pick up again and what to leave lost. I like blogging, but continue to have a love/hate relationship with the computer. Loving the ability to connect world wide but hate how I can let it take me away from the here and now. Balance, balance, balance. I know this is the key. Will keep working towards it.

sick house take 2

2008-08-14T09:13:00.002+10:00

So we had the vomit bug. First time that we've had something like that. It started late Saturday night with Naomi, and finished late Sunday night with Terry, littlest to biggest, skipping mama.

The above photo is so appropriate. Everyone on the couch, the sick bucket in the left corner, with Dada putting the bedding on the clothes horse to dry. T turned to me at one point in the middle of Saturday night and said "Welcome to parenthood."

Oh, and T wouldn't want me to forget to document the following story about Seth. Seth on Sunday night was already in bed, but moaning to me that he wanted Dada. I got Seth out of bed (with no signs of the vomits) and took him, and the bucket to Dada. I came out with Seth saying, he wants you, to T, and as soon as we reached Dada, Seth chucked. Thankfully by this point we were skilled in directing flow and it ended in the bucket. T felt so privileged that Seth especially wanted him so he could chuck on him.

Wow, you weren't ready for the gory were you?

Apparently the school that T works for had 35 of it's 200 students missing on Monday with the same tummy bug. We weren't alone that's for sure.

What is interesting to me, and what I am most thankful for, is the lesson that I was learning the night it started. T and I were discussing that evening that life takes a lot of work. Even for someone who we admire, say Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, etc., they put so much hard work and discipline to accomplish what they do. In the same way, being successful at parenting, and in our marriage is going to require a lot of hard work. We discussed, the James 1 passage:

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Life is hard, and it does take work, but we are to consider it joy because it produces good stuff, maturity and also:

3Not only so, but we^[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Thus, a closeness with God. I am thankful that this is the lesson I was learning on the eve of sick house take 2. It really helped me to put into perspective the trial that we were facing. God, seriously, is so gracious and kind.

pace of life

2008-08-07T13:53:00.002+10:00

Slowing down. It's so much easier said than done for me. This is the main thought in my mind right now, how to slow down my heart and actions. It seems to me that this is what gets me into most trouble, are the times where my actions precede my thoughts. I want my thoughts to always go first, think before I speak, before I act.

I think the key for me is practicing the presence of God. Allowing there to be still moments in my life, not always looking to fill those moments with other things (like reading on the computer, or even a book) but in those little moments in my day where everyone is getting along and there is nothing pressing that really needs to be done, to just sit and know that He is God. To use those small times to go over my memory verse. This is the habit that I want to develop, so that I may not miss out on what really, truly, is important. Enjoying God and the blessings He gives. Like those two little fingers that are so adorably cute and and more importantly my little family and all that they are.

nothing much

2008-08-02T20:41:00.003+10:00

Honestly, I don't have any one story to tell, or main thing to say. But wanted to stop in and say hi. I took the above photos the other day of Ethan and Seth wearing undies on their heads. Brought back "memories" or at least the memory of the photo of me doing the same thing. But I'm pretty sure I had goggles on as well, imitating snoopy as the flying ace.

Seth has declared that his favorite color is red. Ethan's is green. Naomi said her favorite color but I couldn't distinguish what she was saying. T's is purple even though he denies having a favorite, and I think mine is orange. So we'll say for now that Naomi's is pink, because every time the shoe closet gets opened she goes for her shiny black shoes with pink flowers on it.

I'm currently experiencing a weird phenomenon. I keep having a flash back to something, I don't really know what a flash back is like, but that's what it feels like. It's driving me crazy because it only comes when I'm focused on something else, and then when I try and grab the memory and put it into context it flees away again. SEE it just did it again. WHAT IS IT?!?! Ever have this happen to you? I've been sitting here for about five minutes trying to hold the memory down long enough to know what it is.

Well now you know, my title really was appropriate.

refreshment

2008-07-30T22:49:00.002+10:00

I asked the boys to wait up on the footpath for me while I got Naomi out of the car and into her pram. When I turned around to check on them, I saw my two little fellows sitting on the side guard looking out to the sea. I hope, Ethan and Seth, that one day you read this, and that you can still sit and enjoy each other's company.

We had a really nice time playing in the sand. I asked Ethan later what his favorite time at the beach was, he replied "Digging holes and eating." Two separate events, and I love the simplicity of his answer. Mine? Watching my little ones enjoy God's creation, and each other. And I loved that they had fun throwing shells, rocks, and handfuls of sand into the ocean just to hear it go "kerplunk".

life

2008-07-28T22:45:00.002+10:00

Random photo. I'm not yet in the habit of capturing the right moments of the day. I seem to be a fly by the seat of my pants blogger, and as a result don't always have a photo to match my thoughts. Phew, now you know, and that means I can break the rules here on out without you having to read my explanation every time. You saved time, and me too. I'm smiling, are you?

Now, what was that random thought I had? OH. A story. When I was growing up I went to a church that put on these live nativity scenes. Ours was on the side of the road, we all dressed in our parts, someone was Mary, someone was Joseph, a few children were the angels, you get the point. Well I grew up in the Northern hemisphere, which meant that it was COLD in the winter. I don't know how many Christmas seasons my family volunteered me for duty as an angel, but I do know that the times that I did it, it was cold, so very, very cold. We were told to stand still, which made the coldness all that much worse, and the time go ever so slowly. Each time we did it, we knew that when we heard the Hallelujah song come over the speakers, that this meant our time of standing stone cold, literally, was over. This was such a relief for us that we would burst forth in song together.

Where am I going with this story? Really. Ethan and Seth sit through church with us each Sunday. They are very good at keeping quiet, and often times actually hear things that are said. For example they might hear someone they know being prayed for and whisper up to me "Andrew just said Jono's name" or they might even hear a portion of a story from the Bible that they are learning and be excited to recognize something from their Bible.

As do most churches, we sing in our church throughout the service. Neither Ethan or Seth sing for any of the songs, that is, until the benediction. During this song for the past few Sundays they both BELT out their own version of singing. Which means, that they don't pause at the end of the lines like the rest of us do, which means, most of the congregation can hear their little voices singing along. I did receive encouragement for this, which I am thankful for, and won't be so tempted to hush them. But this breaking forth in song often reminds me of us singing the Hallelujah when I was a kid. I don't think that church is something they are racing to get out of, it's more the fact that when we are on the last song it means they get to race to the church hall to have a biscuit (aka cookie). My poor deprived children who have to wait for Sundays to have a biscuit.

On the home front, we're on the mend. Terry was the last to get the flu bug, his throat and Seth's throat are still sore but overall we are doing much better. We got out today, went to Vincentian Village (the nursing/retirement home). This continues to be a source of huge blessing to me and my little ones. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to serve and be served in this way.

Latest lesson/topic: I'd like to look into reading more biographies or autobiographies about different kinds of people from different walks of life. That way I can maybe have a bit more insight into more kinds of people and not be so afraid to love someone just because I feel ignorant of what life might be like for them. Not to say that if I read a biography that I will become well versed in whatever life situation I read about, but at least I'll have some context, or a starting point to be able to relate. Any thoughts? Or suggestions of books?

sick house

2008-07-25T23:26:00.003+10:00

Today Ethan and Seth stayed on their couches the whole day. Well, Ethan did at least. Seth, wandered, felt sick, found mama, and sat in my lap, A LOT. Which was fine with me, but Naomi was not too pleased to lose her place. She was well today, since she already had their bug, but she was feeling a bit lost with two of her comrades injured. She tried with all her might to raise them, but didn't get anywhere in her plight. T's coming down it seems with the same thing, I'm hoping not to have a turn.

We watched home videos today. I enjoyed watching them, watch themselves. It also made me reflect (if you haven't figured this out yet, it doesn't take much). My conclusion on my reflections was that it stinks that often times I learn a little too late. And then even when I know what the lesson is theoretically, living it practically is a whole other ball game. What I walked away thinking about -- seeking to enjoy the pace of our lives, remembering that this too shall pass, and loving as hard as I can all those that God brings across my path. May God grant me the ability to live these things out practically.

winter picnic

2008-07-25T07:00:00.001+10:00

It's soooo good to be back outside. Even though we didn't spend the majority of the day out, the time that we were out there we were all soaking in the sun and breathing the heavily oxygenated air. Naomi and I were sick for Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday we had a break, and then tonight both Ethan and Seth went to bed with medicine because they both had fevers.

But today, the sun was out, the air was crisp, and there was plenty to do. I got to pat a wombat, visit a wallaby, see a zebra and do a little digging in the garden. All and all a nice morning, ended with a beautiful lunch. Fresh air is under rated, that along with the medicinal properties of water. Your health tip from me today is, drink more water and spend more time in the outdoors, it does a body good. (Anyone remember the milk adds?)

new every morning

2008-07-24T09:41:00.004+10:00

Conversation held first thing in the morning between Mama and Sethie ,

Mama: Sorry for getting frustrated with you in the middle of the night.
Sethie: Yeah. (looking in distance and pondering) The suns up now and I like you again.

'His mercies are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.' Lamentations 3:23

Amazing to experience God's grace through the life of our two year old.

photos and thoughts

2008-07-23T07:00:00.000+10:00

We generally get out once a day for a walk somewhere. Whether it be to a friend's house, a park, or just out for a walk for the sake of walking. Most days recently that we have been out, my path has crossed paths with someone else. Each of these meeting have been meaningful to me, and left me in awe of how great God is, and how exciting it is to love and be loved by those around us.

Let me tell you of one that happened recently. We went to our favorite park, "the dude's park". Shortly after arriving a little girl jumped out of her mom's car and came racing over to the park for a play. Naomi was on the slide taking her time to sit down, and the little girl was not long behind waiting her turn. The little girl took this opportunity to chat with me. She then proceeded for the next hour to follow me around the park and talk with me. I loved it, I loved the opportunity to get to know the mind of this little six year old. She was so perceptive and interesting and was really trying hard to sort out what she was experiencing in life. I never got to meet her mom because until right when we were about to leave, her mom remained in the car.

Meeting this little girl inspired me to be praying for more opportunities to be able to love on children who need the time of an adult. And also to keep an open mind and heart and home to having neighbor children be able to come in and share in our lives. I recently read an account of the history of the church that we belong to. The story started out by the author re-counting his days of childhood, and how the minister of the time had a heart for the children of his surrounding neighborhood. The children knew that Mr. and Mrs. X's place was a safe place to go and that they would be loved and given time by going there. I want that to be what our home is known for.

I'm thinking lots about God's call for us to love our neighbors as ourselves. I'm learning a lot through it and for better lack of word, through this lesson, I'm falling more in love with God. I love God and how He works. Wowzers. Life is so full when I'm even close to being in-step with Him.

day-to-day life : : 9

2008-07-22T07:00:00.000+10:00

Playing outside. Life is learning. Practicing our letters outside. Drawing silly faces.

accomplishments

2008-07-21T07:00:00.002+10:00

Ethan has always had finer tuned motor skills. He loves writing at the moment, and drawing. I think it's a place where he has excelled quite easily, and thus finds fulfillment in the accomplishment. A couple of weekends ago, Terry taught him how to write Seth and Naomi's names as well. Here's another example of education being a part of who you are. He's not learning to write just the letters, meaning "A" for the sake of "A". But "A" because it belongs to his name and Naomi's name. E because it is his letter, and his brothers letter. Another example of how learning or education is a way of being, not something done.

day-to-day life : : 8

2008-07-18T07:00:00.000+10:00

A favorite game in our house: hide-n-seek.

she's a ham

2008-07-17T07:00:00.001+10:00

Another Naomi story. I seem to be full of them lately.

She loves being the center of attention and making her brothers, or anyone for that matter, laugh. Last night as we were trying to read the Bible together, Naomi was running full force into the collective group sitting together for the reading. About the third time she ran full pelt into us, she lost her balance, fell backwards and onto her back (very clumsily, and not dangerously at all). She looked a bit like a clown, and we all began to giggle at her. Well this got her going even more. She was laying on the ground making funny faces, kicking her feet in the air, rolling over, and peeking backwards over her shoulder. And her brothers, ATE IT UP. They were giggling and giggling and giggling, until they both began to hiccup.

These are the sweet moments that I want to hold onto forever. These are the moments that make the hard ones totally worth it.

siblings

2008-07-15T21:26:00.000+10:00

They have been playing really well together lately. There of course are still wars to be negotiated through, but the wars are far and few between. This morning they pretended they were koalas and kangaroos, and they each built a little "box", as Ethan said, to live in. When I say they, I mean for now, Ethan and Seth. Naomi hasn't quite gotten the pretending to the extent that they have.

Yesterday was one of those moments that to this point in my parenting I had only read about. In the morning I read them Abel's Moon then had them narrate the story back to me after our reading. Later that afternoon Ethan initiated imaging the story and playing the story out while we were playing outside. He found a couple of long sticks that are used for the garden and began building his own helicopter and then flew to the moon, which is what the boys in the story do. This was all child initiated, and executed. Wonderful to see them processing a book that we had read. This is what learning means to me thus far. The ability to soak in a good story, think about it, and then in some way live it. I'm realizing more and more that education is a part of our being, not something we do. I want to instill this in my children.

beep beep

2008-07-13T19:48:00.002+10:00

We finally, finally, bought our new camera. It's a very long story how we decided on this one. Actually it's not, it's just that it took me hours of research to decide that for what we wanted them for, the cameras we were comparing in our price range, were all very similar. The end process of deciding was pretty simple, and what did we decide? A Nikon D60 with the twin VR lens kit. So far I'm very happy. And for you my blog reading friends, there will be a slew of photos to see very soon.

About the one above, that's Naomi doing her mechanic work on her car. And can I just tell you that she's a crazy one, tough too. I'm sure you already knew that about her, but I'll tell you the latest story. On Friday we went to our neighbors who have a very long bumpy slide. Naomi was the bravest of the three and went down first. She made it half way down but hasn't learned the art of sliding yet, so started to fly forward off the slide. I caught her (I was standing there to catch her at the bottom of the slide) and kept most of the impact off her cheek hitting the side of the slide. Yet, it still did bump pretty hard. Her reaction? She just looked at me in surprise, wiped her cheek and that was that. A few minutes later she was up the top of the slide ready for another go. Naomi is for sure my little tumble friend who loves to be tossed around and doesn't mind incurring a bump or two.

day-to-day life : : 7

2008-07-10T09:00:00.000+10:00

Daily play.

Photo by Ethan (who by the way can write his own name now, if told the order of the letters)

little girl

2008-07-09T09:00:00.000+10:00

I seriously had so many reservations with the idea of having a little girl. I'm not the girliest of girls that are out there, but I have to tell you, I LOVE this little dress/pink/flower wearing girl. Mind you I'm the one who dresses her. I love the way that she is already so girl. She has an obsession with shoes (AT THE AGE OF 1!), we have a closet that keeps our shoes and every time that it is opened she RUNS to it, yelling "shoes, shoes, shoes!" And once she gets to the shoe closet, if she's not guided as to which shoes to choose, she always gets the shiniest pair she can find, and then immediately sits down wanting them on, even if she's only found 1 shoe, 1 shoe is better than no shoe for her.

But living in a house with two brothers, means, that she loves her cars and motorbikes too. Like Seth, she loves driving them over any surface she can find to explore on, and making the appropriate little "brrrrrrmmmmm" noise. Oh my little Naomi, I love you so much.

music

2008-07-08T09:00:00.000+10:00

I'm wanting to add music as an element of our days. To have more musical instruments in our lives. Seth seems to be growing in his love for things that make sound. We have these little plastic toys that can be either guitars or violins. I'd like to find some real bongos, or hand drums, plus maybe a little guitar? Any suggestions?

cooking

2008-07-07T09:00:00.000+10:00

Ethan so far has really taken an interest in cooking. I'm trying to get into more and more of a habit of including all of them in what I do, so that I can be with them fully throughout the day and still be able to get some of the things done that we need to do.

Naomi has gotten so accustomed to the fact that she helps me in everything that I do, that the times that I forget to give her a little job, she'll let out a little moan of "hey, what about me?" Love that!

Naomi likes cooking too. She hasn't learned or been taught yet very well, the art of waiting for the food to be cooked. So a lot of times I've given into her pleas of let me in my high-chair and give me the food, while I'm cooking dinner. But just recently I discovered that if I give her little play-dough shape cutters (for the reason that they are not common daily toys) and two bowls and a spoon, she will happily sit at my feet in the kitchen while I cook, pretending to cook her own concoction. I know that others will set the youngest up at the bench (or counter) with a bowl and spoon, and allow them to cook with the scraps from chopping.

I enjoy having Ethan in the kitchen. Seth hasn't taken to it the same way, but he'll toddle in and want to add this or that, then toddle back in until he thinks it might be time to have a lick, which he promptly returns, tongue out and ready.

Latest lesson, the greatest guiding principle in parenting our children is that we are to treat our children as God parents His own children. I'm excited to read God's word in this new light, to be learning parenting strategies through the example of our Heavenly Father's relationship to His people. May God grant me His wisdom.

saturday - a week later

2008-07-05T21:51:00.002+10:00

I think that during the day this next week I am going to try and turn off the computer during the day. I want to be fully present with my children, and even though I am not using the computer actively (spending any great length at one time on the computer) I'm always throwing it a glance checking for emails. And if I do get an email I read it, and then often allow it to be what is on my mind rather than my little ones. I know they won't be small forever, and this time every day, every second is so precious, I want to be there. It'll be a week trial, see if it will help me to be even more present. For those of you wondering, I will still check email at night.

I went to a Bible conference today. T stayed home with the babes (photo courtesy of T, heading out for an adventure to the airport). I took in a lot of information during the conference. It was a unique experience for me to be able to sit and listen to preaching un-distracted, and to talk with others able to keep eye contact the whole time we were talking. I don't be-moan the fact that I can't at other times, I missed my children dearly today, but I was trying to make the very most of such a unique opportunity. As a result I'm pretty tired. Life really is about making the most of every opportunity, whether here at home as a mama, or out and about at a Bible conference.

I did miss being home today, and I told T that I have the right job, meaning I'm glad that it's me staying home and him going out during the week. But I do know that they had a blast with their dada. Who would have thought of driving their wheat crackers to them at lunch time, on a remote digger and then dumping them onto their plate? Certainly not me...I'm jealous that I missed getting my crackers driven to me.

The most immediate lesson I learned today at the conference was the answer to the question of "Why do we evangelize?" The answer, because God desires to be honored and glorified, and the more people that acknowledge Him in who He is, our Maker and Savior, the more that He will be honored and glorified. May I love God so that this is my truest desire, to see Him glorified in my life and in the life of others.

saturday

2008-06-29T19:22:00.002+10:00

All our answers when asked, "What was your favorite part of the day?"

Ethan: "Watching about Lions, and then pretending to be Lions."
Seth: "Playing in the toy truck."
Dada: "Cuddles from Naomi."
Naomi: "Cuddles from Dada."
Mama: "Having Dada home for the day, and pretending to be Lions with everyone."

no photos just a few thoughts

2008-06-27T22:32:00.002+10:00

First thought, I love my husband. Experiencing so many moments of full on, so thankful to be sharing this journey with him, I love him sort of thoughts.

Second thought, thankfulness that I am experiencing answered prayer. Note to self, God is faithful in hearing and answering, but He's not attune to my microwave generation needs (instant gratification). But He has been surprising me in the way He is answering, and how He is allowing me to go deeper in my relationship and love for Him.

Third thought, peace. I am experiencing a lot of peace. And what do I attribute this peace to, God enabling me to begin to have a concept of living, Psalm 119:10-16:

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.

10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.

11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

12 Praise be to you, O LORD;
teach me your decrees.

13 With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.

14 I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.

15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.

16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.

Seriously, I know that this may seem foolishness to some, but LIVING God's word, hiding it in your heart, brings peace that surpasses understanding. I am so thankful and full because of it.

where's homie?

2008-06-21T22:05:00.002+10:00

there she is,

She has so much spunk and pizazz. It's fun to experience how different each of them are, and to see them develop and understanding more and more of what we are saying to them. Ethan is starting to write letters. He can write all the letters in his name, bar N. Seth's "reading" comprehension is kicking in. It's amazing to hear him answer some of the reflective questions we ask after our Bible reading at night. Naomi understands pretty much everything we are saying, but not necessarily why we are saying it. She found her own way under the cover of the couch the first time, the second time she couldn't work out how to get back there. So I told her she needed to sit down first, so she came away from the couch, near to me, and sat down. Not exactly what I had in mind, but she understood the "sit down first part". Obviously though I gave no instructions as to where she should sit. Common mama, get it right.

Which reminds me of a funny conversation between a friend and Ethan.

Friend: "How old are you?"
Ethan: "Three."
Friend: "And when will you turn four?"
Ethan: "On my next birthday."

Duh.

Thought on my mind. It's essential that I keep before me my main hope in raising our children. This will help me make the little decisions along the way. My main hope is that they will love God wholeheartedly, and have a genuine love for people. Through a conversation with T tonight, I was reminded of this overarching hope, which gives so much of my daily striving clarity. If you are interested to hear more, just ask me and I'll explain.

Good night for now.

and this was just before 10 a.m.

2008-06-18T13:47:00.003+10:00

It's no wonder that I sleep so well. We seem to do so much all just in one day, and I feel that I keep our lifestyle fairly simple. But children are so busy and always going. There are hardly any moments where we are all sitting. We only all sit when we are eating or reading a book, but there is still A LOT of squirming that takes place during both of those events.

Granny gave us a new sweeper. Everyone loves it, so mama especially loves it, because she now has three little eager helpers who want to sweep up the after meal crumbs.

Do you remember as a child the fun of sitting in a box? I used to dump out my toy box and sit in it. It's a memory that I'm not sure if it has to do with photos or people telling me the story. But I can vaguely remember emptying the toys out and trying to keep a cat in the box with me. Is this right Dad?

These boxes are actually Ethan and Seth's bed side tables, turned on their sides. Seth and Naomi were playing a copy cat game and giggling at each other. I love seeing them play.

And then before we could leave the room, they played everyone pile on Mama.

I'm learning, growing, and experiencing the fruit of living God's word. I am enjoying the realization that God's word is THE guide book to life. Totally sufficient and complete to help you make good decisions regardless of what the decision is. I desire to live more and more of what it says and can only do that if it is, as my friend said, pumping through my veins. May God grow this desire that He has placed in me.

from today

2008-06-12T21:30:00.003+10:00

Today was a windy day. We played outside all morning. Wind is fun.

This is us,

Naomi dressing up:

King Sheriff Ethan:

Sethie living in Sethie land (where he often exists):

This afternoon we went to the dude's park. Named because of the dude's that play on the skate ramps. We played for about 15 minutes on the slides and stairs (meant for small children) but then spent over 30 minutes running like crazy on the skate ramps, before any dude's showed up. They had a blast running around the concrete jungle gym. Mama chased Naomi wherever she went and only really had to save her life once. Ethan and Seth discovered they could slide on their tummies down part of the ramp. Everyone had fun, and everyone went to sleep as soon as the light was turned out. A sign of a very good day.

deleted.

2008-06-09T18:41:00.005+10:00

I deleted the last three posts. It's a learning process. I don't agree with what I was thinking originally. I'll be more careful not to use this place for verbal processing.

edited to add: It's not that I disagree with everything that I learned. This quote: "Always believe in a child's goodness rather than his wickedness. Believe, and let him feel that you believe, that of course he will obey, of course he will speak the truth, of course he will be able to carry out something he undertakes or is asked to do, and that there is no question of his being selfish or jealous, or showing any other sin. If you do this you will have your reward. If you believe the other way you will reap the whirlwind." revealed to me where I want to put my focus on a child's (or any person for that matter) nature.

edited again to say: This morning, I am deeply encouraged by Micah 6:7-8:

"7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God."

We come to Him with empty hands, but what He does want is for us to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with Him. His justice, and mercy overwhelm me. He is such a good God.

daily

2008-05-31T20:26:00.003+10:00

Every day I do a little analyzing of my parenting skills. Every day I seem to see room for improvement and often the way I'd like to improve.

Today I realized that there is not some hidden key that will unlock the chasm of folly that is bound up in my children's hearts. There is no particular formula that will solve the equation of daily fraternal squabbles, that will stop the tantrums, and the willful disobedience.

But what I do have is God's word, the Bible, His Holy Spirit for council, and an open line through prayer. These things are sufficient, not only that, they surpass my analyzing, and ability to understand the hearts of my children. They give me and my children the ability to loose the folly that is bound up, and to grow together in love and grace. Bottom line, I've been reminded again that He and His word are complete for daily living, in every way.

slowly

2008-05-28T14:13:00.002+10:00

The children are awake, and I still would like to jump in the shower. So this will be a little hello, and I'll start making my way and getting my mind around blogging again. I'm doing good. The mention of raw in the last post is mainly about learning some hard things about myself. But it's good to learn hard stuff sometimes, that for me is evidence of growth. To see yuck means I have a chance to see it changed, if I don't see it then it continues to cling with me unaware.

We're doing well as a family. Spending A LOT of time outside. It's cold in the mornings and we rug up, but then by mid-morning the sun is in full effect and it is crisp but warm. I love that fresh air feeling. Ethan has been asking me for days to ride his bike (still on training wheels) outside the gates of our home. Yesterday I said yes. He did a great job and was very trustworthy. We went up to a local walking track so that he could have more freedom and not have to get off his bike for every road crossing. Seth even had a little turn. They really are just growing so fast. I'm enjoying the journey alongside them so much. I love seeing each of their characters develop. Ethan is intense. Seth is happy-go-lucky. Naomi is playful. I could write more for each but those are the qualities in each of them that are up front in my mind at the moment. Hope all is well with each of you, and I'm going to try and get back into the swing of documenting our days.

one more, i promise.

2008-05-24T14:54:00.003+10:00

I know that I personally like blog entries where there is more photos and writing than video. I guess I'm feeling a bit raw recently, and don't really feel like writing about it. So I will leave video and hopefully make it back here soon in the form of blogging that I prefer. But this is a cute one, especially for any of you who love my little one.

when i grow up

2008-05-23T14:11:00.002+10:00

A conversation held between Sethie and Dada.

Sethie: When I grow up, I might be a dada too.
Dada: Yes, you can be a dada when you grow up.
Sethie: Yeah, and you can be a Sethie.

just to prove

2008-05-17T22:33:00.002+10:00

A few photos just to prove that we are still here. Well for the most part, Seth and Ethan went into hiding for a morning and Super Seth and Super Ethan appeared in their place. We're all still finding our feet after another life transition. I seem to take a long time when these things happen. I'll start appearing here more myself, maybe as Super Mama, we'll see.

driving over bumps

2008-05-10T22:05:00.004+10:00

We've gone a bit video happy over here. As I was driving for our weekly fruit n veg shop, I chuckled in the car as I remembered this one.

We sometimes now play games after dinner. One of the games we play is a pre-schoolers version of charades. I whisper in Ethan's ear, "pretend that you are a cat", and then he pretends and Seth guesses what he is. My favorite is Seth's train, but his driving over the bumps, in the video above, is well, priceless.

Other games we play for any interested are hide-n-seek. A game Ethan calls tickle monster - one where I sit somewhere stationary and they get as close to me as possible without me being able to reach them, because if I do, the tickle monster tickles them all over. We also play a memory game, where I deal out three or four toys to each of them, then have them name each item, after which they close their eyes and I take away one of the toys. When they open their eyes, they then say which toy is missing. We've also played the classic telephone. It's easy for the connection to be dropped with a 2 and 3 year old, but I love hearing what the message gets turned into.

Do you have any good games you like to play after dinner?

snuggy

2008-05-09T09:23:00.002+10:00

What was even funnier was watching them watch themselves on the computer. They giggled and giggled and giggled, and then when it was finished would ask, "again?" Ethan laughed so hard he got the hiccups.

more blessed to give than receive

2008-05-07T07:11:00.002+10:00

I've discovered afresh why it is more blessed to give than to receive. In the act of giving, we receive back at least tenfold what we give. We volunteered for the first time on Monday at a local nursing home. Watching the people there, watch and find joy in my children dancing and exploring their home, made my heart full. Full of gratitude for my little ones, full of love for these people I'm just now meeting, full of thankfulness for the opportunity to serve together.

One of the ladies gave each of them a hand knitted dolly. These have become one of their favorite toys. I want to express more of what this means to me, but just thinking about our time, these little gifts, and anticipating our next visit, overwhelms me with an immense fullness.

If you have time, go to a local nursing home, ask the receptionist who doesn't get visitors, and ask what you need to do (red tape) in order to be able to visit some of these people. It is well worth the time and effort.

taking stock

2008-05-02T14:31:00.002+10:00

Pigtails. I can't believe it. The pigtails, the fact that I have a little girl, that wears dresses and little black shoes. She is so playful. Loves to be tossed around, dipped upside down, tickled under her chin. If she's happy she'll twirl, and if you laugh at her twirling she'll keep twirling till she falls over. Naomi loves a game, of any sort. She loves her brothers, but fights for her spot in Mama's lap. And don't let the fact that she's the youngest and has 2 BIG brothers fool you into thinking that she loses the battles. She's tough as nails. Didn't cry a peep at her 1 year old shots, the doctor had never seen anything like it before.

She loves cuddles and kisses, kitties, her family, running outside, playing in the sandpit, food of any sort, and eating crayons.

My word, she's stolen all our hearts. Wowzers.

lullaby

2008-04-28T22:19:00.002+10:00

For the times that Naomi finds it really difficult to take her nap, I have sung to her through her door. This, on many occasions has helped her to settle for her sleep. On Sunday as we were all getting ready for church, Naomi was in her cot for her nap calling out instead of sleeping. I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth and could hear Ethan singing in the hallway. It took me a moment to realize what was happening.

Ethan was sitting outside of Naomi's door, singing a lullaby to her, to comfort her.

Seth brought himself and Ethan a car to play in Naomi's doorway while Ethan continued his lullaby. It's amazing the things that they take in, they way they process them, and then they way they play them out in their own little ways.

creativity friends with discipline

2008-04-26T22:14:00.003+10:00

I've always been under the impression that the people who are truly creative are the people who are free and whimsical. Allowing whatever came their way to stir their imagination and inspire their hearts to dream.

I think in some ways I've idealized this sort of impression I had of people. The older I grow, and with the event of having children, I'm realizing how much of life needs discipline and planning.

It is within this discipline and planning that we can be free to dream and be inspired and thus create. I'm not confident enough to say that this is a general principle common to all mankind, but I think that it could hold true to many of us.

What do I mean by create? For me creating isn't just about art or crafts or photography or graphic design. Creating is a thread throughout our lives. Reaching out to friends is a part of creating. Singing a song to my child. Finding new ways to celebrate the joys and little moments of life. Serving people God brings across our paths in a thoughtful and genuine sort of way. Finding ways to teach my children about the mysteries all around them. All of these are aspects of creating.

Yet, if I were whimsical and free flowing without discipline I wouldn't have the space to be creative in these aspects of our lives. It is through organizing, putting away, setting aside time, knowing when to say yes and when to say no, pushing through when I'm tired, making time for the things that re-fuel; these aspects of discipline allow me to have the freedom to create and enjoy the process of creativity.

nature's toys

2008-04-19T20:22:00.002+10:00

Inspired by this book the idea of bringing bits of nature inside. We do spend a lot of our time playing outside, riding bikes, being road workers, practicing our road rules, building houses, inviting pretend friends over, digging in the garden, playing in the sandpit, eating dirt (really that's just Naomi now who does that), finding hidden treasures. These activities only list some of the ways we spend time in our back yard, not to mention our regular walks ... but I'd not thought of bringing the outside world in, so that the natural world could continue to inspire.

The book, also talks about how children are natural at creating. I agree wholeheartedly with this idea, mainly because we are made in the image of God, and He is THE CREATOR. And what magnificent things does He create! Such things as the little rocks that Ethan played with for ages.

One of my favorite things though, to look at from a creative perspective is a butterfly's wings. God is the most amazing painter, the use of colors and the combinations are just absolutely amazing.

This all leads me to remembering this article where scientists, many who do not acknowledge the Maker, are in awe of His design, and trying desperately to copy His creations. God's thoughts are so much higher than ours, His ways are beyond comprehension. Even by trying to pull apart the dynamics of a horned toad in the Outback, scientists are baffled. This makes my heart soar with how Great He is, and how creative and innovative He shows Himself to be.

granola

2008-04-18T23:07:00.003+10:00

A daily part of our diet, crunchy granola:

10 c. whole oats
1 c. chopped almonds
1 c. sesame seeds
1 c. sunflower seeds
1 c. shredded coconut
1 c. powdered bran
2 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. milk powder

2 c. honey
3/4 c. vegetable oil
2 T. cinnamon
1 1/2 T. vanilla
3 T. water

1) mix together dry ingredients (first 8 listed)
2) mix together wet ingredients (last 5 listed), then heat over low till blended
3) mix wet and dry ingredients
4) press 1/4 of granola mix on 1 cookie sheet, then another 1/4 on 2nd cookie sheet and bake in oven @ 120C for 1 hour (rotate placement in oven after 1/2 hour)
5) repeat step 4 with remaining 1/2 of granola mix
6) cool and store in desired container or containers

You can add any dried fruit you prefer when done with mix. we leave it out and add it at the table. Ethan doesn't like dried fruit in general these days, and i find the granola sweet enough without the added fruit.

Enjoy.

more...

2008-04-16T21:16:00.005+10:00

Thanks to a thoughtful friend we had ages of fun with a new cardboard box. Ethan and Seth each had their own sail boats, and Naomi was left to choose.

Apparently Seth was a bad sailor and Naomi had to jump ship to her other big brother's boat.

Which was a good thing to since the Captain apparently left his own boat for Ethan's as well.

I love the simplicity yet complexity of child's play. How the same box then became a car to go exploring about in.

I had a really profound thought this afternoon and wrote out a whole post in my head. And then when I got the time to type it out, hmmmm, what was it again? It was so amazing that I forgot what it was.

We really are just dust aren't we? And yet, God loves us so deeply. I seriously don't get it, but I am incredibly thankful for this truth.

love ya and leave ya

2008-04-14T21:58:00.003+10:00

Dear blog,

I'm terribly sorry to leave you so neglected. I came by and loved you, gave you a face lift and then left you alone for so terribly long. Will you ever forgive me?

The details of why I've not given you the tender loving care are not important, what is important is that I thought of you daily, and often would sit and be about to give you some attention, when something else would whisk me away. Okay, maybe not whisk, but you get the point. Now, I know that we are more likely to judge ourselves on our intentions, and others on their actions, but dear blog, do please judge me on my intentions and not on my actions. Because I meant to give you more attention.

With my apology behind me, (and you do forgive me don't you?) I will let you in on a few more of my intentions:

To give you a closer glimpse of what we have been filling our time with
To share some of the things that I am learning as I read and think
More photos of my silly and lovely babes

I can tell you this. We are going to get an upgrade on our camera. I'm excited and sense that a hobby is being born. The ability to learn more about lighting, aperture, and shutter speed instantly, without having to wait for film to come back with all those little notes of which shot I used which setting. SWEET!

revamp

2008-04-04T23:15:00.004+11:00

Revamp, is that even a word?

Besides revamping the look of the site, which I hope to do more of in the future, keeping it fresh, I'm always milling around in my head my purpose for this site. I'll keep thinking and I guess you'll get to see what it becomes as I become more confident in my writing and ability to do justice to my thoughts. Not that they are that grand of thoughts, but I don't want you to have to read my rambling thoughts, because there are a lot of them always tumbling around in my mind, and I don't want to make you dizzy. As you are probably feeling just now as you read these last two sentences. Whew, you made it.

I can tell you that I am learning, A LOT. I'm enjoying this time of growth, and I want to share what I'm learning, but that's the problem, I'm not quite sure yet how to go about it, or even if anyone would really want to know the details of my lessons. I'll keep thinking and maybe I'll be able to leak a lesson or two in there as I continue to share what we're up to.

And, what are we up to? Well, Seth's favorite thing at the moment is to come to either me or T and say "Lay down Mama?" or "Lay down Dada?" because he'd like to use our bodies as his driving ground for whatever car he has in his hand. I never knew my knees and belly made such a great hill and valley.

the fun we have

2008-04-03T20:07:00.003+11:00

I've been really happy with the decision to stop watching television. It's great to see what games the boys and Naomi invent just because they have the time and space to do it in. There are moments where it feels a bit crazy and I just want them to stop and relax and have something to break the cycle of craziness, but I'm finding that there are other things that can help them to switch gears. My favorite with Ethan is to sit him in a chair and give him a few books to look at. He complies and often this will help him to slow down and re-focus.

It's wonderful to see them invent games with one another. These times of invention often come when I don't have anything structured planned for them to do, and I'm not actively playing with them. The other day I was sitting in the room with them reading, and out of the blue Ethan says to Seth "let's play hide-and-seek". Let me remind you that my children are 2 and 3 years old. They haven't quite got the knack of the game, but they played their own version, which produced lots and lots and lots of laughter. These sort of spontaneous games take place every day, and I feel that a lot of it has to do with them not looking to an easy out in television because it's never on offer so they've almost entirely forgotten about it.

Another note on the topic of simplicity, I'm finding that they spend a lot of their time imagining different things to be real life items. For example, after we moved, there was a small sized box that Ethan claimed as his own, that box became a refrigerator, a mail box, and a tool box. These transformations didn't take place all in one day, this poor box got played with for days and days. Pieces of wood outside have become hammers and saws, and they too have been played with day after day. I'm really starting to see why so many people advocate in simple toys which can be used for a variety of purposes depending on the child's imagination.

I can't leave off this entry without telling about Naomi's continued desire to be like her brothers. She is so close to being able to really play with them, but she's not quite there. Ethan and Seth were running through the house playing a game and laughing and screaming. Five seconds after Ethan and Seth had cleared the hallway shrieking with glee all the way down, Naomi came toddling through, screaming. At first I was alarmed wondering what was wrong, but then she began giggling. She had no idea what she was screaming or giggling at, but that's what her brothers were doing, and boy were they having fun and she didn't want to miss out.