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Thursday, August 19, 2010

yep, it's me!

I know I have not been as good as writing here as I should. I have been trying to get inspired and write meaningful things but to be honest, I can't seem to find my light.

What have we been up to? Well... not much. You know the same old wake up-get ready-clean-cook sort of routine. I have been venturing out a little but the weather has been so miserable that it's hard to plan anything. Ughhh, wet weather is not great is it? The lawns are so long now it looks like we live in the jungle. But can't mow them until this rain decides to give us a break.

I found a really cute shop in town, it's an antique shop and I love it. I also have been browsing around, getting to know this place a bit better.

Other than that, I am planning Allyah's birthday party which will happen next weekend. It will be at the park - weather permitting of course. For the first time, I will be making the decorations, so watch this space....

If there is anyone that even still reads my blog, don't be shy! Say hello! Make my day :)

Monday, August 9, 2010

Who's the bargain queen??

I AM THE BARGAIN QUEEN!
Well. I have to admit. I NEVER pay full price when it comes to clothes or shoes. I actually mean it, our money is hard earned and I dare not pay $50+ for a pair or pants of shoes. No my friends, this mum does not do that. And I must add that I don't have anything against people who does, just so we're clear. I love second hand shops and half of my wardrobe is thrifted!

So today I was in town and after I got a call from school to come and get Isabella who apparently was sick (trust me, that child is NOT sick, she can really put it on - so we're home and she wants to play outside, hmmm, sorry dear, sick people stay in bed...) I ventured into one of the shops here and I was giddy! Give me $20 and I can get a lot. To be exact, I spent $18. I got two jackets for me, one pair of really good pants for Isabella, one for Allyah, one for Elijah, a toy spider man and toy ten pin bowling game for the kids! So, two jackets, three pair of pants and two toy items for $18!
Not mentioning when I went to K-Mart I got a jumper for $5 and a maternity skirt for $3 (the skirt is very vintage and I wear it as a top... I should take photos!)

I only buy good quality and I have to like it, I don't buy it just because it's cheap. But it is always cheap and that's a bonus!

Like I said, bargain queen is my middle name!

Maybe I should expand and share my bargain hunting tips? Would anyone be interested in that? Leave me a comment if you would!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

I LOVE fridays!

Even if I am at home and my days are pretty much free (well... we are not counting housework and climbing Mt Laundry here - even though they do take a lot of my time, humph) there is something about fridays. Would you agree?

Is it the " I don't have to get up so early and rush like a mad woman to get the kids to the school bus" feeling?
Or the "even though hubby is working this weekend we still get to spend time together as a family" feeling?

I don't know but whatever it is, I just have to declare my love publicly: Friday, I love you. You are wonderful and you make my heart sing!
Hehehe

Now that that is out of the way, here is the linky party for today:

New Friend Fridays

If you are here for new friend Friday, welcome!! Make yourself at home :)

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

who knew

that moving here would keep me away from blogging? Ugh, I am finding hard to find words to write even though we got lots going on, there is nothing going on really if you know what I mean.

I have been busy being a stay at home mum and trying to conquer Mount Laundry - the weather has been atrocious and we haven't got a dryer. We have an awesome fireplace that has been on non-stop and I do try and dry the laundry but it takes two days to dry and I can't keep up.

Tomorrow we have an appointment with a doctor - to enroll in the system which will be handy. There is so much that needs to be done and I am so not used to being at home. Sometimes I get so tired, just because I am not doing anything, like yesterday, I could have gone to bed mid morning, I was so tired - but my handsome little boy is not interested if mum is tired or not.

My house is starting to look normal. I finally organised the boxes we sent over and the kids are sleeping on beds, unlike hubby and I - we're still floor bound until we decided to buy a new bed due to Jason's back pain issues - but that might take a while yet.

So even though life is busy, it is uneventful.

I need something to do though. I don't like staying home all that much, I need some brain stimulation.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Feeling crafty and church news

Yesterday for the first time I got my stuff out and created something. I had no idea what it was going to be when I first started but I ended up with this:

I know everyone is making these, but they are so awesome, and I really love fabric flowers, so why not? Isabella loved it too and she wore it the whole day and everywhere we went, people asked where I got it from, so it's specially nice to say I made it myself.
(I must say photos are not great as I have not got a camera and I have been taking photos with my Iphone)

Once the girls start school next week I will have a bit more time to start all my crafty projects, I have been craving for some crafty time - but it is specially hard to do anything when the kids are around.

I have been here for three weeks now and I can say that we found a church to go to. This is such a relief, we can start to become part of a family again. It's amazing how God's people embrace you just because you love Jesus! No matter who you are or where you are from (cheesy Backstreet Boys song, hehe).
Last Sunday we went to the Mount Gambier Baptist Church and I was truly overwhelmed by people's friendliness. Everyone took their time to come and introduce themselves and talk. So we were the last ones to go home, I think for a first visit that is pretty good. We were invited for lunch, for dinner and a birthday party! We couldn't go for lunch as Jason was busy, but dinner and birthday party was great, it is so good to meet some people, people you get along with and have lots in common with!
So we went back to the same church yesterday, and again, people are so friendly! So we got a couple more invitations and met some more people. I don't think there is a better way of connecting with people and forming friendships. I just feel like one of them, there were no clicks, no exclusion because we are new, they made us feel welcomed, no matter what!

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 13:34-35


PS. I am linking up to:

The Girl Creative

:) Leave a comment if you feel like it!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Trying to create new normal

We have been here for two weeks now. Time flies doesn't it? Since we got here we have been trying to create a new normal, which has been kids hard as it is school holidays for the next week and a half, which means I still did not get the chance to explore town properly - I would not even attempt it with three kids in tow.

We knew it would be a big change, and it is. Everything is different from what we are used to. If you think about it, even things like TV programs and how the mail system works. So we still have a lot of discovering to do. I can't imagine what it would be like to go to a different language speaking country - at least that is the same, minus the Australian accent!

The kids spend most of their time playing outside, we haven't got any toys, well, a couple of toys, but my kids love being outside even if the weather is miserable like it has been, this week we did have a couple of days of sun which is great. So they make huts, they make houses, mailboxes, they cook in their little pretend stove, they breathe the fresh air, they spend a lot of energy!

As for me, I am still getting used to not rushing around. Going from full time work to being a stay at home mum is quite a big change. Now I do the laundry, dishes, tidy up after the kids... I have to admit, I do like being busy sometimes and I will need to find myself something to do soon, not work, just perhaps, recreational purposes courses? Hmmm... I really need to have a look and see whats available, I am thinking I want to learn to sew! So I can carry on with my crafts, I can't wait to get back into it again.

We finally bought table and chairs - something I always took for granted. After two weeks eating standing up (kids cant eat on the couch, the spill their food in the carpet - BIG MESS), it's great sitting at the table as a family again. Normality is slowly creeping in and I am happy about it.

ON Friday, Bella turns six! Can't believe she will be a big six year old. It's quite scary! We're having a little party for her, we have invited a couple of people, hopefully it will give me a chance to get to know some people better too.

I think that's it from me today. I am finding it hard to remember to write in here, I think I am still a bit out of sync with my routine, but we will get there... eventually.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Australia

Hey, long time no see. We did not have internet until last night so I have been trying to remember everything I need to write in here. We have been in our new home for a week and a half now and to be honest we're still feeling a little bit out of place with lack of routine, as it is school holidays for the next two weeks and the weather has been miserable.

Where do I start?On Monday when we traveled, our day started at 2.30am as we had to be at the airport at 4am. Not much to say from that until we got into our plane, saying good bye is never easy.
We got into our plane, a four hour ride which was not bad, all I can say is thank goodness for the Wiggles, it kept Elijah entertained for three hours! He ended up falling asleep for the last half hour of the flight and missed out on landing.

When we got to Melbourne, we walked around a lot, ate some food, walked some more. We started to get really tired and we still had 5 hours of waiting to do. I don't know how but we did survive and got into our next flight. When we got to Mount Gambier, hubby was NOT at the airport. I was not impressed, we were so tired and quite sick of each other by then. I thought he was hiding but no, he thought we were flying in half hour later. Anyways, we managed to get home after a very long day. Elijah fell asleep on the way home in the car and did not wake up until the next day.From what I have seen so far, Mount Gambier is bigger than Masterton. But I haven't had a chance to look around properly as I have had the kids with me the whole time and hubby has not had a weekend off yet - he is having this coming weekend which is great, it will give us time as a family to do things around, we will also go garage sale hunting, as our house is still looking empty and we still need quite a lot.

The girls will start school next term as the school holidays start tomorrow. We have decided they will attend the christian school in town. We already got uniforms and they went visiting for the day yesterday and they loved it.
I will write more as I remember more, here are some photos:
This is a cave, right in the middle of town


my guys, walking by the library
the kids playing in the tree hut

Thursday, June 24, 2010

We made it across the ditch!

Just a very quick note to let you know that after a very long day, we have made it to our new home :) Will update some more tomorrow :)

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Rejection

My kids go to a christian school, a great school. The teachers are awesome and my girls really thrive at school. I have never had any issues, apart from normal kids stuff.
When I picked my daughter from school yesterday, she was very upset crying. When I asked what was wrong, she said R had not invited her for her birthday party (which is friday - also Allyah's last day of school). She said she was the only girl not invited. They have a pretty small class and I thought maybe R had forgotten to give her the invitation. Then Allyah said 'no mummy, she said it to my face that I was not invited - the only girl of the class that wasn't invited'. Needless to say that my mummy heart broke into a million pieces.
What do I say to a sensitive 7 year old in a situation like this?
I told her not to worry about it, R was the one missing out on an awesome friend, that she is beautiful and there is nothing wrong with her. That friends like that are not real friends and she should not worry about people who are just mean. Not as easy as it sounds. I just didn't know what else to tell her. So I gave her a hug but she was so upset.
I just wanted to make it go away for her. I wanted to ring R's mum and tell her how unfair it was to treat a 7 year old like that. I wanted to say how she, as a mum, should know how kids can be mean and avoid this sort of situation happening. Now I would not care if this was a big school and random people being invited to this party. But it's a small school. And she was the only one left out.
Of course I did not ring anyone. I just wanted to make it better for Allyah. I can deal with rejection. Heck my boss completely ignores me sometimes when I say hello or good morning, or when I say something, I get nothing back. I am ok with it. We are always going to find people in life that are out there to make you feel awkward and out of place, or make you feel like there is something wrong with you. But how I get through to a 7 year old?
My daughter is lovely, creative like me, caring, fun! I love her too bits.
Why do kids have to be so horrible and mean?
What would you have done? Have you gone through something like that? How did you handle it?

Monday, June 14, 2010

I love new friends

Tuesday Tag-Along


BWS tips    button
It's that time of the week again!

Come on guys, follow me and I will for sure follow you back!

When you are out of your comfort zone

It's so cold!
Ok, maybe not as cold as some of you get, but for our standarts, it's COLD!
It does not snow here where we live. It does on the mountains that surrounds us, but it's cold anyways. Too cold. I like winter, I just don't like being cold.


holy experience
It's tuesday here - but monday still in many places and monday where Ann Voskamp shares the Multitude Monday. So here I am.
I have been thinking a lot lately, how me and my little family been thrown out of our comfort zone and how we're dealing with what comes with it. We have been living here in Masterton for 8 years now. We have family support, we have church support, we know our way around, it's home. But when God says to you: Get out of your comfort zone - it can be very hard. We moved out of our house, sold our belongings, packed our bags. Hubby left nearly two weeks ago - daddy is not around. We are staying with grandma - any routine is out of the door - even though we do try to carry on with some sort of normality.
When we decided that we were moving countries with three kids, somewhere we have never been before, we were quite excited. A new place, a new church, new friends, new shops (hehe). Everyone comes up to me and say 'You must be so excited' and truth is, I am excited. But I am also anxious, scared, sad. This whole new adventure is really really close now and I am starting to get a bit nervous. I have been speaking to hubby everyday and he keeps telling me how different things are over there, even though it's only Australia. Then I realised we are actually starting from scratch. We are out of our comfort zone big time and it's so scary! I know people do this kid of things everyday - move countries, or jobs, or face lifestyle changes. It's just seems like it a huge task when it's happening to you.
So I am clinging to Jesus. Because I know he has gone ahead of us, in every single step we have taken so far. When I look back in our journey, I can see how He has been with us throughout the whole process and there is no denying, we are where we are supposed to be. When I see it in that light, I start to get really excited because, yes, this is an adventure, the type of adventure that He has prepared for us Himself. It seriously cannot get any better than that. And I am so thankful and humbled by it.
The gratitude list continues:
31. The adventure
32. Pretty fabric
33. Thrifty shops
34. Slow cookers
35. New items of ridiculously cheap clothing
36. My new handmade by me jewellery
37. My talents so I can make them :)
38. Awesome people that bring me inspiration
39. A church family where I can be myself
40. The unknown - because He is ahead of us!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

The weekend, obsessions and my blog

As you might have noted, I have an issue with my blog templates. I get sick of them really easy and I keep changing all the time. I think it really depends on how I feel - if the template does not suit, I will change it. But there are not many places to find free templates so I am not entirely happy with any of them for some reason....
Anyways.
My weekend was awesome.
Saturday night the ladies from our church had a farewell for me, we had a fruit fondue night and karaoke. It was so much fun, I can't sing to save myself but I sang my heart out, top of my lungs type of singing. It was not pretty but I had a blast. I was really glad my awesome friend had no neighbours close by, otherwise noise control would have been involved in the evening at some stage. But top of lungs type of singing is the best way to sing. And sing I did.
At some point, they had a little speech and made me cry. I will so miss my church sisters. They have been great throughout the years, offering their friendship, their houses, their shoulders, their ears. I want to thank each and everyone one of you just for being who you are, you guys have been great friends and I hope your bond carries on and I hope you guys carry on blessing each other like you have blessed me. My prayer is that I God prepares a church family like this for us over in Australia. We're all part of His family and the bond we all share is somethings that only we can understand (typing as I sob....)
This weekend I have been so very crafty and it is such a shame I don't have a camera to take photos and show you guys what I have been up to. I bought a plain black fabric bag and make fabric flowers to go on it. I also made a fabric flower headband for myself, some fabric bracelets and a rosette ring. I love to be creative and make stuff and this weekend I have done lots of it. Very therapeutic indeed.
I seriously need to stop typing as my fingers are frozen. All of you in the northern hemisphere, where it's nice and warm and you have been swimming and enjoying the sunshine.... I hate you. Well, no I don't. I am just joking. But I seriously envy you.... in a good way of course.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

God does look after us

I was feeling a bit down yesterday. I was missing hubby, my boss was being annoying, it was so cold. I had a headache and a sore throat (I still do). It was one of those days.
I left work at 4, as I had to do a couple of things for Jason. I browsed through expensive shops as I walked. At that moment I wished I had lots of money to buy lots of clothes. But the circumstances are that we spent quite a lot more than expected with our move to Australia, so money is not available as I would like and I started to feel sorry for myself.
And then I snapped out of it.
I prayed. I told the Lord how I was feeling. And carried on on my merry way. Then I had a brilliant idea. I went to the Seeker's Mega Mart, which is a massive second hand shop. I started to browse and I could not believe my eyes when I found some totally awesome and sooo me items. A skirt, a nice vintage top and a black jacket. I was so happy! Do you want to know how much I spent for everything? $9.50! Yep, you read it right! $9.50 for three super awesome items of clothing. I seriously could cry because I was so happy with how God takes care of us, and He knew exactly what I wanted and what I like, and He gave me just that!
Our God is awesome. He really is.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

even though it's wednesday...

... here in New Zealand, it's still tuesday for a lot of people, so I am going to join the

Tuesday Tag-Along
So please, leave me a comment, I ♥♥♥♥♥ comments and follow me and I will follow you back!

Update from Australia

I talked to my lovely hubby last night. He starts his new job today.
He has been busy trying to figure out how everything works. He said even though it's only Australia (we're in New Zealand), everything is very different. He was stressing out a bit yesterday because he didn't know where to go to do what he needed to. So he was quite frustrated. I was telling him, these things take time. And we will be there in 12 sleeps! I really can't wait, because I just want to get there and get settled.
So hubby already started shopping! He bought a car, a lounge suite, a fridge, beds for the kids, and a mattress for us. He will get a washing machine and try to get table and chairs. He got a tv for free. So things are starting to come along, slowly... despite the lack of funds. Hehe. I told him to only get the essentials for now and when I get there, I will use my super creative crafty self to make our new house, our new home!
On a side note - it is FREEZING here. It is seriously cold and I am so thankful for fireplaces! And heat pumps. And socks. And scarves. And hot soup. You get the idea.
"A happy heart is a good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries the bones"
Proverbs 17:22

Monday, June 7, 2010

Being graceful and patient

I got a situation.
I ask you to read this with a light heart, but I need to vent. I need to let it all out and work it out in my head how I am going to deal with the situation gracefully and patiently.
Not easy.
**************************************
So most of you are aware that Jason has gone to Australia two weeks ahead of us and the kids and I are staying with my in laws. You see where this is going, don't you?
Please don't get me wrong. I love my in laws, we get along fine, but I think living there is not ideal. The house is really small and MIL is a bit of a clean freak. I have three kids, they are loud, messy, like any other kid. I do have to nag them a lot in the morning when we are getting ready for school, but what parent doesn't? (If you are reading this is going 'I don't have to nag' please share your secrets!!)
Anyways, MIL is hard to live with. She won't say things to my face, but she will tell the kids to tell me things when I am standing right there. Not just that, I keep getting "if it was me" or "if it was my children" speech on and on and on. And I seriously don't mean just a little speech... the WHOLE time we are there, she does not stop complaining or comparing my kids to hers (her youngest being nearly 30 - my hubby!) and just being a pain for the sake of being a pain. I think she keeps talking to hear the sound of her own voice, or maybe she feels that she needs to do that? If things are not done the way she wants them done, watch out. I am so upset because of it, I honestly don't know what to do to make it better. I am trying really hard to think ahead to avoid unpleasant comments, but it's a losing battle my friends.
That was my vent post.
************************************************
Now, how am I going to deal with her gracefully and patiently? How am I going to go on and NOT explode and be angry at her or say things I don't mean?
To be perfectly honest, I have no idea. It is so hard to bite my tongue and not say anything when I really feel like telling her to butt out!
So far I have done well. Apart from telling her to stop judging one of my friends, someone she does not even know - and I did it nicely. But I am really upset this morning. It's only 9am and already I feel like I can't take it anymore - I still have 13 days there! I am glad I go to work and the kids have school. Otherwise I don't think things would turn out okay.
As I type this, a verse comes to mind:
"You have heard what it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 'But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn his the other also; and if anyone would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you. You have heard that it was said. 'You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy'. But I say to you 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" Matthew 5:38-45
Let me just say this: She is not my enemy. As I said, we do get along, I just think we're having a 'own space" collision. I am in her space and she is in mine.
I think Jesus was aware of how difficult it was to 'turn the other cheek' when he said those words. It's one of the hardest things to do - because in our own minds - we're being wronged. I am doing everything I can to avoid the complaints and rambling, but no matter what I do, I still get them. I think it's so unfair and it does not make it any better to have someone in the background criticising every single thing I do. It's very hard to let go and not be upset or annoyed by it not to mention the unspoken tension.
I am really working hard on this one. Be gracious and patient. Turn the other cheek and agree with things even when I really want to scream and hide. I know it's not for long, I know I have the power to make things or break things. Given the circumstances, I do not have an option but be like Jesus and practice my patience. A whole lot.


holy experience


It's actually tuesday here. But here we go:

21. Chocolate cheesecake

22. Friends who let me borrow their car!

23. Karaoke! So much fun

24. Kid's tv channels (it's been so wet around here, and grandma's house is small)

25. Safe flights

26. new crafts on my to do list

27. Cough syrup and honey

28. Our new car in Australia

29. Jason's new cell phone - I can call him

30. Phone cards - i won't cost in laws a cent for the overseas calls!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Isabella

This is Isabella. She is nearly 6.
Her prayer tonight went like this:
"Dear Jesus, thank you for the beautiful world you gave us. Please keep daddy safe and give the children in Africa food to eat"
She sure knows what matters, doensn't she? I love this girl.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

My birthday and such

Yesterday I turned 29. There's something about eing nearly 30 that bothers me somehow. I think it's that big milestone that is arount the corner, the fact that I won't be a 20-something anymore. The fact that you are for sure a grown up. I know 30 is not old - but it's a corner turned. But I am not there yet, I still have one year of being a 20-something, so I might as well enjoy it.

My day was quite quiet actually. Hubby is not here and that made me sad. Allyah went to a play date and I had Bella and Elijah tagging along with me. Bella said she was going to try and be a good girl for my birthday, as it turned out, I waited all day for it, it didn't happen, hehe. She is a livewire that girl, throughout the day I got about 10 handmade cards from her, everytime she remembered it was by birthday, she made me one.

I had to go and clean the farm house which didn't take me long, it had to be done.

So we pottered along all day.

I had a couple of friends over in the evening and everyone gotto try my chocolate cheesecake, it was actually quite good, my first cheesecake. I was surprised how easy it was to make - so I will definately be making more.

Spoke to Jason in Australia, he is trying to get us a car, and he is thinking of driving from Adelaide to Mount Gambier. I miss my hubby.

I am not feeling that inspired to write lately, maye when things slow down a bit, my inspiration will come back? Maybe if I have some left over cheesecake for breakfast will help? Hmmmm,.... worth a try!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Friday, I love you!

Oh yay, it's friday. Life has been very hectic, not just hectic, but different. We don't have our stuff, we are living out of our suitcases - at grandma's house.

We sent Jason off last night. He thought his flight left at 8pm but it didn't actually leave until 9pm. So we sat around for a while and when it was time to say good bye, the girls started to cry, it was so sad - I kept reminding them it was only for two weeks - but that didn't work too much, they still cried heaps. I think it was a combination of sadness with being very over tired.

I am so glad it's friday, we have been crazy busy but things are going to slow down a bit for a while, until we leave, that is. Tonight I am really looking forward to doing NOTHING all night. I have not done 'just nothing' in a while. The kids will definately go to bed early as they had two weeks of late nights.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I will be alone. No hubby, no in laws (they are going to the beach), so I have decided I am having a couple of people over for dessert. I am making a chocolate cheesecake... yum! So if you are local - and you are reading this, you are invited to come around - bring some dessert to share and laughs. If you need more info, email me!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

1 sleep and he is going!

Jason leaves tomorrow.
We're so stressed. So busy. So tired.
Bleh... who thought that moving countries was going to be this hard?
This last month has gone by so quick! We had so much to organise. Well, Jason did most of the organising because I am at work. Anyways, bills, disconnections (power, phone...) garage sale, sale of our stuff by other means, the moving out of the farm house, and amongst all of it, the running of our holsehold, laudry, dishes, cooking, school work...
I don't think we realised the amount of work it is. But now, we're nearly there. We can see how things are coming together. Like I said, Jason leaves tomorrow night. Then we follow, two and a half weeks later.
Only two and a half weeks! Eeekk.
Isabella is still having sore tummy bouts. I am actually a bit concerned about it. I am thinking she might be feeling the pressure of the move too? Or maybe it's something in her diet? Wheat or dairy intolerance?
I am sorry I am a bit whingy today. Well, not whingy, I am just a bit frustrated and tired. I am allowed to be sometimes ain't I? Bleh. I think I need some prayers sent my way plus a drink of a calming tea. I have been drinking strong coffee, a lot of it. I sorta need it right now.
I need a holiday.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Blood Test results

I got my thyroglobulin blood test result.
And it's official:
NO CANCER!
I was worried about it, I must admit. Heck, I have a PHD in worry studies! But you know what? The more we go through situations, the more I realise that worrying does nothing. It does not make anything better, it does not make me have any control over what I am worrying about. All is does, is make me stressed about possible scenarios that didn't even happen yet, how silly is that?
Blah, I really need to work in not worrying.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
Matthew 6:25-27
I seriously love that verse. It's so true, worrying has no benefits whatsoever.
Everytime I worry, I am wasting energy. I really need to concentrate in distracting myself with good things when I start to worry.
What do you do when you start to worry?

Sunday, May 30, 2010

I am following a whole heap of people. Will you follow me in my journey too?

The adventure has begun!

The weekend started on a high.
It was friday night and I was tired, we were running late home, so we got some fish and chips and headed to the farm. Got home, ignored the mess (big time!) and went to check the voice mail on the phone. Message one:
"Hi, this is lady from Australian Consulate. I am just ringing to let you know the doctors gave me the go ahead and I will be processing Roberta's residency on Monday and send it by courier on Monday. Have a good weekend"
ARE YOU FLIPPING SERIOUS?
All the mess did not bother me anymore. I started to scream because I was so happy! I did the happy dance. The kids looked at me funny. But I didn't care! God is truly faithful! We have encountered so may obstacles along the way to get to this point. We even looked into changing our flights. We spent many hours worrying about it, and all was in vain. He is faithful. He is ahead of us in this move, I have no doubts at all - so why did I even worry? We still have twenty one days spare! How cool is that? This is such a miracle in itself - if you have been reading my blog, you know all the hurdles we have been through! We're so happy, there is a huge weight off our shoulders. No more wondering about it, no more stress. God is so good. I can officially say now that I am an Australian Resident!
On another note, we moved out of the farm house this weekend.
Saturday morning was a mission. Jason got our garage sale organised and I stayed at home with the kiddies. It was raining and super cold outside. We had no couch to sit on, no TV, no computer because the phone had already been disconnected. I was trying to clean but I gave up because the kids were cutting paper and trying to entertain themselves. So we started to jump on the mattress and use it as a trampoline. It was fun. We did get bored, it was a long morning, but we survived.
Then we had a family farewell dinner for Jason.
On Sunday after church we went to see my sister and my spotty niece Georgia (the bubba has chicken pox, she is so cute all spotty, haha)
I cannot believe how fast this year is going by. My birthday is next saturday, I will be turning 29. Pretty scary. We have been so busy since deciding we were moving to Australia, no time to smell the flowers. I find that sometimes, we just have to do what we have to do. We're exhausted, busy - but it will all be worth it in the end. God has been ahead of us throughout the whole process and we're excited to see what he has in store for us.

holy experience
continuing my list, this monday, this is what I am grateful for:
11. my God, who is faithful
12. Jason's parents, who opened their doors for us, despite a very small house
13. warmth! it has been a cold week.
14. Our friends, we have been busy trying to say goodbye to everyone
15. work - yes, I am tired but God knows why I need to work until I go and he has given me this job!
16. Wiggles dvds - Elijah loves them and when he starts singing in the car it really warms my heart.
17. Wheat bags - them make Bella's tummy better.
18. Allyah's sense of humour, she is starting to develop her own and she can be quite funny.
19. the mess - means we're getting things done
20. Coffee :)

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Stream of Consciousness

Stream of Consciousness posts = I just write whatever comes to my mind, no thinking, no editing, just me and my brains! So excuse me if I ramble or what I am saying does not make sense.
It's a very cold and rainy thursday here in New Zealand and today I really struggled to get out of bed. My bed was so warm and the house was so cold. So I lit the fire and my problems were all gone, in no time we had a warm toasty house. I actually like winter, I just don't like being cold.
Last night we packed some more boxes. That was really the last thing I wanted to do, I was just so tired and American Idol was on, and I really wanted to watch it. But anyways, I had to get up and start because Jason was nagging me. So up I get up and start. And I started to get really discouraged by the mess - my friends, I must say, it's huge. So I packed my kitchen, my groceries, pout them into boxes while Jason sorted out his paper work and danced around to Americal Idol making me laugh. That boy annoys the heck out of me sometimes, but I do love him. He makes me laugh all the time (that is, when he is not, ahem, annoying me!). I will certainly miss him a lot when he goes to Aussie next week! We will be separated for three weeks, which I know is not much, but it is three weeks too long.
Have I mentioned that we (the kids and I) have a seven hours wait in Melbourne airport? Seriously, I am not joking. S E V E N H O U R S with three kids in an airport. Have any of you ever had to do anything like this? Picture this: Our flight leaves New Zealand at 8am (I think) which means we will need to be at the airport at six. Ok. Then we fly for three hours and then wait for SEVEN until our next flight. I said seven right? Yep. Three kids, plus luggage for four as I will have to check in again for our domestic flight, plus two booster carseats. Are you picturing this in your mind? Are you feeling awfully sorry for me? I would love tips and ideas to keep busy children entertained and to keep me sane. So please, if you have done anything like this, share, oh please!!! Share your tips with me.
Tonight is our last night at our house. It's not really looking like our house anymore. Our stuff is all gone. A new chapter of our lives is about to start and all I can say is: Bring it on!
That's all ♥

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

A time waster


Walk with Him Wednesday

holy experience
I have been struggling with what I was going to write about.
You see, it's "Walk with Him Wednesday" and I really wanted to write about something that I find important, but must confess, I am not good at it sometimes.
Using my life as a ministry to others.
Seriusly, it is a whole lot easier said than done. I think most people can relate when I say that. Every morning when I wake up, the intentions are good. So I get up, have my shower, get the kids up. From there on, it's rush time. By the time we leave the house, we are all flustered and grumpy.
Not a good start. Drop the kids at the bus stop, Elijah at daycare and head to work.
'Concentrate now'
The phone starts ringing and the word day starts. By the tenth phone call, I start to voice my frustrations. 'Some people should not own computers' (I work at a software development company, we get a lot of calls from people with software problems) By the twentieth phone call, maybe one or more clients heard my frustration in my tone of voice. My work colleagues just think it's normal, after all, we all have a whinge about frustrating phone calls or people who are not so computer savvy. So to them, I am one of the bunch.
But when I think about it, what am I showing my work colleagues? I am probably not setting the right example of what Jesus would do if He was walking in my shoes. Ok, I know I am human, but I know better. But when people are rude to me, it's hard to turn the other cheek. When people start to backtab, sometimes it's hard not to give my two cents worth. We're all buried in a society where you need to be 'in' in order to fit.
Don't get me wrong. I really do not to go out of my way to be 'in'. What I am saying is, sometimes we get caught up in a moment and when we realise, it's too late, you already criticised the boss or voiced your frustration out loud. I do want to be in, in HIS crowd. I don't really care if people think I am weird because I don't drink, or because I don't say anything when gossip is going around.
But like I already mention in this blog, sometimes I fail miserably. People often judge christians, saying we are all hypocrites. The news is, we are! Everyday we are reminded how we can't measure up at all. And that's the beauty of christianity. If we were all perfect, we would not need Him at all. And His grace is given to us, everyday we fail, yet, He loves us, He forgives us, every single day.
The challenge is to keep focus and pray. Pray that the Holy Spirit will show me ways of using my life to show Jesus to other. I don't want to fit in.
I only want to fit in in His crowd.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

An update on our big move and prayer requests

Oh boy it's getting close now.

Hubby leaves in a week to go to Australia - there is not turning back (not that we would turn back, but you know what I mean!) This weekend, we will move out of the farm house and move in to Jason's mum and dad. Jason will only be there for half week, but the kids and I stay there until the 21st June * if everything goes according to plan *.

Immigration is still stuck for me, but Jason rang them on Monday and the lady promised she would have it all done by the time we go, as long as the results of my blood tests come back fine. I have to say that I am feeling a bit anxious when it comes to those results. When you get cancer - it's scary! When you have surgery - it's awful. When you are given a great prognosis after surgery and treatment - it's wonderful! For some reason, since my last treatment, 2 years ago, I never had a thyroglobulin test done. That test will tell if there is still an active tumor. And that's the test I am waiting results on. If you have a spare thirty seconds in your day today, please say a little prayer for me.

Today I am going to pack our bags. I bought three big suitcases for $25, I am the queen of the bargains, I must say I was really happy with my find! So I am putting all our clothes in the suitcases so Jason can take the draws away to be sold in our garage sale. So from now on, we will be literally be living out of suitcases!

It seems like everything is finally coming together for us. God has been with us all along the way, with every difficulty, he provided a solution for us.

It's quite scary going to a new place where you don't know anyone. And moving to Australia was not an easy decision as we're leaving family and friends behind, but Jason and I both feel God has a lot more in store for us than just a job and a nice house and that is exciting!

This is a photo of Mount Gambier, South Australia, where we are heading to:


Now for the prayer requests:

1. Isabella is home sick from school today, hence I am at home from work too. She has been having extreme tummy aches, we ended up in hospital last night - we're pretty sure the water we are drinking is causing the pains, as Elijah also had the same a couple of weeks ago. I am glad we're moving, meanwhile we're drinking bottled water.

2. Jason's mum, Carolyn - she has been feeling weird lately, with her heart racing and really high blood pressure. She collapsed on Sunday but she did not tell me! She has been to the doctor and they are running tests on her, but today she is off work again as she is not feeling right, to be honest, I am worried about her - so please pray for Carol!

3. My immigration stuff and my blood test results.

Monday, May 24, 2010


1000 Gifts

I have been reading a lot lately and thinking a lot lately. I don't know why but I have been feeling God's presence with me all the time, and I am wondering "why me?".

Why me?

I am such a busy lady, I haven't been reading my Bible, I haven't been the greatest mum or wife, I have been wrapped up in my own little world lately, unaware of a lot of things and to be honest, just being plain selfish. I get home from work and I am tired, the kids are tired, we are all going through the motions of life, just living.

Why me Lord?

I don't deserve it at all. I feel so weak and so undeserving. Yet I can feel Him close, in ordinary moments. I feel His nudge, I hear his voice, and yet, I am not listening. My mind is too crowded with noise, I can't sit still, I can't concentrate, my mind wonders to a thousand different places and I start to worry.

Yet, He is persistent.

He is always there. Showing me things, talking to me through simpleness in the middle of my rush. The kids yell in the background and I feel impatient, I want to love them, I want to be a great mum to them, but I feel so helpless, so tired. I feel like hiding away from it all, in quietness, stillness, with no success.

Lord, please help me.

He shows me beauty, love, life. And I am so ungrateful. When my children are being loud, I should be thankful that they are healthy. They are God's gift to me and Jason, and God made them perfect. They are beautiful, full of life, they love me unconditionally just like He does.
My spirit is crushed because I fail and fail everyday, I let them down, I let my husband down, I let myself down but most of all, I let Him down. I can't see what is right in front of me.

But He is not giving up on me.

The beauty of God is that he takes us as we are. He is taking me, undeserving, selfish, impatient, tired - me. He is wrapping me in His arms telling me it's going to be okay, telling me to keep trying, telling me He is with me all the time.

And all is left is for me to keep pressing forward, failing, getting back up and trying again. Because through Him, I can.


Every Monday, I am posting TEN things I am grateful for. I am following her idea.

I am starting my list today. Will you join me?


holy experience


1. Above all, God for choosing me and not giving up n me.
2. My husband
for loving me everyday and putting up with me.
3. Allyah for being such a wonderful daughter, so intelligent and loving.
4. Isabella for being busy, loud, loving, caring, the dreamer, singer that she is.
5. Elijah my only son, my baby boy, loving, truck and motorbike lover.
6. My church for giving us a place place we call home
7. Family all my extended family that have been there for me during various situations in my life.
8. My parents for raising me to become who I am today.
9. The country I have lived for the last 8 years.
10. The roof over my head, because many people don't even have that.

I am truly blessed.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Frustrated!!

I am so fustrated with the whole immigration process. I am so thankful that things are moving fast(ish) but not as fast as I would like. It seems like every corner we turn, we have a new wall to climb. It's so frustrating.
Immigration got the report that the oncolist wrote. When I had that appointment, I also had to do a blood test, but the results were going to take 2-3 weeks to come back. The Oncologist was positive the results were going to come back clear and she was going to say so on the report.
Now, doctor Jenner from Wellington wants to wait for those results, 2-3 weeks! Arrgghhh I am feeling kinda down today, I really don't want to have to re-book our tickets. I really dont want to have to be away from my husband for longer than what we already have to. Not to mention, Jason rang immigration yesterday and they told him my residency would "probably come back in July, and I would need to be issued with a tourist visa, and when my residency comes through, travel back to New Zealand to get it??? Grrr.... so not right!!
So yeah, I am not really sure what to do now. Poor Jason spends his breaks on the phone trying to sort this thing out. He is making endless phone calls trying to get people to move a little bit faster....
In my frustration, I am trying really hard to give it all to God and not worry about it. It's so hard to let go of my worries and just trust in Him. I know God is with us through every step of the process and I have to rest in this assurance - and I suppose I just answered my own despair call. I have to trust in God and His plans for this part of the journey. But it's not easy!
I am just really having a 'what am I going to do' day.
So please, dear Lord, help us. Open the doors that need to be opened for a smooth process. I feel so powerless and frustrated today. Please give me your peace in my heart and the assurance that things will be fine, no matter what.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Overtired and Overworked

Elijah has been waking up around 5am everyday this week. All of a sudden he decided that 5am was a good time to wake up - leaving me to deal with it.
I dont usually wake up until 6.10am - at least that's when my alarm is set to. But who needs an alarm clock when you have Elijah all chatty beside you asking questions about how old the trees are or how come it's still dark when it's morning time? As cute as it sounds now, trust me, at 5am, it's not that cute. And you know, when you are awake anyways and trying really hard to doze off, throw a child vomiting in the middle - perfect start to my morning!
What can I say, it's going to be a long day.
So I get to work and I am put in charge of a huge spreadsheet that has over 2000 clients with wrong addresses - so of course, I need to find a way to find their new address. Time consuming and boring job - my eyes cannot focus on the screen anymore.
I always vow to myself that I am going to bed early, but it never happens. So I am in a constant tired motion and I can't seem to get rid of it. I suppose it comes with the territory.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Oncology Appointment

Today I had my oncology appointment and it could not have gone any better!
Carolyn (Jason's mum) drove me to Palmerston North and the fog was so thick we could not see what was in front of us! But we got there in the end with time to spare! My appointment was at eleven thirty and we got there at nine thirty. So we went out for a coffee and had a little browse through some shops. Carol got a really nice handbag and a bracelet.
We got to the hospital at about ten thirty - and to my surprise - we got seen straight away, a whole hour before I was supposed to be seen. The oncologist lady was super friendly and so helpful. She told me that from her oncology point of view, I am cured from cancer and she has no concerns whatsoever about my future prognosis. Double yay for that, even though I know I am healthy, there is always a hint of fear when I go see the doctor when it comes to this whole cancer thing - so hearing that was a relief.
And thats exactly what she is going to write on her report to immigration. And she was going to write that report today and get it sent away as soon as report is ready - which I am hoping tomorrow. How great is that?
I was stoked with how the appointment went, so Carol and I went to the mall and had some shopping therapy because we could. Haha. I got five pairs of earrings for $15 and Carol gave me my birthday present early, so I got a real nice dress to wear on our farewell party.
Talking about farewells, Jason leaves in seventeen days. That's so scary.
Enough writing from me today, I have a huge pile of laundry to fold, so I better start. I reckon if anyone invented a laundry folding robot, they would get rich.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

God Open Doors!

God sure does open doors.
Remember that appointment immigration asked for, the one with the oncologist that was gonna take weeks for me to get seen?
It is tomorrow!
Tomorrow, at 11.30am in Palmerston North hospital.
Is God good or what?
I see it as a total gift from Him, my doctor had told me to get an oncologist to see me it was going to take four weeks minimum, and it would have to be private as the waiting list for public is months long, which meant at least another $150.
The beauty of this is: I am being seen by the public system and it will cost me nothing!
God sure does open doors. I have no doubts about it.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Cuteness Overload

Reading the header of this post, you might think I am talking about my children. I know they are cute, but this time I am not referring to them!
I am totally inspired by many ladies that are so talented! Their blogs are awesome and their creativity, oh, so inspiring!
I have always been a "hands on" type of girl, I like making things with my hands, anything crafty, count me in! I particularlly like Joy's Hope take on life, how she like cute things around her and her daughters are gorgeous. Her story reaches home, as she lost a baby, Joy, and had a stillbirth like Olivia, Jason's sister. She makes very cute things and I love them all.
But I have been browsing the web tonight and I found SO MANY wonderful sources of inspiration! When we finally move to Australia (which is in about six weeks!), I will have a lot more spare time to tackle my itchiness for cute! I can tell you my new house will probably look like a huge canvas filled with my hand made projects.
If you are insterested in maybe doing something yourself, I have added some links to the right hand side of my blog. Have a look and tell me what you think!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

More tests

I had to go to Wellington today to see Dr. Jenner again, to give him a sealed envelope I got from immigration, so he could open it and tell me where to next.

That's exactly what he did. He opened the envelope, read the letter from immigration, told me what they want from me, and charged me $100. Woohoo.

So what do they want from me? Well, they want a current oncology report. To get an oncology report, I will obviously need to see an oncologist. And to see an oncologist, I need to make an appointment and those are not easy to come. Considering we have time restrictions, it is not good news. I went to see my normal doctor today and begged him to help me. He will call me tomorrow to see if he could get me an urgent appointment. Oh if are reading this, please pray. We need all doors opened. And God can open the doors, I have no doubts about it.

Time is flying by now and we're supposed to go next month. I know it's all going to work out in the end, but we don't want to stay away from Jason for too long. Time is really precious now and I wish I could just get this done and dusted, but because that's not an option, we have to go through the motion - no point stressing about it, just gotta pray harder!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Getting creative

I have been feeling really crafty this week and I came accross this:



I am in love!

I have made about ten of them so far! Just need to finished turning them into awesome necklaces!!

Is it just awesome??

Friday, May 7, 2010

Immigration Hiccups

Oh the joys of immigration departments.

When I got married to Jason I never thought I would be having to be filling out endless immigration forms. But being a foreigner, its inevitable, I know a lot of you will relate. Five years ago, I got my New Zealand residency, after one whole year of waiting, of filling out forms, of money spent (a lot of money by the way). I thought I was free from it, until we decided to head over the ditch.

We, in our naive approach, thought it would be a straight forward process - after all I have been living in New Zealand for the last 8 years. We never bothered to get my New Zealand citizenship papers even though I am entitled to it - you know the drill, pay some money, fill out a form, wait six months, go through a cerimony, and voila, NZ citizen. We never thought it was necessary, until now of course.

I am still under my brazilian passport, which is good for nothing really (sorry folks, but it's true) and if I was to carry on living in New Zealand there would be no issues with it. But when we started to look into going to Australia, the immigration process is quite strict, and having New Zealand residency means nothing to them if you are not a New Zealander (some of my non-kiwi friends may not know that New Zealanders can travel to Australia with no visas, no questions, you can live in Australia if you are a New Zealander) - anyways.

We have quite a good number of friends who travelled to Australia and had a hassle free journey when it came to immigration which was very encouraging.

So after looking into it, it was clear we were going to have to pay the big bucks and apply for my Australian residency through Jason, who is an Australian citizen. Nearly $2500 later, plus hours of filling out forms, gathering documents, printing photos and more documents to prove that our relationship is genuine (as if 8 years of marriage and three kids was not enough proof!) we finally send it to immigration in the beginning of March. All was good.

We rang them a couple of times this month to see how things were going, we know that the only possible issue they would have would probably be my health history (having cancer and all). So we were sort of waiting for a request for me to do more tests. But because we are quite time short, we have been ringing them and we were told my papers had been sent to Australia and they were still waiting to hear back. The wait is awful.

So yesterday I rang the immigration once again and apparently they sent me a letter in the beginning of APRIL requesting more tests. I NEVER got that letter and they NEVER told us they had sent it in the numerous times we rang them last month. UGHHH. So four weeks were wasted in the process. That's not good enough considering Jason leaves in four weeks and we have tickets for the 21st June. So I have an appointment on Tuesday in Wellington to see the immigration doctor so he can refer me for more tests, whatever they will be! That means more money being spent, less money saved.

I can truly say I CANNOT wait until this whole thing is done, there is nothing more tedious and frustrating than going through immigration screenings! But I suppose there is no way around it, so if you can say a little prayer for us, it would be much appreciated!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Home

I have been thinking about this for a while now. What makes home YOUR home?

As some of you know, I have been sick this week, which means I have been off work trying to get better (which I am a bit today, just feeling tired now), so I stayed at home for the most part.
My house is pretty messy at the moment and I haven't been doing much housework - just a little bit here and there so I can still not feel guilty about lying down, like dishes, the laundry, maybe a bit of vacuuming.

But right now we're stuck in the middle with this whole packing thing, we have tried packing some boxes, but it is actually harder than I thought to move overseas. About a month ago I went into every room and got rid of unused items, inecessary items and rubbish items. That was a huge task in itself but the problem is, now, four weeks later, the house is full of those things again. I kept asking myself how was that even possible and the only conclusion I came to was: these things must reproduce and have tiny babies while we sleep and they grow real fast and the house gets overpopulated with them. It's just of those things... like missing socks - no matter what you do, you will always have missing socks because the Washing Machine Sock Eating Monster is real.

Anyways, so I still have a lot more packing to do and I better get started otherwise we'll have a lot of things to do last minute. We need to be out of the farm house by the 1st June (new season starts) and we will be moving in with Jason's parents for about three weeks.

But this had been HOME for the last year, almost. Despite its messyness, I know it still is for now, but when I walk down the hall and I can smell the cozyness I get an overwhelming "ahhh I am home" feeling. Do you get that sometimes? It's not everytime. It's like smells that brings up memories type of feelings. I love them, I think they are great, they make me happy, safe, just like when I used to smell the coffee brewing at my grandma's house. The warm fuzzy feeling comes right back everytime I smell coffee.

I am home, this is my castle and things are the way I want them to be here. I know we're only here for another four or so weeks, but the adventure is just beginning. Yeah it sucks to pack, and yeah, it will be a mission to fly with the kids alone, but in the end, I will be going home, won't I? A new home for sure, but HOME is what you make of it, and I am prepared to make our new house, our new home.

Yay, I love the new layout!

I have decided to create this blog so people can keep reading about our adventure as we prepare to move to Australia next month.

After looking for a nice layout, I have to say I fell in love with this one :) Isnt't pretty?

More to come later, I havent quite finished yet.