oh as if - it's halloween

a few weeks ago, i saw this costume online and decided that madeline absolutely needed to be cher for halloween. no question about it. i then promptly forgot about it, until i saw someone selling the same one on marketplace a week before. haha. with australia post still failing miserably with their efforts to get anything anywhere on time, i jumped at the chance to snap it up and she looooved it. first step was to get her to watch clueless, which she also loved - (lucky - or i might have had to disown her...) so then she couldn't wait to wear it.

add on a fluffy backpack, white flats and a fluffy pen - done.

she was most disappointed that we weren't trick or treating at home, but still loved dressing up with her favourite cousin - miss emma, who threw her dorothy costume together on the fly. i'm a little bummed you can't upload videos here to be honest, as she even got the hair flick and signature "as if" perfect on my instagram story. 

funniest part was, the lady we bought the costume from had actually bought it for book week (which makes my traditionalist book week eyes twitch) and had managed to find a clueless novel?! so maybe we will be getting a second wear out of it next year. solid gold. 

when hide and seek goes wrong

this is what happens when a game of hide and seek goes wrong. you end up in the local emergency department for the long haul, with scheduled surgery for the following day. gah.

it allllll started at the wake after baby willows funeral yesterday. joseph and some of mel and aitu's girls and their cousins were playing a game of hide or something like that (let's be honest, we don't really know) when we were about to leave to go home. in fact, we had even made it to the car and then couldn't find him. maddie went back in to look and then came outside yelling that joseph had hurt himself and i needed to come back in.

oh my gosh. hurt himself he had, his left middle finger had been crushed in a door and had a cut down one side by the nail and the nail had been completely ripped out of the bed and was hanging off the edge like 5mm above where it should have been and there was so. much. blood. it was horrendous. i tried to run it under some water to get a better look but that only made him scream more (not at all surprising, it was a mess!) making it very quickly apparent that this was needing a hospital run and definitely not something we could help with. he was in sooooo much pain and wailed the entire way there. i felt so helpless and just did my best to get him there as fast as we could.

the hospital staff were absolutely incredible. he was seen within minutes and given a pain block needle straight into his finger, which stopped all of the feeling. i really felt for him though as he has quite bad anxiety and the needle didn't help with that. he was screaming and trying to push everyone away, but was so happy when it took hold and he was pain free. his face was hilarious, he held his hand up in the air and was looking at it with amazement like he couldn't believe it. we had x-rays and confirmed that the tip of his finger was broken. he kept saying to me over and over why did this happen to me?! i just did my best as a mum, reminding him he was very lucky to keep is finger - as it could have ended differently and very badly, with him not having a finger!

it was so hard for me as a mum though to watch him. i was so emotional from being at a funeral already and kept crying while we waited and when he got upset. and he was so so upset and couldn't calm down, especially when they needed to give him a second block needle to ensure that the first one wouldn't wear off first. i am certain they heard him through the entire department! the dr actually spoke to me and suggested that i may need to have him assessed formally for anxiety and possible autism. they said his reactions put across that it's a possibility. it was no surprise to me as we have always thought it was a possibility but we have never had him diagnosed as his issues don't actually affect his day to life. he's smart, bright, has a lot of friends (although he does like his own company!) but just needs a little help regulating his emotions sometimes. we will think and pray on it and see what we decide to do. but even knowing someone else can see it is comforting. i always wondered if i was "that" mum that was diagnosing her kid. 

as you can see he was far from impressed, especially when he ended up vomiting all over himself  when he needed to go to the bathroom, right before they said we could go home. i was not in any way surprised, he had had so much going on, along with the pain and the pain meds... it was horrendous! the sweet nurse that was looking after us very quickly cleaned him up and gave him two of their childrens gowns, one back to front and one the right way around to ensure maximum coverage haha. just to make matters worse though, we finally made it home and got him in the shower to wash the day away and his hand started bleeding through the bandages again... another trip back to emergency to get it under control and then home again, ready to report to the hospital in the morning for his surgery.

the hospital staff were so wonderful. we got checked in and given a bed in the childrens ward where we spoke to the doctor and completed all the paperwork prior to being prepped for surgery. we did get a bit of a giggle out of it too, when the nurse accidentally wrote removal of left middle finger and left off the word nail. we definitely want to keep the finger! 

the surgeon came and spoke to us beforehand too (i still can't get over the fact a he has had plastic surgery on his finger!!) saying that they would be removing the nail and checking underneath to ensure there was no more damage they couldn't see, then repairing the nail bed and reattaching the nail. it wasn't a long surgery but it feels like forever when it's your child!

i must admit too, it was much nicer having a more grown up child this time around than our experience with having his teeth removed! he calmly lay in the bed, playing the switch while i read a book, occasionally talking to me or asking a question. even though he had to fast too, not once did he complain about being hungry either, considering how focused he normally is on food!

everything went perfectly according to plan and we were able to go home a few hours later after he had been checked by the nurse again.

i am so so proud of him. he coped so well with everything he had thrown at him and although grumpy came out of it no problems at all.

so now i just have to put up with that grumpy face and his giant record breaking rude finger for the nect few weeks. he's been referred to a place in joondalup for continued care, so fingers crossed there are no further issues and it heals well. and most of all, that it's our last trip to emergency for a while. although with my two boys - it's unlikely!

 

baby willows funeral

today was so heartbreaking. my beautiful friends baby who was born with trisomy 18, was laid to rest at the pinnaroo valley memorial park. from birth, the family knew their time with baby was limited and precious and i have never seen a baby more loved. she was so beautiful with her wise eyes and little giggle when she was held. how blessed they were to be her parents.

i truly admire mel and aitu for their strength and courage they showed today, surrounded by family and friends. their little girl was loved by so many. i absolutely couldn't hold back the tears as her little coffin was carried across to the grave by her sisters and cousins. what an incredible gesture.

i was asked to take photos for the family and i have so many beautiful shots of the girls. how much heartbreak they are feeling i can only imagine, but they were so brave the entire day.

melinda spoke of the blessing of having an eternal family during the church service and i know that it is our greatest blessing as members of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints. to know that our children will be ours in the eternities to love and hold for all time.

willow you beautiful angel. you've gained your wings, but i know that even though you are separated now, you will be reunited one day and you will be loved by your earthly family for all eternity.

esps discos 2021

the ellen stirling discos are over for another year. maddie and joseph have been to their separate sessions and danced their little butts off. maddie as usual loved hers and had the best time

and amazingly joseph had a good time this year too! considering last time he hid under a table for the whole thing, i was thrilled that he enjoyed himself.

especially when his teacher sent me this shot as proof! haha

these little girls have been friends since kindy and we've managed to get a photo of them together most years at their disco. i wasn't able to assist this year, but seeing as one of their mums is a teacher she snapped one of the squad and sent it to me. what a gem.

here's hoping this group is made of forever friends. ❤

aunty susan's funeral

yesterday we said goodbye to my aunty susan (married to my dad's brother). i have not seen her much in the past years, but i have a beautiful memory of her, spending time at her house as a child. 

aunty susan absolutely loved may gibbs gumnut babies. she collected any pieces from the collection she could get her hands on and had quite a lot. i remember she told me on one occasion that the warehouse that made the pieces had burned down and so, that they were very rare and hard to come by. she would show me the pieces she had as we sat together chatting. i can only imagine how excited she would have been to see how popular her pieces have become again in the past year or two, with ever so many things available now!

aunty susan never forgot my birthday and would always send me a sweet gift. i remember getting an avon "little blossom" makeup/toiletry kit from her when i was quite young and thinking i was the coolest person alive. i can still remember the sweet smell of the roll on perfume and the taste of the tinted lipgloss. she also bought one of the books in the narnia series for me, to complete my set, which i  still have - and read to this day.

aunty susan was often ill and struggled with bad health throughout her life. in recent years she had developed dementia, which had saddened her family, especially my uncle russell as her health  declined so rapidly at the end. 

i feel so grateful to know of the promise of eternal families and to know that she will be with her russell and her family again one day. all her children were not active in the gospel and i remember asking her once how she coped. she would often write me a small note or a letter (there were many gifts of stationery over the years too, that were often used to write letters back and forward between the two of us!) and i remember she included a page with these photocopied quotes at one stage:

“You parents of the willful and the wayward! Don’t give them up. Don’t cast them off. They are not utterly lost. The Shepherd will find his sheep. They were his before they were yours—long before he entrusted them to your care; and you cannot begin to love them as he loves them. They have but strayed in ignorance from the Path of Right, and God is merciful to ignorance. Only the fulness of knowledge brings the fulness of accountability. Our Heavenly Father is far more merciful, infinitely more charitable, than even the best of his servants, and the Everlasting Gospel is mightier in power to save than our narrow finite minds can comprehend.” Orson F. Whitney, Conference Report, April 1929, Third Day—Morning Meeting 110

“The Prophet Joseph Smith declared—and he never taught a more comforting doctrine—that the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving father’s heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God” (Orson F. Whitney, in Conference Report, Apr. 1929, 110).

i found so much hope in these pieces she sent me. it made me feel so much calmer about my inactive brother, who i always hoped would be a part of our family in the eternities. i am so grateful to her for sharing these quotes with me, even after all these years. 

farewell for now aunty susan. i look forward to catching up in the next life. ❤

fully vaccinated

i got vaccinated. yes i did. i didn't complain about it, i didn't ask why i had to, i just went and did it - and let me tell you why, because i have a number of reasons.

i am very much pro vaccines. this does not mean, if you are anti vaccines that i plan to have an argument with you about why you're wrong, because i don't think you are. i am going to assume you've done some legitimate research and worked out why you don't want to or need to. that's fine. i, however, believe that vaccines are a good thing. diseases such as small pox and polio no longer exist because they have been eradicated by vaccines. we don't have to worry about them one bit. 

when my aunt was pregnant with my cousin, she had rubella. because of this, my cousin is blind in one eye and completely deaf. she has had to live her life with these disabilities and been disadvantaged in so many ways, all which could have been prevented with a vaccine. i truly feel for her - and look forward to the next life when we can have a real chat and i can get to know her better.

people who are upset that the vaccines were not tested correctly? it's not true. they were. you can check up on this, it's all available through legitimate research. when the pandemic was recognised for what it was, time and energy and big money was thrown into developing a vaccine to ease the burden on the worldwide health system. the sars vaccine was modified to suit the coronavirus and all previous research was streamlined and focused into making it available and available quickly to save lives. 

people have complained on the internet that a vaccine passport (which will be required in the coming months) is not fair. well, this is also not a new thing. vaccines have been required for international travel for years! i myself had to be vaccinated for hep a&b before going to brazil on exchange, in order to be able to re-enter australia.

president russell m nelson urged members of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints to get vaccinated in august of this year. he is a world renowned medical professional. he knows what he is talking about. it disappointed me to hear members of the church say that he was asking as a man, and that it was not truly necessary, not as the prophet leading the church. it amazes me that people are happy to do anything the prophet asks, until it's something that they don't want to do. whatever the lord asks is right. - joseph smith said that. it was true then and it's true now. obedience brings blessings and i will do as the lord asks.

president harold b lee once said: you may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that `the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name's glory.' (D&C 21:6.)"

we are so lucky to have access to a vaccine. in australia the vaccine is even free! all we have to do is make an appointment and turn up. winner! i can proudly say that i have made the choice and been fully vaccinated.

keryn's baby shower

yesterday was a wonderful day, that had been waited and prayed for for years. our friend keryn and her husband have finally been blessed with a baby and threw the cutest baby shower. it was teddy bear themed, "we can bear-ly wait to meet you," at her favourite restaurant, amarettos in ellenbrook.

me with my mad memory skills took out the name the celebrity babies competition with a perfect score and scored myself a little gift pack. lunch was delicious and the very best part of the day was hearing her give a little speech and getting teary as she said to our group, "this is a day i always hoped for, that is finally here - and i just can't believe it's happened." the absolute best.

i can't wait to meet that little man you're growing. ❤

 

neil: 70 years young

i actually cannot believe it, my dad is now 70 years old. somehow having 4 rioting kids didn't end him earlier (even if it did send him grey as anything) and here we are. i have so many wonderful memories of my dad as a kid. he was always right there when i needed him, would read us books, make up ridiculous stories (mostly about tintin and captain haddock) and just be everything i needed. i am the youngest after 4 boys and i was certainly made to feel special - i was just always his little possum. and he still calls me that to this day.

he is so. much. fun. always ready with a joke, or laughing at something we've said or done, but isn't afraid to tell us if we are out of line or heading off the right path. he's honestly just the best dad and all my friends will tell you that too. he has fixed 1000 broken things in my house, hung everything on the walls, made me things he didn't want to make... and still loves me. my all time favourite was his endless complaints about making a stable for my willow tree nativity and complaining non stop about it, only to write "to jade from your ever loving dad" on the bottom when he finished it. it makes me laugh every single year when i unpack it.

my dad is the most well read person i know and just seems to know everything about everything. i love when he tells me about a book he's read recently and gets so excited to share what he has learned. 

dad has worked at western power since long before i was born and took a transfer to the northam depot shortly before i turned 4. i've loved growing up visiting him at work and climbing the steps to his office that overlooked the mechanical workshop. meeting his co-workers was incredible, people who always had time for me too and would tell me just how great my dad is.

he's just a grade a bloke. he always has time for everyone and has been such an amazing example of service to me throughout my life. i love him for everything he's taught me, most importantly how to be what othe's need. he really paid attention when they taught "bear another's burden that it may be light."

neil. you are such an amazing human being and such a wonderful example to everyone. i truly have been blessed with the best. happy 70th birthday dad. ❤

jen maternity shots - take 4

my best friend jennifer is about to have her fourth and last baby so i was called upon to take maternity shots one last time. as per usual she looked like an absolute babe and getting shots of her was easy.

but. they say you should never work with children or animals and here's why. oh just kidding, how cute are her kids, one perfect shot out of a huge stack and it was actually the first one i snapped.

a very serious jacob for once

the ever smiley isabel

and princess millie!

cannot wait to give this baby cuddles in a few short weeks. i love love love newborns and i am so excited.

❤

we even got daddy mat to bust out his wedding ring for the occasion and i am so glad for it cause this shot is everything!

i just love the two of them and feel so blessed to have them. i've known mat since kindy and jen since year 4 at school. i think as far as friendships go, we are in it for life.

plus, the best part about this shoot was that i finally got to take some photos under the clackline bridge! i have been wanting to for years and here we are. woot.

couldn't resist this one either. mat has always been the class clown

but above all that, he's a fabulous dad.

millie is 2

a few weeks ago, this grade a cutie turned 2 and today we had a bunny party at the macqueens house to celebrate. she is seriously the most delicious child and i just love her little face.

i mean seriously. look at her!

jen made another epic cake, complete with raspberry highlights and rabbit ears

and as usual, we combined forces to make sure that the food was plentiful and delicious

smiles like this make it 100% worth it

our friend chloe did the flowers and it all looked amazing 

happy birthday miss amelia! ❤

 

temple thursday

thank goodness for nannaleah. i managed to slide in to do one last temple session this morning before our temple has an extended closure until after christmas. no matter how hard it is to get there, i always feel better for having been. i always race in with just minutes to spare, but somehow always make it. 

i am grateful today - and always, that we have a temple within our reach. i feel for those who are able to visit only once in their life, or never have the opportunity. it always makes me think back to one of my favourite ever talks by thomas s monson, about a family who worked their entire life to get there.  

"May I share with you the account of Tihi and Tararaina Mou Tham and their 10 children. The entire family except for one daughter joined the Church in the early 1960s, when missionaries came to their island, located about 160 km south of Tahiti. Soon they began to desire the blessings of an eternal family sealing in the temple.
At that time the nearest temple to the Mou Tham family was the Hamilton New Zealand Temple, more than 4000 km to the southwest, accessible only by expensive airplane travel. The large Mou Tham family, which eked out a meager living on a small plantation, had no money for airplane fare, nor was there any opportunity for employment on their Pacific island. So Brother Mou Tham and his son Gérard made the difficult decision to travel 4800 km to work in New Caledonia, where another son was already employed.
The three Mou Tham men labored for four years. Brother Mou Tham alone returned home only once during that time, for the marriage of a daughter.
After four years, Brother Mou Tham and his sons had saved enough money to take the family to the New Zealand Temple. All who were members went except for one daughter, who was expecting a baby. They were sealed for time and eternity, an indescribable and joyful experience.
Brother Mou Tham returned from the temple directly to New Caledonia, where he worked for two more years to pay for the passage of the one daughter who had not been at the temple with them—a married daughter and her child and husband.
In their later years Brother and Sister Mou Tham desired to serve in the temple. By that time the Papeete Tahiti Temple had been constructed and dedicated, and they served four missions there.
My brothers and sisters, temples are more than stone and mortar. They are filled with faith and fasting. They are built of trials and testimonies. They are sanctified by sacrifice and service."

a small video has been made by the church about this talk and is available on you tube and i cry every single time i watch it. how spoiled i feel to be so close to a temple. i hope to never take it for granted and to be able to attend regularly as time goes by. the months when the temple was closed during the peak of the covid-19 pandemic were so disappointing to me and i am so glad it's open and i can attend again.