christmas eve madness

christmas eve is always nuts... and this year was no exception. it was crazy town, as we marched joseph off to get a haircut at grandma's request. i can't believe it, but she pulled out the old - this might be my last christmas and you'll feel bad if you don't do it - card.

i kind of loved this little mop and was sad to see it go after he put an entire year into growing it, but also love that he was showing love for his grandmother.

won't miss this matted mess at the back though.

what a handsome little dude!

we were blessed with an act of service today too, as our friend steve came to unblock our second toilet... in the searing heat. we plan to replace the toilet soon, butwe are so grateful for him, as oli's sister faavoa arrived today from melbourne and we will have a full house over the next few days. oli was so surprised to see her, as we had kept it a secret and wouldn't stop saying how happy she was. it's so lovely to see her smile. they all got out the door and went shopping to buy things for everyone and i can only imagine how many gifts will be under the tree tomorrow!

blessings in the sadness

there are so many blessings that can be found if you only know where to look. in amongst all the sadness and things that are currently out of our control with what's happening with doug's mum... there is still so much to be grateful for. let me tell you about a few things that i am grateful for. number one. although oli needs to have radiation that comes at a huge cost, we have the money. we were so blessed that all of stephen's affairs settled quickly and without fuss, with no issues, no delays and no claims being rejected. we can pay for it and do not have to go into any form of debt to make it happen. she is receiving the best care available and we are grateful every day.

i saw this print for sale just the other day and i love it. so very much. i have always loved the blue boat house on crawley bay and we even had some of our wedding photos taken out the front on the jetty. so imagine my delight to see that kmart had released it as a print and then my annoyance when not a single store any where near me had any stock of it. i posted online asking if everyone could keep an eye out for it as i really wanted one, only to have a friend drive all the way to cockburn central, wait in the stupid long line at their store opening, buy it for me and bring it to our house. oh my goodness. she even wrote in the card, "you are forever doing lovely things for me and i have never had the chance to return the favour. here is my chance." i was so touched.

another absolutely amazing thing that's happened... i saw this tv unit on marketplace and saved it because it was 100% exactly what i wanted, then didn't get around to messaging the seller because oli went into hospital and we were more concerned about her than anything else.

a few weeks later, the exact same unit, not a similar one, same unit, same seller, gets posted on our local free page, right as i happened to be online - and after asking on the post, i was given it! for freeeee! i still can't believe it. plus, our lovely neighbour went with doug to pick it up. excited doesn't even cover it.

i listed my pies for sale for thanksgiving and sold out within 2 days. this is incredible for me too, as the money goes straight into buying dougs christmas gifts. i know the money we have is "ours" not his, but because he is out there working to earn it, i like to be able to buy him gifts with money i've earned myself. it just makes me feel good to do it that way.

and last but certainly not least, there is never a shortage of people willing to drive our kids places or help out when on the odd occasion we can't get them somewhere or need to work around oli's appointments.

in short: the windows of heaven are pouring more blessings upon us than we can hold.

when upon lifes billows you are tempest tossed,

when you are discouraged thinking all is lost

count your many blessings, name them one by one

and it will surprise you what the lord has done

count your blessings, name them one by one

count your many blessings see what god hath done.

lds hymns #241

2020 in a nutshell... count your many blessings

you have to laugh or you'll cry... and that's the truth right now

cause here is my 2020 in a nutshell and it sounds like something out of a meme.

january - death and a funeral'

february - work (other people's funerals) and estate paperwork

march: the plague 

i seriously feel like i've lost 3 months of my life! i had so much to do, that it was all go go go and now it feels like there is nothing - and so much time in which to do nothing. the kids have been the strangest bit - we are, of course, keeping them home and do not leave the house unless absolutely necessary, as we've been instructed to do, but they complain a lot that they are bored. i am sure they are, they are used to being able to go outside as much as they want, across to the park - and run a muck and now, we have to stay home. 

so - i said to them this week that we need to think of some things that we are grateful for. because the best way to be happy, is to think of things that you've been blessed with. here are some of mine.

1. first and foremost. i am so grateful that we can still have church at home. that president nelson was inspired to create a home based learning program - and that my husband is able to administer the sacrament in our home.

2. i am so so so so so grateful that my husband not only has a job, but that it's an essential position and he is required to keep working through all of this. so while others may lose their job or struggle, his wages will remain the same and we will be okay. 

3. we have savings. so if something were to go wrong, we would be okay.

4. being a church member prepares you for all kinds of things. we learn to teach from the time we receive our first assignments at church, so we can teach! plus there are so many resources available online, so if it should happen that i need to start teaching my children at home, i can do so.

5. we are healthy and strong and i know we will remain so, because i was told we would be - and i have faith to believe so. 

this may be a scary and uncertain time, but i feel confident that we as a family will continue to be blessed. ❤

good to go!

image via pinterest

this picture made me laugh a little too hard, so i have been looking for a reason to include it on a blog post... and considering that i had an ultrasound today and they didn't give me any pictures, i thought it was a perfect excuse...

so an update on baby k2... 

when i had my first ultrasound at 19 weeks, i was told that my placenta had attached in a rather unfortunate position - just 3mm from my cervix. this is not good, as if one goes into natural labour with it in this position, as the cervix opens, it traps the placenta behind it, causing it to come first and you would just bleed out. not a good option. (pause here for a side not - is this is the reason so many women died in childbirth years ago? because they didn't know things like this? one would have just gone blindly through pregnancy and into labour having no idea of the challenges ahead and problems that could happen! such a frightening thought, making me grateful yet again, that i live in a world of modern science that can see things before they are a problem and possibly save my life!! i salute you medical practitioners around the world whatever you may do!) there are no magical ways to move the placenta - but i was told that the clinic would do another ultrasound later in my pregnancy (today...) and revisit the options, as if it didn't move i would be forced to have a cesarean to prevent complications. the thought of this was pretty horrifying to me and i really hoped and prayed that things would sort themselves out - even though i was told, that for a natural to be at all possible, it would need to move up to at least 3cm (which can happen as it grows and settles) but considering how low it was it was pretty unlikely.

the good news is... it moved! all by itself. what a clever baby! it's now sitting at a fairly decent 6.3cm and i can rest assured knowing that no one is coming at me with a knife anytime soon. thank goodness. i feel so grateful as a cesarean certainly wasn't on my to-do list. what a wonderful blessing. :) 

babyk2 is coming along nicely, growing well and looking (at this stage) to be about the same size as maddie (yes i know there is still plenty of time for it to get huge! don't remind me!) i am very excited and can't wait to meet it! 

good things come...

 

this beautiful girl got the most amazing surprise on sunday afternoon... sally, our friend from church bought dominique a guitar for her birthday! i cannot think of anyone more deserving - and seeing her face when she discovered what it was, was worth a million bucks.

 

 

it's not always about good things coming to those who wait -

 

 

but good things coming to those who deserve them...

and oh she does!

service

 

i have grown up in a home watching my mother and father always giving their time, talents and love to those around me. i am so grateful for their beautiful example and am striving to do the same for those in my life. i only hope one day that i can love those around me the way they do.

being a member of the church has also shown me the beauty and blessings that come from service - when we have been blessed with so much, it's only fair we should share what we have with others.

 

random gifties

it's been a week of random gift love and i am loving it! work has been crazy these last few weeks, to the point of insanity and when i got home one afternoon these lovely gifts from my husband were sitting on the kitchen bench, what a gem. bunting? i love bunting!!

maddie also was on the receiving end of beautiful knitted blanket from a lady at our church... it is so absolutely gorgeous and i feel so loved. i swear our friends spoil her absolutely rotten.

not that i'm complaining...

and then there was more!! friday afternoon, one of the girlies that works at chippers in my place arrived to the co-ord office with treats for me, and a baby book for maddie. so much love!

i feel like the luckiest girl alive :)

he is risen!

he is risen! he is risen!
tell it out with joyful voice.
he has burst his three days’ prison;
let the whole wide earth rejoice.
death is conquered; man is free.
christ has won the victory.

come with high and holy hymning;
chant our lord’s triumphant lay.
not one darksome cloud is dimming
yonder glorious morning ray,
breaking o’er the purple east,
symbol of our easter feast.

he is risen! he is risen!
he hath opened heaven’s gate.
we are free from sin’s dark prison,
risen to a holier state.
and a brighter easter beam
on our longing eyes shall stream.

just in case any one thought easter was only about the eggs - here's the reminder you might have needed.
i know that my redeemer lives!