Kendall unveiling

Keeping with tradition, we held an unveiling ceremony for the Kendall grave, now that a year has passed since Oliveta passed away. Circumstances didn't allow anyone other than our family and the Pinkers to be in attendance, but the lovely Darrio videoed and edited the short ceremony for us, to allow us to share it with other family and friends.

Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park is such a peaceful and sacred place. It is so easy to feel people close to you within the grounds. It was the perfect afternoon, meeting there at dusk, to share their plaque with others.

We were able to get hold of some traditional Samoan tapa for the occasion and carefully covered the grave with it and a white floral wreath.

It was a perfect nod to Oliveta's heritage.

Doug then carefully uncovered the plaque allowing Madeline to place the wreath directly onto the grave as he spoke and read a message from his sister in the US. Her words were so perfect that I want to add them here so we can keep them.

One afternoon, Mum and I were hanging out in her bedroom. She started crying. She was really missing her parents that day and wished she could go overseas to visit their grave. Today, I know how my mum felt.

But I will always remember our special conversation. Aware of her feelings, I aimed to comfort her. I reminded her, that her parents are not in fact, at their gravesite or place of burial. The Book of Mormon teaches that they go to a place prepared for them, and they live as spirits until the resurrection. But this place is filled with others, even family members who have passed. The scriptures teach us that our loved ones are busy! and they are still living. Just not at their gravesite.

I wanted to honor her today, by sharing her love for each of you. Even if you felt she hated you, she really didn't. She was tough because she wanted you to be better. But was one of the most knowledgeable, generous people I'll ever know.

I love you mum. I miss you every single day….. But I will do all I can in my life to choose the Lord... and make sure we will be a family again.

What a perfect final moment for the Kendall family.

I know Stephen and Oliveta are looking out for us and these three kids each and every day. We constantly feel of their love.

 

a stroll at the tunnel

it's the first day of school holidays for us here in wa and as luck may have it, it's also a public holiday so dad is home! so much to the disgust of our children, we decided to go outside and for a decent walk. we had actually decided to go to balls rapids (as we've lived right by it for 6 years and still haven't been!) but when we drove up, there was literally about 100 cars there... so we decided the swan view train tunnel was a better option.

for a kid that didn't want to go, he was pretty keen on the walk!

last time we brought the kids out here, alex was still in the pram. this time he loved running through the tunnel and splashing in the puddles left from all the rain we've had!

i have always been a huge fan of the tunnel. it looks so amazing, just there in the middle of the bush. i actually said to doug this visit that i wondered why they had closed it after so much effort... and when we came out the other end, i realised there was a bunch of signs with the history printed and in pictures. turns out, after all that work, it was a ventilation issue - all the smoke from the train was a hazard to the passengers and employees, so eventually a new track was constructed (around through the rock again) that bypassed the tunnel. 

it's a lovely walk, as the track is high on a ridge with a valley of bushland running down beside you, just a little horrifying with a three year old who seemed determined to dance along the edge

because as you can see behind us, it's quite the drop!

it was a lovely day, heaps of wildflowers blooming and cheerfully lining the track

i actually wish you could smell these - they smell like heaven!

and we all had a really good time.

i honestly wouldn't want to live anywhere else but here. i love the trees and the bush that just seem to go on forever.

of course we had to climb all the rocks, pick everything up, wander wander wander... walks are always so much longer with children. i remember when i was very small (maybe 4 or 5 years old) my grandfather joseph came to stay with us on the farm so that he could paint the house for my parents. we would go walking around the paddocks and he would walk so slowly, so he could look at everything. it was so nice to be with him and spend that time. he was my absolute favourite and i still look back on that time with love.

joseph didn't want to walk back through the tunnel but everyone else did, so we walked around the ridge and chatted, mostly about nintendo and lego (insert yawns and eyerolls here from me!)

then it was time to go back to the car and head back to the swan valley for the promised reward of icecream and a play at oggies cafe.

memories: kendall moving day

this snap popped up in my facebook memories this week and oh did it give me all of the feels. it's been just three months today since oli passed away and it made me grateful all over again for all that extra time we had with them. 

because they felt the call to be with their family - they sold their home, quit jobs they loved and moved more than 4000kms to be here with us in perth. because of their move, they had time with their grandchildren, to know them well and to love them. because of their move, i got to be as close with them as my own parents. because of their move they were here when alexander was born. because of their move, we didn't have to worry and stress about the distance on top of everything else when steve's cancer came back so agressively and oli fell ill too. 

i really don't know how we could have managed it. the only possibility seems that we would have had to move across to brisbane temporarily once the pandemic began. we wouldn't have been able to get in and out of wa... so we would have just had to make it work. such a scary thought. but we were blessed to have them here, to love them, to hold them and to kiss them one last time - all because they followed a prompting. 

we had no idea what lie ahead of us. but the lord knew. he has always known - and those who have faith will be guided time and time again to be guarded and guided with his love.

family new years resolutions

so maybe this year, our goals may be a little lower than normal... but nonetheless we have goals as a family. 

we have learned in this past year how quickly life as you know it can change. how one day your loved one can be within reach and the next have departed this life for the eternities. we know the importance of making the most of every minute with our family. we know the sadness of a final goodbye. 

this year our goal will be strengthening our family. holding our loved ones tight and growing together in life and in the gospel. to ensure, that our family can be eternal. because we know firsthand, there is nothing more important than the promise of eternity with those we love and those we have lost.

stake conference sept 2019

i love going along to stake conference. i always feel like there is something included in the talks just for me and i know that i am meant to be there listening. there is always amazing speakers chosen and so many important topics covered... plus it's lovely to catch up with so many friends afterwards that are there too.

 most of all we are so lucky to have our stake centre right beside the perth temple... i miss being able to take photos of our kids out front every sunday, so i absolutely take full advantage when we happen to be there. i love to see the temple... and even more so, see my family with it.

fremantle with the fam

we don't have much time left before dougs sister leaves us and goes back to america, so we decided to spend the day in fremantle as a family. i was blown away with how quiet it was, we had no issues getting parking right by the markets and then again by the fishing boat harbour... score! 

maddie loves walking baby alex in his pram - even more so now he's in his big boy seat... and gleefully pushed him up to the markets, chatting with him all the way.

before we walked around at the markets for a while... stopping for cupcakes - and to buy bird callers for aunty to take back to america with her.

afterwards we went down to the fishing boat harbour for fish and chips and icecream. yum. there is nothing like a good feed on the harbour - and the views are the best

there was even built-in entertainment in the form of the "bananaman" who was singing and dancing, including information about everyone within eyesight and even taking audience suggestions for things to include in his songs. he was hysterical! i must give fremantle that... it's never boring here.

my babes

being insanely cute together. oh do i love them!

♥

kendall family photos

a few months ago i asked my friend jesse to take some photos for us, i really wanted some 10 year anniversary ones, but then it was hot and hot and more hot (i guess that's what happens when you try and organise photos in february/march) and they ended up not happening until two weeks ago...

but we had the best time, laughed and played and just generally loved. just the way that family photos should be. 

maddie was thrilled to bits to pose for the camera

and mess about with joseph

who was also full of smiles

i mean seriously look at these kids... who could possibly not love them?

it was so fun to have a turn in front of the camera instead of always being behind it and i am thrilled to bits with the photos that jesse got for us!

family photos always make me happy and this one takes the cake, maddie is such a crackup!

a little show pony, with the world at her feet ♥

♥

she even managed to get a few pics of doug and i looking like we have this parenting thing down pat and even have time to act all loved up haha

♥

i am so so lucky to have my family. a husband who loves me, despite all my quirks... and these crazy, beautiful kids who are all mine, forever! ♥