pray for the philippines

as i am sure you're all well aware, there has been terrible tragedy in the philippines as the typhoon hit and caused widespread damage. it's easy to sit in my nice comfortable home in australia and feel bad for people there without really realizing what is going on, but once i read this article online the extent of the damage and the issues it has caused really hit home.

when i finished reading (and yes, i know you all know how emotional i get, so when i finished crying my eyes out) i knew it was something i needed to share with all of you. i emailed it to my parents, so far away along with a plea for them to be careful and be safe and then started telling everyone i know about it.

i am so, so incredibly grateful for the power of the gospel - and the promptings of the holy ghost in my life - and the lives of others. the same promptings that lead these missionaries to safety and can lead each of us to safety in our lives each day. i feel so blessed to know that i can and will be lead to safety if i obey the still, small voice when he speaks to me.

(and on a side note - our beautiful friends from our ward whose son is currently serving in the olongapo philippines mission - have already heard that he is in area completely unaffected - and he is safe! thank heavens!!)

please pray for those in the philippines, pray for the people, for those who have loved and lost, but most of all for them to find strength and comfort in their time of need.

new calling!

it's official. i am no longer hanging in the relief society presidency - i have been let loose on the primary children! i am the new music director and i am excited! this past sunday was my third sunday in primary and i have to admit it's a lot of fun. 

we have been learning a song called "picture a christmas" that the kiddies will be singing at the ward christmas party at the end of this month. i had to admit too, that i am so impressed with their efforts that it's not even funny. i swear they should be teaching me the words not the other way around.

i will miss relief society though, i had a ball organising the activities (and of course the swap tables!! ohh swap tables...) and working with the lovely ladies that were by my side through it all. but on to the next challenge i go! ♥  

for the love of joy

i follow so many beautiful, talented and wonderful people on facebook and instagram - and this week had a wonderful surprise when one of my favourites - anna french from for the love of joy announced that everything currently made and stocked in her online store was going to be 40% off until it all sold. she makes quilts and quilted items to pay for her college tuition and being that she is just 4 weeks off graduating, i guess this is the final run for the finish line!

i jumped in with both feet and bought the gorgeous cushion cover and quilt pictured here and am so so stoked with my purchases! cannot wait until they arrive, her stuff is so cute and i am so excited!

i am sure they will look amazing in baby k2's little nursery :)

farewell to jahvis

today i attended the funeral of this beautiful little boy. jahvis collins. such a gorgeous little boy, full of life and personality, but taken at the young age of 6. he had suffered from very aggressive leukemia for quite some time - endured so much, but is now in the arms of a loving and kind father in heaven. we know jahvi's aunt and uncle from church, who introduced us to his beautiful family. it has been a long and hard road for them - and i know they have found comfort in knowing that he is no longer in pain and can rest in sweet peace.

there was a sea of green clothes, jahvi's favourite colour - beautiful words spoken and songs sung - including an amazing tribute from his big sister kavana - before she joined her mum and step-dad serena and mark to sing teach me to walk in the light. i don't think there would have been a dry eye in the church - so many people were weeping openly for this young boy who touched the lives of everyone he knew. with his big eyes and amazing smile - to know jahvis was to love him!

our love and condolences are at this time with serena and mark - as well as his father chris and his family. he may be gone, but he will never be forgotten. 

I'll lend you for a little time,
A child of mine, God said.
For you to love him while he lives,
And mourn for when he's dead.

It may be six or seven years,
Or twenty- two or three...
But will you, til I call him back,
Take care of him for me?

He'll bring his charms to gladden you,
And should his stay be brief-
You'll have his lovely memories
As solace for your grief.

I cannot promise he will stay,
Since all from earth return.
But there are lessons taught down there-
I want this child to learn.

I've looked the whole world over,
In my search for teachers true-
And from the throngs that crowd life's lane,
I have selected you.

So will you give him all your love?
Nor think the labour vain?
Nor hate me when I come to call-
To take him back again?

I fancied that I heard them say...
Dear Lord thy will be done.
For all the joys thy child shall bring-
The risk of grief we'll run.

We'll shelter him with tenderness,
We'll love him while we may
And for the happiness we've known,
Forever grateful stay.

But shall the angels call for him,
Much sooner than we'd planned...
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes-
And try to understand.
-Author Unknown

bella blooms

my gorgeous friend from school - keryn - has started her own facebook page called bella blooms - click here to take a look! she is handmaking gorgeous headbands for babies and little girls, which can also be custom made to adult side upon request...they are amazing and the second i saw the pictures she texted to me to show them off - i was on the waiting list within minutes!

my three new creations arrived this week and i am stoked to say the least, can't wait to put them on little miss and show them off. they are so perfectly made and i'm so excited to have the first ones off the production line.

(side note - this is hilarious, as she only has a little boy - and apparently he has been forced to model them as keryn pumps them out... pictures are hysterical!) 

gidgegannup show ❤

today doug and i took madeline to the gidgegannup show. gidgegannup is a small town about half an hour from midland towards toodyay where doug has been working quite regularly of late with his western power crew. so when i heard that the show was on with fun stuff like stalls, showbags and sideshow rides - we decided to give it a go. my bestie jen has been a few times and met us there.

it was stinking hot and there were flies and dust everywhere, which i seemed to find hard to deal with (much to jen's amusement- she says i've been out of the countryside far too long, especially when i had her in hysterics saying that one of the cows mooing sounded like it was in pain. okay i admit it - that was pretty funny...) but it was cute and there was plenty to look at and do. i am positive maddie's favourite part was when aunty jen took her on the spinning teacup ride - she was super cute, waving to us every time the cup they were riding flew past us.

we also got her the cream of the crop - a peppa pig show bag. this kid is o.b.s.e.s.s.e.d with peppa and will die a happy child when she unwraps all her peppa goodies on christmas day - cause that's what this smart mumma is saving them for. winner.

we also dropped into midland gate on the way home and miss madeline was completely star struck when she found a fireman sam in target that wasn't much smaller than her. made for such a cute pic!

family days are the best! x

another one down...

this beautiful girl has just let for the u.s. ... yet another one of my girlfriends has moved away - this year is killing me! :( lisa and i met back when we were 11 years old - we spent the day together because we were the only two "little girls" at the groundbreaking ceremony for the northam chapel.

since that weekend, back in my teenage years, i spent more weekends than i could ever count at her parents house where the two of us would watch movie after movie (which still happens now), eat copious amounts of junk food (when it did nothing...) and stay up all night. she knows all my secrets... but for some reason still likes me. and oh will i miss her!! 

just another reason to visit the u.s. sooner rather than later! i am coming, i swear!

p.s. she made me promise not to put the picture on social media, late night, no makeup and emotions don't make for a great self portrait on an iphone but here we are - it's my last one for a very long time and i am not parting with it. plus really, it's not facebook, instagram or twitter - so i kind of kept my promise. shhhh.