Lining Up?

Look...

Can you see it?

In the picture, what do you see? 

No, not the cute one in braids making a funny face at me...

(but if you're wondering, she gets that from her brother!)

Look again...

(did you?  Really, look at the pic)

They're lining up to the door for a Slurpee!  :-)  

And what's even better... this is in my 'suburb'.  :-D  WooHoo!

okay, so it's a bit of a walk, but I can drive there in two minutes.  

Yay for 7/11's in Wollongong!!

Yay for one opening near me!

Yay for beating the line!

Now, who wants to come share a Slurpee?!

~~~

Feelin' Blue...

Darian was feeling a little blue...  If you've seen recent pics, you'll know that this has washed out... but for those far away, it might be fun to see these... 

What can I say?

Have you ever tried to take a picture of D?

It's not an easy task.  He's got impressive timing.

Trying again.

A good shot of the hair colour at least.

Strike three?

Yet antoher face... but a good shot of the blue hair.

(it was easier to adjust to the blue than the bleached blonde)

 

Already washing out a bit.

Personally, I like the two tone look... would have worked well for my old high school, as it does with the U of M shirt he's wearing.  

(notice the netball games going on in the back ground... good Aussie pastime!)

Never thought I'd have a blue haired child... but hey, guess I lost my vote a long time ago.  ;-)  And I'm slowly realizing that's a good thing.  :-) 

Gypsy Girl

Last week for school, B had a 'Medieval Day' and got to dress the part.  She's made a great 'Gypsy Girl'.

Here's a couple shots.  :-)

Close up.

Such a beautiful smile.

Lovin' all those colors.  

... and the layers too

Posing with a bit of flair.

Love this girl!

And, she wore this outfit to the shops twice!  So fun!  :-)

On a cold, wintry day

It happened last Monday, on a cold, wintry, rainy day.  A day where you'd like to stay inside curled up by a fire with a good book and a warm tea. 

But those weren't the plans we had for last Monday.  Instead, after a nice sleep in (it was the Queen's birthday after all), we headed off to the beach.  Now, that might sound like a great idea for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, but June is not summer here, it's winter!  And it was sure feeling winter-like that day.  Brrr...

Don't fret though, there was a pretty good reason to head off to a deserted beach on a cold, wintry day.  Brenna wanted to be baptized, and she wanted to do it in a place that was special to her.  :-)  It was a beautiful sentiment and I love that she put so much thought into this step in her journey.

Heading into the water... 

Thankfully, where we were, the rain had stopped.

It may not look deep, 

but  when the waves came in it was much higher.

She also wanted just a few people there.  To her, it was not about the show or the attention, but about taking a step in her faith journey.  A beautiful, powerful step after the events of the past year plus. 

 A loving hug that adds some warmth.

 Drying feet and bodies.

After some time in the water and a bit of drying off and wrapping up, we headed back up towards the pool area and locked bathrooms to find some sheltered space to get out of wet clothes.  :-)    

 

 Brenna after the event.

If you look closely, you might see the rainbow that showed up over the water.

It's directly above the silver handrail over the water.

The small group

 

 a sweet look from a loving brother

 definitely a daddy and daughter moment

a photo op with and added 'get warm' snuggle.

We also enjoyed some lovely visits, cool breezes, and lots of hugs and smiles. (and creative ways of staying warm, but that's a picture for another time)  The girls ran off to play on the sand hills full of laughter and joy.  After, we all gathered back together for some hugs and special words or blessings with Brenna. 

It was beautiful and heartwarming, on a cold, wintry Monday.

B's New Sport

B's having a go at a new sport.  A sport unknown to the vast majority of Americans, but loved by those in Commonwealth nations...  Netball!

There are seven positions on the court.  Of those seven, B's played four. (I think).  She's learned the game quickly and ROCKS at the defensive positions she's played but prefers the attack positions.  She's not too into shooting...  I think it might have to do with the lack of a backboard and a totally different style to shooting than basketball.

Here are some shots of recent games.  

Getting positions and a pep-talk from the coach.

Each positions has certain parts of the court they're allowed in and restricted from, so they have to wear 'bibs' that identify their position.  B's wearing "WA" here which stands for 'Wing Attack"

Getting a pass, or intercepting one.

The passes are often thrown high.

She's got the ball...

and can only move one foot, the foot she didn't land on

and can't dribble (wrong sport)

and only has three seconds to pass

Looking to pass again...

The girls to the right of the line can't cross it,

so they'll help with a pass if needed, but otherwise just wait.

a different position... Goal Defense

B's the one with the "GD" on her back

a similarity to basketball...

throwing the ball in :-)

Now she's playing "GK" or Goal Keeper

and she's trying to block the shot,

but has to set her feet three feet away before she defends.

There you have it... a brief look at B's newest hobby.  :-)   It's fun to play even if it does take a while to learn the rules.  

Back in Uniform

The kids have started back to school for the new school year.  They're both entering a new phase of schooling as well.  D is beginning his 'higher' school years (11 & 12) which will end in a big test.  B is starting high school at a new school.  So far, it's going well.  New adventures for both of them.  (and more letting go for me... hmmm...)

 

 First day of school

full uniform... well, except the hat.

 a closer shot

so far, favourite class = French!

 First day

thankfully, still humouring mum. ;-)

 getting closer

he might be laughing at me...

 They make me one proud Momma! 

Catching Up (Part 3) - Finishing Strong

D with his newly awarded School Certificate!  :-)

He had to keep up grades in all 'key learning areas' and then pass exams on each subject... which included Australian History and Australian Geography.  An impressive task for being in the school system for less than three semesters!!

 Me and my little boy!

Yes, I made him 'shrink' for the photo... 

but I don't think I'm foolin' anybody.

 B with her awards...

an Appreciation award for serving in the library

and...

'Student of the Year' :-)

She made the most of her final year of primary school.

Well done, B!!

my baby girl and I

Though I didn't have to make any adjustments to this pic, it won't be long before she passes me up... as she often lets me know. ;-)

Caught in the Act...

Well, actually, before the act.

This is Bren and one of her friends before a 'recent'  drumming performance. 

 

I tried to take some pics inside during their drumming (which was absolutely fabulous!), but it was too dark and I was too far away.  It was a great performance.  She's loved her experience drumming this year.   

I'm thankful for all the opportunities she's had at school, and outside school, this year.  She found some new interests and had some wonderful experiences.  :-)

Never thought I would!

I know how I am as a mom.  Well, at least I think I know that.  I have been a pretty strict mom... bedtimes are non-negotiable. So are tv limits... what's allowed to watch and when.  Dinner is only what's offered, there's not a selection.   There's a line and it's not allowed to be crossed.  

There are certain things I would say that I would never allow to happen.  I'm not talking about the "big" issues, just things I wouldn't see as copacetic! (being okay)

Well, I am about to cross that line.

I am about to allow something (eek! I even masterminded it)  that even just a couple years ago, I never imagined I would.  

Tonight, I am taking my daughter to the a first showing of a movie.  Doesn't sound too bad like that, does it?  Now consider it's a midnight showing AND it's on a school night!!  What am I thinking?? 

But, this is not just any movie, a movie based on books she has read multiple times, books that pushed her into preferring long, thick stories and becoming a great reader.  Stories she's adored and re-enacted with friends during her younger years. Stories that show the value of friendship, determination, and creativity just to name a few. Yes, we'll be going to see Harry Potter 7.  And we're both so very excited!

Sometimes, rules are made to be broken.  Sometimes, it's more about seizing the moment and experiencing life (even silly, little things like movies), than about watching the 'line'.  'Cuz ya just never know when the moment will come again. ;-)

Well, that's what I'm telling myself today.
;-)

(and for those of you worried about D, he's off having fun on a school trip, we're not leaving him out)
(and yes, Shawn is in on it, but I was only telling my story)

Anyone like a Cuppa?

Recently, we invited some friends over for dinner.  They couldn't come by for dinner, so these friends said they'd stop by earlier for tea.

Like any calm, reasonable adult I thought, "WHAT??  What am I suppose to do with that??" 

Americans don't do "afternoon tea" (or morning or evening tea for that matter)! We don't even know there's a difference between afternoon and evening tea.  Needless to say, I was feeling a little lost...

Thankfully, I managed to pull myself together.  Even more thankfully, the friends stopping by were gracious. Very gracious.  We had tea.  And, if I didn't do it properly, they never mentioned it.  We enjoyed our tea with a lovely cake they brought along, chatted, and had a great time together.  But I felt way out of my element.

This makes me think that oftentimes it's more the effort we make, than actually doing something "just right". 

Or at least that's what I'm telling myself. ;-)

A Truly Happy Mother's Day!

What a special day thanks to my kids and hubby!  I was spoiled, pampered, and loved.  :-)

The kids prepared breakfast in bed... and are so very good at know their mom!  Check out my treats...

And did you notice... it wasn't just breakfast, I got a movie too.  And there's no pics, but I got some good snuggles (priceless) as well as some beautiful cards and fuzzy socks.  yay for me.   (and there's so much beauty and special-ness in them working together to begin my day)

For lunch, we all enjoyed the beautiful day and headed down to the harbour.  I'm very thankful for some friends who invited us to join their family celebrations (with mum, dad, and sister's family, too)!  But we opted to just have a bit of family time.  It was a slice of heaven.

 Shawn and Darian waiting in line to order lunch...

 guess we shared the idea with a few locals ;-)

 enjoying the harbour while waiting for our lunch

Some other folks enjoying the afternoon.

Yay!  Lunch is here.

Enjoying a meal out with the family... bliss.

Many blessings and much thanks to all the mothers who have touched my life.  May God shine his love and peace upon you today and in the days ahead.

Wordless Wednesday: tonight = drums + frito pie

Brown Eggs -2

A little bit of funny...

A couple days before Griffith Family Day, we were invited to dinner at a friend's house.  :-)  Good fun!  We joined the Tylers and some of their neighbors for some pizza making, mmmm....

While we were chatting in the kitchen, I mentioned my plight (only brown eggs) to the other ladies.  One of them looked a bit pondering, then agreed that Aussie eggs are cream-colored, but was sure they could easily be dyed.  So we chatted a bit then took out some eggs.  After sharing with her that eggs in the States are white like the bowl on the counter, she was surprised at how dark the local eggs were.  She hadn't  understood what I was whinge-ing about until then.

It's nothing big, or surprising, but it so made me smile!  :-) 
I like those moments. 

Brown Eggs

This was our first Easter in Oz.  It was full of new experiences.  Traditionally, the week before Easter, our family celebrates "Griffith Family Day"- a day about and dedicated to our family.  There's not much that's "must-do" that day, but there are a couple things.

It's the one day of the year where the family joins together and eats cookie dough. ;-)  (yeah, i know, it could be hazardous to our health... we survived this year... it's all good)

It's also the day we dye Easter eggs.  That's always a day we enjoy.  There's a lot of creativity and heart that goes into making just the right eggs.  And we often have a bonus guest or two adding to the decorating fun!  :-)  I have many GRAND memories of sitting/standing around a table transforming eggs into bright and colorful gems!

This year we discovered a technical difficulty.  Australia sells brown eggs not white.  I haven't seen one white egg since I've been here.  And, I haven't noticed it till now... when I wanted to make some yellow, orange and pink eggs.

So, we pondered what to do, and thanks to friends on Facebook, had several suggestions, too.  So, we boiled our eggs, and colored them... with Brenna's school crayons!  :-)  They weren't as bright, but they were still fun to do together.

The finished product... 

minus the ones that we'd eaten by the time I remembered to take a pic.

The kids and I coloring eggs... truly!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday's Tangent - trees

When we first arrived in Australia, I was amazed at how different the trees look.  To me, they look a little odd, not at all like the rectangular brown truck w/ the circular greet top that I saw and know from my 30-odd years of living. 

Actually, I've always thought that Dr. Seuss must have visited Australia because the trees here remind me of the trees in many of his books.... (look here) ...trees that have tall, thin trunks with puffs of leaves at the ends of scattered branches.


But, as I walk around these days, the trees just look normal...  like that's just how trees are suppose to look...  When did my maples and oaks get replaced by eucalyptus and gum trees?

 

looks about right, eh?

~~~~~~

~~

 

a bit of Aussie goodness...

I've learned to eat sandwiches a little differently since moving to Aus. 

We had lunch a couple weeks ago with a family who lives down the street.  Set out with all the 'regular' sandwich fixin's (like meat, cheese, tomato, lettuce) were cucumber slices and beetroot slices!!  Who would do such a thing...

But I like cucumber and beets, so I gave it a 'go'.  And the results were stupendous!!  A little extra crunch and a bit of sweet added to my wonderful lunch.  :-)  WooHoo!!!

Now, a sandwich just isn't a sandwich without the tangy taste and tantalizing crunch of beetroot and cucumber on my sandwich.  mmm, mmm, good.  ;-)