Good times in Gosford

This weekend the family took a trip up to Gosford to meet with the elders of the church there and enjoy some fellowship and fun with some of our church family there.  We had a good discussion that lead to some introspection (I think that's the right word...) and ponderings, as well and clarifications.  I don't have any pics from then, but I do have some shots of the the fun parts the rest of Saturday.

The men chatting. :-)

Two Davids and a Shawn. 

After a super scrumptious lunch, 

Chris is topping a homemade pavlova to share!

A true Aussie delight.

The picture doesn't show the yumminess of this tasty treat!

And I experienced fresh passionfruit for the first time, too.

Laura shared her favourite cookbook with Brenna and Joy.

She's made some fantastic food from it, or so they say. ;-)

Still serving up some goodness, as the troops start to circle.

(nah, there was no circling, just chatting)

The Gosford HIM (not sure if that's the write acronym) workers, Ann and Jenny,

along with Brenna, Shawn, and all-around great guy, Dan

at... a hockey game!  (surprising, I know!)

(if you look closely, you can see Darian, but he's hiding)

Gettin' some hockey on!

It was fun to cheer and stomp and make noise!

(don't tell, but I started cheering for the other side...

they were the underdog, final score 12-2)

Dan helping with some personal hygiene.

Okay, that's not true, he's just being silly.

This pic's here, just to prove I was at the game...

but it was a little fuzzy cuz the flash was off.  Better next time, eh?

Finally caught Darian in a picture...

...sadly, he's trying to help Dan clean up.  Sorry, Dan.

B's got the cat's cradle masking her face... or it could be 'owl's eyes'... hmm...

Thanks for the evening, Dan!  It was great fun!

I wish there was a non-interruptive and non-distracting way of taking pics of worship time, but I haven't figured that out yet, so there's no pics of Sunday morning with the Gosford family.  It was lovingly lead by Dan, and I appreciate the thought and heart he puts into it.

Thankful Thursday - prayer

Sometimes it's just nice to know that I can share my joys and burdens with the Creator.  And sometimes, there is amazing comfort and peace in knowing that I am being brought before the Father by fellow believers. 

I am thankful that among the countless wonders of this world, I have a pathway to approach my Mighty God.  It's truly awesome and humbling.  Also, comforting and heartwarming...

Peace and love to you today.

Thankful Thursday - hands

This week I've thought a bit about hands.  They do a lot for me.  I wouldn't be typing this without my hands and the fingers that belong on them.  (I know there are ways to overcome this, but work with me...)  I'm thankful for the countless things my hands do for me everyday.

But hands are useful beyond doing.  Hands also communicate for us.  I found myself considering the importance of having a hand to hold.  Simply being able to hold a friend's hand can mean so much.  It can brighten a day or ease a burden.  Hands share life.

I looked through some pics and found these special hand moments... 

a promise

cherishing new beginnings

slowing down for little moments

the love of siblings

taking time to play

greeting a new friend

rest and peace

just hanging on

comfort and contentment

 lifting up in joy

fifty years and counting

I hope today, you can find a hand to hold, to give you comfort or encouragement, to share a joy or some strength.  Or, perhaps, you can offer that hand of peace and love to someone else instead.
Blessings.

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.

Thankful Thursday - uhh...

Well, I'm thankful today, but I'm not sure what I'm really thankful about.  Well, not specifically that is.

So, I'm open to suggestions. ;-)
What little or often forgotten something are you thankful for today?
Please share. :-)

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Thankful Thursday - heart

I am not a rhythmic person.  I can hear a basic beat, but I cannot keep a beat for a sustained time.  And, please, don't even try to think that I could keep a steady beat AND do anything else!  (maybe even breath)... really, that's a complex task, right??  ;-)

So, in light of these difficulties for me, I am very thankful that my heart does not need my assistance to beat.  My heart was created to keep it's own rhythm, it's own steady time.  I am thankful and praise God for that amazing occurrence! ...because, if it was up to me, my poor little heart wouldn't have lasted long.

Sometimes, it's the little things that I'm really thankful for.  ;-)
blessings.

Thankful Thursday - chocolate

... 'cuz some days just call for chocolate.  ;-)

Some days are chocolate - straight up.  Other days require chocolate with peanut butter or maybe mint.  Once in a while, the day needs chocolate with a bit of crunch.  But there are days, that are best treated with chocolate. 

:-)
and so, I'm thankful for the delicious creation!
and the many, many varieties.
and the family and friends who share the love.  ;-)

 

Thankful Thursday - flowing water

Sounds silly, I know.  But these 'thankfuls' are for the little things, or maybe the overlooked things... and they're for me, and I do like a bit of silly now and again.  :-)

Last week, we had busy day of meetings and events.  Brenna was invited to go shopping with a friend in Sydney.  :-)  Good fun!  One meeting took us a bit more north than we normally venture.  And, since it gave me some free time, I went exploring and rediscovered some streams and waterfalls.

I love the sound of flowing water.  The way it moves, trickles and rushes is peaceful and calming to me.  I could sit and listen to the sounds for hours. 

I'm thankful that God created not only beautiful sights, but also some wonderful sounds.  Sounds of creation that bring peace and joy. 

a slow trickle...

a fiercer rush

Me and my exploring buddy for the day. :-)

Wish I had sound to go w/ the pics... but that just didn't happen.  :-) 

Thankful Thursday - kids

And believe it or not, not just my kids...
Kids make me smile...  whether we're hanging out w/ friends who have them or I'm wandering the shops... kids and the things they do make me smile!  deep from the inside smiles.

Yesterday while I was in the shops with Darian, a mum was pushing her girls (about 3 years old, twins, in princess dresses) in a shopping trolley (aka - cart).  One of the little girls was chatting away with mum.  Sweet in itself.  But then I heard what she said...  She asked if it was February.  Mum told her no.  Then she asked if it was March.  And mum explained that it wasn't March either, it was April.  The little one quickly responded, "What happened to February and March?"

Priceless.

I'm not sure what mum said next... but shortly after that I heard her say comfortingly, "We'll see them again next year."  Wonderful!

Kids, they make me smile.
So glad they're around... my own and others.  :-)  Yay.

a morning greeting at preschool :-)

Joy in small things.

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Thankful Thursday - laughter

Nothing brightens the day like laughing with a friend!
...or with the most wonderful hubby ever who's always nearby to share a laugh! 

I don't think I've ever pondered how fabulous, utterly terrific laughter is.  It livens and refreshes my spirit and attitude.  As my sweet sister would say... It's good fun!

And I'm not only thankful for laughter, but for those family and friends who share in the laughter... who make me laugh and laugh with me.  The world is a better place because of a little giggle now and again, because of a wee chuckle here and there.

Oh, and there's just so many types of laughter...  that makes me smile too!
What kind of a laugh-er are you?

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missing some recent visitors...

At the end of February, we were greatly blessed with the arrival of  some Skyline friends!  They warmed our hearts and cheered our spirits while they were here.  There was much laughter and love.  It was beyond a joy to have them here.   I miss their presence.  Here are just a few shots from our time together.

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Our visitors minus one... in front of the Sydney Opera House.

(yes, we visited the bathrooms, they're one of my favourites!)

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On the ferry ride from Manly Beach,

two buddies enjoying the front of the ferry!

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Two more buddies enjoying the train ride to Central Station.

;-)

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An afternoon visit to Carrington Falls (via the famous pie shop)

The kids didn't make this excursion, they had school.

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Mark and his little friends. :-)

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Two great guys and good friends posing for the camera.

(the second time...)

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Enjoying dinner on the beach in Apollo Bay, Victoria.

(before the great seagull invasion!)

Enjoying the Goffs for a couple extra days.

This was our last dinner... Aussie 'burgers w/ the lot' and chips. 

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So thankful they could all be here!  We missed those that couldn't make it and so many others.  If you're ever in the area, we'd love to see you too!   ;-)

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Thankful Thursday - clouds

I have always enjoyed looking at clouds.  I can remember laying on my back on the "hill" in my gram's front yard finding pictures in the clouds.  The crazier the shape, the better!  Once I saw an elephant playing the piano while sitting on a turtle.  Really! 

Even today, I can find joy, peace, and wonder just looking at the clouds.  God's work is amazing, stunning.

Enjoy the pic of the cloud Brenna saw while we were driving last week.  So glad there was a camera in the car to document the cloud.  :-)

What do you see?

Thankful Thursday - sunhats and aloe

The sun is hot in Australia.  They say (no, i don't really know who 'they' are, but they do say!) that the sun's rays/effects are stronger here than in the states.  You really can't go outside without one of my new best friends, sun block. 

But I now have a couple new friends this summer.  The first is 'Ms. Sunhat'.  I had no idea there were so many styles of hats, nor that some had better SPF ratings than others.  My new sunhat has a 50+ SPF rating.  (no idea what that exactly means, but bigger is better!)  AND it's cute!  I'm not a hat person.  My sister is, she looks cute in any type of hat, but me, not so much.  So finding a hat that looks cute on me, is a big plus! 

Here's the big news...  my friend Ms. Sunhat doesn't work, if i don't wear it.  Who would have guessed??  But, wearing hats in the hot sun is... well, it's hot...  and i'm not fond of hot.  hmmm....

Which brings me to my second friend... aloe!  He comes to the rescue when I neglect my first friend.  Isn't that sweet of him?  ;-) 

So, I'm working on building my connection w/ Ms. Sunhat, trying to spend more and more time w/ her... and reconnecting w/ Mr. Aloe, who is a very steady and helpful guy.  Hopefully, I won't need to rely on him much in the future.

Brenna's wearing her cute sunhat...  guess i misplaced mine

(really, it was so hot, i don't know how anyone kept a hat on! ugh!)

Shawn and his sunhat... where did mine go??

Both pics take on Australia Day while we were in Wollongong enjoying the festivities.

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Thankful Thursday...

Sometimes it's a challenge to be thankful for the little things...  that's what this is mostly about.  The unexpected, or even silly/odd, things to be thankful for... things that might not be thanked often... or maybe just special moments of thanks for the usual suspects.  ;-) 

When we were making a couple batches of peanut butter balls before Christmas, I brilliantly burnt my lip w/ some very hot melted chocolate.  It even blistered!  ouch! 

Which made be very thankful for ... Blistex cream!  So glad I had some from the states... and happy to find some here too.  It helped the pain and healing in my sore lip.  Thanks for the great way men's minds can create and solve problems.  And help my ow-ies. 

Brenna and Darian making peanut butter balls!  :-) 

Their friends and ours enjoyed the treat! yummm

Thankful Thursday

Technology is a wonderful thing.  It's amazing that i can chat face-to-face with family and friends across the world through the internet!  Being able to stay connected across the miles brings me much joy.  The process boggles my mind, but i don't need to understand it to appreciate it... and i sure do appreciate seeing familiar faces now and again.
:-)

Thankful Thursday

In the rollercoaster that is life, the ups and downs are more tolerable when shared with friends.  When we moved to the other side of the globe, I wondered how that journey would change, would I be taking those ups and downs alone, or isolated? 

I am thankful beyond words, and amzingly blessed, to discover that although I may be far away, I'm still surrounded and supported by friends.  There are still many hand offered to celebrate the good with us, or hold our hands through the difficult.  God is good.

Thanks to all the friends who shared in the excitement with us when Brenna was elected female School President for next school year!  Yes, I am extremely proud of her!  And thankful that she can see so many other excited for her achievement as well.

Thanks!

Thankful Thursday

It often amazes me how people can say or do something very meaningful to me when they think what they've done is ordinary.  You know, one of those moments when someone unexpectedly lifts you up when you're down, or gives you encouragement when you're feeling unsure.  I believe that God's hand is guiding, or perhaps prompting that moment.  But no matter how it happens, it makes me quite thankful for those moments and those friends.

Although we no longer live close to many of friends and family, I still get those unexpected, just-at-the-right-time encouragments.  But instead of a smile, a hug, or a kind word, they come in the form of a facebook post, an email, or a bit of mail. 

God has been good to me, by the friends and family I'm blessed with and their kind and caring hearts.  Thank you, God.  And, thank you, dear, sweet friends... each and every one of you. 

Turkey Time Down Under!

Oddly, there's no days off school or work on the fourth Thursday of November in Australia. ;-) To adjust w/ the lack of official holiday, we decided to create a new fourth-Thursday tradition... meat pies! (or actually, pie of your choice) Here's the family enjoying their yummy pies and drinks brought from home. mmm....

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And then, on to the turkey...



Despite the fact that the high for the day was in the 80's, I just had to cook a turkey for our first Thanksgiving in Oz... with all the trimmings. Looking back, that might not have been the brightest idea, but it did make for a memorable day! Thankfully, I was able to find oven bags, just not jumbo turkey sized ones. So a couple adjustments had to be made. But I was able to find some important elements like jellied cranberry sauce and close-enough spinich dip ingredients.

Shawn and Darian took apart the kitchen table to set up a grand dining area in the back room. It felt just like a Sunday dinner at Grams. :-)

Cooking in the kitchen... veggies ready to roast, two crock pots cooking, stuffing and cheesy green beans on the stove... all looking good... but why do I need a flash light??? hmm...

Passing or gathering food....

One end of the kids' table! The kids outnumbered the adults. I'm so thankful that Darian and Brenna had friend that were willing and able to come join us in sharing a bit of our culture. One of D's friends asked how often we did Thanksgiving.

The whole gang... all Aussies except us. And I think it's the first time I've worn a skirt. I'm sure it's the first time I've been so warm.

Brenna and her friends chillin' after dinner... and enjoying a healthy dessert.

Darian and his friends checkin' out some videos on uTube. Ya do what you can when there's no football on. ;-)

And time to play outside... all the kids together. It was a great moment to see!

A tasty end to a great day! The desserts were a hit. Even though pumpkin is ususally cooked as a 'savory' or side dish here (roasted or as a soup), several of our friends tried the pumpkin pie and a few even liked it!