walking away

The last year has been a hard one for me.  There has been a feeling of betrayal, confusion and pain.  Through it I have struggled in my 'walk with God.'

Recently, I've been thinking...
If you walk away from church, does that mean you're walking away from God?  Now, I know that some folks will resoundingly say 'YES!' from the top of their lungs.

But, what if the 'church' walked away from you first?
Does that change anything?  What if, a group of people you've loved, worshiped with, and committed to just decided that you weren't what they wanted anymore and cut their ties?  Of course, it would be in a loving, sweet worded manner.  There would be lots of proper things said, but the message was still clear enough, you're not accepted as you are.

Then what?

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.

Wordless Wednesday - Getting Pumped

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.  

A Championship Season

I've had this requested on a couple different fronts... so here's some pics of D and his NSW state champion football (gridiron for Aussies) team.

.

Wollongong Brumbies

2011 NSW Champions

.

 

Pre-game huddle... firing up the team

"Who are we?"

"BRUMBIES!"

 Cheering on the team

Brumbies' fans...

Yes, B and I made signs and a little pom-pom for the game!

I didn't get any game pics, 'cuz I was too busy cheering.

(read yelling loudly and jumping around)

 D listening to the trophy presentation.

 D and two of his fans.

The 'non-Griffith' guy is a friend from school...

gotta love that a friend wanted to drive up to Sydney with us to watch the game.  :-)

 Shawn and D

Love the photo... and their laughter in it.

 Me and my little boy...

uh... he used to be little. 

(it was a cold night!)

This season B moved from reading through the games to cheering along with me.

Another thing to love! ;-)

I'll try to add couple shots from earlier in the season in another post...  

(when I wasn't so distracted... or stressed)

Wordless Wednesday - in honour of Valentine's day

Shrimp on the Bah-bie

 In a time-honoured Aussie tradition, we had some barbecued prawn (among other yummies) for lunch on Australia Day last month.  (and in a Kendra-honoured tradition, it's a bit overdue) 

While one might think that prawn and shrimp are the same thing, in my humble opinion, they are quite different.  I am not a fan of shrimp (and never have been), but I have had some prawn here that is quite tasty.  And it's not just the taste either, the texture's different too.  Well, to me anyway. ;-)

 picture-perfect prawn

peeled, seasoned, and grilling to perfection!

 Our dear friend, the barbecue master!

note the cooked snags (sausages) and burgers on the side

mmm..

oh, and a little pan to cook some egg in for the burgers!

Ya gotta love an Aussie burger.

 Shawn having a go at the barbecue.

lookin' good, love!

 That's not good form.

Back away from the prawns.

;-)

Brenna's plate.

inspired by Masterchef, I think.

Darian's plate

it's got a bit of everything (except the snag)

burger w/ egg (on the bottom), prawn, fried rice

lamb, and a tasty salad  with a coke!

What a spread!

Thank you, Tyler family!

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! 

The Dapto Show & my New Calling

Last weekend, Shawn, Brenna and I went to the Dapto Show.  This is similar to a county fair in the states.  You know, aiming for the prized tomato or pie, horse shows, rides, greasy food and hot weather.  It was all there!

We went because Brenna had a painting submitted from school.  It was wonderful!!  We saw a couple pieces from kids at her 'former' school and lots of baked goods, crafts, veggies, flowers and photos!  Lots of talent in the show.  We also enjoyed watching the show jumping and thought of family and good summer memories. :-)

Here are some highlights!

The three of us watching the show jumping and chopping.

 Taking a jump.

Looks good to me. They had to have a jump off!

but nobody's hair matched the horse... hmm...

 a bit of the long chopping competitions.

fascinating.  

hey, is that my brother there on the right??

although I did wonder about wearing the white pants....

 Humoring me with a pic.

Isn't she a sweetie! 

 a closer look at her painting.

 a local celebrity from "Junior Masterchef"

an Aussie cooking, elimination tv show.

 going for a ride

:-)

Oh!  And did I mention the camel racing??

I think it would be fun to have a go!

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

and, now, I know you've been waiting to hear all about my new calling!!  

Well, check these out...

 what a shot!

 can't you feel the anticipation of the slam?

 such feeling and emotion here

 caught in the act...

Don't you think I have a future in wrestling photography???  ;-)

I mean, those are some fabulous action shots!!  with just a 'point and shoot' camera even!  Amazing.

Come on now... be honest...
;-)