The dragons are coming!!

17 days 'til...

BRISINGR

arrives!

WOOHOO!! :D

From the AFOL in me...

Paul Frank in LEGO?!?!

*GASP*

That is SO cool!! :D

The big read!!

I don't know where to start really.
There's so many things going on or have gone on... The Beijing Olympics are on, there's a war kind of raging in Georgia, a friend got married last weekend (congrats Amy and Will!), my brother will soon be getting married, ive recently come back from Europe only to be thrown in the throng of things regarding work, and already we are almost half way through term 3. My, time flies when youre having fun!!

But despite all these things happening its nice to know some things never change. My mum is simply the best. I know we're all biased, (who wouldnt be when it comes to mothers!) but the other week i came home during the wee hours of the morning, it was freezing and while heading home i thought, gee i got to get into cold pjs and crawl into a cold bed and wait for it to warm up! The Lord must have heard and told mum, cos after momentarily thinking i had gone mad and misplaced my pj pants, i found them wrapped around a hot water bottle tucked neatly under my covers. As i said mum is the best!! So since then mum has set that water bottle under my covers knowing id love the warmth at night. Such is love.

I said id recently come back from Europe, well it kind of feels like it was only yesterday i was there, but when i really think about it its actually been a few weeks now. In some ways i kind of have to ask myself did it really happen? Looking at my photos though i know it did, it helps to relive all those memories stored away in the vaults of the brain. Definitely makes me want to go back and do it all again and more!!!

"So where did you go?" i hear you ask. Here, there and everywhere.
More specifically i stayed in London, Hampton Wick. A beautiful little suburb across the Thames from Kingston Upon Thames.
From there i travelled to Dover across the Channel to Calais, France and drove to Amsterdam. After a night in Amsterdam and seeing the summer solstice we drove on to Germany and stopped at various places before enjoying a glorious cruise along the Rhine River. A great thing to do if you want to see castles from afar and cute little villages lining the banks. We stayed then in an 'old school style' hotel in Mannheim.
Next day saw us leaving and driving to Austria where we were able to stay in Innsbruck for 2 nights. I loved this place! During our stay there we visited Mozarts home city of Salzburg, of which i didnt see enough :( We saw heaps of places where they filmed the Sound of Music, brought back some memories of childhood singing well known songs! ;) We also got to go up to Hitlers Eagle Nest, just over the border in Germany. From there we got some of the best views of Austria. it was here i also saw my first ice glaciers up close and personal. I never realised just how white they get, boy they were bright. I thought it would be a bit cooler up there, you know altitude and all, how wrong i was though. My photos look a bit weird, theres mum looking decent and me with a red face, im all sunburnt is all i can say!

From here went to venice, Italy. I suppose its a nice city, it certainly is different. But i for one cannot say i truly like the place. Perhaps the weather has something to do with it. You see going during the end of June means summer, and well summer tends to draw the crowds to Venice. Not sure why really, it sticky, hot, sticky, humid.. oh and smelly. Yes it was so hot at times we didnt eat because it really wasnt worth the effort, i think mum and i lived on gelato for a while there!! Thank goodness for gelato. We scooted through Verona and past the lakes into Switzerland. Lucerne by far has to be my favourite European city that ive visited. I cant really explain it. I think its more the atmosphere than anything. The people are friendly, its a city a little crowded but nothing at all like Sydney or London. Its got a bit of a country feel as well. Its probably due to the proximity to surrounding farms and some fantastic mountains used regularly for hiking and such. Added to that is the huge lake on which Lucerne sits. We saw beautiful cows with ringing cow bells up in the mountains. We floated amongst pine trees while enjoying a gondola ride coming from the top of Mount Pilatus. Mt Pilatus. Its definitely the best! On one side you see the city stretching out and beyond nature in all its finest, on the other snow capped mountains as far as the eye can see. God is truly a wonderful creator, its a shame to think humans in all their ignorance can destroy such beauty. Yes, its a place for quiet reflection and contemplation, a place to adore nature for all its worth.

Finally to France, a 7 hr drive did nothing to lift my spirits in Paris. Perhaps it was the combination of tiredness and the fact we didnt really get to see anything in Paris resulted in my not liking the city too much. I did get to go to Versailles though, so i cant say i didnt do anything there. Going up the Eiffel Tower was an experience, but even then after a while it was like hmm yes all you see is the city laid out in its masses. I know im going to have to go back there some day to see the real paris. The notre dame, all those fountains and parks.. how could i not? But first impressions werent the greatest.

Then back across the way we came to London. I did quite a bit in London. You really can get museumed out (if thats even a word). I think 4 hrs in the British Museum does the trick. By the time the Albert & Victoria Museum came around, id had enough. Loved St Pauls though, and Kew Gardens. An awesome time for wondering around and simply taking your time pretending you were in an entirely different world, completely oblivious to the traffic streaming by behind the huge brick wall surrounding the compounds.
Had my photo with Peter Pan himself which was cool, visited a quaint old toy museum in Goodge st, worth the 5 quid if you like that sort of thing. And of course Big Ben, you can never get enough of that clock. Then there was Buckhingham, Westminster, Trafalgar, Marble Arch, Admiralty Arch, St James Park.. the list goes on.

We saw as much of London as we could while there, and yet im sure we didnt even get to see half of it. Its such a HUGE city. Theres so much to do and see.. you could spend weeks there and not fail to see something new each day. Im not sure what was my favourite there, but what i did love was the old architecture, theres nothing really like that in Sydney, at least theres very few.

I managed to have a glimpse of the countryside in England also. Drove through a small section of New Forest down south, watching the ponies, donkeys and cows roaming freely in a world in which they have right of way. Cool! Visited my castle, yes im an heiress didnt you people know?! And drove around the Isle of Wight in an afternoon. Another place id like to see properly... Man the list just keeps growing, im definitely going to have to save up once again *sigh*

Anyway so theres so much ive done there and yet theres even more to do. Itd take certainly more than the 4 weeks i was there. What i saw was a drop in the ocean really, but honestly if youve never been there certainly make an effort to go at least once in a lifetime. Its definitely an experience youll always treasure.

Until the next Europe trip.... just kidding!!

Real or fake?!

As is usual in a wednesday morning at a local school i often find myself looking after kids who go to non- scripture... There isnt much that i do there, its really simply baby sitting and making sure the kids dont kill each other.. anyways its also good to hear how kids talk to each other.

This particular group i was looking after were infants, mostly kindies and yr 1s. Anyhow, there was a point when one kid (for reasons unknown) pipes up...

"I've seen a real Santa!" was his bold statement.
"I've seen a real one AND a fake one!" affirmed another student.

I must say i surpressed a giggle but grinned nevertheless... I mean really how do you tell a fake from a real Santa? Do you tug the beard and pray you don't end up with white strands in your clenched fist? Woe to the man who really does have a flowing white beard! I'm sure being Santa for a few weeks requires some form of insurance.

Then a dear child had the heart to say
"I've seen the footprints of the easter bunny in my classroom. They were even on the teachers chair!!"

It warms the heart to listen to children speak so innocently of creatures of fiction and yet part of me cant help but think 'Man these kids are so gullible!' Seriously though were we ever like that?! Perhaps.

But yes its moments like these that i feel totally blessed being able to be a part of childrens lives every day. So much can happen in a days work at school and children have an innocence and natural curiosity for things us adults deem silly, childless or simply forgotten about.

To live a life of no worries and feel safe in our own little worlds... What joy that must have been.

Praise God for children :D

My first real holiday...

Dearest all you lovely people.. i know i know ive been terrible with the lack of writing thats appeared here of late.. oh well what can i say God is blessing my life at the moment, and so i am enjoying life to the fullest... At least that's what it feels like :D

Anyhoo yes despite my old age :P i have finally just returned from my first ever real holiday, for those who know me well, my family was never one to go on adventurous trips, and so sadly i used to think of my school camps and such as my 'holidays' weird i know but thats the way i thought of it all.

But this past easter saw me venture on an extremely relaxing trip down south. Perhaps the furthest i have ever been in NSW.. you can tell i dont get out much :P

The trip down was longish and eventful to some extent. We got stuck in traffic (whats new when it comes to Sydney roads these days... ) And so i think out of sheer boredom i probably started saying random things and reading absolutely every sign i saw on the roadside.. yes even if it meant seeing the same sign numerous times. Hehe some funnier than others, i mean really "I'm available day and night!" ? i mean sure it grabs your attention, at least it did mine.. or is it i just have a dirty mind.. :P hehe
The boom crash opera of thunder, lightning and rain made the trip slower and more exciting?. It was an experience nevertheless to sit in a lovely seaside cafe and be all of a sudden thrown into pitch blackness as the lights flickered on and off for a spell. Even more so when two huge parasols decided to take lift off and attempt to float away with the wind. And the rain, how it bucketed down and yes silly ol' me was too chicken to race through the water to the car.. thank goodness for my partner in crime (if u read this by the way ta muchly i would have been lost without you!) anyways he brought the car round for his princess so she wouldnt have to wet her dainty toes in the torrent that was the kerbside. ;)

And so the trip continued until after what seemed an age we arrived at what would be my home for the next few days. It was a cute little cottage with loft rooms and gabled(?) windows. I love those, so cool. Despite the room being slightly girly for my taste i loved it all! YAY!!

Though overcast most days i went on long walks, frolicked about amongst the rockpools and in the sand like a little girl at times, admired Gods awesome creativeness which i must say took my breath away at times, hence my extended moments of non-chatter, and quite frankly had a ball.

The best was the company though. A cool chef who cooked marvelous meals leaving me satisfied and full to say the least, i'm not sure how i managed to eat so much but i suppose i was up to the challenge. Besides all those walks paid off afterwards and speaking of which YAY i lost a kilo :D i should walk more.
A mother who has the marvelous ability to read a few books in such a few short days.. more than what i could do. True we had a few days to kill but my, i was impressed with her speed reading skills... i only wish i was more like that. Add to that knew how to make me laugh at times. Mothers must be taught that at mother school somewhere along the line.
And lastly the one who encouraged me to brave the waves at the beach and go for a 'cold' dip in the seas water. THe one who knew when to keep my feet warm on that drizzly day while watchin the movie, who took me on long strolls and showed me the beauty of Gods brilliantly lit starry night with an almost full moon. Stars never lose their shine, glittering across a blanket of midnight blue i could have lost myself in the never ending expanse of night sky. Who told me when a 'smack' which echoed in the still night was nothing more than a fish jumping to break the still waters surface when not another thing stirred.

Yes i truly felt blessed to be there that night. In fact the whole weekend. For such a few short days i had almost forgotten the reality that was the big smoke and what it all meant. Part of me dreaded the ensuing trip home. Home means work, busyness and a rushed pace that is supposed to be the vibe of a city.. it just is not natural though. Curse man who invented stress! If only time could stand still...

All that aside though, i was a 'child' for a few days and the easter bunny brought a box of Lindt Chocolate (my fave) which up to now i still havent devoured.. .(a case of saving the best til last ;) ) i strangely enough got nicknamed the 'neat freak' hehe 'sweep sweep' was what i heard on my last morning *grin* so what if i cannot cook i can at least keep a place clean. Oh don't be so gobsmacked peoples... just because im a girl doesnt mean i was given the talent of cooking.. its an acquired skill, not a gene reserved for females... tsk tsk!

The trip home was just as long, probably too long but very scenic at times. Once again the heavens opened its tap and the rain pelted down washing the earth anew. I loved the cows, the horses, the sheep and yes even the alpacas which i saw.. at least im fairly sure thats what they were. Passing through some peaceful old towns (which id love to revisit properly at some time) i saw what could have been described as the perfect rainbow. A full arc with each colour displayed in perfect order, clear as a bell. An image forever etched into memory as no camera was present at the time. Who needs a camera anyway with a visual mind such as mine. And once again all these views were shared with a special someone.. to him i say thankyou!

And so now i am back in the routine of work, back at home hearing the usual noises that is my family, surrounded by overly familiar objects and things that is my home and yet part of me still feels somewhat removed from all of this. In such a few short days ive learnt things about myself, about others, seen and experienced wonders only God can give. In such a few short days i have learnt to appreciate the smallest things in life and felt blessed to have done so. I have in essence experienced a real relaxing holiday.
All i can say now is thankyou, thankyou and thankyou again to those who showed me a great time.

God bless :D

Roll on 2008

Dearest friends it feels like its been years since i last wrote here but in reality it hasnt even been a month. Perhaps its because things just seemed to be happening everyday and my so called holiday hasnt been as relaxing as it usually is... hmmm anyways

I think the last time i left off i was getting ready for Cowra. Writing the talk was a challenge as it always is, but im glad i got the opportunity to do so. At times it was almost like pulling teeth, i could understand completely what it was i wanted to say yet to actually set it down into meaningful sentences was sooo frustrating. Grr at least i got it done and im so thankful for the challenge, i certainly learnt from the task and Gods word never ceases to amaze me!!
Writing my testimony was equally challenging though perhaps in a different manner. I never realised just how emotional writing a testimony could be. Perhaps because i dont consider myself the soppy type but boy that was one intense exercise i had to do. I must say though it was a blessing to be able to share my story with a lovely group of women in Cowra. Knowing that the women were listening to more than just a story, my story, that they were listening to a plead to turn to Christ spurred me on to get through what i thought at the time was a gruelling task. Ok so perhaps it wasnt so difficult but sharing such a personal experience isnt something i find easy to do. And to do that in front of a largish group of adults was certainly putting me to the test.
God willing some women had some food for thought after that event. It was encouraging to see women linger around the bookstore looking for that book that might help in answering some of their many questions. To hear the day after that, a lady was thinking about the possibility that yes there is a great Maker controlling our lives... it just made it all worthwhile.
This yrs team certainly had a different dynamic, i could see God working in many ways every day of that intense week. The heat was at times unbearable and Maccas only offered a brief respite but seeing newbies flourish with excitement and enthusiasm for Gods work was truly a blessing. It wasnt all smooth sailing though, numbers were down in all groups and some injuries on team didnt help BUT it was still x number of people who got to hear the gospel and witness the godliness displayed in Cowra. Praise god!

Though after 7 yrs of Summer Breakout i have finally said my good bye. I did the touristy things with my partners in crime Neen and Yvonne, took a number of happy snaps and spent time reflecting on years gone by whiel watching the wonders of Gods creation. The country despite its harshness is truly a thing of beauty. If youve never been i suggest u take a visit while youve a chance.

That was just over a week ago, since then ive slept and slept and slowly gotten back into the swing of things so to speak. I went for a drive up to Maitland on a drissly day and got to see another of the summer missions. So different to Cowra yet proclaiming the same message God wills. Awesome!

I also got to strap on my skates once again and enjoy the sense of freedom while gliding on ice. I was very scratchy but im sure wiht a few more practises il be just like i was before.. a bumbling pro ice skater wannabe! JUST KIDDING! Nah its just fun and having my rules just make it all the more fun! ;D You hold my hand thats fine... but if i feel ure fallin im letting u go!! I aint going down with you! Teehee that goes for EVERYONE!

Sunday got to celebrate my dear ol' dads bday.. a bit of a surprise but once again the amount of food left me feeling like it was Christmas all over again. Humans can be gluttonous pigs at the best of times... *sigh* oh well! I think the banana cheesecake made up for it though, was deeeeeelicious!

Today braved the school holiday crowds and enjoyed my mums company. Mother daughter days are priceless and i guess im lucky to be able to enjoy occasions such as these. Mums really do become ure best friends when u get to my age.. .man that sounds old doesnt it :P oh well!

Apart from that lifes just good! And im thanking my God for each blessing he sends my way! Amen to that!

Busyness and the end of yr slump...

My my the last week has been somewhat hectic. Not that im at all surprised, after all it IS the silly season and well life just gets generally silly to say the least!!

Last week finally saw the last of school for this year. I must say i found the last day quite emotional. There werent too many dry eyes at days end.. what with a very moving assembly in the morning farewelling 3 hardworking teachers, and the avo saying goodbye to the year 6's. *SNIFF* those yr 6's have a spesh spot in my heart.. why? i hear you ask, well it only seems like yesterday, back in the dark days of uni, that i was plodding through my few weeks of prac teaching the then littlies.. they were in yr 1 and my have they grown.. Geee that makes me sound real old doesnt it, almost like a parent *sniff* goodness knows what i'll be like when i really do have my own kids... an emotional wreck no doubt! But yes theyve flown off into the scary world of high school. They were a great bunch of children and no doubt school will be somewhat different without them. Though i must say every yr group despite their oddities and faults do tend to leave a mark of some sort ;)

Anyways that was last week, a week of watching movies, videos, dvds and well do bugger all really. Whos insane idea was it to keep kids in school right up to Christmas anyways?!?!?! grrr they should be shot :P

At least now i can say i am on holidays and so far so good though somewhat hectic as i mentioned earlier.
Friday night saw me pig out on more food than the other half (amazing!) till i was almost asleep.
Then saturday morning it was rise and shine, bright and early for a crazy day of last minute xmas shopping. Kids screaming just make me cringe *shudder* why cant parents just teach their kids not to make so much noise in shopping malls?? i wasnt at all like that! Sheesh!!
So after nearly 4 hrs of umming and ahhing over what to buy and what not to buy, encountering ridiculously long lines (and i do mean loooooooooooooooooooong lines) not to mention frustrating and sometimes rude checkout chicks i finally made it home with armloads of pressies for the special people in my life!

I would have liked to have plopped down on a comfy couch and dozed off for an hr or two but alas alack i was off to a partay that night and i had a bit of cooking planned for a special someone. So after lots of instructions from my beloved parents the cooking started but grr cooking takes time (duh) and i had to frock up for the shindig. Yikes!! Somehow or other i got ready, can you believe it i actually made an effort :P complete with skirt, angelic wings and sparkly, tinsly headgear, twas very itchy i must add! But sadly the cooking wasnt complete. Supermum to the rescue, she managed to get it finished for me so that when i arrived home later that night yummy smells of empanadas wafted throught the humble abode.

So the party went off without a hitch. I was no help whatsoever when it came to the trivia quiz, the food was yum though, kris kringle a funny affair, some creative gear in the costume department, oh how could i forget the arm wrestling matches but best of all the company was fab! All had a good time at least that was my impression of it and never thought id say this but i am looking forward to next yrs party! Ive got a whole yr to figure out the bestest costume :P TEEHEE

Then next day was up bright and early yet again to wrap all the pressies then out all avo on an informative walk. Which led to a dinner where i ate waaaaaaay too much fried rice... humph and to think i lost a bet :P Boys are silly anyways but i still reckon i could have eaten it all... too much water before hand and too much salt spoiling what could have been a good appetite! :P seriously i could have won!!

Xmas eve was a quiet affair especially considering by then my sore throat, which made its presence felt on sat morning, decided to manifest itself into some nasty cough and hack and well i think u got the general idea so all i wanted to do was sit and veg and sleep .. though i think i did manage to play my fiddle til i blistered my finger tips.. you know the saying no pain no gain!

Yesterday bleh.. lots of food, lots of people, still more food, a room full of wrapping paper, yet more food ending in an overindulged slump around 830 pm :P Seriously today i feel like an overfed pig. And no wonder if i keep eating pork.. ooo but my apple sauce theres always room for that! :D i reckon i put on a coupla kilos yesterday alone.. thank goodness for Cowra and its insane heat! I could probably sweat it all out! BRING IT ON!

As for the rest of the week who cares is what i say, im on hols and dont plan on doing much tho i do have a tad to do before i leave for cowra, *sigh* last yr folks!! Then its adios Adeos :P HEHEHE Still got a bit of time though, thank goodness, and then itl be an intense week, not just physically but emotionally too. Sharing the gospel with so many people can be mind boggling but God is always there guiding us. Its often a scary thought when thinkin abt cowra and the anxiety i get doesnt help either, but once im there i know itl be full pelt all the way til saturday and before i know it i'l be packed into a car heading back home to my beloved house of comfort, loving family and somewhat normal weather, if this summer is what youd call normal!
But yes thats next week, i plan on getting reasonably better first, getting my stuff written and perfected (*snort* as if!) THEN il worry about goin away. Argh im making myself tired just stressing over all this now :P

Anyways my lids want to close and i reckon they know best so try not to do what i did and overeat on tasty rich food...

God bless ya smelly sox peeps!