June 2014

Here we are at the end of another month - half the year has gone!

I have been out and about a lot on my own this month, which has felt a little irresponsible! I got to go see Mom's Night Out with a couple of other mum's from church; it was full of laughs. I've started going to a 6am Bootcamp thrice a week with a friend at Underwood Park; very cold, but I have been enjoying it. My walking group (and 'associates') did Miss Muddy, a 5km obstacle course, together. I really enjoyed it, though I was freezing cold by the end from the mud and wet and very cold wind. I went to a Thermomix demo one evening with some of Jon's workmates; yummy food, but not convinced I need a $2,000 appliance to make it.

It has also been a busy month viewing rental properties. It has been challenging finding a place to meet the requirements we have with some of Jon's family coming to live with us, but we put in an application on a property today that seems just right. We continue to pray God's will in all this and wait to see what will happen this time.
**Update: we got the place this (same) afternoon. Moving in less than two weeks!

The girls spent ages harassing a friend's chickens on a recent play date

Caleb loves to draw. And to graffiti the walls....

Some music I've been enjoying this month:

A podcast I enjoyed from Inspired To Action here and a blog post from I Take Joy here.

And two new recipes I've liked: Low-Carb Peanut Butter Muffins and Cheeseburger Cauliflower Mince (delicious and very filling with Bread in a Mug on the side).

My scan is coming up next month, as well as my first appointment at the hospital. And who knows, we might be moving house!

Missing In Action (A little bit of a catch up)

My poor blog has been neglected these past couple of months (bet you didn't even notice!) due to my not being well, but here I am again at long last almost back to 'normal'. I have been very blessed to have had the girls behave very well in this time; they have played many many hours building things out of Mega Blocks while I have been sick in bed, and even now they still spend a good part of the day playing with their blocks. Caleb has been a little difficult, so I'm waiting to see if his last four molars will come through soon...

First hair cut

Caleb is a bundle of all sorts. We night weaned him straight after Easter - within a week he was sleeping through the night and his bed is now in with the girls. He likes to be doing things / helping (which can be a pain and a delight). In April, I found him dunking the mop in the loo to mop the floor. When Jon roasts his coffee, he need only mention coffee to Caleb before he's off to the cupboard hauling out the roasting equipment and beans! It is very endearing to watch him working hard to carry the exhaust system outside. He is beginning to talk a little - 'mummy', 'me' and 'nah' the most common words. When Jon leaves for work he asks who wants a hug and the girls come running saying 'me me me!'; it was very cute when Caleb first came running saying it too. 'Nah' sometimes means yes, so that can be a bit tricky to work out....

Sarah with her duck

I have enjoyed observing Sarah these last months. I had worried that Abigail would always overshadow and dominate her but it has been really enjoyable to see Sarah becoming her own identity. I remember the big change when she went from a 2 year old to a 3 year old (from baby to child), and again as she heads towards being 4 I see it happening again. Her and Abigail are still best buddies and spend most of their day together, but Sarah will now happily go and do what she wants on her own (whereas before if Abigail didn't want to do it, Sarah wouldn't do it). She surprised me recently when I was reviewing phonics with Abigail by piping up with the correct sounds before Abigail did!

Abigail's reading lessons fell by the way these past couple of months so we're slowly getting back into it. Lots of mega block building and dressing of toys has been done instead :) She's a good little helper (it is the girls job each day to unload the dishwasher and to bring the dirty laundry downstairs for me).

Flowers from hubby and candle from Alisi; children gifts from God

Abigail and Sarah eating their 'Jesus bread' - what they call hotdog buns based on some pictures in their Bibles :)

We made it up to Bundaberg over Easter to see my Grandma, and my aunt and cousins. I was able to go to Sydney for a day in May to visit Jachin and Alisi and meet little Zachary. Jon had a work trip down just south of Sydney the weekend before that. And this Queen's birthday weekend past we visited Grandma Sheehy on the Saturday, Grandma Randall on the Sunday, and on the Monday we met up with a workmate of Jon's and her husband in a park for a BBQ lunch together. And we've played lots of games of Catan together :)