A weekend in Hawkes Nest...

In the weekend the kids and I (& Miss E's friend Robz) headed  2 & 1/2 hours north to Hawkes Nest where we filled one of 4 townhouses...there with friends (& a few of their friends) from connect group

The trip up was the best ever...
after a pitt stop for dinner with the rest of the convoy we were on he road again when we got a call from a friend: I couldn't talk because I was driving (& are already have too many demerit points!) so Miss E relayed the message. "We're moving back to NZ on the April the 14th, do you want our car" ..."How much?" I ask. "For freeeeeeeee" (Remember that line from 'Bedime stories' She didn't say it like that btw!)

I was flaggergasted and started yahooing/wahooing in the car! Man how awesome!!! The car Dad bought us when we came back to Australia has been such a blessing, but is in need of a bit of repair at the mo. The kids and I have been praying for a new one > what a spectacular answer! 

Magnificent news!! I'm completely overwhelmed at the goodness of God and generousity of this amazing couple!

 Now for the scary part of the weekend........

After a fantastic day on Saturday hiking (See our mascot),

going crazy in the rain, fantastic meals~ freshly caught fish,

an afternoon dance party when the rain continued to pour down (Manel taught us to belly dance!)

....we went down to the beach for a game of touch rugby and then a  swim.

All was great, we were having fun in the surf ...WHEN the current/tide (I don't know exactly what) suddenly changed!! 

Arrhhh we swam for shore, almost there when I spotted one of our guys swimming over to rescue 2 young boys who weren't part of our group. That's when I realised that my 10 year old  J hadn't made it in with us and was drifting out too. Panic. A mother's worst nightmare!

I swam back out to him, held his hand and said let's just lay on our backs and kick. That was easier said than done when the breakers became so huge and started crashing over us and swirling us under. It was such an airy moment too seeing another friend not far from us yelling for help. I honestly wondered at one stage if we were going to make it in.

J later tells how he cried out to God to help and straight after a massive wave came and swept us in to a place where we realised we could now touch the bottom. We yelled out to our friend that he could put his feet down now too.

Relief. Exhaustion. Shock. Dehydration and a lingering cough after swallowing so much salt-water...and friends who were so amazing, taking charge of the kids and making me rest. That night I hardly slept replaying it over and over in my head. J fine! Thank-you Lord! 

  

I've never experienced something like that before. The sea is powerful, but God so much more so.

On Sunday morning after breakfast one of the locals who saw what was happening and had called 2 ambulances (Which we thankfully didn't need) joined us for our church service in one of the townhouses. A great way to end what was on the whole a wonderful time together. (- that the scary 1/2 hour!!)    

A Gr8 boy!!!

What an awesome guy! His little life touches my heart in so many ways. There's something incredibly special about our Lijy, within him gold!

>My gorgeous little boy who was born with a frown

>Who has always been so lovable and cuddly

>He's  loved the guitar forever & starts a moving n grooving whenever he hears music

>Is a fantastic big and little brother...the one they all want to play with!

>He's the boy running around the soccer field with his shirt over his head! :)

>In the last year he lost his 3 front teeth! (& only 2 have grown back?) 

>For his 6th birthday all he wanted was a suit!

>He was a pirate in his school show at end of last year...

>And for his 8th birthday yesterday his dad gave him a leather (Lookalike) jacket.

 

A very happy birthday!

A family one this year, with a cake to share with his friends at school.

Celebrating and honouring the amazing 8 year old boy he is....by going out for pizza and licking our lips after at a chocolate cafe where they brought him out this little cake. Heart felt speeches to the birthday boy...

WE LOVE YOU LIJY!! 
Such an fine young man xox

Doreen Elizabeth McDonald

A beautiful email Bobbie Houston sent out about a moment with her mum who in her latter days was stroke affected and very frail in a nursing home in New Zealand:

"March 1st ... The first day of autumn/fall for us Down Under, but also my mums birthday. If she (Doreen Elizabeth McDonald) were still alive, she'd be 96 today

My mum had a little bit of dementia. One time years ago, I rang her from Sydney and she said "oh darling, I was just talking to myself about you".

The memory that comes to mind... is that one November (2 months before she died), I was terribly burdened for her. I lived in Sydney, she in NZ - and for some reason I couldn't go visit. Can't remember why, but it kind of upset me. So I prayed and did what the bible says, "cast your burden".

 A couple of weeks later I ventured to the mailbox and here was a letter from a woman I didn't know. She was a nurse in NZ...One evening, they were attending to one of the precious women, when another woman on the other side of the room starting making distressed noises (my mum couldn't speak cos of the stroke). So these two beautiful nurses went over, began to pray and sing over her. Once she settled, they looked at the pinboard above her bed and all there was, was a Christmas card.... So these dear nurses had looked at the Christmas card and one said, "I think that is the Houstons in Australia. I wonder if this lady is a relative".

LONG STORY SHORT...she wrote to me not knowing it was my mum, not knowing that the moment they prayed for mum was the moment I had been burdened and unable to fly to be with her. The lovely nurse told me that "they had prayed and sung to this fragile little soul and that a beautiful peace had settled over her, that I didn't need to worry and that she would be alright now".

Okay, I'm bawling now ... but I SAID ALL THAT, to say that when we reach out...it matters! Never underestimate the power of a hug, a smile, a gentle touch, a song sung in the night over a distressed soul.

By the way, not long after that, I went home to NZ. Spent a few days with my mum. She couldn't talk, so I talked for TWO days - told her everything about Sydney, the church, the kids, the house, the garden, the weather, Brian, the kids, the house, the garden ... and when I left, I put my face to hers (cos I kinda knew this might be my goodbye) and said, "oh mum, you're making me cry" ... and as clear as anything, she said "I don't want to". She'd heard everything I said and God graced her to articulate one last sentence.

I told her she needed to go home to heaven ... and then sometime in January, she quietly departed this life for the world she was really created for. I was on a beach when my sister called. I was sad but not grief striken, because she had been promoted to heaven. At lunch that day I ordered a glass of champagne and toasted Doreen Elizabeth McDonald - beautiful, kind, gracious Doreen, who always put others before herself, who entered this world on March 1st, 1914 ... and I guess I'm making a toast to her again today.

Be blessed, be kind, be someone's hope and peace today"

"Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference." - Barbara De Angelis

Catching up on 2010...

A random post...because I haven't been around here for a week!

...immm, what's up?

We're heading back to NZ in Easter! Such a blessing. As I've relaxed about the whole 'Stuck in Australia' thing God continues to come through for us. Hey we were only there a month ago and will be back in month!!

So excited too to be able to go to SHOUT!

We've got our second meeting about the Manila trip tomorrow night. When a friend first talked about going, I thought I'd love to, but knew it will be a huge stretch financially. Trusting if it's right....it'll happen!

I twittered the other day: "With Him I am blessed, honoured, standing upright, granted my hearts desires and given life"  

He's been so unbelievably good to us. If not for His grace...

& the word that keeps coming to me for 2010 is "LiVE"

Live Rebecca truly LIVE

Live:
"To pursue a positive, satisfying existence; enjoy life,
...have a life rich in experience
...have an interesting life
...to be alive"

So much to awaken and come alive to in 2010!!

Out of the frustration

Ha I was just flicking through my latest journal (The pink one you gave me Kathy!) and I'm not exactly sure what was happening on the 30th of January but this was my prayer

"I love you Lord

Above the noise of children's tear's, and the frustration in my heart at their behaviour.
I love you and still my heart before you.

Breathe new life. Bring peace and calm in me and my home.

Help me Lord! Help me remember I'm not alone in managing these children. You are with me and my ever present help in time of need.
Sometimes I get to my wit's end....!"

Ever been there too??

Hula Girl's 13th birthday Party!

Aloha from Miss E's Luau sleepover party!!

Where they did the hula around the coffee table...

~& decorated jandels (Flip-flops/thongs)

~ "Toot it's my birthday!" Ha I could hear the tooting all the way up the road when I wandered up to take a photo of them yahoo-ing on this corner!

~ Balloon stomp: Balloon's tied to their ankles and the stomping begins...

~Water balloon toss: 2 teams each catching and throwing the water balloons with their towel- "Splat!"

~Hawaiian Pizza's, hot chips and fruit punch (Which they lurvved)

~My attempt at a Volcano cake >> Chocolate cake, stacked around ice-cream, strawberry sauce oozing out and sparklers shooting out the top  "*"*" 

~Speeches to Miss E that made us teary...such a lovely girl is she!

 ~After dinner the girls walked to the shops to buy their midnight feast...sporting their finest Hawaiian look of course!! They took beach-towels too and apparently lay down in the middle of Woolworths to sunbathe!!

~The hose, tarpaulin & dishwashing liquid for some slippery fun and games...& and lots of their own Tomfoolery after-running around in the rain, playing dares etc.

~ Movie: "50 first dates" cause it's set in Hawaii...& and hopefully some sleeeeeep...at least they're at the other end of the house, not that I'm sure that'll make a difference ?!!

Such a fun time :) I so love my beautiful teenage daughter!! She is truly more than precious xox

Valentines Day~2010

We had a LOVE-ly Valentine's Day yesterday~ beginning with heart shaped pancakes for Miss E and her friends, (Her party entry to follow!) church, a long lunch out with friends, and the icing on the cake was the evening service at church....

...& thanks to the 'Valentines Movie' (I snuck off to watch last week) and an email from a lovely man in our connect group, I now have an idea how Valentines Day began...

Dear Connect Group Brothers and Sisters,

As many of you will know, Valentine Day's tradition reference the martyrdom of a faithful priest in the third century AD.
As I recall, Emperor Claudius the second ordered his soldiers to remain single. He believed that single men make better soldiers, and he allowed his soldiers to do what they wanted but outside of marriage.
However, it was discovered that for years whenever a soldier found his perfect dream and wanted to honour their relationship with marriage, they would go to a priest by the name of Fr Valentine, and the priest would marry them in secret.
Fr Valentine was discovered, was jailed and ultimately lost his life in February (possibly 14th) 269AD, leaving a legacy that stands for love and the sanctity of the relationship between one man and one woman.

Every time, a child of God acts on a Godly truth and gives himself/herself for that truth, humanity gains a beautiful legacy that is beyond itself..." Awesome!

Yeah church last night was great!~

Before the service started they screened lots of the great movie one-liner's; "You had me at hello"...

The service then kicked off with a medley of love songs; a guy walking through the crowd singing "Love is in the air" another belting out "I will always love youuuu" etc etc

They gave the single guys 10 lines from Song of Songs (A book in the bible) to try out on the ladies; "Your nose is like the tower of lebanon"

Ha and there were premiere tickets to giveaway to the guy who would come down, and then ask a girl he'd been wanting to, out~funny!

The couches came out later and Brian and Bobbie, and their daughter Laura and her husband Peter (Togsy) were interviewed on life and relationships...lots of pearls of wisdom!

Towards the end I loved it how Laura said there's a difference between a Christian guy; "aww there's a cute guy and he's a christian"... and a Man of God! She also said how Brian (Her dad) made the comment when she was dating Pete that he saw only good fruit coming from their relationship.

How wonderful to be loved! I'm so grateful to have found the MOST amazing love in my King!!

Hi there!
Just a quick note to let you know I am alive and kicking!! I've got a full-time block of teaching at the mo so life is busy...when i get home from work the house and washing haven't cleaned themselves, drat it!  It's Miss E's 13th birthday this weekend too, she's having a Luau sleepover, things to do, things to do...
Anyway better get ready to go. I've planned a bit of a chocolate cake morning with my class today: we're baking one and and then giving some procedure writing, fractions and adjectives a whirl out of it.
Speak soon!
Love Rebecca

Fancy pants!

Loving all the high-tea and fancy dress-ups going on lately...

Simoney told the kids to get "dressed up nice" for their special tea party under the lilac tree

Jill McCloughry twittered: "This is too cute.My brother & sisternlaw & the kiddies r havin a fancy dress dinner togthr @ home:LOVE them!"

& Sophie's girls were in for a treat when they got home from their first day back at school

Inspiration enough to throw on the tablecloth do something 'fancy' around here!

Banners up!

Blogging beginnings in 2006...

2007 Kids smiles make anything look good!

   2008: Now the 5 of us

2009 and the multi-talented Simoney made me a banner (cause I can't figure out how ?? on the computer I now have)

2010 Thanks again to Simoney who whipped this up this when we visited her last week!

And on my wishlist for 2010: Photoshop! oooo would love it, banners, cards, invites... yeah!