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. As soon as a friend 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'm so thankful  for the full-time teaching block I've just completed. It could have taken a few weeks for the work to start rolling in as teachers settle in with their new classes, but one teacher was summoned to do jury duty. Really enjoyed the year 5/6 class I had

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!