blurred on the edges

Almost 6 months...an update

2011-08-25T14:50:00.001+10:00

Well friends, Em is almost 6 months old, and I'm so very much enjoying motherhood. Not sure if she or I have more fun :)

We're loving our new mum's group. Took Em to see her first movie the other day, she was very well behaved, I was impressed, given it was over 2 hrs long!

Finally catching up with friends who have kids that I basically never saw before now.

It's such a privilege to take care of this little person on a full time basis, I'm very thankful to God and my hubby for that.

Here is a recent pic of Em & I at a wedding. Hope you're all well! C x

to infinity... and beyond!

2011-08-25T14:43:00.000+10:00

Romans Chapter 8

2011-07-01T09:02:00.002+10:00

I read this entire chapter, slowly and out loud, in bible study this morning.

If you have a moment, why not do the same? It's truly an incredible chapter of the Bible.

Here are some of my fav bits... (from the NIV)

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Just because...

2011-05-16T10:40:00.000+10:00

...I think she is so beautiful and I'm enjoying every minute with her!
;)

Balloon mobile

2011-05-16T10:37:00.001+10:00

I saw this post recently and have been inspired to give it a go myself. After all, I've been wanting a mobile to hang above Emma's cot for quite some time now.

And particularly now that I can see her enjoying things like that. Will take some pics when it's completed.... I'm not putting a time frame on it though. Em is a great little sleeper at night, but the day is a very different story! :)

Why the lamb?

2011-04-12T12:40:00.003+10:00

I have blogged about this before, and seeing as Easter is almost upon us, wanted to blog about it again.

Check out this awesome ministry called Why the Lamb?

They sell little chocolate lambs at Easter, in an effort to help people think about it's real meaning. I think they are absolutely brilliant. They come in a box with a short message about the Passover and how God gives us redemption through the blood of Jesus.
Part of the proceeds from each lamb sold goes to Compassion.

Koorong and Word bookstores used to sell them, but have sadly decided not to continue to. I am wondering if it might be possible to drum up enough support for next year, and for me to co-ordinate a large purchase that could be distributed across many churches in Sydney (The organisation that produces them is based in WA).

They make a fantastic gift for non-Christians and Christians alike.

Would you personally be interested in purchasing some of these lambs next year? Let me know what you think about them and whether or not you think they'd be popular in Sydney.

Thank God for church families

2011-03-29T11:31:00.002+11:00

It has been a roller coaster ride since Emma Grace arrived 3 weeks ago. So many things to learn, challenges, and so much joy as we've spent time getting to know our precious girl.

One thing that has really stood out for me is how amazing our church families* have been in supporting us.

Each time I've spoken with a midwife, both in hospital pre visits, after birth and at our home visit, they have asked me if I have parents nearby who can help me. When I've said no, they have frowned and pitied me, saying things like 'oh I'm sorry, it must be hard'.
But I've been able to joyfully reply that we have a fantastic church family who will & have been supporting us! Most of the midwives are surprised at this.

I am so so grateful for our church families - we have so far not been without a meal when we've needed it since Emma was born. Sometimes when it's been 5 o'clock and I have no idea what we're going to eat that night, along comes a text from a Christian friend asking if they can drop over a meal.

Still other Christian friends who aren't so close in distance are praying for us, which I so appreciate.

Thank God for church families. They are a true blessing from our great God.

* means all our Christian friends from over the years

Welcome to God's world Emma Grace

2011-03-12T14:46:00.000+11:00

A quick post to show off our gorgeous little daughter, born 5th March at 8:57pm, 3.52 kgs and 52 cms long.

God is good!

D Day

2011-03-03T09:36:00.002+11:00

Today is my official baby due date - hooray for making it this far!

No signs of baby yet though....

Ironic

2011-02-28T11:04:00.000+11:00

I spend the entire 9 months of pregnancy, free from colds, flu and any other nasty illness, then, in the last week, when I'm due, I get a head cold.
:(

Feeling a bit miserable. Hoping and praying it clears up soon.

Babymoon day trip

2011-02-22T08:48:00.000+11:00

A lot of people have been asking P and I if we are going to go away for a last minute 'hurrah' before the baby arrives. Frankly, it's just too expensive to justify right now, so instead, on Saturday last we did a 'babymoon day trip'.

We headed south-west & had lunch at a lovely little cafe in Bowral. Then moved on to Kangaroo Valley, which is one of my most favourite places to go. From there we continued to Berry for a short potter around, then onto Gerringong where we enjoyed an ice-cream overlooking Werri Beach.
Finally, we headed home. P who is an excellent driver took care of the whole day's driving so I could fall asleep on the way home :)

I am really thankful to God for the day we were able to enjoy in His creation. And being able to chat about how we were feeling regarding the next few weeks.

Pregnancy is...

2011-02-18T11:38:00.000+11:00

Well it's been a long time in-between posts, so I thought I'd post a list of things I've personally found out about being pregnant.
I'm due in just 2 weeks now!

Pregnancy is...

- slowing down but feeling well
- watching a bump grow out in front of me
- feeling the baby have hiccups :)
- no longer being able to tie my laced shoes
- having random people tell me what gender the baby will be, based on 'how I'm carrying'
- having my legs stop working due to very painful round ligament pain
- not being able to sleep because my hips hurt
- not being able to sleep. Full stop.
- making a 5 point turn just to turn over in bed
- finding out in the morning that my husband found 3 random pillows on his side of the bed throughout the night!
- wondering what this little person will be like & looking forward to getting to know him/her
- heart burn
- not being able to get up off the couch, feeling like a turtle that's stuck on it's back
- endless doctor and hospital visits, endless blood tests
- wondering when 'go time' will be
- wondering what I'm going to be like & how I'll cope when labour begins
- feeling anxious
- enjoying the comfort & logic that my husband brings, especially when I'm being irrational
- washing tiny little person clothes & giggling at how small they are :)

... there are so many more, but I'll stop there :)

...and back into the office!

2010-12-20T12:42:00.001+11:00

So since finishing my full time job, I've been offered and have accepted some park time work, 1 day a week for approx 8 weeks, for another department in the Diocese. So far I've been there 2 days.
It's a real blessing to have this extra work, as my previous job finished up a little earlier than I would have liked before the baby is due.
The advantage of this new position is that I already know everyone round the office, and how everything works.
It's also a nice transistion out of full time work.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas, celebrating the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus.

See you in the New Year!

Last week of office work

2010-12-06T16:16:00.000+11:00

So it's finally here, my last week of work in the office.
Hard to believe.

This week I'm finishing off the archiving and packing away the files, clearing up my desk and saying farewell to those I work alongside. It's probably going to be an emotional week. I'm praying I'll hold it together, but it'll be hard considering the lack of control I have on my emotions these days ;)

I have loved my job - loved the work I've been able to be a part of and that God has abundantly blessed.

But I look forward to starting my new role as a full time Mum and the challenges and excitement that that will no doubt bring!

I'm an Aunty..again!

2010-12-03T11:08:00.000+11:00

Congratulations to Otto, Cath & Noah on their new addition, Joshua Noel Flynn!
Born Dec 2nd.
4.34 kgs
54cm.

Praise God!

The shooting of JFK

2010-11-24T11:25:00.008+11:00

Did anyone else catch the doco on SBS last night, called 'JFK 3 shots that changed America' ?

Just fascinating.
The documentary showed a visual recording of JFK's assassination, from the vast record of sights and sounds captured on camera that day. It included rarely seen and heard footage documenting the Kennedy & Oswald assassinations.

Home movies from eyewitnesses, Dallas police dispatch radio recordings, and raw news footage provide a shocking, unflinching look at the assassination of the president and the days that followed.

What amazed me most was the reaction of the public. Scores of people gathered around strangers car radios and in shops to wait and hear the latest from the 'wireless'. People were in shock, some crying in the streets, some completely overwhelmed. They even played an audio recording from an orchestral concert which was taking place at the same time as the shooting. The conductor makes an announcement that the President has been shot and killed. You can hear the people yelping in disbelief. The conductor then announces they will next play the funeral march in honour of the President.

Photographer peder Robert H. Jackson of Dallas Times-Herald won the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for Photography for this photograph of Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald. From here.

I was also genuinely amazed at the seemingly unprofessional way the Dallas police conducted Oswald's interrogation. They were all over the place. They repeatedly marched out Oswald from his holding cell to front the media - it was like feeding him to the wolves. They claimed to have tight security on him during his transfer to the county jail, yet Jack Ruby had no problems walking straight up to Oswald and shooting him in the chest point blank. It was all plain to see, recorded on camera.

The documentary made me feel like I was there in 1963, witnessing each new discovery. A remarkable job.

Pounced on

2010-11-22T14:50:00.001+11:00

The unit on the top floor of our apartment block is being auctioned this weekend. As a result, several house inspections have taken place over the past few Saturdays. Mostly P and I have been out or have not emerged from our unit during these inspections, but last Saturday we made the mistake of leaving our unit just as the open for inspection was finishing.

They were like vultures, looking us up and down, vying for a place next to us as we walked to our car so they could drill us with questions like 'so do you own your place here?' and 'is it a quiet neighbourhood?' and 'how big are the garages.. can we have a look at yours?'

I could have felt like a celebrity warding off the paparazzi, if I didn't instead feel just plain old used.

On reflection, maybe I should have been more careful with my responses, and given glowing reports to those who seemed sensible and pointed out my grievances to those who seemed reckless.

After-all, some of those who attended are very likely to be our new neighbours!

Kicked

2010-11-17T15:43:00.002+11:00

I've been feeling more and more punches and/or kicks from our little one recently. Sometimes it feels like I have a soccer team in my stomach!

The most unsettling ones are the ones that seem to hit a nerve, which results in a whole body shake.

A bit funny when I'm trying to talk to someone at work.

Catching up

2010-11-15T16:36:00.001+11:00

I caught up on Saturday with 2 of the ladies I used to meet, pray and read the Bible with at Mac Uni during my MTS days.

One of them is engaged to be married, the other is married and expecting her first baby!

It was such a delight to see them both and hear how they are both still trusting in God and acknowledging His work in their lives.

I felt all warm and fuzzy after seeing them :) Yes I know I'm such a girl. Even worse, a girl with rollercoaster emotions due to pregnancy!

Hot tip for city dwellers

2010-11-12T12:25:00.001+11:00

If you've ever been into the square at Town Hall, right next door to THE Town Hall, you will have no doubt seen the beautiful flower arrangements they have there in Spring and Autumn.

They usually try to make pictures with flowers - best viewed from above of course.

Anyway, whenever they decide to change the display, the flowers in the old display are free to a good home. Hundreds of people descend on the square out of nowhere!

I was pleased to discover that today was one of those days :)

I managed to pick up this gorgeous bright yellow flowered plant. Not sure of it's name... will have to try and find out.

Mangoes

2010-11-09T15:17:00.004+11:00

Last night after dinner, I sat down on the couch and enjoyed my very first mango for the season.

Seriously, I defy you to name a more sweet tasting, soft, refreshing fruit than the mango.

I love everything about them.

Best part is cutting down both sides of the fruit and making a 'mango fan', then eating the squares one at a time.

God did a VERY good thing creating mangoes.

* Image taken from here.

Three years

2010-11-04T10:29:00.002+11:00

P and I celebrated 3 years of marriage yesterday.
Even though I was at home sick, we managed a quiet celebration last night, and intend to go out for dinner together on the weekend.

We thank God for the 3 years we've been able to share together. Each day we continue to learn more about one another; we see how each other thinks, reacts & feels about situations and we commit it to memory as best we can. We make mistakes. We say sorry. We laugh. And we keep on learning.

I enjoyed remembering our wedding day yesterday and I enjoy thinking about what God might have in store for us in the days ahead.

The Melbourne Cup

2010-11-02T12:54:00.000+11:00

When I remembered this morning that it was Melbourne Cup Day, I realised that I did not have it clear in my mind what I thought about being a Christian and betting, and being involved in things like work place sweeps.
And therefore, I was not ready to respond to anyone who might ask why I wouldn't be involved in betting.

So I came upon this article.
And found it really helpful.

I particularly like this paragraph:

The basic purpose of most gambling is not to help and serve others, but to help ourselves at their expense. Luther observed: No one gambles with another in order to give away to the other what is his own (for he could do that without gambling), nor in order to lose what is his own, nor in order to seek the gain of the other man as though it were his own. This is why gambling is always contrary to love and is motivated by greed because a man seeks, to the harm of another, what does not belong to him. (What Luther Says p.1343.)

The basic Christian objection to gambling is that it is an attempt to gain something from our neighbor without giving a fair service in return. If we really love our neighbor, will we wish to win at his expense? In gambling are we heeding the admonition of Scripture, “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others”. Phil. 2:4 NASV. Christians must keep two facts in mind when seeking gain or profit from their activities. They must give fair labor or exchange for what they receive. They seek to earn for themselves, not from selfish motivation, but in order to be of service to others. “Let those who steal steal no longer, but rather let them labor, performing with their own hands what is good, in order that they may have something to share with those i n need.” (Eph. 4:28)

Rubber Ducky

2010-10-29T11:25:00.000+11:00

So I'm looking to buy a rubber ducky for our little one. Something a bit different, unique.
There used to be an awesome collection of them in the old Gowings store on George St - pretty sure they were Bud Ducks but there are now no suppliers in Australia.

E-bay will probably help.

Then I found this.

Do you think it's a little bit extreme? ;)

Saying goodbye

2010-10-26T14:47:00.001+11:00

We've just sold my 'Little Laser'.

I've owned it for 6 years.
It has been a very, very good car to me.
Never had any issues with it. It was the first car that I actually choose and bought myself, rather than inherited-bought from a family member.

It's taken many women on many women's retreats. Others on church weekend's away. It faithfully got me to Macquarie Uni during my MTS days every week.

I'm feeling sad about saying goodbye to it, but it's the right decision. Does anyone else get emotionally attached to 'things'?

I know, I know, it's just a car. But I've felt safe and feel blessed to have been it's owner :)

21 weeks

2010-10-25T12:43:00.000+11:00

I've just reached 21 weeks. Can't believe it's gone so quickly. Never thought the nausea would end, but it did - praise the Lord!

My head is full of dates, appointments, information... sometimes I get a little overwhelmed.

But I'm thankful for the Mum's who've been there before - some more than once - who can just nod and say 'ah yes, that's quite normal'.

My memory has taken a battering. I'm forgetting things that people have told me no less than 5 minutes ago! Argh! :)

But P and I are joyful too. And trusting in God as much as we can for all things, particularly wisdom as we make big decisions about the future. God is so good. :)

Sherlock

2010-10-19T11:45:00.002+11:00

Ok, I'll admit it.
I'm hooked.
Love, love, loving the Sherlock series on Channel 9 at the moment.

Benedict Cumberbatch (how cool is that name?) plays Sherlock. Frankly I think he's perfect for the role. Some of you may recognise him from the movie Amazing Grace released in 2006.

I was also interested to learn that House was based on Sherlock Holmes. Now that I know that, it makes lots of sense.

* Photo taken from here.

Sunset at mangroves, Menindee, near Broken Hill

2010-10-14T10:37:00.000+11:00

Baroosa Valley vineyard

2010-10-14T10:35:00.002+11:00

Otway Fly Treetop walk, Near Apollo Bay, Great Ocean Road

2010-10-14T10:33:00.000+11:00

The joy of seeing things grow

2010-10-12T09:34:00.006+11:00

When P and I returned from our holiday, we had a few days at home before heading back to work. I was feeling inspired by our relatives in Broken Hill to give our potted herbs another shot, so we headed off to Bunnings and picked up some parsley, basil, spring onions, chilli's and capsicum's, and planted them in the long pots we have on our balcony, which have been sitting there dormant for quite some time now.

I also choose a few small 'potted colours' to plant, to make looking out on our balcony a little more cheerful.
The red flowers are called 'crazy daisys' and the shade is starlight red. Unfortunately I've been unable to find out what the purple flowers are called - if anyone has any idea I'd be very grateful!

All of our herbs and flowers were purchased very small - but even just 2 weeks later, they have all sprung up and are looking healthy. What a joy to see growth in life, it's a true reminder of God's hand in all things that grow into maturity and also his sovereignty over them.

Psalm 92:12-13

"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God."

Canola field, Barossa Valley SA

2010-10-08T12:53:00.006+11:00

Wind farm, near Port Fairy, Great Ocean Road Vic

2010-10-08T12:49:00.001+11:00

How it's made - Bacon

2010-10-06T15:33:00.004+11:00

My hubby just sent me the link to a video explaining how bacon is made.

I have no doubt he intended it so that I could marvel at the goodness that is bacon.
Instead, I feel repulsed and slightly disturbed.

See what you think:

http://www.youtube.com/v/e0DbcUUO-hI?fs=1&hl=en_US

Back from a distant land..

2010-10-06T09:37:00.005+11:00

..well, not quite :)

P and I have just returned from 3 weeks holiday. What a blessing holidays are!
We embarked on a 5000 km road trip, beginning in Wagga and continuing to Geelong, the Great Ocean Road, into SA, Robe, Adelaide, the Barossa Valley, Broken Hill, then back again.
phew - so much driving!

We had a lovely time exploring new places, chilaxing, taking in some spectacular scenary.

Here are some of the highlights for me:

* Spanish Tapas in Geelong
* Walking around the bend to see the 12 Apostles for the first time
* Discovering the story behind Loch Ard Gorge
* Making jokes about Robe not being famous for robes :)
* Soaking up Adelaide for the first time
* Major highlight - visiting a seahorse farm in Port Adelaide - soooo cool! :)
* Exploring the countryside inbetween destinations
* Massive wind farms - like none I've ever seen in NSW
* Stacks of canola fields and their brillant yellows
* The Barossa
* Hearing the news that James Hird is the new Essendon coach!
* A lovely few days with my sister & brother in law, and of course my adorable little nephew
* Talking/laughing with P about all kinds of things
* Replanting our herb garden
* Time to reflect and appreciate things in our lives

We're both back at work now. For me, this is my last 2 months of office work, as I finish up early December. Our little one is due, God willing, early March, so I'll have a bit of time to prepare & complete a few projects before becoming a full time Mum. How incredible it is to consider how things can change in such a small amount of time!

I do hope you have all been well. I'll look forward to sharing some pics from the trip with you soon :)

Back in a while

2010-09-09T16:20:00.008+10:00

Hello blogosphere readers,

I'll be away from the blog for a few weeks, so this will be my last post for a while.
May the force be with you.

:)

Arthouse

2010-09-08T13:28:00.004+10:00

Had lunch today with a friend of mine at the lovely Arthouse Hotel.

Again, for those of you who frequent the city, I recommend you check it out.

They regularly change their display exhibitions which line the walls of the gallery bar. The present featured work is by Jacqueline Molina who is an abstract painter. I'm not normally that interested in paintings but I did enjoy perusing her work.

I love having lunch at Arthouse, the menu is simple but tasty & there's usually plenty of room to find a table. It's not your normal hotel, there are several different rooms within the hotel, all tastefully handpainted and decorated to reflect the fact that it used to be the School of Arts building in the 1800's.

They also host photography and drawing workshops after work hours.

The Impossible Project

2010-09-06T16:27:00.000+10:00

I am truly excited to read about the Impossible Project.

Here's an explanation from their website:
In October 2008 The Impossible Project saved the last Polaroid production plant for Integral Instant film in Enschede (NL) and started to re-invent and re-produce a new instant film for traditional Polaroid Cameras.

I own a Polaroid Land Camera 1000 and was deeply saddened when Polaroid announced in February 2008 that it would no longer produce film. While Polaroid did in fact reinvent itself and begin producing again in 2009, the film for my camera - SX70 - would no longer be in production.

The Polaroid Land Camera is by no means a technically brilliant camera. It's hard to obtain a correct exposure and anything taken closer than 5 meters will be out of focus - but I made some great memories with it.
I loved the incredibly loud and clunky sound it would make when shooting an image. The whole camera would vibrate!

The Impossible Project have announced that they have produced a new version of SX 70 film. While it's not the same quality as the original, it works, and I for one can't wait to get my hands on a packet.
Although, at RRP $30AU per pack of 8 exposures, it's not exactly cheap, but maybe it can be a Christmas present :)

TWTWB

2010-09-06T13:58:00.007+10:00

Finally, after a long anticipated wait, I went to see Tomorrow When the War Began on Friday night.

A friend of mine who worked on the film set told me it was being produced and so I've been anticipating the release for over a year now.

I read the first book in high school - I think it was one of the first books I actually enjoyed reading for school. I think it haunted me at the time, I imagined myself in their situation and what trama it would have ensued.

The movie did not disappoint.
I do think it holds much more promise for the person who has read the book first (P had not read it and didn't enjoy it as much as a result).
I saw an interview with John Marsden, who hopes to see at least 2 more movies produced that are based on the Tomorrow series. All reviews I have read this far have been fairly positive.
Most of the 'town' shots were filmed in Raymond Terrace and Aussie's will have no trouble recognising the famous mountains where 'Hell' is located.
I squirmed a little bit through a couple of cheesy moments, but on the whole, was pleased I saw it.

Driving in Sydney

2010-09-03T09:51:00.002+10:00

I have become a very nervous driver over the past few years.

I'm not really sure when it began. I had a bad car accident in 2003 when a ute slammed into my drivers door as I was pulling up to an intersection on Parramatta Road. The driver was crossing in front of me from a side lane and just didn't look. My car spun 2 1/2 times, the force of the collison was enough to tear off my rear car door and send it half-way up the street. All I remember is hearing a loud bang and seeing pieces of glass flying around in front of me.

I've definitely been a much more shaky driver since then, but I think I've gotten worse.

Last night, P and I were on our way home when a car pulled out in front of us from a cross street without looking.
P's swift moves meant we avoided a collison, but it must have been by mere millimetres.
This morning I was driving in to work and I had 2 near misses, both because of drivers who just didn't look.

I wonder how even the best most careful drivers avoid having more accidents then they do - there just seems to be so many careless drivers around today.

What a comfort it is to remember that God knows our steps and directs our paths, all according to his perfect plan. It's good for me to remember I'm not able to control all situations.

From Matthew 6
²⁷ 'Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

QVB is crazy beautiful

2010-09-02T16:08:00.003+10:00

Anyone in town (or are likely to be in town anytime soon) should check out the photo exhibit on the upper levels of the QVB. It's entitled 'Crazy Beautiful' and features the work of various Aussie photographers during Australian Fashion Week.

I had a quick squizz today, but hope to return for a more leisurely look.
Some of the pics represent the chaos behind the scenes, others are just stark. What ring-role those models would go through for each 'display' on the catwalk.

"There be dragons!"

2010-09-01T10:16:00.007+10:00

I was told this story last night and have been giggling about it ever since.

In the early days of navigation (16th century), when crafting maps, mapmakers would draw dragons in the areas of uncharted waters.

The dragons represented the gaps of knowledge. No one knew what was there.

Maps makers made reference to dangerous or unexplored territories by writing the words 'There be dragons!' in blank areas on their maps.

After a bit of wiki research, it's more likely the words were in Latin - "HC SVNT DRACONES" meaning 'here be dragons'- and probably only appeared once, on the Lenox Globe. But hey, I love it all the same :)

It's even funnier if you say it in a pirate voice... 'aarrrrr there be dragons afoot!'

Missing coffee...kinda

2010-08-31T10:45:00.000+10:00

So I haven't had a coffee since we found out I was pregnant, and man, I've been missing it, although, it has been good to be off the caffeine for a while and not be so dependent on it.

BUT - I've just discovered a cafe near work that does a lovely de-caf latte.
Drinking it this morning was such a treat - I feel all warm inside :)

I've never had de-caf coffee before now. It's actually quite good.
Anyone else enjoy a de-caf now and then?

This made me laugh :)

2010-08-31T09:50:00.002+10:00

Found here

A small bundle of joy

2010-08-23T15:10:00.007+10:00

I'm pleased to announce that P and I are expecting our first child :)
We have just reached 12 weeks, and I'm praising God that we made it after what felt long a loooong few weeks of nausea. The nausea is still there but not so bad now.

It's finally feeling real! We had our 12 week scan last week - it was truly amazing to see this little being on the ultrasound screen. When I coughed, it would throw it's arms and legs in the air and jiggle about :)

We had a scare early on, around week 6, when I started experiencing pain in the abdomen. I was rushed into emergency as it was thought either my apendix was about to burst or the pregnancy was ectopic. Thankfully none of these eventuated, and a tiny little heart beat was all we were able to see on the monitor at that stage, but it was such a relief!

The due date is late Feb/early March. Of course by now I've realised that this means I'll be going through summer at my 'largest' but hey, that's what air-conditioned shopping centres are for right? :)

If you're of the praying variety, please join us in praising our great God for this wonderful kindness.

Picture: our little one at 12 weeks, waving :)

Saved not by good works but for good works - engage 2010

2010-08-23T10:13:00.002+10:00

P and I went along to the engage conference over the weekend. Truly, what a privilege it is to be able to attend so many good conferences in Sydney, free of persecution. We have a wealth of good resources at our disposal. An incredible blessing from God.

We had a fantastic time. I think one of the highlights of engage is the program. The sessions aren't too lengthy, there's plenty of free time and most importantly, late starts! awesome.

The 2 speakers, Steve Timmis ('Crowded House', Sheffield, UK) and Tim Blencowe (Macquarie Baptist) opened up Titus & 1 Peter for us, speaking on the fact that although we are not saved by the good works we do, we are saved by grace for good works. It's a really important concept to grasp. I feel particularly strong about it, having come from a Roman Catholic upbringing, where the emphasis was definitely on doing good deeds in order to earn your way to heaven.

The music was also excellent all weekend, the musicians enabled us to really focus on what we were singing, and kept us from being distracted. I really appreciate this.

A great weekend in a lovely cottage with good company in Katoomba.

Land of Giants

2010-08-16T12:29:00.003+10:00

Imagine driving across country NSW and seeing these.
They're kinda spooky but would be incredible to behold.

Go Iceland!
Gives new meaning to Transformers.

More here.

Mayhem at Maho

2010-08-11T12:18:00.005+10:00

I would have had no trouble, not for a second, telling you that this photo had most certainly been photoshopped.
I mean, where on earth would there be such a beach right??!

Unbelievably, it's a real photo of Maho Beach in the Netherlands. The beach is located adjacent to an international airport.

Check out some more shots by photographer Thomas Prior of the mayhem caused by these planes.

If I was...

2010-08-03T13:55:00.001+10:00

...Doctor Who and I owned a tardis I'd probably send myself here right now.

Need a break?
Browse many more incredibly tranquil places here.

Wind storm

2010-08-03T13:40:00.002+10:00

How was it for you?
It was fairly uneventful in our neck of the woods, I just remember being woken several times by large gusts during the night.
On the way to the train station this morning I had to keep my wits about me, dodging fallen branches, piles of slippery leaves and the like.
2 trains were cancelled on my line due to a tree on the tracks.

This picture courtesy of Aquabumps shows what happens when you erect the City to Surf tents a wee bit too early.

Perhaps there should have been a warning issued last evening, for residents to batten down the hatches. I don't recall seeing anything though...

Translocation by George Logan

2010-07-30T12:02:00.000+10:00

Have a look at these stunning photographs thanks to some clever manipulation work.

Logan travelled to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, and Botswana to capture these, then combined them with shots from his home country Scotland.

Foods that remind me of home

2010-07-27T13:13:00.002+10:00

I'm sure those of you who can remember life in their family home, before you moved out and became independent, can also remember certain foods that just say home to you.

Here is my list:

* Chicken parmigiana (we always called it 'chicken in pyjamas') :)

* Steak Diane

* Special fried rice and omelettes from our local Chinese take-away

* Traditional Maltese rice, cooked by my Mum

* Michelina's frozen single serve pasta's (which I was pleased to discover today are still available in supermarkets) - we used to have these on weekends when Mum was working

* Chocolate gluten free mud-cake decorated with multicoloured glace cherries (My Mum is a celiac)

Maltesers

2010-07-23T16:20:00.001+10:00

So I came across* the Maltesers Official Website today :)

Turns out there is a yummy yummy recipe for a Maltesers Eaton Mess over there.
I'm still drooling.
Can't wait to give this a go, just for a special treat.

(* of course by 'came across' I mean 'went hunting for')

Book Art

2010-07-23T10:13:00.003+10:00

Looking for something to do with your old books?
Why not try some book art?

2010-07-22T16:46:00.001+10:00

Roses by George Eliot

You love the roses - so do I. I wish
The sky would rain down roses, as they rain
From off the shaken bush. Why will it not?
Then all the valley would be pink and white
And soft to tread on. They would fall as light
As feathers, smelling sweet; and it would be
Like sleeping and like waking, all at once!

Psalm 118:24

2010-07-21T11:48:00.000+10:00

'This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.'

Birthday goodness

2010-07-21T09:19:00.000+10:00

I came into work today to discover my desk covered with balloons and a banner, some chocolate and a special birthday cupcake.

I'm having a good morning thus far :)

Flannelette

2010-07-19T10:42:00.000+10:00

P and I bought our first set of flannelette sheets recently and tried them out for the first time last night. I had a bit of a rough night, think I'm just geting used to them and their warmth, but there were cosy.

Since mentioning this to a few friends & work mates, I've had very mixed reactions. Some people absolutely deteste flannelette. Others have raved & raved about them!

And so dear readers I ask you: what are your thoughts on the matter?

The World's Most Spectacular Roads

2010-07-13T16:18:00.004+10:00

God willing, P and I will travel the Great Ocean Road later this year - VERY excited!

It's one of the top roads in the world, according to this website.

Check it out, there are some amazing roads in this photo essay.

Sick sick sick

2010-07-09T11:33:00.000+10:00

So I've been at home off work the past 3 days due to sickness (stupid Winter with it's colds and flus). Not fun at all.

Well, one upside is that I've been able to complete the family tree that I wrote about here.

I'm fairly pleased with the way it's turned out. Hopefully the in-laws will like it, it's kind of a joint birthday pressie for them.

Each of their children are in one colour, spouses in another, then grand-kids in another (parents in law are at the bottom of the tree). Each leaf has a full name and DOB.

It's been fun making it :)

This gives new meaning to "upside down, upside down"

2010-07-06T16:05:00.001+10:00

Found here.

Really enjoying tea

2010-07-05T14:40:00.001+10:00

I have developed a quiet appreciation of tea lately. Can't understand why I overlooked it before.

Loving a camomile in the evening.
A peppermint after lunch.
Irish or English breakfast first thing in the morning.

So warming, refreshing, relaxing.
Now all I need is a doona and a day at home under it! :)

I don't think....

2010-07-02T16:50:00.001+10:00

...I could contain my chuckle if I saw any of these outfits in the street :)
Ah, Paris fashion week.

Romans 15:4-6

2010-07-02T11:05:00.006+10:00

'For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.'

Aquabumps

2010-06-28T15:01:00.003+10:00

Like Australian beaches?

Sign up to the Aquabumps FREE daily email newsletter to view some equisite photographs of Aussie beaches.

'Aquabumps is a daily documentary of Australian beaches between the hours of 6am and 7am where digital photos are shot and then collated into a daily report which is emailed to over 20,000 loyal subscribers (as of August 2006 and growing). The email report is in HTML format so you don’t have to open any attachments, it should all just appear directly in your email program.'

Aquabumps is the brain child of Eugene Tan. There is a video feature of him on the SMH today.

Things that make me happy on a Monday morning...

2010-06-28T11:30:00.004+10:00

Ok so those low's are quite low, but look at that sun! brilliant :)

Tortoise helps tortoise

2010-06-24T11:28:00.006+10:00

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up"

Beware of the phone scam

2010-06-22T10:39:00.005+10:00

My poor mother was the victim of a phone scam last night. It's all very upsetting, particularly for her as she realised afterwards what she had been conned into.

A man with a foreign accent (probably Indian) phoned her last night, claiming to be a Microsoft representative. He told her that he had detected viruses on her computer and that he needed to talk her through erasing these harmful viruses to protect their software. He got her to log onto her computer, enter in a few codes in the 'run' command menu and told her that the program she was installing would protect her from them harmful viruses. Mum asked him how he knew there were viruses on her computer? He gave her some elaborate spiel about 'technological advances'. Mum said he was very convincing the whole time and very reasurring that he could help her through these difficulties.

The man then told her it would cost $270 per month to maintain the anti-virus protection, and he would need her credit card details to process the payment. Thankfully at this point mum decided it would be best to call us to check this out before going any further. She asked the man for his phone number so she could phone him back, which of course, he declined to do. Soon after, he hung up the phone.

I did a little research on the net when mum called me, and sure enough, it's an elaborate scam which originated in the UK and has trapped thousands of people all around the world. The false technician uses the codes to gain remote control of your computer and installs a virus program which then gives him access to all of your personal details, potentially including bank details etc.

Please be aware of this scam. Tell others whom you think would benefit from this knowledge.
Microsoft will never, ever, initiate a phone call about viruses, unless you have logged a help request with them.
You can read more about this scam here. If you have been scammed, contact your ISP provider asap and also contact the ACCC Scamwatch to report the incident.

Mum was able to run a virus scan and delete the trojan program. It sounds like they weren't unable to access any personal details as mum stopped before they could take control of her computer.

This sort of thing really sickens me. To prey on the vulnerable is truly awful, in any circumstance.

A cooking down-er

2010-06-21T15:22:00.004+10:00

Lately I feel like I've been on a cooking down-er. Nothing seems to turn out the way it's supposed to. I've even followed the recipe to a 't' in almost* every case.
These down-er's include:

* Rocky-road muffins- the mini marshmallows exploded and left little craters on the tops of the muffins. They tasted ok but looked really average.

* Muffins take 2 - this time marble vanilla and chocolate.
They all stuck to the patty pan cases and were only edible by biting them out of the case! * This one was an exception as I forgot to add the egg - opps.

* Savoury tartlets - these did not set in the oven and were a complete disaster. My lovely husband was very kind and still ate them... in a bowl... mixed in all together.

* My family's traditional Maltese rice called Ross il-Forn.
(I made this last night for the first time, and I have to admit, it's unlikely anyone will get this right first time round, so I can't be too hard on myself). It tasted ok, but was crumbly and just didn't taste the same as my mum's or nana's rice.

Think I need to stick to some old fav's for a while to get my confidence back up. Sigh. I'm definitely no Nigella Lawson.

Packing tape cobweb sculpture

2010-06-17T14:46:00.002+10:00

Utilizes 530 rolls of the stuff and was executed over two days in Vienna. Amazing.

Milo vs Akta-vite

2010-06-17T09:44:00.001+10:00

My mission (which I choose to accept) is to convince all you Milo drinking people that Akta-vite is a far superior brand of energy drink.

I grew up on Actavite, and even to this day still absolutely love it. So does my sister.
So here goes:

Akta-vite
* first made in 1942 - proving it has survived the test of time
* it's Australian made and owned
* it is low in fat, rich in 8 essential vitamins and minerals
* it's lactose free
* it has a delicious chocolate flavour
* it mixes well with milk and just a little bit settles on the bottom of the mug, meaning you can spoon out the yumminess from the bottom after you finished drinking - bonus treat :)

Milo
* does not mix well with milk - you bascially have to eat your way through the milo layer at the top, then all you're left with is slightly fake-chocolately flavoured milk - yuk.
* only has 6 essential vitamins and minerals, not 8
* it is owned by Nestle - a Swiss company, (ie not Aussie)

Simple. Drink Akta-vite*

* No I was not paid to make this endorsement.

My fav pic from the weekend

2010-06-15T18:01:00.002+10:00

and I can take no credit, for P took this one :)

I love long weekends

2010-06-15T09:46:00.000+10:00

P and I had a brilliant long weekend, we are praising God. We rented a house by the beach in Stanwell Park (not far from the Sea Cliff Bridge) and travelled down after work on Friday evening.
The weather was just delightful the entire weekend. I loved feeling warm nearly all of the time as the windows in the house were full north east.

The house had a gorgeous view of the beach, the ocean and Bald Head where we were treated to a spectacular hangliding extravaganza! Someone even set off fireworks on Sunday night in the park nearby.
We went for walks on the beach, watched movies, enjoyed the spa, went on a date to a Thai restaurant in Helensburgh. I was just lovely. I'll need to post a few pics when I remember to.
Hope you all enjoyed a nice weekend too, whatever you got up to.

Praying in the media

2010-06-11T12:39:00.001+10:00

It's been interesting to read 2 particular articles on the SMH online today, regarding missing solo-sailor Abby Sunderland.
This article - quotes Abby's father as saying the situation is "in God’s hands" and "there are a lot of people praying for her".
And this article about Jessica Watson has a title page headline 'Jess prays for friend Abby'.

I have no idea what trust in God is held by any of the parties mentioned in these articles, but 2 articles on the main page on the SMH online says to me, that at least their editors think that making note of these facts is important. I'm encouraged.

2010-06-11T09:55:00.007+10:00

What?

2010-06-11T09:51:00.003+10:00

An open letter to Sydney's clothing stores

2010-06-10T14:29:00.003+10:00

Dear stores in Sydney that stock women's pants,

I have now spent months.... and months, trying to find a suitable pair of pants or jeans to fit and suit me. All of your pant options are useless. For your information, I am of average height (on the short side) and of average weight for my size (my mother describes me as 'well proportioned').

I CANNOT wear skinny jeans - they make me look stumpy.
I WILL NOT wear low cut jeans - I value my modesty.

Is it such a big ask that you produce and stock some 'average' pants? Ones that have a wide leg, ones that I don't have to take brand new into the tailor to have the extra 20cm's of pant leg hemmed up.

I've decided it's your problem, not mine. I'm on the edge. You've almost driven me to take up sewing lessons, buy a sewing machine and make my own. Almost.

I beg you, help a sister out. Please? It's Winter for goodness sake.

Your sincerely.
Frustrated

Someone stole my money

2010-06-09T14:58:00.003+10:00

Yesterday morning I woke up to some not very nice news. I'd missed a call from my bank. They'd left a message asking me to call them straight away. So I did, nervously.

They told me that they had noticed some unusual transactions on my credit card, and had frozen the account so they could investigate them with me.
"What's that you say? $560 for an internet connection in Madrid? $267 for something else in Kenya? No I definitely didn't make those purchases."

3 fraudulent transactions in a few hours. I'd been hacked.
I felt so dirty. Doesn't this kind of thing happen to other people, you know, people who are careless with their card details? So I thought..

The security officer I spoke to was extremely helpful, he calmed my fears, reassured me I would be reimbursed for the transactions and my card was cancelled. Yes people, I had a great experience with a bank! amazing stories.
He said to me, "it doesn't matter how careful you are with your card, if someone wants to find a way to use your details, they will."

It's made me more cautious. My mother told me I should use cash more often, but who knows, I'm just as likely to have my wallet stolen, so it's a no win situation.
Anyway, I'm very thankful for the astute security people at my bank, who acted very quickly on a suspicion. Thank God for security people who do great jobs to protect customers!

Shanghai 1990 vs 2010

2010-06-09T10:44:00.002+10:00

This is remarkable.

Even the clouds have been removed :)

The AFL

2010-06-07T13:26:00.001+10:00

P and I went to see the Swans vs Bombers on Sunday afternoon. Turned out to be a nail bitter! So close the whole way, they were neck and neck and often the scores were level.
The Swans missed so many opportunities to score, and in the end, the Bombers lost by only 9 points, which really should have been much more.
Even though we lost, it was still a brilliant game.

The day started out bright and sunny, to the point where I was in short sleeves it was so warm. But by half time, the rain had settled in and by full time, we were drenched! (Self note for next time: take cover for legs, not just for upper body).

Clown Fish

2010-06-04T15:42:00.001+10:00

from Creative Overflow - more here

Bye bye microwave

2010-06-03T14:02:00.003+10:00

So our microwave blew-up last night.
P switched it on, heard a sound like a motor starting, then BANG... the microwave was no more.

After careful inspection, it looks to be a blown fuse.

So this weekend we're microwave shopping. Anyone think they have an awesome microwave that they could recommend? (or for that matter, one they don't recommend?)

Protests in the square

2010-06-03T11:14:00.001+10:00

My office affords me a great view of the Town Hall Square.

On Tuesday night I witnessed the extremely loud and intense protest against the Israeli attack on the convoy of activists and aid workers. Riot police were called. It wasn't nice.
Today I've been witnessing another protest, not exactly sure what it's for..... but there are plenty of police standing by.
It's got me thinking... what is really achieved by protests? I realise it draws attention, makes the national news etc. But what's at the heart of a protest?

2 Corinthians 4:10-19

2010-06-02T13:14:00.004+10:00

¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹²So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹³It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken. "With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. ¹⁵All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Holidays

2010-06-02T12:46:00.001+10:00

I'm really looking forward to holidays this year. P and I are planning on doing a road trip along the great ocean road later in the year. I've never seen it (I've been to Belle's Beach but it was a 'straight down' trip from Melbourne).
Also hoping to go somewhere North during winter for a week.
Anyone have any suggestions? We've been to Noosa and Cairns in the past, both lovely lovely spots.

Boo

2010-06-01T10:06:00.002+10:00

On being creative

2010-05-26T11:30:00.001+10:00

Lately I've been big on making things. I've set myself the task of completing a variety of different creative projects, and have really been enjoying it. Think it helps as an outlet for me. I get a bit depressed when I haven't been creative in a while.
Here is a list of the things I've been working on:

* Family tree for my parents-in-law (see link here)
* Hand-made hand-sewn winter skirt
* Self mounted photo collages for a family we know
* Hand sewn 'krazy kritter' (kit I purchased from Lincraft to make for a baby shower)
* 'Talk bubble' photograph for our nephew's 1st birthday (see link here)

I've completed 2 of the above projects, I'll take a snap of the krazy kritter and post it soon. Above* is our attempt at the talk bubble photo. It makes me giggle when I look at it :)

* No... I'm not going to post it any bigger.. a bit too shy for that.

Berenice Abbott and Eugene Atget

2010-05-24T10:05:00.002+10:00

Watched a fascinating documentary on Sunday afternoon on early 20th century photographers Berenice Abbott and Eugene Atget (did anyone else catch it?).
Footage was shown of an interview with Berenice, in which she said,

'A photograph must be visually exciting, otherwise you write about it'.

This quote really struck me.
Berenice's work is just amazing. She produced many, many large format shots of New York, each with perfect exposure and incredible clarity. So much detail. I could look at one image for hours and keep spotting new things.

In the same documentary, Annie Leibovitz was briefly interviewed. She spoke about her concern for the future of photography given we are now in the digital age. There are so many photographs taken each day by camera phones and digital compacts, but, not many of the thousands taken are actually being printed anymore.

She also spoke about the 'process' of printing in a darkroom.
With digital photography, we lose that process. It takes a matter of seconds instead of hours to print a photo.
In the darkroom process, there is time for reflection of the moment, careful exposure and printing techniques. You witness the revelation of an image as it appears in the chemicals.

When I studied my diploma of photography, the darkroom was my favourite place. I relished anytime I could get there, and used to spend many of my lunch times experimenting with printing. I really miss the 'process' that Annie referred to. It also made me think about the longevity of our prints. In 100 years time, what will people see of the world as we know it now?

Where cursors come from

2010-05-19T10:37:00.003+10:00

May I recommend...

2010-05-18T15:40:00.002+10:00

...Honey Vanilla and Camomile herbal tea.

It smells like a gift-shop on the coast.
(That might sound odd to you, it makes perfect sense to me).

A Matter of Taste by Fulvio Bonavia

2010-05-18T10:11:00.003+10:00

I love, love, love this body of work.
Well worth a look people.

Women's Weekly children's birthday cake book

2010-05-13T14:31:00.003+10:00

I finally got my hands on one from e-bay!

After my mother gave her copy away (I'm still having issues getting over that) I was determined to buy my own, original copy. I seriously bid on like 10 copies on e-bay. Copies were selling for up to $60! ri-di-cu-lous.
And on some bids, I was out-bid in the last 10 seconds.

Never-the-less, I have one now, and it's a nice feeling. So many memories. The piano cake, the butterfly cake and the smartie covered number 1 cake.

Did anyone else have these fabulous cakes when they were a kid?

Sultanas...

2010-05-10T16:24:00.004+10:00

...are, in my opinion, totally underrated.

Psalm 25: 4-6

2010-05-10T15:33:00.003+10:00

"Show me your ways, O LORD,
       teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
       for you are God my Saviour,
       and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
       for they are from of old"

Making a church a home

2010-05-10T11:56:00.003+10:00

Amazing. I'd live here.

The results: A Moment in Time

2010-05-10T11:26:00.000+10:00

The NY Times have posted just a few of the pictures that were submitted to them from their Moment in Time campaign. You can view them here and here.

So, did I end up taking a photograph at 1am on Monday morning?

What do you think? :)

Morning of prayer

2010-05-07T15:42:00.002+10:00

We spent this morning at work praying for the people of greater Sydney, as we held our Connect for Life Prayer Day.

Everytime we run this, people leave feeling encouraged and enlightened, as we hear from the different regions and the ministry they are conducting.

Today we heard about ELS classes, school scripture, language specific congregations and ministry in hard to reach places like high-rise dwellings.

Looking around the room at one stage, I felt myself smile widely :)

We had approx 100 people attend throughout the morning. Praying for half a day is fantastic. Good, focussed prayer for the people we neighbour with who desparately need to know about Jesus.

Weird

2010-05-04T16:16:00.001+10:00

I took a stroll at lunch time today, through some boutique-ish stores in the city CBD. Some small, some of resonable size.

I found myself more and more confused by the articles of clothing I saw.

Am I crazy? Or getting old perhaps... I just couldn't work out what on earth was going on with most of the clothing items I picked up.

I found myself asking questions like,
'how on earth do you wear this thing?'...
and
'is that a skirt or a shirt?'

And the prices?! ri-di-cu-lous.

2010-05-03T12:42:00.001+10:00

Am I becoming a nerd?

2010-04-30T11:43:00.005+10:00

After watching the entire series of Torchwood to date, I've now become slightly addicted to the new ABC series of Doctor Who.

Matt Smith is the eleventh Doctor in the show's history. We are 2 shows into the new series and I'm loving it.

What has happened to me? Have I become a nerd?

Frankly, I don't care, the Doctor is so quirky and unpredictable, I just can't look away :)

Maybe you're like me, and have not much knowledge of Doctor Who prior to this new series. If so, read this article.