Lots of Snippets from the last couple of weeks

Cards from Aunt Meghan and Uncle Steve were a big hit!

This may be our first photo with all five of us in it!

Among the wonderful gift of having Aunt Kat and Uncle Matt up for a visit and the lovely presents for the kids, were some kites. These were a huge hit at the beach! Also, notice the burgandy State of Origin hat...more on that later.

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Mmmm...birthday cake

The days have been kind of melding together and I easily loose track of time. We are also down to one computer for the moment which means I just don't have as much time to sit and type. So here are some thoughts from hilights from the last couple of weeks, though they might be as I think of them rather than in chronological order...

In the forefront of my thoughts is that today is my daughter's first birthday. It seems to have gone by ever so quickly, but at the same time, a lot has happened! Just before turning one, she also decided it was time to walk. She must have understood my comments of how much later than she was than the boys at reaching this milestone and in one day went from 1-2 step journeys, to wandering accross the room! Less then a week later, she is teetering all around the house like a pro, determined to keep up with her brothers and claim her role as one of the kids and no longer the baby.

Last weekend was a long weekend here and we were blessed to have a visit from Matt and Kat from Melbourne. They met their niece for the first time and spent the weekend enjoying life in the tropics and being worn out by the children. We decided to celebrate the June birthdays while they were here, because we are still short on friends here. The weekend was full of excitement as we had birthday cake, loot bags, a trip to the beach, bbq on the strand, a picnic up top Mt. Sturt and the boys (big and little) enjoyed video games and building lego. The best part for me was having some other adults to talk to and having other people for the kids to play with. It was a whirlwind visit and the rest of the week was a blur as we all tried to find our way back into a routine.

Just prior to this visit, my husband finished his final exam and so has officially entered intersemester break. The placement we were hoping he would get out of the way has been delayed until the end of next semester, which means we are focussing more fully on looking for work. Because he doens't like to sit too long, he decided to undertake a three day race challenge this past weekend. It was marathon distance divided up into three parts and run friday night, saturday morning and sunday morning. He is quickly getting back into shape, made a little easier by the cooler days. Yes, I am laughing as I type that. It is winter here, but feels more like late August or early September. I was cold in shorts and a tshirt once, when we were right by the ocean in the evening. The rest of the time, I'm still happiest in what us Canadians would consider summer clothing.

As for feeling settled, it is slow in coming. Some days are harder than others. The house feels more and more like home, and as we have celebrations here and the kids achieve milestones here (like walking), my attachment to the house grows. I have a running path that I like, but otherwise I'm still almost completely lost the moment I leave the driveway. I have driven a couple of more times, but it is still a very stressful and overwhelming experience. I'm applying for work, but it is pretty discouraging as there really doesn't seem to be anything available in ministry. What else does an MDiv qualify you for? I'm open to suggestions! There are moments that confirm that this is where we need to be, but I am still uncertain of what that means for me.

I've just finished reading Exodus again, and I have renewed understanding of the wilderness experience. This huge group of people leave the only home they have known trusting that they are following God and then they wander and wait. What I love about it, is that the presence of God never leaves them. That is what I am clinging to.

One final image to leave you with. As part of the birthday celebrations, my two youngest received musical cards from my brother in Canada. Both the cards are quickly becoming well worn as the kids return to them over and over. My almost three year old opens his card and pounces on it with both hands trying to stumble accross the right spot to hear the little fishy song and then laughs and dances with delight when it begins to sing. My youngest searches out her card that only needs to be opened to play, but this is a task in itself for a 1 year old, so she turns the card and wrestles with it, until she manages to slip a finger in just the right spot for to open it and then takes it in two hands and opens and closes it repeatedly without ever letting the whole recording play, but laughs with pride and joy everytime. I'm trying to learn from my kids, and return to the things that bring me joy, inviting the little things to be the significant things.