Peace

I love that in just 5 minutes after leaving our house, I can be walking through bush land. I'm slowly getting back into the habit of taking time out for my photography. I have missed it.

And the fresh air and sunshine? It's glorious.

 

 

Today was pretty great with a good mixture of activities. From shopping with Sam this morning, to buy Lewy's birthday present and Fathers Day present (September is a good month for Lewy!), to meeting up with my sister and her friend for lunch while the kids played, to heading out by myself to take some photos and take deep breaths in the middle of the bush, to food shopping, to enjoying a BBQ dinner.

 

  

What beautiful land we live on.... I could spend hours lost in the bush. The fresh air, the beauty of every tree, plant and flower, the little animals crawling around, the peace. This is my kind of world.

Happy days!

Prints

I'm slowly forming an idea... I say slowly, because creativity doesn't come naturally to me and something really has to grab me to before I'll consider putting it on my wall at home.

I've gotten into the habit of browsing Pinterest.com in the evenings... it's a good chill out time for me and a nice way to remind me how much time I don't have to let my creative juices flow! :P

To get to the point... I've come across these prints, and I adore them. I'm considering framing them and making a small photo wall section with these prints and some others with a similar theme.

Please don't hold your breath for me to post pics of the completed wall. It's likely to take another year to actually do it. :P

My favourite part

If I could, I'd quote the entire book. I've just finished and it is a must read!

"I've discovered one reason I can bring comfort to people who are facing death themselves or have suffered the loss of a loved one: I've been there. I can give them every assurance that heaven is a place of unparalleled and indescribable joy.
Without the slightest doubt, I know heaven is real. It's more real than anything I've ever experienced in my life.
Since my return to earth, I've been acutely aware that all of us are on a pilgrimage. At the end of this life, wherever we go - heaven or hell - life will be more real than this one we're now living."
- Don Piper.

Whiplash

I finally organised Ambulance Cover for our family today.

The day after Jacob went on a joy ride in the ambulance on New Years Day, which cost us $800 (yikes! but worth it), I've had it on my mind to organise insurance. It's only taken me 8 months to do it. I'm pretty proactive. :P

Work. Oh work. The emotional roller-coaster ride with one of the staff, is slowing down and I'm finally allowed off onto the platform. This wasn't before the ride totally tipped me upside down and inside out. It threw me back on the platform after it was done with me. So I'm now dusting myself off and walking on level ground again. For some unknown reason, the staff member has changed their tune and is now treating me wonderfully.  So yeah. That's a relief, but I must admit - one bitten, twice shy. My professional and polite guard is up. To (embarrassingly) quote Bella in the Twilight movie "Your mood swings are giving me whiplash!". Ha!
I would like to never go on that ride again thank you very much!

Some exciting things ahead.... Father's Day, a weekend in New Norcia to attend a Prayer Retreat and Lewy's birthday in a few weeks which I'm busy planning some special outings for. September is looking to be a good month. :D  

Chocolate in the car was a bad idea!

Right, I'm off to finish my book.

Good night my friends :)

The Book

So I started reading this book yesterday and I'm almost finished .. Cannot put it down!

It's a true story, auto biography about a man who was dead for 90 minutes and in that time went to heaven. Amazing book .... AMAZING! Ginge the cat thinks so too 😜

Mental Health Day

An old boss of mine used to say that every now and then, we need to take a Mental Health Day. Translated this means, when you are at your wits end and overextended in every way.. it's good to take a day off and recover before you end up in a mental institution.

Today was that day for me. I had used up all my sources of energy, my stress levels were sky high, my brain was frazzled, I was worn out in every possible way. So I knew for my sanity and well-being, I needed a time out. 

Today was exactly what I needed... in every possible way. I started my morning by letting in my cleaner, to work her magic on  my house while I went out. This is progress right there.. usually I'd waste a day off by cleaning myself, but not today! Oh no. I had bigger and better plans.

Val had given me a gift voucher to a beauty salon for my birthday, so I booked myself in for a massage. Bliss.. complete bliss.

Waiting for the massage, in my Toms - otherwise known as the most comfortable shoes on the planet. :P

After the massage, I spontaneously invited myself to Val's house for a one hour power counselling session! A coffee later, and I was starting to feel human again. You're a great friend Val, my angel in disguise today :X

Then I headed to Koorong Bookstore for some leisurely browsing of the shelves. It was wonderful. They have a Cafe at this bookstore, so I relaxed with some lunch and to browse my books. Guys.. I was by myself in a bookstore, having lunch, by myself. By myself. :P

My final purchases. I'm a massive fan of C.S Lewis. Love his work. Can't wait to get into these books.

After the bookstore, where I spent 1.5 hours, I decided to surprise Sam by picking him up from school and heading to the park for some one on one time. It was lovely. "We're going on a bear hunt, we're going on a bear hunt, we're going to catch a big one.... " We had fun :)

Oh the concentration!

I may never take these shoes off..

After the park, we took a walk down the road to a construction site that we pass every single day on the way to daycare/school. Sam is obsessed with this place and always talks about the machinery and trucks they have here and what they might be building. So he was very excited to take a walk past. He is trying to peak around the corner to check out what is happening.

A little bit upset that the truck was parked and not going to drive past him.

After a special dinner, prepared by my Mum (thanks Mum.. delicious!) ... the boys settled in for some popcorn and wind down time watching cartoons. Love my boys .. they love sharing the little couch and wrapping up in blankets.

I needed today. I needed the break and the time out to wander around doing whatever I wanted to do. To take some time to think and process. I've got some changes to make to my every day life, so that I don't end up in this place again. But today... I am feeling refreshed, and that's exactly what I needed.

Visiting

Another beautiful day, visiting my parents in Mandurah. Love it down here. Some major shopping this morning, followed by a relaxing afternoon and a trip to the coolest park down the road.

Please don't judge me for dressing my youngest child in bumble-bee leggings! Jacob adores them!

Hanging on for dear life. They boys had a ball on this ride!

"Jakey, smell the flowers"

"Don't eat the flowers!!!"

Happy days!