Milestone

Meet April. Our English cousin- for me, it's by marriage. They have been visiting New Zealand and she is just lovely. Her husband is pretty nice too and sounds just like Gordon Ramsey. Without the foul language that is!

They adore the children and we have talked about everything under the sun relating to children. About feeding and sign language and being shy. Sleeptime and wakes times and everything inbetween.

Everything.

Except the fact that Rupi is adopted. I didn't even realise we hadn't talked about it until today. It just never came up. I am positive that someone in the family must have told them our history so I am sure they know. But I never felt that itch to speak about adoption with them. That urge to fill a silence that screams to be filled with Rupi's story.

I wanted to get to this place. Where we can meet people we have never met before and NOT feel like we have to automatically tell Rupi's story. It has become just that- Rupi's story. HIS story. For him to tell.

The pastors at church that have adopted talked to us about getting to this stage. Where the story becomes the child's to tell. Or not to tell, as they wish. It's about respecting that this story belongs to a person. It's first and foremost their story. It's not about hiding adoption at all. Just about it becoming Rupi's story to decide to tell. And then supporting and backing him up in the telling. Making it ok and safe to tell to the people that he chooses to tell.

This has really excited me. This milestone. Rupi's story is an amazing and miraculous one. But it's his story first, and then ours.

So this was Christmas

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was very different but good all the same. Dida was really sick over Christmas. He got a yucky tummy bug (for the second time in 6 weeks) on Christmas Eve. He couldn't go anywhere and spent Christmas Day at home, not eating a thing. Poor man. I honestly don't think he minded not eating on Christmas Day as he felt so hideous.

We had a busy Christmas planned and were travelling to visit Dida's sister on Christmas Day. Dida's bug meant we stayed home and have taken things e.a.sy..... it's been just what we needed. Dida was on the mend by Boxing Day and has been feeling better and better.

Their very first Father Christmas sacks on Christmas morning

Blossom's (slightly boring but very useful) gifts!

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Rupi opening his sack and seeing a truck (HUGE excitement!)

The remote controlled helicopter Rupi and Blossom gave Dida- this was a hit! Dida loved it even though he was so sick!

We went out on Christmas Day without Dida and still managed to have fun. We missed him though! It's bedlam with 6 small children under 6 years old but we had a great time!

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Blossom and her oldest cousin. I think these two are going to be very close!

Turbo having a quiet moment...

Can anyone be this cute and still breathe?

Blossom doing what she does best- being cute!

Now we are just doing very little. Chilling is just what the doctor ordered and it's turned out to be great (now that Dida is better!)

I think...

...it may be Christmas soon! Happy Birthday in two sleeps, Jesus!

Today was my last day of meetings and work-y stuff. I got home early and let the nanny go complete with gift and thanks. I got to sit down and play with my offspring (such a grown up word!) without thinking of emails I need to check or things I need to do. Bliss.

The weather is cooler, thank you God! Seriously it's been like a sauna in Auckland. I love the heat and humidity but this has been unbelievable. Energy sapping. The groceries are delivered- yay for on-line shopping! The gifts are wrapped and all I need to do is some baking tomorrow.

I feel my neck muscles un-tensing and the Christmas spirit rising up! Woohoo!

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Yes my children are nudi-rudi a lot!!! It's summer and some of us are learning to anticipate when one needs to go to the toilet. As for the other smllest person, well there's no excuse.

Wordless Wednesday- Late afternoon

Note to self

You know when you have a train of thought that haunts you? You find yourself thinking about it again and again. This is one of those trains. A good train, a God train. So good I am sure I have posted on it before but actually haven't. It's familiar to me by now and that's good.

You see, I am sitting in one my favourite cafes feeling utterly intimidated. Completely and totally intimidated. It sits in the base of my stomach like a stone.

One of the design companies I used to work for is after one of my clients. They are targeting them and wooing them. And I am afraid. Afraid that they will succeed.

Because in the natural this design company is larger than me and have been around for longer than my little business. They are also merciless. When I worked for them they managed to get hold of another design companies client list. And systematically worked through this list targeting the other company's clients one by one. They nearly forced this other design company out of business. Merciless. The marketing director would take the last crumb from my mouth while I starved.

So I am intimidated.

The problem is that my intimidation has no basis in reality. I am approached by people to work with them on a weekly basis. I have enough work. My clients like me and I am good at what I do. Being real here, please hear my heart. I have no grounds for intimidation.

So what's the deal? I am afraid. My achilles heel- fear. Fear is never ok. Not even the smallest bit of it. There are sayings out there "feel the fear and do it anyway" or "do it happy scared". Neither is ok. Fear is never to be tolerated. Ever.

Fear is rooted in unbelief. So as I sit here feeling intimidated I have lifted my fear up above God. I fear that God can't do it. That He can't provide me with work. Rubbish. Utter rubbish. He is God Almighty. Of course He can do it. And (though He doesn't need to) He has proved that He can. He has a track record.

So

Yes

God has been speaking to me about fear. And with His help I will root it out. Grab hold of every root and pull it out. Starting with intimidation. I like this train of thought!

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

Sweet Mary

As a wife and homemaker (and type-A driven personality) Christmas falls on my shoulders. As does any other celebration and preparing for it. I think it's just what women do and while I am not complaining I have been feeling the burden of it.

In between work and bringing up children and running a house, I have 5 million "things to do". List after list of gifts, planning and doing. I am running around so much I have not given a thought to the reason behind what this season is.


So today I stopped and thought. And spent time with Him. Mr Special- I heart Him so much.

I thought of Mary. Sweet precious Mary. Right now many years ago she would have looked like this.

Heavy. And lumbering. Like I felt here. Right now she was preparing. Not only for a birth but for a journey. A long and arduous journey. And when you are heavy and lumbering the last thing on earth you have capacity for, is a long journey.

I imagine Joseph was like most men. The planning and packing would have been Mary's task. [Although Joseph would have loaded the donkey as men are expert loaders of vehicles! Well, mine is anyway.]


I imagine this journey would have seemed immense to Mary. Packing and sorting would have taken so much energy out of her. She must have ended each day with an aching back. The weather in the middle east is not that cool at this time of the year and so she would have been hot as well. Phew.


Sorry Mary but what you were facing all those years ago makes me feel better! My little "to do" list pales in the light of a massive journey on a donkey and labour at the end of it!


But I am so glad you did it! Thanks Mary- you rock.

We have a winner!

Rupi was having a toddler moment (all day long) and so refused to make the draw. Luckily Blossom was more than happy to stand in....

She enthusiastically makes a draw,

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And comes away with some finalists!

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Narrows it down to two...

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And then there's only one

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Its WIDGEY!

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Who promptly gets eaten...

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Well done Widgey, one of my mostest favourite bloggie mates! Email me with your address and I will get them off to you (they arrived today and are beautifully wrapped- I did give the parcel a good squeeze though!)


And thank you to everyone for entering- I appreciate you all so much xxxx

Santi-pants

Christians and Santa (aka Father Christmas) are like Christians and Halloween. You get 5,000 varying opinions and all of them are heart felt.

There have been two awesome posts about the fat old man in a red suit over the last day or so and they are both brilliant. If you have ever wondered about this topic have a read here and here....

We are working out how we feel about it all and for this year all we are doing is having Santa sacks (Father Christmas stockings etc). Growing up we used pillowcases for our stockings and so I have made two simple drawstring sacks with each child's initial on the front.

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On Christmas morning we plan to get up before the kiddies (therefore will be starting our day at about 4.30am....), grab Blossom's bottle and some coffee and get the kids into bed with us. Their sacks will be hanging off the drawers in our room and they can get into them. Can't wait! Blossom's stash is not very exciting with clothing and her first (pink, awww!) drink bottle but I don't imagine she'll care!

We haven't even mentioned Father Christmas to Rupi and he wouldn't know who the heck he was so I figure we have another year to come up with a definate plan...

Giveaway!

This is my 300th post. 300!!!!! Yikes. This blog started as word from God. To share what I was experiencing. This blog has witnessed my greatest pain and greatest joy. It has seen God break through for us in miraculous ways. This blog has seen my mourning turn to dancing.

And I love that I know so many of you. I don't blog for anything other than the sheer joy of it and the chance to know all of you. I don't count followers or look at stats. I just love to write and I love knowing all of you.

So to thank you I am giving away two of these little gems. Made by PaisleyJade who is one of my followers and favourite bloggie friends, they caught my eye the minute she posted about them. I just love them!! Lucky there were only two in her shop or I may have got more....

You get a little pink one and a lime one. I won't name them although I'd love to, I will leave that to you!

Leave a comment and Rupi will make a (scientific) draw next Tuesday (14 December 2010). Open to anyone from anywhere!

And thanks...here's to you!

It always ends badly

It starts with such promise. Together on the bed while I fluff around. Each holding one of Mama's lotion or potions. Laughing and all smiles.

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There's joy as one anothers lotion or potion is admired. The spirit of sharing and loving shimmers in the air.

More giggling as cream is put on each other. My heart is full (as I hastily fling make-up on my face).

But. One of us decides that his potion is not enough. I see that snake in the tree!

And just like that the peaceful, joyeous atmoesphere shatters. The banshee erupts. And I have yet to finish my makeup. Sigh.

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Celebrate!

Today was a cause for much celebration, our little Blossom got dedicated. No, this does not "make" her a Christian. Rather we, as her parents, stand before our church and God and promise to bring her up in the ways of God. And the church promises to help us in return. And the church is awesome at helping and encouraging!

I cannot believe that it was only last year we did the same for Rupi. And how different this feels. Rupi was our breakthough, our son of vision and restorer. When he came we got the chance to do those things we'd waited so long to do. Like have a baby shower and dedicate our child before God. So when we did those things for the first time it was so emotional. With Rupi's dedication we were still healing and I was still raw. I honestly wept through the WHOLE dedication. Tears of utter joy and gratitude and relief.

But this!

This is joy. This is celebration. This is the end of infertility. We were singing before the dedication and God whispered the word "celebrate". True's bob, the next line in the song was about celebration. Nice one. NICE ONE!

Blossom is the "pure unmerited favour of God". His Grace. His Mercy. His Abundance. She is her Mama's princess and the cherry on the top of our cake.

So this was us. The same pastor who dedicated Rupi dedicated Blossom. [I took her to introduce her to him pre-service, to stop her freaking out.... and she vomited on him. Heck. And he was preaching this morning. Twice. He handled it well I thought... Although what option did he have???]

Blossom got some awesome prophesy. Thank you God! Rupi handled himself well and only went feral once Blossom's turn was over. After the sweets didn't pacify our small brown bear, Dida snuck off into the foyer with him. I graciously received prayer for the parents on behalf of both of us...thanks Rupi. I am sorry to say the feral state of being continued on throughout the service. Blossom however was an angel!

She looked so cute (may I say so myself!) She wore a dress her Nana got her in Scotland. I shortened the sleeves for her to make it a summer dress. Her auntie Kiki got her the headband and I adapted her socks to suit the outfit. The only thing I would change is to make her some knickers. I didn't think the dress would ride up so much and disposable nappies on show = not so cool.

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We had a family photo afterwards which was like trying to herd cats. You can kind of see Blossom and I behind Penny. Sort of. [Note Rupi's face- awesomeness.]

My Mom got Blossom a cute little Bunnykins bowl and the card attached read:

"Children are a gift from the Lord, they are His Blessing." Psalm 127:3

This just expresses how I feel. Perfectly. Thanks God. Most Awesome Writer and Crafter of Words!

Weekending with....

Amazing sun-shiny weather! Welcome Summer!

There's been imaginary sword play with chalk marked bottom

Nudi-rudi water slip sliding

And cuddles with Dida on a picnic blanket in her brothers t-shirt

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Tomorrow is Blossom's dedication and I am so excited! Yay God, thank you!