Delightful. Spunky. Confident.

Just a few of the words Zahn's teachers used to describe him at our parent teacher interview last week.

Funnily enough they are the same words I  also use to describe this boy of ours.

I must say it made my little heart burst with pride as I sat there and listened to them talk about what a pleasure he is to have in their class and what a delightful boy he is.

At the beginning of the year, I was a bit unsure how I felt about having 2 teachers for his class but everything seems to be going really well and he seems to have settled in to the routine of school quite effortlessly! (even though he is SO exhausted by the end of the day which occasionally results in some kind of min-melt down in the car on the way home :) I think what makes me the happiest is that all the things Chad talked about in his Fathers Blessing on THIS night, were very apparent even just in our 15 minute parent/teacher interview!

I'm so grateful for Zahn's teachers and that they're providing such a positive learning environment for the first year of school for this boy of ours.

Pink party in the park.......

I'm not sure if it gets any better than this for a little girl that turns 2 on Tuesday.

Pink balloons. Cup cakes. Family. Friends. New 'girl toys' and the Park. All WAY up there on her list of things she LOVES.

There are so many things I could share about how we feel and why we love this little (getting-big-way-too-fast) girl. But. I'll save all that for her special day and instead share some pics from her 'pink party in the park'!

 

"Can you believe my mum and dad are letting me eat all these treats. I think I am in heaven"........

enjoying her cup cake

If you look closely in this pic you can see how sticky and dirty her hands are.......

playing with some of her 'big' friends

this is how I found her after returning from a trip to the car. Eating yogurt with a paddle pop stick. completely covered in sticky-ness, dirt, sticks and yogurt. She was so free and happy :)

let's move in for a close up of her sticky hands.

And as a result of her blissful 'free' morning, this is what she looked liked right before we left......

happy, clothes free, somewhat clean and ready for a 4 hour sleep (she played really hard :)

Thanks to our lovely friends and family, the Ligits, The DeGaris's and the Smiberts for sharing part 1 of Jasmin's special day. She was thrilled that Hannah, 'Bamon' and the 'Brim' brothers were at her little party!

If she's named after a continent.......

Maybe she'll have really BIG aspirations and dreams in life?????

OK clearly we need some help! The fact that we are having a girl makes me so very happy it's quite ridiculous. However with the joy of expecting another girl brings on the same problem we had in naming Jasmin. We really don't have any girl names that we are in love with. And this is essential in giving our babies their names. 

So you see our Dilemma. 

We must LOVE the word that will identify this baby ever more. And so far we're not really coming up with anything we both like let alone love.

Some of the names that have been discussed.....

Cierra

Sienna

 

Azure (pronounced like Asia. the only name we BOTH currently kind of like. and yes the name the title of this post is referring to.......)

Nikita

Nikia

anika (pronounced aneeka......

So please help. For the sake of our future daughter please give us some suggestions, even if it's only ONE name. Otherwise she may end up being Nassasi or Seneak. Made up names by Chad that he would quite happily use. Once again you see my (our) dilemma.

Suggestions. Thoughts. Advise.

Running Marathons......

CAUTION: the following post may cause carpal tunnel due to the extreme amount of photos in one post :)

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A glance at what our FHE activity looked liked last night (after a lesson on the Word of Wisdom and the importance of physical exercise. It may or may not have been directed at Rylan who didn't want to run in the cross country at school. But after the lesson and activity he decided that he will run :) 

 So the boys took off for their mini marathon and Jazzy and I cruised behind them at a nice pace set by Jazzy and her bike......

perfect pace for taking snaps :)

 

It wasn't long before she realised the boys were miles ahead of us so she abandoned her bike and......

took off. Man she is a fast little runner (I kept thinking she was going to face plant into the road. luckily she didn't :)

we made it to the field in time to watch the boys do the last half of their lap and race to the finish...

Rylan recovering after his run....quote "I think i'm going to throw up mum"

luckily he didn't

 

a little more R&R before he was rolling down the giant grassy hill........

and being tossed in the air to crazy heights.....

obviously he fully recovered. 

flip practice. I feel much more comfortable with this happening on the tramp.....but boys will be boys.....

Zahn's turn at flying......love Jazzy's face in this pic - she was in heaven watching.......

 and then being tossed around herself. She was squealing in delight.....

I love how adored this little girl is!!

me sitting on the hill.....filled with happiness watching my family play and laugh.......

and much to the kids delight, as we were leaving they got to pat a passing dog :)

 

 

I have to admit there are few things I love (and find more attractive ; ) than watching Chad play with our kids. They are SO completely enamored by that man! I LOVE it!

Never too young.....

I guess the old adage that every girl needs a good pair of jeans and heels really must be true. 

Even if you're only (nearly) 2.

Death by cuteness

I'm almost not kidding when I say that some days I could die from how cute this girl is.



If i'm lucky, sometimes she lets me play with her hair while we watch play school.



cutest head of hair I have seen. EVER. Even with just one clip. (there was eventually 2)



And miraculously, she didn't (couldn't) pull them out. If only I had 30 minutes every day to braid her hair again and again and again until it's neat enough :)

Old spice....

"CAUTION: this AD may cause hilarity".....OK maybe not hilarity, but it's giving me a good laugh so I thought i'd share the funnies with you! (it's getting late so don't judge my humor :)

If you don't find it that funny, come back when it's late and try it then :)

Camp 'outs'.....

Even though I do really like camping, outdoor camping, This may be my current preferred style of camp outs.



It's what we like to call 'mummy camps'. Originally planned for the backyard, but ended up on the lounge room floor. It's not the first time 'mummy camp' has been taken to the house :)



Roasted marshmellows in a milo tin (which we took outside because the house was filling up with smoke. this did however give our little camp out quite an authentic feel :)



chad's hairy hand and arm.....NOT mine :)





snuggling in the tent watching ELF (which I am sad to admit I actually cried in......I know, how do you cry in ELF.....I have no excuse except I am pregnant AND.....well, that's my only excuse :) sleeping on the comfort of a real mattress (which was a tad bit uncomfortable but I stayed there. most of the night.......shhhhhhhh!!!!)

Perhaps my preference of camp style will change when we don't have babies that love their own beds and when I'm not rapidly growing :)

WICKED-ness was never happiness....

Except on Friday night while watching this WICKED.......



OK OK - i know that was cheesy. BUT. it's true! The show was excellent!!




"Are people born wicked, or is wickedness thrust upon them"??


That was the major theme throughout the production - and I LOVE LOVE LOVED the way they answered/didn't answer that question.


The themes. The costumes. The performances (except perhaps Mills-ee (Rob Mills) who was slightly overrated), the SONGS, the dancers - loved them all!! Particularly Glinda and Elphaba. Their performances were incredible!!!


So in short, if you haven't seen it yet. You should go. You will not be disappointed :)


ps) thanks Chad for taking me! You know I've been dying to see it :) and I loved it!!!! even if I did arrive 2 hours late, and cause us to miss the dinner you had planned.......but if it's any consolation, the Thai place that was still serving dinner at midnight was delish!!

pss) not sure if wicked is going to Brisbane......but.....you're always welcome to come and stay with us for the weekend and see the show.....we'll even throw in some free baby sitting if you need it :)

Find YOU! Be YOU!

I know we're already a quarter of the way through the year but I find myself still thinking about what my aspirations are for the year ahead (besides growing a baby) and assessing what is really important to me. One of things I think about often is 'am I being true to who I am, and who I want to be??


Sometimes in this journey of Motherhood, and changing nappies and refereeing another fight, it's easy to get lost and forget who we are, as women and as individuals. Funnily enough though, I have learned that knowing who we are and putting our own desires aside for a time, while prioritising and Mothering, helps us truly find and become our best selves.



"Be you. Find you. Be happy with that"

Doesn't every woman want this. To be comfortable with who they are and happy with the choices they make. I love the fact that unlike the teenager years, there is a strong sense of self confidence that comes with Womanhood. I realise that 'finding ourselves' and being happy with who we are is a process that changes as we change. As we grow. As we learn.


I love being a Woman and a Mother!!! Anyone that knows me, knows this is true. I love bearing those titles and having this time at home with my 'babies'. (even if and when it's crazy - like today when Jasmin cried all day :) I know the day will come when I will have what may seem like unlimited time to do whatever it is I choose. My kids will be grown and nappies will be long gone. When that time comes, I'm pretty sure I won't look back and think 'I wish I was doing something else instead of enjoying that time with my kids'.

In saying that though, I also know how important it is to nurture and take care of ourselves. And that's the FIND YOU part. Finding the balance between doing things we are passionate about and taking care of our families. I know both of these things are important. Fulfilling and life enriching.

I think whatIi'm trying to say can be summed up in this quote that I love (and that I remind myself of when needed.......

"Women do not have to sacrifice personhood if they are mothers. They do not have to sacrifice motherhood in order to be persons. Liberation was meant to expand women's opportunities, not to limit them. The self-esteem that has been found in new pursuits can also be found in mothering"

Elaine Heffner

We can find ourselves and be true to that even while in the 'thick' of Mothering. It's true that when we serve we find the most Joy. This applies to serving our families too. Like I talked about HERE and HERE there is a time and a season in life for everything.


How grateful I am for my kids and for the things they teach me and the person they force HELP me to be :)


ps) not sure where the photos are originally from but I found them here.....