Heart day

Chad and I have never really been big celebrators of Valentines Day in a couple sense. Sure, we give a card here and there or a little note, and there's always love-heart chocolate or ferrero Rochers thrown in there somewhere. But we've never felt the need or pressure to buy into all the commercialisation that surrounds this one glorious day of love. I know it's cliche - but shouldn't we show love everyday?  And you are most welcome to bring me flowers (or a candle :) any day of the year, not just on Valentines day :)

But as our family has grown, so too has the idea of celebrating the love we share together. Not just as a couple, but as a family. And so 5 years ago our V day celebration was born (has it really been that long?)!

A 'fancy' dinner (oh I love that a wine glass, not even used for wine, and chocolates on the table make our dinner appear fancy to our littles :) followed by our favourite part of writing kind things about each other on love-hearts.

This year we added love heart pancakes for breakfast! They were an interesting yummy concoction of flour, milk, banana and frozen berries!

My little love!

Hang on. We can do better than that........

That's more like it :)

 

And then we stick our hearts all over the hub of our home. A gentle reminder of the things we love about each other that we leave up for the month of February. 

How I love these Valentines of mine!!!

Once a month traditions

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At the beginning of last year after making a list of things we could do to make Sundays more meaningful (and not just a day we go to church and don't watch TV) we started having family testimony meetings. I know we are encouraged to bear spontaneous testimony with our children, but as we looked over our list of things we could do, It felt right that something more 'consistent' should be a part of our day. A prompting and an answer to a prayer.
 
Since that time, on the first Sunday of every month we gather together as a family of 6 and share our thoughts and feelings with each other. Feelings about life, each other, all things spiritual and what we know is true.

It has become one of my most looked forward to moments in the month.

We spend about 20 minutes or so 'sharing' and sometimes we finish with Rylan playing a song on the piano while we sing along (something else I completely ADORE :).

Who would've guessed that something so simple would end up being one of my MOST favourite things we do together.

I love to hear the thoughts of our little ones and love to hear them express their love for our family and their simple love for our Savior. I love to hear them try and make sense of what they learn and articulate how they feel. (I especially love hearing the kids help Lily....it always includes how grateful she is for "milky" and how much she loves it....hahahahaha). I love that I get to share in words the things that mean more to me than anything else.  


I love that it is an opportunity to look deeply into each others hearts and understand each other a little more.  To see each other in a different light and be strengthened and uplifted by the things that are said.

I hope that as we share these sacred thoughts with each other it will deepen our relationships. Both spiritually and as a family.

I am SO grateful for Men such as THIS, that counsel us and give direction on how we can be "More diligent and Concerned at Home".


ps) I'd love to hear what things you do with your family on Sundays........
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A girl and her Valentine

 

You're never too young to receive surprise flowers from someone you love.....

Oh how these photos make me smile!

Week-ending

Camping with our favourite {Sydney} cousins......

 lovely scenic drive filled with beautiful cumulus clouds

I think I'll add some more pics later......

And a few more

Spring in Darling Harbor.......

and what's a trip to the city without playing in the spinning doors of fancy hotels :)

Traditions and mystery days

"In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time." Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I think these few words sum up quite perfectly WHY family traditions are SO important.

It doesn't matter so much what the traditions are, what matters are the feelings and connections that are created because of them. The sense of belonging within the family and the memories provided that bind us to each other, inseparably. Moments and memories that are remembered and talked about forever.

One of the things I LOVE about blogging is that there are so many new and inspiring ideas out there. Almost everywhere I click I find something I want to tweak and adopt as our newest family tradition (luckily Chad is big on traditions too otherwise I'm sure this would drive him mad ;)

So enter 'mystery days' to our repertoire of family traditions! I saw the original idea a few months ago on a blog I frequent and knew immediately we were adopting the idea (it's basically a random surprise family activity)

After I told Chad about it, we announced it to the kids and the next morning when we opened the scriptures, this note fell out......

hahahaha. This is obviously not a note from either Chad or I (gotta give Rylan credit for trying ;) And while we acknowledged it was REALLY funny (it still makes me laugh) and a great idea, the boys would actually be going to school and the mystery activity had to be organised by us, the parents (for now).

Yesterday however, when we opened the scriptures, there was an 'authentic' note announcing a mystery day. It was all very exciting!!

The dancing and repeated chants of 'no school today it's a mystery day' were well worth the absence of academics (i.e missing school :) but we did go to the aquarium so there was still 'educational' value ;)

So without further ado, here's a few pics from our Mystery day in the city........

 

I think the look on this sharks face (it looks like a smile doesn't it :) pretty much sums up our day (even with the 'I'm so tired' melt downs on the way home......;)

ps) thanks for the tickets to the aquarium prattsama!!
pss) does it seem funny that we had sushi for lunch after going to the aquarium?? hahaha

Halloween #2

It is official. We 'celebrate' Halloween. Whatever that actually means ;)

I'll admit that in the past I have felt 'torn' about whether or not I thought halloween was OK? You know the whole 'evil spirits rising from the dead morbid thing. Well yeah, that's why I've questioned it. And reading other Aussie blogs (specifically LDS Aussies) I know I'm not alone in this line of thinking.

Growing up we didn't celebrate it (and I remember desperately wanting to go trick-or-treating) because of the evil connotations. That's what I always thought anyway? Mum?? So when a few years ago our ward had their first Trunk-or-treat, I thought it was the strangest thing. Halloween party at the chapel???

Fast forward a few years and clearly I am subject to propaganda because we have been talking about the 'trunk-or-treat' and what costumes everyone is wearing for a couple of months now :)

So we have decided. We officially 'celebrate' Halloween. It's a night about dressing up, getting together with friends, playing games, decorating our boots and sharing treats. We don't get into the 'gory.evil.scary' side of things. It's just a bit of fun :)

Unless you consider these too scary......

or these........they do have a warning on them :)

This year we were 'lucky enough' to go to 2 'trunk-or-treats' (great double the goodies = kids heaven :) 

So because I am a genius and I really really don't like lollies for the kids WE decided to keep all our treats from the first 'party' (all the lollies had to be individually wrapped which made it perfect ;) and give them away at the second one! I gave credit for the brilliant idea to Zahn ;) and everyone agreed it was perfect (muahahahahaha - oh my sweet innocent children. Little did they know that at the second trunk or treat, there would be about 15 cars giving out 'sweets' instead of about 50 cars like at the first :) 

This was their first stash

And this was the second.......hahahahaha! Bless their little hearts they were just as excited about the second batch as the first :)

So we had a cowboy (minus his hat?), a fairy and of course a Harry.

 

Rylan won 'best costume' out of the kids at the first one, and I don't think it's an understatement to say, he considers it one of his greatest achievements of his life :) He may have squealed in delight when it was announced :) And the trophy he received is now proudly displayed with his others!

 

There were games and face painting by the youth.....(and a jumping castle at one of them)!

 

the car after it was 'trashed' by little hands grabbing lollies, cupcakes and jellies.

 

 

and I have to share this pic of my niece because it may be the cutest halloween costume I've ever seen.

Incase you can't tell, she was a bunch of grapes. SO.CUTE.

Next year I know what I'm making for Lily :)