… until we make our way here …

… for 9 days of sand, surf and (hopefully) sunshine.

No work, no computer, no housework, no meetings, no worries.

Can’t wait.

Well, it’s that time again … we are halfway through January (and I have only just taken down my Christmas tree). But that also means that it is time for another Challenge Me Happy challenge!

This one is a Word Challenge, and we want you to use the word “NEW” on your layout (in any language).

Here’s my example:

Upload a link to your blog or gallery post with a project made EXCLUSIVELY for this challenge. Deadline is midnight 31 January NZ time (GMT + 13 hours). You could win a fabulous kit from Little Yellow House Kits!

Happy Scrapping!

I don’t normally make proper resolutions at the beginning of the year. Sometimes I write a list of things I would like to achieve, but they aren’t true goals because they aren’t SMART. They’re just a list! Sometimes I manage to tick a few things off, but most of the time I don’t.

This year, I simply stated that I wanted to keep up with my running. Which is not a SMART goal. It is a very vague resolution. But I’m actually okay with it being vague. I still enjoy running, but I’ve decided that serious training is not for me. I may still enter the 5K race I did in April last year, but it will really just be for fun. Once upon a time, I thought about aiming for a 10K, but I don’t think I’m at that point just yet. Right now I am just going to focus on running for exercise and for my own personal sanity. There will be times where I only run 2 or 3K at a time, but that’s okay with me. So “keeping up with my running” should be pretty easy, given the extremely loose parameters I have placed around this goal!

The other day, I came up with a proper resolution. This one is going to be a lot tighter. It’s something I want to do EVERY single day. You ready for this?

I want to do the dishes immediately after dinner each night.

I know!

Anybody who knows me well will know that I HATE doing the dishes. It is my least favourite chore. I would rather hang out 20 loads of laundry than wash one sinkful of dishes. Anybody who has visited my house more than once will know that because I hate doing the dishes, I tend to let them pile up for a couple of days, before Rob decides to wash them. Then they sit on the draining rack for another day or so, until somebody gets frustrated with the lack of bench space and decides to put them away.

Loading and emptying the dishwasher is not a problem. We made a conscious decision NOT to run the dishwasher unless it is full, to conserve water, so we only turn it on every 3 days or so. Which is fine. And we are pretty good about emptying it fairly promptly afterwards.

It’s the OTHER stuff that tends to pile up. The stuff that doesn’t go in the dishwasher. Pots and pans. Tupperware containers and lids. Large utensils. Mixing bowls. Serving bowls and dishes. My good knives. The kids’ lunchboxes and drink bottles. Wine glasses (I know you CAN put them in the dishwasher, but I choose not to).

SO. I have made a resolution (a little after 1 January, but hey!) to wash, dry and put away ALL the non-dishwasher dishes every night, straight after dinner. I want to have a clean bench each night before I go to bed.

I am 2 days in, and things are going well. LOL. Ask me again in a few weeks’ time. I hope I will be able to say that I have stuck to my resolution! I’m very determined!

Oh, and before you all say, “Just make your kids do the dishes!”, you can rest assured that they WILL be helping me out. I’m not against child labour getting kids to help around the house. They do help with unloading the dishwasher, and they have other regular chores like feeding the dog, setting/clearing the table, keeping their rooms tidy (hmmmm), collecting the mail/recycling bin, picking up dog poop (SO glad they are happy to do this one!), putting clothes and toys away, making their beds (hmmmm) and folding laundry (sometimes).

But to be honest, this problem is mine. I’m the one who let things get to the stage they are now, and I’m the one who wants things to change. I also want to relieve Rob of the burden of having to do 3 days’ worth of dishes at a time, because it takes AGES when there are that many! He does it without complaining, too. What a guy.

So while it may sound ridiculous, I kind of want to own this for myself. I want the sense of achievement I will (hopefully) get from keeping on top of a job that I really really really hate. No reason why the kids can’t help me along the way, but I’m the one who needs to step up here and make a change.

Wish me luck!

I’ve been blogging for over 6 years. I’ve written 802 posts since September 2005. I’ve received almost 11,000 comments (that’s not counting the spam that gets deleted straight away).

In all that time – as far as I’m aware – nothing I have written on my blog has upset, annoyed or offended anyone. Well, nobody has ever told me that they were upset, annoyed or offended. I certainly don’t try to be controversial. I’m not that kind of person. I’ve never had any comments from trolls. I am so grateful for that, having seen on other blogs the damage they can cause.

I decided a little while ago that I would give myself more freedom to write openly and honestly here. I’ve been doing that.

However.

It seems that my last post may have offended some people.

For some reason, I feel like I should apologise. But I’m not going to, because I’ve done nothing wrong.

I understand that some people don’t like to read about God, but it’s my blog. God is a big part of my life, so I should be able to write about my faith here, if I want to. I try not to preach at people, and I always make a point of stating that my beliefs are just that. MY beliefs. Others are entitled to theirs, and if they differ from mine, I don’t have a problem with that.

Other people may have different opinions to me. That’s not actually a newsflash; I was already aware of it. Nevertheless, I still think I should be able to write about my opinions here, without being judged for it.

Not sure where to go from here. I feel a bit disappointed about getting a couple of negative responses to my last post (they’re not in the comments section, so don’t go hunting for them). I guess I shouldn’t worry about a couple of individuals when it seems pretty clear that most people knew what I was getting at in that post.

All I know is that my heart is in the right place. I was writing about my own personal experiences. My own personal convictions. My own personal feelings. I was not trying to tell other people that they should feel the same way as me. As one of my friends and long-time readers/commenters pointed out, “Life is about choice, only you can choose what is right for you.” I’m simply choosing what is right for me. That doesn’t mean it is right for everybody else.

Can I just ask one thing? Please don’t be offended if you don’t agree with something I write on my blog. If you know me, you will know that I am not the kind of person who tries to push her beliefs onto others. I am, however, the kind of person who thinks deeply and finds it therapeutic to write about those thoughts.

That’s all I’m doing here, folks. Just putting “pen to paper” and expressing myself in a way that works for me. I love to write. I have to write. I don’t share all my writing here, because some of it is too personal. I’m careful about what I do share. I want my posts to entertain, inform, amuse, inspire, motivate, encourage, challenge. I never want them to offend, upset, annoy, hurt, anger, irritate.

It’s interesting, really. I may have inadvertently offended a couple of individuals, but I’m actually the one who is hurt. I learned a long time ago that my skin is not very thick. Sometimes I really wish it was …

*from “Sticks and Stones” by mumsdollar

Lately I have been thinking a lot about how I feed my mind, soul and spirit. I know I should feed my mind with things that are going to build me up, not tear me down. Things that are good, not evil. It is no secret that I am a Christian, so my perspective on this topic may have a slightly different angle than some people, but the general premise is the same: Garbage in, garbage out.

There is a great verse in the Bible that talks about just that:

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious — the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realised. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”
Philippians 4:8-9 (MSG)

This quote is also very true:

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

The other night, I watched a movie that many of my friends and acquaintances had been raving about for months. Yes, there were some funny moments, and at times I was crying because I was laughing so much. But I have to be honest. Most of the time, I was cringing. I don’t think I’m a fuddy duddy, or a prude, or a boring old fart. But a lot of the humour in this movie was, quite frankly, crude. I wasn’t offended or disgusted, and I didn’t switch it off, but I did start wondering whether I should have been filling my mind with that stuff. Was it going to help me be a better person? Unlikely. Was it going to direct my thoughts toward things that might lead me astray? Possibly.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a laugh. I love to laugh! Sometimes taking a couple of hours to unwind with a funny movie can rejuvenate the soul. After all, laughter is the best medicine. I believe God has a sense of humour, and wants us to laugh and enjoy ourselves. But I don’t think crude = funny. I think funny = funny and crude = crude. There are plenty of great jokes and funny movies that don’t resort to questionable or degrading humour.

It’s the same with music. I love music, and I often find myself tapping along to a song with a great beat. However, I need to remind myself to listen to the words, too. Sometimes the lyrics are so suggestive. If they’re not appropriate for my children to listen to, and if I would be embarrassed to listen with my parents in the room, then I don’t see why I should be listening, either. There are plenty of great songs that don’t stoop that low, and by cutting out the crap, I’m doing myself a favour.

I recently read an article online about this very topic. The author summed things up so well that I thought I would share an excerpt:

“There is much merit to the expression, ‘See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil.’ Whatever we meditate on, talk about, listen to or look at, especially on a continual basis, will become a part of who we are and – whether good or bad – will come out of us somehow. Negative thoughts = Negative words = Negative actions … We should always be on guard to what we allow to enter our mind, because it is the battlefield where Satan wages his war against us and where, most times, we fail.”

Something I want to focus on this year is feeding my mind and soul with things that are going to make me a better person. I am going to surround myself with positive people, and keep a close eye on what I allow to infiltrate my thoughts and emotions. I learned last year how freeing it was to finally let go of something that was trying to drag me down. The words and actions of another person were affecting me, because I allowed them to. I no longer allow them to. It feels great not to carry around that negativity and toxicity.

I want to keep living that way. Filling my life with joy. Not happiness, because happiness depends on circumstances, and I have no control over those. Joy comes from somewhere deeper within, from a place in my soul that I feed and nourish on a daily basis. So I want to feed and nourish it with good things. Truth, grace, nobility, authenticity, beauty, purity, love. It won’t be easy, and I will fail sometimes, but I believe it’s worth it.

As a family, we have lots of fun hanging out together and making the most of free/inexpensive activities outside (when the weather co-operates). It’s easy to feel like spending money is necessary to have a good time, but it really isn’t.

Here are some of the things we’ve been enjoying lately …

Kite flying is free, if you already have a kite.

Kicking a ball around at the park doesn’t cost a cent, especially when you have lots of soccer and rugby balls to choose from at your house (at last count, we had 7 soccer balls and 6 rugby balls).

Playgrounds are free!

Strawberry picking isn’t free, but it’s a fun and affordable family activity.

Ice cream made from freshly picked strawberries isn’t cheap ($4.50 per cone!) but when you share one between four people, it’s not so bad.

And there are also tractors to play on at the orchard, at no extra charge!

Other family activities we have been enjoying (including quite a few indoor ones, thanks to all the rain) …

Swimming at the beach
Board games (we got the boys The Game of Life Adventures Edition for Christmas, and we’ve been playing it lots)
Riding bikes
Baking
Movies at the theatre
DVDs at home
Playstation
Building Meccano toys
Hot pools & waterslides
Coffee/hot chocolates at cafe
Bush walks
Picnic lunches
Shopping (yes, even the boys!)

Obviously some of these things DO cost money (like shopping!) but it helps to intersperse some of the $$ activities with plenty of free/inexpensive ones. Hot drinks at a cafe don’t have to be expensive, if you have a “buy 10, get one free” card, ask for kiddie hot chocolates (not fluffies, my boys have outgrown them now) and don’t buy cakes and muffins to go with them!

Hot pools and other activities can be affordable if you look for deals on the various “one day” sites. Over the past few months, I have scored several family passes to Parakai Hot Pools for as little as $30, and going there is usually a full day of entertainment for us.

I’m looking forward to lots more photo opportunities as the summer continues. We live right by the beach, so we spend a lot of time down there. I don’t usually take my camera, but I think I will next time.

Only 2 more weeks until our annual Hahei holiday. Nine days of sun (hopefully!), sand, surf and relaxing with the family. I can’t wait!

My friend Angella wrote a post called “2011: The Recap”, and I decided to be a copycat. I was actually intending to do a recap post anyway, similar to the ones I did at the end of 2010. One involved lots of linking, and the other had lots of questions. This one has a bit of both!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

I graduated from the Couch to 5K running programme, able to run for 30 minutes without stopping. I never thought I would be able to run! Never!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

My resolution was to “keep up with my running”. I did that, as much as physically possible.
I’m not really making any resolutions for 2012, other than to “keep up with my running”. LOL.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Three girls in my bible study group had babies this year.
My SIL Olivia had her third baby, a beautiful little boy, Mac. He is so cute:

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My beloved Grandma passed away, aged 91 years. I miss her.

5. What countries did you visit?

Australia.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

Intact bones.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

22 February, the day of the big Christchurch earthquake (and my Grandma’s 91st birthday).
24 August, the day my Grandma died.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Running my first 5K race.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Allowing myself to go over my goal weight

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I broke my ankle the day after running my first 5K race. It was a long and frustrating saga, thanks to doctors and radiologists who didn’t seem capable of reading x-rays. After finally getting a proper diagnosis, after spending weeks on crutches, I was in a moonboot for 6 weeks, and then I had 8 weeks of thrice-weekly physiotherapy. I am glad to say my ankle is now completely back to normal, apart from feeling a bit “weak” sometimes when I start to walk after I’ve been sitting or lying down for a long time. But running on it is sweet!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My new camera. A Canon EOS 550D. I had been wanting a DSLR for years, and finally decided to spend one of my bonuses that I get every year from work on MYSELF. Still learning how to use it properly, but having fun along the way.

12. Where did most of your money go?

The mortgage. How boring!

13. What did you get really excited about?

Graduating from the C25K programme
Getting my first DSLR
Our family trip to the Gold Coast

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Any song by Adele!

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Happier.
– thinner or fatter? Fatter. Slightly. But that is being fixed!
– richer or poorer? Well, we spent some of our savings on an overseas holiday. But technically we own (a tiny bit) more of our house now, and we both got pay rises and bonuses. So maybe about the same?

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Running. I obviously couldn’t help having 4 months off, but I do wish I hadn’t broken my ankle so I could have kept up the momentum I had. Perhaps by now I would be running 10K? Maybe that will be a goal for 2012 …

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Eating food that didn’t nurture my body. I’m ashamed to say that I went through a couple of long stages of simply not caring about what I ate. The first one started after I broke my ankle, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to run for weeks or months. I just gave up. The last one started just before our trip to Australia, and only ended a few days ago! But I am back on track now.

18. How did you spend Christmas?

With my husband, my boys, my parents and my little sister. We hosted Christmas dinner here, and although I wasn’t feeling well on the day, I pulled off a meal I was proud of, and we had a wonderful day.

19. What were your favourite TV programmes?

The Amazing Race
Survivor
Big Bang Theory
Modern Family

20. What were your favourite books of the year?

“The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven” by Kevin Malarkey
“The Affair” by Lee Child
“66 Love Letters” by Larry Crabb
“The Silent Girl” by Tess Gerritsen

21. What was your favourite music from this year?

Francesca Battistelli
Audrey Assad
Kings of Leon
Adele
Switchfoot
The Babysitters Circus

22. What were your favourite films of the year?

Kung Fu Panda 2
Unknown
Pirates of the Caribbean 4
Johnny English 2

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 33 on 31 March. I didn’t have a big party or anything, but my friends & family made sure I had a very special day. My 3 boys even wrote me a song, and performed it for me. The words are still just as great today as they were back then:

“Mummy, you’re turning 33.
Mummy, it’s a brand new life.
It’s gonna be a go-ooood life.
OH YEAH!
You are our honey.
We love you so!
Mummy!”

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I really don’t know the answer to this. The year had its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t say it wasn’t satisfying. I think I’ll pass on this question!

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Meh. I don’t follow fashion, never have! I wear what I like and what suits me. I don’t spend a lot of money on clothes, and I’m not embarrassed to admit to wearing clothes from K-Mart and The Warehouse. I tend to get bored of certain items of clothing after a while, so it’s better that they weren’t expensive ones!

26. What kept you sane?

Rob. He is my rock, always steady. He’s strong when I am weak, and brave when I am scared. He never ceases to amaze me with his ability to keep such an even keel. So blessed to have him in my life.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Into every life, a little rain must fall. But I must remember to always look for the silver lining. The rainbow. The sunshine that comes after the rain. I need to make the most of every moment. Jump in puddles. Let His love be my blue sky.

Happy New Year, everyone! Wow, I can’t believe it is TWENTY TWELVE already. Not sure if I’ll call it that. Might stick with two-thousand-and-twelve. Either way, I’m excited about what 2012 has in store.

I’m not making any resolutions as such, but I want to keep up with my running and get fitter. I’d also like to lose a few kilos that have crept on since this time last year, thanks to a broken ankle and eating too much food while on holiday!

I’ve also made the decision to simplify my scrapbooking hobby. The details of exactly how I intend to do that are a bit complex, but in a nutshell, I’m cutting out the stuff that isn’t important to me. I know what I need to do and why I need to do it, and I want to get back to the basics. Scrapbooking for myself and for my family, without getting caught up in some of the other “stuff”. I definitely won’t be leaving the Design Team I am on, because I am loving it!

Speaking of scrapbooking, what better way to kick off the New Year than with a brand new scrapbooking challenge? Here is the latest one from Challenge Me Happy.
It’s a scraplift challenge! We want you to scraplift this beautiful layout by Trina McClune:

Here’s my take on the challenge:

Upload your project (created especially for this challenge) before midnight 15 January NZ time (GMT + 13 hours) to be in to win a $15 gift certificate from Freehand Scraps.

Happy Scrapping! And a very happy 2012 to you all.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. We certainly did!

Despite this being my first Christmas with my new DSLR, I took fewer photos this year than any other!

Our celebrations started on Christmas Eve Eve. I finished work early, and we spent time with friends in the afternoon, before having a BBQ with my parents and Rob’s older brother and his family in the evening.

Christmas Eve was spent baking, followed by an afternoon swim (the sea was so warm!) and our family tradition of having fish & chips at the beach for dinner. After that, we had our Christmas Eve service at church, which was a huge success. I sang in the choir again, and Rob & I also sang a duet called “Good Things Come in Small Packages” (meaning baby Jesus, of course).

After church, we drove around looking at Christmas lights, and then came home and took turns reading pages from “The Night Before Christmas”, before leaving milk & cookies for Santa, and a carrot for the reindeer (my boys no longer believe in Santa, but still like to play along).

The boys were awake at a very reasonable 7am on Christmas Day. Rob read the Christmas story from Luke, and then it was time for the presents! With Christmas music playing in the background, of course.

My parents and sister arrived mid-morning, and there were more presents to open.

Buddy got a present, too:

A friend of ours joined us for Christmas lunch, along with her little boy Gabriel:

I didn’t get any photos of the food I made, which I am a bit sad about. Rob declared it to be the “best Christmas dinner EVER!” which made me pretty happy. But I was so busy, and I wasn’t feeling very well on Christmas Day. I had bad stomach cramps from the time I woke up until about 4pm. So to be honest, taking photos just wasn’t on my mind.

The rest of the day was really nice and relaxing. The boys got to try out their new soccer and rugby balls on the school field, we watched The Polar Express while eating ham & salad sandwiches for dinner, and then we played board games.

Boxing Day was another gorgeous summer day, which we spent at Shakespeare Park with friends to celebrate our friend Jo’s 31st birthday. The girls also went out for dinner that night, which was heaps of fun.

The following day, we headed up to Whangarei to spend a few days with Rob’s family. The camera came with me, but didn’t come out of the bag! I was just far too busy having fun with my in-laws, although I do wish I had taken a photo of the boys with my 9 nieces and nephews. There are 4 girls and 7 boys, ranging in age from 5 months to 13 years, and they all get along so well. The boys had so much fun hanging out with their cousins.

We got home again last night, and now I’m just enjoying 5 more days of a whole lot of nothing before I go back to work on January 4th. Rob is on holiday until January 9th, so the boys will be doing some more “Man vs Wild” adventures next week, which I am sure you will hear about in due course!

Only ONE MORE SLEEP! At least for us Down Under.

After watching my friend Mandy’s video about Christmas in New Zealand, I was immediately reminded of this song by the Polkadots. All the junior kids at our school sang it during the end-of-year prizegiving. It really does sum up the “Kiwi Christmas” experience!

When the sun shines on me through the Pohutakawa trees
And the red flowers tell me it’s Christmas
They’re saying it’s time to be at the beach
By the sea with my family
For a Kiwi kids Christmas

Aotearoa Christmas
Under a Pohutakawa tree
Celebrations in the sun
Bringing joy to everyone
It’s an Aotearoa Christmas
Under a Pohutukawa tree

Smell the salt of the sea
Play in waves at the beach
And the summer breeze whispers it’s Christmas
They’re saying it’s time to have fun in the sun
By the sea with my family
For a Kiwi kids Christmas

Aotearoa Christmas
Under a Pohutukawa tree
Celebrations in the sun
Bringing joy to everyone
It’s an Aotearoa Christmas
Under a Pohutakawa tree

For my overseas friends & family …

“Aotearoa” is the Maori (indigenous) name for New Zealand. It loosely translates to “Land of the Long White Cloud”.

The Pohutakawa is a coastal evergreen tree native to New Zealand. It produces bright red flowers at Christmas time, giving it the name “New Zealand’s Christmas Tree”.

Our beach is lined with beautiful pohutakawa trees just like this:

Legend has it that if the pohutakawa flowers early, it will be a long, hot summer. Regardless of the truth in that belief, pretty much everyone in New Zealand takes the appearance of red flowers to mean that summer has arrived!

I know it seems strange to my Northern Hemisphere friends that we celebrate Christmas during summer, but to us, it feels completely normal! It would be just as strange for us to have Christmas during winter. Okay, maybe not just as strange … we have a pretty good idea of what it is like from songs, movies, cards, books, etc!

One day I DO want to have a “White Christmas”. I think it would be awesome! But for now, I am perfectly content to enjoy another Aotearoa Christmas, under a Pohutakawa tree …

Merry Christmas, from my (crazy) family to yours.

There were sheep herders camping in the neighbourhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Saviour has just been born in David’s town, a Saviour who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

“Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please Him.”

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheep herders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheep herders were impressed.

Luke 2:8-18 (The Message translation)