:: my 2 sweet sons ::

I love these photos I took the other afternoon

At 20 months old Kael is turning into a cheeky, music & dancing loving boy who loves a cuddle & a story with his mama. He also loves copying anything & everything his big brother does, even if that includes climbing trees & riding bikes much too big for him. He is a bright spark who is sure of what he wants. He can also pull some very funny faces!

Jamin is a fast growing 3 & 3/4 year old. He has a soft, kind & loving heart and seems to want to outdo himself each day in how many times he can say 'i love you' & pick flowers for his mama. He delights in a family cuddle & loves playing hide & seek from Daddy when he hears him come home in the afternoon. He is the friendliest little boy, making new friends everywhere we go. Who could resist him?

They grow so very fast, don't they?

+ busy day 'off' +

' 2 doggy shopkeepers'

Today I have a very welcome, but unexpected, day off from my precious boys while they go to family day care at Ginger's house. So thankful she had space for them today because I feel like I have a million things to do which would be oh so much more simple to achieve if I just have me to look after & not 2 busy little ones.  

So while I jump into gear I thought this blog post from Simple Kids might interest some of you. It called 'Friends Every Parent Needs' and it certainly got me thinking about who these people are in my life. Over here in America I am sorely missing having close friends, people who know me & I can be myself with. I am so thankful for Merrilee, who I met just after we arrived a year ago & was all of these things to me. Sadly, she moved away to Florida a couple of weeks ago & I am missing her a lot.

Back home I have a handful of these types of friends & I really am missing them too. Friends who know you, love you, & just accept you for who you are & where you are at. But I am glad that I have them, even if they are a very big ocean away. 

Here's to a list ticking, achieving, mind clearing Wednesday to you all!

:: makin a mama's day ::

This Mother's Day has had me thinking about all the mother's out there who I have shared a bit of life with... 

The mothers who mothered me when I was a young child & still care for me now with the wisdom of ones who have walked this season of small children. And the mothers who I have the comfort of walking beside right now. In every single of these women I see one thing clearly - love. I see a love that is all about putting your children before your own needs, about loving them with everything you have then maybe even with a little bit more. 

I am constantly amazed by the way that God created 'mother'. The way he laid this need to care for, nourish, protect & teach into our DNA just so that we could have everything we need to care for our little ones. It's not an easy task but it is one that seems to give back again & again. 

So to all the mothers who walk this little bit of life with me, thankyou for inspiring me & for caring for me. Thankyou for helping me to be the mother to my boys that I dream of being. 

Now for a few photos of my Mother's Day here in Utah. 

It started off with a super sleep in (the highest currency in our house at the moment) while Danny made Eggs Benedict for me. 

The finished product that tasted divine!

Followed by coffee's & baby chinos. Yes, Kael's is all over the floor after he decided to shake his cup.

A calm moment for coffee amidst the chaos.

Danny bought me a new dress & some lovely roses. This only reinforces my current pseudonym from Jamin as Dorothy the Dinosaur.

After a very lazy morning, staying my pyjamas & reading books, we headed out for a late lunch at the Bear Diner down the road.

Very American food but I had a craving for a burger & fries. 

Jamin making a silly face for the camera. 

I had a great day feeling special although it did feel a little odd being so far away from our own Mums this year. Happy Mother's Day Mum & Sue. We love you very much! Promise we will be home for Mother's Day next year ok?

:: a cute spring outfit ::

This morning we decided to take a trip into the city to visit our favourite coffee shop with boys. I felt the need to get out of my 'mum uniform' & dress up to greet the beautiful spring weather. I slipped into the super cute dress my friend Becci talked me into buying on our trip to Melbourne in March, added some boots & a cardi & voila. I am not much of a fashionista but on the days I do like to dress up, I want to get it right. I even attempted to style my hair, thanks to this grand post from 'A Cup of Jo'. I suprised my socks off (not really cause I was already wearing boots :) ) because it actually worked & looked very cute. 

It's amazing (& maybe a little shallow?) how much a great outfit can lift your spirits. Any thoughts to add or maybe a picture of your own Mother's Day dress up fun...

:: character first ::

This post is not a lesson in how messy my house is (note dust above & untidy toy room below). It's actually about a great resource that I finally got around to ordering a couple of weeks ago after about 2 years of good intentions. I found out about Character First through my sister-in-law, Ainsley, and saw the value in it straight away. It is basically a very well planned curriculum/teaching resource that parents can use to teach their kids character traits that we feel are very important to their lives. There is an animal to represent the trait, stories, colouring pages, crafts, songs, definitions, posters & activity cards to help flesh out & create meaningful understanding of what a particular character is.  

I have started with the Obedience trait because it is something that we have been struggling with a lot lately. Although the work book is focused on elementary/grade 1 aged children, there are still a lot of the activities that I can do with Jamin. We have read & acted out a story about a circus elephant that is obedient to his master, made a craft with the 5 keys to Obedience (quickly, completely, go the extra mile, cheerfully & do the right thing) & talked about situations & people to whom Jamin needs to be obedient (those that are responsible for him). This is also great from a stranger danger perspective & who not to be obedient to. 

I also ordered the posters & have put it on the wall in the play room. I overheard Jamin telling Kael about the poster this morning when I was out of the room. Yay! I can really see that he is internalising what it means to be obedient rather than just hearing Danny & I asking him to be obedient. The more these traits become a part of our everyday life & language, the easier it will be for the boys to choose to display them.  

So I am happy to be embarking on some more intentional parenting for my boys. If you would like to look specifically at the page where I ordered the Series 1 & 2 workbooks click here. I have been told that you can order the books in Australia through Growing Families but it is a lot cheaper to get them here in the U.S. so if anybody desperately wants them then let me know. 

:: quieter days ::

This post from Sally Clarkson's blog has spoken right into my heart this week.

Lost in the storms of life

The snow has returned to Salt Lake City today but I am feeling more content & settled in my home & myself. Looking forward to a quieter weekend with some time to refresh & regroup.

:: the reality of me & plants ::

I receive this e-newsletter by Sustainable Baby Steps every month or so & really loved this one on the Types of Houseplants That Clean Indoor Air. It is so interesting!

I am psyched to get some indoor plants, except for one little problem that my husband regularly reminds me of when I talk about buying plants...

I cannot seem to remember to look after them. 

I love them upon our meeting & happily bring them home to meet the family & find just the right spot in our house. I admire them for the next week or so but then the necessities of caring for them are lost & forgotten when I am overwhelmed with feeding & caring for the 3 vocal males in my house. They just aren't loud enough! If only they could tell me when they need a drink like my 3 year old who increases his request in volume & frequency when I don't respond.

So I think that I will just file this little bit of information away for another day & another house - maybe when I am around some family who love put up with this little quirky part of my personality & can show the plants a little bit of love. 

For now I think I will focus on keeping my boys fed & watered & give myself a little pat on the back that they are not only alive but growing bigger everyday. 

:: tough week ::

It's been a very rough week here in our little household. I don't know if its a combination of cold &  snowy weather, Kael's grumpiness (he's sick again) or Jamin's thinking that he is boss of the house, but it has been tough to get through each day. Add to that, feeling very far away from everyone that I would normally call on for help. Yes, did I mention it has been tough?

But, saying that there have been some very bright moments amidst the gloom. The 2 walks to the park we were able to do on warmer days, a final Wednesday morning snowboarding with my love, dinner out with some friends & an awesome night at Roller Derby. We also got to go & see Danny's new bike for the 1st time yesterday & have lots of Skype calls with Aunty Linda, who is working day & night at Easterfest. And I am always thankful for my health.

Yes, there is lots to be thankful for.

The park this morning was all the more exciting because Kael has finally reached the stage of some independent play - hanging onto the swing, going down the slide & climbing up this chain ladder without any help! I couldn't be prouder & more excited that my boys are growing up & beginning to lesson my workload :) Jamin even helped me unpack & repack the dishwasher this morning. Hooray! Light at the end of the tunnel!

Here's to a fresh, bright & sunny new week & the end of a gloomy one. 
May your weekend by full of joy & appreciation for those sweet moments of bliss in the darkness.

:: jetlag survival celebration! ::

We may have dodged the jetlag bullet upon our arrival to Australia but it hit us squarely in the chest when we returned home to the U.S. This week has been so challenging with 5 nights of being awake for hours in the middle of the night. At times I really was at the end of my coping skills but my prayers for peace & patience & love were answered, for which I am very grateful. 

To celebrate our survival of a very tough week we went out to our favourite Indian restaurant for dinner last night. I really love celebrating things within our little family & teaching our boys that life's hardships are not to just be survived but to learn from & be celebrated as a part of our history. Travel is such a big part of our life (Jamin has done close to 30 plane flights in his short 3 years!) & sometimes I still need to remind myself to take the challenging parts of jetlag & culture shock with the wonderful parts of seeing amazing things & meeting new people. 

Everyone got a special drink - Danny a Taj Mahal beer, a red wine for me & delicious mango lassi for the boys to share. 

Kael loves Mango Lassi!

(check our the empty restaurant - we arrived early!)

Definately the best part of the meal for Jamin.

The 'after' photo of a very good Butter Chicken & Naan bread. 

Hooray for us! Now for 6 months of adventures & travelling. 

< community >

I continue to be amazed at the rich friendships & realtionships that I have formed in Toowoomba. I dropped in to visit my old workplace, Young Women's Place, this morning & although I left my position there before Jamin was born, in a lot of ways it was as though I had never left. It was the same feeling when I crashed a Fresh Hope graduation last week. I just feel overwhelmed by the friendship & community that keeps meeting me as I reconnect with people & places around here.

Professionally, I am being reenergised in myself to begin thinking seriously about where & how I would like to practice when we return to Toowoomba. I continue to be greeted by the networks that I have built & the need that is around this area. And it amazes me how all of my previous work is coming together to prepare me for what the next step might be in my work as a counsellor.

My role as a mother is the most important thing that I will do in my life but I also have this desire within me to use the other skills that I have. The skills that I have developed over many years of study and experience. I want to become an integral part of this community again & reach out with what I have.

It will be an interesting journey... and I am feeling just a bit excited!



:: one of those days ::

Today has been one of those days...

You know the ones where you get up on the wrong side of the bed & just cant seem to shake that grumpy feeling all day.

My day started around 5:30am with Kael screaming in the next room. And even though Danny's precious mum got up for the first 15 minutes with him I must have needed more sleep because my attitude wouldn't shift despite some serious selftalk.

Ainz & I had a busy morning mediating between the boys at the farm, leading to a abandonment of afternoon plans when my tired Jamin couldn't control his barracuda jaws from biting his cousin. I survived the afternoon with the help of Danny's parents & just made it to the boys bedtime without making too many parenting mistakes I would regret come morning.

Although blogging was the last thing on my mind I just wanted to make sure that mine wasn't a blog of happy, smiling kids all the time.
We have tough, rough days & I make lots of mistakes with my kids along the way. I think that on these days you just survive & try to make it to the next morning to start all over again.

All the best with your next rough day. Hope you survive as well!

:: a heart garland ::

A few months back I wrote about my struggles with motherhood & having a heavy heart. I was so very overwhelmed with the love & support that so many friends & family took the time to share with me. It is amazing when we take the time to be honest about our personal struggles how many people reach out with their own stories & love. 

I just wanted to share my absolute favourite gift of support & love from my precious family, Brian & Lara & their beautiful girls. They posted me a heart garland that the girls had coloured in & Lara had put together. It now takes pride of place above our bed & reminds me of the love that all of you shared with me in a tough time in my life.

So thankyou to each & everyone of you.

My heart is feeling very full.