Two days to go.

I'm working today and tomorrow and then that is IT. Well for about 10 days anyway.

We had a lovely Christmas. Quiet, but lovely. Ate too much. Of course.

Today I have much to do since I'm away from Thursday through til the following week.

And there is also a New Years party to organise, which we will have at the beach. We do it every year and I never know how many people are going to turn up, and it doesn't matter. Everything is just more laid back and casual when you are at the beach. Nothing much bothers me. Perhaps I should move there permanently!

I have spent four wonderful days at the beach and the effects are showing. I'm calm. Not stressed about the amount of work I need to get done because I know there is a reward! And just a little bit sunburnt. The weather has been perfect so Kym has done lots of fishing. He took Stephanie and Amber (her cousin, born a day apart) fishing and they caught lots. The photos with the big smiles are priceless. I will share when I'm home. Can't seem to upload photos from the work computer for some reason. The kids have worn themselves out skiing, wakeboarding and swimming and are sleeping very well each night.

I'm at work tomorrow so I might bring some photos and give uploading them another go.

Hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas!

Blessings
Sharon.

A Christmas Blessing

We sing this simple blessing as a benediction at church and I just love it. We have some fantastic voices in our congregation and when they go into harmonies it brings tears to the eyes.

May the feet of God walk with you,

and His hand hold you tight.

May the eye of God rest on you,

and His ear hear your cry.

May the smile of God be for you,

and His breath give you life.

May the Child of God grow in you,

and His love bring you home.

Says it all doesn't it.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas filled with love and meaning. May the Lord be before you and behind you, above and below you. May His presence that you celebrate at Christmas stay with you through every day and night of the year.

Thank you to all my blogging friends for sharing your lives throughout the year. Thank you for all the advice, prayers, laughs and tears. I can't wait to see what next year holds.

Blessings,

Sharon.

Finding Christmas Cheer

I'm struggling with finding my Christmas cheer. This is very unusual for me... I adore this time of year and the mere thought of the month of December usually makes me smile. But it would seem not this year for some reason...

It's been a long year, and a tough one, and I'm looking forward to it being over. Also, Christmas will be different for us this year. We have always had lunch with my parents and dinner with Kym's. This year my parents live a long way away, and they have to work so it will be lunch and dinner with Kym's family. We had lunch yesterday with my parents and my brother and his family. It was nice, but it didn't feel right. Sigh. I don't really know what my problem is. I'm feeling a bit stressed out with trying to get work completed before Christmas, and I'm feeling really disorganised with my Christmas shopping which stresses me out. Usually I've finished Christmas shopping in November, and here we are with three days til Christmas and I'm not happy with the shopping I've done, and not really sure what to do about it.

The obvious answer is for me to focus on what's important at this time of year, and be thankful for what I have. So I shall endeavour to do that.

Lord, please help me to remember the true meaning of Christmas and be thankful for the many blessings I have. Help me to focus on the positives and not dwell on what I would like to be different. Please help me to hear your directions and obey.

School's Out!

Today was the last day of school for most South Australians....


And you know what that means! Summer holidays are here! Yay!


We have the added bonus of finishing harvest this week so Kym is also in holiday mode. I'm still working but not having to get up and pack lunches or find missing socks before I go to work almost feels like a holiday...almost!


On Christmas day we will move into the family "shack" at the beach. I only have to work two days between Christmas and New Year, and then after New Year I have a week off. The rest of the time I will travel to work from Port Neill, which can be a bit of a drag, but the view is one worth travelling for.

This is the view from the front door of our shack. The shack itself is nothing flash, but the location couldn't be better. In this photo you can see Kym (on the right) and his brother in law cleaning fish, while his niece and sister watch. The other spectators are waiting for some fish skeletons and are there everytime someone appears to be cleaning fish. This photo was taken a couple of years ago, there are more than 8 regular pelicans now. Beautiful aren't they.

Dear Lord, thank you that we have this opportunity for rest and relaxation with family and friends. This time of year is something we always look forward to, something about the beauty and the power of the sea makes me feel closer to you and I just love to be there. I pray that this year we can enjoy some wonderful moments and become closer as a family and closer to you.

Envy

The green eyed monster is something that I have struggled with a little (ok, a lot) over the past couple of months.

I sit in church every week, sometimes with one child, sometimes with the other, a lot of the time on my own, and never with my husband.

I struggle to control the feeling of envy as I observe all the "whole" families in the pews around me. I so badly want what they have got, it overwhelms me sometimes.

Of course this feeling of envy comes with feelings of inadequacy (what kind of parent/wife am I? Can't get my family to come to church with me, I'm such a failure), anger (if they cared about me they would do this for me, afterall I spend my WHOLE LIFE doing stuff for them), frustration (why hasn't God answered my prayers), impatience (WHEN will God answer my prayers?), and a kind of grief. It just makes me really sad when I think about all they are missing out on.

Lord, I know your ways are not mine, and I can't begin to comprehend the big picture. Please help me to have patience with myself and with my family. Help me to not take my frustrations out on them, and make them the enemy, because we all know who that enemy is. Help me to stay strong and intercede for my family, if there is something I can say then let me say it, but help me to discern when this is and what the right thing to say is.

Mostly Lord I pray for Kym, Stephanie and Scott to come to know you and love you. I pray that they will all give themselves wholeheartedly to you. Please watch over them and guide them and protect them.

The harsh reality of farm life

We have had a sad couple of days...

Yesterday morning Dolly (our pet sheep for those who don't know) gave birth to a healthy lamb. This isn't her first lamb, she has had several over the years. All looked to be progressing smoothly and Kym suspected there would be another on the way, so we left her to it. Dolly has successfuly given birth to and raised two sets of twin lambs so there was no cause for concern.

On checking on her yesterday afternoon Stephanie discovered that Dolly was in trouble. The second lamb had died and was stuck. But Dolly seemed strong and not in too much discomfort.

Being the brave farmers wife that I am I did the only logical thing and called Kym off the header. He came as soon as he could and helped Dolly deliver the dead lamb.

Dolly got up, had a bite to eat and a drink, fed the living lamb (who Stephanie has named Kibbles) and settled down on her bed of hay.

Kym checked on them both late last night and found that Dolly wasn't well. She couldn't get up unassisted, but was still feeding Kibbles and was still drinking and eating. Kym took her to the shearing shed were he shore her, hoping that shedding the excess weight of a full fleece would help her out.

This morning we discovered that Dolly had died.

Stephanie is quite upset, but comforted by the fact that we have a new (and very demanding) lamb to feed.

Normally a sheep in the paddock wouldn't get this much attention lavished upon it. But this was no ordinary sheep. She has been our pet for around 6 years, which is pretty old for a sheep.

So, the life cycle continues....

I've just fed Kibbles his lunch (I'm home to shower and change to go to a funeral, but that's a whole other post) and he is strong and hungry and feeding well. The couple of feeds that Dolly was able to give him have given him a good start.

Here he is...

He is one day old and quite strong so we are hoping that he will be ok. I was taking these photo's one handed while feeding him and couldn't quite get the angle right to show you him wriggling his tail as he suckles. I love the way lambs do that.

Of course he will be no replacement for the rose eating, toilet paper stealing Dolly. But we will remember her fondly as we raise him.

Tree Day!

Today, being the first day of December is tree day for us. Of course we cheated a little and put the tree up yesterday afternoon. Close enough!

I used to let the kids decorate the tree and then when they had gone to bed I would sneak out and rearrange it. I reprimanded myself many times but just couldn't walk past a lopsided tree where the decorations were all on the bottom....I tried to be a good parent but I just couldn't.

Well, the tables have turned. Stephanie is now chief tree decorator. And it had to be done HER way. I got to hand her the decorations. She let Scott put a few decorations up....and then moved them when he wasn't looking! I've created a monster!

And here she is with her tree. We weren't allowed to have tinsel because it's "tacky" and we weren't allowed to have lots of different colours because all gold is so much more "classy". Sigh. The oversized loveheart sunglasses are definately a "classy" touch!

The finished product complete with presents. Of course I got told off because I don't have all matching paper. Honestly, the child has turned into a bossy little perfectionist elf. I've no idea where she got that from!

Here is the tree with the lights on. I love Christmas lights, and Christmas decorations, and Christmas carols, and Christmas food....and just Christmas!

Dear Lord, thank you for this special time of family sharing. I pray that one day my whole family will celebrate Christmas with hearts full of wonder and joy at the miracle of Your birth.

Past Skeletons

While refueling my car yesterday I bumped into someone I never thought I'd see again. And to be honest I was happy with that scenario.

This person is the father of one of my school friends. She and I spent many happy weekends together in our teen years. Trish loved to come to our place, at the time I didn't see the attraction (other than me of course!) but I was to find out why she loved our home and family so much in later years.

Trish had a very strict family. They belonged to a religious sect and didn't approve of me on any level. They didn't have TV, weren't allowed to cut their hair and seemed (to me) to have a church meeting every five minutes.

It wasn't until we left school that I found out that Trish was being sexually abused by her father. She finally told her mother, who shunned her. The result was her parents rejecting her completely as well as her church, who took her fathers side. To cut a long story short, Trish ended up addicted to speed, anorexic, and having her children taken from her. She is doing well now, has her kids back, studying to be a nurse, but still has a deep mistrust of men. Her brother and sisters have been a wonderful support, as they also suffered the abuse and although it's taken many years for them to deal with it, they are all grateful to Trish for being the brave one who finally spoke out (she is the youngest).

I wasn't prepared for my reaction when I saw her father yesterday. I've not seen him since Trish has shared with me the horror of her childhood (no wonder she loved to come to our house!). I didn't recognise him at first, but when I did I felt ill. Then angry. Of course I smiled politely and said hello at the time, but in the car on the way home I felt such an intense hatred for this man that I surprised myself. He has completely gotten away with this abuse, as his children haven't officially reported it. And he looked so serene and smug. I've never felt the kind of animosity toward another human being that I felt yesterday. I wasn't aware that I was capable of it.

I have tried reminding myself that this man is a child of God, just like me. And that I have a pretty dark past myself and am certainly in no position to judge.

But I'm still very angry, and resentful, and ... I don't know... indignant. When I think back to the time when the abuse was happening I remember feeling in awe of Trish's parents. And so very disapproved of, and judged. I wanted them to like me, wanted them to approve of me, and all the time they were strutting about the community self righteously they were hurting the very people they should have been protecting. And then when Trish asked for help her mother didn't believe her and even worse, blamed her.

Dear Lord, please help me to deal with these feelings of resentment and anger. Thank you that Trish has managed to stabilise her life and get herself back on track. I pray that she will turn towards you again some day for support and guidance.

I want my baby back!

My baby boy turned thirteen this year.

His voice is breaking, he is growing at an alarming rate, but up until a few weeks ago he was still a lovable, amicable, easy going boy.

Then along came a thief called puberty and stole him. Overnight he turned into a back answering, obstinate, rude, smelly and obnoxious little beast. And to make things worse, he's bigger than me. And did I mention smelly?

I still see glimpses of the sweet boy I fondly remember. Those glimpses are what is keeping him alive.

Sigh. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with this new Scott. At the moment I'm just losing my temper with monotonous regularity....which achieves nothing of course.

I think I'll just hide at my computer and pray that this phase will soon be over....someone reassure me...please?

Sometimes life gets in the way...

It's been a busy couple of weeks at our place, and it doesn't look like it's going to ease up anytime soon.

Harvest is well under way. We are about two thirds through and so far things are going along ok. We are about two thirds the way through and so far no breakdowns. Which is a blessing. Also the wheat is yielding better than we expected so that is another reason to be thankful.

Steph had her first singing lesson last weekend. Lets just say thats not an experience we will be repeating.

School is winding up for both kids. Steph is trying to get assignments finished on time and handed in for assesment. Scott is revising and getting ready for high school. Scott's little school will close down at the end of this year. It's sad but inevitable. Their enrolements fall below ten next year and thats just not viable.

So thats just a quick snapshot of the madness that surrounds me at the moment. I promise that I will soon make a more eloquent attempt!

Warm Fuzzies

Scott and Kym have just played their last game of squash for the Spring pennant. Next week is the grand final and their team was beaten so didn't make it through.

But that's not what has given me the warm fuzzies.

After everyone had played their games I sat back watched Scott challenge his Dad to a match. Scott had no hope of course. But it did my heart glad to watch them. Watching the way that Kym gently directed him and let him win points to boost his confidence. Then he would tell him something he was doing wrong and illustate his point. All without putting him down, or making him feel inferior. And the times that they both just turned around and smiled at me made me smile.

Kym is a gifted sportsman. He could have taken his talent a long way if he had the killer instinct, which he doesn't. There is no arrogance about him when it comes to his natural abilities. He is modest and unassuming and the first to congratulate his competitors on a game well played. This makes him a patient and sensitve teacher.

Scott doesn't have the level of natural ability that his father does. He does however have that competitive spirit. I'm hoping that Kyms good sportsmanship and modesty will rub off on him at some stage!

Lord, thank you for showing me and reminding me that I married a wonderful, kind and patient man. Help me to remember that when I'm feeling hurt or let down. Help me to not focus on the negatives and be the best wife I can be, because he deserves no less.

A long but rewarding day..

I got home at 7pm this evening from what turned out to be a very long day!

I started out leaving home at 7am to go pick up a friend of mine and a friend of Steph's to take them with us to Port Lincoln for the day.

Steph was singing at 10am in Port Lincoln in the first round of a Search for a Singer competition. We had no idea how many performers would be there, what time Steph would sing, or how long the process was going to take. The answers to those questions was 35, around 11.30am and a very long time!

Steph sang in the second block of singers. She didn't sing at her best, forgot her words but covered it up quickly enough so others didn't notice, and during the second chorus she went a bit flat...but that's her critical mother speaking.

The judges obviously thought she did ok because she was selected along with 9 other singers to appear in the semi final concert in January. This will also be held in Port Lincoln at a major festival for our state, the Tunarama Festival. There will be more people there than Steph has ever sung in front of but at this stage she doesn't seem to be too bothered about that.

If she wins the grand final then she gets flown to Adelaide to perform in a showcase to industry representatives sometime next year....but realisitically she isn't up to that level yet. She is just thrilled to bits to be put through this round and into the semi finals. I'm really happy for her, and proud of her, it's such a boost to her confidence and self esteem. Just what the doctor ordered.

Oh, and guess who forgot the camera...again! Is there no hope for me????

Lord, thankyou for the lovely day out we had with friends today. Thank you for watching over Stephanie as she sang and for giving her the gift of her lovely voice. I pray that one day she will use it for your glory.

Dental dramas part 3

And so it continues.....

Yesterday I went to the dentist for my second visit to complete a root canal. This is the part where they file out the nerve (sounds enticing doesn't it) and fill the root with cement.

Well. That's what is supposed to happen. Apparently I have an extra root on this tooth. Of course. And this tooth is right at the back of my mouth so difficult to get to.

After sitting in the chair for 1 hour and 16 minutes (give or take a few seconds) we had two roots filed out, with three to go. Apparently number 5 (5? Who has 5 roots? You don't see that in the pictures do you? Noooo.) is extremely uncooperative. Nothing is ever simple or straightforward when it comes to my teeth.

At about the 45 minute mark I really started to pray. Nothing coherant really. Just please make it stop. I wasn't really in pain, but the sides of my mouth were really sore from having to open my mouth so wide for so long and just watching him play with those long sharp files in front of me was freaking me out. There is just something really distressing about long sharp pointy things. I was holding myself so tense I came out of it with a stiff neck and a head ache.

So...where to from here? At least two more appointments. I kid you not. A root canal is supposed to take three appointments, but no. Sharon has to stretch it over four just so we can sort out that extra root. Extra root. You've got to be kidding. Who does that!

On the 29th of November I see the oral surgeon to find out what will be done about that wisdom tooth that I'm not supposed to have. Honestly. What is going on in my mouth. Extra roots, wisdom teeth appearing out the side of my gum that I paid hundreds of dollars to have removed when I was 21. What is the meaning of this outrage!

In other dental news....Scott had his plate removed from the roof of his mouth yesterday after six months. The orthodontist was pleased with the progress made and Scott's cross bite is now corrected. There was quite a bit of tugging and pulling involved in getting the plate out and Scott has pretty sore gums today. So it's back to mushy food for him for a few days. At least now he just has braces to contend with and not that bothersome plate. He can say "s" again!

Christmas thoughts

Our service this week touched on Christmas, and our capital city celebrated the begining of the festive season with the annual Christmas pagaent on Saturday morning.

I love Christmas. I've never grown out of the wonder of it all. I love carols. I love wrapping presents and decorating trees, and most of all I love to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour.

While sitting in church this week listening to the children's talk I felt a real yearning for what I really want for Christmas this year. I want to sit in that very church on Christmas morning with my husband and children. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes, it brings such an intense feeling of longing, almost like I'm grieving. I really don't understand why it makes me so emotional. And I really don't hold out much hope of it happening. But that doesn't stop me from dreaming.

This Christmas will be a bit different for us. For the first time in many years we will wake on Christmas morning in our own home. My parents have moved a long way away and work in a mining community and this year they don't get time off for Christmas. We will celebrate with them a week early when they come visit. Usually we spend Christmas eve with them and Christmas morning at their house and then go to Kym's family. This year will start at home, and then go to Kym's family for lunch. This means we will drive right past our church on Christmas day. Maybe that's why it's playing on my mind. We aren't normally anywhere near home on Christmas morning.

For some reason I have a feeling that this Christmas has special significance for our family. I can't put my finger on it, something just feels different.

Lord, thank you for seeking me and drawing me close to you. I pray that I can remember the true reason for Christmas and not let my own desires get in the way of my praise and thanksgiving for all that You have done for me. I pray that I can live in you completely, and that I can learn to hand everything over to you. Help me to reliquish control and just give my life to you completely.

Home Again

We made it home safely.

I planned to do a post and show you some great action shots of Scott playing tennis....but somebody forgot the camera (that would be me in case you are wondering!)

At least we got a team photo and individual photo taken by a professional photographer, so he has that as a momento. And of course he has the team shirt and jumper that he gets to keep.

I'm suffering from a bit of a mushy brain at the moment. I had great plans of getting loads of housework done and having a productive day but I'm afraid that hasn't eventuated.

Stephanie is singing in a contest on Saturday, she's known about it for about a month but with the strawberry fete and Scott's tennis we all kind of forgot about it. Until today. Today I have spent almost the entire day searching the internet for either the sheet music or a backing track for the song she wants to sing. It's a lovely song called "The Show" by an Australian singer, Lenka. The song is in our top forty at the moment and usually that means it's pretty easy to find the music. But no. I think I'm going to have to admit defeat and Steph is going to have to come up with something else. She only has a week to practice so she'd better make that decision quickly.

I'm afraid there isn't really any point to my incoherant ramblings today. Just letting everyone know that I'm back. And I'm tired. And maybe just a little bit grumpy.

Think I might make myself a cuppa and go find a book to read.....after I've caught up on everyone's blogs of course. Need to see what I've missed!

Just Checking In

Hi everyone.

I'm still in Adelaide at the moment but I'm taking a moment to borrow my Aunt's computer to check in and say hi.

I'm completely over being in Adelaide. I'm just not cut out for being in the city I'm afraid. A week is just a little too long.

We've had some very long days at the tennis and Scott is pretty tired and grumpy, but he is enjoying the experience. He has even managed a couple of wins which is a great achievement at a competition of this level.

Well, we are off to go ten pin bowling now. Sigh. Not really in the mood to go out but Scott absolutely loves ten pin bowling.

Will post photos and tell you how Scott went when I get home!

Random Question

Edie's random question this week is "Why did you seek Him?"

That's a really good question.

I can't be sure that I did seek Him.

I wasn't brought up in a Christian home, but used to go to Sunday school as a kid because the church was just across the road and some of my friends went. I loved Sunday school, I loved school, so found Sunday school even more fun. No math! And lots of colouring and making!

One day I found myself in church for the service (Sunday school was before church then, not like now where it happens during the service). I'd never been to a church service before. I was handed a hymn book and I discovered another love. I loved to sing. I found the hymns easy to pick up and I just loved it.

Then I became a teenager. Enough said!

When I was 15 I met my husband Kym. He came from a Christian family. He played football for the same club as me, went to the same school, but he was from Verran. We viewed those from Verran as "a bit straight". My Dad called them Bible Bashing Wowsers. The thing that I found extremely attractive about Kym was that he was rebelling. He drank. He smoked. He had turned 18 and told his parents that he was never, ever, setting foot in a church again.

After dating for a while I got to know these "Verran Wowsers" pretty well. I found them to be caring, accepting and kind. They weren't straight at all. We had heaps of fun doing pretty normal teenage things, just didn't take it to the extreme. Before I knew it I had joined a Christian singing group and I was singing again and loving it. We performed at churches and concerts all over the state, and Kym was there, even when we sang in a church! It was a great time of friendship and fellowship but I didn't give myself over to the Lord. To be honest I didn't really believe it.

Time passed and Kym and I became engaged, and then married. I was still a member of the singing group, and still enjoyed the friendship that it brought. I had a nagging feeling though, that if they really new me then they would reject me. I drank more than they did. I had sex before marriage, and I know they didn't. I was part of a good group, but I wasn't really a good girl.

It wasn't for many years, after a close call with my marriage that I actively sought the Lord. Kym was struggling with his health, and I was starting to wonder what I'd missed by marrying so young, and marrying my first love. I started making bad decisions, neglecting my marriage and my children to stay out and socialise with my workmates.

Through all this I had one friend who believed in me. She listened. She didn't judge, and through her I started to seek a relationship with my Lord. I'm still in my infancy. I think I always will be. I wander, I stray, but someone or something always brings me back. I'm a pretty frustrating sheep I imagine.

After all this rambling I'm not sure if I've answered Edie's question. I really feel that the it was the Lord seeking me. He had to kick me a few times but eventually He got my attention. And He still has to kick me, pretty often, because I'm forever wandering off course.

Fields of Gold

The colours at this time of year are wonderful. I love the sight of golden fields of wheat or barley against clear blue skies. God is one amazing decorator.

This picture above is our barley, ripe and ready to be harvested. It's such a beautiful colour. I walked out past this crop last night and I love the sight of the gold, the smell of the barley and the sound of the wind moving through it.

I just took this photo because I liked it. Looking through the old wagon wheel at another of our paddocks. This one was oats before it was cut down and baled into hay.

And I've saved the best til last. I just love the colours. This paddock is one of our better ones. Kym started harvest early this week and while the yield isn't too bad, the quality isn't so good. And the poorer the quality, the less you get paid. But whether it's good quality or not, you have to agree it is pretty.

Tennis

Scott went to Kimba today, another town on Eyre Peninsula, not far from here.

Kimba is where the try outs were held for tennis. Those selected go to Adelaide in two weeks time, representing their schools. Our schools are part of Central Eyre, so Scott was competing against boys from Kimba, Cleve, Wharminda, Lock, Cowell and some others that I can't remember. Lots of kids anyway.

Scott rang me very excitedly this afternoon to tell me that he has been selected. I was excited for him initially until the reality set in. I have to take a week off work to take him to Adelaide for a week long tennis tournament. In just over a week. Not much notice hey. Sigh.

Don't get me wrong. I'm really happy for him. This will give his confidence a huge boost, and I'm proud of him. But a week in Adelaide in November watching hundreds of kids play tennis isn't really my idea of a great time! It would be fabulous if I had lots of money to spend, but I don't. So...I guess I need to stop sulking, sort out the logistics and be happy for him. Because being selected in a representative side is a big deal, and he's done really well.

Unwelcome Guest

It's almost summer.

One sure sign that summer is just around the corner (apart from obvious things like the calendar and the weather!) are visitors like this one.

This is just a brown snake. Not a notorious King Brown. They are about twice as long and fat and deadly. But still. Even a common brown snake sends a shiver up my spine.

A common brown snake can still put you in hospital, just not likely to kill you. Which is comforting. Not.

This one didn't survive it's visit to our garden. We don't kill snakes on the road, or out in the paddock, but when they are knocking on your back door, well, that's just not on!

Step Away From The Vehicle!

Stephanie has purchased a car.

Not sure how I feel about that. Hmmm. I'm proud of her for saving for something she wants, and for working hard for it. I'm terrified of watching her drive away without me in the passenger seat. She has 6 months before she will be allowed to drive alone so I guess I can get used to that idea over time. Perhaps.

Anyway, enough of my paranoia. Here are some photos of the car which I have just had the pleasure of driving home. It drives really well on the open road but being used to a four wheel drive meant that in this little number I felt VERY close to the ground! And that made me feel like I was driving REALLY fast (which Stephanie reminded me repeatedly I wasn't, I was in fact going REALLY slow....I was not!)

So here he is. And yes it's a "he". His name is Chad, after Chad Michael Murray. For those who don't know Chad Michael Murray is one of the stars on the TV show One Tree Hill, and he's HOT! Actually, I have to admit, he's not too shabby! Anyway, this Chad is a 1999 Hyundai (which Stephanie calls High Undies) Excel. It has done 140,000 kilometres, has a CD player, spoiler, great big speakers in the back and an Ipod dock. All very important things to Stephanie.

Chad was her second choice. Her first choice was a little Suzuki something - or - other which had done 100,000 kilometres more, was ten years older and the air conditioning didn't work. But it had PINK pin stripes! Kym was astounded that she was prepared to buy a car solely because it looked "soooooo cute!". He has a lot to learn! He flatly refused to let her buy it and managed to stop her pouting by telling her that she was too important to him to put into a car that looked decidedly dodgy...even if it had a pink pin stripe and was sooooo cute!

This is Stephanie's car deoderiser. It smells like bubblegum, and it's pink, so of course she HAD to have it. She then proceeded to list everything she needs to "pimp her ride" (her words, not mine!). She wants hot pink seat covers (of course), pink steering wheel cover, mag wheels, and did you know that you can get a pink sparkly gear knob? There are so many sparkly pink car accessories, I never thought I would see my daughter getting so excited about being in a car accessory shop.

Of course, having just bought a car her funds were somewhat limited so she settled for her car deoderiser and this little sign below to hang in her back window.

Hmmmm. I'm a bit dubious about the accuracy of this sign! But of course, it's PINK so she had to have it. She would have preferred "Driven by a Princess" but that sign wasn't pink, so of course it just wouldn't do!

So think of me driving to work and back in the passenger seat of this little car with all the pink things dangling from it! Pray for our safety, my patience and my sanity!

On the road again...

We are off again for the weekend tomorrow. At a RIDICULOUS hour of the morning I might add. How plans change!

When Kym and I were invited to my cousin's wedding in Adelaide we thought "great, a chance for a nice weekend away together, maybe see a movie, go out to dinner, spot of shopping". So I booked nice acommodation (with a spa ;)) and we planned to wander over to Adelaide taking our time on Friday in time to be able to relax and enjoy each others company before the wedding on Saturday.

Then we received a bit of an unexpected windfall, and Kym thought maybe we should leave early in the morning as now we have enough money saved to buy ourselves a camper trailer. We are avid campers and have been erecting a tent for a very long time while our friends just flip out their camper trailer. Ok. No problem, just means we don't get to have that sleep in on Friday morning.

Then Princess Stephanie suggests that maybe we could take her with us, since she too has enough money saved to buy herself a small car. She pointed out that it would be a good opportunity to look at lots of cars as we don't go to Adelaide very often, and she wants to buy her car as soon as possible (before she is tempted to spend her savings!).

So. This means to look at both camper trailers AND small cars we would need at least the entire day in Adelaide on Friday. Considering it's a 5 and a half hour drive that means leaving at around 4am. Did you get that 4AM!

We thought about leaving tonight and staying about half way, but really, that's just $150 on accommodation that we don't need to spend. So 4am it is.

Instead of a leisurely day spent shopping and eating in nice cafes we are looking at car yards and caravan places. Sigh.

And instead of nice quiet romantic evenings, we have a teenager with us.

You know what they say about the best laid plans!

Make Hay While the Sun Shines

Its hay season here in South Australia. These hay bales aren't ours, but they are the same kind. Ours aren't baled yet, they are still laying in the paddocks in rows of straw, waiting to be baled.

We rake these rows to dry them out and to keep them from being spoiled by moisture. Hay needs to be baled when it's dry, which is where that term came from. Make hay while the sun shines.

To me that phrase means take your opportunities when they arise. I've got another excerpt from the wonderful little book that Joanie sent me, that talks about this very thing.

No one wants to be shipwrecked.

But the reality is, it happens,

not only on the open sea,

but also in life.

The secret of victory at sea is what

we do ahead of time in calmer waters.

If your life is storm free, take advantage

of the peaceful lull.

Spend time in God's word.

Deepen your walk with Him through

prayer and personal worship.

Then, when the inevitable winds of adversity

begin to blow you'll be ready to respond in faith,

rather than fear.

In other words....make hay while the sun shines!

No Laughing!

We have a new scanner at work so I've been having a bit of a play with it. This morning I've brought in my wedding photos to scan so that I can save them digitally in case something happens to my album.

I thought maybe you would like to take a peek...but remember it was 1990 and we all had perms like that! And taffeta was in! So no laughing! LOL! Just kidding, you can laugh, I know I did!

This photo was taken in what is now our garden, but at the time it was Kym's parents home. The bridge we are standing on was made by Kym at tech in school. And it's still there!

Here are Kym and I walking back down the isle after the ceremony, looking pretty pleased with ourselves! We were married in the same church that I still attend and worship lead. Kym was baptised and confirmed in this church, and he was the third generation of his family to be married there.

Here I am in all my tafetta permed glory in that beautiful garden that I'm afraid isn't quite so beautiful anymore. Kym's mum is an amazing gardener, I don't share her talent!

The wedding party in that garden again. Looking at it is making me feel guilty! The groomsman standing next to me is my older brother, second from the right is Kym's sister Michelle and she is partnered by his brother Brad.

Eighteen years has flown by! I can remember every detail of that day like it was yesterday.

Lord, thank you for blessing me with a wonderful husband and father to my children. Thank you for blessing and protecting our marriage. I pray that we can continue to grow together and grow in You.

Silent Treatment

As you may be aware our family went away for the long weekend last week. When we arrived home we were greeted enthusiastically by our dogs Max and Shelley with lots of barking and tail wagging.


We were also greeted happily by our cats, almost. We have three cats. Jess is the oldest, she is sweet, chubby and affectionate. The second is Jack, he is Jess's son and three times bigger than her. He is your typical farm cat. Big, strong and very affectionate like his Mum.

Then there is the other one. He is my baby. He is a Russian Blue named Boris. I have wanted a Russian Blue for as long as I can remember so when I finally got him I spoiled him shamelessly. He sleeps under the covers in bed between us, only eats the best cat food and basically gets whatever he wants.


Boris is never amused when we dare to go away and leave him. Kym's parents come and feed him, but he does not like having to sleep outside with the "peasants"

For about four hours after I arrived home on Monday, this is what I was greeted with....

Complete silent treatment. If I spoke to him he simply turned around and sat down, always facing his back to me.

It lasted til bed time when he managed to swallow his pride and take his rightful place on my pillow.

He is arrogant, spoiled, and has an attitude that sometimes rivals my teenage daughter...but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Family Weekend

This weekend was a long weekend for most states of Australia. We travelled about 300km to go to Kym's Aunt Lorraine's wedding. Lorraine has for a long time been Kym's favourite Aunt, she is only 5 years older than him so they grew up together in a way. Lorraine lives in a beautiful part of the state in a little town called Laura. It was a lovely, casual wedding held in her back yard with a small reception to follow. It was a great opportunity to catch up with family members we hadn't seen in a long time, some hadn't even met our children so it was a family gathering long overdue.

Above is a photo of the four of us...Scott isn't really that tall! He's standing on the tree trunk behind us. Here is a photo of Lorraine and Martin taking their wedding vows. It was a really lovely ceremony which included a short, uplifting and meaningful sermon.
Here is Stephanie with her "little" brother. He's still taller than her even though she is wearing heels!
And here are Kym and I enjoying our meal at the reception. The reception was also held in Lorraine's back yard in an old wooden shed which they had renovated and decorated beautifully.

Here is a photo of the road home which includes one of those beautiful big gum trees I told you about!

I forgot to mention that if you look reeeeaaally closely at the photo of the tree you can see Scott standing at the base. The fact that he's wearing a black shirt isn't very helpful in this instance but you can see him! Gives you an idea of how big the tree is.

Lord, thankyou so much for such a blessed weekend. We really enjoyed our time with just the family. Thank you for our safe travel there and home again and thank you for the precious time we got to spend together with our immediate and extended family.

Dolly

Dolly is our pet sheep. It's obvious that Dolly is a sheep. The dogs know it, the other sheep know it, we know it. The only one who doesn't think Dolly is a sheep is Dolly. I'm not sure what she thinks she is, but it's certainly not a sheep.

Dolly was a twin lamb who's mother abandoned her so she came to live with us. We bottle fed her and she had her own special little pen just outside our house yard. The kids gave her fresh hay to sleep on and visited her after school with fresh grass. It wasn't long before she became too big for her pen so we let her wander about the yard.

This is when Dolly really started to make a nuisence of herself. We have an outdoor toilet (I know! Don't get me started on that!) and if anyone leaves the door open then Dolly is in there like a shot. She doesn't drink the water, or go in there for shelter, she's after the toilet paper. And she doesn't just have a nibble. She gets hold of the end and trails the paper all over the garden until the paper runs out. We thought this was really funny and cute, until she started doing it every single time someone left the door open. After several rolls of toilet paper it was decided that it was time for Dolly to spend some time with her own kind.

She disagreed.

She managed to get out of the paddock and back to our toilet again and again and again.

She wouldn't mix with the other sheep. If they came near her she would walk to the other side of the paddock.

So we've come to a compromise. She has a small paddock, near the house, with no other sheep in it. The kids still visit her with fresh grass, she still has a bed of hay to sleep on.

She is in the paddock next to the rams, and for the past three years has fallen pregnant at exactly the same time of year, so I'm figuring knows what they are for! She had twins last year, and did a great job of looking after them, and this year she is very big again so Kym thinks maybe she is having twins again.

I've written a children's book about Dolly but haven't gone any further with it than that. I'd love to get Stephanie to illustrate it for me and self publish it, but have no clue how to go about that. I will get around to it one day...

Nothing to Say

What do you say when you have nothing to say?

I guess smart people would say nothing.....nah, no one ever accused me of being smart!

Maybe I will tell you about my weekend plans.

This weekend is a long weekend here in South Australia. We are off to a wedding in Laura, which is part of the Clare Valley wine region and at the southern end of the Flinders Ranges.

Above is a photo taken from the "lookout" at Laura, it is looking toward the ocean which you can't quite see but I thought the colours were pretty. The sheep that you can just barely see in the foreground are merino's, which is the same as the sheep we have on our farm. Beautiful wool growing sheep.

We have visited this area often as it's a nice detour on the way to Adelaide, much more scenic than taking the highway all the time. Kym's Aunt lives there (she's the one getting married) and it's an absolutely beautiful part of our state.

This is a photo of typical bushland in the southern Flinders Ranges. The area around Laura is mostly dryland farming, much the same as us here on Eyre Peninsula. The major difference being they have a more reliable rainfall. You don't have to travel far to the east to find the Clare and Barossa valley wine regions or to the beautiful Flinders Ranges in the north.

In case anyone is wondering, that grassy stuff in the foreground is called spinefex which should give you an idea how it feels! I'ts really spikey! When walking through the bush in this area you often find huge areas of spinifex grass completely flattened to make a bed for a herd of kangaroos. Can't imagine a worse place to sleep myself!

I'm looking forward to getting away for a few days, and maybe enjoying a spot of bushwalking. There are giant gum trees in this area and I find it so serene and relaxing to walk amounst them.

Control Issues

I'm sure all who read this blog already know, but it's somewhat a revelation to me that I have control issues.

I've found that when I get "down" and start to feel hopeless it's because I'm feeling like I have no control over the situation.

I like to be in control.

I think I might be a control freak. Ssshhhh. Don't tell my family, do you think they know?

I get offended when Kym comes into the kitchen and tells me I'm burning the potatoes, or turns the heat down because he thinks I'm cooking something too fast. I hate that. What I really hate about it is that he's generally right. Does this mean we are both control freaks?

Do you think that my slightly obssesive desire to get my family in a church pew next to me is also a control thing? Sometimes I wonder at my motives. Do I want them there to save their souls or do I want them there for me? So I can feel that I have it all together, that I have my family where they are supposed to be.

I had a chat to Steph's counselor this week, and we discussed her fear of doing things on her own. She doesn't like to go to a doctor without me, doesn't like to shop without me, won't make her own hair appointments...basically she seems incapable of doing a lot of things that an almost 16 year old should be doing. Have I created this? Have I done too much for her?

This week I've come to a decision about work. When my boss arrives home from holidays next week I'm going to ask for a payrise. It's all very well to bang on about being undervalued but at some stage you have to do something about it. The feeling of taking control and doing something makes me feel better already, and I don't even know if I will get the payrise or not.

The biggest hurdle I had in the past with regard to my faith was accepting forgiveness. I have done some things that I couldn't forgive myself for, and therefore just couldn't understand how the Lord could forgive me. Thankfully I seem to be managing to get over that one. But now I have realised that I have a new hurdle. I need to let go. But how to you actually do that? I can say it, I can pray about it, but I still want to control it.

Lord, please help me give my life fully over to you, and let you take the reigns. Im sure I must be getting in the way, so please help me step aside. I lift my whole family up to you Lord, and leave them in your care and trust that you will lead them to where they need to be. Help me to remember that you are able, and that nothing is impossible for you.

What is the meaning of this outrage!!!

This is close to the scene I was greeted with this morning on arrival at work. Although none of us are that old or wrinkly!

It's not our coffee machine that's broken, we don't have one of those, it's the fridge! No milk! Which means (for me) no COFFEE!!!!

I'm not hyperventilating....deep breaths....it will be ok....hands are shaking.

Luckily for me I have sitting on my desk this wonderful travel mug from Joanie. It came in the same package as the book that she sent, which game me such comfort and revelation yesterday.

So, off I trotted to the cafe and had a lovely cappaccino made in my special cup which I was able to bring back to my desk and savour all morning.....

Thankyou Joanie! You are a life saver! That's twice this week!

In Answer to my own Question

Here is a photo of Scott sitting out on our deck this afternoon in my favourite chair. This chair is suspended from the roof and it's soooo comfy! I just love it.

This afternoon I was sitting in my favourtie chair, reading "Encouragement for Life" by Charles R. Swindoll. I received this book in the mail this week from Joanie who knew exactly what I needed to be reading at the moment.

Isn't it amazing that yesterday I was asking WHY, and wondering how I was supposed to cope and continue to remain strong in my faith in the face of what I perceived to be unjust circumstances. Basically hosting my own little pity party.

And then today I pick up this book. I've not finished it yet, but I just read this page that answered all my questions, and I had to come share.

We must each admit: "I don't understand why - and I may never on this earth learn why" We must then try out best by the power of God, not to let that affect our faith. In fact, we should ask God to use that lack of knowledge to deepen our faith.

We must each admit: "I cannot bring about a change." We may have tried. We may have done everything we know how to do - but we can't change this situation. It is time to admit "I have no power to change it ... Lord, God, You know what is best for Your child. I wait. This is what You have given me under the sun. I will walk in it." And that explains how the Christian can have joy in the midst of wild and crazy, mysterious and strained circumstances.

I love that "This is what You have given me under the sun. I will walk in it." I feel like it was written just for me to read at just this moment. In other words Sharon "quit your complaining, accept that the Lord has your best interests at heart and rejoice in that knowledge"

So. Now I'm heading back out to my deck, with my book, and my cuppa to sit in my favourite chair in the sun on this beautifuly sunny spring day.

I am so blessed.

It's Just Not Cricket

For those of you who don't understand Australian slang, "it's just not cricket" is something we say when things aren't going our way, when it's just not fair, too hard. I've no idea what cricket has to do with those sentiments but there you have it.

Today, in the first month of spring, it is 37 degrees celsuis. Or 98.6 for you Americans! However you say it it's plain ridiculous. We expect that kind of temperature in January, or February, cetainly not September.

Add to that the hot north wind that has come along with the sunshine and we have crops in trouble. Again. For the fourth year in a row. Sigh.

Kym has just come in and he's not a happy camper. To put it quite mildly. It's completely heartbreaking when you see all your hard work and investment just dying in front of your eyes, and there isn't a thing you can do.

On a positive note, not all our crops are dying. Some was put in quite early when we took a risk earlier in the year and started sowing before it rained. Those paddocks have had a chance to flower and begin ripening, so this weather will just ripen them faster. And, on my trip to Whyalla yesterday I saw many paddocks of dead and dying wheat, in much worse shape than ours. We will be ok, we will get a crop, and although it will be a much lower yield than we hoped for, there are some who won't even bother to harvest.

This doesn't mean the end of farming for us (well, I don't think so anyway), it just means another year of struggling, tightening our belts, making adjustments to our lifestyle and hoping and praying for a better year next year.

It's about this time that I ask myself "why?" Why are we doing this to ourselves? Why does it have to be so hard? And a lot of other "why's" that I don't want to admit to myself that I'm asking.

Lord, I pray for some milder weather. I know that you are doing what is best for us, please help me to understand and be grateful for the blessings you have given me.

Gratitude

I went over to my friend Joanie's blog today to leave her a little message of thanks for a lovely parcel I received in the mail from her today.

I got quite a surprise.

I'm sure I've visited Joanie's blog since she has posted her prayer request for us but never really stopped and read and noticed til today.

I'm a bit speechless (which isn't like me at all) and overwhelmed. It blows my mind to know that someone on the other side of the world cares enough to pray for me in this way. Joanie has never met me, or my family, and yet she prays faithfully and unceasingly.

Of course it's no surprise that the Lord would use the internet, and blogging to bring his children closer to him and to each other. Since I began blogging I've been constantly delighted and surprised at the wonderful, kind, and supportive women I have met.

So, thank you each and every one of you for your encouragement, support, prayers and wisdom. I have grown so much in my faith since joining the blogworld and it's because I've met wonderful people like you.

Highs and Lows

It's been a weird couple of days.

Firstly Steph had a panic attack about going off to another town to do work experience. I hardly slept on Sunday night worrying about her and trying to come up with ways to make it easier for her. In the end I decided that I can't keep rescuing her (no matter how much I want to) and assured her she could do it, she would be fine. Well, she was fine. Her work experience week has so far exceded any expectations or hopes I may have had. She is callling me at night full of news and things she has learned, and there is joy in her voice. Such an amazing answer to prayer.

That has been my highlight of the week.

Now for the downside. I am really struggling at work. I'm forgetting things that I don't normally forget, making mistakes that I don't normally make. My brain just seems to be foggy. Thats the best way I can explain it. There is also the pressure of having 5 bosses, who are all related to each other (family business) and who all think that the demand they have made on me is the only thing I have to do at that time. I have one boss telling me to not pass on information to another (because he tends to over react and gets things out of proportion), one boss only giving me half an explanation and then getting angry when I misunderstand him, and one who is just so stressed it's really hard being in the same building as him. They all expect me to be able to cope with anything they throw at me, and cope immediately. And I can understand this, because in the past I have coped. But at the moment it's all just beyond me, and I have no clue why.

I'm worried about the farm, but that's nothing new, I'm worried about Steph, which is also normal, I'm worried about finances, probably a bit more than normal but still, nothing I haven't been able to handle in the past. I'm just feeling a bit like the wheels are about to fall off.

Lord, please help me at work. I'm feeling under more pressure than usual and not feeling able to cope with it. Please give me the tools to be able to meet the expectations of my bosses, or if this is no longer the place for me show me a new direction.

I leave my finances at your feet Lord, I'm feeling out of control in that area and that really scares me. Thank you Lord for the milder weather we have enjoyed this week. I pray for that final soaking rain to see our crops through til harvest.

Thank you Lord for answering my prayers regarding Stephanie. She is really enjoying her time with the Naturopath and finding some independence she didn't think she was capable of. It's such a blessing to me to hear such joy and excitement in her voice, thank you.

Driven to Chocolate

It's just been one of those days.

Firstly I slept really badly because the wind was howling, and I hate the wind. Things bang, fall over, crops dry out and die, and it messes your hair up.

Then I got a panicky phone call from Steph who is in Port Lincoln for work experience. She had left home some things that to her were life threateningly important, and added to the fact that she is way outside her comfort zone, she was beside herself. I comforted her and told her where to go to buy a new toothbrush which sent her further into spin. She has a real problem shopping on her own, she just hates going up to a counter and paying for something. I assured her she would be fine. She has plenty of money. Everything will be ok.

Upon getting to work I was faced with a mountain of paperwork and a very grumpy boss. I have spent the day tackling that mountain and I don't seem to be getting anywhere. Everything I pick up needs something from someone else, or hasn't been completed properly, or is just too hard for me to think about today. As for the grumpy boss, I'm just trying to stay out of his way, I hate it when he gets like this, makes me really tense.

So, now I am having a cup of coffee and some chocolate. Because chocolate always makes things better, other than the waistline that is. I'm sure it's not making that any better! But I am justifying it by telling myself that I need the boost, and I haven't had time for either breakfast or lunch today so really, it's not that bad. I can just hear Joanie scolding me!

I've not heard any more from Steph so I'm hoping she is having a good day. The Naturopath that she is working with is really lovely and I'm hoping and praying she will be able to put Steph at ease. I find it really difficult to not continually rescue her, she finds new situations like this just so hard to cope with, and I just don't understand the shopping thing! What girl doesn't like to shop?

Time to Re Focus

The past few weeks have been hectic, stressful, joyus and emotional for me.

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed by all my responsibilities as a coach, wife, parent and employee.

It's time for me to stop worrying about all that is happening around me and to me, and look up.

I haven't been to church in three weeks and it shows. I really need church to help me focus each week, without it I tend to drift off, and that is when circumstances get on top of me and overwhelm me.

So, starting right now it's time to start living in the word again, because that is the only place I find peace.

Dear Lord,

Please help me to focus my energy on you and give you the time that you deserve. Help me to put you first in my life where you belong.

I lift Stephanie up to you Lord. She is still battling with low self esteem. Please show her that you love her and that you have a plan for her life. Please help me to parent her and guide her in a way that she will appreciate and understand. Watch over her as she heads into a week of work experience, she is worried about coping on her own. I pray that she has a positive experience with her work experience and discovers some direction for her life. I pray that she can have a more positive outlook on life in general Lord, and that she can learn and grow stonger from this experience.

I also pray for Kym. Pray that he will open his heart and let you in again, like he did when he was a child. Thank you for providing me with a wonderful caring husband and father to our children, I pray that he will one day know the peace of knowing you. He is worried about our crops Lord, I pray that you can ease his mind and help him accept that you will always provide for us.

I pray for Scott as he enters the teenage years. I pray that he will enjoy his time in high school and find some friends when he gets there. I pray for my relationship with him as it changes, that we won't lose the close bond we have always shared and that we can raise him to be a caring young man.

Lastly I pray for me. Please change my attitude Lord, help me to be more humble and accepting, help me to learn to ask for help and not try to do everything myself. Help me to be the best wife and mother I can be. I pray that I can make wise decisions with regard to my children and carry them through. I pray that I can give loving discipline where it is necessary and guide my children as they become young adults. I pray that I learn to cope better with the pressures at work and not let things get to me so much. Please help me to give Kym the time he deserves, and help me to honour him.

Thank you Lord that you watch over my family. Thank you for keeping them safe and healthy and providing for us all.

Frazzled

Today I'm feeling a bit out of sorts. I'm not particularly stressed, or even grumpy (for a change!), just a bit edgy.

I was out until 8pm last night with Steph decorating our clubrooms, which was fun (no balloons popped) and we were really pleased with the result. I got home to a mountain of washing (clean) on the lounge, a sink full of dishes, and just a generally untidy house. We have been a busy family in the past few weeks which has meant no weekends at home, and when you work full time that means stuff just doesn't get done.

This morning I got up earlier than usual because I wanted to call into our club to put the placemats I'd made for the girls in their place setting. I've blown up a photo of us all and laminated them and I forgot to take them with me last night. I probably could have left it til tonight but I wanted it all set up and ready just in case some of the team arrive before me.

I have a couple of big jobs to get done at work today, and today is the deadline. I really must learn to not leave things to the last minute.

I have to make a speech tonight. Which doesn't bother me, I've never been worried about public speaking, loved debating in high school. On the drive into work I was thinking about what I would say, who I would thank and I thought about my good friend Melissa. I have really leaned on her this year and she has always been there for me. For some reason that thought had me in tears.

then I thought about what I would say to my girls, how I would tell them that I am really proud of them. They accomplished something incredible this year, playing each week in different varying combinations and positions should have been really unsettling, but they managed it. That made me cry too.

Then I got to work and got one of those nice, inspirational emails from another friend. Tears again.

Maybe its getting close to that time of month. Or maybe I'm just tired. But it doesn't seem to be taking much to make me cry today.

On a different subject...can you all please pray for rain for us? We have had a week of warm dry wind now and our crops are starting to suffer. One more good soaking rain will assure us of a good harvest. It's heartbreaking to be so close only to have the weather turn on you again. We simply can not afford another failed crop. Ok...now I'm crying again.

Balloon Trees

Every year when (or if) one of our netball teams win a premiership our club puts on a victory dinner for them. Usually we have more than one team celebrating so they all get together and sort out decorations, menus etc. This year with it just being our team it's sort of up to me to organise the decorating, luckily our club president is doing the catering.

I wanted to make a special effort to have everything looking nice for my girls. It was a tough year and I'm looking at it as a way of thanking them for putting up with my mood swings, grumpiness, disorganisation, and for throwing them all over the court in positions they weren't used to.

So, I rang our local party supply place and asked for some suggestions. The nice lady suggested I get mini balloons and make mini balloon trees in our club colours for the centre piece of each table. She worked out how many I would need and any other supplies I would need and assured me that it was really easy.

But there is just one issue.

One I didn't mention to the nice lady at the party supply place.

I'm afraid of balloons.

I kid you not.

I don't know why. It's completely irrational (as a lot of fears are) but I just get all worked up imagining that they are going to pop. The actual balloon popping doesn't bother me so much, but the anticipation of it popping brings me out in a cold sweat.

I can kill deadly spiders, I can abseil, I swim every summer in Australia's home of the great white shark, I love fast, high rollercoasters, I've climbed the highest Karri Pine in the country, I've even killed a venomous snake all by myself.

But making a balloon tree...now that is really scary stuff.

Firstly, these are mini balloons, and the little blighters are really hard to blow up.
Secondly, you have to tie two of them together at a time, and this takes a bit more manual dexterity and patience than I posess.
And Lastly, this is the really scary bit. You have to twist and stretch and push and pull them to get them into a sort of ball of balloons. Shudder.

I'm hyperventilating just thinking about it.

Table Sliding is not for broken 38 year olds!

On Saturday night while celebrating the win of that game that shall not be mentioned some members of our club thought it might be fun to go table sliding.

What is table sliding I hear you ask? Well, you line up about 6 tables in a long row (about 10 metres long) and you pour detergent and water all over the table tops. Then some really silly people take a big run up and jump on the tables belly first and slide all the way to the end.

It looked like a lot of fun.

And it was a lot of fun until I hit the end and fell off! Of course this didn't deter the premiership coach so up I hopped and had another go. My second time I didn't fall off the end but I miss timed my approach and smacked my (already damaged) knee. Not one to give up I thought I'd give it one more go...and my last one was perfect!

On Sunday morning I woke up with very sore ribs (they aren't used to being jumped on like that!), one very sore and bruised knee (oops) and I needed help to get out of bed because I seemed to have done something odd to my back.

Today I went to see my ever patient and tolerant physio (who also happens to be a very dear friend) and she informed me that "table sliding is not for broken 38 year olds!" and also said I have sprained the "something or other" ligament at the base of my spine. She did tell me which ligament it is but it has a name like wheelbarrow and she was so busy laughing at me she wasn't speaking very clearly!

But I have to say. For all my sore bits and bruises table sliding is a lot of fun!

The last time I talk about netball...

Honestly. This will be the last post about netball this year. I promise.

Yesterday my team played the grand final, and after three quarters of less than promising netball they came back in the final quarter to win!

So much relief!

I haven't let myself think about the possibility of winning all week. I've been there before and lost and I didn't want to get my hopes up.

But I was so proud of them. While I can't exactly say they played their best game they did what they needed to do to get themselves over the line. And that is all that matters.

Today we have spent the day at our club at our end of year football and netball "wind up". This is where we thank people for helping out, award trophies to players who have excelled and acknowledge the hard work that poeple like coaches, trainers, physios, umpires etc put in. All of this work is done voluntarily and it is what keeps country clubs like ours alive.

Our netball club is quite a successful one, and it isn't unusual for us to bring home two or three premierships for different grades. This year we had three teams playing in the grand final in three different grades. Two of them were thought to have a pretty good chance, but only one of us won. And that was us.

The team I coach is the lowest of the senior grades. It is a combination of players new to the game, juniors in their first year of competition and older more experienced players who aren't able to play in the higher grades anymore. Sometimes we feel like the forgotten team. Sometimes we are the forgotten team. In a community where netball is something that all young girls aspire to excel at we often celebrate the elite and forget everyone else.

But not today.

Today our team was the toast of the club. It was their day in the sun. Their moment to shine. And shine they did.

One of my players was awarded a trophy as the most improved senior player. This award is given to one player in the senior grades (we have four senior grades) who has made a marked improvement over the year. The coaches nominate someone and put in a recommendation to a committee who then decide who to award the trophy to. This year the Rudall Netball Club Most Improved Senior Player was awarded to LIGHTENING . WOOHOO!!! I was so proud of her!!!

I did have some photos to share but Stephanie lost the camera yesterday. Onya Steph. I'm sure if you give her a day or two Lightening will have some photos to share on her blog.

So. There you go. Netball is over for another year. And just for the record...I won't be coaching next year. If I suggest it at some stage then somebody please slap me.

Appreciation

This week Kym has been away working.

The toilet got blocked, the sprinkler system split, the kids needed to be picked up, the rubbish didn't get taken out, both the kids and I got sick, the chooks didn't get fed...

It made me appreciate what it would be like to be a single parent. I'm sure I could get used to it if I had to but I certainly don't want to!

So, thank you Lord for my wonderful husband. Help me to honour and appreciate him for all he does for me and the children. Help me to remember to thank him and bless him.

Light Entertainment

Our high school is an agricultural school. They have a fully working farm, with sheep and students in high school can study a certificate 3 in agriculture. Below is a picture of the homestead at the school's training farm, "Sims Farm" named after the kind man who bequeathed it to the school.
Even though Stephanie hates sheep she has been choosing agriculture as one of her subjects since year 8 and she really enjoys the plant and agronomy side of it. She is just afraid of sheep, which means she won't study ag in year 11 because year 11 is where they are taught to shear.
Above is the year 12 class being taught how to drench sheep, which basically means squirt medicine down their throats.

Why am I telling you this?


Well, the business I work for is on the outskirts of town, the same side of town that the training farm is. To get out to the farm you have to go past me, and I have just witnessed the most amusing thing I've seen in a while.


The sheep were brought in a couple of days ago from the farm to the school (where the shearing shed is) for shearing. Even though she doesn't like sheep Steph enjoys walking them from the farm to the school and back again....so long as she doesn't have to get too close. Also it's about a five kilometre walk and its pleasant exercise on a sunny spring day.


This morning the year 10 class had the task of walking the sheep back out to the farm after shearing. I heard a bit of a commotion outside my window so got up to take a look. The sheep and most of the class had passed by without incident but there was one sheep (as there always is!) who wasn't co-operating. I looked out my window to see three boys from Stephanie's class running around in circles on the side of the road trying to catch this rogue sheep. Then I heard familiar laughter. Stephanie was sitting in the ute with the teacher yelling "go Trent" "go sheep" "go left, no right, no left!" all the while falling about laughing. The boys caught the sheep eventually but not before providing much entertainment for both Stephanie and myself! I bet those boys were so glad they had Stephanie there to "help" them!


She doesn't know yet that I watched the whole thing from my office window. I'll mention it this afternoon and ask if she enjoyed helping the boys catch that sheep.


It was such a blessing to me to see her smiling, laughing and joking. The old Stephanie is still in there somewhere.

Flying under the radar

I used to worry that we didn't pay enough attention to Scott. He has always been the easy going one, just cruising through life not letting anything bother him and not bothering anyone.

His sister on the other hand has been a fully fledged diva princess drama queen for the past 4 years. And you know the saying "the squeeky wheel gets the oil?" well Stephanie has been proof that if you complain long enough and loud enough and consistently enough someone will listen to you.

I have in the past worried that I'm selling Scott short, that he doesn't get the attention he deserves, that he was missing out in some way.

Then Scott turned 13.

And someone came in the middle of the night and stole my nice, easy going, placid, sweet little boy and replaced him with who knows what.

He is definately not flying under the radar anymore. He is a giant blip, dead centre. He is even managing to move his sister from centre stage. Ok. Maybe not. He's managing to share centre stage with her.

He argues about cleaning his teeth, feeding the dog, sitting in the front seat, having a shower, using his manners, I could go on and on and on....but then I would start sounding like my children!

And what is it with teenage boys and showers? Do they suddendly become allergic to water? He seems to vascilate from one extreme to the next. Either he takes 3 showers a day for 30 minutes at a time, or he has to be dragged in there and he's out in 2 minutes, leaving the towels all over the floor and filthy.

Teenage girls are hard work. They cry. They nag. They sulk. They obsses about friends, family, boyfriends, school, what colour suits them. But at least they smell nice!

From what I've seen so far boys smell, grunt, and just get downright obstinate.

So, my point? Well no point at all actually. Just observations. I think I'm in mourning a little for my nice boy, will he ever come back?

Down Time

This may seem a little odd but I've quite enjoyed being a bit under the weather today.

Stephanie, Scott and I have this bug that's been doing the rounds of our community. It makes you a bit stiff and sore, sore throat and dizzy. But it's not too bad if you stay laying down.

So today that is what we have done. We have all been complete coach potatoes. Stephanie and I have watched almost the whole third season of One Tree Hill (she is looking for season 4 and 5 if anyone has copies we can borrow). Scott has watched a couple of movies (thank goodness we have more than one TV!) and I have finished the book I've been reading, 90 Minutes in Heaven.

Despite feeling off colour I have to say it's just what I needed. Some time to just rest.

Scott is now well enough to start to become bored, and therefore annoying his sister. Stephanie is feeling well enough to bite back when Scott needles her... so I'm thinking one day of peace and calm is all I'm going to get! Unless I pack them off to school tomorrow and stay home by myself...now that idea has merit!

But we won't do that. I'm feeling recuperated enough to face the world again so tomorrow is back to business as usual.

Lord, thank you for this time of rest and reflection. I have enjoyed spending a quiet day at home with the kids and enjoyed their company despite feeling unwell. I pray that we are all recovered enough to get back into it tomorrow.

She means well...

This is something that I have had to repeat to myself over the years. Over the past 18 years to be exact.

My mother in law is a kindhearted, caring and nurturing soul. She really does mean well. But I'm afraid to say that over the years her "well meaningness" has driven me mad!

"I called in to your place while you were at work and noticed you'd taken your curtains down, so I washed them and re hung them for you" Said curtains were ALREADY washed and I was packing them away ready to hang my new blinds. Deep breath. She means well.

"I've just moved your pots and pans back into the cupboard that I used to keep them in, it's much more practical" Kym and I moved into his parents house when we were married. I moved things around to where I wanted them. She moved them back every chance she got. Deep breath. She means well.

"That colour carpet isn't going to look nice for very long" We replaced mission brown with orange swirls with grey. You guessed it. She means well.

"Since you work and you can't keep up with your housework I've done the dishes for you" Deep breath. She isn't judging your lack of home making skills. She means well.

"Such a shame you had to have a ceasarian and now you are bottle feeding" Bite tongue. Breathe deeply through clenched teeth. She means well.

"Haven't you taken that bottle/pacifier/comfort toy away from him/her yet? I took Kym's pacifier away from him when he was 6 months old" No wonder Kym has separation issues! She means well.

"What are Kym and the kids doing today?" This one always comes out at church. It makes me feel like a complete failure for not getting my husband and kids to church. But I've come to realise that she is just asking after them because she cares. She isn't judging me. She means well.

There have been countless careless comments like this over the years. Sometimes they really sting but I honestly beleive that she has no clue when she has hurt your feelings. She just doesn't think. As a mother in law she would do anything for any of her daughters in law. She minds our kids, comes to all the school functions for her grandchildren, worries about us when we are sick, genuinely cares for and loves all of us with all our faults.

Lord, help me to be understanding and tolerant when it comes to my mother in law. Thank you for blessing me with such a loving and caring family and help me to be thankful for that.

Get over it Sharon

That is my advice to myself this evening.

Get over it.

Has anyone noticed a bit of a "poor me" attitude in my posts of late?

I've spent some time this evening browsing around blogworld and all the wonderful posts I have read have been full of joy, praise, encouragement and reflection.

And over here at "I know He watches over me" you get control freak Sharon complaining about the things that she can't control, and procrastinating over the things that she can.

So...to save you all the bother I have given myself a slap.

Snap out of it woman, be thankful for what you have, be grateful for the amazing blessings, stop sulking and move on.

There is something quite invigorating about giving yourself a good telling off.

So... I'm glad I got that off my chest. Please pray for me for the coming week where I will be deciding what to do with my girls, and living the life of a single parent while Kym is away working.

......hand over the valium and no one will get hurt!

Thank you Lord for the rain that we have had over the weekend. It brings such joy to my heart to drive to work each morning and see the bountiful crops surrounding me. Thank you for my wonderful husband, I pray that he will have safe travel and the week that he spends away from us working will go quickly and painlessly (and if there is pain I promise I won't complain about it). Thank you in advance for forgiving me for making promises I probably can't keep! Thank you that my netball team has made the grand final, I am so proud of them, please help me to convey that to them. Thank you that I have had an uneventful weekend with my teen daughter with no issues about going out, curfews, boys and that she is home safe and relatively happy. Thank you for the joy that Scott brings into our lives, thank you for his giving and loving nature, please help me to not overlook him because he causes less drama. Thank you for the wonderful blogging friends you have introduced me to. They encourage, bless, and put up with my complaining so thank you for them. Forgive me for my unthankful nature at times. Forgive me for wanting things I can't have. Help me to accept things the way they are and be grateful. Help me to be happy for my netball team without being envious of them.