we're home...

...coming home is the most wonderful wonderful feeling - but you have to go away to have that joy about coming home.

It makes you appreciate your own special "space", all the nooks & crannies & the ease of hot water, a fridge with food inside, a washing machine (who'd have thought I'd be grateful for THAT!?) & our special soft bed...

We enjoyed our two weeks away - so many wonderful memories made, but oh so great to be home.

Off with a cuppa to read the weekend paper in peace while the kids make mud pies in the dirt outside...life is wonderful...

static

confounded

poor ric is the latest to sucumb to the gastro bug...my brave boy...

(this was him over a year ago on his first day of Preschool)

Sunday Thoughts...

This was D + kids in the middle of some dark days. I think there was some throwing up involved not long after this pic was taken, as his gut was still very much in recovery mode post BMT. The kids were so stoked to be near him, to have him home. It brings back so many emotions to see this snap again...I am so glad that David is here. Many people don't get the chance to get past the transplant stage as it wipes out their body...they get rid of the cancer, but the life afterwards isn't quite what it was...it takes its toll...

I am enjoying reading inspiring things this week...

* a blog about a lovely lady's battle with pancreatic cancer - an American

* talks by a guy called J.John - a pom

Trying to squeeze everything into my life & there's never enough hours in the day.

I prayed in church this morning (I was rostered on) & it is such a blessing to be able to do this after years of should I/shouldn't I floating around in my head...it blesses ME more than anyone else I think - who'd have thought it'd work like that. Despite my nerves & my lack of ability to "improvise" well. Apparently there was lots of joy yesterday as a lovely young couple got married, but before their service there was a funeral for a month old little boy whose heart just hadn't worked properly...incredible highs & lows in this life. Tears & joy are never far apart I read this week - so true.

Tomorrow "preppies" have morning tea in a local park. Then we are visiting dear friends down the coast. They navigate life around MS. Then Yr 12 are coming for a "study BBQ". I have blood tests due, I need to finalise dates for a holiday that I pray we can finally have & through all this time Miss Bon has a wiggly tooth that is driving us all NUTS. It just won't fall out. So life is full of the mundane & the precious & the fun...

Thank You so much God for all the good things in my life. I am so grateful, & though I'm not really happy about all the hard things, I pray that good comes out of them. I don't know what, & it doesn't make much sense to me sometimes - when I shake my fist up at You, I know You have answers, & I know I won't shock You...nothing takes You by surprise! You say that one day You will wipe all our tears away & there will be no more suffering, no more pain & there will be such incredible newness, it will be overwhelming...how I long for that day...

Food Poisoning...

Thursday

* Miss Bonnie went to a special small beading class at the local library this morning. I'm about to pop my feet up with some new books & a cuppa - one of my favourite things to do in the world! She made some earings, a bracelet & a ring. Lovely to be able to treat her to do something special...perhaps one day she will make me something like the beads in this picture?

* We tried to do 100+ things on our trip out on Tuesday...unfortunately we bought some take-away before heading off to swimming. Whatever D bought gave him food poisoning...chicken. Uggg. We laughed that at least we had plenty of V bags left over from the cancer/tranplant days & his aim is still quite good. Poor guy still recovering. He won't listen about what specifically to eat so I don't think he's comfortable after lunch today, but at least there is something in his gut & it's staying in there...

* It is blowing an absolute GALE here at the moment. Phew...just hung some laundry out finally to get some UV rays on it...should be dry in seconds??

* We bought a new reading light for the lounge room - something we have spoken about for YEARS. I found a bookshelf too that we will stain & that little area where we put our oil burner & water feature bubbling away & special things that make us smile - it's going to look lovely. Our little treat...

* Oh it was good to sleep last night...I hope to get to bed earlier tonight & I hope to sleep even more. It's so hard to be Mrs Nurse to Mr Sick...

* Watched a show about Christian musicians from the 70's Jesus movement. It was really inspiring. I am such a child of the 70's...

Holidays

Hip Hip Hooray for the school holidays...

Sunday

* footy final tonight...BOO HOO, Parra didn't win

* found out we can chop down the huge gum tree right in front of the house that is pushing up the concrete & dropping branches all over our roof - kinda sad, but dangerous in strong wind

* daylight saving & my body is screaming with confusion

* spoke to one of my sisters today about parenting & how it changes as the kids get older

* put away about 4 baskets of washed clothes - the treadmill of laundry

* read the weekend paper

* played lego & tickles with my son

* watched my artistic daughter make a collage

* cooked a baked dinner with chicken

* ate garbage

* drank lots of lovely coffee

* watched a colony of ants try to move their eggs into our music studio & then left poison all around their entry point

* read sections of a book by Christopher Reeve about life after the shock of an illness/accident. Inspiring...

* prayed

* remembered to take some vitamins

* looked at the mess around the house & sighed

* reminded D to phone his mum on her birthday

* tonight we listened to lots of music by a guy called Chris Rice, & some ambient stuff this morning - Kitaro etc.

* thought about how different our life would be if all our children had lived...