Thank goodness it's true

Of all the things our phone can do, the thing I should be doing the most with it is reading the scriptures.

I just read Romans chapter 13. I feel peace. I love the language. I love the comfort those words have given me to keep doing good, keep serving my family no matter how back breaking it can be, keep living the gospel no matter what others might say or their opinions.

John and I stand out like a sore thumb within our extended families and in the work place. It takes courage to keep your head up and work hard and take whatever is thrown at you.

Thank goodness its true.

Romans chapter 13 verse 10:

~ Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. ~

♡♥

Teaching these boys

Oh my word. I have just discovered the most incredible thing. Play School's website has free pdf downloads of each of their weekly themes - I'm talking fully detailed learning plans that include all their arts and crafts, recipes, books, songs, and activities that go with their theme. Now if I were a full fledged homeschooler I would say that this discovery was the greatest miracle. But I'm not - I just try here and there where I can to introduce "school" ideas to my little people. I really, really like this though - even if you were a home day carer or kindy teacher this info would be invaluable. It's all there for you to just pick up and use in the one place. Anyway...3 and a half years ago I would not be excited about such bizarre discoveries but that is when Asher entered the world and then everything changed!

Check out http://www.abc.net.au/abcforkids/sites/playschool/about/weeklythemes/

I would like to follow this each week but I'm not going to be over achieving because some weeks it probably won't happen. A new year is about to begin so there is always a possibility...

My motivation for doing such things are {and in no particular order}:

1. Asher needs stimulation

2. I want my children to be well prepared and not lazy with their brains

3. I want to give them better opportunities then I had.

4. I want to push myself to live up to the responsibility of training a child - not just to expect others to teach them ie school teachers, the world etc. It is my job.

5. I like doing it.

It feels weird to be saying all of this out loud because if I fail/fall off the band wagon it is going to be known. Oh well I'm saying in advance I'm at least going to give it a go.

I ♥ Play School!

Christmas 2013

This is what our Christmas looked like...

The pilot doesn't get a holiday so me and the kids for three hours drove to his work site so that we could spend a few days together. He worked Christmas day and in reality it was only a couple of hours the kids got to see him before they were put to bed. But the other days we were there they got to see a bit more of him. 

Asher LOVES his daddy. They are incredibly close although we are often so far a part. It was nice to make this effort to be together. 

The little guy got to have a turn at the controls on daddy's plane and loved watching it take off. Just being so close to the plane I think was overwhelmingly awesome for

 him. Like Father like Son - the boy loves planes.

With the job comes the somewhat perk of having a luxury campervan to yourself as accommodation. It has a proper fridge and freezer, kitchen sink, microwave, oven and stove, toilet shower, washing machine, built in CD player, digital tv and DVD player. The kids were spoilt with as much tv as they wanted so really we barely left the campervan. Oh and fully airconditioned 24/7 as well. HEAVEN! The boys loved sleeping in the same room as eachother - and giggled and played as they said goodnight only to be surprised to find eachother so close in the morning. They loved it! The baby happily took naps each day as well which was such a blessing. He snoozed in the cool while asher and i watched a movie or played outside. Overall a successful trip! 

Before leaving to see Daddy we had family over the previous day. Sadly Asher was soooo tired and couldn't handle it all with many tantrums happening. But seeing his only cousins is always a highlight ~

Sugar over load. We decorated waffle cones to make Christmas trees ~ it was messy yes and sugary, but making memories and creating traditions are more important. The gingerbread house was a hit - didn't even know John liked ginger bread but he smashed it! Good to know...

The boys wore their Christmas pjs and sadly said good bye to the family....but we will see them soon enough for New Year's!!!

This Season

I have really enjoed Christmas this year ~ it isn't over but I have pondered how much I have enjoyed Decemer. Maybe its because I have little people who are actually able to understand what is going on now and not just a baby. Asher has really loved the season. I have incorporated lots of family traditions to add to the spirit of things. John has been away like usual so doing these things on my own with the boys has been special.

We made a "manger" and put a little baby jesus in their {we have no baby dolls but i used a small teddy bear, then wrapped it with muslim cloth} Asher has been so atentive to baby jesus, telling his brother to keep quiet so as to not wake the baby, even moving the manger into his bedroom at night so that he can sleep there. This morning when he left for kindy he said "but i'll miss my baby jesus". It has been lovely to teach him about our Saviour's birth. I had wondered if I had been focused enough on the real reason for Christmas but I have seen that I have made an influence.

Our advent calendar is a 12 days of Christ centred Christmas - each morning after breakfast we open a pouch read a scripture about the birth of Christ and then have a treat {chocolate gold coins!}. Each day there is an act of service to focus on such as make a card for a friend, ring elderly grandparents hear about their Christmas as a child, make a treat for someone. I have been trying to do as many as we can that Asher comprehends and it has been nice.

Still with a week til Christmas there's more to enjoy - I'm so glad to know my Saviour lives and I get to teach our children about this, I love the feeling that Christmas brings and no matter your beliefs, the world enjoys happiness at the same time ever year - this is a miracle.

Pictures ~ our baby jesus in his manger, our tree, nativity set, advent flag calendar, Asher's gingerbread house for nursery class at church, asher's baking treats and a Christmas tradition - breakfast for dinner!

xx

Christmas Boxer Shorts!

I love what I made! FIRST time ever making a pair of shorts. I was saying the other day that I do things wholeheartedly and don't skimp on things that I'm passionate about. Well sewing just isn't in that category. Near enough is good enough for me. Thankfully it's only a three year old who's wearing them :)

Don't think I'm all awesome for doing things like sewing....we had scrambled eggs on toast for dinner tonight - so it's not all as dream like as it appears. Always need to point that out!

I'm glad I made these tonight, as it has totally { not really } distracted me from that fact that I'm not at the Taylor Swift concert. I have been listening to RED since the day it came on sale. The boys especially love the whole album. Cranked all day long in the car! Johnny and I went last time she was here but it just hasn't worked out this time around. Totally bummed.

But yay for cute Christmas boxer shorts!

Letting things go

{This post i did last week - thought I'd lost it as the battery went dead as i was typing}

I am trying very hard to just let things go. I have reduced the amount of things in our house that we just do not use including toys and other gifts that were only being kept for sentimental reasons. I have realised that THINGS don't matter.

One thing is my clean obsession which just needs a little more balance.  It is just not that important and I need to let it go. I love being organised and the above picture is worth so much more then a clean and tidy house. Around that table we spent some good quality time on a Sunday morning as a family making memories. There was crying and frustration but there was a family. We completed yet another Christmas tradition of making clay Christmas ornaments. It was fun and the boys loved it ~ including daddy who made an aeroplane for his, second year in a row {from a man with no creative bone!}

The memory making and love shared around that table is worth all the mess in the world - all the other stuff had to be let go!

In the evening we unwrapped our first Christmas book another tradition that's been going for a few a years now, and laughed and played around the tree - it sounds cheesy but that's what we did - disney could have been filiming in the bacground I'm sure.  The feeling in our home was love, happiness and the Spirit. Not everyday has these moments and I am grateful for the days that do. This is a feeling I want our boys to have in their hearts as they remember their childhood throughout their lives.

The other stuff {spotless house, spotless kids, spotless me!} will just need to be kicked to the kerb.

A nice day

This morning has been lovely.

It therefore must go on the blog. I'm not up for making out like everday is lovely. So many blogs suck me in to thinking that. I know that it just aint the truth.

But today - our morning has been nice. Boys woke up, played in the toy room had milk and breakfast. We played Christmas music while cleaning and vacuuming {thats their favourite "chore"} then a little Sesame Street and then outside time planting a GARDEN!

Asher said "just like playschool mum" and he was so happy. He dug and played with the dirt then planted. Jet got into it too - they were loving it. I purposely bought and extra bag of dirt for a "construction" site for Asher's bob the builder trucks. That just made the day.

John would say - just turn the TV on who cares about all this stuff. He is really hands on but for me being pregnant he just thinks it would be easier. I don't know why but I've never done anything {that I feel passionate about anyway} half done. I guess that's a curse as well because I never feel I've done enough. I have to do more to make it the best.

So it's been with my baby boys.

I'm striving to do more then possible and sometimes just like this morning I see it's worth it.

I could have easily enrolled both boyboin a daycare and then just be off getting my nails done or something. But what am I learning doing that?

I'm happy I planted a garden today with the two cutest little men you will ever meet.