Friends ...

We all remember our first childhood friend. The one we woke up excited to see inside the school gates. Play dates filled with adventure, confidences and laughter. 

Even now, as adults, our friends remain a hugely important part of our lives, from sharing problems, asking for advice, uncontrollable laughter and good times, sharing our life events and proudest moments, our friends help each of us define who we are.

Friends are better for us than all the self help books and protein shakes we could consume

If we want a rich, healthy, nourishing life ...

We need to go out of our way to be with our friends

That's it

That's where life happens

We've been having a lot of talks in our house recently with our children about friends and about values. 

Values and skills like respect, caring, kindness and justice. 

Recently whilst searching for something totally unrelated I came across this blog post On Friendship which was written about me ... I was humbled to read how Deb saw me as a friend and re assured as I navigate my way through parenting my children and the importance of their friendships and how to manage conflict within their friendships I was hopefully teaching through example ...

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have and one of the best things you can be xxx

All Of The Senses

Visiting:  Rotorua for the weekend 

Eating :  Pulled Pork and Coleslaw, picnic on the side of the road in Huntly

Drinking :  Cups of tea from the thermos 
Reading:  Listening to audio stories of Famous Five as we road trip to Rotorua
Pondering: Crazy Crazy Friday afternoon peak hour traffic 

Buying:  Gondola Rides and Luge rides x20 

Enjoying:  Watching the childrens confidence grow with each ride down the track 

Yelling: At the idiots on the chair lift in front who stood up and rocked the chairs until the luge fell off, thus freaking my wee girl to the point of no return and not continuing her rides - ggrrr  

Making :  Picnic lunches to eat lake side inbetween adventures 

Deciding: Whilst Rotorua is incredibly expensive with its tourist prices, it can be done economically 

Wanting:  To do all the things with these 3 gorgeous kids 

Admiring:  His braveness after being stung by a bee, whilst watching for any reaction 

Remembering:  My first visit here as a child and the memories of holidays in Rotorua

Wondering:  What they are getting from this ...

Smelling:  Like sulphur

Wearing:  A Smile and Mud

Needing: Absolutely nothing at this particular time, but maybe a shower after this experience

Feeling:  Absolutely petrified of heights, however, going up anyway

 Waiting:  Until dusk to experience 'tree tops' so as to get day and night without the children staying up too late 

Marvelling:  At this wonderful feat of engineering

Looking:  At the faeries once the sun set and the lights were on  

Noticing:  How she LOVES motorbikes

Watching:  Her smile and run towards the bikes

Remembering: the days before children when Mr B and I would spend every weekend on our bike

Laughing: 2 adults, 3 children, 1 weekend ... so much gear  

Hoping:  They had a good weekend full of memories

Missing:  My Mr B ... We had planned (and paid) this weekend away before we knew he was heading to America for work
Thankful:  Sara and Max were able to join us and enjoy a weekend away   

Happy Anniversary

Today I've been married to Mark for 18 years. 

It's not the marriage I like to celebrate but the togetherness we have had in those 18 years. It's the growth we have done and continue to do as a couple. 

Marriage is merely a relationship which comes with a piece of paper that says .... Married

It doesn't change anything about us, it changes nothing about our relationship, and it changes nothing about our love or the way we treat each other. 

Marriage or not he is and will always be my friend, my lover, my sanity, my not so sane sanity, and the best father to our miracle children ... 

It seems crazy to me knowing, not everyone can marry the person/people they love - crazy - 

However, I am happy I get to spend the next 40+++ years being in a relationship with this man, loving him, annoying him, finishing his sentences and knowing things about him before he knows them ... 

Happy Anniversary Mark (I'm sad we aren't together today) - I love you to infinity and beyond xxx 

Thank you for loving and accepting me just as I am xxx

What I'm Learning

It has been an awfully long time since I have written ... And I've missed it.  Here, this space, has always been where I've shared my creativity, feelings and thoughts. 

Life is one big learning adventure and sometimes we have to do things over and over again

before we learn the lesson, I often say I like to learn my lessons practically ...

Currently I'm learning that as much as I want to learn/know/do all the things ...

sometimes I have to ask for and/or accept help.

This is one of the hardest ridiculously difficult things for me to do ... to actually say, 'I need you to help me because I can't do this/don't know how to do this' ...

Since the flooding and Mr B going to America for work ... I have phoned a man to come clean out our gutterings *tick job done* cleaned out one of the drains that was blocked before during and after the flooding *tick job done* dealt with the insurance company *tick job done* taken lawnmower to repair shop *tick job done* asked for and received help with checking my bike after it took a tumble off my car *tick job done* 

Rightly or Wrongly I was brought up in a world where clearly defined life skills/jobs were gender based and I believed I couldn't do things because either my father or my husband would do them ... Over the past years my beliefs/upbringing/societies norm have been challenged by myself, life and my frustration with whats currently happening in the world around me and how that could affect those I love ... 

All my *tick job done* jobs were achieved whilst wearing a little black dress, heels, and red lipstick - ye gods that motor mower was heavy to lift in and out of my car tho

... and this amongst other things I'm learning, is why this year I chose to further my studies and do more womens studies papers through university - I think I am the eternal learner/student/academic - 

I Feel Loved .. .. .. So So Loved .. .. ..

It's been an amazing birthday week ...

Surprised (to the best of their ability) with not one but two 'not' surprise surprise parties ... 

My friends and family made me feel so loved and appreciated.

Surround yourself with people who make you hungry for life, touch your heart, and nourish your soul.

Good times, crazy friends (or is it them that has the crazy friend?) and amazing memories of an incredible birthday week ...

Thank You 

And the very next day I achieved the challenge I had set myself ... 

Leg Press 200kg on my birthday week ...

I am thankful for my struggle (injury) because without it I wouldn't have stumbled across my strength - Physically and Mentally - 

I am strong

IF YOU DON’T LAUGH…

It’s so important to be able to laugh ... 

Thought I’d share a few moments lately where if I didn’t laugh I’d probably cry … (and thats not going to help anyone!)

Miss P getting a double fracture in her arm & elbow a week before we were to go camping ... to the beach 

Nana being in hospital since January ... Going from bad to worse 

Helping Nana to walk again after a fall in hospital broke her hip 

Convincing Nana that eating soup that you can stand a spoon up in is good for her

Cat ... laugh, it’s really not that bad - reminding myself to find the good in every situation!

Taking Stock - January - it's all about Family n Friends

Enjoying: Time with family family family 

Liking: This bunch of people

Watching: My children with their cousins and grandparents

Feeling: Loved 

Family: Together again after a 3 month overseas holiday

Celebrating our extended German Family: Together again after ... too many years

Loving: How each time we meet it is like we were never apart

Understanding: Very little German no matter how much beer I drank 

Reading: Knitting patterns

Making : Baby Milo Vests (x4)

Wanting: Interchangeable circular knitting needles

Buying: Interchangeable circular knitting needles

Deciding: Knitting is a great way to deal with anxiety

Noticing: my garden

Listening: to my girls cackling

Waiting: on the fruit all to ripen

Eating: fresh from the garden

Cooking : BBQ's every night

Drinking : So much wine we ran out and had to do an emergency trip back into civilisation 

Loving: This bunch of friends and their children

Wishing: Her a very happy birthday

Looking: At my Mr B and laughing 

Watching: My girl and her friend and smiling

Loving: This opportunity to be 4 days away from the grid (apart from when we ran out of wine) 

Smelling: The BBQ .. .. ..

Wearing: My togs and feeling 99.9% comfortable in my skin

Needing: The coolness of the river in the heat of the day 

Getting: Wet !! !! !! 

Feeling: Neil the eel swim past my legs _eekk_

Admiring: This piece of land in the middle of nowhere

Feeling: Completely relaxed and happy

Looking: At handmade quilts/love on our camp beds