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Thursday, February 28, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 58

Yesterday I was grateful for....

My decision to transfer to a Law/Commerce degree. I love the study of Law far more that I do accounting, and am very glad I went with my gut feeling on that one. Although, I still have no idea what career path I want to take. 

Law is such a diverse field, and I really want to find my niche. 

Something that fits my personality, sparks my passion and has me excited to get up to go to work every most days.  Luckily I have until 2016 to find out! 

Squeezing in a smashing 15mins kettle bell workout. After uni and before school pick up. I felt like a champion.

Having neighbours who, both husband and wife, studied and work in the field of Law....And the opportunity to talk about study and career options with wife when she came over to pick up bread. (I do the charity bread run for the church in our area)


Wednesday, February 27, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 57

Yesterday I was thankful for....

Being able change tutorial classes. I had a 5pm tutorial and all the other time slots were full. I was concerned, so was Michael, he didn't know how he would be able to get back home so early from Brisbane (an hour train ride away) to look after the children so I could go.

We had to figure it out. I prayed for help because I knew that it was something that we needed to work out for us. I decided that I would sent an email to my  course convener to try and get a different class. However, before I completed the email, I checked enrolments and see if any spaces had showed up.

All the tutorials were filled except for one - right after the lecture, which is normally the most sort after time. What a blessing, I was able to get the perfect class. So grateful.

Getting a road carpark so I didn't have to pay for parking.

Getting the last hot chicken at the supermarket. Chicken sandwiches for the kids lunches - yay!!

Michael hanging rope in the garage so I have an inside clothes line. My washing isn't piling up in all this rain - and we save electricity by not having a dryer.

My husband. Yesterday was our 2nd wedding anniversary. It was a hectic day, I was at university until late but it didn't matter. He had bought me a hard drive - I wanted one because I had nearly filled up my current one with all my favourite TV shows. Not quite romantic - but the card had me all teary, and my husband is definitely not a card man!

I bought him a HUGE mug half filled with Hersheys Kisses - Michael didn't like them....I admit I didn't really like them either. Note to self: Only buy Australian chocolate - I forget how good ours is!

It wasn't really a super amazing night, although we had already had a night together on the weekend....so I didn't mind.

I am just incredibly thankful to have him in my life. He is my opposite in quite a few ways, but it has worked out perfectly. He balances me and encourages me to be the best ME by simply accepting me for who I am. Oh yeah, and he also infuriates me beyond belief - passion, right?

I never thought marriage could be this good. I love you Big Stud!! mwa!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 56

Yesterday I was thankful for....

Persevering with children that were driving me mental and having Family Home Evening. When we finally got to it, another lesson on prayer. Touching briefing again on the importance of prayer and the blessings that come from communicating regularly with our Heavenly Father. We also discussed how and when we can pray.

For the food 'treat' I made pretzels, they were a disaster. (At least Ash tried to like them for me - what a sweet kid!) Everyone had ice cream instead.

Making yummy minestrone soup. I was right no one else really liked it except me. *sigh* On the plus side, I have a few containers of healthy, tasty soup for me!

Body Attack. I know it probably gets old, that most of my gratitude posts have some kind of reference to exercise. But I am thankful! Thankful that I get the opportunity to workout in a class taken buy a super bouncy 'woo girl', that sings notoriously badly to all the tracks, but makes me work oh so harder than I would on my own. Woot!

Monday, February 25, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 55

Yesterday I was thankful for....

My marriage surviving learning a dance routine with my husband. I swear it was touch and go at one point. Quite a few times that morning I was thinking we couldn't possibly stay married if we can't learn a dance without getting cranky at each other, maybe we are just not compatible....etc. There were a lot of prayers in my head, that I would be able to be kind to my husband, despite my frustrations.

But seriously, how many couples learn dance routines together? Let it be stated now, that I am super grateful that I get to dance with my husband. By the end of the day we had nailed the whole thing, quite rough in places, but pretty damn impressive in my opinion.

What doesn't break you only makes you stronger.....right?

Sunday, February 24, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 54

Yesterday I was thankful for....

The opportunity to use one of my talents. I have always believed we are all given talents, and it is our responsible to use and improve them. You know, the parable of the talents. I used to be anxious because I knew I was reasonably good at dancing, but I didn't know what I could do to use it (other than dancing around the house to reduce stress)....let alone improve it. Mostly after I had children....I wondered how I could possibly dance, in any form, with a family?

Then in 2010 I met my second husband and he introduced me to freestyle partner dancing, modern jive and I discovered west coast swing from there.

Today I dropped the children off to spend the weekend with family while Michael and I were learning a dance routine to an acoustic cover of 'Somebody that I used to know' . I like routines because we have something to perform at church events, should we get the opportunity - to promote our dance style and to share our love for dancing.

It was a hard day. We learned 1 min 50 secs of choreography in 6 hours. My legs were sore, my feet was sore, my back was sore....and my brain was fried.

It was awesome!

Time to celebrate our second anniversary. We were exhausted, but jumped at the chance to be able to go out to dinner without the children. We ate yummy gourmet burgers in Broadbeach, and I tried to get all sentimental about our love and marriage - Michael wasn't having it. His definition of romance is 'being a dick' -quote. However, I am super grateful for his spontaneous gifts and creativity...loving my home made Valentines PJ's, my watermelon coloured phone and my gorgeous red leather uni laptop case, to name a few. This girl is taking what she can get, and loves her guy for who he is - so what if he is garbage at writing in cards, waxing lyrical about love and traditional romantic gestures? - I know he loves me.  

Saturday, February 23, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 53

Yesterday I was thankful for*....

Being able to enjoy my last official day of holidays. I went to the gym, I tidied my house, I watched 3 episodes of 'The Mentalist', I made macaroni cheese (I decided I need to change my recipe, using just white sauce tastes a little too greasy), made brownies, watched my son lick the bowl, had an awesome visit and from a good, not often seen, friend, and had quality time with my husband.

Getting some sense of organisation to the house. It's a small thing, but my washing has been folded daily for the better part of the week (Wow!!). I have enforced a weekly cleaning regime for the kids and their rooms and playroom has been tidy for most of the week. The house looks good, and I feel prepared for the new semester of study.

*My gratitude is most often not going to be earth shattering or probably terribly interesting, but its genuine. I like that I am becoming able to find gratitude in the every day, seemingly mundane, routine of life.

Friday, February 22, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: day 52

Yesterday I was thankful for....

Time apart from my husband. He doesn't go away often for work and he was only away for one night, but I missed him. I truly think absence does make the heart grow fonder. I love having the space to think about my love for him and the place he has in my life (in case you are wondering, I don't just sit around and moon over him but these are thoughts that run through the back of my mind while I am enjoying my time alone), and being excited to see him when he comes home. I guarantee he doesn't think about me as much, although he did say this time he did because of a movie he was watching about a single mother and her controlling second husband. He said it made him want, even more, to give me a good life and happiness.

A productive afternoon. Some days things run relatively smoothly after school - moments I love to savour. Ash had soccer straight after school so I took the others to the library and grocery store, where the security guard told me off  (in Amelie's ear shot) for her not wearing shoes - hilarious for me, because I am always telling her to keep her shoes on...hopefully she will listen. 

At home the kids did their homework and put their clean clothes away without complaint so I was able to prepare dinner in peace. Fabulous.

However, It went a little down hill at dinner, because I felt sick and wasn't there cracking the whip over them to eat....but we won't go there!




Thursday, February 21, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 51

Yesterday I was grateful for....

Mum having a day off. So that when I called her in a mini melt down I was able to talk to her. Nothing was majorly wrong, I think I was just feeling stagnant. The children are all at school and I spend my days alone - gym, cleaning the house and picking up after other people. An endless ground hog day of thankless/payless service.
Thank goodness university starts again next week - otherwise I would be looking for a job.

Quality time with Ash. We both loves movies and awesome TV shows, and that is an area that we easily bond. Last night I let him sneak out of bed and watch a new murder mystery show with me. I love my boy!



Wednesday, February 20, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 50

Yesterday I was thankful for.....

Sh'bam. Dance fitness class, first mentioned HERE. I have a love/hate relationship with this class....I spend the first half wanting to bolt and breathing through, what feels like, panic. My comfort zone is very small and I loathe feeling ridiculous...But the end I am finally in a groove and don't want it to stop...then I want to go the video store and rent 'Fame' - cannot believe I still haven't seen that movie.
But seriously, its a kinda awesome class. Loads of fun, lots of jazz running and some leaping...I feel like a kid in the early 90's again!

Date night. Not a huge event - watching 'Elementary' followed by a couple of episodes of 'The Mentalist' (it's growing on me), eating popcorn, chocolate etc....and falling asleep on my husband. Simple, but I love it.


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 49

Yesterday I was thankful for.....

Group workout classes. From the moment I got up I felt sluggish.Going through the motions seemed the only way the kids were getting to school, let alone anything else getting done.  I had planned some gym action - a treadmill run, maybe some weights - instead I aimlessly wondered the gym floor like a fool, changing my mind on every piece of equipment I got to. Thankfully I noticed that Body Attack was on - yay! - meaning, I would be forced to do a workout, it would be hard and I wouldn't be temped quit halfway through....

Yeah, about my fitness exclamations two days before - they were premature and unfounded.....Attack smashed me!! On the plus side, plenty or room to progress!

My mother the Naturapath. Or witch doctor as my husband likes to call her. I am super grateful for her knowledge as well as the fact that she works at a health food store and I get a significant discount on my supplements.
This is a point of contention between my husband and I. He believes I don't need anything and any issues I have are all in my head - affectionately of course! Aside from a crap case of psycho PMT once a month and stomach aches, I struggle with my moods and random depression - probably residual damage from seven years of heavy marijuana use and intense stress...ugh.....drugs are bad, mkay?

Family Home Evening. We did it! I was sick of stressing about trying to do a lesson and just decided to have it anyway - it will improve with time. I decided to focus on something I believed that our family needed to work on - Prayer. We have family prayer in the morning and pray over dinner at night, but our personal prayers are significantly lacking.
I talked to them over dinner about the importance of building a relationship with Heavenly Father and how a habit of prayer is a benefit to our lives. I decided to stick with the topic of 'prayer' for a month for FHE lessons, I like the idea of a monthly focus like they have in Primary at church.
Our dessert was chocolate muffins with Nutella centres and our activity was watching the latest episode of "Once Upon A Time' together. It is a favourite show for us to watch as a family. I love the moral dilemmas that the characters have, and think they are a great teaching tool for the children. I get so excited at the developments in the story that I squeal, pause it to make exclamations and squeeze my sons hand....love it!

Going to bed with a clean kitchen. It doesn't always happen - I am so exhausted at night.

Monday, February 18, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 48

Yesterday I was thankful for....

Australia specific Stake Conference. Once a year we have a video conference where the Prophet and selected General Authorities and general officers speak to us live via satellite. I look forward to it because, even more, I feel like I am receiving spiritual counsel just for me.
It didn't really turn out how I intended.
I had an argument with Michael just as I was getting ready and I ended up in tears and wasn't going to go. Luckily we worked it out in enough time to arrive 3 mins before conference started. However, I probably should have packed more activities for the kids due to it going for twice as long as normal. They were still well behaved considering they had to sit for 2 hours, but restless enough that I had trouble concentrating. *sigh*

Despite all that, I am glad I went. If anything...we sang my favourite hymn.

An hour of co-operation. I don't know how it happened, but before dinner we all started cleaning, bedrooms, playroom, mopping - and with no fighting between the kids OR Michael and I...Whaat!?! Within an hour the house felt great....it very rarely happens like that - a memory worth savouring.


Sunday, February 17, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 47

Yesterday I was thankful for.....

My fitness. It is finally back. I bought some cardio gloves before Christmas due to Combat not being as challenging any more - but since Christmas I haven't been able to use them. I cracked out the gloves on Friday and did well, then forgot them on Saturday - and wished class was harder. Woot!!

The service of others. A friend of mine offered to have the kids over so Michael could sing in the choir for Stake Conference and I could go to some dancing workshops. I repaid her with some Spanakopita (Greek spinach pasties) at her request.

Birthday dates. Mum and Dad have developed a birthday tradition with the grandchildren - a clothes shopping date, lunch and, if its Ash, a movie (he loves movies). Great for me, as I don't have to worry about buying as much clothes for the year and great the kids, because they get way better clothes than if I had bought them. They are rain checking the movie - the "The Great and Powerful Oz" is not out yet.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 46

Yesterday I was thankful for....

Learning.  Tax training has started again and I like, know stuff. Last season was my first. It was scary and I was winging it a lot. I love that going into this year I am more confident and that most returns will be relatively easy. Learning is hard, but knowing stuff....Is awesome.

Momentum. After spending the morning tax training I thought I would continue the flow and head over to university to get prepared for the new year. I am never this organised a week before the semester. I have read all my course profiles, I know when and what my assignments are and what text books I will need. Feeling excited to start the semester!

Friday, February 15, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 45

Yesterday I was thankful for....

Valentine's Day PJ's. 


My super studly husband stayed up to 1.30am to sew me these for V-Day. I love them and cannot wait until it gets colder and I can wear them all the time!! And even better, now he has a pattern and can crank them out for me 'production line' styles. Oh yeah.

A work out buddy. I have never really had a work out buddy *sad face* and have been envious when I hear/see all the people that do. Yesterday I was able to do a weights session with my 'bread run girl' Faith....and it was awesome! She brought all her group fitness, super fit husband knowledge to the table and we went hard! I would never have been able to push myself like that alone - here's to many more hardcore legs sessions!

Love. I am so grateful to have Love in my life - real, fabulous, supportive, makes me wanna be a better person, and drives me crazy but I am still not going anywhere, kind of love. Happy Valentine's Day to the wonderful man that is helping me raise my children, live my dreams and who loves me just the way that I am.




Wednesday, February 13, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 44

Today I was thankful for....


The power of 15 mins. The context, putting away the clothes mess in Jack's room. I like to clean, I don't like to tidy - so I had to force myself - My timer friend (the microwave) gave me 15 mins to do something....and we all know something is better than nothing
The first 15 mins, clothes done and folding put away. The second 15 mins - the living areas tidy...and then I did a little bit more.
That is what I love about 15 mins, it either motivates you to do more or you just do that and it still has made a difference. Note to self: Use it for other hard to do tasks, study, exercise, Sunday lesson preparation....

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 43

Yesterday I was thankful for....

Opportunities to step outside my comfort zone. I did a Sh'Bam class. Dance fitness....it looks something like THIS. I felt ridiculous and awkward, although 12 year old me would have loved it! I would go back again - cause I really need to learn how to relax and dance in front of other people....

Getting to birthday shop for Ash. I was anxious because of course I had left it until the last minute, so I was really hoping I would be able to find some things that he liked. Shopping for my almost 10 year old first born son was an emotional experience. I was getting teary all over the place...he is getting so big and he is such a good boy and I remember when he was just a little baby....awww...*tear*

I love other people's (in my family) birthdays. It is a chance for me to spoil them and it makes me so happy and so filled with love trying to think of things that they will like. I love making their favourite dinner and baking their favourite cake. I am also attempting to make 'birthday week' a tradition in our family, my husband hasn't quite caught on. I just love the idea of a week leading up to your birthday getting special privileges - riding 'shotgun' for the week, getting an extra movie on movie night, randomly staying up a little later to hang out with me....etc....Birthday's are so fleeting, I like the extended version.






Tuesday, February 12, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 42

Yesterday I was thankful for....

The endorphins that come from exercise. I was having an angry day. I was eager to drop the kids off at school to get them away from my poison atmosphere. My friend couldn't come to the gym with me, unfortunately, because I really needed the motivation myself to go. Regardless I decided to do some weights....1:41mins later, including stair climb and a 20 min run....I felt loads better.

Lessons in the kitchen. I am thankful for the silver lining that comes from failure. I decided to make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake yesterday to take to the Lawton family 'family home evening'. I have always been interested in attempting one before, and since I didn't need to buy any extra ingredients (a plus due to it being the end of the pay period) then, was as good a time as any to try.
No one told me how ridiculously hard it is to melt brown sugar and butter together!!
I have learned that a little bit of boiling water makes all the difference to  seized melted sugar. Aside from that little drama - the cake turned out alright. If there was an attempt two, I would put less sugar in the actual cake, not cook the cake in a spring form pan - the toffee leaks out everywhere!, and not drizzle the leaked out toffee on top of the cake...once I had started I knew it was a bad idea but by then I couldn't stop.

An awesome In-Law family. Once a month, usually, we have a Lawton Family Home Evening with my husband's family. This is a pot luck event with everyone bringing a main and a dessert to share and we eat and spend some quality time together. I am always a little nervous, and a lot awkwardly shy when I get there, but when I leave I have had such a good time and am elated to be part of such an awesome family...Love them a whole lot!


Monday, February 11, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 41

Yesterday I was thankful for....

Being a Primary teacher. Every week there is a reason to be thankful for my teaching calling. This week I am grateful because I teach the same lesson as my two older children receive, so I know exactly what they are learning about. In the car on the way home from church, when we do "what did you learn about today?" I can ask all the right questions to make sure they understand the principle and add more information they may have missed out on.

Finally getting it together and doing some visiting teaching. It hasn't been happening, as much as I want it to. I think about my visiting teaching sisters almost daily. My companion and I had never met and although she is in my ward, obviously, and we made Facebook contact I was still to shy to go and say hi....seriously, I have a problem!
This week we finally got it together, she works all week so we decided to meet with our sisters after church. We met with our first this week (we have 3), she was really grateful just to have her visiting teachers seek her out, apparently it had been awhile.
Again I was awkward, the message I had to share was hesitant and stilted. My companion seemed to know her better and they chatted very easily. I was a little envious - why do I find it so hard to talk to people?
But it was a start, and we did it. The message we had to share was on the importance of building friendships with new converts to help support them in their conversion. To me the message was for all of us, that is why visiting teaching is important. We need to take care and look out for the sisters in our ward. People need people, to feel they are loved and valued, especially when they are struggling.
It was hard stepping out of my comfort zone, I am very grateful I did.





Sunday, February 10, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 40

Yesterday I was thankful for.....

Running and rain. I don't often run in the rain. I like to have my iPod with me, and rain on glasses isn't really awesome. I tend to bail out and do a treadmill run or nothing else. But yesterday I left my iPod at home, got saturated, spent some time in my head and ran 8km.....it was definitely worth it.

Quality birthday time with my, almost 10 year old, Ash. For a party he chose to have two friends go with him to Timezone. A couple of hours filled with video games, bumper cars, mini golf and laser tag, followed by Hungry Jacks for lunch. He loved it, they love it, I loved it!

I think he was really stoked having time with me doing something he loved....especially considering I rarely, almost never, sit down and play computer games with him anymore.

I now want to go to Timezone for my birthday! I was overjoyed to see 'Guitar Hero' there, a few rounds of that, some car racing, motor bike racing, bashing creatures on the head, shooting in a saloon - and how good is laser tag!?! argh....I had the best time!!


Saturday, February 9, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 39

Yesterday I was thankful for.....

Being able to help with the Cooking class at the children's school. Luckily for Amelie, this year the kids get to start cooking in Year 3. They really need parent help for the classes to be effective because without enough volunteers all the children are unable to participate. This cooking class is part of a national Kitchen Garden program in selected schools where the children get to participate in the growing and preparing of food they eat. They weekly alternate between a cooking and a gardening class. One of the main reason I chose this school for my kids - love, love, love it!

So anyway....I helped supervise a group making pasta from scratch and sauce out of tomatoes grown in their garden....and then we got to eat it. Yum!

Being persuaded to share my popcorn with the two oldest children. If you know me, you know about my love for popcorn. I have been known to eat a large box all by myself at the movies....it was a challenge I happily accepted.
The plan was to put them to bed and head to my room to watch the latest episode of 'Suits'. Ash and Amelie begged to join me even though the times they were around while Michael and I watched it they couldn't understand any of it. Quite hilariously Ash said "I don't even know what they actually work at, just do this case, do that case and going to 'court'." I never realised how many metaphors were used in one episode until I started paying attention to it.

I may have been a little bit growly that they were eating all my popcorn....


Friday, February 8, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 38

Yesterday I was thankful for....

The energy to push myself through a weights session. Sometimes it feels like such waste of time, but I have to keep telling myself that it is ok if it's hard today, because next week I will be stronger. So yeah...yay me!

A temporarily non-demanding schedule. So I had big plans after scrubbing my kitchen - yesterday I didn't do anything other than regular 'keeping the mess at bay' housework , a load of washing and looking after and feeding my family. I worked out, set "Wii Fit Plus" up for Michael, finished a book, had a nap and did some other pottering around activities. I don't quite remember. I am trying to remind myself to really be thankful for these days and not feel guilty, because when uni goes back I will be worked of my feet and looking forward to my next holiday.

Dancing. Although I didn't stay the whole time, I still had some good dances. Honestly, I feel quite socially awkward there if I am not actually dancing - I chat with a few people, but I just don't know what to say....I am garbage at engaging in conversation and I feel like such and loser because of it.  Blegh - I don't feel awkward dancing though...thank goodness.


Thursday, February 7, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 37

Yesterday I was thankful for....

A new Goodlife gym at Nerang. This means I have a gym buddy in my fellow charity bread collector, Faith. I have never had a gym buddy before, a fact that I have moaned about quite often, so this is all rather exciting!

Finding the mojo to scrub my kitchen. I feel a house inspection coming on and also uni starts in a few weeks. Hopefully I can continue the flow and get all the edges and corners of my house super shiny. I might even fold the washing!

Helpful children. We collect the left over bread from the local bakery on behalf of our church once a week. The children usually are embarrassingly loud and have a tendency to fight amongst each other while they wait.

Yesterday I sent Ash into the shop to buy more garbage bags for the bread and when I came out they had already wheeled one of the bread filled trolleys out to the car. I met one of the stores 'trolley guys' as I was turning the corner, and he said "Are they your children around there?" I nodded. "They are very energetic!" Tell me about it....I returned to my car to find them climbing the fence to the trolley shed! But they were helpful, without complaining. Ash even told me he was tempted to use my card to buy a treat for himself as well as what I had asked him to purchase, but decided it wouldn't be such a good idea.

I love it when my children make good choices!!!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 36

Yesterday I was thankful for.....

Combat. I spent at least 5 years being quite significantly angry with no decent outlet other than locking myself in the bathroom with my head phones and cranking Korn or My Chemical Romance - a very Emo period for me. I will be grateful for every day I get to air punch/kick out my frustrations. It keeps me sane!

Something to look forward to. Date night.

Cheap pizzas and video night and a TV in our room. We put a movie on for the kids and gave them some pizza on a pizza box - no washing up - and shut ourselves in our room to watch two episodes of 'Elementary'.....it was wonderful! (We did get a movie to watch after the kids went to bed but it wasn't that good and I fell asleep on my husband....which apparently he loves, so its all good.)





Tuesday, February 5, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 35

Yesterday I was thankful for.....

My alarm clock. Without out it I would not have been able to get up early and go for a run. I also wouldn't have been able to listen to this awesome talk by Neal A. Maxwell while I was running.

Taking the time to prepare a Family Home Evening Lesson. Now I have one up my sleeve, because unfortunately I was exhausted last night and it didn't get taught....I felt like a failure, but then remembered our most excellent lesson in Relief Society on Sunday about "Becoming" and realised that I was a process to becoming the best 'me'. So I went a little easier on myself.

Lamb and chickpea soup. Amelie and my friend, Lou, were also thankful for it. Unfortunately the rest of the family don't appreciate my healthy dinners. Michael is not a soup man, and Ash likes his foods to be separate....I don't know what Jack's excuse was.....I have to admit I am rather a selfish cook - I figure if I am cooking dinner every night....but really, I think we need a family meeting re: The Weekly Menu.

Monday, February 4, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 34

Yesterday I was thankful for.....

The opportunity to fast. Our church has fast Sunday once a month. We fast for two meals, or 24 hours - I have not quite managed that long. I usually miss two meals on Sunday and eat at about 5pm...Anyway, more information on how and why we fast here. 

I have to admit I find it hard - probably because it is not something I have been consistently doing for my adult life, and also, I just really like to eat. Getting the children ready for church yesterday was excruciating! Made a little more difficult by the fact that I was hungry (and possibly hormonal) - I felt like I couldn't do it. I wasn't coping and I wanted to eat!! I had a good cry on Michael, said a bunch of silent babbling prayers, and got myself together. I couldn't bail - my lesson to my 10 year olds was on "When we are obedient and do our part, Heavenly Father would helps us."! I knew this to be true, I just had to exercise the faith to do it. 

My day ended up being really fabulous, my lesson went well and I got a lot of spiritual nourishment, and a little bit more conviction, from my Sunday meeting. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to fast, to sacrifice my physical nourishment for a day bring me closer to my Father in Heaven, receive the blessing from obedience and to donate of my substance to those that are in need of help. 

This video clip.

and Master Chef. Love that show!!! 


Saturday, February 2, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 33

Today I was grateful for....

Combat. I didn't plan to go today, but I am glad I did. My day always seems to flow a little better when its starts with some endorphins.

Michael taking the kids to the beach. It was nice to have some quite time to do some housework and chill out.

Learning. I made my brain hurt today. I am trying to learn html so I can mess around more with my blog. Knowledge is power!


365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 32

Yesterday I was grateful for.....

Leather seats in Michael's car. I bought the kids a chocolate milk Friday treat (I am often a stingy mum when it comes to treats) and as they were doing a 'cheers to the first week of school' Amelie knocked Ash's bottle too hard and his milk went everywhere. What could have been terrible to clean up was relatively easy solved with a damp towel. When my bomb of a car finally dies, my new one will have leather seats as well!

A TV for our bedroom. I was against the idea for ages. I didn't want to get in the habit of laying in bed watching TV at night and falling asleep in front of it. It has proved, however, very awesome for me. Especially on the nights Michael is out late dancing. I get to plug in my hard drive and watch my favourite shows in comfort.....Our couch is ridiculously uncomfortable.....seriously.

My funky happy t-shirt and my helpful little guy. Yesterday was plain awful (you can say that again). Jack was tired and refused to go to class when we got to school. I was tired and didn't have the patience to successfully, and kindly, handle his random stubbornness (he normally goes to class so easily but we were a little late and he was nervous). I was upset and losing it, as soon as I walked out the door I burst into tears. I hated being mad at him, and I hated that I was so intolerant.

I wanted to distract myself. Going to the movies sounded great but I talked myself out of it since I am trying to save money and not eat a huge bucket of popcorn. Instead I went to the op shop and bought a funky $6 happy yellow top....


...and wrote my day off reading and sleeping and eating my own stove top popcorn. I was quite significantly depressed for no real reason....no motivation, lethargic, and all of that. I managed to make dinner....just.

After dinner Jack decided to clean his room, he knew that I had been upset with him in the morning and that I was still feeling crappy (as much as I try to, I am not one of the those mums that can hide her emotions from her kids). He apologised and said he wanted to 'make me happy'. He cleaned everything up and made his bed nicely before he got in it. It was so lovely of him, and I got all heart melty. I didn't even mind getting up at 11pm to change his wet bed!

Tomorrow being a new day. Thank goodness for that!

Friday, February 1, 2013

365 Days Of Gratitude: Day 31

Yesterday I was thankful for.....

A great night of dancing. The last couple of times were a bit off. I felt like I had lost my mojo and confidence on the dance floor. It was extremely nice to come home on a high after quite a few memorable dances!

Michael the Babysitter. He watches a friends of mine's son, along with our kids, so she can come dancing with me. He has a soft spot for the challenges of 'single mum-dom' when it comes to fun.

Car Chats. Loved having a companion to ride with me up to Brisbane. Its a 45min drive and can be tiresome and dangerous, especially coming home late.  I don't get much 'real conversation' with females - this is almost the best 1.5hours of my week!

Yesterday's gratitude was all things dancing related!