Oh what joy she brings

Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons
~Author Unknown

Sweet childish days, that were as long

As twenty days are now.
~William Wordsworth, "To a Butterfly"

For my husband

The Strength of a Man
by Jacqueline Marie Griffiths

The strength of a man isn't seen in the width of his shoulders

It's seen in the width of his arms that circle you.

The strength of a man isn't in the deep tone of his voice,
It's in the gentle words he whispers.

The strength of a man isn't how many buddies he has,
It's how good a buddy he is with his kids.

The strength of a man isn't in how respected he is at work,
It's in how respected he is at home.

The strength of a man isn't in how hard he hits,
It's in how tender he touches.

The strength of a man isn't in the hair on his chest,
It's in his heart...that lies within his chest.

The strength of a man isn't how many women he's loved,
It's in how he can be true to one woman.

The strength of a man isn't in the weight he can lift,
It's in the burdens he carries.

A night with Robert Allen & Michael Buble

A very special night with my man, and my other man-love the incredibly gorgeous and talented Robert Allen!!

We had a great view of the stage and screens

The man himself, Mr Michael Buble! *sigh*
I always feel the need to drink hot chocolate when I listen to his music -
smooth and indulgently satisfying.

Up close and personal.

A very special night with my two very special men!!

Blue sky after the storm

I had one of those nights last night. Lots going on in my head and heart, feeling very vulnerable, lost and unsure about what the future holds. This morning I awoke with those same thoughts but with a different perspective on them. They're not resolved but, as the song lyrics say,

"I can see clearly now the rain has gone, I can see all obstacles in my way, gone are the dark clouds that had me blind, it's gonna be a bright, bright sun-shiny day"

As I said I don't have the answers for the dilemma that I've been wrestling with but at least I can see it for what it is now. A riddle that needs solving rather than a crushing weight.

And, it is going to be a bright, bright sun-shiny day!!

A Timely Reminder

I was inspired, and deeply moved by this very honest and heart wrenching account from the blog of Kelle Hampton:

http://www.kellehampton.com/2010/01/nella-cordelia-birth-story.html

Life rarely goes where, or how, we want it to, but it is how we face up to these sudden sharp turns & twists that truly define us. Thank you Kelle (via Cheryl) for this very timely reminder.

And so my prayer is that your story will have involved
some leaving and some coming home,
some summer and some winter,
some roses blooming out like children in a play.

My hope is your story will be
about changing,
about getting something beautiful born inside of you,
about learning to love a woman or a man,
about learning to love a child,
about moving yourself around water,
around mountains,
around friends,
about learning to love others more than we love ourselves,
about learning oneness as a way of understanding God.

We get one story, you and I, and one story alone.

God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution.
It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?"

-Donald Miller

Blue skies and sunny days

Today, we had a picnic down at Scarborough



We took sandwiches and fruit



And sat in the shade of the towering Norfolk Pines


Enjoying the sunshine and the fun

Just the tonic after 6 weeks of rain and cloudy skies


Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it"

My Christmas Craftiness

My funky & fabulous sister-in-law Sheree

My delightful sister-in-law Sarah

My lovely mother-in-law Lyn (& Sheree)

My adorable neice Sabrina

My wonderful Mum

And my beautiful sisters, Kathryn & Bronwyn

A huge thank you to my mum who embroidered the names on her machine and who STILL managed to look very surprised when she opened her present!