More Friends!

This house has been the place to be this past fortnight.... we had more friends for tea tonight! Sweet friends who we love very much.

Look at all these beautiful children. Thanks for coming to see us guys. :)

Happy Australia day!!!

"Australians, all let us rejoice,

for we are young and free;

We've golden soil and wealth for toil,

our home is girt by sea;

Our land abounds in nature's gifts

of beauty rich and rare;

In history's page let every stage

Advance Australia fair!

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia fair."

Goodbye

Ah, the sadness of saying goodbye. :(


My Mum went home today, and with her the end of a week of spending time together. The two little boys and I stood on the platform waving her off on the train, me trying to be positive and think of the next time we will see her, Elijah clinging to my leg and quietly crying little-boy tears........ and William oblivious really to what was going on. He was just drooling and looking around as always. :) We went straight to my friend Helen's house to have a cuppa and cheer up a bit. It worked, and even Elijah was smiling by the end of the day. He was really, really sad to see Mum go!! We had a lot of fun together, and she and I even got a few jobs done which have been bugging me for awhile now....... clearing out my wardrobe of maternity clothes and re-stocking it with regular ones (yes I know I should have done this weeks ago), cleaning out my linen cupboard (it looks GREAT!), and sorting through William's clothes. He has just gone up to a size 00 so needed the 000's put away. It was sad; there are so many cute 000's he no longer fits into! :( Then again, his new selection of 00's I've moved into his chest of drawers is exciting too.

Mum cooked for me while she was here, and grocery shopped for me too. I've been spoiled and have a freezer and pantry full to prove it! Mum - you are SO good to us, and we all love you very much and miss you already!


Tomorrow will be a busy day for all of us. With the opening of the Olympics tomorrow night, Stuart and his Preps are having all kinds of celebrations tomorrow. Part of the festivities includes the making of fried rice for lunch (courtesy of you-know-who), so I'll be spending much of the day with the children out at school. Always an exhausting prospect! Stuart's sister and her family all arrive tomorrow night for a Friday-night and all-day Saturday stay. We're really looking forward to catching up with them (and showing-off Stu's look-alike baby son... I think his sister will be having flashbacks to when Stuart was a baby!). So I need to get enough spare beds ready for 5 people - not sure exactly where we're going to put them, but I love a hospitality challenge!! I'm always thinking of ways to try and make my home more hospitable. I really want friends and family to feel comfortable here....... and constantly think about reasons why they wouldn't be (eg. house too small, too messy, not enough chairs, etc. etc.) I know it's silly to think like this, and that friends come to see us, not the house. Are you hard on yourself re: your ability to be a "host"?



I would love any tips or ideas on how to practice the kind of hospitality I know Jesus wants us to! It's an area I really want to improve in. In particular I want people to feel relaxed and comfortable, and to feel there's enough to do and different areas to go to if there are lots of people here. Our home is fairly small, so I'm conscious of wanting to use the space we have wisely.

Thanks in advance!! Have a great Friday everyone.