thankful

My friend Faith does a weekly post of what she's thankful for and I am in a very thankful mood so all praise belongs to the LORD. Hence this post.

• answered prayer...the LORD has made the recovery from this latest blow up with my Mum so much more smoother...so it's getting easier. We have had a good week together.
• family...spent today at the National Park at Wattamola beach which was wonderful. My man and son are both sick so they missed out. I would have stayed home but I organised the day and was taking all the food for the picnic so had to go. It wasn't the same but my nieces and nephews were so entertaining that I just loved being in the company.
• beautiful days which end in rain and thunderstorms. I love the sea and thunderstorms and had both today. God is awesome.
• playing lifeguard floating in the water behind the kids screaming out 'wave!' so they would all jump on their boogy boards and try to ride the wave in. Then walking from seaside to riverside to watch the kids scramble on to rocks, and scream out 'aunty tali look at me' or 'help aunty tali' when they started to slip.
• coming home to my own child. Hugging and kissing him as much as possible without annoying him :)
• for a hubby to do with life with.
• for all those holidays and day trips with my own parents where all i had to do was get up, get myself ready and jump in the car...meanwhile my parents were up early preparing food and everything else we would need for the day. I always knew I was lucky but being an aunty and mum has given me a new appreciation of this...I'm the one now preparing food and everything else!

mum

my prayer for today is LORD please desensitize me. My Mum and I can't survive one long visit - she's been here since November, without a blow up. Now every comment she makes just rubs me up the wrong way. I wish I was exaggerating but it takes a lot to make me angry, and two days ago I was very angry.

I don't want to spend this post complaining about my Mum, because I love her to bits and I know she loves me. But if I'm going to survive the next few weeks I need the LORD's help. I need to let her comments and opinions just go over my head. To try and make these next few weeks fun and enjoyable for her.

Plan to take her sightseeing tomorrow - places she hasn't been to, plus a little shopping at one of her favourite shops. Then Tues dinner at my cousin's place. Wednesday we're packing a picnic and going with all the grandchildren to this beautiful beach in the National Park. She's already starting to plan what food we're going to make for it :)

But I spend all day and all night with my Mum so I need better coping strategies. Stuff like, time out somehow - nap with Caleb twice a day...go out with Myles and Caleb one night just to get time alone.

I have a hospital appointment on Thursday which I will probably take Mum to, though not in to the actual appointment because the opinions will overflow, and I will be asking for trouble :)

Today was a very full day, so I had time out from Mum. Went to a 1st birthday today, my cousin's son. That was all day. It was so hot that while we were at the party another cousin brought over my 2 nieces for a swim at my place. We came back and an hour later another cousin and her son came for a swim, plus my aunty. They stayed till after 9pm.

So LORD, please help me to be patient with my Mum, to not take her comments and opinions personally, and to not let my anger lead me to sin, if it rears it's ugly head again. Help me to put her in perspective LORD, please. To remember all the good she is trying to do, and to talk to her with respect. To remember your word to me that time when she upset me so much over the phone that i cried out to you. And in my ranting and raving you whispered that one thought to me : she needs more love than you. It melted my anger and reminded me how she's alone in this world, with no Dad to talk to, who was so patient with her, loved her and spoiled her.

Help me to remember that LORD so I will treat her with compassion and acceptance. To remember how over our lives she has prayed for us, her children, and tried to do her best. Most importantly that I she brought me up knowing you and believing in you.

My Mum is 60 this year. She deserves my respect, she has 20 years of life experience on me. help me LORD to have a good attitude with her. To forgive her easily.

Forgive me for losing my temper and forgetting that I belong to you. I need you LORD. In Jesus' name I pray.

all about caleb

Trying to remember this year. I think because it's all been about caleb, my whole focus has been him, learning how to be a mum, and enjoying his 1st year. So what did i learn, what did i experience hasn't been that much outside of my role as mum. Life was a lot simpler.

The 1st couple of months were a struggle, because I was so green and my milk took so long to come in. And my Mum stressed me out big time.

Then things started to settle down and routines started to develop. I think I barely left the house for the 1st 6 mths, apart from to hop in the car with myles.

Caleb highlights...sleeping with him in my arms for the 1st time at the hospital, watching him and his facial expressions, responding to us, smiling, laughing, 1st baths and showers, learning to crawl, eating 1st foods, getting his 1st teeth, cuddles, kisses, sleeping in my arms, on my lap, how he would watch people as if he was observing them, crying whenever the car stopped at lights, 1st words, 1st steps, playing with a box, watching tv ads....so many.

Going to the park for our anniversary in May and Caleb's 5th bday - just a small picnic, the 3 of us, enjoying our time on our picnic mat, by the sea. Going on our 1st plane ride to Byron Bay.

Plus succeeding on our 2nd attempt at IVF. We thought it might not be as easy as the 1st time when we had Caleb. But it was so quick and with little problems. Thanks to the LORD.

That's all i can remember for now.

end of 2007

loved the dvd nite and I actually stayed awake. Went to bed about 4:30am. It was funny because I was wide awake and felt like I could do another dvd and within 5mins my eyes started to close. So went to bed after 3 dvds.

Been thinking about 2007 and what I learnt and experienced...and have yet to really get a handle on it. This is weird for me, because I'm an overanalyser and I can normally do this without much thought. It's written down somewhere and I just bring it all together. Not this time. I wonder why? See I am overanalysing already.

ps did i mention my son is walking everywhere now? He just clicked one day and has been walking and standing up without any support. He started doing 5/6 steps and falling months ago, but last week he just seemed to click and walked to Grandma. Awesome!!!

more plans

i'm organising a girlie video (they're dvds these days) nite for next frid or sat with some of my cousins. I was given 2 dvds one with 3 classics: casablanca, gone with the wind, doctor zhivago and the other is a girlie movie called the Notebook. Will also try to get that Lake movie with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock....i just read the name on Lill's blog and forgotten it already :)

I love casablanca, so will definitely watch that for the 100th time :) Not a great fan of Gone with the Wind, and have never seen Doctor Zhivago...so will reserve judgement. I know I've seen the Notebook...my cousin loved, but truly I can't remember it...she seems to think i enjoyed it but i don't remember thinking that much about it, so will see. I seem to think it's for a younger generation...

Not sure what my men will be doing, but if my Mum's watching it with us, we will have 20 questions to answer...hoping she will visit someone just to save all the chit chat :)

As for New Year's eve i'm going to my cousin's place for a quiet nite...good food, good company and lots of laughs. Another late one of course! But will recover the next day. So should be nice and relaxing. Might find some alcohol free bubbly.