tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43320883126565051562012-01-31T00:08:19.818+10:00Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.comBlogger1761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-32498234346021362832012-01-27T11:31:00.006+10:002012-01-27T12:03:18.207+10:00

We were on holidays at Sunrise over Gracie's 2nd birthday, so we opted for a family party. Bob and Steph try to make it to all of their grandchildren's birthday so they drove up for the day. The funny part was that we kept getting confused that Gracie's birthday landed on a Saturday instead of a Friday and kept getting the days mixed up because of that.Gracie wanted a train birthday cake with

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-56041226336610146312012-01-27T11:05:00.002+10:002012-01-27T11:28:17.063+10:00

I've been trying to jot down little things Simon and Gracie say that make me smile and I want to remember. My hope is that I can then put them onto this blog so I will remember more about these years in the future.So I'm looking at my notebook now and I can't even remember what they said 2 weeks ago from my scribbling.Me: "Gracie, Who's your best friend?" Gracie: "Simon".Me: "Who else are your

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-13925780900490540062012-01-27T10:52:00.003+10:002012-01-27T11:04:35.526+10:00

Over the weekend Gracie and I dropped Andrew off at school to get some work done. It was pretty early - maybe 7:30 am and quiet without the usual noise from all of the construction work going on in our neighborhood.As I was turning into our road, right there, in the middle of the road was a big, daddy kangaroo. He stopped and just stared at us for a good 30 seconds. He was so close to us and

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-55442579223548891392012-01-25T16:08:00.002+10:002012-01-27T10:35:24.391+10:00

Somehow the goodbyes never seem to get easier. After almost 3 months of having my mom living with us, I've stopped remembering what life was like here before she came. She's become such a permanent fixture in our family. Simon counts "5" of us at dinner and says, "We have 5 people in our family!" and whenever Gracie is asking me to sing "Jesus loves the little children" at bed time, she will

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-37217816156324582172012-01-25T15:50:00.003+10:002012-01-25T16:07:37.317+10:00

Correction:Gracie is in the 90th percentile for weight, weighing in at 14 kg or 30.8 pounds. She's over the 97th percentile for height at between 92.5 and 93 cm (either way she's over the 97th %).Then we've got Simon who is 16.4 kg and 103.5 cm. Not sure if I did my inches/cm conversions correctly or not, as the growth chart I just plugged these numbers into has him at 25th% for weight and 17th

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-25104004900763585032012-01-23T21:07:00.003+10:002012-01-23T21:24:27.261+10:00

I promise myself, I will get a proper birthday posting up soon, but for now, some stats on Gracie's second birthday.Height - 3 ft, 1/2 inch or 93 cm. A friend just told me that you can estimate your child's height by multiplying their height at 2 years, 4 months by 2. So, unless Gracie shrinks (or these things don't really work!), she's going to be well over 6 feet tall. However, the over 6 ft

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-71414478734106417312012-01-21T14:52:00.004+10:002012-01-21T15:18:38.433+10:00

January 15th marked the 4th anniversary of my precious father's departure from this world. By far, the most painful day of my life, I am surprised that time does seem to dull that pain.I always look forward to celebrating my dad's life and remembering him on his birthday and this anniversary. It was wonderful to have my mom with us- that also helped to ease the pain. And of course Simon,

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-82181453427920616012012-01-06T18:57:00.007+10:002012-01-07T07:50:45.263+10:00

Putting Gracie to bed five minutes ago and I must write this down as I'm already forgetting!We have a routine - Gracie sits on my lap in our IKEA chair in her room (love this chair except that I struggle to get out of it once I've sat down - where are those core muscles when you need them? ) She always sits on my lap, then jumps up to close the door (she doesn't want to let the flies in!) and

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-38596054890403253082012-01-06T08:43:00.005+10:002012-01-06T09:36:46.457+10:00

I'm blogging! And it's only 2012! Could have been 2013 at the rate I've been going!2011 was fun and it went quickly!Gracie and Simon are now "best friends". Yesterday Simon asked Gracie, "Gracie, who is your best friend? "Simon". "Even more than Daddy?" "emmm..." (which is Gracie's grunt for yes.And indeed, Simon and Gracie, chalk and cheese, are truly best friends. They chase each other,

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-14628861075998371882011-10-15T18:26:00.005+10:002011-10-15T19:12:38.521+10:00

* Planting flowers.* Watching my very first cucumber grow.* Eating my snow peas off the vine and rocket, lettuce, and herbs from my garden.* Face painting in the backyard.* Taking pictures of the kids while they slurp down their "squeezies" as Simon calls them - the only way I can get them to stand still long enough for a good shot.* Watering plants and flowers with the kids.Spring cleaning for 2

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-3559806023970587392011-10-04T13:49:00.003+10:002011-10-04T15:07:36.484+10:00

I finally managed to get a pony tail in Gracie's hair for more than 2 seconds. And oh did I have fun taking pictures. She just looked so cute and girlie. But alas, it seems it was a one off thing for now- I tried pig tails this morning but they lasted less than 2 seconds. Gone by the time I'd grabbed the camera.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-20688132369533213132011-09-30T13:51:00.003+10:002011-09-30T14:06:34.858+10:00

Okay, so I think this smelling flowers thing is the beginning of a dramatic new Liz. I've discovered that I like "crafting" and yes, have finished my first of (perhaps many) projects.I saw one of these pegboards at an auction recently and loved it. So I decided to give it a go myself- I've been wanting to use Gracie's wraps in some way to remember her as a baby, so I used this one (a present

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-72172892989854015352011-09-28T08:20:00.006+10:002011-09-28T08:28:48.939+10:00

At the market this Sunday I was late arriving and ended up with a heap of organic turnips, turnip greens, radishes,dill, and parsley for a bargain. I spent a few hours on Sunday cleaning through it all and trying to make turnip green chips, which unfortunately I managed to burn 2 batches of that. One turned out alright and Simon quite liked it, sprinkled with salt and Splenda! Wishing I had

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-36523560488053546342011-09-28T08:02:00.002+10:002011-09-28T08:18:41.462+10:00

Somebody likes peanut butter and jelly.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-70311134267606465722011-09-27T11:26:00.006+10:002011-09-27T12:53:16.101+10:00

When I was 15 years old, my boyfriend at the time gave me a card that read, "Take time to smell the flowers." Looking back, I think he was on to something.I still find it incredibly difficult to slowly enjoy the small moments in life. I do enjoy them, immensely, just at a whirlwind pace which doesn't have the same affect as stopping and savoring and breathing in the beautiful scent of all these

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-15307037390034377982011-08-05T10:35:00.002+10:002011-08-05T10:45:19.881+10:00

Gracie's got a doll (named Missy Kissy) and I am loving this new season of life and play. For those who know me well, I LOVED my dolls. Absolutely, absolutely loved them. So there is nothing cuter than to see my cute little tomboy, VERY excited and very attached to her very own Dahhhh-leeee. This morning we dressed her up in all combinations of Simon, Gracie's, and my own old baby clothes.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-10625861676564249432011-07-12T17:15:00.003+10:002011-07-12T19:09:32.191+10:00

Andrew returned from his first day back to school (with his students) with a smile on his face and a sigh of relief. It's always hard going back to work, especially after 2 weeks of holidays, but it was very nice (for him) to know that he still enjoyed his job and felt confident with his class.I felt the same way about my day. After having Andrew around the house for the past two weeks, I

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-33184998420912046462011-06-20T13:03:00.004+10:002011-06-20T13:14:34.766+10:00

Simon says,"Mommy, Grandma is the best cook ever. You should watch Grandma cook and then you'll be the best cook ever!" "Hey, and if I watch Grandma cooking, then I can be the best cook ever."Simon loves,Working in the garden with grandpa, although it was a bit too brisk and cold on Saturday morning, for his liking.Making cookies with grandma and licking the bowl.All of the amazing food at

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-77024114280318714912011-06-20T13:01:00.004+10:002011-06-20T13:03:49.072+10:00

I say, start em young! It's the only way to survive if you are an obsessive compulsive house cleaner like me.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-77661529813769687932011-06-20T12:03:00.007+10:002011-06-20T13:01:05.017+10:00

Gracie is really and truly talking! And it's so much fun! I am loving this 17 month old stage. She just oozes cuteness!My favourite phrase after "love you mama" which she repeated to me last night while driving home from Toowoomba is probably, "Sushi, please" (pronounced bbbbbbbblllleeeeeeasssssssse). I need to get a video of her saying it.And somehow she's picked up a cute southern accent

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-13373543917449708872011-06-05T21:11:00.002+10:002011-06-05T21:35:33.820+10:00

Day four was a success. While my volcano cake, complete with tiny teddies, kangaroos, platypus, and koala biscuits; sparklers; and two rescue helicopters standing by to rescue the animals from the jello lava would not have won any cake decorating prizes, I am proud to say that it completely rocked my four year old son's world. So much that to use his very grown up sounding words it was "awesome"

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-2494764779877364282011-06-03T22:23:00.004+10:002011-06-05T21:43:10.897+10:00

For Simon's birthday he wanted to go to Aussie world with his best friend Ethan. I'm not sure who had the most fun- Simon, Ethan or Gracie. It was a truly perfect day. Gracie surprised us by her amazing amusement park ability. She is going to scare me one day. She was determined to go on every ride her brother went on and she's fearless. We all rode on the ferris wheel which Simon LOVED. He

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-62599129272748677302011-05-22T14:33:00.005+10:002011-05-22T15:07:42.001+10:00

I can't believe it's almost June. What have we been up to this past month?- a visit to the biggest model train show in Australia. Simon was in heaven- a visit to the airplane museum in Caboolture. Gracie was in heaven.- a day trip to the Sunshine Coast where I caught up with three of my wonderful friends and their beautiful kiddies.- Caleb's birthday which included a visit from Grandma and

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-175274573773459272011-04-29T10:56:00.003+10:002011-04-29T11:00:47.860+10:00

Another cat lover in the family.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-19838885585539751272011-04-28T20:26:00.005+10:002011-04-29T10:56:16.435+10:00

Lovely Easter weekend in Toowoomba with family. Sue and D.I. were kind to let us use their lovely home, with beautiful views of the range (but unfortunately we didn't take any photos) and lots of toys for Simon and Gracie. We had a relaxing and happy time with Bob and Steph as Simon and Gracie just love their grandparents. Simon and Bob had fun watering the garden, and they both ended up soaked

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-63604174275687549422011-04-28T19:54:00.003+10:002011-04-28T20:00:36.715+10:00

It took her 15 months to get going but now there's no stopping our little G. Oh what goodies she can now get into!

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-6357009226923374452011-04-28T19:36:00.005+10:002011-04-28T19:54:03.498+10:00

I think what I am enjoying most about our school boy being away three days a week is actually having the chance to just look at Gracie. I know it probably sounds unreal to many but somehow in the business of the first year with two children, I've failed to take much time and just gaze into my daughter's beautiful face. I remember feeling like the world stood perfectly still when Simon was born

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-24607666308080621632011-04-28T19:27:00.004+10:002011-04-28T19:35:34.808+10:00

Thanks, Tim and Jen, for your burley. Looking forward to many family bike rides together. And not too many fights in the back. Kind of reminds me of our road trips as a kid. "Mom! She's in my space. Tell her to move over! I want to be by the window."

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-61701631626609803192011-04-28T19:22:00.001+10:002011-04-28T19:27:51.294+10:00

First day of school... was a success!

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-21616838154035391932011-04-09T20:19:00.004+10:002011-04-09T20:35:49.085+10:00

Excitement is in the air. Simon starts "school" on Monday three days a week. He'll be going to Harmony Montessori Children's House Monday, Wednesday, and Thursdays and we think it is going to be great for us all! Andrew is on Easter holiday for two weeks so we figure now is a good time to start as it will allow us more time to get him nice and settled in.So, to celebrate the momentous occasion,

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-10133631322409132842011-04-09T19:44:00.003+10:002011-04-09T20:19:02.931+10:00

Five dollars = a good investment in our children's future basketball careers. Grace loves putting the ball through the hoop which is a good thing since it looks like she could be six foot tall one day. And Simon, who has been practicing dribbling the basketball a lot lately strikes me as being the small, wiry point guard who likes stealing the ball from everyone. Kid you not but he got a shot in

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-59865320535539630482011-03-22T13:46:00.003+10:002011-03-22T14:21:33.325+10:00

It was raining most of the weekend. So on Saturday, while Andrew had some rare R&R at the Morayfield shopping center, Simon, Grace and I painted, played with Legos, had a geography lesson while practicing dribbling, made berry smoothies, played in the rain, and had an hour long bath. Simon has discovered that he does like the water, especially sliding down the end of the bathtub. He and Gracie

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-88207338199284932512011-03-06T14:34:00.004+10:002011-03-06T19:22:54.673+10:00

It was an especially sad St Raja's Day this past week, as I missed my dad sorely on his March 2nd birthday. But that evening, after a dinner of blueberry pancakes and real maple syrup, we retired to the backyard for a game of T-ball, in honor of my dad. Having not played t-ball for quite some time we started out with the t-ball set my mom bought for Simon when he was 18 months old. Within five

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-76549747305793501132011-03-06T14:16:00.002+10:002011-03-06T14:20:42.359+10:00

After a too good to be true five minutes of quiet, I thought I'd better go investigate.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-80016696305081361522011-03-06T12:52:00.007+10:002011-03-06T19:24:17.573+10:00

Somehow I don't think this will be the only red car they get up to mischief in! I can only imagine these two fifteen years from now.... Yikes !!!

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-46321512110569184452011-02-22T14:13:00.004+10:002011-03-06T12:47:51.454+10:00

Gracie is such a delight these days. When she smiles her big twelve tooth smile it lights up the whole room. People have always commented on how bright Grace seems to be, the way she observes and absorbs everything around her. This morning she discovered our shape sorter toy and within a few minutes she'd mastered putting the shapes into the right holes. Later I put Simon and Gracie into the

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-89521596988475649092011-02-22T13:58:00.006+10:002011-02-22T14:12:38.819+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-56211423999168144842011-02-21T16:24:00.007+10:002011-02-22T13:58:26.850+10:00

It's pretty funny to hear your own words come out of your three year olds mouth. This morning Simon made a very impressive Skiddo out of his lego while I was getting Gracie to sleep. I always rave to him about the fact that he is only three and he can build something so wonderful. So today he says, "Say, and you are only three and you made that! I'm thirty two. And daddy's fifteen!"A few days

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-46365488925198456352011-02-14T21:08:00.003+10:002011-02-14T22:08:44.187+10:00

For Valentine's Day I got...a little red "IKEA" (actually I bought it at ALDs's) kids chair.This has been the year of buying furniture. Seriously I kind of feel like a contestant on the Price Is Right who has just won the furniture showcase showdown. I feel unbelievably blessed, grateful, spoiled, thankful.... especially in light of the recent floods and cyclones and of course, knowing how so

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-21017415385148367742011-02-12T22:34:00.004+10:002011-02-12T22:50:47.458+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-41055812381760444622011-02-12T19:28:00.009+10:002011-02-12T21:38:15.473+10:00

When we went to the States we decided against bringing a camera as we packed SUPER light, knowing that both of my sisters and their husbands take great photos. Here are some of the photos that Deb and Zach took - Rachel and Darren's are on the external hard drive which I'm too lazy to go hook up, so next time I sit down to post you'll get to see more of the Sally/Gracie photos! This installment

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-30768177928979506502010-09-16T15:16:00.003+10:002010-09-16T15:33:16.229+10:00

On Monday Grace and I were down at the river, while Simon was at daycare. It was perfect out and we were sharing an amazing mother/daughter moment. I was just falling in love with her and completely oblivious to the rest of the world - something I am sad to say, hasn't happened the second time around like it did the first. With Simon the world stopped but with Gracie, the world has just spun.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-66622799787968266042010-09-05T19:25:00.002+10:002010-09-05T19:32:37.108+10:00

I had the most perfect dream last night.My family was all together at my Mimi and Papa's house in Connecticut. Suddenly, it started snowing - a perfect snowfall, with big, fluffy snowflakes. My sister, Debbie, ran out of the house and down Shore Road to catch them, followed by my Papa, followed by my sister Rachel, followed by my little cousins driving the Audi, followed by my dad and I. It

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-82117833691180725292010-09-05T19:20:00.003+10:002010-09-05T19:25:23.564+10:00

This afternoon Simon asked me if he could watch some "Vegemites". I found this absolutely hilarious. He's never actually watched Vegi Tales before - it's kind of an American thing, I think. My mom had given us a few Vegi Tale videos when she was here in January, and I'd put them away on a shelf down in the playroom. We've never actually watched them yet and I don't think we've ever talked

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-38352227947947128262010-09-05T19:13:00.002+10:002010-09-05T19:20:09.147+10:00

Steph and Bob were up house sitting for some friends of ours these past two weeks. It's been wonderful to have them around and we are always so thankful for all their help. Thanks for lovely meals, baby sitting, and helping us out in general. We appreciate your kindness and support.And thanks, Steph, for helping me get rid of Gracie's cradle cap or 'crap' as one of the women at my church calls

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-43725711291949032010-09-05T06:31:00.003+10:002010-09-05T19:12:54.125+10:00

Today is Father's Day in the land downunder.Happy Father's Day to Andrew, who is an incredible father to our beautiful children. I could not have hoped for a more loving and devoted husband and father. You are supportive, hands-on, encouraging, fun, dependable, helpful, kind, patient, and always so thankful and appreciative. I love seeing you play with Simon and I love seeing how much he loves

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-66646295993688392082010-08-21T12:46:00.003+10:002010-08-22T08:10:22.822+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-63797051257196107912010-08-21T06:58:00.003+10:002010-08-21T06:59:57.864+10:00

Spring doesn't arrive until September.I just got back from taking Grace for her morning walk. She's up before 6 every morning and I've decided to take her out so as not to awake the boys in the house. It was a beautiful winter morning and I am going to miss it here so much.Today looks to be a GREAT day. Andrew and Simon are off to the gingerbread factory and I will clean house and hang out

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-47862075913686494622010-08-20T12:57:00.002+10:002010-08-20T14:31:21.388+10:00

I shed my first tears over a car today. We lost Tin Top, the $10 plastic racing car that I had bought Simon for his 3rd birthday. Tin Top was his absolute favorite present. I had marveled at how an overpriced piece of blue painted plastic could make a little boy so happy. But it had. Just last night I tucked Simon into bed, Tin Top under his arm.Well today was a memorial day for another

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-65040303752838650352010-08-19T13:04:00.002+10:002010-08-19T13:07:05.225+10:00

As the weather warms up, we get to bring out the cute new summer clothes! Thanks for this gorgeous outfit, Cass!

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-51916310320105751282010-08-19T12:22:00.004+10:002010-08-19T13:04:16.775+10:00

Is it spring yet? Actually, I'm not sure. I get so confused by the seasons here - and often wonder if I am losing my mind because I can't remember what month it is.We've been down to the beach a lot more since making the decision to move in six weeks time - yes, I don't think I've told many people that thanks to our incredibly busy life at the moment. We're moving to Toowoomba, where Andrew is

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-41965043756810265812010-08-19T12:02:00.002+10:002010-08-19T12:22:55.554+10:00

Simon has a book about a bear named Bah who is constantly saying, "nah" to everything he's supposed to do - one day he's had a particularly bad day - a lumpy, stumpy, grumpy, dumpy kind of day, but at the end of it George, his caretaker, says, "Bah, I love you just the way you are". Simon loves the book and loves to say, "I love you just the way you are."Well, after several weeks of great days

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-56630235396965099262010-08-05T14:09:00.004+10:002010-08-05T14:34:00.375+10:00

the way she smiles when I sing anything to her but her very favourite is the itsy bitsy spiderthe way she always goes for the toilet paper whilst accompanying me to the restroomher patience and graciousness - very rarely demanding anything from anyone but still she lets you know "nobody puts baby in the corner"her big eyes, especially turning to see me when she's in her carseatthe way she lights

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-36381984946003378772010-07-27T21:00:00.002+10:002010-07-27T21:08:57.687+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-33391734568319843722010-07-27T20:28:00.003+10:002010-07-27T21:00:51.499+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-70294451779521064212010-07-26T20:38:00.005+10:002010-07-26T21:48:44.957+10:00

All of my friends with two children said that the first six months are the hardest and then it gets a lot easier and a lot more fun. And I think they are right. Andrew's into week 3 of this last 10 week teaching block and despite Simon deciding last week that he didn't want to go to school anymore, I am holding up well.Grace is delightful - she's sleeping a lot better during the day and some

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-41657605708567856882010-07-08T22:28:00.003+10:002010-07-08T22:32:02.028+10:00

I should really get to bed but it's just so much fun to play around with pictures. Grace and me, almost six months.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-46148899488659772572010-07-08T21:56:00.003+10:002010-07-08T22:12:09.526+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-59471907707614848932010-07-08T14:50:00.005+10:002010-07-08T21:49:03.125+10:00

I've been reflecting on trusting God over the past few days - which deserves a lengthy posting of all my mind wanderings on this topic- but I'll keep this one short and sweet as G should be waking at any moment. Last night, I was thinking about how refreshing (and worry-free) it is to look to God as I did to my father and to trust God with child-like surrender.Yesterday I said to Andrew, "It's a

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-17816778058569312962010-07-04T14:29:00.002+10:002010-07-04T14:31:20.966+10:00

I walked into Simon's room this avo where Simon, Andrew, and Gracie were playing to see Gracie sitting up on the bed, all by herself! Apparently Andrew had put her in that position, but she stayed there for at least a minute! Maybe I'll be able to remember this milestone, since it happened on the 4th.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-19921176405582931412010-07-03T19:49:00.002+10:002010-07-03T19:56:31.773+10:00

First time in the highchair.First time sitting up for a ride in the pram.First kitty- from G'ma Steph and she's pink!First time finding her toes.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-55422540824591255972010-07-03T14:57:00.010+10:002010-07-03T19:16:18.938+10:00

Getting muddy in the backyard with daddy.Playing mechanic....Full of good times on the John Deere. Wrestling Gracie and giving her lots of love and "duddles".Naps with MommyThere were three in the bed and the little one said, roll over...Full of Smiles.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-4256803104229527682010-07-02T13:53:00.002+10:002010-07-02T14:19:32.742+10:00

Simon loves stories. He asks for them all the time and listens very attentively to each story, taking in each and every word. This afternoon, before his nap, he asked me, "You going to tell me a good story today?" "Yes, I said," and told him about my Papa Lewis's secret recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies that he'd make each time we visited, and about Grandma Pierce's Golden Grahams tucked away

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-18359867579818424362010-06-17T14:49:00.003+10:002010-06-17T14:55:21.457+10:00

After month of teething with nothing to show for it, Little G's first tooth has broken through - the bottom right. Go Little G! And she's been practicing her roll overs all day. And she had her very first turn in the rainforest jumperoo (thanks Auntie Deb and Uncle Zach!) and she LOVED it. So many smiles and "coughs" (either she is getting a cold or this is her new vocal experiment- she is a

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-78120332906567780402010-06-15T20:20:00.002+10:002010-06-15T20:27:36.100+10:00

Solo parenting with a beautiful little girl named Gracie. Easy - peesy so far. It's just the two of us and I feel like holidays have officially started for me! What have we done so far? Nap, walk to the grocery store, eat, bath, and play with our toes! Grace has found her toes and it's so gorgeous. She also did two big "blow outs" and really enjoyed all the time on the bed without her nappie

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-10080832881390385512010-06-10T15:35:00.003+10:002010-06-11T19:33:56.555+10:00

Some pictures from Simon's 3rd birthday party- which was kind of themed "Race Car" party. A few days before his birthday he decided he wanted a race track cake (instead of the prized green pick up truck he'd been eyeing off for months in Grandma's Women's Weekly birthday cake book). I was thrilled because the race track actually looked easy - and it was a good thing he'd changed his mind, since

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-71575574033440457822010-06-10T15:24:00.005+10:002010-06-10T15:35:41.366+10:00

This morning I showed Simon a letter received from World Vision, asking for money to help buy food for families suffering from hunger in Mozambique. There were pictures and we talked about how these children needed food and that the letter asked if we had any money we could give to help. I asked Simon, "Do you have any money?" "Yes! I have money in my choo choo train bank." "Would you like to

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-10832513934073873202010-06-09T10:42:00.002+10:002010-06-09T10:57:27.271+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-52546356909259944692010-06-09T09:22:00.003+10:002010-06-09T10:01:29.522+10:00

I took Grace to the doctor last week (4 and a half months old) and had her weighed and measured at the same time. Here's the stats on our cute little four monther.Weight - 6.65 kgHeight- 68 cmsHC- 42 cmsSo our little girl is in the 98% for length!!! And she's around average in the other departments. She'll be a tall one!And a beautiful girl as well. She's just getting cuter and cuter. She is

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-71998182592954410722010-06-05T20:01:00.004+10:002010-06-05T20:35:08.476+10:00

Last year I was trying to survive a very bad case of "morning" (or more like 24 hour) sickness and so, Simon missed out on a party and Grandma had to make him a cake because I couldn't go near food without yup, you guessed it...So I made up for it this year with two cakes and a batch of cupcakes. We celebrated Simon's third birthday at daycare on Thursday, at home on Friday and then had his

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-71988977930311047992010-05-28T19:41:00.003+10:002010-05-28T19:48:05.196+10:00

Gracie rolled over again today, back to stomach. It was very cute. I was changing her so she had her pants off and was lying on the bed, with her sweet, chubby legs in the air, working so hard to hoist her bum over which she finally did. Then she lay struggling to get herself up, face head down on the blanket. I helped her a bit and then she peeped up her cute little head and smiled. She

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-60739967435705361972010-05-24T14:18:00.001+10:002010-05-24T14:20:29.913+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-7917594848196599012010-05-24T13:54:00.002+10:002010-05-24T14:10:36.770+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-55923686331602667772010-05-24T12:50:00.002+10:002010-05-24T13:31:41.746+10:00

We got a post card from Helsinki today - Steph aka the traveling granny- is swanning and posting Bob the Builder postcards in Finnish!Bob came up this weekend and I've decided to name him the traveling nanny- he was an amazing help, especially after Andrew and I were both exhausted after a big week with Simon sick from Monday-Thursday, a physio appointment for me in Brisbane (an hour and a half

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-89274762732788798572010-05-24T12:46:00.002+10:002010-05-24T12:49:50.108+10:00

Our little girl has been eyeing off our food for over a month now so this weekend we decided to give Gracie her first bite to eat. Yummy organic rice cereal a la breast milk. The packaging actually makes it look so yummy that Si wanted some too. And the verdict...food is a winner.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-69984571089131472812010-05-18T11:29:00.006+10:002010-05-18T11:48:27.918+10:00

About a week or two ago, Gracie laughed for the first time! It was gorgeous and she's been doing it ever since. It's a cute, kind of low pitched, one-syllable grunt laugh. I love it!And yesterday she discovered her fingers and had a great time staring at themand moving them around. Another cute Gracie thing- she always opens her mouth as soon as you put her down in her craddle to sleep, asking

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-47976334386464612622010-05-14T10:26:00.003+10:002010-05-14T10:34:59.644+10:00

Simon rode to daycare aka 'school' with his friend and next door neighbour, Charlie, today. Leesa (Charlie's mom) and I have decided to carpool and even though his school is only a mile from here, it really will be a godsend by the time I interrupt Gracie's sleep, get all in the car, say our goodbyes.... so I'm thrilled it's worked out. Or has worked out on day 1.I was a bit sad and nostalgic,

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-20941020618116765482010-05-08T08:50:00.004+10:002010-05-08T09:08:56.711+10:00

Nothing warms my heart like a mother's day card from Bunnings. Except maybe the traps Simon and Andrew bought to hopefully catch our mysterious night visitor. How gorgeous is it when my little boy bounds into the house, big smile on his face and hands me a mother's day card! And then starts telling me about the lawnmowers and chainsaws that he saw at the hardware store. Gotta love my mini-

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-3602337193592456482010-05-07T11:44:00.001+10:002010-05-07T11:54:23.679+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-6977645673566228552010-05-07T11:35:00.002+10:002010-05-07T11:44:36.987+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-52982353891235043392010-05-07T11:13:00.004+10:002010-05-07T11:35:17.274+10:00

It's my mom's birthday today! And so, for her birthday I am going to post a zillion pictures of Grace and Simon! Because I know that grandmas can never get too many pictures!My mom is so great! I am so thankful to have her and I want to celebrate her life today. My mom is an incredible woman- I've been inspired to see how much she's trusted in God's love and goodness her entire life, but

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-70058600097279946412010-05-05T09:45:00.004+10:002010-05-07T13:58:23.683+10:00

While I was watching Simon doing scooter "tricks" yeseterday, he said some very cute things and I actually wrote some of them down. "I almost jumped all the way up there (points to the roof) and landed back on my scooter." "I have to climb up this (points to the beam in the middle of our basement)." "I just going to move it (the pram) next to that pram." (to get it out of the way for him to climb

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-69195133464570422272010-05-05T09:14:00.002+10:002010-05-05T09:22:28.619+10:00

I'm on hold with our phone company, Grace is asleep, and Andrew and Simon are busy sawing away. We've had more possum problems, which Simon finds incredibly fascinating and exciting. So Andrew and Si are trying to block up one of the possible entries to where the possum may be getting into our house. I find the whole thing incredibly disgusting! I must say I hate furry nocturnal animals

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-19905532775620570972010-05-04T20:50:00.004+10:002010-05-07T10:59:39.639+10:00

Simon has SO much energy these days. He LOVES playing chase and of course, loves crashing into things. Which is what happened today. I was feeding Grace on the couch and Simon was running up and down the hallway at full speed, screaming happily (or crazily!), holding his teddy, kitty, a throw pillow, and something else (I can't remember what!) and jumping onto the couch next to me. and saying

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-89525383664826152462010-05-01T19:46:00.004+10:002010-05-01T20:40:26.072+10:00

Whew, is all I have to say right now. If you can tell by my lack of blog posts the past few months, life feels somewhat hectic at the moment. I'm afraid there's very little time for blogging and posting photos - how on earth do you do it, Rachel and Cass? I hardly check my email or turn on the computer these days!Grace is as gorgeous as ever. I won't bore with all the details of our daily

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-20603091257480538782010-04-09T21:02:00.002+10:002010-04-09T21:08:06.545+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-6401144361454896572010-04-09T20:31:00.002+10:002010-04-10T08:19:22.975+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-42602102836821177982010-04-09T20:27:00.001+10:002010-04-09T20:31:08.632+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-79965565544365064922010-04-09T20:19:00.002+10:002010-04-09T20:26:05.571+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-37658624590548287722010-04-09T20:10:00.002+10:002010-04-09T20:26:40.903+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-19395005086080417362010-04-02T21:58:00.004+10:002010-04-02T22:05:07.047+10:00

And a few pictures of Grace who slept through the Easter egg hunt. Can you tell she's great on her tummy, has discovered the mirror, is teething (notice the drool),and gets oh so happy in her rain forest bouncer.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-62400181767313434862010-04-02T21:25:00.009+10:002010-04-02T21:58:04.933+10:00

Some of my best childhood memories are of Easter eggs. I just love Easter eggs, which seem to be more of an American/European tradition than an Australian one (they love their chocolate Easter bunnies). So I decided to carry on our traditions and invited some of my good friends over to dye eggs and have an Easter egg hunt. Although it felt a little chaotic, the kids had a GREAT time. Simon

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-27852622511396312622010-04-01T14:34:00.002+10:002010-04-01T14:49:12.855+10:00

Poor Gracie got her vaccinations today, or needles, as they say here in Australia. She screamed and bleed and I felt so bad for the poor darling. The only fun part about the visit was getting her stats.Our little Grace is long- 61 cm, which is somewhere between the 75th and 90th percentile. The at first told us she was 63 cm which would have placed her in the top 5 % - "Is there anyone really

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-26263668654410773772010-03-26T10:25:00.004+10:002010-03-26T12:55:28.249+10:00

I just wanted to say that I have been so happy this week. I'm really enjoying taking care of Gracie and Simon so much, and even though Gracie's perfect sleeping schedule hasn't returned and I think I've got two teething children (yeah! she's only 10 weeks old!)I'm having a lot of fun with being a mother. Sometime last week I seemed to figure out how to stay calm and be really firm and loving

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-75472744174408686052010-03-22T07:44:00.003+10:002010-03-22T12:06:14.615+10:00

Mimi Jane sent Simon some money as a present for becoming a big brother. Simon was very excited to put the money in his "choo choo train" bank and then take a trip to the shops to buy Arthur! He actually went to buy Thomas the Tank Engine but Thomas wasn't at the shops so Arthur it was. I like making up stories to tell him at night about Dad as a child. They are fictional, but based on things

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-6804744052612106202010-03-22T07:21:00.002+10:002010-03-22T07:40:26.639+10:00

Thank God, Gracie and Simon are on the mend. I think we were at the doctor's office every day last week, and several days the week before. Grace had bronchitis and nearly ended up in hospital, due to dehydration. But she's doing good after two weeks of sickness, she's feeding well again, and her horrible cough is almost gone, too - what a relief.Simon, poor guy, was sick for a solid week. He

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-55666842253077580422010-03-12T19:30:00.004+10:002010-03-12T20:20:11.562+10:00

I think this might be my favorite outfit so far. I call her my little cherry blossom. Poor cherry blossom has bronchitis.

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-1187821526222159962010-03-05T14:26:00.002+10:002010-03-05T19:43:34.341+10:00

What Simon's new daycare has to say about him...Monday 1st March 2010Simon was very happy today. He has settled into our room exceptionally well. Even when upset, he will take comfort from Kerrin and Ruth and is easily distracted with toys, songs and books. Simon is confident and able to talk with and play with his caregivers and friends. Simon is inquisitive and asks many questions (

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-65730747874653522842010-03-05T11:56:00.002+10:002010-03-05T11:59:59.008+10:00

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332088312656505156.post-49891509377242743052010-03-03T14:20:00.003+10:002010-03-03T14:33:17.085+10:00

I took Grace to the doctor today for her 6 (I'm always a bit late) week check up. She's doing great. My dad would like to know that she is in the 50th percentile for height, weight and head circumference. Up from the 25th percentile for her weight at birth. When my dad was here when Simon was born he had the best time looking at all the stats and placing guesses on where Simon would be in 3

Faith Observedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04914696425342692247noreply@blogger.com1