Monday, June 30, 2014

Louis is a yellow belt!

In June, Louis went for his yellow belt in Taekwondo.  We were so proud of his effort!  It was quite a long morning and Dylan, Ethan and Jayden did pretty well being so patient.  It was really nice to be able to support him as a family and celebrate his achievement!  









A Sunday in June...

I'm playing catch up...there's so much I don't want to leave unrecorded...

It's been a cold winter and I'm looking forward to feeling some sun on my face.  I find my energy really drops by the end of the season and I'm looking forward to boosting my Vitamin D levels very soon! 

It's always nice to get some fresh air though...even in winter so these photos are just from a random day spent up at Homegrown Farm...


















The house is coming along really well.  I'll have to post some new photos up soon. 

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Super Mum alter ego...

So I have a Super Mum alter ego.


She mostly comes out at night when the kids are asleep, the house is calm and peaceful and I have time to ponder.

She's pretty amazing.  She ploughs through a to-do list like nothing else, she manages her family and her home, travels, is fit and healthy and always looks well put together.  She cooks organic food from scratch and is available for school events and activities.  She runs marathons.  She is home every afternoon for her kids with afternoon tea.  She's great at craft and playtime and likes to read stories each night as she tucks her children in to sleep.  She also loves 1 on 1 times with each of them each day.  She enjoys romantic time with her husband every evening. 

She runs a business or two.  In diverse areas such as farming and tourism to the health and wellness industry.  She works minimal hours, has time for her family and earns a great income.

Of course, she does this all effortlessly, never loses her cool and knows how to socialise and have fun. 

She also has plenty of luxurious me time in there to look after herself.  Spa days and massages.  Retreats and seminars.

Oh, and she spends a portion of her time volunteering and giving back to the community. 

She really is pretty amazing...but unfortunately she is a work of fiction.   She doesn't exist, nor do I believe she ever will. 



Now back to real life and what's in my heart.

My heart tells me to slow down, enjoy these precious boys. 

Slow down and enjoy motherhood with my whole being.

Focus and live in the present.

Be grateful and content with all that I have right now. 

My heart tells me, that my family won't care about much of what this Super Mum alter ego achieves.  They will care about how I make them feel. 

That my role at home is the most important thing in the world and I'm the only one that can mother my children.  You can't outsource that.

I'm the only one that can be a wife to my husband. 

My heart tells me, that there is such joy to be found in the simple things.  There is even so much joy to be found in the mundane.  The never ending tasks that are on repeat day in and day out.  There is love and nurturing in providing food, a comfortable home and fresh, clean clothes.  In teaching life skills and guiding these little hearts as they grow and face challenges.  In stopping the squabbles and wrestling that goes on between 4 energetic little boys. 

My heart tells me, everything is how it should be right now and to embrace it.  Keep putting relationships and love first.

My heart says to accept myself for who I am. Right now.

My heart says, let go of the idea of Super Mum...let go of ego and just be. 



Do you have an alter ego?  I'd love to hear how you balance your big dreams with your reality?   Do you think it's possible to "have it all" while remaining true to your basic core values?

Linking up with Essentially Jess for #IBOT

Monday, June 9, 2014

Weekend: Our anniversary

What an amazing weekend!  We dropped the boys off on Saturday to have a sleepover with their grandparents and we had a kid free night!  Our anniversary was actually a couple of weeks ago, but due to so much happening it was put off for a couple of weeks.  We have now been married 11 years and together for 16 years.  We've had ups and downs, challenges and triumphs but I love this man more than words can say. 



Keeping it simple we decided that our night would consist of Indian takeaway, eaten at home, on the couch watching "The Hobbit".  Very romantic!!  To be honest though, I didn't want it any other way.  It was so nice to have the house to ourselves, to watch a loud movie without worrying about waking the boys up and of course, the Sunday morning sleep in. 

We lazily arose and had a leisurely breakfast before heading up for a 4 wheel drive into the bush. Michael wanted to show me a lookout he had stumbled upon a long time ago. It was high up into the hills and a very bumpy road but it was worth it.








 It was such a beautiful day with sun filtering through the trees. What I wasn't prepared for was how icy cold the wind was at the top.  Michael had told me he thought it could snow up that high, and I told him I wasn't so sure until I actually got out of the car!  It was so so cold I was instantly shaking.  We took a few photos and enjoyed the view before retreating to the warmth of the car. 







We headed for home so we could switch cars and go and pick up our boys.  They had a heap of fun and were running around out in the paddocks when we arrived.   Off to home where we had friends meeting us on a day trip up from Melbourne.  It was so great to catch up and we spent the rest of the afternoon sitting around the fire at the block. 




One of those great weekends, where it's all about the little things.  A weekend where I was constantly reminded of the gratitude I have in my life.  Time with my husband, our boys, our family and friends, living in this amazing area, living this simple life. 

I really believe it's not how much you have, but how much you appreciate what you have that makes for a blissful life. 

Monday, June 2, 2014

May: Bits and Pieces

Apologies in advance for the epic post!  It was a big May and I really wanted to record it...

It started with my brothers 40th birthday celebration.  It was a fun night and we found out that my brother and his partner are expecting baby number 3.  Very exciting:








Crazy hair day at school!  Bad photo taken at the end of the day because my phone was flat in the morning



Exciting times at Homegrown Farm.  We had a heap of painting to do before the roof went on.  We are so happy with how it turned out!:
















My 33rd birthday.  One of my most memorable birthdays.  My sister surprised me with a new Canon DSLR 600d which she knew I'd been saving for.  My Dad had conspired with her and had a camera case and memory card to go with it. I never expected anything like it.  It was such a generous gift and I was overwhelmed with emotion.  I'd had a rough week for a few different reasons and to have them put so much thought and effort into a gift like that was amazing.  I'll be forever grateful.  I didn't want to put the photos of me up on here but it captures the moment:





















With my new camera in hand Jayden and I had a stroll down to the lake to play around:











On the last day of Autumn we had a BBQ with great friends at their home:







Michael has also enjoyed the new camera having a play around up at our block:









Farewell to Autumn, and hello winter.