Day 28 - My favourite

And these are a few of my favourite things...

Travelling, snorkeling, my husband, the beach, swimming, colourful fish...

Family, my children, my mummy, colour co-ordination, laughing....

Switchfoot, concerts, parachute music festival...

Day 30 - Something beautiful

For something beautiful I decided to take a photo of my Grandma. My grandma is an incredibly beautiful person. While old age is catching up with her my memories of grandma will always be of her at her lovely house at Mount Maunganui. She was an amazing cook and loved to eat her own cakes and biscuits. She loved to read and sun bathe and has given me many of her books now she finds it hard to read. She is always positive, had a real gift for hospitality and was just the right amount of slightly crazy and really fun!! I love my grandma! Apparently we are a lil alike and maybe that is why!!

Day 29 - A great memory

I recently turned 30 and with that came a bit of soul searching. It felt so old!! As I thought about it I realised I am well and truly no longer a child, adolescent or even a young adult but am staring middle age square in the face. EEK!!!

As scary as that thought feels it is less overwhelming when I reflect on what an awesome 30 years it has been! While I have had my share of ups and downs I have so many great memories to look back on. If the next 30 are as awesome as the last 30 have been I truly have nothing to fear!

Thanks to God for leading me safe so far and I know He will lead me on!!

Photos are such a great way of remembering. They capture moments from big events like weddings, overseas adventures and new additions to small events like fun times with friends. It is one of the reasons I want to be better at taking pictures, to help me remember. Here are some pictures of photos from my living room. Being surrounded by happy memories is an awesome way to live...

Day 27 - Made you laugh

I'm away on my holiday at the moment and have lots of things that are making me laugh and feel happy with life. Beautiful weather, a beach I can see from the couch (and have swam at twice) and wonderful friends who are my family too and so much fun. It has been so cool to watch our kids playing together. Evie and Jack really enjoy each others company. They seem to set each other off and one starts giggling at the other and soon they are both laughing and soon we all are too cos its just to cute! This photo is of them playing in the bath together where there was so much laughter my brother broke the seat he was sitting on!

The other place we have discovered the kids love is to sit out on the deck and watch the world go by. They look so funny but it has become a great babysitter! Here is Milly chilling out and enjoying the view...

Day 26 - A simple goodness

This morning we went out to the French Markets in Parnell and I wish I had taken my camera. So much amazing food - cheeses, salami's, hummus, breads - and interesting people from all around the world. When I got home and saw the topic I felt like that summed it up. Simple goodness - good food and people hanging out with good friends. The picture below is of kumara bread and Moroccan hummus which we brought for lunch and was so yummy. It was quite simply good!

This evening we went around to the parent in laws for a summer BBQ. Another simple goodness - family, beautiful weather, tasty food and good conversations. I like the picture below because I managed to get steam coming off the steak. 

Day 25 - A recent triumph

I have to admit I have had to resist the urge with this blog to make every post about sleep. I inwardly smile at Rebeca's blog as everyday she finds a way to make it about Savannah - so much more noble than me! Rather than every topic making me think of my children they all just make me think of taking photos of things relating to sleep!

Well today I am resisting the urge no longer. My triumph is that I have singlehandedly got both my girls to bed for the second night in a row (husband has been out at bedtime). Woo Hoo Go Me!!! And so after seeing every hour last night except 2am, then my darlings tag teaming their naps so only getting half an hour child free in which time I had to do washing and dishes (anyone else hang out their washing at 3pm?) I can finally relax and maybe get an early night... if only the toddler would stop kicking the wall! Ha ha I am not trying to win a sympathy award or anything. The truth is I know all mums work as hard as me. Motherhood is beautiful, crazy fun, hard work and incredibly exhausting!!

So my very uncreative photos today are of my very comfy looking bed. And the sun setting out of my bedroom window just waiting for me to close the curtains and my eyes....

Just as a side note... when you do spell check on this blogger site the word blog comes up as spelt incorrectly... weird... sorry if my grammar is horrible today!

Day 24 - Something you cherish

Something I cherish is a locket my parents gave me before I went overseas for the first time when I was 18 years old. Since I was given it I have worn it every time I have been overseas on a significant trip and this means it has so many memories attached to it. When I was in Nepal the chain broke and I got a new one in the markets from a lovely lady so the chain even has a story.

I still have the same photos that I put in it when I was given it of my parents and brothers. I like the way my family is immortalized at the age and I can remember how young they all looked back then. All of us children still lived at home. It was before digital cameras and I took the pictures for it on a little polaroid camera. On my first trip overseas I went to Australia, South Africa and Zambia. I still remember I took 12 films for a 6 week trip and thought I had taken so many photos. Thats only 288 photos - people take more than that on a weekend away now!

Day 23 - A recent splurge....

I'm actually not a big spender and so had to go shopping to have something to photograph! Ha ha

I actually had a really nice time shopping while Miss 2 was at kindy and got some good bargains. Then on the drive home was listening to the radio and heard someone talking about the issues of human trafficking. They told facts we have probably all heard before... more slaves now than in the time of William Wilberforce, estimated over 30 million, many children trafficked and even sold by unsuspecting parents etc etc... horrible stats and pretty hard to fathom.  I then suddenly thought about the items I had just purchased - $5 singlets, $10 pants - if I paid so little how little was the person who had actually made them getting? Is my consumerism and need for everything to be so cheap contributing to the horrible problem of slavery? 

I realise the issues are not as simple as that. Had I paid $100 for my top quite possibly no more of the money would have made it to the workers in China. But that still doesn't mean I should do nothing. It is hard to know how to shop ethically. I trust that NZ retailers would ensure that their clothes are made in fair trade conditions. But I don't know definitely. And paying only $5 for clothes does make you wonder! What a way to wreck my retail therapy!!

Anyway a bit of a serious blog today but I think it is worth thinking about these issues. I don't have the answers for you! What I do know is that God cares about those in slavery. They are his children. I don't know what I would do if I knew the future for my girls was to work long hours in horrible conditions for little pay. Imagine if they and I did not have options. We didn't have the ability to dream and plan for the futures that we wanted. In the bible in James 5 v 4 it says "Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty." Perhaps we could change it to the wages we failed to pay those who made our ______ (fill in the blank). I realise we don't do this intentionally and most of us would want everyone to be paid fairly. But maybe our small splurges are keeping others in poverty. 

I don't know all the answers but I do know that God sees and God hears and God wants us to be the ones who make a difference for those in slavery. My challenge to you today is to Do Something! Small or big if we all make changes it will make a difference.

And if you really want to be challenged read James 5 v 1 - 6.

Day 22 - Something you miss

I miss my family that lives overseas, sleeping for an entire night, diary filled food, sleep ins, friends I no longer see, no wrinkles.... Lots of things...

Something else I miss is my girls when they were tiny little new borns... something so special about a new borns funny floppy cuteness. They change so quickly and while I am very thankful they do (the newborn stage is so full on) I do miss it. Even Milly seems so big now and I feel like I can hardly remember when she was just a tiny little thing even tho it was only a few months ago.

These are a couple of my favourite pics...

Day 19 - Something you wish to improve

I'm sticking with the photography theme for this post - still really wanting to improve my knowledge and skill at taking photos! Today Rebeca and I went out to try taking night cityscapes and light trails.

The place we chose for the cityscapes was to far away for our lenses and it didn't really work. From what I had read the best time to take these kind of photos is at dusk. We got there a bit late so this was the only photo I got before it was dark and it did turn out the best. However a few issues with the tripod means it is a bit blurry.

Next we went to a motorway overpass to use car lights to create light trails. This worked so well and was a lot of fun. I got the best result from having a very slow shutter speed of 15 seconds. This were actually really easy to take and I think turned out pretty cool!

Day 21 - Your happy place

My happy place is definitely either relaxing on a beach on a hot sunny day with a good book, a yummy picnic, a cold drink and if I'm lucky enough to be overseas some snorkeling gear. Or speeding down a snow capped mountain on my skis as fast as I dare on a bluebird day my arms spread wide (picture Kate Winslet on Titanic) pretending to fly without a care in the world! Ha ha

Unfortunately the reality is that now with 2 kids my beach days involve splashing in knee deep water, eating soggy sand filled food and afterwards trying to clean kids who have gotten sand into every known bodily crevice! And as for free days spent skiing lets just say we have managed only one mountain day in three years in which we tagged teamed looking after the child and solo skiing! Not quite the same as in days past!

But I do still manage to find "happy places" in the busyness of motherhood and am learning to find happiness in the smallest delights as children are so awesome at doing. The world is so new and exciting to young kids it helps you see it with fresh eyes. So on a rainy afternoon rather than spend my time day dreaming of other happy places I decided to try and capture raindrops! This was really fun to try and after so much time slowing my shutter speed down it was fun to put it as fast as it would go and try and capture the rain.

The finished effect looks more like snow than rain drops. I am not sure if it is my camera or the distance I was at or the wrong settings but I was not able to freeze a single drop as some of the examples I saw did. Still I am pretty happy with the outcome for a first try.

Day 20 - A surprise

Today I had one of those fun, spontaneous moments when I decided it was time for Evie's first haircut at a salon! And for the blog we decided it would be a surprise for her dad. To his credit he actually even noticed!! Evie was so well behaved. Why does she always scream when I come anywhere near her hair and then not even cry once when the hairdresser is brushing and cutting it? Anyway was actually quite fun and a good way to help pass a rainy afternoon. 

Evie modeling the finished product for me!

Day 18 - Top of your priority list

So top of my priority list for this blog is to try and get better at using my camera. I have set myself some extra goals this week and one of those was to try and better understand setting shutter speed to capture movement. Initially I just played around with the camera settings while Brendan threw a ball up and down. While I got some interesting shots I can't really say exactly what I did or why they turned out as they did!

Next I read up about what to do on the internet. This shot is Brendan blowing a candle to try and create movement.

Lastly we tried the shot I really wanted to get - a moving sparkler. I don't have a tripod so only set the shutter speed for 1 second and got this shot.

Next we did 15 seconds and Brendan wrote his name with the sparkler. Without the tripod (I was holding the camera as its pouring with rain so couldn't put it down either!) it is pretty shaky but still quite a cool effect. We are going to try again when we can borrow a tripod. Not a very interesting blog today but some good learning for me!

Day 17 - A recent favourite photo...

A recent favourite photo is this picture that I snapped while on holiday at Snell's beach over Labour weekend. My 5 month old woke up real early so decided to go for a walk so she didn't wake everyone else. Could see the sun was about to rise so took my camera and got some beautiful pictures. The sun rose as a ball and reflected across the water and it was just so lovely and peaceful.

And one more from this weekend - my awesome sister in law. Selfes are a bit overdone but still fun! Check out the bags under our eyes! Saw in a magazine that Princess Kate has bags under her eyes from feeding Prince George through the night. If she has them they totally must be in! Ha ha

Day 16 - Project that needs attention

So I have had a couple of days off because I can't think of what to photograph for this topic!! So I am putting this page in as a space saver and will complete it when I think of something amazing. Ha ha watch this space...

Day 15 - Someone you love...

Just had a bit of fun today... you can all imagine these represent someone that you love!

Was a bit tricky taking photos of my own fingers but figured it out. Credit to google images for the ideas.

Day 14 - A reminder of blessings

Today I wanted to take a photo of either a rainbow or a butterfly... but didn't manage to see either. So instead went with blossom. Blossom is a reminder of the blessings of changing seasons and the provision of food or flowers. And it is so very pretty. I found a random poem called A Blessing by James Wright that gave me the idea from the last line! I have pasted the poem at the bottom of the post if you want to read it.

It was actually quite hard to take photos of trees in other peoples property. I felt a bit random! 

I also took a picture of a lily from the bottom of my garden. In the gospels (Matt 6 v 25 - 34 and Luke 12 v 27) Jesus tells us not to worry about things like food and clothing but encourages us to look at the lilies of the field and from their beauty be reminded that He will look after us and provide for us. I have found this to be so true in my life and lilies are a reminder of the incredible blessings of faith and love in Jesus. 

A Blessing

BY JAMES WRIGHT

Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,

Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.

And the eyes of those two Indian ponies

Darken with kindness.

They have come gladly out of the willows

To welcome my friend and me.

We step over the barbed wire into the pasture

Where they have been grazing all day, alone.

They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness   

That we have come.

They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.

There is no loneliness like theirs.   

At home once more,

They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.   

I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,

For she has walked over to me   

And nuzzled my left hand.   

She is black and white,

Her mane falls wild on her forehead,

And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear

That is delicate as the skin over a girl’s wrist.

Suddenly I realize

That if I stepped out of my body I would break

Into blossom.

Day 13 - Something to look forward too

I am soooooooooo looking forward to a much needed holiday with my awesome sister-in-law and brother! Bring on swimming everyday, relaxing, shopping and lots of food and talking in Sydney! Some real cheap flights meant I was shouted the trip which is in less than 3 weeks time! Woo hoo!!

I also can't wait for summer and summer holidays! Ice cream and strawberries sums up summer nicely for me!!