Happily Ever After!

So I thought today would be a little hard, I've been expecting this day for awhile. Would I feel sad, a little despondent perhaps? I look at this girl in the picture and guess I feel a little reflective because I've learnt a lot. Today marks the day twenty five years ago, that I became this bride. I had dreamed of that day forever! Twenty five years of living and lessons have brought me to this very day. Twenty five amazing years spent raising the greatest two blessings any Mama Bear could wish for and I do count the blessings every day. That day was one of the happiest and best days of my life (Yes, even today) even though I'm now divorced (aahhh, hate that D-word!).

But here I am, all child-rearing done and dusted and empty-nesting beckoning. I married believing in the fairytale and living my happily ever after. The only thing is, happily ever after ended up looking so very different than I could have ever imagined. Hard years followed but so did happy memories. Happily ever after meant three instead of four. Happily ever after was a heart filled to bursting with little arms that enveloped you and hugs that encircled you. It was mornings of pure delight and butterfly kisses at night. Happily ever after was purpose through pain.

If you had told me then, on that day, that I would spend ten years building a crumbling marriage, then five years fighting to save it, and finally just trying to survive it, I wouldn't've believed you. Not then, not that day. That day I arrived at the chapel so expectant and full of dreams for the future. The pipe organs chimed out their glorious tune and they signalled everything I was hoping and believing for. I can still hear them today. I began the slow walk down the aisle to a new and brighter future, a future that involved two people committed and devoted to each other, a future that meant sailing off into the sunset and living happily ever after, right? ... Wrrroooong! And oh how wrong I was!

Wait a minute, hold it right there! How does that happen you ask? ... Or perhaps you are thinking, 'Where did it all go so wrong? ' These are the questions that plagued me too. Surely if two people love each other enough, anything is truly possible? Yep, that was the biggie! I struggled with this question over many long years.

Okay, so lets back up a bit. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. SO if I was to tell my twenty year old self a thing or two, I would tell her this, being in love and doing love are entirely different things. A profession of love, means nothing when it is not backed up by doing love, day in and day out. I was naïve. I thought love really would conquer the mountain. I thought a whole lot of love could fill an entire ocean of aching, hurting need. I would tell that twenty-year-old to look carefully at the current behaviour because it is a damn good predictor of the future. I would tell her that aching brokenness can only ever be found in the arms of a loving saviour. No amount of human loving can change a person, if they can't conquer the mountain with you.

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time! 

So why didn't I believe it the first time? Because I thought love was enough. And the truth is love should be enough. But love, real love, is actually doing something, not just saying it. Love is gritty and raw. It is not pie in the sky. It is not just blue skies and summer breezes, although it is that too. It is blustery and time weathered. Love is summer and winter, the sun and the moon. Love is hot and cold. It is valleys and mountaintops.

'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails'. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

That day, twenty five years ago, as these very words lifted up and out across family and friends gathered in the wooden pews, I didn't know that love would be lost or the path ahead of me would stretch me in impossible ways. That day I thought it would be us against the world. Love wasn't meant to fail. I didn't know that the world would snatch that love right away. Nope, I had no idea of the heartache that was before me, not an inkling of the turmoil that would arrive at my doorstep in those early years. I could NEVER have foreseen how quickly my world would tilt and go off kilter.

In those last, love-exhausting years I was drowning under the weight of a marriage falling apart, no matter how much loving was dished out. I didn't know that plain ole loving of this hard gritty kind could be so consuming and that it could carve out a big old hole in your heart and soul that felt like you were being dismantled piece by piece.

Surviving, not living!

Drowning, not waving!

And when you have done all the loving you can, what then? What do you do when love has lost her way? What do you do when love hurts?

You keep on loving, through it all and despite the pain. And when it falls apart, you pick yourself up and walk the path of love some more, all through a divorce of the gut-wrenching, messy kind, and all through the hard, lonely, single parenting years. You just learn to love on purpose. You practice it, day in, day out.

Because little eyes are watching and little hearts are learning.

But also because you have realised that love actually never fails. Love found you in the most unlikely of places. In the deepest darkest moments, a love so full and breathtaking wrapped you in sweet heavenly arms. Love was found when all was lost. A deep, never-ending, all encompassing spring of LIVING LOVE flooded over desolate terrain seeping into the deepest and darkest recesses. A love so real and tangible AND completely unquestionable was finally found. 

And so, a new way of loving was learnt.

Love is patient when facing mounting financial costs, love is kind in the face of lawyers, uncertainty and absent fatherhood. It does not envy successful marriages but rejoices with them, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour your children's  father even if it feels warranted and self justified (especially when little hearts are breaking and you are mad as hell that this is happening). It is not self-seeking but rather self-sacrificing, it is not easily angered when the rules are continually broken, it keeps no record of wrongs and forgiveness is given freely because little lives are being shaped ... and because it keeps your heart and soul uncluttered. 

Love does not delight in evil but seeks the truth, pursues the truth, embraces THE TRUTH. It always protects what you say about their father (because your children are still developing their identity and self-worth), and it looks for the best in everything and every circumstance - there is always a silver lining, somewhere! 

It always trusts that God has your back (and He does - He is always, always faithful), it always hopes for a better day, it always perseveres up the toughest mountain, even on the hardest and most trying of days under the most difficult of circumstances. There's always someone worse off than you. 

Because little eyes are watching and little hearts are learning.

Love really does triumph every time!

Motherhood

Here are a few of my favourites

Motherhood is an amazing journey across all of the seasons and throughout all of the years. It never really gets easier with time. The moment you think you have it all worked out the rules change. When they are little its all a very steep learning curve, every day is invested into shaping and moulding that little person into all that you imagine them to be, but having walked the teenage years for some time now, the same can be said of this hormone fuelled period. Motherhood is still a steep learning curve and every day is still spent shaping the heart and soul. 

Only now, gone is the child who is happy with simple things or simple answers, replaced with this emerging potential of possibility who questions your every move and challenges your every request. Yet, there are some things that never seem to change. The hug squeezed in between random moments becomes even more precious, the giving of unconditional love even more necessary as they navigate the ups and downs of life. In fact, this season demands more of me, requires me to pour myself out in more ways than ever expected. Time is still not quite my own and sleepless nights return as you wait for that child to drive in the driveway from a late shift at work. Yes, some things never change, the unease of the heart really does not get easier with time. The heart still feels like it is wandering outside of your body - beating out there just beyond your reach. I thought it might ease with time, didn't expect the intensity of the mother-heart so many years on. Not all of the pieces fall neatly into place - this cherished life takes on its own form and the puzzle seems to have only just begun. Sometimes you can only watch as the wrong bits are wedged into tight spaces, the picture not quite what you imagined. Still, you watch and wait, encouraging every faltering step and praising every step in the right direction. 

Motherhood evolves over time, shaping us all differently with each passing year ... growing us into these wonderful beings that we never imagined, our mother-heart stretching our capacity wider still. I continue to be surprised with the depth of its feeling, the tumult of mother-love an ever expanding ocean, a steady rhythm beating all on its own. 

The steady beat of motherhood always marches on.

Now that you know

 There's a saying I heard as a child, 'A rolling stone gathers no moss', I used to think about that, how once the ball is rolling it is rather hard to stop. Was that a good thing, or a bad thing?

Life feels like that sometimes, it gathers momentum and some things go well and other things fall flat. Originally the saying was meant to encourage desirable stability. Now a-days it refers to objectionable stagnation. Which is the better choice? 

Desirable stability has been important to me in my single parenting life, it has been an anchor through heartache and pain. The same job for 15 years has helped me focus, and well ... feel safe. I like feeling safe! And the truth is it has been a safe haven. I've evolved in that time, grown and changed in the safety of a loving community of kind and compassionate human beings. My heart has gone deeper, my mind expanded more fully, and my soul has grasped further reach. Teaching is one of the rare opportunities to purposely engage with the nurturing of life on a daily basis. You can't help but be changed by that. I can't imagine doing anything else. But, sometimes that very anchor can now feel restrictive, limiting to purpose and potential. What once felt safe, can now feel contained. How do I stop the stagnation of my soul? 

How do I keep living this blessed life but continue to lift the lid on possibilities and keep thinking outside of the box? What do you do with that restlessness in your soul that stirs purpose and passion on a regular basis, especially when you now know that the world so desperately needs you to do something? Is my living safe, or living small minded stopping me from moving forward? Am I living in objectionable stagnation?

I have thought at times, that the opening of my eyes and the inclination of my ears might be enough, that my just being aware of human suffering might leave me somehow a more open and compassionate human being. I have wondered if that is it, the thing I need to learn for the life I need to live, here on my side of the world ... to live more open-hearted and a more willing life right where I am ... Is that enough? 

I struggle with this notion of living sensibly and safe or throwing caution to the wind and chasing ambitious pursuits, but how can I when responsibility weighs heavy and answers do not come rushing in? The niggling in my soul nudges me daily, pressing hard on the inside of my ribcage. 

Where would it take me if I let it roam free?

As I near the end of Dellaire's book, his words hit their mark 236 pages in, 'now that you know of the terrible reality in which these children exist, you can never un-know it. You are involved now, and once you are involved it is impossible for you to remain aloof, impassive, detached or uninterested'. 

Aahh!! ... so much to say, please come back tomorrow. x

Time out and a trip to the Zoo

Love time with this girl. She makes me smile. Each year in March we go away for the weekend to Sydney. Just the two of us for some Mother - Daughter time. We started going in her third year of high school. She was fourteen. That was a hard age! I nearly gave up that year, but I decided to give it another crack ... and here we are four years on. It makes my heart glad that she still likes to bounce ideas around with me and seeks a little wise counsel every now and then (Seventeen years slipped by much too fast). So very glad that I invested time out with her in the teenage years. We may have sowed in tears but the harvest looks pretty good right about now!

Taronga Zoo (Never too old for this stuff!) in Sydney was a highlight of our trip. Mesmerised by the antics of the elephants (especially the babies), I clicked away as they attempted to push and dunk each other under the water - aahh, photographers paradise! They were having the time of their life and so was I. 

Watching these enormous animals play with such abandon was riveting, so cheeky. Can't believe I captured all this on my smart phone! (Can't believe I forgot my camera but not bad for a Samsung Galaxy S3, pretty impressed with its ability! ... what do you think?) 

There is something very majestic about these creatures 

and pretty awesome being up this close and personal!

Such an amazing time (and a very happy Mamma's heart).

Linking up with Casey Leigh for 'On your heart'.

Click here to go direct to this blog.

Finding time

I love this time of year, the traditions, the celebrations, the family time and the opportunity to reflect on another year gone by. In the midst of christmas preparations, excited children and the general craziness that christmas brings, I sit and contemplate the meaning of it all. This amazing life that we get to live is a beautiful gift. I think about purpose and destiny and how it is like one of the colourful presents wrapped so neatly under the christmas tree. My heart and soul are quickened by the thought that destiny is a gift, my gift waiting to be unwrapped. I think about how I only have this moment, this time to tear off the layers keeping it intact and to hold it fully in my hands with pure giddy delight. If only I had just a little more time.

The years fly by so ridiculously fast, and sometimes I wish that I could just snatch up this constant ticking. How I would love to bottle it up for a while longer so I could twist off that lid when I needed it most and pour it generously over my life. Oh, how nice it would be to give just a teeny bit more to the moments we want to cherish forever or to that endeavour that we have only just begun. 

Time is elusive, we can't hold it or scoop it up. No matter how much we try to hold onto time, it continually slips through our fingers. We mark time by seconds, minutes, hours and days. Seasons come and seasons go and still time marches on. Relentless in its pursuit ... counting out our days, our years and our time here on earth.

Time stands still for no man, 

It is no respecter of persons!

Time sweeps you up,

and pulls you along.

It marches to a steady beat,

You must keep up!

Time is good to us when we carefully plan ahead, map out our days and schedule events. Like clockwork life goes round and round, rolling on and on. Marking out our existence, it chimes aloud the next milestone or the next momentous occasion. We march to the steady beat of its drum. What happens though when time is lost ... or stolen? or when time escapes us or is wasted? 

Can we take back time,

or make up for it?

Can time be found

... or recovered?

In this fast paced, crazy and frenetic time that we live,

In this jubilant and festive season now upon us,

I eagerly look forward to unwrapping just a little more time!  

'There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.' - Ecclesiastes 3:1

Believe, Hope, Dream

Believe, hope, dream, dance in the daylight … live in the moment … laugh out loud … eat chocolate … cherish your girlfriends … breathe … sneak small moments of solitude … let no one break your spirit … love with open arms … laugh some more … believe in the amazing woman you are … never ever give up. – Lisa Pollock

These are the words scrawled across a gift that I gave my daughter as part of her graduation gift. The moment I read these words I just knew it was THE gift I had to give. The significance of the words held me fast. Having already weathered some of lifes storms and knowing how the days of life can unravel with sudden momentum and tangle us in unbelieveable knots, I wanted my girl to hold onto some thoughts that could knit together a tightly woven fabric of hope that will keep out the cold when the storms of life are threatening her horizons. I want her to know that there is a way to do life well.

A way to face life,

A way to hold on.

A way to cherish this life,

however it unfolds!

To believe … hope … dream,
ALWAYS!

To dance in the daylight,

to celebrate life.

To laugh out loud,

to cherish the little things.

To let no one break her spirit,

to remain unaffected.

To love with open arms,

to embrace wholeheartedly.

To never ever give up,

to fight for what she believes in!

    …  to celebrate everything that truly makes living this amazing life, beautiful!

As my daughter begins to journey out her own life, (separate from mine, aahh!!), my mothers heart longs for her to do well and to hold fast to what is true … to navigate this life, her life with blessed assurance. I want her believe that anything truly is possible, to hold fast to an unwavering hope (for it really is an anchor for the soul) and to dream big for it is in dreaming that we give permission for the hidden things deep inside to be breathtakingly revealed on the outside.

Click here ... to go direct to this blog.

The end is in sight!

This week my daughter will complete her final week of school ... and I am so not ready for this!

Needless to say she is excited ... and I wish her all the best.

Love you to the moon and back my beautiful girl.

I am so proud of all that you have achieved ... and who you have become.

Congratulations on being awarded the best film for 2012 - you rock!

Parable of a seed

My daughter is about to graduate Year 12 ... I can't believe the time has gone so fast!

The teenage years have been fun, frustrating (on both parts)

 ... and full of angst, 

as any parent of a teenager would know (and understand!!!)

Training up a child in the way that they should go is not easy ... it requires fortitude way beyond yourself. Fortunately, somehow we found our way through the ups and downs of 

teenage-dom. We have come full circle and what has been sown over the years is now being drawn upon - the harvest is ready - almost! We are nearly there.

Over the years, the seeds scattered ...

(sometimes it seemed like it was all a bit hit and miss - a seed thrown here amongst the ground of independence, a seed flung over there in the soil of rebellion) ... and yes, some of it fell by the wayside. Some seed fell on stony ground (and at times on a hard heart) ... some seed was swallowed up and choked by the weeds of the world - doubt and unbelief grew in the parched and dry places. BUT, some seed nestled down in good ground. It took root in love and grew with hope and purpose.

Now I watch her digging deep within herself and feel my heart swell with pride ... because I know how far she has come. The battles that have been won and the fears that have been overcome. It feels good to watch your own flesh and blood begin to flourish and watch the harvest being reaped. I cannot explain how I really feel ... words do not really express the depth of feeling, suffice to say it truly is AMAZING!

Mission accomplished

One afternoon this week we were pleasantly surprised by the arrival of this little guy in our back yard. (I think the stork might have dropped this little bundle in the wrong nest!)

Actually, we think a crow ungraciously removed him (out of his little home in the old eucalyptus tree over the fence) and in the ensuing struggle dropped him in our yard. After a bit of frantic hopping and plaintive chirping (and a great deal of panic from the kids intent on rescuing the abducted chick), he finally curled up in a tightly wound ball of fluff and feathers, closed his eyes and shut out the harshness of the world. ('No, he is not dead' came my gentle soothings to an overwrought child.)

Then, when he had calmed down, our rescue mission began. My panic stricken daughter gently picked him up and cradled this scrap of duck down. Embracing him in the palm of her hands, she held him close ... sheltering him from harm. Carefully he was bundled into an abandoned shoe box and delivered safely to the animal shelter. Mission accomplished!

Afterwards, when we had traipsed home and ended our little rescue operation ... my heart was distracted by a thought. My soul became suspended on a nudge willing me to pause.
I  marvel at this gift of serendipity entwined with ribbons of grace and favour, my heartbeat races a little faster at the thought that suddenly cuts me right through. 
This is how He reminds me that he is there, always there in the storms that gather incessantly, in the dark clouds that loom ominously  ... there is a waiting, an intentional watching over ... for the heart in need of hope, the soul finally staying before the scooping up and holding close of delicate fragility. 

Much later I wonder at the lessons that come so unexpectedly. 
Do I always see the message in the mayhem? 
In the small things that flop in and flutter around me, 
in the here and now ... am I truly aware, 
awake to the seemingly insignificant 
so full of heavens fervour?

Treasures of the soul

Treasures of the soul - Precious memories

          Memories are treasures of the soul kept safe in the depths of our heart. - k.weight

These photos brings back such sweet memories because my little munchkins are not so little any more. It just feels just like yesterday and if I shut my eyes I can still picture them. Laughter and giggles ... sweet sloppy kisses, grubby little hands and tiny wee bodies that fit snuggly into my lap ... ahhh, how I miss these days.

"Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.” 
- Kevin Arnold.

Message in the sand

This month was my daughters 17th birthday. To celebrate we took a trip out to Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef. My son wrote a message in the sand ... to his sister!

Sometimes it is easier to say what is in our hearts by scribing it out ...  and allowing those we love, to read the message deep layered within our heart, to take in the full impact of the words ... truly heartfelt words, by seeing them for ourselves. 

Happy Birthday darling girl. xx

Can

image source

Growing up can't was a dirty word in our household.

I was always pulled up on it and made to change my statement.

My Dad would remonstrate ' There is no such thing as can't!'

I begged to differ!!

As a child this was frustrating. I checked the dictionary

and .... it was in there, a contraction of I CAN NOT!

However

As an adult (and parent myself), 

I am so very grateful that this way of seeing things 

was so firmly entrenched in my thinking.

Because, eventually the message sank in and established a way of living that has forged and fashioned who I am today.

It helped me to overcome great odds, to persevere when the going got tough. 

I learnt to live over, not under
above, not beneath

higher, not lower

grounded and not airy fairy!!

So

I am currently finding myself journeying 

down the same path with my children and turning their cant's into cans.

They are not very impressed!

(I understand their pain.)

But 

 with the benefit of hindsight, I will continue to lead them

(and if necessary push them)

to believe in their dreams and that anything truly is possible!

Just because I can!

The Joyous Ache

This is my first 'five minute Friday' for 2012 ... yep, it has been awhile. But here goes - today's theme is .... ACHE.

Motherhood is a churning joyous ache! As a mother there always seems to be an ache inside your soul ... a bittersweet mingling of pleasure and pain. It is an almost tangible presence. The ache is hard to ignore. 

This aching of our Mother's heart can rear it's head at the most inopportune of times (like crying at a heart wrenching t.v add or a baby photo that slips out from a book). It is sometimes a whisper of years gone by and at other times it is screamingly loud ... almost like a steam train hurtling down the tracks, reminding us of a deep loss or a hidden grief. It can take us by surprise and leave us open mouthed!! That first scrape our baby feels can seem overwhelming with the depth of the ache we feel ... it can shake us to the core. 

We wash away the tears from our child's face and feel the pain deeply, our heart twists in ways never expected. The passing of every new milestone leaves an aching trail across our soul as we all at once let go and embrace ... the aching for what once was, while embracing the next moment and the next milestone. We can cry and smile all at the same time. We are unique at this artful skill! 

More often than not the ache becomes a joyous celebration. We know deep within us that this is what it means to be a Mother and somehow you get used to living with that ache deep inside because that is what Motherhood is all about ... this delicate dance and merging of both the ache and the joy.


Want to join in? (Here are the rules ... or click the button below)

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, so now it is your turn:

Learning to listen

With the start of the school year we have reinstated routine once again. It is amazing how quickly the family lapses into lax rules and attitudes when just a few rules shift sideways! So once again we are back to eating sensibly around the dinner table (and not the t.v)  ... yes, during the holidays we camped out in the lounge room and ate dinner with our meals perched carefully across our laps. Let me tell you trying to get back to the dinner table was a bit of a chore at the beginning of the week! 


But I hit the jackpot last night with the best dinner conversation I have had in weeks. We sat there for an hour chatting! Yes, you heard right ... chatting with my teenagers for more than a few minutes ... and I loved every minute of it as I heard what is going on in their world. I must admit I said a whole lot less than I usually do. I listened with open ears and an open heart. I am learning to listen more these days and say so much less. My days of parental hovering are indeed numbered. Letting go is never easy. Not that I am letting go in the full sense of the word because there is still so much to do (and say) ... but, there is a definite shift occurring as my kids embark on their own journeys and begin to find their own way in the world. So, I held my words of wisdom, insightful admonitions, clever advice and the other motherly thoughts to myself and did not give them voice last night. Instead I listened ... I listened to the emerging voices of hope, distant dreams and future longings. Hopes to go to university, to explore their faith, to find a profession, leave home (tears!!), get married (sigh) and have kids (aaahhh!!). But, in all honesty, I was proud to hear how grown up my children sounded (and maybe a little in awe of how amazing they really are, despite the ups and downs of everyday life and a few rule violations!!).

I am learning it is less about what I need to say or what I think they need to hear and sometimes, more about what I don't say!

Graduation 2011

Last night my son graduated from Year Seven 

.... goodbye to the primary school years. 

He has done me proud.

Today is his thirteenth birthday. 

The years truly have flown by!!

Not sure I'm ready for this next phase :0

I can't believe 

that I am now the mother 

of two amazing teenagers. 

I am so very blessed.

Unexpected

On Fridays around these parts we stop, drop, and write.

For fun, for love of the sound of words, for play, for delight, for joy and celebration at the art of communication.

For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.

Won’t you join us?

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Most importantly: leave a comment for the person who linked up before you – encouraging them in their writing!

This weeks word is - 'Unexpected'.

Life can be unexpected 

with all the twists and turns. 

Parenting is this way, really really unexpected. 

I wasn't quite prepared for the way my heart enlarged 

when I brought my baby home from hospital.

Or the way my heart ached when their heart ached. 

The awe of being a mother was previously unimaginable,

hard to comprehend

and NOW hard to imagine any other way. 

The teenage years are so very unexpected. 

BUT it's not like you think. 

Things happen, wheels spin, the world turns on its axis 

and everything changes, 

in ways that you never dreamed of. 

It's all a bit of a surprise ... 

the gaining of independence, the pulling away, 

the learning to drive, of getting a job, 

of securing their own future.

It's all kind of bitter sweet.  

Unexpected joy, unexpected loss!

A mother's love

A mothers love is gracious, kind, overflowing and limitless.

It knows no bounds, even amidst the angst and trial of everyday schedules, boundary setting and life's highs and lows it looks for the good in those impish grins and mischievous souls.

We find untapped potential in the barest of landscapes.

We can see the end before it has even begun.

Suddenly the horizon is clearer than once thought possible.

The stars not so hard to reach for

and dreams within our grasp.

We pick up those small bundles when they stumble and fall.

Their pain is our pain, we feel it to the core.

It is carried like a badge across our hearts.

We who offer an uncompromising love like a high flying kite,

are the bridge of hope across a gorge of doubt 

and endless insecurities.

We long to see our children reach their full potential 

and see the best in them, even when others don't.

We nurture fledgling self esteems ... 

we cultivate, encourage and protect always.

Every day we begin anew 
and pull out new reserves, new strength and new grace.

We can't help it ... we didn't know its pull before, 
before the days of a babe in arms. 
But we know it now,

this great big life force pulsing through our veins.

This wondrous and sacred thing!

Life like we once knew it has ceased to exist. 

Our hearts melt in ways never before conceived.

We have been changed forever ...

in unimaginable ways.

It is who we are now 

and what we will always be!

Happy Birthday .. my darling girl

* capturing an opportunity * celebrating the beauty of life  * cherishing the everyday. 

***

Sweet Sixteen ...

So proud of who you are

my lovely.

... a few favourite moments this week.

Love you honey bun - sugar plum .... hip hip hooray!!

Breakfast out ..... a chilly morning except for the warmth of good food and great company.

Movies and dinner too .....amazing bbq spare ribs!!

Fun with family and friends.... celebrating sixteen wonderful years.

A fun day .... laughter, delight and spontaneity... Happy happy birthday Sunshine!!