Sharing the love…err…sickness!

Thanks Bella :) I now have Bellas horrible cold/cough lurgy!

That’s the thing – once you have kids, it is inevitable that you will get what they have! You share kisses, cuddles, food, spoons, everything!

Oh well, I just need to suck it up! My little one coped well, so I should cope better!

And honestly – I am the worst at taking medicine! I am fine with tablets, but give me liquid stuff and it takes me 10 minutes to drink 10mls – with 20 gags thrown in!

Theology, a map and the Atlantic

In my readings for this week, I came across this quote from C.S Lewis. I cant seem to get it out of my head! It has made a huge impact on me and spoke to my heart :)

“Mere Christianity” - "Making and Begetting." (C.S. Lewis)

"I remember once when I had been giving a talk to the RAF, an old hard-bitten officer got up and said, 'I've no use for all that stuff! But, mind you, I'm a religious man too. I know there's a God, I've felt him: out alone in the desert at night: the tremendous mystery. And that's just why I don't believe all your neat little dogmas and formulas about Him. To anyone who's met the real thing, they all seem so petty and pedantic and unreal! '

"Now in a sense, I quite agreed with that man. I think he had
probably had a real experience of God in the desert. And when he turned from that experience to the Christian creeds, I think he really was turning from something real to something less real. In the same way, if a man has once looked at the Atlantic from the beach, and then goes and looks at a map of the Atlantic, he also will be turning from something real to something less real... But here comes the point. The map is admittedly only coloured paper, but there are two things you have to remember about it. In the first place, it is based on what hundreds and thousands of people have found out by sailing the real Atlantic. In that way, it has behind it masses of experience just as real as the one you could have from the beach; only while yours would be a single isolated glimpse, the map fits all those different experiences together. In the second place, if you want to go anywhere, the map is absolutely necessary. As long as you are content with walks along the beach, your own glimpses are far more fun that looking at a map. But the map is going to be of far more use than walks on the beach if you want to get to America.

"Now Theology is like a map. Merely learning and thinking about Christian doctrines, if you stop there, is less real and less exciting than the sort of thing my friend got in the desert. Doctrines are not God: they are only a kind of map. But that map is based on hundreds of people who really were in touch with God - experiences compared with which any thrills or pious feelings you and I are likely to get on our own are very elementary and very confused. And secondly, if you want to get any further, you must use the map. ...In fact, that is just why a vague religion - all about feeling God in nature, and so on - is so attractive. It is all thrills and no work: like watching the waves from the beach. But you will not get to Newfoundland by studying the Atlantic that way, and you will not get eternal life by simply feeling the presence of God in flowers or music. Neither will you get anywhere by looking at maps without going to sea, nor will you be very safe if you go to sea without a map.

An update of sorts

Well, as you can see, I am not a very good blogger! I keep thinking, “Oh yes, I really should blog about this!” but then never do!

Naomi
I have started Bible College and am finding the transition back into study harder than I thought! I am one to get really super organised, but take forever to actually get into the meat of things!

It’s also hard to find a chunk of time that I can just sit down and devote to study. Yes, Bella has a day sleep (which she should be doing right now, except I can hear her crying, wanting to play instead). But when Bella is sleeping, I will wash the dishes, do the washing, read a book, catch up on emails, tidy the toys, play with the dog – anything but study! Granted, its only been 2 weeks since I started, I just need to get into the swing of things. I am off to the library tomorrow while Abes looks after Bella.

I am also still working 2 days a week for EveryLabel.com.au. Abes dad runs the business with Anna (his daughter) and myself. It keeps my mind active and allows me to get paid :)

I am also doing better on the anxiety/OCD front. I have been seeing a GP and also a counsellor and have made some progress. It is so hard for me to admit that I am doing okay! I freak out because I am not freaking out! What is with that!? I am about 40% of the way there, which is better than the 0% I was at about a month ago.

Abraham
He is such a patient man! I love him to bits! He is enjoying work, and even got to work down in Torquay yesterday! Nothing better than a walk on the beach during your lunch break and after work.

He is in the process of doing about 10 jobs around the house! We are starting our veggie garden, he built a compost bin, knocking down the dodgy veranda thing out the front, paving out the front, finishing the gate, getting rid of the rubbish pile so we can build a play area and the list goes on! I love having such a handy husband :)

Bella
She is currently in her cot crying (well, whinging), to be taken out and played with! She is not very well today, and needs her sleep. She was up 5-6 times last night just miserable. She got into our bed this morning with a fever, which has since gone. I love our thermometer! It takes 8 seconds or less and has a digital display that flashes the temp and then green (normal) yellow (mild) and red (high). She has been coughing a bit, and its starting to sound chesty. Her nose is running too :( Poor poppet!)

She took her first step a week ago, and it seems as if it was a fluke! She has certainly made no effort to do it again! Oh well, all in her own time I guess! I am the impatient one!

Her pead appointment went well also! Her hip x-ray and ultrasound were clear and the pead doesn't want to see her again :) She is now 16 months old and weighs 12kg, is 86cm long and can say 52 words :)

Okay, so that's about it from us! Oh….Abes and I will be going to a retreat for Bible College on the 22nd and 23rd of Feb :) Bella will be staying with Oma and Opa. We are so looking forward to it!

Trying something different

I have recently discovered Windows Live Writer, so am trying it out! I hate trying to format my posts in blogger, so was looking for something else to use.

We will see how it works for me! Then I may just have to do a massive update post! Lots of things happening :)

Until next time……….

New look

I've been messing around with the layout and style, what do you think?

Pink playdough and life

This morning, Bella and I made playdough! It was the easiest recipe :)

2 cups of plain flour

1 cup of cold water

1 cup of salt

1 tablespoon of oil
food colouring

No cooking required!

Of course we made it pink :) Bella really had no idea what to do with it at first. She then proceeded to eat it, which didnt go down to well. She got the hang of it after a while :)

It's currently in the fridge so we can play again this afternoon.

You know, sometimes I feel like that playdough - being pushed and pulled around, bashed up and then rolled out again. We are heading off to another doctor this afternoon to see if we can get some answers regarding my anxiety, phobias and OCD. She specialises in this area, so hopefully she wont just hand me a pill and shove me out the door. I know the medication I am on isnt working well, and that probably needs to change. I am hopeful, yet still think that nothing is going to change. I have a pretty defeatist attitude and know I need to be more positive.

We'll see how we go this afternoon. Abraham took the car to work and will come back and pick me up to go to the doctor. If it was left up to me to get there by myself I would never go.

Two thousand and ten

So, Christmas came and went! We had a lovely time at my auntys house with my side of the family. Bella had a great time playing on the tramp with the boys!

We bought Bella a new bike for Christmas. It is a convertible one which can be used from 10 months to 3-4 years. She loves us pushing her around in it! Mum and Dad bought her 2 dresses, a doll, 2 sippy cups and a cot sheet set. Nick bought her a book with a keyboard attached - she loves it!

Mum and dad arrived from Queensland on Christmas Eve! They havent seen Bella since September so were eager to arrive here! Oh, and I got the biggest surprise on Christmas morning!! Everyone knew about it except for me! Dad told us that he had to go and visit his side of the family in East Balliang (which wasnt unusual, because Grandma was only down for Christmas Day) He said he would be back in time for us to head to my auntys house. I didnt think anything of it!

Dad arrived home and we were all sitting outside on our front steps. Dad yelled out "Oh, I picked up a hitch hiker on the way home!" and then out of the car jumps this guy! I really thought dad had picked up someone from the side of the road! I looked again and realised it was my brother!! I hadnt seen him for 15 months!! It was such a special surprise :o)

So Mum, Dad and Nick were all here until the 30th! It was a sad day when they had to leave again! Nick hadnt seen Bella since she was a week old!

Then came New Years Eve, which saw us heading to Abrahams parents place to hang out with them and eat oliebollen! Bella crashed at 8:30, and I only just made it to midnight!

Who knows what is in store for 2010. I'm scared, excited, hopeful yet pessimistic about what it holds. I want so many things, but most of all I want to be well again. It's not something that is just going to happen, I know I need to work on it. It's going to be damn hard.