Embracing Life And The Journey

A lovely friend reminded me yesterday that getting something you have wished for does not always make for a grand life. We were discussing parenting and relationships, as mothers do, and the ups and downs that go with the territory.

I walked away from the conversation thinking over the many times I had reminisced of my younger days when time was in abundance, and there was such a thing as "being bored". It is quite common in my thought process, and for many others I suspect, to wish you had more time to yourself, or to wish the kids weren't jumping all over you all of the time. Instead we should be turning our mindset around and looking at all the great positives in our lives. The humps and bumps along the way are what make the journey interesting and allow us and those around us to learn.

Along with the conversation with my friend, recent events around me that have reminded me that although there are what seems to be little inconveniences and nuisances in our lives, a tragic turn of events can change life so quickly.

This week saw the tragic loss of a toddler to drowning within my township which has the whole community mourning and feeling saddened for that families' unfortunate loss.  Another family's future has been revealed this week after a long court proceeding, in which the father was involved in vehicular manslaughter of a teen. A friend is trying to cope with the sudden departure of her husband from the home, with uncertainty of his return. Two lovely people have recently been diagnosed with cancer, with one having recent surgery and both needing treatment in hope of a good outcome.......

So really, I am thankful for my busy, hectic life full of events and endless demands and questions. Things can change so quickly, leaving us reeling and unsettled with the changes. What was once a hassle in life can be the thing you wish to return, like having to get up each morning to go to work, when you have been laid off and are now unemployed.

I need to embrace the complexity of life and look at the whole scenario as a huge positive.

The alternatives are much less desirable.

How are you visualising your life right now???

I am joining the lovely bunch over at

and also

Money Back Guarantee

Have you ever wished for anything? Of course you have. Haven't we all?
Did you make a wish and then expect it to come true? Well, we all hope it will come true, otherwise we wouldn't bother wishing in the first place, but do you think about what you expect if your wish doesn't come true?

On a recent visit to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens the kids stood around the fountain in The Conservatory, closed their eyes, and threw in their money while making their wish.

Miss 8, the romantic, knows all about wishes and the rules that go with them. She was quick to remind Master 5 not to tell what he wished for, as that would mean the wish would never come true.

In the car, more recently, Master 5 suddenly wondered out loud if his wish might come true soon. Miss 8 shrugged her shoulders, but you could see her thoughts start to come thick and fast, as she started to think about this possibility.

Suddenly, she declared with a big sigh, "Well, if my wish doesn't come true by the time I turn 18, then I want my money back."

I chuckled a little at the thought.

If only there were more things in life with a money back guarantee.

The Seven-Year Engagement

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The Seven Years between hubby and I becoming engaged and getting married could be classed as a romantic comedy. Alas, we did not think of making a film about it. 

We were not in a rush to set a wedding date. We wanted certain things to happen first. Unlike The Five-Year Engagement, the delay was not so much setting up our careers, as setting up our future.

We both had similar ideas about how we wanted our lives together to "pan out".

We wanted to enjoy each others company and get to know each other. We wanted to be a couple and make lasting memories together. And we did just that. We love looking back at photos with the children and telling them the stories behind each adventure.

Neither of us wanted to rush into a relationship that might fade or change over time either. So for the whole time of the engagement we lived together. We lived in several houses, and even with hubby's parents for some time. We played house, payed bills, nurtured pets, changed jobs and had a few disasters we can now laugh about. We had different experiences shared with different friends and family. We holidayed together and spent time apart enjoying our hobbies. We saw the good and the bad, learned ours strengths and weaknesses, and held each other up when it was needed. We gave the relationship every chance to change and grow along as we did, and by the wedding, we certainly knew each other inside out.

We wanted children, but wanted to set ourselves up first. If that sounds a little sterile and too organised to be romantic, then I can tell you we have our impulsive moments, but the big decisions were important and we liked the sense of control. We saved for our first home, which we renovated together (we could have done a comedy movie just around that). We then wanted to have a little money behind us before our family began, so we worked toward this. We worked on our ideals and discussed things about our future in detail. There was a lot of dreaming, but mostly we were ensuring we were on the same page. Of course, our opinions do sometimes differ, and we have had our disagreements, but we had the time to work through them.

Maybe this communication, and growing together is why we celebrated our Ten-Year Anniversary this year, and hope to keep adding the decades to our tally. We have watched as some of our friends have struggled through terrible relationships, and some have ended badly. We are so glad that we took the time to set the strong foundation for ours.

We hope ours will be a happily-ever-after tale. It has been so far.

I like to dream

I like to dream. About things that most likely may not happen.

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Is it silly to waste my time, thinking of something out of my reach? Not for me!

I like to dream about houses. Ones out of my budget.
This has been a part of me since childhood.
My parents still have sketchbooks of mine with picture upon picture of house plans. The house plans show furniture and the gardens are landscaped.
I love looking at house plans and pictures of the finished product. I even like changing the house plans to suit my situation. I think this has boosted my creativity and imagination skills.

I also love renovating shows. Whether it be the shows that change one room, or the shows that start with a mess and come out with a masterpiece. I love the garden reno shows too. As well as the auctions shows and shows of people looking to buy a house. I love them all. Is it silly to be so infatuated by something that may never be mine. I don't think so. To dream is to live in hope. To keep the imagination alive.

Did you know that there are many suggested benefits to daydreaming?
It is said that daydreaming can be thought of as a form of meditation. Taking the mind away from current issues and thoughts.
The more you daydream, the more you may see the possibility of making your dreams happen.
Daydreaming can also help to find solutions and brainstorm.
Daydreaming is a way to boost your mood by taking yourself to a happier, nicer place.

What do you like to dream about?

Happiness is .. The Dreamy Giggler

I have had many a warm, fuzzy moment as a parent. I was reminded of one of these just this morning.


One of my favourite times of the day is when the children are asleep. They are still, angelic, peaceful ... usually. I love to sit on their beds or gaze from the door (sounds a little stalker-like), and take in their features while they are still. I watch their little movements and listen to the sounds of them breathing.


Both my children are avid dreamers, and can be quite the little talkers in their sleep. This can be quite entertaining, listening as they mumble words, or sometimes, say whole sentences with clear speech.


One moment that gives me delight every time is when they giggle in their sleep. It is an instant feel good moment. I would love to hop into their dreams and see what is giving them such pleasure that it makes them laugh out loud. 


I hope they continue to have pleasurable dreams, just to her that giggle break the silence.


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