It's what is on the inside that counts

To the untrained eye, the top pic is one of a plane. But it is what (or who?) is on the inside that counts. It was THE plane flown by OUR Capt'n TopGun Unca Steve that we'd waited 3-1/2 years to see. Let me explain.

Just about anyone who knows our family will have heard us talk about Aunty Leanne, Unca Steve, Sarah and Nixy. Sarah was born the day before Georgia in 2003 and the girls were humidicrib buddies in hospital. Leanne and I got to know each other over breast pumps......as you do. And Steve and Luke used to pull night shifts together doing late tube feeds to the tiny sub 5lb girls.

This wonderful family supported us then when Georgia wasn't doing so well (yes Georgia, breathing is NOT OPTIONAL), through her PDA (heart thingy) diagnosis and treatment, through her non-feeding and reflux issues and have had their arms firmly wrapped around us and been looking after us every step of the way since. It is not only an honour to know them but we are Blessed to call them friends.

Leanne, Steve + their munchkins had to move to Canberra with Steve's work in 2006 :( We waited some dreadfully short period (less than 3 weeks???) before landing on their doorstep for a visit. Whilst we were there, Steve announced he'd resigned his job and was going to be a commercial airline pilot. Leanne and I thought he was joking. He wasn't. And some comment was made way back then about how we'd have to go down to the airport one day and welcome him home off a flight.

Well it has taken 3-1/2 years but today we did it. Leanne, Sarah and Nixy, the four of us, a WELCOME HOME banner, a few helium balloons (that didn't make it through airport security but were rolled out later in the day) and smiles wide enough to make anyone think that Steve had flown around the world or so greeted Steve when he landed back from a 6 hour commuter hop up to Cairns and back.

I really don't know who was more excited. The children? The big girls trotting through the airport trying to get a clear view of planes landing? Luke felt so sorry for Steve with all the fuss we were making. But why not I say........if you've waited 3-1/2 years to be able to wave at the guy in the cockpit and have him wave back (after the plane had safely stopped and everything was shut down of course.....safety first!) then it's a fuss in order? I think so.

After our airport sojourn, we enjoyed a beautiful lunch at Portside Wharf whilst the rather huge 'Pacific Dawn' cruise liner was in port. The tired munchkins behaved way better than I could have asked and we had a truly wonderful day.

No matter what we do, no matter where we go, we absolutely love the company of these guys. We are extraordinarily fortunate to have such marvellous friends who are beautiful - both on the outside but more importantly on the inside too.....and it is what is on the inside that counts :)

The Christmas card for 2009

Since Georgia's arrival in 2003, I've been meaning to get a Christmas card printed. And as each Christmas has come and gone and I've emailed out messages saying 'Yet again this year I meant to get a Christmas card done but I didn't get to it'. But this year was different. I DID IT! One small step for a Mum!!

The photos were taken in early November but then Luke and I didn't let the photographer know which images we wanted until a few weeks later. And then the photographer took two weeks to get the digital images back to us. By then it was early December.

We knew we wouldn't get the cards in a hurry (yes, the company offered 50% off express shipping THE DAY AFTER I placed the order with 'normal' shipping - don't you HATE that???) so they weren't Christmas cards but instead Happy New Year cards.

Miracle of miracles, they did make it here by 22 December so some special folk did get them by December 23 or 24.........my cause in no way being helped by the postal delivery strike (Ba Humbug!).

Most of the cards were emailed out. Not as good as getting a 'real' card I know but hopefully better than nothing.

Note to self for 2010......start the process earlier? choose images more quickly? find a local printer who can do a 3 pic card (impossible this year but maybe not next year)?

Whatever happens, at least we've been able to send out a 'Holiday' card AT LEAST ONCE IN OUR LIVES :)

Happy Christmas.....and Georgia meets Lulu the cat!

It's been a lovely day here. After an 11pm into bed last night, I did a Santa at 1.14am. I heard rain on our roof (always welcome in drought stricken Queensland) and realised the attic window was open. So out of bed, down came the attic ladder, up into the attic, close the window and just like Santa, down the ladder in the early hours of the morning. My physique (or lack thereof) parellels Santa so all I was missing was the beard and red outfit :)

Ethan woke up at 5am. I kept him quiet until Georgia emerged just before 6am. She woke Luke up and then the present opening swung into action. It was only half an hour from start to finish but the munchkins enjoyed it.

We'd bought Georgia and Ethan an Aquadoodle mat each. Ethan opened the one marked for Georgia. So knowing Georgia can't read, or so we thought, we gave her the one marked to Ethan. Wrong. She looked at the label on the wrapping marked ETHAN and said 'That's Ethan's name'. What a gift that was! Our girl able to recognise letters, recognise a word and know it wasn't for her despite us nodding crazily that it was hers. Way to go Georgia!

Luke and the munchkins went for a swim as there were new swimmers and new pool toys to try out. I went back to bed and gift of the gifts.....I slept until nearly 9.45am. Marvellous!

Mum and Dad (aka Grandma & Grandpa aka GM & GP) arrived with gifts for a present opening session. They had bought Georgia a Fur Real Cat called "Lulu" as Georgia LOVES all things feline. Enter Georgia's hypersensitive hearing. Despite all of us babbling away, Georgia heard the cat meowing through the packaging. And here's how Georgia got to meet Lulu:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=123964&id=750294732&l=4d22606c22

Now that Lulu is out of the box, we've found the OFF switch and Lulu has a 'sleep' when we need to be devoid of incessant meowing :) Lulu has been a BIG hit with both Georgia and Ethan.

Aunty Margaret (aka MMT) joined the craziness mid-morning and gave Georgia a ballet 'lesson'. Georgia demonstrated she has my grace (think elephant or hippo......in no way gracious and elegant) but despite having no co-ordination or style, she giggled and laughed all the way through her 'lesson'. Very precious.

MMT then took Georgia for a spin in the new black Mercedes convertible. I should have taken pics. Georgia was very at home in the passengers seat and would have quite happily done a far longer drive than just around the block.

Mum, Dad and MMT left for lunch at Everton Park and we four were left to have afternoon snoozes, another swim and then our seafood dinner. What a lovely, lovely day.

Happy Christmas one and all.

'Twas the night before Christmas......

' Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, no one was stirring.....not even Ethan the insomniac! But I'm sure he'll be up and raring to go about 5am in the morning.

Santa has 'been' and this elf and her elf helper are absolutely tired out.

Happy Christmas one and all.

I feel SPECIAL

Sometimes small things can be SO SPECIAL. And no, on this occasion, I'm not talking about diamonds or Tiffany boxes.

I'm talking about an exquisitely handmade Christmas card. And if I was a very good blogger I would have photographed it and uploaded the photo but it is late, I'm tired so you'll just have to trust me that is gorgeous.

It arrived in our letterbox, and that is no mean feat considering the current postal strikes, all the way from a snowy spot on the West Coast of the USA.

So it was handmade, someone was organised enough to post it WEEKS ago and both of those things are amazing but it was the words that were SO SPECIAL. And I hope the author of them won't mind but I just have to share.....

"I screwed up on your blog somehow and then lost it so haven't kept up. I miss your emails!"

She lost my blog link. Oui! How could that be anything other than a national emergency?? And then the card continues.....

"I miss you so much and wish, as always, we lived closer. The years seem to fly by, but you have remained a constant in my life. Thank you, friend."

And I cried. And not just teared up but really cried. Let it all out and howled. Those three little sentences made me feel SO SPECIAL. I haven't emailed the dear sweet author of those words anywhere near as much as I should have, I haven't picked up the phone very often to say hello, I haven't jumped on a plane and gone to visit (not that I wouldn't LOVE to!) but despite my infrequent contact and when she does hear from me, my mutterings and blabbing is always so 'kid-centric', the author made me feel like I've made a difference.

In the world of suburbia, it is hard to feel like you are making a difference. It's like Groundhog Day - same stuff, different day. Same bag packing, lunch making, grocery shopping, dropping off/picking up, attempting to put something edible on the dinner table, bit of work thrown in for good measure, screaming munchkins and general all round perpetual fatigue. But despite that, those few little words made me feel ten feet tall.

To the sweet author of those words - THANK YOU! You reminded me that since 1995, you and I have covered a lot in life 'together' despite for the most of it being half the planet apart. And yet after all that has been thrown at both of us emotionally, medically, financially and in every other way possible, we can both be so grateful for what we've got and where we are. Thank you for making me feel SPECIAL and for being so SPECIAL to me. Love you 'girl'! M x

MEGA box unwrapping

There are some people in life that you are Blessed to know. And not only know but to call friends. The fact that they live on the East Coast of the USA and we are in Australia doesn't stop the friendship.....emails, photo calls, photos posted on Facebook for them to see AND them flying all the way here in 2007 to spend a MARVELLOUS few weeks with us means that the distance doesn't seem so far.

Ok, it does seem FAR. I'd love them to be able to sit here with us and watch our children gleely unwrapping the gifts they've thoughtfully chosen, lovingly wrapped and sent all this way. But since the Pacific Ocean, and most of the continental USA is between us and them, here are the pics I take for them so they can see, blow by blow, our children loving their Christmas presents from 'Birginia Beach'.

We love you Anne and Al! May 2010 be the year we can hug you both - in person.

See the pics at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=122126&id=750294732&l=cc16bc5de8

Wiggles concert - Sunday 13 December 2009

This morning we went to the 10am concert of The Wiggles at Boondall. It was rather warm (think HOT) getting from the car, through the BIG carpark to the stadium. Inside it was noisy which tends to stress Georgia right out. BUT, look at her smile in the photo above. She started off the concert with her ear muffs on but grew in confidence, removed them and this was the smile I got when I asked her if she was having fun.

We got through the concert this year without losing Ethan. Last year he had to be removed from UNDER the stage by Security. This year he had a tantrum mid-show but compared to the foot race we had chasing him around the stadium last year, that was a piece of cake.

To see all the pics, follow the link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=120949&id=750294732&l=4bcfd007b8

Peek and enjoy!

Pictures from the photo shoot

As someone who loves reading blogs, I should be more diligent in updating my own. But I've learned in the last 6-1/2 years, should is a word that I should not use.

So here I am after another 4 week blog absence. Can I blame Ethan for that? His waking up at 4.22am, 4.34am and other pre-5am times doesn't impress me at all. But it means I HAVE to get to bed at a sensible hour, when I'd rather be blogging, so I am at least semi-conscious when he starts unpacking our pantry to find cereal of a morning. Would that be cereal to eat? Not likely. Cereal to spread over the kitchen floor. But more about that and his other culinary explorations at another time.

The munchkins were put through their paces at a photo shoot in November. The plan was to have photos ready for a Christmas card. That probably isn't going to happen despite me wrestling with card software tonight for approaching 2 hours. Grrr. Anyway, here's the link to the album of pics that the photographer managed to snap:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119834&id=750294732&l=032c9c49f4

It was hot, Ethan doesn't stay still for anything or anybody, Georgia wasn't impressed by the whole set up but at least she was partially co-operative for some of the time. Really it is quite remarkable that there ended up being any useful images at all.

Peek and enjoy!