I am awake at 1:00 am to write this just so you know. It seems like the only time I feel motivated to do stuff is after 10:00pm. Why is this so? I don't know but it's slowly killing me because I'm actually exhausted :)
I've been soo busy lately. It seems like after Kylee's birthday the ball just kept rolling and the plans for our trip to China became all we could think about (and talk about)! (pictures and post coming soon). Now we're home and Christmas and New year has come and gone, not to mention, Braden's second birthday...this is what his birthday party looked like
Luckily, because it was his birthday, we got our airport breakfast (while waiting for a connecting flight) 50% off which means we actually bought enough food to feed us all and we all got to share TWO chocolate frappes instead of just one like we usually do. (Living on a budget ya know). We really used the free child air fair well because had he been born just hours earlier, we would've had to pay $600 for his seat! Instead, because he's a "baby" he got to sprawl across two extra seats for free. Happy Birthday to you Braden! We love you little fire-cracker!
Our flight home on Air Asia went well, but unfortunately, it didn't go well for another flight that left Malaysia that day too (actually I think it left from Singapore???) That's the same morning that the flight crashed in the Java sea killing everyone on board. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father's plan for me was to live and be with my family and loved ones again. So sad, and so real.
On a happier note, 5 weeks of vacation and time with the fam has completely rebooted me and I feel amazing. I'm so motivated to get back to the core of things and clean out my life so that I don't keep wasting my time on frivolous things that get me no where and leave me feeling empty. I'm reading a book called "the Happiness Project" and chapter one is all about cleaning out your house and tossing things you don't need. I read it with Jeremy (I'd read it myself first but knew he would love it) and the next morning, I woke up to him going through his clothes. There was already a big pile on the end of the bed. That was the beginning of something really great. We've gutted Braden's room, the kid's room, our closet, and the pantry. I has been exhausting and the hot humidity is actually unbearable at times but we're forging our way through. At first we were like a stampede moving through but we've slowed right down to turtle speed, haha. I'm still determined though because the parts of the house that are clean are so nice and I'm enjoying my time in those clean places of my house a lot. Apparently, there's a positive effect that comes from an empty shelf did you know? In our little tiny matchbox of a home, there's not much room for empty shelves-or so I thought. While moving through our house and getting rid of so much stuff I suddenly felt free!!! Why am I keeping all the boys old clothes? Why do I need to keep that fake plant that I love but will someday fix the broken pot that it sits in? Why do the kids need to have 5 t-shirts and 4 sleeping shorts when they have plenty of proper, matching jammies? Kylee doesn't like tights so why am I keeping 5 really cute pairs in her drawer and making it harder to close? Chuck it, chuck it, chuck it....!!!! That's my motto lately!!! It's really great. I think my thinking that drives me to keep things is the "just in case". Just in case I have another boy, just in case I need a camp shirt, just in case I decide to glue the old pot that isn't worth keeping, just in case I want to knit a sweater (4 rolls of yarn!), just in case blah blah blah...is it worth carting around all this stuff "just in case"??? NOOO NOO NOO. If I need it, I'll be able to get it when I do. I keep telling myself that. The Lord will provide me with whatever I need, when I need it. I fully believe that now. Anyway, half the stuff I was keeping, I didn't even remember I had it and would have most likely missed reusing it anyway!! So there's that.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about my family and friends in America. I SERIOUSLY miss them. Kind of makes my heart hurt a little. I really want to meet my friend's babies and hold them and play with them and chat away the day comparing horror parent stories. I want to be there to influence my nieces and nephews and help them on their way into teenager-hood and give them alllll the love they need to make it through the most confusing part of life (my opinion). I want my kids to meet their grandpa and let them have cuddles and play with him. I want them to get to know their cousins that they don't even know! If I had more money, I would be booking a ticket right now for a good, long, visit. But, I don't. And I can't. So, thankfully, I stalk them on the internet and smile the whole time! With all that being said though, I actually love where I live. This is my home and I feel like this is where I belong. It's very important to feel like you belong somewhere. If you haven't ever felt that, then keep looking because it's a really great, contended feeling. Knowing and loving where you are gives you grounding ya know? I know I was born in America but I feel my heart kind of tingle when I sing the Australian anthem and celebrate all things "Aussie". I'm grateful that Jeremy does too. I'm grateful for my daughter's Australian accent and I'm grateful that they love Vegemite sandwiches! haha!!! It's kind of odd really, but there you go. That's the truth of it. Even the spiders and snakes won't scare me away!! (and yes, I just happened to see my first snake since living in this house a few weeks ago-just a green garden snake though). Just take me to the beach and all is forgotten :)
Well, I'm starting to lose my train of thought and I'm probably not going to proof read this because it's stinkin late and I'm tired. Good night matey's
Love Chel
