Good morning to all of our dearly loved ones! It is just after 9:00 am on Sunday morning here in Melbourne, Joe is out coaching an under-18 girls team and so, after briefly tidying up (the JOY of a tiny house!) I am here with a few moments to write you. I thought that, for something COMPLETELY different I'd introduce all of our far away loved ones to some of the funny Australian colloquialisms that we've discovered. I staunchly refuse to be won over while, on the other hand, Joe has started to adopt little phrases here and there.
How you going? - how are you doing? No Dramas! - Don't worry about it She/he is GORGEOUS - she/he is a really nice person It (the food) is gorgeous - it tastes really good! I'm full on - I'm really busy It was full on - It was really intense (as in a workout) I'm knackered - I'm exhausted I'm stuffed - I'm exhausted Go for your life - give it a try I was blind! - I was very drunk Pram - stroller Grog/piss - beer, liquor, spirit Nappies/ nappy bag - diapers/diaper bag Bub - Baby Bath Sheet - large towel Doona - bedspread Flat white - coffee with milk Short black - coffee without milk Capsicum - read/green/yellow peppers Petrol - Gasoline Bloke - male Bird - female
Melbourne is very much a "cafe" culture, with a plethora of corner cafes where people sit down with a flat white or cappuchino and, most likely, a pastry of some sort. Meat pies are hugely popular here, as well as sausage rolls and the like! We didn't really understand why there is an obesity problem in this country, but I've come to the conclusion it is due to the most delicious pastries and savory pies you've ever tasted!
Also, they are just obsessed with Chicken Parma here! Most restaurants will have a "chicken parma special" one night a week, because everybody seems to love it. Havn't tasted it yet, maybe it is worth all the hype!
Anyhow, I'm sure more oddities will come to me, but I'll leave it at that for now! Here is a popular tv commercial here that really does capture this city quite well!
In other news, Baby at 17 weeks not only has eye brows and eye lashes, but also is working hard at turning cartilage to bone and has even started to develop some baby fat! Keep growing little one!!!
We love you all, our dearest friends and family. We miss you, every day we miss you! Lots of love, hugs and kisses...know that we pray for you with hearts full of love. xoxo
Happy Valentine's Day for all of our friends and family in the United States and Canada! I hope you are all having a happy, spoiled rotten sort of day, full of happiness and lots of love. For those of you who are single, don't be depressed! I was reflecting yesterday (Valentine's day in Australia) that being single during Valentine's day can be the best thing ever. I remember fondly my delicious chocolate, wine, romantic comedy, and maybe even new clothing single Valentine's days. Not that I'd ever trade what I have now for them, BUT, treasure them! First of all, you are so loved to your very core by your Creator, and secondly being single on Valentines day helps avoid the let down that so often is the case (through no explicit fault of the poor male species who cannot help but be utterly petrified by female expectations on this day!).
Unfortunately, my dear husband worked all night on Valentine's day and I was in school all day, thus our day of romance consisted in a loving good morning kiss, Joe putting me through a rigorous workout in the gym at the end of his shift, and laying in bed completely exhausted while he did sudoku and I read for school. Despite the "average" nature of the dayValentine's day is a special day for us, because 2 years ago today was our very first date at the OH MOST DELICIOUS Pappasitos restaurant in Dallas. Mmmm, guacamole. And, despite the fact that Valentines day didn't seem to be very special yesterday it WAS because I was able to start and end my day at the side of my Beloved. I still cannot believe I am so lucky as to be his wife. Our marriage seems to be infused with romance (even in the tiny and inconsequential things), and so I don't feel let down nor deprived, I just feel blessed!
Australian summer continues to bless us with its beautiful and quite mild weather! I get to walk through beautiful Fitzroy gardens every day on my way to school and it always makes me sooo happy. It is probably my highest praise of this city, that it provides so much beautiful green space for its citizens. Every day there are picnics, mamas with babies, people playing sports, people having naps, and sometimes even live music. The disadvantage of the beautiful weather is the capital F freaky Huntsman spiders that have made their appearance. The other day one scuttled across my window as I got on the car, and just a few hours later one dropped from its web onto the ground right in front of me. These are the scariest spiders I've ever encountered and I'm always scared to walk under trees because I can imagine one on my head! Just to give you an idea...SOO SCARY!
In other news baby is growing fabulously! We are just now at 16 weeks, as I was "misinformed" by one of our websites so I'm one week behind what I thought. Our sweet little one now has eye brows and eye lashes, and is kicking quite furiously down low on my left side. It certainly eases the pain and uncertainty of all the changes. I am so blessed to have many women in my life, close friends, who are experiencing pregnancy for the first time! We are able to empathize with and love one another through the emotional roller coaster that is pregnancy numero uno. I received a beautiful email from my consecrated sister the other day, in which she managed to put everything in perspective with her inspired words. She said:
"I know that amidst the thrill of having a baby on the way, the reality of the change that is happening in your life can sometimes be overwhelming. (it’s a special cross that He has placed on your shoulders but it is exactly THAT that can be your victory)! But also just remember how beautiful you are – inside and out, and even more now with the added glow of a life inside…and that you are so loved and valued simply because YOU ARE (and no big belly can change that…in fact, it has a special effect of making you absolutely adorable!!!). Yes, life is changing so rapidly for you…but take it one moment at a time – one step leads to another step. And when the next step comes, God will give you the grace you need for that new moment."
So to all my pregnant friends, keep those words close to your hearts! Here is a picture of our little one, HOW CUTE! So lovable, and oh so lovely.
Well, I must close now as class is just about to begin. We truly remember you all in our prayers, and we miss you desperately. Thank you for your love and support, and for your prayers for us! Lots of love from Oz :) XOXOXO
“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formedin a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things."
Well I am sitting here on a very rainy Friday night, and with a sigh of relief I write this blog because it means that life is settling down and returning to normal (whatever that is!). I have rescued the neighbor's dog from the pelting rain, his family is not home yet, and so he is laying here with me and it is nice to have the companionship of this quirky little dog while Joe is off at work. I'll have to take a picture of him, he has a deformed paw which sits ever so cutely to the side when he is still...and when Joe and I leave he sticks his little face under the gate and watches us drive away. It is enough to break your heart! Joe says that’s what I look like watching out the window when he leaves for work, so I suppose this little puppy dog and I have enough in common.
I sigh also because life is so full of mystery...and so many events in our lives remind me of that lately. This little one growing mysteriously in my womb (more on that in a minute), the uncertainties of the paths our lives will take and the will of God for them, the frightening storms and natural disasters that have left so many people homeless or afraid in other parts of Australia. I know for now we are so very happy, and pray every day that we walk in the path God intends for us to walk, but it is all a mystery and sometimes frighteningly so.
Practically, we are doing amazingly well! Ever since we've moved into our little apartment it has been nothing but joy. For the first time I've felt truly peaceful with the idea of being here in Melbourne for a few years, and I think it's because we have a little home, a safe haven that is shelter from all of the sometimes scary and overwhelming realities of the big world out there. I am a 25 year old woman saying that the world is scary, but sometimes (especially since this move) I feel very little and very insecure. It is amazing how small you can feel once you start to realize just how big the world is and what a task it is to walk through that world and be a person of light.
Our apartment is beautiful. The first night here was truly hilarious (although at the time I wanted to cry). We'd been planning a beautiful spaghetti and meatball dinner for our first night in our new house. Of course, getting used to the fact that we have a makeshift kitchen made the process for cooking the dinner about 20x longer than it needed to be. We finally ate around 11:00 pm, and I felt so exhausted I really could care less if we were eating anchovies with their heads on. We finished only to have to attempt to do the dishes. Not having established the kick-butt system we have going now for washing the dishes in the shower, we got spaghetti sauce EVERYWHERE. The floors were covered, the mirrors were covered, and we were covered...and sweaty, and so unimpressed. I thought, "no way no how." But, if you can believe it, we are pros now, I can't even imagine it being any other way and I've been able to cook beautiful gourmet meals using our limited resources with ease. We are so excited that this is our starter house. It is the best thing that could have happened for us!
I started school, an intensive course called "Current Controversies in Bioethics." It was a super intense week of school all day, however I am absolutely blessed beyond compare to be studying under one of the most recognized (and perhaps sometimes most hated) bioethicist in the nation. I will write more about Dr. Nicholas Tonti-Fillipini in my next blog, but suffice it to say I am truly humbled to be studying under such a man of greatness...I'll leave that as a hook to get you to read the next blog :)
Baby, yes baby has grown beyond belief! I can't believe how big he/she has gotten...apparently we don't have twins on either side of the family so it seems that baby is simply big. I wonder if perhaps our sweet pea has inherited Joe's long limbs and that’s why they've announced their presence through a big, round baby bump. It is such a joy to be "showing" mostly because it has allowed Joe to become more a part of the pregnancy. The sweetest moments are when he talks to our baby, tells him or her about the pond in Lindale, and all of the exciting adventures they will have together. I think our baby is going to know their daddy's voice very well.
I'd be lying if I said that I was finding pregnancy easy. I'm not; I'm finding the emotional journey very difficult! I've struggled very much with the reality of my body and my life from now on not being under my 'control' anymore. It is almost as though I've grieved over the loss...as superficial as I know it is I can't deny that I've felt so sad and frightened! It has made me really dig deep and examine where I place my self worth, where my securities lie, and in whom I seek my affirmation. It has also made me realize the pressures society places on us to be perfect, as society sees perfection, and with the commercialization of pregnancy it's hard to keep up! So, I continue to be prayerful and patient...and I continue to tell our baby that Joe and I do this all because we love them so SO much. Not for one moment have my struggles made me regret our decision to be open to this new little life. Even though I've never even seen our baby's face I can already not imagine a world without them in it. There is a beautiful Matt Maher song which is a wonderful reminder of what it is to be truly alive in the only One that matters:
I will leave you with that...such a very long post but there is so much to catch you all up on, our dear and truly missed loved ones. We pray for you all, everyday. We think about you in your journeys and hope that you are finding true joy in them. We love you, and we can't wait to talk to you soon.
