Dreams and Passions

Have you ever had a dream?
I have?
My hearts desire was to be a Nurse, to be married and be a Mum. After I registered as a Nurse-RN. I went overseas met my husband and we return home here to be married. I was fortunate enough to gain a full time position   on my arrival home.
It dawned on me one day, is this all there is to nursing....What have I done, this is not what I wanted. .   After our eldest was born, I knew my next desire. Be a full time Mum. No.. Its was to train and be a Midwife... when she was 10 months old I was accepted to the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Waratah, NSW. I was so excited but also apprehensive. Dermot was also completing his studies. Dermot had a full time student load and as Midwifery was a paid hospital based position in those days - before the system spoilt it!!, I was bringing in the income. I had the best babysitters my Mum and a good friend, and of course Daddy. You see I had a full student load and a full time rotating roster. BUT I loved it.
I had found my dream job.
In the back of my mind I thought I would like to be home with Louise and her siblings as they arrived, but I loved and thrived on this life too.
The children did not miss out, shift work and working part time meant I could create a roster around my family. So with a Nanny by this stage, and my Mum and of course Daddy, we lived this life.
Eventually though I desired to be home with the children more and more.

So when Brid tells me her desires of the heart with such passion, I can totally relate to her. I lived my passion, I loved my job. I couldn't call it a career because I didn't strive to go up the career ladder. I was best, one on one, in Delivery Suite birthing women, or being with them in a crisis time. I loved the Tiny babies in Neonatal care, that were so delicate and fragile, being able to support there parents and tend to there tiny child.
Now its my time to give guidance to Brid to live her passion. Her passion is dance. Actually Ballet. She lives for it and has moved Ballet schools to pursue these dreams.
So our homeschool day is weaved around various lessons and in the future I am sure there will be more interweaving.

changes for 2012

I read over several friends posts and facebook pages and many are changing diets and trying to loose those extra kilos.
We too are on this journey.
We spend a week with a lovely couple in Sydney, when Brid was attending the Ballet summer school. They had been loosing weight over a period of a year, using a low carb and no carbs after 6 pm diet.
These are just change of a lifestyle. Similar to when families begin homeschooling after taking a child out of school, or commit oneselves to The Lord, vowing to follow and spread his message of truth.
So I asked many questions of my dear friends and vowed to bring this change to our family.
We have been eating much much more fruit. Taking note of the amount of carbs and fats we eat, and reduce those as well.
My dear friends use an online calorie counter, but as per usual, I prefer to do my own thing. With this information in hand, I researched and found the best web pages on free calorie counting and exercise calorie counting that I could.
I have a fair knowledge on this anyway, so it was just a matter of tweaking a few things.
We have been following this 'new diet', for a few weeks now, and the results are obvious.
I knew Brid was not really needing to loose weight, she is rather slightly built, Dermot and I were the only ones who needed the diet. Brid is benefiting by us leading by example.
I knew when I put this extra weight on though. It was during a very difficult family crisis. It was not initially, but a few months later. I was interested in nuturing myself and my family. How does a mother do this; but by loving, feeding and in return she receives positive comments like 'that was lovely mum, great meal leanne.' Just what I needed to hear.
It was also around this time that I hurt a ligament in my knee and in the healing time, transferred that injury to an old hip injury. I was in need of being nutured and nuturing from my family and the friends  that were surrounding me.
It was while at summer school last month, at our 7 day retreat with our charasmatic friends, that I took this all to God in a big way and asked healing over it all.
He has rewarded me, with a new attitude, a strength and committment to honour The temple of the Holy Spirit- my human body.
I have diligently written up my own food exercise diary and write calories in and out. I know my Basal metabolic index and use those parameters to choose a realistic calorie limit.
The limit is not restricing at all., it does however, make you consider that chocolate or extra peice of cake is counted, and wouldn't a plate of strawberries and rockmelon be better.
My biggest thing I have changed is breakfast. I have difficulties eating huge breakfasts, so now I break it up, so I eat fruit with the family and a small carbohydrate meal a few hour later. The key is really to limit carbohydrates at night after 6pm.
We walk daily, but I have added a 30minutes on our exercise bike or a swim in the pool, or attack the garden weeds. Its pretty easy and We are seeing results.

So Praise God for his timing is perfect in everything.