Over at our school week

Go over at my page and have a look... its in direct response to a dear friends Blog post.

250th post...our yearly journey....

............ to Huntington House     

Every year, for the last 14 years we as a family, have made our journey to Huntington House, on the central coast of NSW. It has to be our favourite weekend of the year.

We gather with good friends and our family. We come to just relax, enjoy the surf, the food and good company.

This time it was a lovely May weekend. The beach was hard to resist. Several brave people enjoyed  the ocean water. The sun was glorious. Laughter filled the air.
We arrive Friday evening to settle in and fish n chips are the order of the evening. It’s a great catch up night lasting til quite late usually.

Saturday is filled with relaxing, beach walks and some of us head to the shops for a couple of forgotten items, and just a chance to browse.
Saturday night however, is a special night. We pool our meals together. Prepare the tables with flowers and candles. Our friend Phil & I had already searched the yard for flowers we could use as table decorations. It’s his Birthday just after the weekend so a surprise cake & candle are hidden from him until dessert.
Dermot always lights the fire in the evenings. It gets quite cold once the sun sets. We usually play a game or two. It’s such a fun filled night. Our Louise is very competitive, just like her Dad. I have a shocking migraine, so I retire to the darkened bedroom to try and sleep it off.

Next morning, Mass is at 10am. So everyone gathers and we car pool to Our Lady, Star of the sea. It has the best Piety stall I have seen, and it’s always a stop after Mass for a prayer card or a statue.
Morning Coffee awaits us back at our weekend home, out on the back patio overlooking the beach. Lunch gets started and we procrastinate cleaning and packing up, because its been another lovely relaxing weekend. So around 4pm we succumb to the impending drive home knowing we,please God, will return back next year.

To love & to hold.

Every month a lovely bunch of homeschool mums gets together to share about different topics. This Month was all about How has Homeschooling affected your Marriage.
Well my initial reaction is: It hasn't. Our Marriage has seen enormous stresses and homeschooling would have to be the least.
I was asked to share my tip, that morning of the gathering. As my friend and I were chatting we decided I should talk about the most effective life changing event that has happened in our marriage.
I immediately began to write my words down and I was very excited about sharing, but....I didn't want to take the night over, so I shared on Coffee time... This was the beginning of really sharing together.
I  would like to share my thoughts on our marriage changing event.
One Sunday morning while sitting in our pew at church toward the end of Mass, with our children getting restless, a young couple were asked to share about a mariage weekend. We watched them walk up the aisle, with there 5 children in tow. The lady was expecting her 6th. They shared there story. Dermot leaned over to me...'we are doing that weekend'... Dermot doesn't remember saying it..
The invitation was to a marriage enrichment weekend. This was instrumental in leading us into a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other. How God really fits into our lives as a couple raising our family.
We realised we were keeping him out of areas of our relationship. The sharings over the weekend challenged us in so many ways, but we were determined to love and understand each other better.
It gave us the tools to help us in hard times and a community to fit into for support.
This was our couple conversion. It was when we said "yes" to God in a meaningful way. We allowed God into every part of our marriage, even the mud.
So how can we keep the flame alive? Well there's a little secret.
Once a month there is ongoing  support in the way of Gathering evenings, in couples homes. The Gathering groups are easy. We run a Gathering group in our home, and we have done so close on 8 years, give or take a break or two.
These couples are like minded and we share life and support each other. So what do we do on these nights? Firstly we Pray. 'Notes' have been downloaded from the website, we take turns to read them aloud, questions discussed and shared only with your spouse. Supper is shared afterwards. Often this is where the real sharing begins as Couples feel comfortable to share with trusted Friends.
This Community we are involved in also reaches out to the engaged, mentoring them through a one on one program called Embrace.
So the tools we are given from celebrate love weekend are:
Praying for Passion in our marriage and all marriages
" I feel" statements rather than accusing statements. "I feel hurts when  this happened".
We have also taken tools from the Embrace model as well. Connect Kiss- 10 seconds at least. Connect Hug- Hug until you melt, Affirm your spouse every day, and let him know what you appreciate about him daily.
So Celebrate Love has opened us to what God wants for our marriage, not what the world says we should have.
Even in our darkest times and hardest struggles, God is our strength and guide.  We call to him for comfort. We were deeply tested in the last few years with a very nasty incident, which shook us to the core of our being, and really it could have ripped us apart, but we both clung to God and he was there. We know, we felt his presence and peace.
Every ministry we do in our church is as a couple, every decision is together.
The gatherings and our coffee times give us time to discuss Gods word, any issues unfolding in our childrens lives, and we are united and that's couple power.

 Would you like to share your secrets to your marriage?

My DAD

My Dad has a very special birthday today. He turns 70. Happy Happy Birthday Dad. We pray you have a fantastic day basking in our love for you.

Dad always loved cuddles

70 today

His precious Grandaughters

We will celebrate with him tonight. He will miss his only Grandson, Kieran and our 2nd daughter, Kristie. May God be with them in there day today.

special moment

Louise and I shared a special weekend together very recently. I carefully arranged it so I could attend both the 3^rd annual Sisterhood conference, and have our weekend together. Only to receive an email that sisterhood was scheduled the same weekend, as Louise and my special time together.

Was this God intervening? Probably. What had I learnt from Sisterhood? What was God trying to do here? To be very truthful, I felt torn. A weekend of renewal and being fed spiritually, or a weekend with my darling eldest, continuing to laying down the framework of our adult relationship. I WANTED to do both.  God had other plans. I was to follow his plan, because what’s the point of friendships, if I don’t have that with my children.
So the tickets were booked, the row of seating carefully chosen, lovely accommodation was carefully selected as well. The staff of the hotel documented that this was a mother n daughter weekend. So everything was planning out smoothly. Praise God.
Louise has been a dancer since she was 3, and at her very first concert, her class performed A spoonful of sugar, from Mary Poppins. The entire concert, that year was snapshots from this favourite musical ours. Louise was so cute in her little red spotted costume, knee length white socks, red ballet slippers and curly strawberry blonde hair, with a red bow. They pointed their toes and flexed them and looked adorable. Louise chatting to the girl positioned next to her during the performance. Memories. !!!

We have always loved Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews.  So this weekend, that I write about is surrounded with many lovely memories and family history.
We were to see the Musical MARY POPPINS. It was like a dream come true. I had to continually pitch myself through the weekend. Is this really happening. I drove to Sydney with Louise, the GPS found the hotel and we parked our car with ease. Arriving at the front desk to be given an upgrade. Wow.

Louise & I shared lunch once we were settled in our room, and decided on how to spend the afternoon. Chatting with Louise was easy. We were both pretty excited and happy to be able to spend a weekend alone, with no one interrupting.

Everytime the Sisterhood weekend came into my head, I prayed for its success, because this time with Louise is fruit from the Sisterhood ministry.

So the time arrived for us to get ready. We had worked out where the Theatre was in relationship to our hotel and we had sorted out dinner. I let Louise choose and she is a bit of a Thai fan. That’s Ok, I was happy just to be spending these precious moments with her. A drink in the Bar close by the theatre was another Treat. We had never been in a bar alone together as adults. We both couldn’t wait to see this long awaited musical. Not long now, I said. 

Mary Poppins was everything I thought it would be and more. It told a story from the book, and used, a little bit of poetic license. We clapped and sang along. I snuck a few looks at the Louise’s face. We were like children again. We savoured every moment of the show and purchased a little souvenir at the end.
We were exhilarated on the way home. We shared our favourite moments and planned the next day on the walk back to our lovely room.
Next morning we had Breakfast in the hotel restaurant courtesy of our booked package. This was followed by a trip to Paddys Markets, China town, and a detour to Mrs Macquaries chair- don’t ask Gps thought it was the way home.
We thank God for this weekend and its memories and times we shared, just being together and sharing conversation. It was special and we both want to do it again. So another tradition has begun; Mum & Louise weekends. They may not be as elaborate in the future, but it’s in the sharing that we will develop a more loving, trusting and open friendship as adult women. 

 Praise you God for your timing, not mine.

My Girls

Louise and Brid are 10 years apart.
They are so very different, but so very much alike as well. They have similar mannerisms. Louise was very similar to Brid in looks at this age.
Louise was 10 when Brid was born, and she can remember when I was in labour with Brid. She wanted to be present when Brid was born. She was like a little Mummy to her. Somethings never change.
Louise would settle Brid at night, if we didn't hear her. If Brid woke at night sick, she would be there with her, and come and get me when she OK to be left. (the kids rooms were a long way from ours).
Louise takes her role as big sister seriously. She makes sure when she buys gifts for Brid they are significant.
A couple of years ago, Louise paid for Brid to have her ears pierced- with my permission.
Louise chose a gorgeous perfume for Brids' 13th birthday.
As Louise doesn't live here, she likes to have Brid over to stay from time to time, to have girlie time. Thats always special for them both.
They bicker at times and Louise, being the eldest will stamp her authority. This doesn't go down to well with Brid. But as a good sister does she lets it all go and takes it in her stride. At least until, she can chat to me about it.
Sisterly love, its a precious gift, and one I hope they both continue to nuture as there relationship grows.

God Bless you Both 

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

To all those Beautiful Blogging Mums out there. May God Bless You abundantly today.

Leanne  



We had a lovely Day. Dermot & Brid spoiled me with Breakfast in bed, and singing Happy Mothers day as I was presented little gifts.
I send off as many texts as I could to friends in my address book, to all  the Mummys I know.
Dermot took charge of Sunday lunch. He needed very little help from me.
Brid set the table beautifully.
Each place had a placecard. Brid loves placing everyone.
Mum Dad and Louise arrived ready to be served and to serve Mum and myself.
So a Roast Chicken feast was in stall for us, with Chocolate cake for dessert.
Coffee and Tea afterwards.
It was lovely to be spoilt today.

Thank you God for the loving caring beautiful family, you have given me.