Another Goodbye

It feels like only a few days ago that I was saying that I didn't like change, well today I made way for another change, today was the kids church breakup party.  I knew that this was coming for a long time, but just like my room, it didn't make it any easier. 

I know that giving up kids church was the right thing to do for next year, because if I couldn't give it my all then I didn't want to give it anything, because it wouldn't seem enough, although now that I am faced with the reality of my decision it seems a lot harder.  I know that I will still see the kids, but I also know it won't be the same.  Working with the kids, and being part of their lives has been such a privileged one I certainly haven't taken for granted.

Anyway, its been a lot of fun this year, sure its been tough at times, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world, and today was a fantastic way to celebrate it all.  Oh and just to top it off I manages to get Dave to dress up like Santa...who would have thought.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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I could do this

Sometimes I wonder what God is doing when it comes to the weather, this week it has been all over the shop, seriously…one day its hot, the next day its cold…what is going on? The thing is though, I think I could get used to it being like this. I really like summer, but sometimes when it is just so hot all the time, I don’t cope very well. I also really like summer rain (and yes every time I say or write, or even think the words ‘summer rain’ I too thing of the song…).

So perhaps this higgledy piggleldy weather isn’t so bad after all, maybe I could get used to it…in fact I think I could. I think I would be quite happy to have a summer of hot-cold-hot-cold weather, no that I think about it a little bit more, I think that would be quite nice. It would also help me with my bush fire panic a bit too, coz if its always raining…that’s gotta help.

I take it all back…I love this weather, bring on unpredictability….

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Three's a crowd

So even though I live in a tiny house I still love to have people come and visit, but tonight I realized that my house isn’t made to have 3 people sleep there. Today Dusty and Jess drove up to Castlemaine for a visit. This was the first time Jess had seen my place and the second time for dusty, so I made sure everything was clean, I left a key out and made sure there was lots of coffee for Dust until I got home.

After a lovely dinner in Bendigo complete with a walk through the gardens with cold rock for dessert, we headed back to my place and watched a Christmas classic, Muppets Christmas Carol, Then we set up the beds, so I had my little spot up in the loft, Jess was on the couch and then Dusty was on a stretcher bed on the floor, but I tell you what there wasn’t much room left after that at all, it was very cozy. However, despite being on top of one another, it was a heaps fun night, complete with childhood reminiscing…it turns out Dusty and I have always been a little odd, well according to Jess anyway… I mean who else used to sing the decore shampoo add in the spa, using the bubbles as shampoo?

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Change

I always thought that I was ok with change, perhaps not great, but ok. I have learned this weekend though that perhaps I am not so good at it. I like things to be familiar, I like knowing what to expect and I like what’s mine to stay mine.

This weekend I closed another chapter in my life. I guess until this moment I have half moved out of home, which even though I am slowly getting used to it, is still a big deal for me. So even though I spend at least 4 nights a week in Castlemaine, I still had my room in Melbourne there whenever I needed it. However, because I still had my large room, it meant that Jake still had his little tiny room upstairs, and because he is going into year 12 year, mum and dad decided it was only far for us to swap rooms.

So after about 2 months of denial, and 5months of refusal, the deed is done, the rooms are swapped and I don’t like it at all. I think the thing that I don’t like is not the fact that I have to sleep somewhere else, but rather the fact that my old room looks different…it looks like boy.

I think that maybe the other thing is the fact that my room was probably the only thing that has been constant since I moved. When I look back at this year, I feel like everything has changed and my life is almost unrecognizable. I know this is what's supposed to happen, and that it is making me grow as a person, but sometimes I wish I could just go back, I don’t know how far I would go…maybe not that far, but just far enough for things to feel familiar and safe. I now see why Peter Pan never wanted to grow up, being out there as your own person sucks. Its much better to be a little kid and not have to worry, but I know it doesn’t work that way. Sometimes things have to change, even if its not for my own benefit. I suppose that’s where my faith should kick in, trusting that God’s got it all under control and that I don’t need to panic, but its hard and sometimes even though its all sorted, it still hurts.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Twihard

Sometimes I get sucked into things, I know you find that hard to believe but its true. The Twilight saga is one of these things, and thankfully I am not the only one.


When I moved up to Castlemaine I had to leave my Melbourne cell group behind, but because I didn’t want to miss out completely I found another one in Bendigo and it has been such a wonderful group to belong to. For most of the year it has just been Susanne, Dee and I, and towards the end of the year I finally met Jo as well.

Anyway, when we aren’t doing the study, there is a fairly high chance that Dee, Susanne and I are talking about twilight…we love it…and just for the record, I am team Edward, Dee is team Jacob…and Susanne…well she tends to change her mind, although I think Jake is currently winning. And so…it only seemed natural that we would attend the premier of New Moon together. So on Wednesday night, Susanne and I met at the cinemas nice and early, went and had some dinner and cold rock then headed back to the cinema to line up to that we would have awesome seats for the movie. Because we weren’t just seeing New Moon…no no no, we were seeing Twilight and New Moon, and unlike in Melbourne when you go and see something like this, there is no allocated seats. So Susanne and I lined up (Dee was at work) with all the 13-18year girls, a few older ones like us and I think 2 boys and waited to see the movie. And just in case you were wondering, it was soooooo worth it. I love doing things like that, I don’t really care how dorky you think I am, I still love it!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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It's Ladies Night

I have recently discovered that I actually really like traditions, I think I like them because they are regular and they normally have some meaning attached to them.  Anyway, tonight I had an Agnew family tradition, one which was started before I was born, but continues on just as good as ever.

Tonight was the Agnew annual Christmas ladies night out, where all the women on my Mum's side of the family go out to dinner to catch up.  The tradition was actually started by my Granddad, as back in the day he used to take out Nana and his 3 daughters, but now, even though both Granddad and Nana are gone, his tradition still lives on.  

I really like the ladies night out because often it's the only time I catch up with my aunties and cousins, something I wish I did more, but just don't.  I also like the fact that even though almost everyone in the group is going completely different directions with their lives, and sometimes its hard to see what any of us have in common, the fact that we are family and that we love and care for each other is enough and the night is always great and normally a good laugh.

This year I am dragging Jess with me... after all it's about time she came, she had been a girl associated with the Agnew family for over 4 years now and she can't avoid it forever.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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The Role of My Dreams

I love the fact the my blog is so far behind that by the time you read this it will probably be too late, but because I refuse to give in to the pressure and just type things as they happen rather than in retrospect as I seem to do there isn’t much I can do.

I think that I have mentioned before how much I love musicals, and how much I wanted to be in one…well the good news is…its all happening! That’s right, I have been offered a spot in a musical…and not just any spot…the spot. On the 18th of December 2009 I will be playing the role of Mairah (aka Mary) in a the nativity story like you have never seen it before. I am seriously so super excited and very nervous all at the same time! I suppose now I will need to start learning lines and songs and everything else…oh and perhaps I should have a little chat with mum about what it feels like to have waters break and give birth and stuff... coz I am a little inexperienced in that department.

So anyway, if you are free on the 18th, you should definitely come on down to Box Hill salvos and check it out! Its going to be seriously awesome.

Oh and today is two of my amazing friend’s birthdays! So Phoebe and Susanne….HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Inspiration

So tonight I went and saw the movie Julie and Julia, with Merryl Streep and Amy Adams, which is just a great movie, and I have come away feeling a little inspired.

The movie is about two women living in separate times who both use food to find themselves...but thats not what really inspired me, what inspired me was Julie's blog...here julie and julia project that was so good it captured the imagination of heaps and heaps and heaps of people.  I loved that here blog actually connected with people, rather than just told them the useless information of her day.

I guess the thing is I don't really write my blog so that people with think I am super cool, or even so that people would read it, but a little bit inside me really hopes that they do, and that they go away from my blog feeling like it was worthwhile...I am not really sure how to do that...but I think at the moment the blog is a bit boring, because I am sure no one really cares about the dinners I have or the places I go...I have been thinking about this a lot recently and I was reminded of the saying:

'No one cares how much you know, until the know how much you care'

Now I know its just a blog, but sometimes I wonder if I give it enough, you know if I am real enough...I mean I don't really want to come on here and poor my heart out all the time, but I would like to feel like I connect with people.  Perhaps I do need to be a little more honest and real, and share a little more...other wise it will just be like reading a grade 5 travel journal...and no one wants that.  Perhaps what I need is a little challenge of my own...I guess the julie and julia thing has already been done, but perhaps I need something else.... a goal, a reason, something to reach for?  The problem is at the moment I am fresh out of ideas...so if you have any...

Oh and before I go...I do need to say a very happy Birthday to Kirsten and Judy!  

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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immeasurably more

This week I have had a bit of a challenge, the thing is I have been a blogger for quite a while now...but I have been a Christian for even longer, and while I have been quite good at up dating my blog regularly...often I am not so good with my 'devotions' or quite time with God...So I thought if i can write a blog with useless information, perhaps I can use a blog to keep me accountable to.

So today I set up, well actually re-opened an old blog to use for my devotions, and the idea is I need to do my devotions before I can up date this blog with the random stories of my day, no matter how entertaining I think they will be.  My new blog is called immeasurably more so if you want to check it out...

Oh and I don't really care if no one reads my new blog because immeasurably more is just a way to keep myself accountable to God and learning more about him...so that I can tap into some of the 'immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine' than his word promises in Ephesians 3:20.

It's certainly not meant to be some kind of awesome bible study...but rather just some of my thoughts as I learn, but its there if you wanna have a squiz.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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It's Friggin Hot

Just so you know its friggin hot at the moment...  I don't know how much longer I will be able to hold up, my little house is like a sauna and I can't even open the door or windows coz it turns out I live in a mini swamp full of all kinds of annoying flying insects....so for now I will sit here on the couch in front of the fan in my PJs and think of cold thoughts....like ice packs and snow and cold winter rain....

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Christmas is Coming

Well its officially Christmas time at my place because the tree is now up.

It was a little strange putting the tree up this year, because this is the first year I have had a tree of my own, in my own house.  In some ways its kinda exciting, this will be Dex and I's first Christmas out of home. It is weird not coming home to mum's special tree all colour coordinated, or the pretty fibre optic tree by the door, or even the 'old tree' with all the decorations from my childhood.  I supposed though, this is just another step in the journey that is growing up.  I am super glad though that I can now start playing my christmas music again and I can start present shopping and that I can start doing my bit to spread Christmas cheer...

So all you grinches out there....watch your back  

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Silly Girl

Sometimes I am a silly silly girl...

Today I lost a pair of earring that I brought yesterday, thats write they didn't even make it the full 24 hours!  The most annoying thing about it is I know exactly where they are but its too late.  I know I dropped them at the Caltex in Campbell's Creek, but I didn't realise until I was 45minutes closer to Melbourne in Woodend and when you drop things like earring on the road at the servo the chances of getting them back in one piece is pretty slim, so they are gone...never to be seen again...silly silly girl.

I think I will try my luck and see if by same crazy turn of events they are still there, but I am not keeping my hopes up. 

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Brass Bands

There is something very peaceful about brass bands, perhaps its their classical music, or even the fact that it makes me think of my childhood and going to Dad’s band concerts, either way I don’t really mind, coz I still like it. This weekend the Box Hill Salvation Army Citadel Band was up in Bendigo, so being a Box Hill Girl, and living almost in Bendigo, I went and checked it out. This was my fist Band Wag experience and I did enjoy it. It brought back lots of memories from when I was a kid, because that was probably the last time I went to Brass band concert.

I think what made the night even better though was that the concert was full of all my favourite things about the box hill band:

• Some great marches
• A classic chorus
• A solo, on alto sax, from Davo
• A trombone solo from Benny
• A skit
• Some lovely male voices
• And just to top it off, Craig singing ‘Love changes anything’

Seriously, I don’t think that band concerts get much better than that!


I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Shocking

Being a good salvo girl, the Melbourne Cup Holiday is not really anything more than a nice day off, and even though I don't gamble, I am certainly very grateful that the race stops the nation, because I do like the day off.  Usually at our place Cup Day is when the Christmas Tree goes up, but because I am away and Jake is in the middle of his exams its not happening today. 

However, even though I don't gamble I do like to pick which horse I think will win, normally my choice is based on colour, either the horse colour or the colours the jockey is wearing.  Another thing that might get a horse chosen is its name, I do love a good horse name.  Often these choices give me dud horses that do so terribly its not even worth mentioning. But today, oh today was different.  Today I picked the winner!  Seriously I did, I even have the newspaper with my initials next to it from the quick sweep before the race.  I don't think that I have ever backed the winner before, but I tell you what it feels pretty good, and if it feels this good when I don't actually win anything, I can see why gambling is addictive, perhaps its a good thing I don't gamble.


I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Beach Cricket

This weekend I have been lucky enough to have another fabulous weekend away, this time I have been down at Inverloch, and yes I went with the same crew, and yes there was another AMAZING cake(thanks Kitty), and yes, once again we participated in a great Australian pastime, however unlike the watching the Grand, this particular pastime, was for me a first time.

Today I played my first game of Beach Cricket and it was much better than I thought it would be. I made lots of runs, I caught someone out and I even bowled someone out. Now some of you may be reading this thinking that’s great em, everyone can do that its just beach cricket…but it is so much more than that! This is someone who: 1. Hates cricket… 2. Has poor hand eye co-ordination…. and 3. Doesn’t normally do things she won’t be good at. So for me, this was an incredible and super impressive day!

Anyway, here are some photos from the rest of the weekend.

Oh and just for the record I think I will try beach cricket again!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Renee

Tonight my beautiful friend Renee got enrolled as a senior soldier, and even though I almost missed it, I was really glad that I was there. I don’t know why but I just get a bit of a kick out of seeing things like this, another soldier in the ranks, fighting the good fight! It brings out the Salvation Army Patriot in me, but it also makes me think about where I am at with my own soldiers covenant, am I still at least trying to do all the things I said I would do? Have I dropped the ball a bit? Am I going great guns?

I think honestly at the moment, a bit of both. Its easy to become complacent and just talk the talk, but I am glad that I have had a little refresher and challenge tonight.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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