Surf board to the ready.

OK, so it is only a body board and I am not sure that it will take the weight of an adult.  BUT: we now own a body board and wetsuits for the girls in this family.  We asked a family from church who we knew to be water babies where they buy their wetsuits.  They told us of a place that sold reasonably priced middle of the road gear.  They then told us that they had a variety of different sized suits in their loft which were on standby for the visitors that came to their abodes.  They then realised that those visitors 1) had grown and wouldn't fit the suits and 2) had their own.  Would we like them?  Well, yes please. 

All 3 of us managed to find something that fitted.  As I have no full length mirror in my house I don't know if I look like an overstuffed sausage, albeit a blue and yellow one.  My children and husband didn't fall about laughing when I put the wetsuit on so I took from that it is OK for me to inflict myself in it on the unsuspecting public. 

It only remains for us to go to the seaside and try out our new acquisitions, skilfully surfing the waves.  I have decided that the my one-time youth leader is NOT going to give me those lessons promised so we will muddle on and see if my inner surfer makes an appearance.  (I realise that an alternative name for this post could be Midlife crisis and sea foam.)

 

Disclaimer:  This photo is not me  ............................................................................ yet.

These are a few of my favourite things.

During a recent period of bleakness I was given this advice from a friend.  "Make a list of at least 10 things about each of your girls that makes you smile, makes you proud, makes your heart sing. That way, when you get frustrated with them you can reflect on your list and consider the positive instead of dwelling on the negative."  Some days that could be incredibly hard due to my nature (nearly always looking at the negative things) and also the sometimes extremely difficult behaviour of one of my daughters.  Here is my effort:


Eldest daughter

1. She has the most beautiful coloured hair of anyone that I know.
2. When she smiles it lights up the whole room.
3. She is incredibly good at coordinating her outfits and knows instinctively what will work together.
4. She loves music and will listen to an eclectic mix.
5. She enjoys food and will try anything once.
6. She loves history and can retell great swaths of her favourite periods.
7. She has a terrific imagination which is apparent in her games.
8. She loves reading or being read to and gets wrapped up in the stories.
9. She enjoys church and learning about God despite the big questions she has about the whole thing.
10. She is sociable with young and old alike and will talk to anyone that will listen.

Youngest Daughter 

1. She is incredibly inventive and makes all sorts of things out of virtually nothing.
2. She loves her big sister with an incredibly deep love.
3. She is deeply affectionate and loves her cuddles.
4. She turns negatives to positives on a regular basis.  (She doesn't let the beggars get her down.)
5. She loves art and craft.
6. Her collection of small creatures only stops at spiders.
7. She has a wonderful Shrek-like humour which makes us all laugh.
8. She always has a plan about how to work things out.
9. She knows her own mind.
10. She has a good grasp on things about God.

I wish I could post a picture of them here but I have an unwritten rule that I don't post many photos of them on the open Internet.  So imagine two rapidly growing redheads with faces smothered in freckles.  One is brown-eyed and has a delicate frame.  The other is blue-eyed and is more solid.  They are not daughters of birth but they are most definitely daughters of my heart. 

Belly fat is my friend

I have been exercising and eating better fairly consistently since the beginning of 2010.  Some mornings I exercise with the energy of a Tasmanian Devil and afterwards look like I am about to shuffle off my mortal coil.  But I continue on.  I have lost a good amount of weight and also inches from the various parts of my body.  I haven't officially weighed and measured for a few weeks as finding out I was putting myself through torture each morning and not losing became demoralising (I hit plateau). 

This week I visited my parents and as you do on these occasions I stepped onto their scales.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the little arrow stopped on a lower number.  However, even with all the weight loss I still have my friend around my middle - a little fat store (not sure for what but it is there).  I have never had a perfectly flat stomach and because of this have never worn a bikini.

My Challenge this month is Plateau Busting so I am trying to do exercise morning and evening.   All the videos I exercise along to tell me that 'a six-pack' is on the way if only I do this exercise a gizillion times each week but so far there is no sign. I enjoy exercise.  I enjoy being a smaller me.  I enjoy the health benefits that the experts tell me I am receiving. 

If only I could get as enthusiastic about the housework ................

Beauty in a Modern World

I found this link on a friend's facebook page.  The little girl at the beginning reminded me of my 2 beautiful daughters. 

Easter

I can't believe we are in April already.  Today, I will attend a Good Friday Service with my family.  Over the next few days we will reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus and what that means for us and the world today. 

Hopefully, over the next few days we will spend time with friends and neighbours as well.  My girls and I planned on having a cooking fest which will include chocolate nests (if I can stop them from eating all the mini-eggs), a simnel cake and some Hot Cross Buns.  We shall see what we manage to make but I am looking forward to spending some time with them which doesn't involve instructions on how they should 'hurray up!', 'get your shoes on', 'are you not ready yet?' etc

So God Bless you this Easter and may you find time to contemplate the Saviour of it.  May you find time to slow down and spend time with your loved ones.