Daniel's 1st Birthday

yesterday was daniel's 1st birthday. what a gorgeous little boy. i love him so much. kez made me sing happy birthday to him over the phone, but all he wanted to do was to eat it!
also, happy birthday to lou for sunday. hope you had a great day!

i have been a bit slack on the on blog over the last few days. i'll give you a quick low down on what's been going on. friday night i went and saw xmen 3. it was good. saturday we (as in the church) had a big parking lot sale/car wash. it was a beautiful day and i think we all got sunburnt. sunday was again a beautiful day weather wise. it was a busy day with lots of things happening. it finished with the promise of ice cream which turned out to be mcdonalds mcflurry, which was bitterly disappointing, i do love mcflurries but they are not nearly as good as they are at home. all i wished for was to be on lygon street with cath or beth or annie or jayne (or with any of my friends from back home really) and to be eating ice cream, ferrero roche and mint choc chip ice cream from il dolce freddo. i love that place. yesterday i spent the day in the office working on a proposal. then i spent some time in the 24/7 prayer room (this week at church we have 24/7 prayer going). and to finish my day i went and smacked some balls around - sandra and i played tennis. it was a really good time. we played and laughed and sweated (it was a warm day again) and i really enjoyed our time together.

i still have been learning a lot since i have been here. i guess that's one of the reasons why i am loving it here, things are different enough and still new enough that everyday i learn something new. i learn silly things like canadians don't generally use the word queue but they'll just call it a line. and that the way i say water, they think it should be spelt waugh-da. and then i learn some important life lessons, which challenge me to grow. whatever life (God?) throws at me - be it blessings, trials or temptations, i hope to be someone who can respond in a way that is wise, loving and not selfish.

p.s. flushy pants and co workers - my mother agreed with you - she didn't like the picture. i hope you are all satisfied with the new one!!! ha.

fix you

i can't be bothered doing a blog that requires any thought today. my brain can't be bothered. but read on anyway.

it's a bit rainy here today, though kind of warm as well. the weather can't make up it's mind. hopefully it will be sunny tomorrow (it's supposed to be) coz we are having parking lot sale and car wash at the office.

i just found some speakers at home (well maeva found them and gave them to me - we don't know who's they are) so now i can plug them into my nano and listen to music out loud in my room. nice.

so seeing as i am not in the mood for using my brain i'm going to post the lyrics of one of my favourite songs (at the moment).
coldplay.
fix you.

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
When the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

High up above or down below
When you too in love to let it go
If you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

hey big spender

today rob, heather and i took some kids to a place where they serve you lunch and then do a black light theatre show production thing. it was pretty funny. it was all songs from broadway. but heather and i couldn't help but laugh at all the messages that the songs were sending all these kids - drugs, sex, violence, stalking, seduction, domestic violence and the finale of a strip tease. rob wasn't laughing coz he fell asleep. i could go on about it - like when the scantily clad ostrich was singing hey big spender - but i wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone who might go and see the show in the future!

this is just a quickie, i have squads now, but i thought i'd include this photo i got emailed today. check out these two - pretty funny. please note - the moustache is NOT real.

I LOVE KERRYN

so seeing as i blogged about dad on his birthday. then i should blog about kez too.

happy birthday kezza.

(her birthday was actually last saturday but i was away and so didn't get to write - sorry kez).

i love my sister a lot. we weren't always the closest when growing up. we used to fight mainly about clothes and silly things like that. but now it's a very different story. she's one of my best friends. and always will be. she always good to talk to. always looks out for me. gives good adivce. she's funny and likes to pull stupid faces. she's a very good mother. she has learnt to cook more than just chicken and spinach risotto - which is still one of my favourites anyway. she loves starbucks - especially drive thru. and now we happily share clothes. while it sucks sometimes that we haven't lived near each other for a long time now, when we do get together i guess it just makes it more special. love u kez.

I LOVE ROSS

Happy Birthday DAD!!!

I LOVE YOU.

today, seeing as it's his birthday, i thought i'd blog about my dad. whenever people talk about their heroes, i can't but help think of my parents. they are truly my heroes.

My Dad is a strong man. He is a leader. He is a man with vision. He is a man of God. He loves God. He loves my mum. He loves kez and daz and me. and daniel and hil too. He loves the Adelaide Crows. He loves cricket. He loves australian cadbury chocolate. He loves Wally (his dog). He loves to be silly (see above). He loves to wrestle with us. He loves his alone time.

Dad has shown me what it looks like to dedicate your life to God and to your family and balance it perfectly. He has shown me how to stand up for what you believe, no matter what it may cost. He has shown me what it looks like to be strong leader. He's shown me what it looks like to cast a vision. He has shown how to be passionate. to be compassionate. to be angry. He has shown me that you don't have to stop being silly just coz you get older. He has shown me how passionately a man can love footy. He has shown me how to work with people and get the best out of them. He's shown me unconditional love.

Dad, i love you so much. i consider myself so blessed to be in the family that i am. Happy birthday. i hope you have an excellent day.

a funny arvo

yesterday heather and i had a very funny time. we had to go and do something that we thought was going to be boring. silly me. we arrived and were thankful to see mike and maeva. things already were looking better. but then the music started and we were priviledged to see some of the greatest dancing i have seen for a long time. it didn't matter what music was being played on stage, our older male friend got right into it. mike was a little scared because sometimes he started to move in our direction and would make eyes at mike. it was hilarious. then we got to watch a group of dancers. they were all not bad. except for one. she was utterly clueless. we decided she must have learnt the dance that morning. they had props - these hankie things and flowers. she kept having them in the wrong hands. then they would do this special trick where they would spin the hankie and she would just hold hers and shake it. but what's even better was the she was always in the front. nice. that was amusing. (mean while crazy man is still dancing). then we were treated to some singing from the drug free marshalls of canada. they sang their theme song 'we're the drug free marshalls of canada, wouldn't you like to know you helped someone break free'. heather and i can sing it to you if you ask. (meanwhile, crazy man is still dancing). then the thing ended. crazy man left. we then met brad. who was wearing a drug free marshalls of canada sheriff's badge. he then stopped all the traffic so we could drive the van the wrong way down a one way street. funny thing was, it was a police event that we were at, but brad, wearing his sheriffs badge was the one who stopped the traffic. funny. while we were waiting for the van to be loaded, we notice this guy is being filmed by a friend. he's singing. it's also now raining really heavily. heather and i realise that we are in the shot and so start being silly in the background. sweet. brad informs us that he's from canadian idol. we are not so sure. we then drive with brad to drop the stuff off somewhere, where he agains stops the traffic so we can back in. a classic afternoon.

nothing is ever boring when there are crazy people around. that's a good lesson to learn.

cute boy

now, if this isn't the cutest little man you've ever seen, then i don't know who is! my little daniel william turns 1 in 2 weeks - can you believe that! kez just sent these from mothers day and i couldn't help but want to show the world - we all know that i'm the proudest aunt in the world!!!

compassion, compassion, compassion

ok so those of you who know me would understand that there is a limit to my compassion. i know what you're saying, oh fee, we all have a limit, but, what i am trying to tell you is that mine is probably less than normal. i hit a wall yesterday. i was in a situation where i ran out of love and compassion and all i wanted to do was scream, or maybe cry, i don't know, but i was frustrated. very very frustrated. now, in these types of situations i have been known to become rather blunt (and this is the exact word that my friends have used to describe it - thanks spa girls - i love honest friends). yesterday i was very thankful for two lovely girls who helped to keep me under control and save myself from being naughty. sweet. i am learning.

as for today, i am sad because it's raining. that's the only reason i am sad. i was supposed to play tennis with sandra this morning so i guess that will have to wait. oh well.

yesterday was my 4 week anniversary of being in toronto. which means that it's getting close to being 7 weeks since i left home. that's starting to become a long time.

one last thing. we have a new blogger. my beautiful beth. she's good. you should read it. www.thebeastwood.blogspot.com do it, do it.

random thoughts

i have so many thoughts running through my head right now. i don't know where to start. hmm. i think i'll just give the random thoughts and save the good ones for another day.

for my vermont/alias girls - i hope it's going well. i haven't been watching it. but i am sure Chris will have them all copied and ready for me when i see him next so i will appreciate that (thanks Chris). try not to tell me. i am jealous that you are all spending quality time with Vaughn (or whoever he is, i still don't know).

happy birthday to Simone, Henrik, Megan and Amanda!!!! i know that it's only monday for me and your birthdays are on tues. but you know, you guys are ahead, so happy birthday!

i have to mention aaron today. oh aaron. my brother from another mother. i spoke to him and annie on the phone this morning. i said i would mention him. so now i have. love you. i miss living with you. (and brad too of course - same with you).

cath has exciting news. yay. i am happy.

mish, i love you. hope you are doing well.

my thoughts on life and how i want to live it out are being challenged right now. that's a good things. but scary too. moving from suburbian life to urban life makes you think. i know that's kind of vague but you'll all live.

that's all for today.

dazzling darren

today, after having such lovely weather for the last week, the weather has turned a little ugly. it was raining this morning and i am sure there is more to come!

congratulations to my little bro - daz. he ran his first (and maybe last?) marathon last sunday. i was so worried about him doing it as he had numerous interuptions to his training. but in true daz style, he put his mind to it, and pulled it off! i am actually a little jealous. it was my dream to run a marathon before it was his. i got around to running 3 half marathons, thinking i'd build up to it. good old daz dives in head first and runs a full one straight off. but seriously, daz, i am so proud of you.

in some sense i feel like i have been here a long time and in others, its still so new.
yesterday i drove in canada for the first time. i jumped right in too (maybe it's not true daz style, maybe it's true hailes style) and drove the big seater van (for the aussies the 12 seaters here a a lot bigger than they are at home). then after i got back from my first trip with jono. i went straight out again and dropped zoe off. then i drove on my own. woo hoo. it was fun. i pumped up the stereo and didn't even get lost!
i am still meeting people and am working out where i fit in the 614 regent park puzzle. i feel like i have been able to quickly suss out who's who and how my relationship with each of them will work. i am thankful that it has been like this.

anyway, i've got to go. i am heading over to 614 St Jamestown. they work in partnership with us at regent and i am doing some stuff with tara who works there this afternoon. got to go.

time

time changes things. sometimes for good. sometimes for bad. sometimes it makes things seem more important. sometimes it makes things seem less important. sometimes you make the most of it. sometimes it gets wasted.

life should be a salsa dance

i am loving my life right now!!!

last night iris (who works here in the office) and i went salsa dancing. it was so much fun. we caught the tail end of a class that they teach in this latin american restaurant/club. then they pump up the music and everyone goes for it. i loved it. i danced with a man who worked at the place we went. he said i was very good for someone who had never done it before. he didn't believe that i hadn't. he also said that that wasn't even a pick up line! ha ha. it was fun.

have i mentioned that i love my family?
have i mentioned that i love my friends?
have i mentioned that i miss everyone back home?
have i mentioned that i am not homesick?
have i mentioned that i am loving life?
have i mentioned that i will come home?

because these are all true.

squirrels, keara and community

there are so many lessons to be learnt and so little time to learn them.
yesterday i found my way to a place they call the beaches. it can't really be a beach coz toronto is no where near an ocean. but it is near a gigantic lake. anyway, i went there, on my own, and really enjoyed it (i would have found it disappointing if it hadn't been explained to me that the beaches are not real beaches, if i hadn't known that i would have been disappointed). i was sitting there, in the sun, reading my book, when i talked to a man who had sat down next to me. it was something so small and simple. yet, when i got up and left i was thinking about whether things like that really can make a difference. something so small. i decided yes. then something freaky happened - i saw a pretty looking grey squirrel. so what you may say. something so small. does that really make a difference. i'll explain. since i have arrived in regent i have only seen little black skanky looking squirrels. i think God was telling me something.
this afternoon i was involved in a squad. where we hang out with the kids from regent. i think i've mentioned squads and their purpose already. anyway. i was walking keara home. she and i connected instantly when i first met her. she's got some stubborness about her - mum and dad may say i was something like that when i was small. but still, she's just a little girl who wants to be loved and cared for. anyway, i was giving her a piggy back when she wanted to get down and get a dandelion to make a wish. she got down and went and picked one for her and me. we both made our own wishes. i said to her, you know what i think is cool, she said what, i said that whatever i wish for i can tell God about. she goes yeah i know. then she ran off and picked about 10 more. she bunched them altogether and came back to me. she grabbed my arm. let's make a wish together. i said ok. she said let's wish that God will talk to us. i said that's a great wish. and together we blew on the dandelion. it was a very precious moment.

to finish with a thought about community, zoe and sandra have these posters on their walls. i like it...

How To Build Community

Turn off your TV
Leave your house
Know your neighbours
Look up when you are walking
Greet people
Sit on your stoop
Plant flowers
Use your library
Play together
Buy from local merchants
Share what you have
Help a lost dog
Take children to the park
Garden together
Support neighbourhood schools
Fix it even if you didn’t break it
Have pot lucks
Honour elders
Pick up litter
Read stories aloud
Dance in the street
Talk to the mail carrier
Listen to the birds
Put up a swing
Help carry something heavy
Barter for your goods
Start a tradition
Ask a question
Hire young people for odd jobs
Organise a block party
Bake extra and share
Ask for help when you need it
Open your shades
Sing together
Share you skills
Take back the night
Turn up your music
Turn down the music
Listen before you react to anger
Mediate a conflict
Seek to understand
Learn from new and uncomfortable angles
Know that no one is silent
Though many are not heard
Work to change this

sunny days

for the last three days i have left the house without a jacket. nice. yesterday i had on t-shirt, jeans and thongs (as in flip flops for those who think i am referring to my underwear). it was a beautiful day.
as we speak my brother should be up in the air somewhere on his way back to seattle. he starts his new job tomorrow as a travel agent. then later this afternoon, mum will be making the same journey. yes, we are that important that when we fly, we try to do so separately. ha ha.
there are some important birthdays this week. dustin turns 21. and my dearests beth and annie will be 24. i wish you guys wonderful birthdays. wish i could be there to celebrate with you all!!!
i have been noticing over the last 2 weeks (that's how long i have been in toronto already!) how my life looks very different to what is has in the past. duh. you might say. but the biggest thing to adjust to is that i don't have the same time constraints anymore. that is good and bad. no longer does a bell dictate where i will go, what i am working on, when i can eat or when i can go to the dunny (i am trying to remain aussie here, so while i wouldn't always refer to the toilet as a dunny at home, i am doing so here!). my priorities are now different. i have things to do, but if something or someone comes up, i can reschedule if i want. that's a nice thing to be able to do. this full time ministry thing is great. though the other side to it is that i still have to do the other things to, so you can't get too caught up.
hope you are all having a great day.
go the crows, i see my boys are doing very well so far this season. as i have started numerous times this year, i think i may miss a crows premiership while i am away.