Chasing Butterflies

This year has been a very eventful one for us, and full of blessings. We moved to Mackay in January, had a difficult month when the town flooded, hardly knew anyone here, everything went mouldy, then in March it was off to Adelaide and Haifa. The highlight of the year would undoubtedly be the trip of a lifetime to Haifa, Israel. What a precious time, just Vahid and I, in that Most Holy Spot… mom and dad looking after the children in Adelaide made it all possible, even though they had a very hard time with sleepless nights. Another special memory for me is Lessan’s visit to Mackay. I miss him dearly and that one week was so special, going back to Townsville with him, having time for long conversations while driving, and the amazing bonding between the kids and Dai Lessan, whom they still talk about fondly.
Two trips back to Adelaide made us realize just how much we missed home, and the family there missed us, especially the children. These last two years of being away from home have been a huge learning experience for me on many levels, but growth comes with some form of sacrifice, and missing home was certainly the ouch factor. Having no form of support in terms of babysitting, no one to show unconditional love to the kids, no comfort zone as such meant that I’ve had to learn to foster friendships with others far more than I normally would, that I’ve learnt to squeeze the most joy out of time spent with my precious ones, and make the best of the ‘can’t take it any more’ days. As they both grow, things get easier, and spending time with them is becoming far more enjoyable.
My resolutions for the coming year (made significant by the relocation to Adelaide) are:
1. Stick to the simpler lifestyle and values that the experience of the last 2 years has given.
2. Plan to have at least one day of the week where I don’t go out and have ‘down time’ with the kids – that’s were incredible bonding and learning happens.
3. Keep the TV out of the house. We’ve all done really well with a self-imposed year without the box. (we have a tv antenna on the computer with which the kids watch some shows, but that’s about it).
4. Keep on crafting – gives me so much fulfilment, and the kids just thrive on it too.
5. Malls and shopping to a minimum.
6. Pray more, eat less, give more, and be thankful for it all!