Adieu Tropicana...

Woohoooo!!! only 2 more nights in this house! I'm so over this moving and packing and cleaning thing! If i ever get that butterfly feeling again, please remind me of this part, i tend to forget...
Mixed feelings as usual about leaving, but the joy part far outweighs any fleeting nostalgia for this lifestyle. I miss the Baha'i world sooooo much! Its been waaaay too quiet on that front for what I'm used to.
All roads lead to Sydney now, where over 5000 Baha'is have registered for one of the 41 conferences called for by the House of Justice. Talk about a sea change, from a tiny community of like 10 people here, to that! The ultimate meet and greet of just about everyone i know in planet Baha'i!!! I'm just thrilled beyond measure at how it all worked out for us to slot this trip right into our interstate move, sheer coincidence. Will be posting more about that from Adelaide.

May's visit

My sister in law May came to visit for a week, alone. Her hubby Derek stayed home in Canberra to look after their 3 gorgeous kids. A much needed break for a hard working mama, first time in 9 years she had a real 'break', or shall we say, 'therapy'! Having 'Aunty May' here was a good excuse to do the tourist route again, and for the kids to get to know their aunt, whom they don't see often due to distance.
Leila, the eldest is a calisthenics champ and very mature for her age, the boys Jalal and Rowhan keep mom and dad VERY busy.
Doesn't Rowhan look soo much like cousin Danny? You'd think they're related!

Soaking in last of tropical summer

Baby turtle, dead. Its nesting time all along the beaches here, lots of turtle nests.

Kookaburra sits on an ol gum tree,

Merry merry king of the bush is he, laugh kookaburra laugh, kookaburra gayor life must be... so goes the rhyme....

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!