A Life Remembered

Every now and then you meet someone who stands out from others, making them memorable.

At our Wednesday Playgroup, one of the volunteers was such a person. On Thursday night we received the sad news that she had passed away after battling with cancer.

Now I can't actually say that I personally knew her very well other than to say hello to each week, but I had seen her often enough to take notice.

To those of us who weren't aware of her illness, you would never have known she was sick. She had such a cheerful disposition and was absolutely wonderful with the children. They were all "darlings" or "sweethearts", and she was more than willing to help both the kids and mums whenever she could.

It's people like Sandy who leave a lasting impact on all they come in contact with and I think her loss will be felt by all in our Playgroup.

How fantastic though that she will now be rejoicing in Heaven with her new body having a well deserved rest.

I love these moments...

I'm all grown up now

I'm too tired to smile Mummy

Yes this really is an Alpaca on Mooloolaba Esplanade

A quiet moment amidst the noise

The girls with Aunty Kate (from London)

Faster Aunty Kate

Special moments shared

Cousins playing at the beach

Dancing with Daddy

Eskimo kisses with Daddy



Crashed out on the couch

Friendship

I've been part of a fantastic mother's group that's been meeting together weekly since our children were all around 6 weeks old, so the kids have been growing up together for the most part of their young lives.

It's so beautiful to watch their interaction at the age they are at now. They are all so incredibly comfortable and familiar with each other. In the midst of stealing each other's toys or trying to get down the slide before someone else, there are genuine moments that melt your heart - the times when you see them hugging or kissing each other just for no reason; when they sit together on a chair and just casually lean on each other; when they walk up and say "hello" to the children as they arrive; when they actually offer their toy to someone else because they are sad - these are the makings of a friend.

Here's a few candid shots taken recently.

Playing with friends

At Playgroup



With her cousin and friend

What's in a name?

DAKOTA is a Native American name that means "friend, ally".

Extended definitions of her name are:

Character - A person with strong self esteem
Feelings - Shows affection readily
Inherent - You are known for your sense of humour
Intellect - Knowledgeable
Motivation - Has a conviction in life
Spiritual - Has hope and trust
Nature - Is a disciplined person

Another meaning we found on the internet some time after she was born is “forever smiling”.

It's amazing how already we can see her developing most of these characteristics.

Her middle name is Lily which means "flower".

The flower posted above is a wild lily found in North Dakota - a "Dakota Lily".

Visitors

Over the weekend we had a lovely visit with my family. My parents brought my grandparents up with them and we all had lunch together. It was my Nan's birthday on the Friday and we were also celebrating an early Father's Day for my Dad as they are heading to Tassie for a holiday next week.

I love it when our different family generations come together and everyone shares stories. Unfortunately it doesn't happen often enough (the story telling part that is...).

This time, my Nan was telling tales about when my father and his siblings were all little and the mischief they got up to. Apparently my dad took a liking to the lead paint that was on the walls and got himself lead poisoning, and then had to drink some horrible smelling medicine.

Maybe it's just me, but I love it when they open up and talk about their lives. They just light up reliving the memories. I think when I was younger, I didn't place much value on listening to my grandparents, but the older I am, I realise that they won't be around forever and their stories are part of my history, just like our stories will be part of Dakota's history.

I now only have two grandparents, so I really treasure these little stories...

[This is an older photo of them with our daughter taken at her first birthday party in December.]

Gardening

Yesterday we got stuck into our back garden, which sadly has needed a bit of loving for a while now.

So we weeded the garden, pruned back bushes and chopped out a couple of small trees, and suddenly we have so much more sunlight in our back yard. It looks a lot "cleaner" now as well.

It's still a work in progress. We need to put mulch into the back garden at some point, and we didn't even start on the front garden (which needs weeding and then filling with pebbles) but that's a job for next time...

While we worked hard, our little girl ran around the back yard in amongst the garden clippings, played on the slide and had some play dough time. The kitten went crazy "catching" leaves. I think he thought they were grasshoppers (not that he's ever seen one - he's only 4 months old).

It was really nice to have a morning where you feel like you've worked hard to achieve something that you've been meaning to do for a while.

Now what else is on that "To Do" list...??

Days Like These...

Today was one of those challenging days with my lovely daughter, where suddenly things come crashing down around me and the startling reality once again hits - I don't have it all together.

So I had a good cry and asked God one more time for the patience, wisdom and strength I need to be the best mother I can be. And after the storm has weathered, the sun always comes out again and my beautiful angel does something to delight my heart and remind me how much of a treasure she is.

I think God uses her at times to chip away at the things in my life that need some remodelling.

I think God uses times like today to remind me how much I really need Him.

How very clever of Him!

Outside Play

Yesterday was such a beautiful day that we spent a fair bit of time outside in the back yard. My lovely daughter was practicing her aim using a watering can to fill up some buckets.

And of course tipping the water back in again...

When the water ran out, she would say to me "A bit more...".

She had a great time on her slide as well.

It's amazing what a difference it makes to ignore all the washing and housework for a little while and just enjoy spending time with your child. What a delight!

Even the cat enjoyed having playtime outside.

Painting Fun

Recently, both of my daughter's Grandmas had birthdays near each other. So we set about making some handmade cards for them. She provided the artistic background, and I folded the cards and wrote on them. As you can see, she had the best time painting (and shoving it up her nose and in her mouth).

I just loved watching her creation take shape as she ordered me around on which colours she required more of, and then she blended them together as if she's done it a million times before - this is her second time with paint.

She really loves her drawing and painting. It will be interesting to see as she gets older, what other "creative" skills she has locked up waiting to escape. She definitely gets that from her Daddy.

A new beginning

I've recently decided that this blogging thing is a good idea, even if no-one else reads it. It's a great way for me to try and rekindle some creativity that I feel has been lost in years gone by. It also gives me an outlet to talk about the adventures and trials of being a first time mum and what that means in the every day.

For my first posting, I've included a recent photo of my lovely family.

I'm not sure how often I'll update this. I'll just take each day as it comes.