Why I'm taking a break from pregnancies...

I know it's funny that I'm already thinking about this, but you see, I have to have a plan, or I'll end up being pregnant for the rest of my available years. So here's my plan.

Sometime next year or the year after, I'd like to take a trip with the fam to the states.

At one point, we were thinking about ministering over there, so this trip would have been a bit of a sus out situation. But now that Craig's thinking Sydney is his digs for ministry, I was a little bummed that we might not visit "my home".

Of course, Australia is my technical home, but all of my sitcom friends have American accents, and so I feel just at home in America as I do in Australia, as weird as that makes me.

I also thought that as airfares for 8 people might bankrupt us forever, we'd have to do this trip soon. And now that it's purely for entertainment purposes, we have more available time to do "silly" things while we're over there.

I'm hoping to visit the big apple and maybe Chicago again, but mostly I'm looking forward to this:

and this

I admit it. I love rollercoasters. Why? Good question. I hate horror movies, so why do I enjoy the adrenaline feeling of narrowly escaping death from a good coaster? It baffles me, too.

But in the case of a coaster, you have something to show from it. This is what I survived (point to giant rickety wooden rollercoaster looming up behind you). 

Coasters personify the arrogance of humanity. The "I spit in your face gravity" type arrogance. Which may well be classed as stupidity to some.

But one man's stupidity is another man's treasure. And I hope that the time will pass quickly so that this nonpregnant body of mine can enjoy this so called human stupidity in the land of the free.

Does freedom therefore breed stupidity in people? Kidding. That's a different blog altogether.

Communal living

My gorgeous friend, Sarah with her newborn daughter. Wanna come live next door to me, Sar???

After seeing how much easier life is with grandparents and family being around a lot recently, I have a new found respect for communal living.

Whilst at college amd trying to hold down 2 jobs and a new marriage, living in a community felt like another "task" on my list along with washing cars and dishes. I felt no need to build some strong relationships with the other college people living around me because life was already so full and I just wanted to be selfish and have time for myself once I got indoors.

Now that I have kids that need constant entertaining, the thought of living in community really is starting to grow on me. It really just shows my selfish nature. Now that communal living can help ME, I'm happy to be a part of it. But there it is- the reality of it.

I would love more than anything now to live in a community of godly people who have nothing to do all day but keep their own kids entertained and learning. How blissful would that be?

Each Mum would dump their kids on another family for a day a week, houses would be cleaned and dinners cooked with much less stress than if the task was undergone alone. And there'd be a whole heap of strung out mothers with other mums to encourage them. Life would expand. Solitude would be found in the evenings, and with others living next door, monitors could be hooked up to neighbouring houses so mums and dads could go out without even disturbing the kids or the family next door (unless of course, a child wakens =) )

This just sounds delightful to me at this stage of my life.

I'll keep you all posted if our neighbouring property comes up for rent. Tee hee.

Here's some pics from this afternoon while we waited for Dad to come home from his day in the city. As you can see, Ava's not too impressed with my antics. I just wish I had the time to do the ironing so it wasn't always mocking me in the background of my photos. I at least managed to crop it out of the majority of them.

My friend asked me the other day whether I was going ok. I think I am, but who really has the time to think anymore?

This little person has once again taken over my life. I find myself enjoying the fleeting moments of solitude and yet I somehow find the cuddles with my girls equally gratifying.

I can't perceive how life looks for those Mums doing it on their own. For someone who was once such an independent spirit, I find that in motherhood I need people that much more. I need my husband. I need my mother. I need my support women and sisters around me. This journey cannot possibly be taken alone. By me, anyway.

So I totally appreciate that my Mum has come over every week to help me unbury the carpet of this house. She continues to sacrifice for this girl of hers, even though i've flown the nest and should technically be self sufficient.

So my house resembles a place of more order when she leaves, and a couple of surfaces even sparkle in happiness over their cleanliness. Her hard work helps me during the week as I struggle to keep this place livable. 

She's a gem, my Mum. Here's hoping that our 6 kids have babies at different times so I can one day do the same for them.