Excite-a-bull

I'm going to introduce you to one of my favourite places in the world.

Disclaimer: I have not travelled the world.

However, the township of Bulls is awesome. Some would say unfortgeta-bull. It is an entire town built full of signs and names like 'cure-a-bull' (doctors) and 'educate-a-bull' (school). It is great!


My man and I have a tradition. Every time we drive through Bulls we stop at the police station and get photos with the Consta-bulls. We have an entire photo folder of photos like this...

I get so excited going somewhere via Bulls, can you tell!?! We always park, run to the police station, grab our photos and sprint back to the car laughing.

I love it because it is a tradition, our tradition. 

Friday: 1001 Things to Love!

Take your life in the midst of...the best times, the worst times and see goodness, be grateful.

That is my mission. Hence...

1.  Friday's! What better day to contemplate 1001 Things to Love?! I know my blog says it is Thursday but we are a day ahead in New Zealand so actually...Friday!

2 A carpark right outside your destination (double points on a rainy day)

3. Finding coins in your handbag, notes in your pocket, money on the street.

4. Creative coffee:

Most beautiful coffee ever?

5. A letter in the mail with handwriting and pretty paper!

I would love for you to join me

First Year Bliss?

What did you expect your first year of marriage would be like?

What was your experience of the first couple of months?

I was told that the first year of marriage would be absolute bliss: red roses, romantic dinners, spectacular sex, late-night conversations...our own little, perfect world.

Now, I'm not saying marriage is awful.

But I've found the first five months to be a challenge. It has been an adjustment and a learning curve.

There have been some emotional times, such precious times, some wasted times.

I have seen in myself goodness and love I didn't know I could possess. I have also seen in myself selfishness and sin seep out without warning.

Is first year bliss a myth? Should I still expect it? Or is it from Hollywood?




I like to link to...

Ask Yourself. Part 2.

I don't think I evaluate my life in too much detail until I get a knock. I've had a few defining moments in my life this far that have forced reflection.

2002 - I was plagued by panic attacks and skipped school for over three weeks, too afraid to go. In the two years that followed, as I strugged with anxiety, God broke through to me. 

2005 - my parents split up. I made some pretty big decisions about what I wanted from life and my own marriage.

2009 - my dad chose to end his life. I realised those I love are not promised to me forever and I will not escape immense pain in this life time. I decided to love myself, my family, the world more fully.

2010 - my wedding day. I promised to love one man forever more and to base every choice from then on around him.

2011 - diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Now, I ask myself...who am I and what is important to me?

6. What is your number one goal for the next six months?

To find colour in my life, again.


7. What is your signature scent and why is it you?
I love Pleasures Delight because it is fresh and young. It is a playful scent and it reminds me of who I use to be -fun and flirty. Now I have to get that back.

8. What is your most prized possession?
Probably my computer with it's photos. Everything else I could (with some tears) give up. The photo's of my family are priceless and precious.


9. What was your last major accomplishment?
Going back to university to do some post-graduate study.

10. What’s the best decision you’ve ever made?
It was a series of decisions to work out who God was and what He meant to me. But embarking on the process made me more alive than ever. 

Ask Yourself. Part 1.

Whether I wished it or not my life has changed. Knowing I have a life-long illness changes my outlook.

Time to ask myself...who am I and who do I want to be?

(I don't wanna be him!)

1.    How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
30ish. I feel older than I am. Perhaps that is from losing a parent early and being married young.

2. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
Writing, scrapbooking and playing with puppies!

3. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
People will offer you mountain loads of advice and be quick to tell you how to live your life. Just remember that no one knows what it is like to be you and you will never know what it is like to be them. So have patience, forgiveness and love for yourself and for others.


4. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
Falling off a sky scraper into a pit of spiders? Not yet


5. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
No, but not because I love my job. Because I'm too sensible, probably.

Don't Say It, Doc.

Yesterday I went here:

It looks quite nice. Shopping mall? Art gallery? Office block?

No, unfortunately. That is our new city hospital and I got the joy of sussing it out. I had been dreading it but I've had stomach pains for years so it was time. So the Doctor put cameras inside me and had a look around. Now I hate blood, veins, medical talk...ewww. But I actually found it quite cool to watch. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that I was drugged up & life was kinda dreamy!

Anyway...afterwards the Doc said what I had hoped he wouldn't.

Welcome to Crohn's disease.

Don't say it, doc! You were meant to say "yes you have an intolerance to food additive 635, found only in monkey breath."  Well that is just silly but you catch my drift.

I'm not sure what it means yet. It is a name to these pains I have had for so long. But it also comes with the potential for more. Pregnancy complications, increased risk of cancer, medications and more visits to that hospital.

It is one of those days. It is his job to say it. But, oh boy, I wish he could have said something different.