It's all about family ...

Here is son #2 playing with my camera.

This is what six-year olds do to their poor unsuspecting mums. It is all about butts, poos, wees and farts. Everything and anything of that genre is hilarious if you are six. It's another matter if you are 38 years old, just had a baby and are caught wearing your pj's. Still this is us in real life.

My, how glamorous!

Dillon's birthday party today - Marcus being ever so shy.

Marcus, Caleb, Ojan and Dillon.

You got to love 'em! I do. (Spot the lady).

Porirua skatepark, March 09

Marcus warming up.

Chilling out on mum and dad's bed.
My sweet baby Knuckles plays with his puppy on our bed.

Little Richie

The boys wait patiently for everyone else to get ready.

Maia and little Richie

Knuckles wears his gorgeous new hat (thanks Betty-Ann) and the little purple velvet dungarees I found a Trash Palace for 50 cents. The embroidered Indian top underneath was 20 cents from a little shop in Tawa. All Knuckles needs is some dreadlocks. He was my gorgeous little hippy baby today.

Little Richie

This baby brings us all so much joy. He's so easygoing, readable and goodnatured. His brothers fuss over him. He has three fathers - dad and his two big protective brothers. They hover around me, fight over who's turn it is to hold him, cry or sulk if they get miss a turn or it's cut short, and critique my skills as a mother letting me know when the baby is hungry, hasn't had enough milk or has been left to cry too long. Sometimes they just glare at me when I put him down awake for his naps. Anyone would think I was new at this. Maia is 12 and has woken in the night, fed and put his baby brother back to bed without waking us. Marcus is proud as punch when we are in public, he just wants to show the world his cute baby. These are some special boys. We are feeling proud as punch about all of them.

Nemaia's classic pose, kissing his baby brother for the millionth time.

Last week little Richie had a dedication service along with all the new children at our church in Wellington. Marcus asked "What's a dedication thingy mum?" So I explained that it is where the Pastor says a prayer and we give Knuckles back to God because he doesn't belong to us. We're just get to keep him for a little while but he belongs to God. Marcus was quiet for awhile and then in all earnestness said "So, does he (the Pastor) throw him up in the air?" The kid is priceless!

Arise Church Wellington
Baby Dedication Service
March 2009

Richard (Snr), little Richie, and that girl from Ahipara.

Ps John Cameron blesses our dear wee one. It was truly magical.

Gillie give him her blessing and her warm smile.

Our extended whanau for the day: Hilarious, Knuckles is yawning his head off.

The Gregory's; The Baxter/Maurice's; the Cupples; the Teikamata's, and the Toimata family.

The four honey's - Beautiful women of God.

Ojan, Ayla, Elyn and Kat!

Marcus, Rich, Richie (aka Knuckles), Rachelle and Maia.

We could all hear the theme song to the Simpsons playing as we tried to squish ourselves into the littlest couch in the world. I kept trying to do bunny ears behind Maia's head but he is too old to be caught out anymore. Poor old Marcus, I just want to scoop him up and plonk him on my knee when I see these pictures. I didn't see that he was sitting on the floor. Nevermind, it looks like he's over the whole process anyway.
This is my blessing, to be part of an amazing group of men, all four of them. It's exciting watching their lives grow and their unique character take shape and form. I have been blessed abundantly. Talking with friend Danny today at the skatepark, we agreed that "it's all about family". I love it!
(I need to mention these dedication photos were kindly taken by Laurie from Arise Church who patiently waited while our lot made their way to the assigned area and organised ourselves. No easy feat although we had some laughs as we sorted ourselves out. Lots of fun. Thanks Laurie, the photos are great.)

Going backwards to move forwards ...

... Can be daunting to say the least. It's not easy going backwards. Last year I fell pregnant unexpectedly and it took me months to be able to face and then rejoice in this turn of events. Giving up art school was difficult. Not because I would actually miss it (trust me, art school had it's own dramas) but because it meant giving up a part of my identity. A part that was just beginning to show results.

But I did come to terms with the change of being pregnant and even to enjoy that time to myself, time where I could quietly reflect on what was important to me and what it was I wanted to achieve in life.

Things felt and seemed chaotic but as I went through my challenges, little details came to my attention. Things that get lost in the busyness and self-importance of my life. My friend Chrissie always sees challenges as being a time when God is teaching her something. So what have I learned ...

* I have a tendency to fill my life with things that make me feel good because sometimes my real purpose is blocked or frustrated; therefore I can waste a lot of my life on irrelevant things rather than doing what it is i am meant to be doing;

* When I slow down I see and experience things with more clarity. Too many people, jobs, activities, etc can leave me drained and not a very nice person. I choose to be wise about the amount of people and the kind of people i allow to influence me. I used to believe success was wrapped up in how much i achieved, now i know that for me, success is DOING TODAY WELL and letting tomorrow take care of itself.

* My spiritual wellbeing is imperative to my ability to live my life well. I have a saying ... 'broken people can only break things' even when they mean well. I want people to feel good around me. I cannot be good to anything or anyone if I am run down, drained, grumpy, angry, sick, etc. And trust me, the universe continues to bring people across my path, and I want to make sure I am fully available when those opportunities present themselves.

* My challenge is to be a woman who inspires. Not preaches and throws out 'does and don'ts' but who by her example is a light for others. To bring about good change in the world around me. To be a uplifting experience for others. To serve and to love.

My reaction to my circumstances have unearthed some of my worse behaviours, my weaknesses and the sort of things that make me cringe about myself. But I am grateful for the opportunity to face them down, to rise up and make a clean start with a better attitude and some grace, patience and tenderness. To replace the hard heart with a softer one, one that is focussed on being a blessing and not a curse, a loving person not a critical one, a giving woman not a self-focused one; a strong person not a whinging one; not consumed with self pity. It challenges me to think about my work and what I am wanting to express. Whether it is the best place to focus my attention. Whatever, I am grateful for this new little baby and the changes I am making in response to his amazing life.

I am working on a stitched piece but after this one, I will spend time designing my new thing. Not sure what that is yet but I have a feeling that it will be better than ever. Have some new pieces at our city gallery showing for the next fortnight. It will be a fun exhibition with a variety of artworks from Porirua City Council staff on show. Come on down and have a look.