No more Babble

I think it's been pretty obvious for a while, that my blog hasn't been high on my list of priorities. Which is sort of true. I still spend so much time writing posts in my head and wondering what new ideas I can come up with. I love to write, I love to blog. But…

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Reintroduction: Family

I don't for a second believe that family is only those we are tied to through shared genetics. I grew up with a step-father who is my dad in every way (aside from the obvious biological difference). So I knew from a young age what real family is. As far as my immediate - husband and children -…

Eating myself well (ish)

That, over there on the right >>>>> is me at 4pm on Friday. This week I worked two half-days and one full day, I slept most of Wednesday and both afternoons where I only worked the morning. There were more naps in between, and outside of work, driving kids and cooking meals, I've sadly achieved…

Note to self: Honesty

There's a song I've been playing over and over a lot lately. If We're Honest. I love love love this song. The tone, the lyrics, the message, and of course the divine voice of Francesca Battistelli (I love this vibe for her, much more than her more commercial 'pop' sound). Honesty is something that's very much on…

I am a wife

Happy birthday baby

I love birthdays. Actually, I love gifts. Buying gifts, wrapping gifts, giving gifts. I absolutely adore watching people open gifts that I've given ... although it also makes me nervous as heck. I always want to make the right choice. Give a gift, no matter how small, that makes someone really happy, makes them feel like…

Celiac journey – six weeks in

It is only six weeks since I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Wow. Seriously, wow! It quite honestly feels like months. I can not believe how much information has been crammed into the part of my brain filing cabinet section labelled 'food and nutrition'. Obviously, I have also had to start a whole new draw in that filing…

When 1 + 1 = 8

Earlier this month we went to one of the most beautiful weddings I think I have ever attended. The setting was gorgeous, outdoors under well established trees in a beautiful garden. We sat on hay bails covered with white taffeta as the sun dimpled through the trees. The groom was handsome, the bride was stunning.…

It’s been so long it’s a new year!

Hello hello hello my lovely blog world. Happy New Year!!! I have been so super busy since school finished for the summer on 12 December but I have constantly missed the world of blog. I've been away from home (still am) and traveling without a laptop which has forced some serious down time. What can…

Thankful Thursday (December 4)

Oops, I just realised it's Friday and I forgot to post my Thursday post. Well, I'm sure it's still Thursday for some of my readers! This past weekend I was reminded to be thankful in ALL things - I was given this little prompt while doing chores and it was most definitely the recurring theme over…

This is my story #testimony

Last week I wrote about how, for the longest time, I didn't think I had a testimony to share. I was ordinary. God hadn't changed my life in big, jaw dropping ways. Or so it seemed. And wasn't that the point of people who shared their testimony at church - the high impact, spectacular stories, the…

Feeling strong

It came as a bit of a shock to me the other day. I realised I was okay. I am actually okay. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I have clarity, peace and calm - my thoughts and feelings aren't overshadowed by one specific emotion or event. I'm living and…

Thankful Thursday (November 27)

Today is Thanksgiving in the USA so to all of you celebrating this day: For me here in little old New Zealand, it's just another day. But every day is for gratitude and as it's Thursday, here's what I'm especially thankful for this week. This week it is most definitely family. Last Wednesday I was able to…

That sliding doors moment

Do you ever wonder 'what might have been'? If you'd just made 'that' choice, or if something had just gone 'the other way'. What could have happened in your life? A bit like the Gwyneth Paltrow movie Sliding Doors where we see two realities played out based on what happened if the character did, and if…

Just put the screen down

I'm really starting to annoy myself. Do you constantly find yourself checking for new activity on your blogs, tweetbooks, facetags, instapins and hashmails? 😉 I do. I can hardly wander past my phone without checking the notifications some days. If I'm sitting "watching" the kids at sport, you'll probably find me on my screen a lot. Over at…

Thankful Thursday (November 5)

I LOVE: Being a mum - this is a privilege for me. I love looking after my family, teaching and nurturing, providing a safe and loving home for them. Meeting their needs, while definitely challenging, is enjoyable for me. Yes, sometimes when I collapse on the couch at the end of the day, when the washing…

On the happiness trail … why I quit my job

Last Monday I let my employer know I would not be accepting their offer to extend my contract to the end of 2015. And it felt great! Why would I give away a perfectly good job you may ask? A job that wasn't unpleasant, that offered good hours allowing me to drop my kids to…

Thankful Thursday (October 16)

So much to be thankful for. Always. But especially when I haven't written it here for a few weeks. So here goes, in no particular order, just bullet points today... Two weeks school holidays with my family, only a couple of days where I had all four kids to myself but we made the most…

Oh how I missed my Blogdom

I don't even know if 'Blogdom' is a word. I'm not going to check the dictionary. I don't care, I like it, so it stays! I haven't been in the land of blog for nearly three weeks now and I have so missed reading, writing and interacting - I think I actually went through withdrawal!…

Thankful Thursday (September 18)

It amazes me how complex we humans are - that I can feel so many conflicting emotions all at once but somehow, manage to compartmentalize, so that the bad does not overcome the good. I have so much to be thankful for, I'm walking in a state of perpetual gratitude at the moment. With that,…

Where abbiesbabble is at

Today Wordpress told me I have now published 100 posts. I have 154 people following me. That's not bad in four months - little numbers for most of you I know but for me, I'm happy. I didn't do this to get followers but I have to admit, I love it when I know someone new has read…

THANKFUL THURSDAY (August 28)

I give thanks to God every day - for His provision, endless love and grace. This week I am especially thankful that my children are healthy. That we are able to spend time as a family, especially in the great outdoors. That we live in an amazing country which is peaceful, safe and where one can…

Work? Optional!

Daily Prompt: If money were out of the equation, would you still work? If yes, why, and how much? If not, what would you do with your free time? Well this is a prompt I can really relate to. In fact it is an ongoing discussion between my husband and I right now. To set the scene,…

THANKFUL THURSDAY (August 21)

I am thankful for a hockey trip up to Hawke's Bay on Sunday - my home. I haven't been up there since March, it's been hard to face. Hockey kind of forced the issue. It was hard but I've done it now. Phew. Lambs and daffodils - spring is nearly here. Oh my goodness, how cute…

WOULD THE REAL ME PLEASE STAND UP

I haven't been posting so much the last couple of weeks. I don't know what to say. Which is VERY unusual for me. It's not that I don't have anything to write, it's that there's just so much. I've mentioned before that I feel like I'm in a real transitory place - accepting a new…