It's a bit of a sad time at the moment in one area of my life. For the last few months (can't remember how long) I've been volunteering a couple of days at our Kaiapoi Paper Plus store. The owners Jeremy & Rosalind go to our church. And unfortunately it has come to the point where they have to close the shop. It's not economically viable for them to keep it open. So at the moment there is a huge sale on most everything. Well I have to say that I will really miss working there and have loved being part of the team there.
Not so sad but an end of an era is that I have given notice as the church cleaner. One more week of cleaning (this thurs) and it is done. It hasn't been the most glamorous job I've had :-) . But it is time to give my body some rest before bubs comes. And it's getting very hard to bend over the loo's to clean them with a baby bump that doesn't bend so easy!

My midwife comes tomorrow so we will get to hear the heartbeat again. Apart from Braxton Hix getting stronger and the uncomfortable feeling of stretching in places that I forgot could stretch, I and the baby are in reasonably good health. I'm still not sleeping well and I had the most bizarre dream last night that I became a sandwich! I know! Weird!!

Terry found our very own earthquake crack on our property! We had a rosemary bush at the side of the house along the fenceline; Terry noticed it wasn't sitting in the ground anymore so lifted it up and hey ho there is a crack with multiple cracks coming off it! But we can't say we are any more special for having it than others as we have seen many friends' property's with heaps of cracks. We have yet to hear from anybody to come and inspect both our house and Terry's mum's house. It will take time I know. There are a lot more people worse of than us and still some properties that don't even have flushing toilets and running water!
Anyway enough of the depressing stuff!

I'm looking forward to having lunch with my sister and niece tomorrow, Jessica (niece) is even going to give me a facial! Hows that for getting spoilt! Hopefully the baby will move while they are here (like it is now) and they will be able to feel it too!

Rach & Dale (friends) are going to organise a baby shower for me for late in October so I'm looking forward to that, especially since I don't have to do any organising!

Well I can't think of anything else to add so I shall leave it at that.
Until the next time.

God bless you all and don't forget to leave a message!!

A new start! A shaky quaky start!!

Well, I see from the date of my last entry it's basically been a year since I have journalled on this blog. In a way Facebook has taken over as it is easy to do and everyone is on facebook (or so it seems). But I have missed doing large entries detailing our life journey as a family. So I have decided (with Rayminda's encouragement) to start doing this blog again.
But instead of trying to catch up with all that has happened since my last entry I shall just start from now.

Most of you know that we are expecting our fourth child. A huge surprise! God really does have a sense of humour when it comes to our fertility! Aimee will be eight and a half when bubs is born so at least the girls are all old enough to get themselves ready for school and feed themselves etc. This pregnancy has been the hardest of all. There is a lot of risk for the baby due to medications etc. But yesterday we had another scan (I'm 26 weeks now) and the baby looks perfectly normal and healthy.

Yes I do know what we are having but Terry doesn't and doesn't want to know so I am not telling anyone. So you'll all just have to have patience. The girls beg me often to tell them what we are having and it is rather fun to know and tease them!

Most everyone will know that we have had a 7.1 earthquake on 4th September that put Canterbury into a state of emergency and put Kaiapoi on the world map of news! It's been a very devastating time for a lot of people, we have a lot of friends who have lost their homes because of the quake and aftershocks (which are still happening). Our home is fine, a lot more creakier than before but it is standing and in one piece. We almost feel guilty that we got away unscathed! Terry's Mum, Margaret, it staying with us as her house has a few cracks through the side and the doors won't open or close properly. So until a building inspector goes through it and deems it safe she shall keep us company. And it's great as my dishes are always done now!!

Emily just came back from a 20 day holiday in Brisbane, Australia, with my parents (lucky her). She actually missed the experience of the 7.1 quake and came home to just the aftershocks. She came back with blonde highlights and pierced ears! It could be worse I know! She had a wonderful time and her and I are going to put some photos on her facebook page within the next day or two.

Sarah-Jane & Aimee were fast asleep when the quake hit at about 4:30am. SJ sleeps on the top bunk and I couldn't reach her properly. The shaking was so bad it was hard to stay in one place. We (Terry & I) got them under a doorway; which we now know is NOT the safest place. I think it took a good hour and a half for them to stop shaking, and because the power was out everywhere it was so dark which freaked them out even more! The aftershocks were very strong and after each one it was diving out of bed (the girls were in our bed) and under the door. The dog was just as scared and tried to get himself between us under the door as well, if it hadn't have been so scary it would be a hilarious thing to see; this big golden retreiver puppy trying to wedge himself between a largeish pregnant woman and her child in a small gap! We made it through the night, sleep was not a happening thing! When it was daylight Terry drove over to his mum's to pick her up, telephones weren't working so it was cell phones which got overloaded anyway. I have to say it was a bizarre feeling knowing you were cut off from the rest of the country...not knowing whether anyone was hurt or killed or what the damage was.

The night of the 4th (Saturday) we were to be having Terry's mum's surprise 70th party. Didn't happen. We had to tell her in the afternoon as we had to try and get through to people to tell them it was not going ahead. Very disheartening but the right decision. As it was some people couldn't even get their cars out of the garage or their driveways! But we shall never forget the date of the quake as it is the day after mums birthday (3rd)! Maybe for her 75th we can do something :-).

Well I think that will do for now. I have washing I have to hang out and stuff to sort before the baby comes.
And don't forget to leave a comment!