Bare Blog - Full House

As you can see from the collage above, our lives these past two weeks have been very very busy and our home, hearts and lives have been very very full.

These past two weeks we have shared our hearts and home with our friends whom we consider family.. Aunty Zoe, Saige (4yo) and Sanjay (3yo).

Together we have made play doh, leaned to share, made paint, made each other laugh and cry and angry and completely grossed each other out! We have shared stories, made memories, shared meals, played in mud, gone on long drives and out for lunches. We have been here for each other, snuggled on the couch, kissed each other on the noses and I have smelt Sanjays bogan feet many of times!

Together we have made it through one of the hardest times and our friendships have been tested. But from all of this I think it has brought us all together. While some friends are only in your life for a little while, my best friend of 12 years is still here for me and I am still here for her.

Sometimes I watch our children playing together with disbelief.

The kids have become like brothers and sisters, fighting one minute and loving on each other the next. Its so beautiful to see their personalities shining through and them strengthening their individuality.

Nevaeh is the independant one. Because she is the youngest in our home and in her Dad's household she has struggled with children younger than her wanting to do what she's doing, following her, playing with her favorite things and taking her Mama's time and lap.

Nevaeh has never really had to share me and with a big brother she has never really had to "speak" or "teach" other kids how things are done in our home. For expample, when Nevaeh does something to annoy Jie, straight away Jie will tell her to stop it (almost always politely) before warning her that he will tell Mum. Or sometimes he might say that he doesnt like what she is doing and tell her so. Well this is new for Nevaeh. And so instead of communicating with the kids she will get angry and mutter something nasty such as "Your not my friend" and come sooking to me. I have had to train her to be polite and to be kind, considerate and patient. She is improving!!

Sanjay is 3yo. He is such a boy. All boy. His favorite saying is "Smell my bogan feet". He likes to pick his nose and eat it as well as bushy blow. Click here for full definition. It's cute the first few times then OMG it's gross! But he pulls it off. He loves cars and trucks and making guns with his fingers and shooting me. We have had so much fun together these past few days and the way he says "Lissy" just melts my heart.

Saige is Sanjays big sister. She is 4yo and she is all Girl. Lipstick, shoes, make up, dresses and pink is about all her vocabulary consists of. She loves drawing, reading, playing with dolls and play doh. She is very much a mummies girl and loves cuddles. When she first came here she was very demanding but being here only a week and a half had her using her beautiful manners and doing things for herself like a big girl. Her smile is contagious, she now loves The Kazoos and idolizes Jie. Since staying here she has memorized songs from Barbie Princess & the Popstar and her severe eczema is clearing up with thanks to her new MooGoo we purchased online last week!

Jiedyn is Jiedyn. Having extra kids here has been no drama to him. Jie does his own thing and Nevaeh, Saige and Sanjay look up to him. He is a born leader often coming up with fun ways they can all play and caring for each of them. While having the littlies here it has really emphasized his age. He is a big boy and lately I have been treating him so. He has taken this whole situation the best.

But most of all being here for my besty Zo has been the most rewarding. Nothing can compete with a friend being a true friend. She has been through so much these past few weeks but has had a friend in me to have her back and hold her up when she has wanted to fall to pieces. I have felt privileged to be that friend and have thanked God it was me and not someone else.

She is one in a million and to see her happy makes me happy. I can't wait for the day when they can go home and unite with Danny (her partner and the kids father) and be together to be happy once more. Keep them all in your prayers please..

So while the blog here has been bare, our home has been full. And now your all updated with why!

Read More

The Bacchus Marsh Harvest Festival

What an amazing day!
A big THANK YOU to all the event organisers out there today whom contributed to making this community event a massive success for families to enjoy..

See you all again next year!!

Read More

Twice in 24 hours!!

On Thursday I signed up to be a lightFM partner. As a family, the kids and I are now contributing to our favorite radio station which we listen to daily.

Our radio sits on top of our microwave in the kitchen and is on in the mornings before the kids go to school. When they return from Kindergarten and school it's still on. 89.9 Light FM is part of our family. The kids know so many songs word for word now and love the scripture segment (words to live by).

When the kids go to bed and there is cleaning to do, I like to listen to Focus on the family and A different perspective.

Sitting at the table for dinner on Thursday night we all chatted about what we love about our fave radio station and concluded with signing up to become part of the light FM family.

Last night (Friday Night) Jimi Love was doing what he does best asking people to call in with song requests. As part of his segment he asked people to call in and request a song that they know off by heart but that they don't hear often on the radio. I sent a text message to request a song that has had a massive impact on my life.

This was the message I sent:

That one song I know all the words to and could listen to over and over would be Horses by Daryl Braithwaite! (: Melissa of Bacchus Marsh.

Within minutes my phone was ringing. I answered it and it was Jimi Love!!!! He said. "Hi is this Melissa?" and I said "OMG yes it is Jimi!" He asked if I wanted to go on air to request my song and I excitedly accepted. He then counted me in and asked what song I knew all the words to and what this song meant to me. During my time on air I think I said awesome around 3 or 4 times and couldn't stop smiling!! 

If you want to know why I requested this beautiful song, come back to my blog tomorrow and I'll blurt it to the world!! Or at least my amazing followers and kids who will one day read these posts!!

Today Light FM have a family fun day in Mitchem for everyone who signed up to partner with them this week. I couldn't be there so sent another message to let them know I couldn't make it and to request this song which I have fallen in love with since first hearing it on their radio station.

Of course within minutes they played it..

My favorite song!

I absolutely love Light FM! 

Always encouraging and uplifting.. 

And now we're a part of that!

Whoop Whoop..

Read More

A Family. A Home.

As most of you are aware, all I have really wanted in life is a family. Growing up (in over 25 foster homes over three states) I never really felt a part of a "family". Life was just empty. Over the years I had tried to fulfill the emptiness with various things like my own self desires to fit in with the coolest kids, to be a loud mouth bully, to try and be a good foster daughter, to rebel because no one could tell me what to do anyway. I felt unwanted. Un-needed. Completely alone. That was until.. I gave my heart to Christ.

Back then I had a church family and the gap was filled. I was growing in faith and God's love for me was felt daily. I no longer wanted to stand out or be outrageous, I was content just being His precious daughter and loved Him so very much.

When I was dragged away from one of the last foster homes I was in, I was placed into a youth shelter. This turned my faith completely up-side-down. Without my family I felt lonely. I prayed and continued to worship quietly in my room but I stopped growing spiritually and the Church family I had was miles away.

It wasnt until after I had my first child that I would step into another church again. I never lost faith, I would pray in all the struggles and tough times the world threw at me and I believe that He blessed my life with a son answering my cry for help.

All the churches I went to never lasted long. I tried this one and that but none felt like home. Even the one last year, which was the longest church I had actually stayed with that felt like "home" and preached on being a family completely broke my heart and left me feeling abandoned.

Last week I walked into a new church. After sitting down with the Pastor yesterday and talking about the vision of the church I feel quite confident that this is where God wants me this year. Church today was absolutely amazing. I met some really beautiful spirit filled people and I think this could be home for me. I never seem to stay at churches long, and it's only because I get a lift there that I sat in the back row last Sunday but today I felt like I was part of the family. It felt like I had known some of these people my whole life. 

Life is so full of mystery. I'm so thankful for mine.

I am again growing spiritually and am getting real not with who I think I am, but who God knows I am. My life has been blessed abundantly and I realize that more so now that I am counting my blessings daily. And what a blessing it is when you know your going to make an impact, because your unique, needed, wanted and loved. 

Thank-you Jesus!

Read More