#59 (28/2)

Seasons come and seasons go.  Today marks the last day of summer.  I'm grateful that summer is over.  It's been a hot and humid summer for us southerners....and it heralds in the next season - Autumn!  My very favorite season of the year.

#58 (27/2)

Golly I'm being tested.  The internet here at Stanley is doing my head in!  I've hooked up my big Mac so I can work on editing.  Today I got last weeks family photoshoot edited and made a great start on Saturdays wedding.  That is something to be super grateful for!

#57 (26/2)

I am honestly so exhausted I'm not sure where to find my grateful today.  Got up, went to the house, left Eb there with Graham and went to do a family photoshoot, picked Eb up, drove back to Tawonga, packed and packed and packed until 1.30am.

Grateful? again, survival....and a lovely late night chat with my gorgeous sister in law!

#56 (25/2)

Today has been huge.  Finished packing (for now) came back to Stanley (yesterday), took Eb to tennis last night.  Got up this morning, took Eb to Graham at the new house, did a few things there then drove to Rutherglen, Yarrawonga, Rutherglen to photograph a wedding.  Left at about 10.45am, got home at 10.45pm. My grateful? - that I survived the day with a smile on my face :)

#55 (24/2)

Yay! I got to pick my little girl up from camp!  She can't wipe the smile from her face....and either can I!

#54 (23/2)

Oh boy am I sick to death of packing!...but I'm very grateful for some friends who were able to help out with boxes!  I grabbed a few last night thinking that was all I would need.  Teehee!  what a joke....I picked up about 20 boxes today and I've run out tonight :)

#53 (22/2)

Big day for this mumma today.  My baby girl went off to camp with her new school.  I find camps SO hard...but I have to say, for her sake, I'm so glad for them!  She was super excited and I'm just grateful I was able to smile as she pulled away in such a big bus full of excited kiddies!

#52 (21/2)

Today we went to have a look at the new house after school pickup.  I really didn't think anything would have changed - however, when we arrived, I found the cupboard fitout has been done.  I'm very grateful for this big step.  So much is changing so quickly!

#51 (20/2)

Today I booked the removalist!  Yes, we have a hand over date of the 3/3....so we will move in on my birthday!  I'm so excited and I can't wait.  That is a huge grateful - after 1 year, 5 months and 13 days we now know when this part of our life journey will close and new journey begin.

#50 (19/2)

Today I caught up with my dear friend Roz.  I'm going to miss living over the road from her....she is a fellow photographer and an ED nurse, so we have quite a bit in common.  She (and her husband and gorgeous daughter) have been a delight to visit from time to time and today, being soooo cold for summer, I was blessed to be able to share a Chai with her (mine is over in Stanley!) and have a lovely catch up.

#49 (18/2)

Ebony took one of her Tawonga buddies to her discipleship group today.  They went to the Albury pool and they had sooooo much fun.  It was freezing (by my temperature gauge!) - but it made no difference to them.  I picked them up at 4pm and they had smiles as big as the sun.

#48 (17/2)

Today I feel grateful that I found a great coach for Ebony's tennis.  The coach Eb had since she was about 6 was a breath of fresh air, so I was just a bit nervous about how she would respond to a new coach.  Garth is great and Ebony is really happy.....so I'm happy too!

#47 (16/2)

Today I'm grateful I chose to open my mouth.  I drove into Wodonga to take back a carpet piece that we chose way back months ago.

Even Eb said to me, as she lay on it for a moment, 'Mum this feels like sand paper to lay on'.  I'm so glad she said something because that carpet would just have gone ahead and I'm so sure I would have regretted it.  

I know the carpet is due to be laid in less than a week, but I thought it worth asking when I returned the sample....fully expecting they would say no.

They said it was fine to change!  A very small and very shallow 'grateful', but still a grateful!

#46 (15/2)

We had a machine called an 'Excavator' come and visit our new home today.  It did a magnificent job of sorting out our whole yard!  It is now basically ready to plant.  Yes, we have paid a pretty sum to have this all done but I have to say how grateful I am that there is such a thing and that what would have taken us probably months to do - is done in 1 single day!

#45 (14/2)

Today is Valentines Day.  No I didn't get flowers or go out for dinner or get sweet nothings whispered in my ear.  As a matter of fact, I didn't even get to see my valentine as we are in different towns!

What I do feel is the love of my family.  My husband who works so hard for us and who loves us unconditionally, and my daughter whose love knows no bounds at this time in our lives.

Love, in whatever form, is a total and complete blessing.  There are many in this world who have never truly known what love is.  

#44 (13/2)

Every day brings new challenges, new opportunities, new gifts.

Today I visited our new home and spent time measuring for blinds whilst chatting with the couple doing our tiling.

They have been such wonderful people to work with - they have done an amazing job and I can tell they care.

I'm very grateful for them and for the job they have done.  I feel like maybe there is a friendship forming and that's always something to be grateful for.

#43 (12/2)

Today has been hard.  I've had two nights out in the Ambulance, one from 11.30pm to 3.30am.  I didn't get a chance to have a catch up sleep and then the second night happened.  We're in Beechworth because I'm on call here and life is feeling totally upside down.

On the way home from Church today, I said to Eb that we were heading home to pack up again.  I got such a surprise when she burst into tears.

I hadn't realised just how hard this has been on her - I've been too busy thinking about how hard it has been on me.

I'm grateful for that outburst of emotion from her - it shows me she knows how to express her feelings and she's not frightened to do so.  It gave me an opportunity to talk to her and help her through this time.  Silence would be very unhealthy.

#42 (11/2) My husband

Wow - 40 degree temperatures.  I'm sitting in the air-conditioning catching up on work and Graham is over at our new home doing part of the plumbing fit off.  Yesterday, in that same heat, he was on the roof fitting the air-conditioning.

I'm so proud of him for what he's prepared to do.  I'm also so grateful for the wonderful husband and daddy he is.

#41 (10/2) Peter, Julie, Izzy and Gabe

Wow.  This amazingly beautiful family invited us to stay in their cottage during the week (and only charge us for the nights we are there even though our gear stays there all week!) while our build continues.  Little did I know what a blessing it is to know them.  They are wonderful.  Eb and Gabe get on so well and Peter has been happy to take Eb to the bus some days, to the pool others and they invited us to join them down at Lake Sambell for a swim last night.  Gorgeous people.  I feel very grateful for them on many levels!

#40 (9/2) Dentist

Never really thought I could do a 'grateful' for any dentist, but today I am.  I spent an hour in that horrid seat and put up with all those instruments in my mouth and even a tongue that got 'burnt' from the drill and will feel that pain for a few days...BUT...where would I be if there was no dentist!?  That's what I chose to think of in that hour of horror, because if there weren't dentists - I'd be in a world of pain.

#39 (8/2) My body

3 hours of whipper snippering and I can still smile.  It was darn hard work on a day that got to almost 40 degrees.   I surprised myself with what I was able to achieve and with how good I felt afterwards (not sure I'll be saying the same tomorrow!).

#38 (7/2) Almost all done...

A big night tonight, but almost all the bookwork is done in preparation for the next yucky BAS.  I have worked solidly since I got home from my lovely walk around the lake and although I'm absolutely exhausted (at 11.45pm), I'm grateful that it's almost done!

#37 (6/2) Technology

I have had so much backlog of accounts sitting waiting for me....and with all the wedding editing etc, I just haven't been able to get to it.

Today I took everything with me to get the accounts done....until I remembered I didn't grab Graham's invoices!  That made it impossible to reconcile accounts.  I know Graham is technically challenged, so I got him to take photos of his computer screen and send them to me.  I got all his done thanks to that and now I have tomorrow to work on the rest!

#36 (5/2) Time alone

Today I sent Graham and Eb off to Church together.  I stayed home after a 7 hour Ambulance job yesterday (not long after my washing was finished!).  

I had a lovely morning catching up on stuff - having a cuppa with a friend and getting prepared for going back to Beechworth tomorrow.

I don't get 'free' me time very often.  I spend lots of time on my own but I'm usually working.  Today was just a little different and it was very, very good for my soul!

#35 (4/2) ...yup...a washing machine!

Wow - home last night from Beechworth and straight into it today.

4 loads of washing done and dusted before 11am.  What would life be like without a washing machine.  I take so much for granted.  I'd still be at it at 11am the next day if I had to do it all by hand!

#34 (3/2) A morning walk

Today we head back to Mt Beauty for the weekend.

I feel like I'm just settling in to life in our little cottage, but I know that is the way it is going to go for a little while to come.

I walked twice around Lake Sambell this morning.  I felt so uplifted and so happy to be alive and able to do things like this.  The wind through my hair, the sun on my back, the beauty of the lake around me, birds, a few people, fresh air in my lungs, the peace of my surroundings.

What a beautiful blessing.  I know there will be tough days ahead.  That's life.  Today I celebrate my morning walk in a beautiful place in our beautiful country.

#33 (2/2) Health services

I hate the dentist - and I don't use that word very often.

Today I had to go to the dentist and I wasn't looking forward to it.  Then I started to think about all the people in the world who can't afford to go to a dentist or who don't have access to one.

All of a sudden I looked at the trip to the dentist differently and became grateful that I don't have to put up with pain or even discomfort because I live in a country where not only is it within reach.....I even get a rebate for going.

So, from now I will look at going to the dentist in a different light!

#32 (1/2) So much

Today I find myself grateful for so many things.

A car that got me from Mt Beauty to Beechworth for Eb to start at her new school.
A place to stay in Beechworth (well Stanley) while we are here during the week - and a lovely little cottage at that.
A lovely welcome into the new ACO fold at Beechworth.
A walk around a beautiful new walking place for me - Lake Sambell.
A school that welcomed my little girl and embraced her in a way that made her come home super happy and excited.
A beautiful man who I married that has provided for us in a way that allows Ebony to start school over here and hold down the fort there while I find my way around this new journey.

Too much to put into one word!