Photographic Proof of Classroom Adventures.

I ran the whole day today.
Susie was away sick and being quite adjusted to running the whole shabbang at little to no notice, I managed to handle today well enough. Rather than being annoyed I actually rather enjoy the days when I'm left to my own devices, I can pretend that I'm a real teacher and this little mob of raggamuffins are my very own class.

I'm very quickly approaching the final week of my internship. Since starting my prac I've been running my own dance group during sport time and tomorrow we add the music, being some old school Jars of Clay with 'Liquid'. I enjoy my little dance troupe, and it's been something that I've been able to add to the school during my time there.

I am getting to the point of bittersweet realisation. The finish line is so close that I can see it, not so distant on the horizon. But also close enough to realise just how much these kids have really worked their way into my heart, I'm going to miss them so much!

Currently I'm working on some bracelets for the little tikes. The girls will be getting brightly coloured beads while the boys are getting leather straps with black beading. To complete my little gift each child is going to get a personalised letter which I really want to pour out affirmation for who they are and the incredible person that God has made them to be.

This Prac has been amazing, not just proffessionally and educationally, but it has really penetrated me on a level I can't describe...God has worked within me and challenged & grown me. But above all he has shown his faithfulness and loving, nurturing heart which cares for all aspects of my life, all the little things AND the big things.

He truely is an awesome father.

This pic was taken yesterday, the kids were taking photos of one another for a project. One of them wanted one of me, I tried desperately yo avoid it, and eventually the kids grabbed me and hopped in the photo too. After the pic was taken Zoe turns to me with the sweetest little smile and says " Sucked in...your in the photo" I couldn't help but laugh, They're all gorgeous!!

[from the left] Sarah, Cameron[at back], Zoe, [a tiny snippet of] Jess.H. and Myself.

Loved.

Another Birthday come and gone.

Friday saw me heading to school as per usual. Upon arrival I was bombarded with Happy kids from my class wishing me happy birthday and giving great big beautiful hugs. Aaron had me in hysterics as he serenaded me with his updated version of happy birthday, complete with air guitar solo and high screechy finale.
They are such an incredibly beautiful bunch of kids, who I am going to miss so very much.
They organised a surprise party for me, which I was ever so slightly clued into, due to the fact that they're not quite as sneaky as they like to think they are...either that or I'm just too dang clever ;)

But I acted surprised and we had a great afternoon together grooving and eating. They're a cute bunch of munchikins.

So my day at school ended and I headed home. Tim couldn't make it down as he had to work all day/evening in Armie. Though dad booked us into the Hogs Breath for dinner. Can I hear a "Yummo!"?


















So I enjoyed my 22nd birthday in the company of my favourite people...my family. I can't really remember the last family affair we've had when all five of us have been present. So this was nice...really nice.




We ordered. Mum and dad even bought cocktails for the Birthday girls which was just a golden touch. I couldn't resist a touch of cheekiness and just had to order the "Sex on the Beach"
However I must admit that I was ever so slightly dissapointed when mum made no reaction whatsoever, dad however sat with this slightly ammused, forced concerned look.
"Hows Tim going to feel knowing that you had sex on the beach tonight?"...
yeah he's a funny fellow.





Afterwards we headed home and blew out the candles on a Pavlova and Caramel choc-cream tart.
Hmmmmhmm...
al in all, a fantabulous birthday was had.
Add to that, it was a nice touch to find a heap of messages on my mobile when I jumped back in the car.

Thankyou to all of you who wished me a happy birthday, I appreciate your love so much!

2 weeks left of my internship and then it's all over red rover. Yes I am excited :D

ooooh

OH!
and can you believe I nearly didn't mention it?!

This friday will also see the 6 month anniverssary of Timmy and I.

To be perfectly honest I can't believe it's only been 6 months...feels as though we've been together alot longer than that.

We have some great times together and I look forward to so many more.
I think one of my favourite things is that while we do disagree and we do fight sometimes, neither one of us is ever too proud to admit when we're wrong. And there is always a sorry not too far away when we've hurt each other, unintentional as the hurting may be. Theres a lot of respect in our relationship and that makes it amazing.

I miss him terribly. Can I say that without making anyone want to slap me? I do love him. and he's become so very important to me.

I look forward to when we don't have 3 hours of road between us. But while I don't think absence makes the heart 'fonder'...I do think that it helps you realise what it is you really want.

I know what I want...I want another 6 months with Timmy, then another 6 months then another and another and another...and you get the jist.

Big day friday...lots of anniversaries ;)

Survival.

can you believe I made it!! :P
Susie was away today with a sick/off Day. I couldn't help feeling a little 'put on the spot' about it all. Apparantly susie knew for about a week and only informed me about it 5 minutes before I left school yesterday. Of course I have to prove that I'm flexible and willing to 'have a go no matter what' well of course I said "Sure, no worries".

Woke up this morning and felt as thought I could very well be dead by lunchtime.
But HA! I went to school anyway - it's one thing to not want to go to school, another when your going to be the teacher. ;)

So I toughed it out. Truth be told they're supposed to employ a casual teacher, and shouldn't legally be able to relly on me to run the whole day, but I did. I was it, the teacher. They saved some serious money (about 250 bucks a day for casual teachers) and I won't even see a cent. Depressing hey!
Working so hard.
At least once I'm teaching I'll have a pay cheque to look forward to. Untill then I continue with the poor uni student lifestyle...a lifestyle which places me in the top 5% of the world merely because I CAN go to Uni...
Believe me, I'm not taking this for granted.
I'm nearly there, nearly finished, just 3 weeks to go and I am free to teach, and be paid. I will finally be a professional teacher!

This Friday is the first anniversary of my 21st Birthday!!
Kate and I were considering a party, but to be perfectly honest I just do not have the energy to really chuck a bash. Tell you what though, I could go a couple of drinks at the end of this week.

Though actually as I type this, I'm really getting into the mood to do something nice. Maybe grab some buddies over and do some food and drinks...and cake hmmmm...everyone loves cake :D

Lets chat Belle, if your interested in joining the festivities, Hales, Monty, wheres Maclod these days?

Timmy may be able to make it down for the weekend. No promises from him and no pressure from me. I'll be back in Armidale in about 3 weeks, and while it's hard being so far apart, it's understandable - I'm working prac and he's working 2 jobs. We've just gotta do the best we can. This time will make us appreciate the time we do have together so much more.
and he's worth it. We're worth it.

sorry, I know this is boring, but for now...this is my life ;)

MILKO!!!

allow me to introduce Milko!
I adore him so much. He was a gift from my brother Matt for my 21st - which I am due to celebrate the first anniversary of, in another 10 days.
I'll quite often fall asleep cuddling him...he's absolutely beautiful.

I know...I'm lame :P

I can hardly believe that its week 7.
I am literally 3 weeks and 3 days away from completing my final Prac EVER!
it's exciting, and while I would expect to feel that usual nervousness about my future wanderings, for this point in time, there are none.
none...
I don't feel nervous all I feel is excitement. I can go anywhere....
I received a letter in the mail from UNE which was to inform me that I am placed within the top 15% of undergraduate students at our university. bit of a shock really, but exciting. I don't know for sure, but mum suggested that if I am indeed in the top 15 percent then there is a pretty good chance that, come the end of this placement, I'll be a targetted teacher - Gosh I hope so!

Man, I really have to apologise for the lack of interesting info I've been sharing of late. I just find that while I'm on this internship I really don't have a whole lot of interesting things going on in my life...so so sorry.
I'm wracking my brain trying to think of anything interesting I could add.

Well...lets see...

For the last 6 weeks, at least - I've been gyming it. I am now an addict of 'Body Pump' Kez (one of the instructors) informed me that it's the quickest way to actually change your body shape - and heck knows I need to do that :P !
apparantly through the process used, the muscles actually tear, and then rejuvinate themselves, quite literally 'changing' your shape.
But googily-gosh - I'm getting muscles :D :D HA! it's exciting.

I'm looking forward to the end of prac as my social calender shall be a little grander than of late.
Becs Hens night in Sydney is looking to be on the 7th of October, Tims 21st in QLD will be on the 14th, plus on the 15th I'll be taking the lad to dreamworld and thats as much as he knows...there shall be surprises. Tims mum has come on board as an allie and it's going to be fantastic - I just know he's going to love it. I shall inform you later as you just never know who may be reading this ;) and we don't want to ruin surprises now do we ;) Becs wedding on the 4ths of November, adn Mons around January 4th...I love weddings :D :D

but alas I shall go...
more to come people...I promise (If anyone is still reading this of course :P)

bittersweet pennings

the 25th of this month saw us realising that it has been exactly 1 year since we lost Lauchie from this earth and he went to dwell with God.
The pain still lingers, and the tears still flow.

A week after the 1 year realisation we received a package from Lauchies mum. It contained a CD single by Lauchlans brother Brayden, dedicated to Lauchies memory. Needless to say it had me absolutely balling as I listened - so much is still raw, but the hope resides in the knowledge that he IS with God and we WILL see him again.

Accompanying the CD was a letter from Jillian (Lauchies Mum) which once again had the water works switched on. The grief is still very much flowing in that family, but there is a faith and hope there, which I wanted to share with you.

"Dear Special Friends,
It has been a year since our beloved son Lauchlan went home to be with the Lord. His death was very sudden and mysterious and even now the findings of the doctors are inconclusive. It is very difficult to understand how and why this happened.
So we continue on in our faith. Faith that God is who he says he is - the sovereign Lord. Faith that he knew Lauchlan as His child and was there bringing him into eternity. And faith that he loves our family and He can restore us and teake us on to finish our journey.

So we have been taking small steps towards Jesus often in much pain and sorrow.
I honour my husband Peter for going back to work to provide for his family and continuing to be the kind and giving husband and father he has always been. But most of all for opening his heart to Jesus in a very difficult and confusing time.
I honour my daughter Tegan for the courage to go back to University to finish the year and for continuing to serve and be a blessing in Gods house.
I honour my son Bayden for following his dreams for Kayaking even when it was lonely on the lake training and for filling our house with music.
I honour my extended family for sharing the pain, crying with us and not being afraid to talk and walk along this difficult road together. Without you it would be a treacherous road indeed.

Again we thank our friends in Forster for your gift of love in making Lauchlans memorial service so compleete.
To Lauchlans friends and collegues in Armidale we cherish your friendship and support of our son.
I have been reading lots of books about grief and heaven and searching the Bible because that's where part of my heart is now and a mum has to check out where he son is hanging out. I wanted to share a couple of ideas with you.

"For the christian death is not the end of adventure but a doorway from the world where dreams and adventures shrink to a world where dreams and adventures forever expand", Randy Alcorn

Lauchlan has been born anew into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay. unsullied and unfading. Reserved in Heaven for us. 1 Peter 1v. 4

The Most difficult thing for us is letting go of our precious son and his life and future here on earth. Every now and then God whispers to my heart and I write a poem reflecting the pain, love and hope in our God. I would like to share one with you.

More
What makes me think I could give you more
More than Father God
Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills
Who prepared Heaven for us.

What makes me think I could love you more
More than God
Whose nature is love
And sent Jesus his son for us

And what makes me think I could hold on to you
When you were never mine
you were a gift from God
His creation, His child.

I think your life has been cut short
Your dreams not fulfilled
But what do I know of eternity
And purposes God has revealed.

For you have more life, fulfillment and love
In the presence of the King
You're no longer in the shadowland
You have the real thing.

Finally I look forward to the day when I enter heaven for I will see Jesus and my beautiful son will be there too, to meet me.
And God has promised to wipe every tear from our eyes; There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Revelations 21v. 4

Love Jillian and Peter"

Out of all the pain and sorrow, flows hope.
Lauchies father was not a Christian, yet since Lauchies death he has offered his heart to Lord and has now joint the rest of his family in their walk. Praise God - they will be a family once more in Paradise!

Canberra

Its been a while since I've posted, as I've been somewhat blocked from internet access, for the last week at least, as I headed off to Canberra with my year 6 class for their yearly excursion. Great great fun.
We did all the touristy things and headed along to alot of education spots like Parliament house, Questacon, The war memorial, CSIRO, National Gallery, Australian Museum.
Funny moment of the trip was trying to convince Rodney to stop swinging on his chair as he sat bored in front of "Blue Poles" By Jackson Pollock. The tour guide was getting incredibly nervous as she explained that the painting was worth around 116 Million dollars. We had a good laugh about it later, as we envisioned him doing a forward flip into the painting before knocking it off the wall....
I bonded with the kids in a big way, which was fantastic. It was fun to be able to interact with the kids in a more natural and relaxed environment. I'm more convinced than ever that I probably will cry on my last day of the internship. These kids have so much character, charm and cheek - that I'm just going to miss them so much!!

We also had a snow day while we were there, and headed out to the slopes of Perisha Blue for a day with a bunch of Toboggans. I am extremely proud to say that I am now the proud owner of the Track champion title. Successfully knocking Jase (Mr Reed) from his throne - Go The Girls!!!

We arrived home at around 10pm last night, and as much fun as I had on the trip I am glad to be home, glad to be in my own bed and able to sleep in for the first time in a long time.

Kids are pretty amazing. I'm not planning on any of my own for a while yet, but there is such a blessing in their company - in their innocence and cheekiness...

God has blessed me in my passions - I love teaching, I love the responsibility I have to these kids and I take it seriously and consider it an incredibly honour.
Thankyou dad.
xoxo