Barker Christmas Video 2012

                                             
MERRY CHRISTMAS LOVELY FRIENDS!
As mentioned in my Christmas traditions blog post last year, here is our Christmas video for 2012.
It was lots of fun to make, and is really silly!

WARNING: Contains a suspicious looking man in red Lycra, and a Mummy kissing Santa Clause.

A letter to my sweet baby boy.

My dear little Elias,

You are twenty months today.
You are in your cot at the moment, having an afternoon sleep. You love going to bed. You need sleep and you know it, so putting you down is a breeze. You cuddle teddy, suck your dummy, roll onto your side and within minutes you are sleeping peacefully.

You may be baby number 4 but my word you are loved and adored. You are lucky, there are more family members to dote on you. I often hear Malachi saying, "Oh little man, What a precious little man, Oh i love my little E." You love your siblings too, just today you followed Mattea and Jaz around the park for an hour, trying to join in on their games. I watched with delight as Taya put you on her lap and you went down the slide together, she then took your hand and led you to the next piece of equipment. My little E, we all adore you.

You even love the chickens, Miss Daisy and Millie. While eating chicken for tea we say, eat your chicken Li Li and when you hear the word chicken you suddenly point at the window and search with your eyes for the chickens in the garden. It is oh so cute. Chicken is one of you first words. Shoes is also a favorite word of yours. You have to be wearing shoes, if you are not you bring me a pair, urging me to put them on you, saying "shoossss shoooosss shoosss."

Sometimes it's very quiet and i start to nervously think that you must be in the bathroom playing in the toilet water. I run to the bathroom, you're not there, so i momentarily panic, where is he? I search and then i see you, sitting in a quiet spot, legs stretched out in front of you, totally engrossed in the picture book on you lap. There are other books sprawled on the floor around you. At this moment my heart swells with love for you, and i feel guilty for automatically assuming that you were up to mischief. I say, "Good boy Li Li, I love you." You look up at me seriously for a second, and then go straight back to your book.

I love your helpfulness. If im packing up toys, you come over and help, if only the others were as helpful as you. I love this about you so much. You even love to help me unpack the dishwasher. You pick up a plate, cup etc, hold it out to me and say, "dere." Thankyou dear boy.

Sometimes when I want to get you dressed, i call your name and you run in the opposite direction, laughing, you think you are so funny! The way i get you to come is i shut my eyes, or pretend not to be looking at you, and you sneak up on me, your eyes gleaming with merriment. You think you are so clever!  I act very surprised and you laugh and laugh. I love your laugh. Keep laughing sweet boy.

Elias Elias Elias, I could talk about you forever.
You are adorable and you melt my heart everyday.
Love you my sweet little E
xo

Kindness Revolution

Kindness is the act or the state of being kind, being marked by good and charitable behavior, pleasant disposition, and concern for others.

 I think it is time for a KINDNESS REVOLUTION!

It's time to look at those around us and think of ways we can help and bless them. It's time to look beyond ourselves and our own troubles and genuinely care for our friends and want the best for them.

The above definiton describes kindness well. Kindness is marked by good and charitable behaviour, a pleasant disposition and concern for others. Kindness can be anything from cooking a meal for a friend who is sleep deprived, writing an encouraging text message or card, giving a big smile and wave when you pass them on the road, blessing them with a gift, or just sitting and asking if someone is ok, just out of genuine concern and love. Simply BE NICE!!   These things seem simple, but the impact these actions can have on someone can be life changing!

As a family we have personally experienced kindness on a great level. Most people know that Todd hit his head and received a brain injury 4 years ago. When this happened he was pretty much stuck on the couch for 3 months, wasnt able to work or drive. I had a 2 year old, a 13 month old, a 3 week old and a non-functioning husband, it was tough. We had no income and things were tight!! This is where i discovered the power of Kindness. We had people bring us meals, we had food parcels arriving at the door step, we had envelopes arrive in the mail containing money. Without peoples kindness i'm not really sure how we would have got through those few months. 

More recently i have been encouraged by a great friend who didnt want me to be cold this winter so she bought me an electric blanket and leather gloves. What a blessing she is to me. Her kind, thoughtful actions have impacted my life and now I want to bless others, so they can feel loved and encouraged too.

Are there people around you in need? People who may need encouragement? People who may need a smile? Im sure there is. Think about someone you can show kindness to and go for it. It is the best feeling ever to bless someone! let the Kindness revolution begin!!!!

Once upon a moment...

Every day is made up of moments, and it is in these moments that memories are made.

I dont know about anyone else, but for me this year is vanishing before my eyes, and it is really scaring me! How can we already be in August? Time is going so fast, and there is absolutely nothing i can do to stop it.  My children are growing up, right before my eyes, and there is nothing I can do about it. I just cant stop time. I want to, so badly, but I am powerless. I want my kids to stay little for that tiny big longer, but they can't! They can't! I can't!  Aggggghhhh there is nothing I can do but surrender to the passing of time.  Bec, breathe, it's ok, (and this is what I do say to myself sometimes). The truth is, I may not be able to control the passing of time but I can control what I do with my time.

 I like to break time up into moments. Just the word 'moments' makes me smile. We have good moments and bad moments, and it is these moments that make up our day. In one day we can experience moments of great joy, peace and happiness as well as moments of great frustration, anger and sadness. And sadly, it is often these bad moments that shape our perception of the day as we reflect back on it.

My challenge is to pay extra attention to the good moments and just STOP! Actually be in the moment.  Dont let the good moments just drift by but stop and spend that little bit of extra time cuddling your baby, pushing your child on the swing, chatting with a friend or just enjoying the sun. Acknowledge the good moment, let yourself experience the emotion that comes with that moment, take some deep breaths and smile... this is living. These are the moments you will remember, these are the moments that will form your memories. Yes, we do experience moments of frustration, when the kids just wont listen, or when they have spilt milk all over the floor and finger painted with it, but remember these moments will pass. Do what you need to do to get through it, and chose to move on and leave that frustration and anger in that moment :) It may seem overwhelming at times, but take one step at a time, and you will get through, you really will.

Time goes fast... tick tock tick tock... look there goes a second! The kids will grow up and they won't want to cuddle you on the couch, sing silly songs with you as you dance around the room, or even come to the toilet with you! sniff sniff  So let's make the most of these moments we have. Dont waste your precious time. Use it wisely. Really live in those happy moments as you make amazing memories.

This is my challenge for myself. I wrote it for me. This is what is on my mind at the moment. I hope you enjoy :)
xox

SPICY WINTER

SPICY- seasoned with or containing spice

SPICE- Something that gives Zest

 MY Winter is going to be full of Zest. It's going to be vibrant, exhilarating, full of life and energy. Goodbye dreary winter months and hello spicy winter. 

I came across a spiced hot chocolate the other day,  it contained all the usual hot chocolate goodness, but it was better, those spices just brought the hot chocolate to life. In the same way, im going to spice up my Winter, all the usual winter goodness but with some added extras which which make the season exciting and invigorating. I'm suddenly VERY excited for Winter, and more spicy hot chocolate too!! 

So here are the ingredients I need to spice up my Winter:

1. Build a snowman

2. Dance and sing in the rain

3. Do a winter photo shoot with my kids

4. Buy a pair of colorful, warm winter socks 

5. Read some winter-themed books with the kids

6. Go to the movies with friends x2

7. Find a new yummy winter soup

8. Read a good novel

9. Host a dinner party

10. Drink hot chocolate with marshmellows

11. Go to Nae's and have a spa by candlelight

12. Play a new board game

13. Go out for desert with a friend

14. Put the kids to bed early and have a romantic candlelight dinner with Todd

 

Im choosing NOW to make these things happen and to Spice up my Winter :)

If I could choose again i'd still choose you...

                                "Im in love! I am I am I am!!!
                     I've never felt this way about anyone before.
         Todd is my favorite person in the world and always will be." 

                                                                        
I wrote the above 10 years ago, and Today Todd and I celebrate our 9th Wedding Anniversary. Im very pleased to say that I love him even more now and he still is my favorite person in the whole world. Today i found myself  reminiscing about when we first met and our wedding day, such great memories.

The first time i met Toddy was at a band practice in Launceston. It was for a state youth camp our church denomination was having. He was from Rocky Cape, I was from Hobart. He was the guitarist and me the keyboard player. I didnt talk to him a whole heap and this is what i had to say about him in my diary that night:


 "Todd is cool, he is so good on the guitar. He drove us to Maccas for lunch and he had 20 chicken nuggets with BBQ sauce, a vanilla thickshake and a chocolate sundae- and he ate it ALL so quickly. I want to get to know this Todd better."  11th September 1999

                           Here is Todd at the first camp :) So young!

He intrigued me right from the start, there was just something unique about him.  In my journal i have written, "God, Please let me marry Todd", just a few weeks after that first camp.  I didnt see him for a whole year at the next annual camp. It was at this camp that we made a pact... i told him I would be able to do the splits by the next camp, and we agreed that if I could he had to pay me $5, and if I couldn't, I  had to pay him $5. ( I ended up having to pay him the $5)! After this camp we started texting a bit and he rang a few times... but it wasnt until after the next camp that things started getting a bit more serious, and then mum invited him to my surprise 21st. And what a surprise that was!!!!!  Anyway, we got together, we broke up, we got together again and then he talked me into marrying him (took a few blocks of town to convince me ). After we got engaged he moved to Hobart... We'd actually not spent much time together before we were engaged... mostly long distance!

                            Wedding fun


This is a small glimpse into our love story. It is the story of 2 people who were meant to be together. I really believe we are the perfect match, soul mates. We have had 9 years, i can't say of complete bliss cos we have had a  health obstacle thrown our way, which has tested us in many ways. But we are stronger and have grown closer through it. We have 4 amazing kids, an amazing God and consider ourselves truly blessed. I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for us and we continue through this life journey together.

                         2 weeks after our wedding, back at State Camp :0)




Thankyou Todd Barker for choosing me. I love you so very much xoxoxox

Happy 1st Birthday Elias

My beautiful 4th baby, Elias Shem, has just turned 1!!

What an amazing year it has been. My dreams came true when  I had him. I just knew that once i had 4 i would feel complete, a completeness i would never feel with 3, and I was right, I feel complete!! Im not sad getting rid of my baby items as he grows out of them,  im happy and content because I know I have the perfect number of children for me :) BLESSED!!




Looking back to the day Elias was born makes me so happy. What an amazing Labor and birth.
Here is a journal extract from the day he was born:


We got to the hospital just in time to have him- it was amazing. I was in the ute, with the worst suspension, in peak hour traffic- fully dilated and trying not to have him on the Southern Outlet- was the longest trip to town... im so in love with him. He has blonde hair and weighs about 9 pounds...


Elias has bought so much happiness to us already in 1 year and im looking forward to watching him grow and develop into the amazing man he is going to be. What an honor to be his mum. I love you little man xoxoxox

Here is a slideshow to show Elias life so far

Celebrating amongst the grapevines :)