To Find A Silver Lining

This Man:

I am a very blessed lady... so very blessed to have this man walking beside me through life. He is everything I am not; God knew just what I needed to survive the roller coaster, and He placed all those attributes in my man.
He is steadfast, loyal and positive... he is 'funny' (hmmmm  - he laughs at his own jokes anyway), he is the glass-half-full in our relationship, and he is slow to anger! He is the fun parent - but I know he'll always have my back if the kids are playing up! He is consistent, loving, and generous with everything - including his time. 
He is the best Daddy in the whole world, and the kids adore him... he is always telling them (and me) how much he loves them - they will grow up without.a.single.doubt as to how much they are loved. He is intelligent - leaves me for dust, and an amazing teacher; will spend hours with the kids teaching them things and talking to them about stuff. He has never talked down to them - always treating them with respect, …

This weekend was meant to be a 'Weekend of Celebration'; but it turned into a 'Weekend of Disappointment' instead. 
Disappointments: - Some are relatively small - Some aren't - Some I can talk about - Some I can't - Some have very short-term consequences - Some, I fear, will have far reaching ramifications - Some can be rectified down the track - Some will mean 'things won't be the same again'
So lets start with the smaller things - and things I can talk about, and the things that can be sorted out at a later date.
My baby got sick - this meant no party, no dedication; no nothing except sick kids since Thursday last week, and still going strong.
'lil M woke with what we thought was a cold and a low-grade fever on Thursday, was a bit clingy and grizzly - but nothing I figured a couple of days and some good sleeps couldn't fix. The party could go on...
I had a list of things I was to do each day that week to be ready (with minimal stress) for the party on …

This gorgeous little man is ONE today... ONE (yep - feel like repeating this; it seems so surreal)!
He is the easiest, most contented, happy little boy I know - when he laughs, he really laughs - and you just have to laugh with him, it is like a deep belly laugh; (he is SO ticklish, it is easy to make him laugh)!
He really is our joy and our delight - we all adore him, and are so loving watching him grow and change and become a real little man! He blows my mind everyday, doing things and trying things that we never imagined he'd be trying yet... he is such the little climber, and he can't even walk yet!
I think we're going to have a busy lad on our hands though - there is no such thing as going around; he goes over, or under or through! No obstacle is to big or to small to attempt to conquer... yep, he is a goer!
My Mum calls him 'The Smiling Assassin' - he smiles all day at you, and yet he still goes ahead and does his own thing anyway (and he's only just turned o…

Hi folks,
Sunday Snippets will be taking a short three week break - I totally forgot this past week (*cringing*), and the next two weekends are going to be out-of-this-world busy with my baby's first birthday, and then me and the kids are heading away for a week's break... I am hoping to get a chance to pop in for other things during that time; but probably not on a Sunday!
Hoping to be back up and running again about April 28th or thereabouts... (or maybe the following week - May 5th)? Depends how busy we get, as my daughters birthday is also just around the corner.
Have a GREAT weekend in Christchurch all you lucky bloggers who get to go to Conference (aiming for next year), and I will be back (I think *grin*)!

I am feeling rather adrift at the moment...

The whole 'out-in-the-middle-of-the-ocean-unable-to-see-anyone-or-anything' kind of adrift.
I'm thinking about putting my 'online' life on hold - facebook, blog etc; in order to focus on my 'in real life'; as winter is coming and I know my ability to withdraw into my shell during winter is even greater than normal.
If I have nowhere to withdraw to - maybe I'll try harder to get out and about more, and make a more conscious effort with the kids. 
I would need to give my laptop to hubby to 'watch over' during the day (e.g. take it to work for the week); and just have it over the weekends - to download photos etc. I have my smartphone, so can still check urgent e-mails and go online if I need to (e.g. banking etc)!
Maybe that is to extreme? Maybe it is just what I need to do... I don't know. But I am feeling like I need to do something, or I am going to sink and winter hasn't even started yet.
So many o…

Linking up with the lovely Ange


Roll-Along Meatloaf! Original recipe can be foundhere





As promised in myprevious post; here is the recipe for that intriguing meatloaf!
500g mince 2tsp mixed herbs (dried) 1tbsp worcestershire sauce 1c soft breadcrumbs (replaced with a cup of Gluten-free flour) 1 onion (chopped) 1 egg 2tbsp tomato sauce 1-2tbsp flour 1.5c of cold, cooked kumara (I just cooked and mashed it at the time of cooking - worked fine) 2tbsp spring onion (didn't have any, so never used it - was fine) 1/2c grated cheese
1) In a bowl, mix the first seven ingredients together thoroughly (down to tomato sauce). 2) Cut a piece of tinfoil 30x40cm and lightly sprinkle with flour. 3) Turn the meat mixture onto this, spread and press the mixture about 1cm thick and over a 20x30cm area (first photo). 4) Mix the cold, mashed kumara with spring onion and cheese. Spread over the meat to within 1cm of the edge. 5) Roll up like a sponge, using the foil to encase the roll. 6) Place in a shallow baking dish and …