Tuesday, 29 November 2011
mucking around on iMove: a wedding trailer
so there's some funky trailers that you can make in iMovie. i had a crack using the footage from our chicago wedding.
a lovely reminder of a superb wedding:
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Early starts
Sunday morning. 6.58am. Lying on the fold out bed watching tv with Caleb & Joshie.
Love these moments.
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Love these moments.
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Santa's grotto
At school Christmas fair waiting to get into the grotto...
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, 24 November 2011
Audrey
All I keep hearing about from caleb is his friend "Audrey". He's recently been holding hands at playtime, writing his name and drawing pictures for her.
Certainly this is a first for me.
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Certainly this is a first for me.
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Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Thursday, 3 November 2011
The journey...
These days have been really challenging and heavy. A lot of things have been going on causing some deep questions. It's not a new place nor unique to us.
I've found myself meditating on the journey that we each undertake. Which way do we go. What do we choose to do. The choices. Man, the choices.
As I look back I'm surveying my decisions and reflecting on the rightness of these. Once someone said to me that it's not the right decision that is important to dwell on but rather the ensuring you are serving it with your all.
Personally, I've been plagued with the memory of not doing things... And what I should have done. I yearn to one day tell my boys about giving all that they have to serve and follow that path, that dream, that journey, which has their name etched on it and, I hope, what I've done may, in just a small way, inspire them to strive to get there with all their heart, soul and strength.
What we do says a lot about who we are. Ralph Waldo Emerson said:
“I can't hear your words because they are drowned out by your actions”
I can't say decisions come any easier though.
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I've found myself meditating on the journey that we each undertake. Which way do we go. What do we choose to do. The choices. Man, the choices.
As I look back I'm surveying my decisions and reflecting on the rightness of these. Once someone said to me that it's not the right decision that is important to dwell on but rather the ensuring you are serving it with your all.
Personally, I've been plagued with the memory of not doing things... And what I should have done. I yearn to one day tell my boys about giving all that they have to serve and follow that path, that dream, that journey, which has their name etched on it and, I hope, what I've done may, in just a small way, inspire them to strive to get there with all their heart, soul and strength.
What we do says a lot about who we are. Ralph Waldo Emerson said:
“I can't hear your words because they are drowned out by your actions”
I can't say decisions come any easier though.
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Location:Marvels Ln,Lewisham,United Kingdom
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
you wanna see something really scary
quite sad really.
trick or treaters come every year to our door. or as caleb used to call them "tweeters".
this year joshua was scared out of his wits when he saw a little boy in a skeleton outfit and his father behind him in his pinhead mask. caleb, eager to see who was there darted to the door. his minions (joshua and reuben) followed. i was not able to get there in time and all i heard was a shriek and the some pattering feet.
after handling the "tweeters". the father did express his apologies i went to where joshie was.
he was hiding. curled on the sofa with his head buried down not wanting to see what was around him sobbing away.
helplessly i watched as he battled his fears inside. we could offer comfort and assurance that we were here. that night, for the first time ever, he wet his bed.
we just had to stand there and go through this with him. the following evening we were decided to take an action and light a candle. it was in the form of a lantern that we all lit together and launched it into the night remebering the proverb that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. as it went off we asked joshie what he prayed for. he said that there would be no more monsters.
Monday, 24 October 2011
Saturday, 22 October 2011
An early start
Off to brussels for an Aid exhibition. Early start 3.45am. But some rewarding sunrises views made it worthwhile.
And inside the exhibition is a mobile hospital tent:
And this is what it looks like inside:
Ever thought about toilets:
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And inside the exhibition is a mobile hospital tent:
And this is what it looks like inside:
Ever thought about toilets:
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Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Whoops
So I gave Joshie the wrong pack lunch box. He should have had a lovely honey roasted fine cut, taste the difference ham with a smooth cream cheese sandwich made from delicious oat bread together with yoghurt covered raisins followed by an innocent squeezy smoothie.
He instead got left over mash potato.
I only just found out whilst checking the fridge. Over 24 hours later. He neither complained nor mentioned it.
Here he is... Take 2:
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He instead got left over mash potato.
I only just found out whilst checking the fridge. Over 24 hours later. He neither complained nor mentioned it.
Here he is... Take 2:
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Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Strength in adversity
Staying strong in times of adversity are real marks of character. I certainly am utterly inspired by such people and such testimony to persevering under hardship.
I recall one of my colleagues tell me of a particular time when life was just too hard and how the family stepped in to help. It was during their family singing time when the father said he could not sing the words they usually sing. The sons replied if you can't sing then stay with us and let us sing for you dad. It carried him.
When leaving the house this morning I said to our boys that we would need their help over some of these days. Joshie, without hesitation, interjected "I'll be strong for us papa". I'm inspired.
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I recall one of my colleagues tell me of a particular time when life was just too hard and how the family stepped in to help. It was during their family singing time when the father said he could not sing the words they usually sing. The sons replied if you can't sing then stay with us and let us sing for you dad. It carried him.
When leaving the house this morning I said to our boys that we would need their help over some of these days. Joshie, without hesitation, interjected "I'll be strong for us papa". I'm inspired.
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Saturday, 24 September 2011
Diary of dying pt 2
The final moments of death have been somewhat a rollercoaster. There are certain logistics of palliative care. There's the multitude of emotions. The host of family and friends that are there supporting and standing with each other. Then there's the preparation of what next.
In the past few hours I heard the words that I've been expecting for the past year.
It is over.
My thoughts right this moment are of gratitude... I'm glad that I knew, that I know, you. Goodbye mum... I'll see you later.
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In the past few hours I heard the words that I've been expecting for the past year.
It is over.
My thoughts right this moment are of gratitude... I'm glad that I knew, that I know, you. Goodbye mum... I'll see you later.
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Location:Taylor St,,United Kingdom
A diary of dying pt 1
"You are important because you are you and you are important to the day you die" this is a paraphrased quote from the founder of the modern hospice movement Dame Cicely Saunders. I remember hearing it and nodding in agreement as I heard it.
Our lives are precious. How we use the time that we have says a lot about each of us.
Today I sit as Joshie is swimming pondering our significance, the time we have, our legacy as we, as a family, prepare for a death.
There are several main thoughts that weave between a tapestry of others. These are some of the major threads:
1. Inevitability.
It's the 100% stat that stalks us. We all know it is going to happen. We mainly live choosing to push the thought to the back but dictates a lot of how we interact and it brings a level of fear with it. Fear can both be healthy or unhealthy. For example a healthily fear is to plan how to avoid mortality incidents through protective measures. An unhealthy example is the pursuit of the elixir of health.
2. Justice
This is twofold. First, In simplicity: Life is fair and death is unfair. Second, there is also a justness to feeling the "innings" are over and it is right for this to happen. The justice is there in eating the last spoon of the pudding and saying "thank you very much I enjoyed the meal, but now it's over". The justness comes from being rewarded for all the effort and energy to get to the last spoon of that sweet desert.
3. Finiteness
Our time is brief and has an end. The end is there and always near.
4. How we have lived
As these days come I am staggered by the love and people that have come to help. It's testimony to a person who put people before others and demonstrated this in their behaviour. The legacy was building the character in others.
5. What's next
This is twofold too. What's next for them and us. Certainly the loneliness is looming. The thought of not being near them or at the end of an email or phone. There's also a sense of hope. I've not died, nor am I God to know specifics of details. But I recognise humbly that i do not presume to know such details that only an author or creator can know.
Well time's up and off to get Joshie now.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Our lives are precious. How we use the time that we have says a lot about each of us.
Today I sit as Joshie is swimming pondering our significance, the time we have, our legacy as we, as a family, prepare for a death.
There are several main thoughts that weave between a tapestry of others. These are some of the major threads:
1. Inevitability.
It's the 100% stat that stalks us. We all know it is going to happen. We mainly live choosing to push the thought to the back but dictates a lot of how we interact and it brings a level of fear with it. Fear can both be healthy or unhealthy. For example a healthily fear is to plan how to avoid mortality incidents through protective measures. An unhealthy example is the pursuit of the elixir of health.
2. Justice
This is twofold. First, In simplicity: Life is fair and death is unfair. Second, there is also a justness to feeling the "innings" are over and it is right for this to happen. The justice is there in eating the last spoon of the pudding and saying "thank you very much I enjoyed the meal, but now it's over". The justness comes from being rewarded for all the effort and energy to get to the last spoon of that sweet desert.
3. Finiteness
Our time is brief and has an end. The end is there and always near.
4. How we have lived
As these days come I am staggered by the love and people that have come to help. It's testimony to a person who put people before others and demonstrated this in their behaviour. The legacy was building the character in others.
5. What's next
This is twofold too. What's next for them and us. Certainly the loneliness is looming. The thought of not being near them or at the end of an email or phone. There's also a sense of hope. I've not died, nor am I God to know specifics of details. But I recognise humbly that i do not presume to know such details that only an author or creator can know.
Well time's up and off to get Joshie now.
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Saturday, 10 September 2011
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Almost home
Having some final thoughts as I lie here in bed on our final night. Been a strange journey. Grateful for being able to get away... But also I sense preparation for something ahead.
I once heard from a good doctor friend that holidays follow this pattern: you go away, there's a build up of tension and culminates into an incident, there's a confrontation and then you all relax.
He also, I might add, on another occasion, told me the price of fulfilment... But that's a secret ;)
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I once heard from a good doctor friend that holidays follow this pattern: you go away, there's a build up of tension and culminates into an incident, there's a confrontation and then you all relax.
He also, I might add, on another occasion, told me the price of fulfilment... But that's a secret ;)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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