post christmas joy...

as quick as it arrived, christmas has just as quickly gone for another year. how was your christmas? ours was quiet...we have been desperate to do that for the past few years and this year we finally achieved it. however it wasn't without some angst as this year's festivities were different this time to any other year and no matter how well we prepared the kids, it doesn't always work out as well as one hopes. however we survived and we're all still intact...complete with our sanity.

2 days before christmas was grace's 18th birthday and although it was celebrated at home very quietly and went as well as it could be it was sad to know that we couldn't do more. we don't or can't do things that many other families can or do...grace misses out on so much because of the needs of our other 3 kids and as a mum it can really get me down to know the truth and realise our reality.

as a mother to 4 teens and full time carer to 3 of them with autism i find tim and i sacrifice so much and miss out on so much more just to be able to manage on a daily basis. anyone who thinks it's an easy call being a parent of 3 kids with special needs obviously couldn't be further from the truth. it's tough....in actual fact it's sometimes beyond comprehension and it's increasingly overwhelming. for those that think as they get older and become adults that a) autism and certain other disorders simply stop and they don't have it anymore or b) they get better....really have no idea. i have been told by people who don't know any better both of the above and sadly they are both misconceptions and couldn't be further from the truth.

anyhoo it's obvious i needed to vent a little as the ramblings on in today's post have gone that way. the beauty of being able to 'journal' is the beauty to be able to do so straight from the heart.

so with new years just around the corner how will you be celebrating? for our family once again quietly and ferrying a couple of kids to and fro with their plans but it will be quiet here for the most part. do you make new years resolutions? for me no....certainly not like most people anyway. i'm not one to mention i'd like to lose weight or spend more time following my passions, earn more money, give up bad habit's etc etc because for me it's very different and it's all about achieving those things that many families and individuals take for granted.

in the new year i'd like to think that my youngest son isaac who is 15 may finally be able to have help with his anxieties so we can manage to take him down to a shoe store and purchase a much needed new pair of shoes. with careful planning and serious help and support i am hoping this can be achieved. i'm also hoping that the next 'phase' with a new service provider for our family (st lukes) will help our family achieve the small requests made to them and that they can help the kids with their needs. disability client services - department of human services have seriously let our family down and we have asked them to now leave us be and close our files.

so as to setting, making or wishing for new years resolutions i hope for those of you that set them, make them and or wish for them that the new year is a fresh start, a new beginning and at least some of those resolutions come to pass. my wish for all of you is with a fresh start and a new beginning to a new year comes peace, joy and hope.

i thought i'd leave you with a few photo's of the gorgeous grace on her 18th. there's a couple more pics to come but i need to get them off her flash drive and edit them so this lot will have to suffice.

of course grace is totally gorgeous and that smile of hers is beautiful. those braces are doing their job and well. ok hugs and ciao xoxo

merry christmas...

i can't believe that it's christmas eve here already with santa arriving  tonight bearing gifts for all those who have been good. our weather has finally decided to give us a summer jolt and from what has been quite cold and wet rainy weather, we've been hit with a little heat wave for the past 2 days. tomorrow sadly won't be a white christmas here but it's nice to think we may have come a little close to it for this part of the world.

i would like to wish you and your families a very merry christmas and a wonderful holiday season. i hope you have a wonderful day spending it with loved ones and that peace and joy be upon you all. may god's blessing fall upon you richly and you all stay safe over this very busy period. 

 

yep that's our cheeky itty bitty kitty in the bathroom sink and as you can see she's quite comfortable....lol. merry christmas to all of you, hugs chris xoxo

happy 18th birthday grace...

although this post is one day early i realise tomorrow (grace's 18th) i simply won't have time to blog so it's happening now. yep the girl grace turns 18 tomorrow...can you believe that? 18 i mean where have all those years gone? and the fact is she has really grown up as well and perhaps that's because it's the normal neurotypical way.

so i just wanna say one thing...happy 18th birthday grace, wishing you a fabulous day, knowing that from here on it can only be forward and so very proud of what you've achieved under the incredibly difficult circumstances our family has endured and still does. we're proud of you, we love you and we are so incredibly thankful for you being in our lives. enjoy your birthday girl! xoxoxo

so the 'silly season' is with us again and i'm all done...yep the gift shopping and the food shopping is all done. as for thinking i would not be organised this year i am and the gifts were wrapped tonight and are already under the tree waiting for xmas day to adorn us in all it's brilliance. i've even organised the menu and will start the cooking and baking friday and then once xmas day is here it will just be a matter of sitting down and celebrating with family.

anyhoo i won't keep you long tonight, i'm a bit pooped myself as it's been quite a busy week but i will leave you with some photo's for you to enjoy.

oki doki all updated for the night, till next post, take care...hugs chris xoxo

another update...

wow i'm bloggin' again...lol so soon after the last one...that's almost a record for me at the moment and although i know it hasn't ended the bloggin' drought, it must be pretty darn close.

the build up to christmas is pretty crazy and i must say that even though i had no plans to allow this christmas to be like last year (which sucked and was an all time low as we had no $$$ for gifts and i was sick for days in bed), sadly things are just as tough.

i know there are a few families struggling to make ends meet at this time of year...us included and this morning as i allowed my thoughts to catch up with me (or get away) i realised that even though christmas is a time for sharing, a time for giving, a time for family and a time for love...it doesn't help how terribly guilty and bad parents feel for not being able to manage much of anything at all simply because the $$$ that come in don't stretch far enough at the moment and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.

normally i don't blog about financial matters because usually i don't wish the entire world to know just how tough it can be bringing up a family which i know i'm not alone there...but let's not forget that 3 of our kids have special needs and hubby's sight is pretty limited so that's even tougher.

so, my thoughts on christmas as of today is that i wish it was just a little further away, not 10 days away and with grace's 18th birthday just 2 days before...if christmas was at least another 6 weeks away our family would be able to manage just that little bit better.

the government may say that the GFC is over, however the reality of that is really very different. the GFC is far from over within the family homes trying to make ends meet when every utility has increased its prices, the banks although making billions in profit every year, still feel the need to raise mortgage rates constantly because they believe it's better for the economy, the supermarkets have increased their prices and at the end of the day what families bring in or receive as a wage goes out on trying to survive in the human race which in this day and age is getting harder and harder to keep our heads above water.

this blog update is dedicated to all you families out there doing it tough this christmas (including us here), hiding it from family and friends because of the dignity we have, hoping that a miracle may happen and wishing upon every wish out there that it could be so very different. we're not asking for a hand out, just a hand up but to even venture down that path means telling the truth and that's more then tough...it is pretty impossible.

my wish for all of you is that despite the hard times fallen upon so many of us, this christmas is truly special even without the 'christmas hype' and all that goes with it. remember what's most important and that is family. it does not have to be a large gathering and it may very well be just you, your partner and your children but however you choose to spend this day i hope it is truly wonderful.

before i finish for the evening i thought i would leave you with a couple of photo's that i took recently. enjoy!

remember it's all in the finer details, nothing fancy or expensive and sometimes those finer details can mean so much more if only given the opportunity.

take care...hugs chris xoxo

more photo's...

so you know how it is...sitting at the pc not quite sure what to do...knowing exactly what you could be doing...but have no mojo whatsoever...sound all to familiar?

yup thought so and of course i've done all the housework one 'needs' to do, checked the emails on all the accounts i need to, even checked into facebook a few times, watched the end of a christmas movie and even started on the last of the advent calendar that's in the process of needing to be finished and still...i feel blah!

anyhoo to liven things up in my wonderfully dull and mojoless day i thought i'd blog...yeh and add a few more photo's simply because i can....lol! enjoy!

well that'll do for today and i hope you enjoy these photo's of mine i've taken. i'm loving the fact that i am  making more time to take photos now then in past times...it makes my heart all warm and fuzzy and very very happy! :)

ciao till next time...hugs chris xoxo

formal photos...

i'm going to keep today's post short and sweet and just fill it up with a few of my latest photo's. steph had her yr 10 formal on the 1st of dec and i love how the pics below turned out, so sit back, enjoy and hope you love them just as much as me. ♥

not a bad bunch of photo's for a hobbyist photographer now hey and that girl if mine is totally gorgeous...till next post ciao and hugs xoxo