believe in us

another thing my parents always did that stood out to me growing up & still does, is believe that we are capable of ANYTHING! most people today have set limits on their own abilities, & this is not always their own fault, sometimes our environment can be filled with so many negative forces that we pretty much resign ourselves to not being able to do anything or get anywhere in life. and that's why im so thankful that we constantly had that driving force behind us to succeed.
of course money was never the problem (duh, we have a magic purse), but circumstances & seeming limitations were pretty much invisible to my mom....(even if it meant she had to stand in the parking lot holding a broom to teach us parking...) my dad's perspective was more like: okay girls come and see where the oil goes in the car...(like...there's no reason why girls can't learn about cars too) if my dad knows we have the slightest interest in anything....it'll practically become a new hobby of his to find anything he can for us to indulge our interest to our content.
anyway....the lesson is: believe in people! you never know who needs that belief to give them the boost they need in life. & believe in your children. they need that from you more than ANYONE!
and remember, more than anyone, God believes in us, so lets make Him proud of us.

strawberries...

i love strawberries....i was looking at one today and observing the perfection to which it must have been planned. i mean just to think that all these perfectly created things happened by accident i find absurd & plain dumb. anyway, since they are part of creation too, i thought i'd broaden my creation post bracket just a little & include different aspects besides just scenery....here's some 'fun facts' about strawberries....


Strawberries are a member of the rose family.

Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring.

The average strawberry has 200 seeds.

Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.

Native American Indians called strawberries "heart-seed berries" and pounded them into their traditional corn-meal bread. Discovering the great taste of the Native Americans bread, colonists decided to create their own version, which became an American favorite that we all know and love .. Strawberry Shortcake.

Respondents to a recent national survey labeled strawberry lovers as "health conscious, fun loving, intelligent and happy." Non-strawberry lovers, on the other hand, were described as "weird, boring, stuffy--picky, fussy eaters who avoid healthy foods." ( i know this one is probably not true, but i thought it was funny...)

Eight medium-sized strawberries contain 140% of the U.S. RDA for Vitamin C. In addition, strawberries are good sources of folic acid, potassium and fiber. Strawberries are also fat-free and low in calories.

Strawberry juice combined with honey will reduce inflammation or sunburn. Rub the mixture thoroughly into the skin before rinsing off with warm water and lemon juice.

ooo and strawberries can be eaten in so many ways & are responsible for so many divine things that we get to eat....here's some i like...

ah, chocolate....now that's another story altogether.....i am SO cliche.

the aforementioned 'strawberry shortcake'

oo0 truffles....amos-banish yourself!

strawberry milkshake is always a winner...ask trisha

aww, strawberries chopped up with double cream yogurt...

for me there's nothing quite like sitting down in a coffee shop with a slice of strawberry cheesecake & one of these...

just give me a book & i'm all set.

dedication to arwen

You don't know what

it's like to have a son.

To have kissed his hair,
watched him grow....

Athos-Man in the Iron Mask

the other day my brother amos asked me ''what are the benefits to having kidz?" he said, the way he saw it there were none!''
i imagine to the undeaf ears of the average young single fellow, having children probably seems like a never-ending series of screaming fits, complimented by no free time EVER, no sleep, dealing with things like doo-doo on a rather intimate level, putting children to sleep FOR HOURS, perpetually having to handle regurgitated food etc etc etc. sometmes, im tempted to feel that way too.
....but the second i see my child after a long day out, and i see her face light up brighter than lights on a soccer field, and she leaps into my arms, jumping & laughing & using every possible bodily function to express joy, & throws her arms & legs around me & gives me the tightest squeeze & the biggest kiss
... i know exactly what the benefits are. & to experience that, you have to have children.
otherwise its impossible to understand that incredible feeling of lying next to your sleeping child (after they've FINALLY fallen asleep!) & smelling them & holding their warm little body & just wanting nothing more than to give them everything they will dream about & to protect them from everything bad in the world.
actually another single guy i was talking to once said: ''well i guess they're just not for everyone...'' freedom IS a costly exchange for a lot of pain/work/dealing with really yucky substances on a daily basis....and judging from an outside perspective, it probably seems like a 'no brainer'...but, whether you think kidz are for you or not, maybe you need them.
my dad told someone the other day: "children teach you everything you need to know about life." and its so true. - i've been forced to learn positiveness, patience, unconditional love, perseverance, time management, unselfishness...and a host of other lessons that one requires on a daily basis.
and....because it comes at such a high price (my body, my life...hehe) the rewards HAVE to surpass that. God just made it that way.
Before i had arwen, but was already pretty far along, i met a lady who told me: "you know, i've been all over the world, but NOTHING in the world compares to having a child."
Arwen's been the greatest gift to my life so far...& i wouldn't trade her for all the free time in the world. ...actually i had some free time the other day, - it just felt weird! hahaha.
So arwie...thanks for coming into my life & filling it with so much joy & love & intrigue haha.....i hope i can be the very best mommy you could ever need or want & i look forward to all the years we're gonna spend together growing & learning....thanks for giving me that chance. i love you cutie pie....
love mommy

arwen's birthday party...

dress up! no, it wasn't in fact a princess party, but apparently ALL little girls own crowns, wands, fairy outfits & sparkly scarves. so if you expect them to bring clown hats, rain boots, umbrellas & plumbers overalls when you say 'bring dress up clothes'....yeah...its not gonna happen

i can't take any credit for arwen's adornment, im not one for princessy gadgets...(though i do believe she got to wear at least 5 different crowns over the course of the evening)...or too many frills. see that plain outfit she's wearing underneath all the fanfare? yup that was me...oh and i take responsibility for the narrow purple ribbon in her hair...im modest, but i have style...

dancing....we played musical statues where no one gets out! ooo

colouring...

arwie's cake....okay so it didn't come out EXACTLY like baloo from jungle book, but mari did pretty well considering she only had liquorice allsorts to work with....thanks mari!

arwen's 2nd birthday

here's where arwen went for her birthday...its an animal farm in hillcrest, ...it was a quite a bit of fun. cool animals.

a lone swan in the distance...

some geese. this was especially thrilling because it is arwen's current ambition to learn how to walk like one.

a pigeon & a dove share a romantic moment.

an emu!

camel's nose? don't think i don't know that trick! im not ending up in the cage!

monkey see monkey do.


i had this guy eating right out of my hand. haha, no pun intended. hahaha. actually this was quite a hilarious experience...the sheep sticks out its tongue & licks the food off your hand...it was SO ticklish. well, i was freaking out.

she seems pleased.

ducks! (yes, just like quacky)

pigs! incidentally we had to leave the pigs in peace to get on with their half an hour orgasm. eeeyew!!!

rabbits! ('thumper')

a llama. ( i thought!) apparently this guy is called an 'alpaca'. coool... having kidz is such a learning experience. i couldn't get too close cause he got real nervous & showed his big yellow teeth & spat at me. that gave me just a tiny scare...

snowflake

over eager horsie. i suddenly realised why they say people 'eat like horses.'

ooo im so hot & tired & thirsty

yay ice-cream!!! (always lifts a foul mood-ask mommy!)

'but daddy took the half I WANTED!' midway, she wanted to switch ice-creams. (the grass always looks greener...hahaha)

ahh happy once again...