Injections! I hate them!!

I feel like a pin cushion sometimes. It seems that I have had more than the normal person when it comes to jabs. I guess living overseas means you need to be up to date on all those nasty bugs like typhoid, rabies, yellow fever, meningitis, TB, tetanus etc etc etc (the list could go on for ages!) This past week Nige and I have been updating our jabs in preparation for a big trip to Africa in August (I'll tell you all about that another time). That means that between us we have had 9 injections! Nige was brave enough to have all his on one day but I spread mine over a couple of days. They have left my arm red and sore, not to mention a little itchy and blistered. The biggest hassle has been my mantoux (the TB indicator jab in your forearm). If you have antibodies you have a small reaction....mine was massive. So big in fact that the nurse called the Doctor in for a look. They promptly sent me off for a chest xray and blood tests as well as several urine tests all with the purpose of checking that I am actually TB free. The only good thing to come of all this is that I can't ever have another mantoux which I am quite thankful for (apparently the reaction only gets worse everytime). So that was my last week and this week taken up with bldod tests. Yuck! I guess it's all in the name of good health.

This week I reached my first 5 kilos lost! YAY!!! That meant that I received a bookmark with my first gold star to mark those 5 kilos. For every 5 you lose you get another gold star. What a great feeling. It has taken me ages to get here but it is great now that I've reached this first milestone. It makes the rest of my journey look possible.

We are invited to give a pearl of wisdom when we receive our award. Mine was "Don't give up". It doesn't matter how much you might have fallen off the wagon one day or one week there is always a blank page the next day so you can start over. That's how I live sometimes. I think it's a good motto as well in our every day life. No matter how much you might have stuffed up you can always start afresh tomorrow and not look back.

Be encouraged today.

Goodnight Kiwi was a hit as I was growing up. I didn't get to see it very often as it was played at the closing down of broadcasting on the TVNZ network. He has become quite iconic and was only taken off air once the TV station went to 24 hour broadcasts. This is a trip down memory lane for me and many other kiwis.

Autumn!

It is such a beautiful time of the year and one that I have missed out on for the past 8 years as Ecuador has just two seasons a year...wet and dry. As I sit in my office and gaze out the window I see trees still changing the colour of their leaves. The wind blows and causes them to flutter gracefully to the ground below. What a sight! I have been watching the treess on the sides of the road as I drive home. The colours are vibrant and varied. Reds, oranges and yellows. Like tongues of fire crackling in the cooler weather.

The majority of New Zealand's native trees are evergreen. they don't change colour but remain a vibrant green throughout the year. As you walk through the native forests you are hit with the wetness of the moss and ponga ferns as they grow in the shade of the great kauri trees. It is all quite stunning. But being a girl who just adores colour (you should see my house!) I am in awe of God's handiwork as he paints each leaf a different shade.

Now that the big trees in the centre of my office window have shed their leaves I get the most stunning view stretching across the harbour to the peninsula on the other side. When the sun hits the glistening water everything just seems right in the world. There is a huge Norfolk pine tree which stands tall and proud and remains green while the rest of the view is dotted with the colours of Autumn. Now those of you in the Northern Hemisphere will have to wait to enjoy all these colours but I do envy you a little as you enter into summer weather, beaches, picnics and ice creams. Still today, I wouldn't trade my million dollar view for anything!

A new family photo What do you think?

It was taken as a school fundraiser for Isaac's school which is quite a good idea. The pose is a bit formal for us. We are usually much more casual but it's still cute don't you think? I like to have updated picis as the boys change so much in such a short amount of time. We have always tried to send out a new prayer card every year. It's really fun to see what they have all been like. We have one friend who has every one on his fridge, dating all the way back to just us and Caleb (now that's a long time ago).

It's birthday time this next week. Both boys have parties so I will be busy making cakes and organising games etc. I can't believe my baby will be 10 and my eldest is nearly a teenager. Where did the time go?

So I'm A Snap Dragon. It sounds horrible but the description is as follows: "Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

Sounds like me....don't you think?

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?