Isla Grace

Our daughter, Isla Grace, was born one 31 October 2013 at 5:56pm weighing 8lbs 6. We have been immeasurably blessed by the arrival of our bundle albeit 10 days late. We are tired, overwhelmed at times and second-guess all our decisions about our baby's well-being and development, but despite these we are in awe of the amazing gift that God has chosen to bless us with. A good friend of ours blogged about us yesterday, and I have to include the link to her blog because what she has written is so breathtakingly beautiful and my words don't even come close to the ones she has written. 

http://pjandashleigh.blogspot.com/2013/11/thats-so-amazing-about-grace.html

Babyshower

Last week I had a chest infection and spend the week in bed. On Saturday afternoon, Karl insisted that he was taking me out for lunch and a drive to get me out of the house. I finally relented and we stopped by my inlaws on the way. Little did I know that I was walking into my surprise babyshower! What a super special day! We played games, ate a lot, had a quiz (Karl was quiz master) and opened so many gifts. I was truly spoilt. I even got skype calls from Leigh and Robyn. Apparently Sinead, Karl, Joanne and Robyn had been planning this for months. I have a suspicious mind, but for some reason I had no idea. I think it was because I was ill last week. I am so blessed to have friends and family that love and care for me so much. It was such a special afternoon. I even got gifts all the way from home, as well as a pretty box of pearls of wisdom from friends and family here and at home with bible verses and little words of encouragement for the road ahead. Thank you to the organisers and especially to my dear husband who was in charge of logistics - I married a gem! Enjoy the pics.

3rd trimester!

I cannot believe that there are only 12 more weeks of my pregnancy
left. Sometimes it feels like it has flown, and other times (when I
can’t sleep) it feels like I have always been pregnant. Although the
pregnancy has been far from perfect, (still suffer from sever morning
sickness at times) I am so grateful for being blessed with this little
life and cannot wait to meet our little girl. I finish work on 4
October and my mom arrives in Ireland on the same day for 5 months. So
looking forward to the time together. Here’s a picture taken on
Saturday before we went to a wedding. Had to glam it up a bit to cover
up the fact that I felt awful after only 3 hours sleep on Friday night.

The Greatness of Our God

Some days it takes me 2 hours to get to work, and others 1.5 hours. It just depends on which office I decide to work from. People are always shocked when they hear about the amount of time I spend traveling. But you know what? I love those precious times in the car with the music blaring. Its the one place I can cry out to God. The on place where I can be raw and honest and totally naked before our Saviour. One of my blog friends, Caroline, also introduced me to Brooklyn Tabernacle Church and I download their sermons onto my mp3 player and stick it on in the car too. The time to work flies by and by the time I get to the office, I feel like a brand new person. There are days that I really would not have made it, but for the Grace of God. God is Great, and He IS faithful and He will NEVER change.  I have this song on repeat at the moment. Listen to the lyrics. Loving it.(apologies for the shortened version, you can find the full one on youtube!)

The Greatness of Our God - Hillsong (Beautiful Exchange)

Verse 1:
Give me eyes to see
More of who You are
May what I behold,
still my anxious heart.
Take what I have known
And break it all apart
For You my God, are greater still.
CHORUS
No sky contains,
No doubt restrains,
All You are,
The greatness of our God.
I spend my life to know,
And I'm far from close
To all You are,
The greatness of our God.
Verse 2:
Give me grace to see
Beyond this moment here.
To believe that there
Is nothing left to fear.
That You alone are high above it all.
For You my God, are greater still.
CHORUS
No sky contains,
No doubt restrains,
All You are,
The greatness of our God.
I spend my life to know,
And I'm far from close
To all You are,
The greatness of our God.
Bridge:
And there is nothing
That can ever separate us.
There is nothing that can ever
separate us from Your love.
No life, no death, of this I am convinced.
You my God, are greater still.
And no words can say, or song convey,
all You are the greatness of our God.
I spend my life to know,
And I'm far from close
to all You are,
the greatness of our God.

The Father's Heart

Over the past few months, God has really shown me the meaning of the father’s heart. I don’t know why I have failed to understand it before now. Maybe I had to move all the way across the globe, away from all the spiritual support structures at home to discover the heart of God.  Sometimes we don’t get what we want, when we want it. Sometimes we never get it. It took me a long time to understand that He knows want we want and need before we do. The He wants to bless us and fulfill our hopes and dreams, but not at our expense, not if its going to cause us more harm than good. Would a father let his child play with matches or skip along the side of a cliff? God is more interested in forming your character, refiner’s fire, that’s where I have been for a long time. And now I finally get it. Robyn and I have been talking about faith lately. Yes, we all pray for big things, but do we pray for the little things? Do we pray about everything? Sometimes its pouring with rain and I’m late for a meeting, and I just whisper: Lord, I really need a parking space, preferably one near the front, and on more than one occasion, one pops up. Sometimes I get these really bad headaches at work, and i ask for healing and instantly, the pain is gone. I am learning to trust in Him. I am learning to walk by faith and not by sight. I am learning that there is no safer place for me to rest, than in the Father’s love.  

Lyrics:
When the walls close in around me
Let Your glory light the darkness in my night
When the suffering's all the I see
May I walk with You by faith and not by sight

On the road of sweet surrender
I have nothing but to offer You my life
Greater love I have not found it
All be mercy You have eased this troubled mind

Open hearted
You said search
And I will find

Wo, oh, oh, oh, oa
Sin is broken
The lost now chosen
The Father's heart

Humble King, You go before me
By Your grace I live for everything that's true
Through your son I am made wealthy
There's no other who will love me like You do

And forever
I'll keep running
Back to You

You reign
You reign in all the earth
Wo, oh, oh, oh, oh

A photo dump

I know I have been incredibly quiet. Between work and the lovely weather we have been having, we have been on the go non-stop! Here's a quick photo update of the last few weeks. (dunno why the pics are distorted!?)

tried a new apple pie recipe

choc orange marble cupcakes for bookclub

Every Sunday afternoon, we go for tea and a drive with Hugh and Sinead to fight the Sunday blues - this is called a lumpy bumpy - delicious!

 

 

on the beach early in the morning to take advantage of the beautiful summer

Can you believe that this is a beach in Northern Ireland?!

growing belly

Baby Graham

Just a pic of baby Graham, due 21 October 2013 :)

Portglenone Forest Park

We decided to take Cassie on a walk to a different forest for a change. Its about a 40minute drive from home and it was a beautiful day. If we had given it more thought, we could have packed a picnic! Here are a few pics.



can you see Cassie in the water getting her log?



Holiday

I know I haven't blogged in AGES! I usually don't blog when I'm on holiday, and I was away for 3.5 weeks! Went home after 16 months and spent some quality time with all my favourite people AND managed to catch a tan. The holiday was filled with weddings, and brunches/lunches and dinners (too much food, beach days, catching up with friends and family and finally meeting all my friend's babies :) Also spent a lot of time with little Zac, who just has the most adorable smile in the world!

It was a good break, but I missed my husband and my puppy terribly, and at the end of the 3.5 weeks, I was ready to come back (never thought I'd say that!) But it is good to be back, even though it is still very cold! I also have a job in my field, which I'm very eager to start, but waiting for HR to get all its ducks in a row. God-willing will start at th beginning of May.

Will try and be more diligent with the blog updates now that I'm back "home".

Birthday Blessings

Felt like I've had a long birthday weekend. On Thursday, Karl took the day off and Cassie, Karl and I headed up to the Mournes and ended up in Castlewellan Forest Park. It was a beautiful day (by Irish standards, 10 degrees!) and the sun was shining. After a 2 hour drive down south, we had a picnic by the lake, Cassie went for several swims and we walked around the lake. 

On Saturday we had a braai (bbq)/quiz/cocktail party at our place. First guests arrive at around 3pm and the last left at midnight, so we were exhausted, but it was well worth it! I forgot to take pics :( but a friend at least had the foresight to take a pic of me about to cut my cake.

 

All things considered, its been a great birthday weekend, and I know that the year ahead is going to be filled with blessing upon blessing. Amen.