recently enjoyed things.

You know you’re in trouble when coffee runs thick in your blood just to keep you awake, and your week is scheduled on an hour-by-hour basis. I never want to be that person who has to make an appointment to hang out with her friends, or go for spontaneous walks with the family; but I’m working hard in this season, and this is quickly becoming me. So I’m making a conscious effort to be careful at the moment, to make sure my priorities are right, to love the people in my life, and invest in the things that at the end of the day – really matter to me. This means listening to the still and quiet voice of God, it means writing to far away friends, making early morning and late night skype dates; it means coming home for Fathers Day, and it means saying no to shifts at work sometimes.

And this weekend I took some time out, to road trip to one of my favoutire places in the world – Kiama - to hang out with and invest in and be encouraged by the other leaders of our youth group. The ones I have grown up with, and learnt with, and served with. To just be, and read, and cook and play imagineiff. We ran around in our animal onesies (it all began with doing “Noahs Ark” at youth on Friday, and some how morphed into making a music video), we made plenty of coffee, we opened the Word together, and we went for casual walks. It was great, needed and I am thankful.

As is always the case in Kiama I was wowed and in awe of God as Creator. The greens and blues and smells of the sea, the green hills with their cows and their wild flowers and the cool Winter winds which whip up and overwhelm you. With sand in my toes, and cookies in my belly; I am thankful.  

These are some snap shots from this weekend, and other recently enjoyed things.

not Kiama.

but blurry highschool friend birthday dinner dates.

in local favourite places.

this is Mikhail. 

this is mum and dads dedication service.
they leave for Africa on Wednesday.

this is youth group.
where we give sermons, as giraffes.

this is our ministers face.
he's leaving.
we're a little upset about it,

this is at least 200 cookies.
for 10 people.
over 2 days.

this is sleeping in the car.
past midnight.
waiting for Gotto. (and mostly the other cars)

this would be me tired and posing with the sleeping flying squirrel.

& this would be Kiama the great.

& again.

coffee. juice & board games.

we may or may not have found somebody's mail in our yard.
we may or may not have then written him letters.
before posting it back.

Word times.

this is imaginiff.

& this is a creepy greek man.
who tried to kiss the panda.
and instead settled on hugging "the little girls".

& this sums us up pretty well.

& this was my favourite one.

again, love.

strolling to the blow hole.

ocean, fishing and seal watching.

walking, talking.

& being thankful.

& making new animal friends.

& 3 out of order because they are.
siblings.

just your average youth meeting.

nothing like a duck, hugging a unicorn.