The Adventure Begins!

Wow it's been a whole month since my last post, so sorry but if it helps time has gone insanely fast in my world recently and has been very very full of things both fun and practical!

Time has gone so fast that I can't quite believe that tomorrow I leave for Australia!!! Yes you read right... TOMORROW!!!

It's hard to believe that I will be departing from the freezing UK (-7 in the middle of the day- ridiculous!!) to a warm 27 degree average! To highlight the contrast here are some beautiful pictures of the recent weeks UK frost, my photos in the coming weeks will be the exact opposite I expect, though equally as beautiful!
(Unfortunately these photos aren't mine as I have been giving the camera a rest before the coming onslaught, but they come courtesy of my friend John Walker and the wonderful UK weather websites http://www.farming-forum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=89955, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/gallery/2010/dec/06/snow-ice-uk-weather#/?picture=369429943&index=4)
Enjoy!

And if it can prove anymore how unusually cold and snowy Britain is at the moment take a look at how much snow there was down south on Bournemouth Beach! (Photo by Richard Crease)

It is stunningly beautiful, but at the same time I can't wait for summer and I'm glad I don't have to wait long lol, just over 48 hours :)

Watch this space for photos and brief travel updates, I promise I will try and blog regularly from OZ and NZ!

That's it for now, just off to practice lifting nearly 23KG on my back lol!

BYE ENGLAND!!!

Sandbanks Walk - BEAUTIFUL LIGHT! :)

Just a little something of a post to keep you going until I finally manage to blog about the big things! I know, I know I'm being rubbish!!

Anyhooooo... yesterday was 'parents meet parents' day and we went for a lovely walk in lovely autumn pre-sunset light, the following are some of my favourite photos, taken on my new camera...

                   

   

Successful panoramic shot - whoop whoop! :)

So there we go, not a small amount I know, it was too hard to choose only a couple :P

Ooh and a big thanks to the guy in the photo below, my dad, the professional photographer and our first photography session as Father and Daughter! Thanks Dad for the tips on the technical stuff - looking forward to many more joint camera outings! :)

Things to be thankful for...

Have come home from work early feeling ill, hormonal, in pain,very tired, and needlessly quite low.
A thankful list is definitely what is needed right now, It has been waaaayyyy too long!

Things to be thankful for...

• Mike asking me to MARRY HIM...... and for me saying YES! (full story to follow on the blog eventually)
• Having a God who hears prayers and answers.
• Learning to spend time seeking God on my own and with Mike - very precious times!
• Emotion - strange I know, but after years of not being very good at expressing any and keeping it bottled, I am very glad and thankful for feeling them all and being more capable of deciphering them. Especially thankful for being able to cry and that being ok :D
• Coming home to a bedroom that is toasty warm and very conducive to relaxing and feeling a bit better.
• Bryan - the homeless 'Big Issue' seller from outside my shop. He greets me with a smile several times a day, keeps us all very entertained with his utterly brilliant sales pitch (He's top of the Bath Big Issue selling league - yes there is such a thing lol!). For his positivity, his work ethic, his honesty, his friendliness, his hope, that is teaching me humility and to see God working in unlikely circumstances and very brief conversations.
• The ever changing sky, the fact that sunset happens every day and I very often get to see it and get my breath taken away!
• A new work playlist consisting of songs that I actually like and want to sing along to!
• A never ending supply of hugs :)
• Cafe Nero, Mochas with cream, and nice Cafe Nero employees who give me extra stamps on my loyalty card so I get a free drink more often!
• A new Brooke Fraser album - Big Whoop!!! Check out this beauty...

• Only approx 6 weeks left in this 'oh so wonderful' Job!! :D
• Only approx 7 weeks left till my travelling adventure!!
• Planning genius creative plans (Can't say anymore right now as I'm planning surprises for a certain amazing person but these may find their way to the blog sometime in the future :P )
• For being able to buy wedding magazines and web-surf to my hearts content and not feel like I'm being naughty and jumping the gun. It's allowed cause I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!! :D
• Finding a new beautiful song that  inspires me and is re-teaching me to worship God...

• Cooking a yummy toad-in-the-hole from scratch that actually rose and tasted lovely!
• Sharing with friends what we were thankful to God for and massacring a toffee cake with a load of multi coloured candles and melted wax in the process - indoor fireworks!
• All my lovely friends and family who got excited with us about our engagement and sent lovely cards and messages of love ,support and prayer and very exciting homemade presents - yes especially you Leah and Sarah with your hilarious edited and personalised wedding magazines - you will be brilliant and beautiful bridesmaids! :)
• Wedding planning getting off to a relatively easy start! (lots more of this to share with you in future posts!)
• Having hair long enough to curl over my shoulder in a pony tail.
• It getting cold enough for me to break out my rather large collection of beautiful scarves :)
• Having somewhere to live until the wedding.
• Continuing financial miracles.
• Being loved by a God who loves my vulnerability and it being ok to be slightly scared and not have all the answers in life! He will walk with me every step of the way.
• Mike in all his perfectness - I'm not saying he's perfect, neither am I - but we are PERFECT FOR EACHOTHER! Thank you for loving me :)