So many highlights

So much has happened in just one week! I’ll start off with the personal highlights, and then talk a little more about the rest of the family.

Monday I started my new job doing merchandising work. This was the job that Tim got for me. I knew I wasn’t going to be thrilled to do it, but decided it would be sufficient to see me through a couple of months once Austudy allowances stop. I did about four hours work. Then I quit! This is not the job for me. I would rather do furniture removals for my dad.

Monday I also got a phone call from Queensland University of Technology (QUT). They have accepted me into the Masters of Educational and Developmental Psychology for 2008/2009. Great news. It means that my backup plan is in place for next year.

On Monday I sold my scooter too. I have loved riding my little 50cc scooter around Brisbane, and it has been perfect for commuting to and from university. But it was time for it to go. I’ve done 9000 klms on it in just over 12 months. That is a lot of mileage on a little engine. When I bought the scooter last year it had 55 klms on the clock and was only a month old. I paid $1300. I have just sold it for $1250. I think I did quite well out of it.

On Tuesday morning I was full of anticipation. My drive to the airport was nervous due to traffic. I thought there was a chance I was going to miss my plane! But I got there in time and flew to Sydney. From there I was chauffer driven to Wollongong university where I received a tour of the facilities, was shouted lunch, had a meeting with my possible Ph. D. supervisor, and had an interview as part of my application process.

I was impressed with the city, and the university. The prospect of doing the university work for another three years full-time became very real, and quite daunting to me. In fact, I began to become very nervous as I considered what it would mean to commit to such an enormous project. I had hoped that I would leave the interview full of hope, inspired for what may occur in the future. Instead, I left feeling quite concerned, wondering how on earth I could complete a Ph. D. (I also lost my wallet there which was a significant disappointment).

On Wednesday I sent a thank you email to the interviewers. They responded by telling me that I had earned a conditional acceptance to the programme. It is conditional upon my receiving a first class honours grade. I am on track to do so, but there are certainly no guarantees. Also, it means more waiting. My grades will not be released until the end of the month, so it is a nervous couple of weeks. If I am successful, we will certainly be moving. If my grades are not at a first class standard, I will not be moving, but will attend QUT and do the Masters programme. So some progress is being made, and in a couple more weeks we will have some final clarity on where we will be next year.

Thursday and Friday were exciting days. I had some motorcycle lessons, learning to ride a bike. I was sitting on a brand new 650cc BMW. Now that is a lot different to my scooter! The lessons have been going well, and I have another one on Tuesday. Following that lesson I should have my license. That will be great, because I have just bought a bike, but I cannot ride it until I get my license signed off.

Saturday morning was a highlight for me this week (in a week of highlights). A good friend of mine works for a company that has purchased a corporate box at the Gabba (the Woolloongabba Cricket Ground). Not only does the box have great views of the action at the ground, but it also has a dining suite attached where all the food and drink you can consume is available. I went to the cricket with him and some friends on Saturday morning, and loved it! We had a three course meal for lunch, and watched some very entertaining test match cricket between Australia and Sri Lanka. What a treat!

Because this week has been so busy for me, I have not got a lot to share regarding the children and Kylie. But a few really sweet things have occurred.

This morning Kylie and I lay on the bed with our little Annie Grace. We spent ages staring at her tiny little face. She smiles more than any of our other children ever did. And watching her smile is amazing, because she’ll smile, then stop and smile again, trying to outdo the previous smile. Annie is also becoming very conversational, making lots of noises and waiting for us to recognise the noises. When we respond she gets very excited and makes more noises. She is so precious.

Ella has a new favourite song: There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza. She walks around the house singing endlessly. It is adorable! Her speech is improving, though more work is needed. But we are finding it easier and easier to understand her. Ella loves big hugs, and little hugs. And she asks for them often. It is amazing to see how big she is getting. In two more months, Ella turns four! Ella hates baths, loves eating with her hands, and is generally rambunctious. But she is also amazingly tender, and has a pure heart. She absolutely wants to do the best she can. Ella brings so much joy into our family.

Abbie has had a wonderful week. At kindy Abbie painted a picture of the temple this week. The teacher asked her what it was and Abbie explained, “It’s a temple. I painted a temple because I like Jesus.” Every time I look like I might have two minutes with nothing to do Abbie runs in to me and asks if we can play “Run-away people.” This is a game we play on the floor in the lounge room. The children try and escape while I hold onto them and try and contain them to the lounge area. If they run away successfully, they “win”. We could play for hours and they would never tire of it.

Chanel never ceases to amaze us. I am in awe of that little girl, her talents, and the purity of her heart. This week we finished the seventh book in the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Towards the end Chanel realised that much of the writing is heavily symbolic, pointing people toward Christian doctrines. She was really touched. Chanel also came to us this week concerned about an issue at school. One of the boys from church is in the grade above Chanel. He has been using bad language at school and Chanel has heard it occurring. She came to Kylie, very distressed about it, and wanted to know what to do. Her concern was for the boy. “He’s been baptised, and using those words is bad.” We dealt with the issue by spending some time with the boy and his father, discussing the importance of example, and helping him understand why we do not use such language. It was a very positive experience.

Kylie has also had a big week. I do not know how she manages to put up with me. I am impulsive, busy, and often struggle with priorities. Kylie supports me throughout it all. In addition she runs our home, does some part-time work to supplement our income, and this week she also organised and ran her youngest sister’s baby shower for 30 women in our backyard!

This morning Kylie suggested that we talk to the children about the possibility that we may be moving. I was unsure as we won’t know for a few more weeks, but Kylie wanted to give them a chance to get used to the idea. We explained it to them, briefly, and then watched for the reaction. Abbie and Ella bounced off the lounge and started dancing with delight. Chanel was also excited. Then she started crying as she realised she would leave her school. Her face brightened as we talked about making new friends and coming back to Brisbane for holidays. Watching her as the discussion ensued, we saw a sweet little girl dealing with anticipation and heartbreak simultaneously. She told us she was “happy and sad” as she contemplated what it would mean. Her maturity is amazing.

A few weeks ago at the worldwide General Conference of our church, one of our Church leaders (Henry Eyring) spoke of the importance of keeping a record of our lives so that we can see the hand of God blessing us, leading us, directing us, and helping us. I hope that as I make this weekly record of my life, that His influence is visible.