Capture life 365–week 52 a.k.a I’ve finally made it!

Christmas morning love – sibling hugs and gifts!Christmas day spent with both sides of our family – what a treat to have my mum & brother, Petes mum, stepdad, sister and niece to celebrate with!Happy mum, happy son!Looking at Grans new toy and working out how to do selfies.

Enjoying the kiwi summer – picnic dinners and swims at the beach with family and friendsBFF’s reunited!Serenaded by the sounds of a band playing on the back of a boat in the harbour while enjoying fish and chips at the beach.

Bush walks and eeling in the reserve next to where we were staying.

Making up for lost time at the library. Nerdy or not, we don’t care. We MISS the library!

It feels kinda weird to be at the end of my Capture Life 365 project.  An anti-climax of sorts, like there should at least be some fantastic, super meaningful picture to end with, but instead it’s my kids and their library books.

I started it with the goal of capturing small glimpses of the here and now. Intentionally recording the messy, hard, joyous, mundane, impossible and downright beautiful chaos that is my life. Everyday. In 365 pictures over 365 days, I wanted to try to capture what this season in my life looks like. I wanted to find the joy in the mess, the good in the hard and the beauty in the mundane.

If I had a grand finale photo it might almost seem like there is nothing more worth capturing, but instead, even as I soon face a new season of children leaving home, whether I continue to capture it or not, the ‘here and now’ continues, and I will choose to be fully present in it always looking for the joy, the good and the beauty. To see God at work in the mess, the hard and the mundane. Living life, 365.

Capture life 365–week 42

Once again I’ve gotten behind in posting - week 42 was about a month ago I think! I guess at least when I look back on it, it’s not going to matter that the weeks weren’t all posted as soon as they happened! So… onto birthday week!

Super thankful for the chance to head to Jinja for a bit of of vacation this week. My only birthday wish. Five relaxing days – our longest time away in over two years. Uganda has some truly stunning scenery. I love the contrast between the lush greens and earthy reds.Orderly & manicured tea plantations – such a stark contrast to the rest of the country’s landscape.

Our morning view while on holiday. Just having breakfast by the Nile River. I could easily move in. Permanently.Going to sleep with the sound of frogs croaking and waking to the sound of monkeys playing in the trees, thunderstorms and the song of exotic birds. As the sun went down on Charlottes and my birthday, we were given this gorgeous display of colour to enjoy. What a gift! Did I say I wanted to move in?!Not a great photo of us birthday girls – but the best we got!

Taking children on middle of the night toilet runs in the rain. Stepping on tiny frogs as my feet first hit the floor in the morning. R.I.P little Kermit. Truly sorry.

Card games and chatting, Riana happy to have a brave friend come experience holidaying with the Gordons for the week. Hope you’re not still traumatised Sarah!Fishing with modified bow and arrows, fishing off the bank, fishing from local boats, fishing from kayaks, setting morning & night-time nets. Making sure no opportunity is left unturned.Drew found these guys to take him out for a fish – just before an unexpected storm blew in – finding shelter behind an island on the Nile all added to the experience! Went out again the next day & returned with a small edible catch. Asked some local residents to cook it up for him & share in the eating of it. If he wants something done, he’ll always find a way to make it happen! “Mum, can I come back now?” “Mum, this is scary.” “Mum, I didn’t know it’d be so small…” Photo narration by Josiah and Riana.Celebrating the third birthday girl for the week! Both Riana and Charlotte had been wanting to go horse riding for ages, and the area we were staying was one of the only places to do it, so it was the perfect birthday treat! Had to get there by boat which was fun too!Charlotte – a true farm girl through and through…Changed her mind about staying on the horse, but loved visiting with them all in their stalls!

Night-time swimming most nights – brought back childhood memories of church new years eve parties, jumping into the pool on the stroke of 12. Daytime pool fun most days – Gordon style! No Olympic recognised swim strokes allowed! The kids found some tyre tubes & put them to good use!Our kids were invited to join in with some expat kids living in the area that have kayak lessons & games each week at another campsite  – despite most of our kids being twice the size of the rest of the group they had fun & were used to demonstrate how to flip a kayak. Fun unexpected opportunity - even if it means they need to take Bilharzia medication in 6 weeks time!

A great time away that went by much too quickly!

The night before heading home Charlotte & Jed came down with fevers which only got worse after getting home. Thankful for negative malaria tests but not really sure what the mystery illness was that then started going through other family members. One month later and still battling sickness – most of the kids have finally been bribed agreed to do stool samples tomorrow to hopefully get some answers

Capture life 365–week 6

Late last year we’d been planning to go camping for a few days in our Christmas break which in the end we weren’t able to do, so when we realised Pete and one of our field workers had a meeting a few hours away, not too far from our favourite camping spot (a.k.a the only one we’ve tried) we decided to make the most of it and take a couple of days to recharge the batteries! Well actually only one day without hours of driving, but one very wonderfully relaxing day! Sorry about the photo overload! I did manage to narrow my picture choices down some.

On the road… VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Don’t you feel relaxed already!

Don’t know what’s up with the facials! I’m sure they were happy really. Anyway, these couches – something about them that says ‘blob’ – all day if you like.

           Best rolex ever! Flat omelete with onion, cabbage, tomato and avocado rolled up in a chapatti. Perfection!

Don’t say you haven’t been warned!

The Gordons get cornrows! Joe had a sneaky visit to the ‘saloon’ (yes I know, it should be salon, but it’s just not) to get a cornrow and a single braid to see how long it would take anyone to notice! A short while later Lily made a visit to the Best Ladies Saloon to try it out. Several hours and some new friends later she emerged!

         

       

Yes, we took the kitten camping. We are that family! Brought back memories of the time we took the dog on a 15 hour road trip – one way. Obviously didn’t learn our lesson that time. However, this time we’re still talking to each other.

Home again, after dinner soccer game until someone gets hurt.

 

Community discussion groups – working together to see struggling families thrive and vulnerable children well cared for. Asking the hard questions and seeing a way to move forward. So thankful for the passion and dedication of our team.