4/52

Early mornings with dad.

*This post is part of the 52 project: a portrait of Ignatius, once a week, every week, in 2013.*

Vancouver Reflections: East Van

This weekend I'm feeling all sentimental about our old neighbourhood in East Vancouver (thanks Celeste and Nancy!) and all of the beautiful people who moved about these places. We lived just a few hundred metres from Commercial Drive and all of the colourful cafes, shops and characters that roamed the street. We also lived across the street from our amazing church, and within a short walk of many wonderful friends. Truly a unique place. And a rich community in the truest sense. I have so many pictures that I have never posted that I will try and bring in to the light in time. A way of remembering and giving thanks. Vancouver Reflections. Street closed to cars for for Italian day. A birthday party in outrageous costumes on bicycles left these lovely chalk patterns all over the pavement. Our neighbours used their top deck for drying vegetables... ... and meat! Our little cottage next to the parking lot and community garden. Delicious fresh figs from Maria. Just a little of the beautiful summer bounty grown within steps of our home. We also had a great supply of tomatoes from her garden which were forever arriving on our doorstep, and there was the time a mysterious, giant zucchini awaited our arrival home.  'Maria & Jo' Maria passed plums and beans over the fence, and Annie dropped by with chokos and beans.

3/52

Can't get enough of this grin and those dreamy dark blue eyes.

*This post is part of the 52 project: a portrait of Ignatius, once a week, every week, in 2013.*

Tree of life

This morning Joshua spotted a koala in the big gum tree out the front of mum and dad's place. Even though they are native to Eastern Australia, it's pretty rare to see them in the wild, let alone in the back streets of suburbia! We were thrilled to see she didn't move far all day and so we camped out on the deck this afternoon to watch the sun go down and keep an eye on her in her tree. (I'm no expert, but a little bit of research* told me that males usually have a dark brown scent gland in the middle of their white chest. Our friend doesn't seem to have this.)

As we sat, rainbow lorikeets played in the outer leaves of the tree. The sun disappeared and we saw the silhouette of a darling little sugar slider climb up the same lovely big gum and glide down to a neighbouring tree below. Kookaburras laughed. Some flying foxes swooped by and the crickets and cicadas began their chorus.

What a glorious din.

*More koala facts: Australian Koala Foundation

An Australian Christmas

Our last two Christmas' (2010, 2011) have been in the northern hemisphere and I've thoroughly enjoyed the delights of a cold Christmas. While we never saw a white Christmas in Vancouver, we did enjoy a number of snowy days during our time there and generally got the feel of the wintry Christmases we hear about in carols, read in books and see in movies. They are the stuff dreams are made of (for romantics like me); such a far cry from the muggy heat of Brisbane in the peak of sub-tropical summer.

When we were in Vancouver we tried to eat locally and seasonal and to celebrate the way the locals did. Now we are back in Australia, I am more convinced than ever that I want to enjoy being here, and everything that makes this a unique part of the world - stinking hot Christmas and all!

This Christmas season, the Christ-child took on new significance for me as I reflected on the birth of my own son earlier this year. I have a new appreciation for Mary and her role in God's Plan and Story. I felt like a holy vessel, given the sacred gift of carrying a new creation, a new little life inside of me (Nikaela describes this beautifully too). How much more did Mary glow with the wonder and weight of the child she carried in her womb?! I wonder so many things; did Mary labour long? Was Jesus a colicky baby? When did he first smile a gummy grin at Joseph? When did he start to roll over? What a beautiful mystery this all is.

2/52

Toes dancing in sunlight. These toes had never seen sunlight until we arrived in Australia a few weeks ago. I remember noting his beautiful long toes when we was born but he was bundled up so well in Canada that we forgot how precious they are. A nappy (diaper) is just about all the clothing he needs now. 

*This post is part of the 52 project: a portrait of Ignatius, once a week, every week, in 2013.*

1/52

Cousins on Tuesday. My sister's beautiful little girl is on the left. The fact that she is holding Ignatius' hand is completely of her own doing, what a sweetheart. I only met my little niece a few weeks ago, but I am so pleased she has warmed to me, and so thrilled to be in her life now that we are back in Brisbane. What fun these cousins will have!

I am going to try and participate in A Portrait a Week, which Jodi began on her lovely Australian blog, by posting a picture of my littlest boy every Saturday (or there abouts). We're already into the 2nd week of 2013 (can you believe it?!), and I've already missed the first Saturday, oops, but I'm not going to be too hard and fast about it. I'm learning not to set my expectations of myself (and achieving a great deal) too high these day, or at least too unrealistically. My productivity (by most standards) has drastically dropped since I started this new job on the 18th of September. But this really is my dream career, and I am so thrilled I was chosen for this role, so I want to give it my very best. In saying that I am logging off the computer now, before my little man wakes up.