That Wish....

Back in May 2002 we had a magical experience.

The Make a Wish Foundation granted our Taylor ( who was then 6 years old and had already been through 4 years of a hard journey) her wish.

It was a very long time in the deciding ( 2 years ). It had to be her idea and anything at all  that she wanted......it was a long time before we could get her to think beyond colouring pencils!

Travel wasn't really an option for Taylor and it would have been over in a whirlwind....we wanted something that she could share and have for a very long time.

When we finally did decide, we had chosen something that hadn't been done before and had to be discussed carefully. We had spent a lot of time at The Prince of Wales hospital in Sydney and they had a beautiful fairy garden in the centre of the hospital. It was a beautiful place to hang out with the girls and was the inspiration for our wish.

So once the team at The Make a Wish heard the idea they were very excited and ran with it.

Our very own Fairy Garden at home. 

So the team bought in a landscaping "A team" who just went to town on our whole yard!

We had to sign off on the design which I did with my eyes half closed so that it was a surprise for us all. 

It took three full days  and a big team of very buff landscapers who were seen some days to  be wearing fairy wings while they worked.

We moved out on day two and returned when it was done. 

On the late afternoon of the third day we came home and a party had been organised. All the girls in Taylor's class along with family were invited....Ronald McDonald made an appearance and bought dinner and our local Wendy's provided ice cream cake .The fairy shop provided beautiful dresses for both the girls.

It really was a very special time and gift for us as a family. Taylor spent weeks showing visitors around her new garden.

  

My most favourite photo...it was a total surprise reveal for her and she didn't hide her excitement...such a great response for The Make a Wish team to see.
 

The finished garden as it was in 2002.....
 

The weeping Mulberry then....

Our beautiful Fairy Garden as it is today........

The weeping Mulberry now.....
 

We were totally spoilt with the decision for the Foundation to gran this wish....Taylor enjoyed that garden for the next 2 1/2 years and we have continued to enjoy and share it with many friends over the last 11 years without her.

So again it is really special now to have the time and opportunity to give a little back in a very small way  to 
The Make a Wish Foundation.

New Crew

Meet our new crew of chicks......

After retiring the last two, we have now recruited our new brood of egg laying beauties.

The first lot of chickens we had were Hy-line's. They were awesome at producing good size eggs. The second lot we had were Isa Brown's, although good in my opinion they were a little meaner.

So we decided to make a longer trek this time to collect these beauties...Hy-Line's.

and to make sure they settled in nicely we did a git of go pro spy camera work...fascinating little things.

Time to give back

I have this theory that in every one of us we have a space that can only be fulfilled by volunteering......giving extra of ourselves to benefit others....

Well OK I know this is true for myself anyway. Over my lifetime I have always volunteered in some way...mostly through my local church. I have helped with community events,in the nursery, joined a team to help those who are less fortunate, put my hand up to just about try anything.

Up until just recently I have always found something or someone who is desperate for extra hands...We have had a shift in that part of our life and even in the short few weeks of this change I am missing exercising my "volunteering muscle".

That is until I discovered a new little shop open not far from home.....
The "Wishing you Well Store".    
Today I headed down and have offered my services for a bit of time each week. This is two fold for me....getting that "volunteering muscle" working and giving back to a charity that we so generously benefited from back in 2002.*

Make a Wish granted our Taylor a wish.....her fairy garden.....After all this time I think the timing is perfect for me to reconnect with some of those lovely people and also give a little back to volunteer in this new venture of theirs.

So it is win for them...and win for me...although my love for op shopping could land me in trouble as I headed home with a few treasures today.

Do you exercise your "Volunteer muscle" anywhere 

*{I really must show you the wish we were granted....it was so fantastic for our Taylor}

School Ready

It's time to become school ready for us.  School returns next Monday.

With that in mind I thought I should at least have a look at what the kids need.....they are not the only ones in denial about returning to school!

Luckily not too much more than what is tucked away in the stationary overflow cupboard....if you have been a school family for more than a couple of years you probably have the overflow of school supplies that builds each year too.

But  a new pencil case was required. So I set off to Spotlight with the boy to choose his own material.

They are really simple to put together...here's a tutorial if you need one 

15 minutes at my sewing machine and all done.

So now we are a little more school ready for next week......Now just to get our heads around the idea.

Happy Australia Day

We may be all sporting slightly blushed faces from too much sun......but we were lured by the gorgeousness of the day.

Hope your Australia Day was just as fun

Summer rains

It is still hot!

But the heavens broke today and we were doused in a heavy shower of rain.

Didn't cool the day down but the gardens almost groaned with delight at the drenching it received...

 Now the night skies are filled with lightening.

Oh Summer.

Oh Summer

Oh  Summer...

Why oh why so  so so hot!

I know, I know, that is what summer is ....but no respite day and night is wearing....

Lucky we had a date with friends on the river today....a little boating for the big boys and kids and a big shady tree for the mummies.

{my whinging is falling on deaf ears, as while we were away in the sunshine all last week.....it was very not summery here.}

Celebrate success

On different sides of the country today...we celebrate with our kids

One completed a successful week of new experiences in dance 

 

and the other successfully passed his swimming level  after two weeks of beach lessons.
 

Tomorrow we will all be back doing life together.

#1154   Thankful List - Goals achieved

Shenaningans

The challenge was issued.......luckily to her dad and not to me!

He can go head to head with her on most physical things......but when it comes to stretches......she is far more flexible ....and she had too much  fun this afternoon with too much bravado from another excellent adventure day in dance.

Me....I am starting to feel the effects from all the fresh air walking we are doing in this city of Brisbane and was no way going to manage any kind of stretching.

Walk total today = 16.9kms