A good start to the New Year but a HOT one,

We saw the new year in with friends from Brissie whilst the kids all went to "Dreamworld" . Ours was a very quiet New Years Eve but it was great to catch up with Ian and Kathy. They have been close friends of ours ever since we got married 29 years ago - we love spending time with them.

The first day of 2009 was very hot and humid, unlike the first day of last year when it poured with rain. Such a different holiday this year. We decided to go on a picnic to Wynnum (coastside in Brissie) to try and get away from the heat (at least there was a lovely breeze there) and had a great time in the park (the girls swimming, and Steve and Chloe playing with the Zocker and then a game of Hacky Sack by all using a soccer ball. We even had other kids in the park wanting to join in and play. I was the chief photographer and got to play with the good camera and get some good action shots. So here is a brief look of our day in the park.
A bit of sunscreen They did not stay in to long as the water was warm and salty (not terribly refreshing)

Meanwhile whilst the others were swimming Steve and Chloe had a lot of fun with the Zocker (especially love this shot of Chloe diving for the Zocker)
A great game of Hacky Sacky even if the soccer ball was a bit hard on the toes and head- it was a nice way to spend the holiday.
After all that physical activity - a nice cold drink was in order
And some ice on the head and down the back.

And finally although these photos were taken just after Christmas just before we came away I wanted to upload them. Steve bought this mini bike when he was about 14 years of age. He has never been able to part with it. Our older children had a lot of fun on it when they were young and then suddenly it didn't work anymore. Steve had it into the shop a couple of times to have it looked at but they never seemed to be able to fix the problem until a couple of months ago when one of the guys from church decided to have a play with it. He was able to get it going again and so when Pete come home he actually had a bit of fun riding it again - think it was more about going back to childhood memories but he and Chloe had a bit of fun with it the morning we were ready to leave - so these photos are here for you Pete - for so of your childhood memories.
Well until next time - just thought I would leave you with this little story about our true worth.

TRUE WORTH

One of the emails I received this week tells the story of a “well-known speaker who started out by holding up a crisp new $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, ‘Who would like this $20 bill?’ Hands started going up. He said, ‘I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, ‘Who still wants it?’ Still the hands were up in the air. Well, he
replied, ‘What if I do this?’ And he dropped it on the ground and started
to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. ‘Now, who still wants it?’ Still the hands went into the air.
My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what
I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into
the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come
our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE.”

Too many times we forget that the same God who created this flower, the same God who created the sun to shine upon this flower is the same God who created us. “So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows (flowers-my insertion).” Matt. 10:31