Home again home again. (photos)

Pete and I came back to Toowoomba yesterday after almost 4 months in Noosa! Crazy. So as soon as we got home we decided to do some spring cleaning - before we even unpacked the car. We did a big cleanup/change-around of our bedroom and then unpacked from there. I'm pleased to say that most of our house is looking fairly respectable right now. The bedroom and living areas are especially pretty. I LOVE how we have our new bedroom now. And our new quilt is so lovely. So anyway... here is a picture of our pretty new room:
I also came home with a whole lot of happy snaps from our time away and filled in my photo wall considerably. It looks so good that I want to share a photo of that too...
And one last snap - because I promised my mum! I went to my favourite hairdresser, Mel, from Salon Unique in Cooroy, before we left the coast. Here is my new 'do. She didn't take too much length off - just the unhealthy bits. She fixed up my fringe and put some gorgeous layers in. My hair looks healthy again, and has a bit of body. (Ooh.. and take note of my cool new necklace.. made of buttons!! It's so cute!)
Here it is:
Ciao!

Marriage thoughts...

Today, on a forum that I frequent, a topic came up about marriage age: about how young is too young/ how old is to old. How much life experience you should have... blah blah blah. It really got me thinking and as I sat down to reply to the thread, a whole lot thoughts came spilling out from my fingers and I was surprised by what I wrote. So I thought I'd pop it in here so that I can look back at it again later.

___________

We are a young couple. We have been 'together' (wasn't allowed to date but he was waiting for me) since I was 14 and he was 18. I finished year 12 when I was 16 and we started going out, and we got engaged June after that, when I was 17. We got married when I was 18 years old, and Peter was 22. We have been married for 2 years.

I know we were young, but there is no way you could convince me that *we* were too young. Others may be at that age, but for us, things flowed the way they were meant to. We always had a very mature relationship. It was never about sex, or what we could get from each other, but about friendship, love, and 100% giving of ourselves to each other.

To be honest, for my experience, the whole 'life experience before marriage' thing doesn't cut it with me. In our relationship, we gain life experience together. We have been growing together for almost 7 years now. We have travelled together, relocated away from our families and support networks to a place where we knew no one together, got through a stressful first year of university together .. and through it all our relationship has strengthened and grown.

We never argue, we talk about EVERYTHING. We are always tired because when we go to bed at night we spend hours talking .. lol. He is my best friend and we support each other in everything that we do. we make all of our decisions together and enjoy each other's company so much.

I love being a young married person and being able to see a long road of the rest of my life stretching ahead of me, and knowing that I will have Peter by my side the whole way. I have known that I would marry Peter since I was 14 years old and there was no way in the world that I was going to put off being married to him because society said I was too young.

I don't believe for one second that age has anything to do with being ready for marriage. I know people who are in their 30s who say they know they're not ready to be married. And I know quite a few people around my age who have wonderful marriages. No, readiness to marry is not about the age of the couple, it is about two individual people, their experiences, attitudes, values and beliefs, their maturity and the nature of their relationship.

Week Eight

This weekend, my mum, sisters and I packed our bags and headed west. Back to Mundubbera again. This time for my gorgeous Aunty's 40th birthday!

It was fun to hang out with the girls, and to spend some time with my grandparents and Aunty. The party wasn't so bad either.

Love you Aunty Nelle!

xo

I am addicted

To the Gilmore Girls.

I'm not joking.

I can't get enough of it.

Seriously, if you haven't watched it: You should.

Week Seven

I am writing this post on my beautiful green dell computer. This is its first time on the internet!

I have had a good week this week. I went away by myself for a night. It's probably only about the 3rd time I have ever been away from my husband overnight since our marriage. It was so weird not to have him next to me in bed - I actually found it really hard to get to sleep. Apart from being away from Peter though, I had a really great time. I went to the Heart Sisters reunion in Mundubbera. I got to meet my heart sister, a gorgeous 80 something year old lady who has been praying for me faithfully all year. She was/is so lovely and I feel so blessed.

I had a bit of excitement on the way home, what should have been a 3 hour trip became a 4.5 hour trip when a bridge I needed to cross was flooded! I had to backtrack about 20 minutes to take a detour through Murgon. I had no phone reception, and only my mum's doggie with me for company. The place I was didn't exist in my referdex! Luckily I got to Murgon okay and was able to ask for directions at the information centre. So I eventually got home.. tired but safe.

So a good week.. I'm ready for the next one.

Mean... - but made me laugh (a lot)

My brother came home from school today with this gem of a pay-out:

Is that your face ...or did your neck just throw up??

It cracked me up.

Creative Inspiration

After about 4 weeks or so of scowling at my beading bags and thinking that I really should get around to making that piece of jewellery that my mother-in-law requested, I finally felt some motivation to create today.
Plus I wanted to try out the cute new beading table that I bought myself on the weekend.
So I got out my table, and I got out my bags, pulled out some pretty beads and got going. I was actually only planning on making the one necklace, but before I knew it, there were four. It feels good to have made something again. I was worried that I'd lost interest - it's probably the longest I've gone without openning up my bags in about a year! I guess after the big christmas rush orders, I was sick of making things because I *had* to, so today I enjoyed making things because I *wanted* to.

So here are my new friends. The aqua and black one I made for myself, I'm loving these sweet aqua beads with the black squiggles. They are SO gorgeous.
The gold and amber one is for my Nanna, using some beads that she especially chose for me to use for something special for her. The chunky green, purple and brown one is for my Aunty Nelle, also using beads that she chose. And the pink, black and white one is the order for my mother in law. All modelled by my gorgeous sister Alexie with the enviable milky white skin.

Week 6

It has been a weird week. I have been frustrated by people taking life too seriously. Some people I know thrive on drama... almost as if they are not happy unless they are stressed- as oxymoron-ish as that sounds. You know the type: woe-is-me, life-is-so-hard, everything/one-is-against-me. They are the type of people who Abraham Lincoln probably spoke of when he said:

"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will".

Arggh! Wake up and smell the roses buddy, life is good! Real good. My Great-Granny Alice's favourite hymn was "Count Your Blessings"(Johnson Oatsman) which is based on Ephesians 1:3.. you know the one:

Verse 1
When upon life's billows You are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged Thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings Name them one by one, And it will surprise you What the Lord hath done.
Chorus:
Count your blessings Name them one by one. Count your blessings See what God hath done. Count your blessings Name them one by one. Count your many blessings See what God hath done.
Verse 2
Are you ever burdened With a load of care, Does the cross seem heavy You are called to bear. Count your many blessings Every doubt will fly, And you will be singing As the days go by.
Verse 3
When you look at others With their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised You His wealth untold. Count your many blessings Money cannot buy, Your reward in heaven Nor your home on high.
Verse 4
So amid the conflict Whether great or small, Do not be discouraged God is over all. Count your many blessings Angels will attend, Help and comfort give you To your journey's end.

You'd be surprised how much good it does to think about the good things in a situation. Things are almost always brighter than they seem. At the very least, you are always better off than someone else in this world. I think Pollyanna really had the right idea!
I guess the fact that I let these particular people get me down is going against my little philosophy here, but it is just so draining to live with.

For the most part, I am a take-life-as-it-gets-thrown-at-me type of girl. Not always, but mostly. If it happens it happens, and if it doesn't, in hindsight I most often see a reason (even if I don't always like to admit it). This week (today actually) I had a moment where I wanted to wallow and sook and stress, but I know that it will change nothing so is completely pointless. Something I wanted very, very much did not happen, and it hurt(s) but I know that one day, on the right day, it will happen. And the joy will I feel on that day will make up for all the hurts of today. Pollyanna would be proud. And so would my Great-Granny Alice.



Ps.. I came accross this great website while I was trying to find the lyrics of "Count Your Blessings". Very very interesting.. so I thought I might share.

Week 5

I forgot I haven't shown you my card from last week...

Here it is:
(Yes! That is an Australia-shaped meat pattie. Pete BBQ sauce'd the state lines in.. and added Tasmania)

21st Birthday Invitation

Invitations are going out this week... I'm actually pretty proud of my handi-work! (scuse the big smudge, there was a fingerprint on my lens!)

In case you can't read it, this is the poem I wrote for the invites:
Zoey is turning twenty-one
So it is time to have some fun
Wear a mask and dress up nice
A bash like this won't happen twice
Potluck food will be our fare
So please bring something yum to share
Beacuse you are such special friends
It would mean so much if you'd attend
So meat us at St Mary's Hall
On April 5th, we'll have a ball!
Please let us know if you can come
R.S.V.P March 21
So Call, text or email, just don't be tardy
We'll see you at Zoey's Masquerade party!

A-Z of me!

A - Age: 20 (counting down to 21!)

B - Best Friend: My husband, Peter.

C - Choice of Meat: Chicken

D - Dream Date: I love any dates! Somewhere we can eat good food and talk together.

E - Exciting Adventure: Moving to Toowoomba, not knowing anyone.

F - Favorite Food: Spaghetti

G - Greatest Accomplishment: My marriage.

H - Happiest Day of Your Life: So far, my wedding day.

I - Interests: All things crafty, but especially making jewellery; reading; talking; being with my family.

J - Joke: Q -What did the farmer say when he lost his tractor? A - "Where's me tractor??" (trust me, it was funny at the time).

K - Kool-Aid: I'm guessing this is like cordial... if so, love it. I like lime and raspberry.

L - Love: knowing that your life just wouldn't be the same without that person.

M - Most Valued Possession: My wedding and engagement rings.

N - Name: Zoey Joy Mayana

O - Outfit You Love: The new pretty dress I wore to my friend Michael's wedding. I haven't bought myself a dress in a very long time.

P - Pizza Toppings: sundried tomatoes, roasted pumpkin, baby spinach leaves, caramelised onions and feta *drool*

Q- Question Asked To You the Most: "So how's uni going?"
R - Radio Station: 96.5 fm

S - Sport: What the heck is that? Seriously, I don't mind playing badminton, at least until my hubby gets too competitive.

T - Television Show: Gilmore Girls. McLeod's Daughters.

U - Umbrella in the rain?: Yes.

V - Video: There are lots and lots. Maybe I could start with "The Notebook" or "A Walk to Remember", "Hairspray", "Enchanted". There are too many.

W - Winter: Cold! But I'd rather be cold than hot. At least you can warm up and I can never cool myself down.

X - X-rays recently?: Not since they thought I fractured my wrist 10 days before my wedding. Talk about stress. You do not put plaster on a woman who is about to walk down the aisle.

Y - Year Born: 1987

Z - Zoo Animal: cute ones that don't smell too much :-P

So true

I have my igoogle page set up to show me random quotes each day. The one for today is:

The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but have only one course of action. - Frank Herbert

To me, it just screams QUEENSLAND STATE GOVERNMENT!!!

That's all.

End of an era (so to speak)

For the last 6 weeks or so, my sisters, mum (and eventually brother) and I have been completely engrossed in watching Gilmore Girls - seasons 1-7 on DVD.

We never actually watched Gilmore Girls when it was on TV, but one of my sister's friends accidentally left her copy of season 5 behind a few months ago, and we watched and became hooked immediately! I subsequently visited e-bay and purchased seasons 1-6 (one of my biggest ever impulse purchases ever). We began watching the day they arrived.

What an absolutely brilliant show! We enjoy it so much because their fast-paced, quick-witted diologue is soooo similar to the conversation that occurs in my family. My brother was hard to convince to begin with, but eventually he couldn't help himself. He began to imitate Michel and Kirk all the time, and then one day, when he had to go out to meet some friends, he warned us: " Don't you dare watch any Gilmore Girls without me!!!"

We eventually finished season 6, and had a moment of panic before we found out that one of our friends got season 7 for christmas. w00t!! So we quickly obtained a loan, and so we began again. A very sad moment for us 3 nights ago, when we watched the final episode of the final season of Gilmore Girls EVER!

We liked the ending, apart from the weird anti-climax of the whole Rory-Logan relationship (why didn't she say YES!!???), Although we wished so much that Luke and Lorelai had got married! The saddest thing ever is that they are making no more seasons of this wonderful show (bad english in that sentence I think??). :( :( It was a sad, sad moment.

We will miss you Gilmore Girls! It will become my comfort DVD now, I'll bet. When I'm feeling sad, I'll pick a favourite episode and it will make me smile. Maybe the one where Kirk forgets to collect the left-over easter eggs from the square, thinking they'll decompose. Or when Luke & Lorelai reconcile after their time apart. Or when Rory & Paris graduate from Chilton. Aaah the memories.