'Living your Bestlife Today' is my personal journal where i jot down snippets of my life and journey as a woman, wife and mother

Before hitting the web in January 06, i began 'Bestlife' as a fortnightly email to encourage mums/women...
I write Bestlife definitely NOT as an expert (Far from it!!!!) but as someone on a journey, passing on what’s working for me (and not),ideas and insight I have gleaned from others

I had a super-mum; 4 kids in 4 years (Phew!) ….and yet made it all look easy.
Don’t know about you, but as much as I love and enjoy my family sometimes marriage and mother-hood and all that goes with it (Mess!) can be more challenging than I feel equipped to handle!

When I was a girl I remember seeing a cartoon of a frazzled woman pulling her burnt dinner out of the oven and the caption underneath reading:
“Learn from the mistakes of others you don’t have time to make them all yourself!”

So anticipate in sharing this record of my slips-ups and learning curves (!!) you’ll be encouraged, spurred on and realize that your time to live fully is TODAY! …and personally: it helps me keep on track with what is important; I LOVE family!!!!

When the power went out and left us in darkness the other week, BP and i enjoyed flicking through old photos on his laptop...until the power fizzled from that too

A few from my album:

Baby me...my first home in Tehoro-NZ As kids...my 3 brothers and ISweet 16...at home in Glenfield, NZJust turned 21...with friend Simone in Fiji1994...my first class in Western Samoa 1995...engaged and married to my super man!May 2000...shifted to Australia, here with our lil family...2 more to come! BP ordained as a Minister in the same year

Labels: about

1. Born 1971 in Otaki –NZ
2. Am happily married to BP…although there’s been a few rough spots
3. Have four beautiful children; 1 girl and 3 boys
4. I’ve always looked forward to being a mum-the maternal type I guess
5. In high school my friends predicted I’d been the one with car full of kids
6. We have a 7 seater 4wd
7. Some say I look just like my mum but act my father
8. My fathers loud and boisterous!
9. couldn’t have asked for a better dad
10. Mum’s amazing too…unbelievable in fact
11. Many wish she was their mum
12. I’m a trained teacher
13. And have a Bachelor of Education
14. Taught in Western Samoa for one year
15. Loved it…such a generous people
16. I hate dying my hair
17. But am so grey…wisdom?!
18. Some people ask if I’m biologically blonde.
19. I’m not
20. Are they inferring I’m ditsy at times?
21. Maybe a little!
22. I once painted our couch
23. with house paint (and a roller)
24. My husband threw a fit…
25. Go figure?!
26. I’m an atrocious speller
27. Yes and a teacher too
28. Sometimes I say really dumb stuff
29. My brothers and I all say ‘Pacific’ instead of ‘Specific’
30. Mum says it correctly (she will want me to say that!)
31. BP’s the Gilbert Blithe in my life-(Remember Anne of Green Gables?)
32. I’ve never doubted he loves me
33. At times we’ve been total goofballs
34. But in the end we love and are committed to each other
35. We once threw baked beans at each other
36. Really mature and together of us????!
37. BP’s a coffee addict
38. I have one or two a year
39. We have a cat called Tiara
40. She’s silvery grey
41. Sometimes I forget to feed her
42. At teachers college we had to do a painting elective
43. My painting looked like the ones my kids do at kindy
44. The art teacher (Herb) loved it?!
45. So started selling paintings
46. I have a red/green colour blind deficiency
47. In those dotty colour tests I see ‘12” where most see a ‘3’
48. I love a hot bath and a good book-bliss
49. Have never been a fan of fizzy drinks-prefer water
50. I have a million and one ideas
51. It drives my husband crazy
52. I went to 8 schools
53. Got good at making new friends
54. BP says I come alive in a crowd
55. I laugh loud
56. I love getting together with friends
57. Sometimes i go off to the movies spare of the moment by myself
58. My food, a movie and me…Yeah!
59. I cry at movies
60. We’ve been living in Sydney for nearly 7 years
61. Sydney’s great…we’re happy here
62. Love the beach
63. Days hanging out with my lil tribe are the best
64. Am only starting to miss NZ now
65. My parents live in London
66. Mum and dad go to NZ 4 times/year …stopping here on the way
67. always bearing gifts for the kids
68. Lucky kids!
69. We went around the world on their air points
70. BP is the youngest of 7
71. His father passed away 6 years ago
72. His mother lives in Hastings-NZ
73. I’ve started writing a book
74. One day we want to take 6 months to travel around Australia
75. Not sure when yet?
76. I lived on a dairy farm in Tehoro until I was 5
77. My Father became a Christian
78. He said to mum it’s 100% God or not at all
79. They choose 100%
80. My brothers and I have reaped the benefits
81. I used to dance in front of the TV when my brothers watched rugby
82. They would throw me in the pool
83. I’m not very good at hair and make up
84. My mum couldn’t understand why I didn’t play with my dolls
85. I had a tantrum if I had to wear a dress to church
86. I like pretty things though
87. Had morning sickness with all four pregnancies
88. turned into wild women in the delivery room
89. Would do it all again! BP says no way
90. My maiden name is ‘Monk’
91. Was always the second shortest in my class
92. I can do the splits up the wall (Rubber band legs!)
93. Can never resist chocolate
94. Love love love love being a mum
95. Do have my moments though!
96. Am a slacker at housework
97. Try… BUT always find a zillion things I'd rather do!
98. Have kept a journal since I was 15 ...now have a huge bag of them
99. BP and I started a church here in Sydney
100.Handed it over end of last year
101.Not sure what next…yet?

~It helps me keep on track with what I consider Wayyyy important-Family!

~I would hardly ever take a photo if I didn’t

~Provides a wonderful written and photographed record of life with our 4 lil kids

~We’re in a different country from family (And many friends too) who are interested in keeping up with our daily coming and goings

~Plan to write a book; but the prospect of sitting down and starting from scratch daunting. This I can manage… bite sized pieces I can eventually rework and use

~It gives me another project to think about other than what shall I put on the sandwiches today…although it’s those kind of things I mainly write about!

~Not much I want to watch on TV

~Enjoy the interaction with other blogging mums

~In hope of generating a little bit of pocket money

~The prospect of other women being encouraged and spurred on by some random thought or failure I’ve jotted down, great too!

.....Perhaps I just like to talk?!