Family

 Family

Dogs

My children love Dogs.  We all love Dogs.

Dogs defined as “common animals with four legs, especially kept by people as pets or to hunt or guard things”. 

Ever since my daughter was little, my girl has always loved Dogs.  The Joy on her face when someone would say “Yes” after my daughter would ask “can I please pat your dog”.

My son also loves Dogs.

For so long we would deliberately go to Cronulla Mall, just so that we could meet Dogs and pat Dogs.  And we often pick our local park so that we can pat and walk Dogs.

My children have so much excitement and Joy from being around Dogs.

I had a dog called Boots when I was little.  I loved Boots so much.  He was my friend.  He was always there for me. 

This year has been a big year.  It has been stressful and illuminating too and it has been a year of challenges and of realising priorities.  It has been a year that has been exhausting and I am still so tired and yet I still stay up late to have my own time even though I should sleep and get rest.  And we may have the doubters and the critics and those with an opinion telling us to wait and not get a puppy now, that it is hard work and we are already busy and tired - yet I know that Dogs bring Joy, I know a puppy of our own will bring us the greatest Joy.  My husband and I are a great team.  My husband and my children are my life.  We will work together for the best of our family which we have agreed will include a puppy.

On 17 September I decided to start researching about Dogs and to my delight learnt all about Cobberdogs, such a beautiful breed.  And since that day I have been watching videos of Dogs and scanning photos on Facebook and reading stories and my love for Dogs has grown too.  I love looking at photos of Dogs.  This has brought me so much Joy.

I have found a Breeder and we have told our children we are getting a puppy and now each day we wait and check and once the waitlist opens, we can’t wait to put in an Adoption Form and pay our deposit, we are ready to go.  Now we just have to think of a name for our puppy.  I can’t wait to see the Joy on our children’s faces when we bring our puppy home.  The Joy will certainly outweigh the extra work and I am blessed by a husband that is hardworking and hands on and he is happy and supportive of welcoming a little one into our lives.

Beach

Yesterday we went to the Beach.  Being at the Beach definitely brings Joy to our family.

Beach defined as “an area of sand or stones beside the sea.” 

We are blessed to be just a 5 minute drive from the Beach.  The other day we decided to go in the late afternoon and it was still packed yet we found a parking spot and everyone was happy and Joy-Filled.  My daughter and hubby were playing in the water and throwing in the surfer toys and my son was building sand castles and making icecreams.  I was happy taking photos to capture the day, to capture the Joy.  I love capturing the Joy on camera - the facial expressions of excitement and happiness and the spark of Joy.

When I look back over the last few years since having our children, we have had so many fun times at the Beach, the best of times, Joy-filled times. 

Life is so Joyful when we enjoy time together as a family. 

And time at the Beach, on a warm summer’s day, is filled with Joy.

I love being in the water.  I love the salt water.  And seeing my daughter running along the shoreline, happy and Joyful brings me such happiness too.

Being so close to the Beach makes it possible for us to go at any time of the day.  And while I am a homebody and it is easy to stay at home, having children is the best incentive to get out of the house for a fun time at the Beach.  And seeing my children’s Joy brings me the greatest Joy.

Music

Music brings Joy! 

Music defined as “vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion”, “an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through elements of rhythm, melody, harmony and colour”.

I love having Music in the house and dancing around with my children.

I have now also found Joy in putting in my headphones and listening to Music. I’m absolutely loving Country Music. I’ve always loved Country Music yet have recently discovered it again and am loving listening to new artists where I am currently looking up country singers from Georgia. I love the love stories of heartbreak and forever love. To me it’s like a mini movie with real characters and real emotions captured in the Music, in just a few minutes.

Listening to Music while cooking brings me Joy too. I’m in my own world, feeling creative and inspired and relaxed and in the moment. 

I love my children singing, it is beautiful Music. I absolutely loved my son’s Christmas Concert and really loved on Christmas Eve when my daughter sang carols to our neighbours, it was so wonderful! The bringing of Joy through Music. 

The other day when I was at my friend’s home I loved sitting in the verandah with her playlist of Music playing on her speaker. And then at the park I loved us sharing our favourite songs. I love getting to know people and love when they share details about their favourite songs where one of Emma’s friend’s Mums was saying that she loves fast paced Music and dances around the house and that this is very fitness. And watching her come to life in her telling the story showed her Joy. 

And I loved on Christmas my niece received a Karaoke microphone and my nieces and children were singing their favourite songs. The best Music! The greatest Joy! Coming together and being in a special moment together.

Growing up I loved going to concerts! This was always the best night. I loved seeing Cyndi Lauper. I loved John Farnham. I loved Missy Higgins. Once Covid is over and when my children are much older I look forward to taking them to concerts. We had a great time when Emma was younger going to The Wiggles. Music definitely brings Joy for all ages. 

Over recent years I’ve loved going to The Brass Monkey too, a Music Club in Cronulla. I loved discovering new Music.

To me Music is often about discovery and it is definitely about being in the moment and feeling the Music, the beat and the emotion. 

We are blessed by the Joy of Music. And I love Spotify that instantly plays any song I choose, a worthwhile investment and fantastic invention to showcase Music to bring Joy.

Clean

I love when my lounge room and kitchen are Clean. I love when the carpet is clear and Clean. I love when the dining table is Clean (and clear). 

The process of Housekeeping brings Joy yet it is the achievement of Clean that brings the greatest Joy.

Clean defined as "free from dirt, marks or stains." "The meaning of Clean usually refers to removing something unwanted."

When my home is Clean I feel instant Joy. When my home is not Clean and not clear I feel unhappy. I even start feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

I am Joy-Filled when my home is Clean as it means than people can call in or the children can have play dates and I feel comfortable with children and parents at our home. Clean does not mean perfect to me. It’s probably at between a 70-80% level of Clean. 

My friend was telling me the other day that her house was Sparking - this is the  ultimate Clean that often seems unattainable for me. When my friend says Sparkling, my friend means that the whole house is so Clean and clear and everything is in its place and every surface and window is almost shining, that the house belongs in an advertisement. 

I am happy with my level of Clean and yet I’m always striving for more and for better. Although I do not want to strive for perfection as this leads to unrealistic expectations and too much pressure. 

And for me having a sense of pressure takes away Joy. And so I want to Clean and keep my home Clean to bring Joy and allow the Joy of visitors without the pressure of having to have my home perfect.

By having a 70-80% Clean home it means that we can welcome in the unexpected and welcome visitors.  Today because we have a Clean home it meant that when we ran into our daughter’s friend it is fun and exciting and possible to invite her back for dinner.  And it was Joyful to see my girl happy in spending time with her friend. 

Having a goal of 70-80% Clean is perfect for us and definitely achievable - taking away the stress - and leaving plenty of room to allow, and bring in, Joy for our family.   

 

Christmas

We love Christmas! Christmas brings so much Joy!

I start planning for Christmas early and every time I find a present for my children or my Hubby (which is almost impossible) I am excited and filled with Joy. 

Christmas defined as "the annual festival of the Christian Church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and, for many, an occasion for exchanging gifts."

I love looking forward to Christmas with my children.  I love when my husband buys our children an Advent Calendar and open it eagerly on 1 December 2020.  I love when my husband organises our Christmas tree with our children, where he carefully takes out all of the ornaments and places them so beautifully on the tree.  These precious moments bring Joy.  And of course I eagerly take photos to record these moments.  And in the taking of photos this also brings me Joy – Joy in the taking of photos and Joy in looking at the photos I have taken and have a feeling of ‘yes’ ‘money shot’!

We are all excited when the elves arrive too and our house is filled with Joy and excitement every morning as my daughter and son search the house for Suzie and Andy. 

I love the excitement of our children, particularly my son who is always counting down the days towards Christmas.

I am Joyful when I buy their Christmas tshirts.  I love when I have organised the children’s outfit for their Santa photo.  I love when my children have their Santa photo and the Joy comes when I look at the photo and am happy that the photographer has captured their smiles and Joy.  It is also Joyful seeing my children talking to Santa, happy and excited and I know that this is the moment that is most important, not me getting the perfect photo. 

I love seeing the flashing of lights at the front of my house, and Joy in the knowing that my husband has made such an effort to bring cheer and colour to our home.  

I love wrapping my children’s presents and organising them.  I am always looking for the ones that they will love, the ones that will bring them Joy. 

I love being on holidays for Christmas and being able to relax and enjoy time with my family.

The day before Christmas the energy and excitement builds and I am as excited as my children. 

Christmas morning is filled with so much Joy.  I absolutely love seeing my children opening their presents and being so happy - and I love capturing the Joy on their faces – capturing it in my mind’s eye and by photos.

I love getting family photos.  Everyone knows that getting the perfect photos brings Joy.  And I am not sure why I strive so hard for perfection in the photos – I know I need to be more relaxed and Joyful when taking photos.  Yet I know that capturing photos does bring me Joy at Christmas, does bring me Joy each day. 

I am grateful to my husband who always surprises me with a beautiful card and such thoughtful presents.  I am always filled with Joy as I open the card my husband has chosen just for me.  And I love the beautifully wrapped presents my husband chooses for me. 

And I love seeing my Mum and Dad and being with my family at Christmas.  Seeing my Mum and Dad and talking to them and just being with them brings me Joy. 

I love sitting down with my family eating a feast and drinking a glass of champagne or wine. 

And then sadly Christmas is over. 

Yet the Christmas tree in our lounge room remains and in the quiet I hold onto the Joy of the Christmas Season and the Joy I have shared with the ones I love and the ones who love me.

Housekeeping

Housekeeping brings me Joy.

Housekeeping defined as "the management of duties and chores involved in the running of a household, such as cleaning, cooking, home maintenance, shopping, and bill payment."  It is "the work (such as cooking and cleaning) that is done in a house, the things that must be done regularly to keep something working properly."

I like cleaning the kitchen.  I like when the dishes are away in the cupboard or in the dishwasher, the rubbish is in the bin outside, and the counter in clean. I love when my lounge room is clean with toys away and vaccumed and I feel Joy when the dust and crumbs are gone (for a day or two or few hours).

I love when I clean the table and it is clear. This brings me Joy.

I love when our bedrooms are clean and tidy and have been vaccuummed and there are fresh sheets.

I also get Joy when as part of the Housekeeping I target areas that may go unnoticed or not cleaned as often such as the wooden blinds or skirting boards or the stairs. 

I love the process of housework and the results of Housekeeping, where I feel Joy at what I achieved in those minutes or hours. 

I’ve tried something new this week, trying to do Housekeeping consistently through the week, after work, a bit here, a bit of time there, so that it doesn’t feel like a chore and we are not in a mess by the time the weekend comes around. 

Housekeeping is definitely a day to day "need to do" and so I choose Joy, I will choose to enjoy the daily process of Housekeeping. 

By choosing Housekeeping each day and keeping on top of the Housekeeping duties, it means that by the time the weekend comes there is more time to relax and enjoy with my family and friends.  And there is also more time to work on other projects. 

It is always a great feeling, sparks of Joy, as I look around and feel proud of having a clean and tidy house after my Housekeeping efforts.