Zoe and Joel

It’s been a hard year, but we’re coming up to a few weeks on holidays. As a family we are really looking forward to it, and today we’re about to do some shopping for this holiday.

We hope it will be a nice break in the middle of a tough year.

Today, the family is going to see the Toy Story 3.

I am rather excited. Genuinely excited!

“Sunday’s Coming” Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

This ironic clip drips with irony!

Well, it’s been an eventful year. We still miss my Mum. We still miss the kids Nanna.

Last week I had my appendix out. I’m feeling a little better now. I can’t speak more highly of our medical professionals. We’ve had a few visits to the hospital this year, and all have been great.

Here is the speech I gave at my Mum’s funeral today.

Firstly, it is an immense privilege to call my Mum Mum.
She was a great woman who gave up so much for her family. And her family was why she got up out of bed in the morning. Well, we’d like to think it was us, but if we’re honest, she really wanted a cup of tea. Weak tea with lots of milk.

But family did motivate Mum. She didn’t like jewellery, she didn’t like presents. But she loved giving presents to her kids and grandkids.
But the best gift she gave us a great start in life. She taught us persistence. She taught us endurance. She taught us to do our best. She taught us to love. Because she loved us and gave up so much for us.

I remember having an argument with her many years ago. I’m not even sure how it started, but it ended by me saying I thought my life was more successful that hers. Me being all of 21 years of age.
I quickly learnt how wrong I was. And I now know to be as successful as her, I need to lift my kids and rest them on my shoulders the way that she raised us to stand on her shoulders. It is an immense privilege to call my Mum Mum because she gave us a head start in life.

Secondly, she was always the first to help out.
On Friday she spent the entire day at home because my Son Joel had an eye operation at Westmead Hospital. She stayed at home, just in case we needed her. And that’s typical of my Mum.

When my other son Zac was hospitalised in Tamworth, she drove up to be with us and offer any help she could. And that’s typical of Mum.
When a birth was imminent, she’d be first to the hospital. I think she’d camp out in delivery ward if she could. Typical! She wanted to be around and ready to help, and ready to offer a hand.

Finally, She left the world a better place
People often say they want to leave the world a better place. But how do you know that you’ve left the world a better place? Look to their legacy. Mum’s legacy was family. Now that I’m a parent i’m only just realising what a great job she did.

I spend hours this week walking around her house looking for something to remember her. A potplant, a bonsai, a photo, or something else that was important to her. Finally it dawned on me that her family was that thing that was important to her. We are her legacy. We and our families. Pots plants and photos don’t do her justice. She devoted her energies to family and I plan to honour her commitment, and I hope follow in her footsteps.

Thanks Mum. You leave us now, and we are in your debt.

My Mum died yesterday. She died suddenly from a heart attack at 2:30 on Sunday afternoon.

We are all devestated. She meant more to us than we realised. The funeral is Thursday at 9:30am at Pinegrove with refreshments afterwards onsite. Please come and support us, and farewell a truly remarkable Mum and Nanna.

This was the last photo taken of Mum, at Zoe’s party last Saturday.

Zoe loves school and swimming. She’s a water rat and could spend hours every day down in the pool. Sadly, we can’t spend hours each day in the pool.

Joel has been wearing glasses for a month or so, or at least pretending too wear them. He’s having an eye operation next Friday to straighten his eyes.

Zac hardly eats anything. If it wasn’t for the bottle of milk before bed, I’d wonder where his sustenance comes from.

Zoe is our little hypercondriac: she’s always coming up to me saying “I’ve got a sore toe” or similar. Yesterday she said “Dad, I’m sore everywhere”. And she was, poor little chicken.

Why I dont have voicemail any more.

Here is Jobs speaking about the iPad, with a little too many adjectives.

She starts this week.

I don’t subscribe to all Lifehack promote, but this is a good reminder about doing stuff and spening time with kids.

Our Boys!

Our girl!

Here is the proof.