The Party That Never Quits

We're moving.

Not any time greatly soon, we've been renting my mothers house while she's been in England these last two years, and she gets home in 2 months.

One could say both Adam and I like to be prepared.

Either that or we know how spectacularly we can procrastinate until we only have 4 days to pack up a house of 6 kids.

Needless to say, we've begun collecting boxes and as of last night, started putting things away.

We are loving it.

While we are incredibly grateful that we had mums place to move into, it has been the most trying two years as a family to date. Mum's house is.... small, to put it nicely.... and it has been really hard squeezing six children into a house built for three people.

Did I mention there's no back yard?

Anyway, we are so excited to move to a bigger home. One where we can have a bedroom. Sleeping on the lounge room floor was fun for about a week. One where I can send the kids outside to run off some steam.

One where their fighting isn't magnified by the closeness of the walls.

The hardest thing these last two years has been the noise. The relentless noise of cooped up kids with cabin fever. I am so looking forward to having my sanity back. There is nothing worse than constant bickering, screaming and wailing.

As a singer and generally all-round musical person, I am sensitive to noise. Being an INFP personality only compounds this. I was talking to a dear prayer warrior friend at church the other week and I told her that if it was a happy noise, I wouldn't mind the volume so much. But it's not happy noise. It's bad noise.

It's not just the kids either. While I'm feeling like every sound wave is ramming itself into the side of my head and I'm sick and tired of their constant at-each-other-ness and zero capabilities of working anything out on their own without shrieking at each other or physically fighting, I must be honest and admit that I add my own voice to the fray.

Cutting words.

Dismissive words.

Screaming.

Swearing.

Often simultaneously.

Children learn what they live.

I know I am incredibly undisciplined in this area. And though the Bible tells us that taming the tongue is impossible (James 3:8), I can tame my heart, or at least allow Jesus to do it for me. And in doing so, it will check my temper, and allow me to respond, rather than react, and at least bring the decibels down a little bit.

Adam and I really sat down a few months ago and tried to work out where our home life all went to pot in this regard.

The answer was so simple.

We moved from a house with a backyard bigger than the block this house is on now.

Our children need to run.

This was proven to such an extent I was nearly blinded by the shattering light bulb above my head, when we took the kids out to a friends property for a birthday party.

They did. not. stop. running.

We arrived there at 3:30. From the minute they were out of the car, they were gone. I didn't see them again. They didn't even come to eat.

This is a big deal.

I called them at seven to tell them it was time to go, thinking I'd need at least a half hour to get them gathered and in the car.

Five minutes later, they were all packed up in the car, not one whine or tear to be seen.

Huh!

Fancy that.

We also realised, Adam and I, that as two introverted parents, with predominately extroverted kids, we do not work well in close environments. We are all up in each others business too much.

There is no where to go and be alone.

The kids share rooms. We don't have one.

Sometimes, we need somewhere to go and have a time out. Sometimes, when Adam comes home, if he calls me, I'll sneak out the front, and when he arrives, we'll just sit in the car for 10 minutes before we brave the pit.

We are standing on Words given that God will provide us with a house. With space, so we can grow.

And that is a good noise.

I was thinking today (a dangerous past time, I know... name that movie) and I realised, that I haven't really introduced my family, or myself, here.

I sent an email to Susie a while back, doing just that, so I thought, save writing it all out again, I'd use that... editing where needed.

I realised I've been leaving comments around the place talking to you like I've known you for ages, which I tend to do with people after being introduced, probably in some desperate attempt to allow all of us to feel comfortable without all the 'I've just met you, you've just met me, what do we have in common' awkwardness. But I was thinking, that, over the Internet, it might very well come across as nothing short of creepy, so I thought I might try and remedy that, if it is in fact the case.

My name, obviously, is Jenny (not Jennifer... I would have to ignore you if you called me that... and I have a few very amusing anecdotes involving teachers on the subject) I'm 28 and I am married to Adam who turns 30 in November. (Want to come to a Toga party?) We met in grade 12, in Tasmania, Australia and have been together ever since. We were a very cute couple, and still are, even if we are a little.... wider than we were. We have been together for 11 years, and celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary in June.

This was us around our first Christmas, 1997.

and then, you know, life happened...

This is our adorable selves.... Though Adam has lost weight since this, and I removed the glitter star from my face. I just realised that this picture is actually a year and a half old now. Wow. We need to take more pictures.

We are on the worship ministry of our church here in Palmerston, Northern Territory. Adam plays guitar, sings and leads when needed, I lead worship most Sundays. In order to do this every Sunday, we are very blessed to have friends who keep an eye on our brood...

Troy is the eldest, and he's 8. I do not know where he learnt this, but it was not from us. And amazingly, this is the only half descent picture I have of him. It is also a bit old. But he either completely hams it up or gives the most appalling idea of a posed smile I have ever seen. I shall spare you that disturbing image. Because I like you. And I do not want to frighten you away.

These are last years school photos of the twins (are you seeing a pattern here?) Drew is older by 7 minutes, a fact which I am sure will become vital information as they get older. Bethany did a complete face plant the night before school photos... but of course! We actually thought at the time that she had shattered her upper gum-slash-jaw or at the very least torn her lip away from her face it was that mangled, but thankfully it was just bloody. Really, really bloody. Oh, and they turned five in March.

Is this not the cutest, albeit putrid, face? She does get bathed at least weekly. This is Amy, and she is the most delightful little thing. She thinks playing in the clothes dryer is the epitome of Shangrilah, and she loves to dance. She takes her nappy off. You can imagine my joy at this. It is not the most de;lightful thing about her, by any stretch of the imagination. Amy just turned 2 on July 1st. This picture is also (you've guessed it) old. We get to let of firecrackers for her birthday, because it's Territory Day and I do believe we are the only state in Oz that actually still permits personal firecrackers. Amy was named by Troy. Seriously. When we told him and the other two that there was another baby on the way, Troy answered with "It's a girl, and her name is Amy." We could not shake him from that, he was steadfast. We had no idea what we were having. Mum asked me once, "what would happen if you had a boy?" "I'd be in big trouble," I replied. So, when she was born (that's a whole other post... I will just say one thing about it... insane) and she was, indeed a girl, there was no question as to her name. She and Troy have a beautiful bond, too, it's so sweet to watch.

Can you believe this is the only kind of up to date picture I have of my youngest? It was taken on my crappy camera phone... as our camera kicked the bucket with a flourish, so we haven't had one since before he was born. I did take photos of them about 5 months ago on Adam's work camera, but has yet to e-mail them to me. Eli is gorgoeus. He sits, and crawls, and blabbers on... can sort of stand, and likes to gum cookies. He's not very well at the moment though. He's prone to brocilitis, so we think he'll have asthma when he's older.

So, that's mia familiga.

Personally, I was brought up in a christian home, and became a christian around 6 years of age, and then reconfirmed when I was 12. I've been a part of my church since I was 15, when I started to go on my own after my parents separated that year. God has me in an interesting place right now, pushing into Him deeper is definitely exhausting, but reaping so much! I have such a desire to let people know what they mean to God's heart. I have been carefully (and under guidance) growing in my gifts of discernment and possibly intercession (though I am still praying for tongues), and allowing God to speak through me and into the hearts of his children. Sometimes, when we are praying for people, I ask God to let me see His heart for them, sometimes He does and then, if I feel the urging of the Holy Spirit, I will impart it, usually while thinking "Gosh I hope this is right!". I've not had anyone more mature in their gift correct me yet, so that's encouraging.

Adam and I write songs. Well, we write bits of songs. I think we've only managed to finish one. We have some awesome verses and choruses... but none of them actually go together to complete a final outcome. We really should sit down one day and finish them. My greatest desire is to see God glorified through worship... to see His name praised and proclaimed, and also to lead His people into the throne room... to guide them and help them get to that place where they can be free to dance before him without fear, awkwardness or self concern. I am constantly making sure my pride is in check... most often it's not... which bites the big one, and to be brutally honest, I really don't know how to overcome it. Trying to find that balance between acknowledgment of talent and pride in it is so tough. Finding the balance between that sounded great and we sounded great is also hard. But, I'll keep on keeping on... dying to self is such a continual thing... sometimes I wish it would just let up a bit already, but every time I think I've finally got it, God gently reminds me that I haven't and to keep going. I get lots of heavenly nudges.

I like to knit, embroider, sew and I'm teaching myself to crochet. I've been arty-farty my whole life, and I love the theatre also. I didn't learn to drive until I was 24, and if someone gave me a million dollars the first thing I would do would be to book a breast reduction. If I couldn't sing, I wouldn't know what to do with myself, I wish I didn't rely on the spell checker so much and I'd love to re-learn the piano. I'd love to learn interior design, record a c.d, go to Europe, learn how to shut my mouth before saying embarrassing things, and keep my house clean. I'm a lazy perfectionist, which basically means if I can't do it right and complete it all in one hit, then I won't start. You can imagine what this does to my house. Yet another thing to overcome! At least most of this problem is easily disposed of into a Salvos bin. *grin* I have more than a normal touch of O.C.D, and Adam still thinks it hilarious that I brush the fringes on rugs so they are straight and aren't all messed up and arrrgghhh! *eye twitch*

Anyways, before I go and rock in the corner thinking about tousled rug fringe, I'll stop writing. You may breathe a sigh of relief if you wish. *smile*

I truly hope you think you could like me. De-lurking not only welcomed, but encouraged!*grin*