Mountains getaway

April 15, 2015

Mountains getaway

This photo proves that even when you leave the city in glorious sunshine and arrive in the Mountains to rain, fog, mist, hail, wind, cold, and more rain… our family has FINALLY reached the stage where the kids can cope; where I don't go totally (yep true, not even close) insane, and no one got sick. Well nothing bar a sniffle.

Let's just all take a big happy sigh of relief on that one.

Last year I got pretty euphoric buying my last packet of nappies - but this beats that. Past Easters involved everything from communal throwing up to toddlers with broken collar bones (Jesse when he was two).
So this is a milestone that feels worth celebrating!

In the light of our interactions with THE ROYALS from last Easter (click here to read about when Eleanore gave flowers to William and Kate!) it was going to be hard for this year to match the hype.

However, on arrival, this idyllic view always seems to calm the mind and soothe the soul. Yes okay it lacks the excitement of mixing with Royalty, but peace and harmony are not to be sneezed at.

On our annual Easter trek to the Blue Mountains we've stayed for a number of years now in a gorgeous renovated cottage complete with cottage garden filled with lavender, roses, camellias and dahlias. Heavenly! Outside the front gate are spectacular views of mountains and valleys - the kind that tourist buses drive past. Quite regularly.

Exhaust fumes aside, it's the kind of place where you really feel you have escaped from the crush of city life. I quickly forget what day it is as I revel in a place where the grandeur of creation is literally right outside the front door! Not that I bush walk mind you. I enjoy looking at it. That's it really.

Over the long weekend, we attend Katoomba Easter Convention - a christian convention where around 3000 people, many of them families, come together to hear talks from the Bible. This year we were blessed to hear Paul Tripp from Philadelphia, USA. Click here if you'd like to read more.

The kids go to a fabulous programme, run by volunteers. They have a ball.

The last few years the weather has been great. Totally great.
It was time for a change (whether we wanted it or not). Dark clouds were gathering…

The mists rolled in. I took this (not very good) shot, just as the fog descended and everything went white. There was kind of no point in taking photos after that. My worst moment, which I'll share with you (as sharing the pain is good, right?) ..was while trudging ankle deep in mud across an oval, in the pouring rain, while carrying a crying four-year-old + 2 bags + umbrella I thought that I'd probably had enough of mountains weather. I was ready for some sun.

We didn't see the sun again until the third day (Easter Sunday), which was kind of fitting. We felt joy at being able to dry out and warm up. But the joy of reflecting on the great news that Jesus has risen was H U G E!!!!!!

It is heartening to focus on God over the Easter weekend, remembering all that he has done and is doing in our lives. Paul Tripp talked about us having gospel amnesia, and I knew what he meant. Life gets in the way. We get distracted by the everyday. We forget that God's great love is life-changing. That we should be living our lives as if He matters, every single day.

Here's a few more happy Mountains shots:

Eggs ready to be hidden