So Tomorrow… Only Thank You

Every day, I think we should give thanks for what we have, everyone can give Thanks in one way or another are giving thanks to life, the difference between the neighbour that is giving you greeting everyday or the one who doesn't let you pass by the front of the house, The Porsche " Carrera" that is parked in their garage or the small car…I Don't Know.. Each in our own way.

From my perspective, I thank God for what I have every day, my husband who is the best in the world, my parents who have crossed half the world to live with us, my family in Spain, My Friends here in Australia, in Spain etc, etc…

In these dates is very typical rain in Australia after a hot day, and I love it when we're home after 10  minutes of black storm the atmosphere we breathe ..

What about tomorrow? I think as you start the morning will be the day, in Australia we are fortunate to be in summer, I love to get up with the birds, the Cockatoos my neighbour, or the sound of the Kookaburras, I thought it would be impossible that but I liked it!!

Together with my husband and 10 children, the happiness of my day to day.

I love sleeping with the windows open, of course with Flyscreen, not going to be enter a spider, not so desired. I love the smell of trees, including Eucalyptus and wood .. The breeze is special! I think Amazing !! Smell the flowers, smile My Maca at first time and the rest of the Babies around us ( Teresa, Lourdes and Lucas, under 4)  in this moments ..The World is Perfect!!

                                                             I Love the Flowers 

So far everything is nice, will thanks to God for all that, and this will give me strength to face my new day !! that after not be so easy! but that's another history ..

A table set with love and detail .. With the generosity comes the kindness and love to others ..

This week also celebrated in the US and Canada the tradition of the Thanksgiving, I like even if it comes from something like the harvest, I think there giving thanks for all !! and I encourage you to do so! and this Thursday we will take a turkey or something, Cranberry and apple pie!!

                                            Open the windows of your life to be happy

A kiss and thanks for being here !!

With Love, 
Ele

Preparing and Celebrating a Christening

The Booklet to follow the ceremony

The people who know me know I love to prepare dinner or meals at home or wherever, but always surrounded by people that I love, and I love watching you enjoy and feel well.

There are hosts who make amazing parties, decoration, beautiful houses that seem museums, silverware, but then are unable to make you enjoy, do not make the guests feel good, this is a shame, but I have some bad experience in this regard.

                                     
                                        Preparing the decoration and the first appetizer dishes

I count this, because no need to spend much money to have a nice party, in this case as I have very recent Baptism of Macarena, my last child, I'll summarize a bit as I have organized.

The Place, we are fortunate to have an amazing school, and truth is a support for everything we have at our disposal the chapel and in Australia as the Spring weather is very unstable, decided to hire the staff room for teachers is quite large with kitchenette, lounge chairs, two tables and also also decorate outside for the kids.

The priest is also a great friend, we know what makes it all the more familiar and close at the ceremony.
The ceremony was beautiful, here I leave a letter that made his brothers to Macarena.

LETTER TO MACARENA PAVIA FROM YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS

Today we welcome our sister Macarena in the sight of God and the Church.  It is a Great Day.

Since she was born, we have learnt many things about children with Down syndrome. We thank God that she has come into our family, which is so good and full of love that we are very excited.

Macarena is now a child of God, but we consider her an Angel from Heaven. We are very lucky! She is our second Angel with Beltran, but we can embrace you Macarena!  This is awesome!

Macarena, we thank God, and we thank you because you were born special.  You do not know anger, ambition or envy; you will be simple and uncomplicated. We have heard about the eternal child, but also we are going to teach you to grow, maybe you will not be so smart but you will be overflowing with love.  All your brothers, family and friends welcome you with open arms; those arms that we are sure will not stop hugging.  We will give you all the happiness you deserve, love and patience when you do not get everything the first time.

We are proud that the Lord has given us this opportunity, because what else can we ask.  He has sent someone to be pure love and who has no evil!  Of course you are special and different, but all your brothers see it in a positive way!  These are bridges that the Lord gives us to make us better, and to see that other things are more important than the rush, the iPod, Instagram and play station that make us unaware of what really matters.

Now Macarena, we see your smile; if this is to have Down syndrome, it is wonderful!  We love Macarena!

My parents have taught us that we are here in passing, that children are gifts from God.  The Lord has given a gift with Beltran to gladden our hearts, and strengthen our faith and our parents’ faith.

Now He has given us Macarena and she inspires us to enjoy every day.  Every day is a big gift and brings us closer to God, because we are here to be saints.  We understand it well!

Thanks Sis!

And congratulations on this special Day!

We love you and we will love you forever!

There were 160 guests including children, but we missed some families, 132 people came to the end ... That's no nonsense!

The decoration, the shop at different sites party, pink and maroon color that is not left so corny. Also Buy, the Buting Flay, Honey Comb Ball Pink, Pink Pom Pom and well. The tablecloths, buy Lincraft Fabric, pink background with white polka dots, flower centers with glass jars, buy a fabric roses, fuchsia and maroon flowers and maroon cord, then I love fresh flowers but gave me more life if that were collected but quite artificial flowers of the same colors, a total of 10 centers.

Th lanterns buy in Typo and then buy normal candles too.

The food, the truth is we did not want to complicate a lot in this regard, in the previous baptism was cooking three whole days, and I wanted to be more relaxed, Iberico ham and cheese with bread, empanada, and a couple large salads, for kids we ordered 8 pizzas, and finally two paellas, one of Chorizo ​ for children and another for older seafood, The paellas were cooked a great friend, Oscar Salguero, paella of Luxury for 200 people. Also, the Godmother of Macarena said she would do some Lebanese dishes, this does not count, but was presented with about 15 dishes .. whether in the end there was copious amounts of food. 

The cake made ​​a great friend, CC Kos, it was beautiful besides being amazing.

With regard to clothing for a baptism, of course, to baptise a classic dress Christianity in Spain have in several places, as Mitos Roca, CatleBaby, Navascues, Letizia and Teresa, amongst others. 

In my case, it's a dress family of several generations, handmade.

For us we love something classic, elegant and fashionable at the same time. In my case I chose a Dungarees silk of Zara, Gold Belt of Forever and Jacket of Pedro del Hierro forever and Zara shoes. I include some photos of outfits that I love.

And finally for the kids, as you know I like to take the same, or the same to match. For the Christening I love white and beys or Red and white or Blue and Withe,  colours soft  and fun because it is a day of celebration, important to everyone!!

I hope you liked it and look forward to having time to write because I'm starting a very nice project that I hope to tell you soon!

XOX See you SOON

A FRIEND IS A TREASURE

Friendship is a link that gives us the ability to share experiences, knowledge and even means. The bonds of friendship and reciprocal power can not exist separately. The reality of friendship is dual. Implies the existence of at least two people. Friendship needs a partner to share, grow and discover each other (be) therein its values ​​and its shortcomings.

                                                       Sharing unique moments

A good friend does not cancel the other but that power is his partner and a facilitator of its many possibilities. Suffer when you suffer and rejoices when you're glad. It is not envious or arrogant or takes advantage of you

Friendship is based on mutual trust, where the goal is to help the other consequently himself.

Friendship is not imposed, nor program, like everything in life takes effort to get it and most importantly, provide the means to achieve and maintain.

                                                             Unconditional support

The friendship shown in the happy moments: the birth of a child, holding a job promotion, the housewarming. At other times friendship is embodied in a phone call to ask for advice or share a project or exchanging political, religious or existence ideas, or just the feeling we have that there is a person, even hundreds of Km ., to which we can resort only to talk and greet.


Our friend who we can call and let us advise, download, mourn, laugh and listen appears in all situations, both good and difficult times. Either way communicate with him.

                                In the good friendship, cries, laughs, supported.. All is possible

Friendship is a relationship of equals with a common characteristic. So teachers, parents, bosses can not be friends with their students, their children or their employees.

Friendship is not focused on the qualities of the other but rather in its very essence: how he is as a person, what qualities you have, what causes feelings.

Friendship does not create sympathy for the person but empathy: ability to understand and to share joys and sorrows.

                                Although we are far you're always .. you never lose anything.

When a friend tells her confidences, says its discretion and friendship requires correct subjective errors, in order to learn the objectivity of the facts.

The friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you as you are.
THE FRIENDSHIP covers loyalty and confidentiality. Achieve mutual sincerity.

Friends are those people who in difficult times is with you. The distinction for true and false friends is a common presence in the good times and the only real help in bad.

                                                   Good confidences and healthily

In friendship we seek unconditional support, we rely on business to better spend your sorrows, joys and divide duplicate anxieties half.

A proverb about friendship in which I agree is: "He who seeks a friend without faults will be left without friends."

A friend you call when we are going through an unsafe situation to advise us in their view, we ask for your opinion, so then we choose our own discretion, without prejudicing our relationship.

                                                         A goodbye is see you later

There are differences in the relationship of Friendship with the relationship of Love. Differences between known friends.

Sincere friendship is mutual, both people enrich that relationship to grow and learn from it.

Sincerity, generosity, understanding, mutual affection are pillars on which a mistad that consolidates over time is constructed. This is needed for a healthy and constructive friendship.

So in the saying "Friendship for interest, not last because it's not" Friends of convenience, in which certain people approach who can give them prestige, and there are other matters of truth in strengthening the friend.

In today's society prevailing materialism while is pragmatic, prevails among the people the feeling of friendship.

Friendship requires the faithful feeling of sincerity, no cheating, no demands communication, mutual self-giving, unselfish concern for the other, the boundless confidence, patience, respect for ideas, accept the way of life of friend , boundless confidence, the ability to listen, to forgive, the faithful friendship even be this far or have been a long time.

With friend there are two important components: trust and share from your projects, problems, concerns, dreams and failures. All this is learned from childhood to adulthood, through the young-teen that at this stage their social environment and supports friendship is a great release on many occasions in their mental and emotional turmoil, his personal maturation depends their integration into the adult world. It feels and is in dire need of "ally" of relating to other people your age and condition.

In friendship I dislike the lack of loyalty and betrayal. But unfortunately disloyalty exists, and this I have tested on my last years in Australia, here is something very strange happens, you come to a new country and start from scratch, thankfully there are many in the same situation, whether everyone is your friend until proven otherwise, considering that also do not have family, friends are an essential part of your life.

The problem with this is that not fit in with the whole world, this had never occurred to me not because I've always moved in the same environments, the positive is that I've met people with ideas, lifestyle very different from mine and that will be friends for life, with this is that I stay.

I think the people are wonderful, worth fighting, the circle you can have larger or smaller, according to the character you are, You have no friend having too many friends By Aristoteles but I prefer, God created us without frontiers, my goal is friendship with the world.

 I love to have people on my side, I think is one of the handicaps I have they met with the Australian Society are too reserved, but they say that once they are your friends are forever I still I keep trying .. Someday .. maybe. 

Meanwhile I'm enjoying every day with people I love and who loves me, and why not know more people who do not know but I would also like to be friends.

 With All my Love to All my Friends,

Xox Ele

The Arrival of a new Member to the Family

Start the countdown, and probably Macarena arrives next week.

Feelings of emotion, illusion, joy and fear come together …. I mean like when you have the first, make sense?

Excitement at seeing her face, take care, give all the love and share everything between 9 and they are already at home.

And fear because all is well, healthy and both have strength and grace to accept our new responsibility of another Gift of Heaven…

When the day is coming, at least to me several things happen to me, do not know if you will feel identified, the previous children become unbearable, many people think they know who comes another, it seems to me that not true, simply requiring the attention they had before .. and obviously becomes difficult ..Because you have another Baby.

So far,  I wrote before she was born, BUT.. God Knows more..

Macarena was born on April 20th,   in Holy Saturday, for me as a Catholic I found it a very nice and special date, and the truth is that Macarena has been very special.

This is what we wrote after leaving the Hospital: 

" As you all know our daughter Macarena (number 11 in the family) came into this world with lack of oxygen in half her body and major heart problems. A few minutes after her birth the doctors confirmed that the problems she had were associated to another cause; she was born with Down syndrome (Though we had gone through all normal pregnancy tests we had no idea about this until then). Moreover, they took me into a separate room by myself and told me that the baby had to be taken to another emergency hospital for urgent intervention and that they feared for her life.

It was quite a shock for us as we expected that everything would be normal and uncomplicated as it had always been so for us. We began to pray and asked friends & family to pray for Macarena to get well.

From then on and although Macarena was still not recovering or getting better, we began to feel a sense of peace and of being accompanied. In the following days, Macarena miraculously began to evolve positively and we were given a message of reassurance from another hospital where she underwent further tests. We eventually returned home with her last Saturday . Now she is the focus of all her siblings and all contend to see who can be the one to hold her or give her some of her bottle. 

As many of you know the name " Macarena", along with being the name of a popular song about singers from Seville in southern Spain  (where I come from), is the most famous invocation to the Holy Virgin of this city. The meaning of the word is " Blessed ". We feel that our daughter Macarena came blessed from heaven from the moment of her conception. She is for us a blessing from heaven for our entire family. We are happy with this gift that and we eagerly accept the life, joys and challenges that are in front of us as a family.

We have received messages of support from all over the world and even though we are far away from all our Spanish family (all except for my holy sister Carmen) we have felt very supported , lucky and loved. I have attached a picture of the Our Lady of Macarena from Seville (Spain) and once again I thank you  again for all your continued support and prayers" 

  

This is the true reality so far ..But what happened to the uncertainty of not knowing or fear of the new, as guess with a Down syndrome child when sometimes we do with those who are normal .. For me this step was 5 hours…it was to accept that it was my life and my daughter no more .. my gift from God. 

 The only thing I can say is my version so far, I have no idea the difference between a Down Syndrome baby with the third chromosome 21, for this, I will rely on partnerships I'm sure that will help me for questions I could have, but what I know sure is we adore her, we love her, the lovingly more than anyone because it appears that asks me which is my daughter and I live day by day, if I will face difficulties appear as the any of my children if slower in learning to sit, give me the same, if all I will learn to give more love,  love and love.

Just think of someone who does not know selfishness from evil, envious .. already love her,  if you have more slanted eyes .. or some other characteristics I see her beautiful ..

As a Catholic, I am proud to have as an angel in heaven, Beltran my Baby gone with 6 month and now Macarena , and this is my job, my great job, and I think worth it.

In summary, I can not be sad, I do not wonder that the famous, Why? Only I thank God that my daughter is healthy and we can fight for her, not that it is better or worse is just SHE, and deserves the best. 

His brothers are delighted and THEY do not see the difference, do you see?  I DO NOT!

We have a new member in the family and is very special, a star in the hearts of all! 

Thank you all for your prayers! 

FROM SPAIN TO AUSTRALIA

Whenever we talk of emigration, we think of students, expats or perhaps work contract in the destination country. In my case things are different…

The main reason why we chose 

                                                        The Parks are WONDERFUL

Australia is because I was born here; I have always been proud to be Australian and Spanish. 

Then there are other life circumstance which make you think about things…

                 

                             We came to Australia and we were so naive, it was a dream

In 2006 the fifth of our children passed away when he was only six months old. This was a very hard period of our lives. Though we have always accepted the will of God, it was from then on that I felt the need to leave Spain. This was not for any reason in particular: we were happy and much supported by our family and friends but then… something had changed us, our concept of family was not different.

We then decided to come on an adventure with our seven children; I now tell you how life has changed and is changing us here. 

Upon arrival we were like a dream or a different holiday, we came with blind illusion and that's what made us have the strength make so many changes to our lives. Thank God that my sister-in-law is here and when we arrived we had a beautiful home, with a full fridge, pantry and even a car.  

Everything was fine until our Nanny how had been with us for 4 years returned to Spain.

My life as a housewife started! Now here are the challenges I first encountered! 

                                              I feel identify, I don't know where to begin.

•     Things are no longer arranged for you and NOBODY is going to arrange them for you. 
•  You have to give food to your children and husband who goes to work 
•  Children are only yours when you are with them they take priority; If you're in a park you find it hard to talk to anyone because your child may walk off! 
•  I found the house at that time: huge! And I wanted to have it perfect every day! I was exhausted! 

Little by little I realized that the happy mother who was disappearing, was not getting me to achieve my goals.

At first the problem was the language: Australian English is a particular language! My English was getting there but my husband Manolo who is from Sevilla (Imagine the accent!) needed time.

Then every day was something new: going to a supermarket, going to school, maintaining a conversation with people… 

We missed a lot our family back at in Spain; We realized that we were alone here but that took time. Then within three months of being here I fell pregnant. This meant I needed to re-organize my life so that the family was okay.

                                    Part of my family in Spain, is a great family!

Now we have been here for almost four years and the changes I can see in my family life are incredible:

• The children now clean their rooms, their clothes arready the day before (not all the kids are ready but then… some things never change)
• Each kid has a daily task: vacuuming or cleaning the bathroom, setting the table… etc. This was previously impossible!
• I have learned how to cook and making a weekly menu has made my life much easier.
• I clean the house but now I do not overwhelmed if it is not perfect,
• I have leant to be much more open with people: here in Australia our friends are now also my family
•  I have learnt to appreciate and love people differently: people who are very different to me and my family.

I never thought that you can actually do so many things in a single day, but if you do not worry then life is taken with more realism.

We've all changed and I guess to better appreciate other things such as our family, and above all to enjoy the kids!

Celebrating my birthday a very special occasion for the whole family! Not a Picnic!

Regarding quality of life, (for now, although long-term will be better): it's worse, but we appreciate everything so much more: a romantic dinner, an excursion, an anything little is now enjoyed much more, as they are usually exceptions.

So after four years, the   weighing of the scale is positive despite the effort invested. I am now expecting my number 11 which is the fourth girl (a true miracle). The best thing has been the people we have met: Australians or no Australian we have met fantastic people and I 'm sure we'll be friends forever: Lebanese, Asian…

                       Great friends and my only family here, my sister

The children are bilingual, and the whole family has grown as people. We have all fought a lot (each our own battles) and I think that for this alone it has been and it is worthwhile being here. 

This Country is noteworthy for its children-friendly environment: aid to families, parks and outdoor activities for children, the order of things, job opportunities, etc. Otherwise explain to me how a family of 11 can go forward starting from 0 in a different language! Unbelievable!

               More friends! are great support here!, I have a lot to give thanks for that!

From Spain, we of us miss the tapas, beer from Spain, etc. To me this is not important, what is really miss is: 

Some things don't change! Eating habits!

The thing that I truly miss is the people: long-life friends and family of course!

                                 Family coming to see us! 

Another thing the fruit and Vegetables,  here is amazing! I love the Passion Fruit!!!

                                            Family we could visit them!

I will be delighted to welcome people to come and visit us!.

I hope you liked it! keep writing more about moving!

CHEERS, XOX ELE