He Is Risen!

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Happy Easter to everyone in Australia and tomorrow in the USA!  This is truly what we celebrate this Easter day.  The fact that we serve a Lord that is alive.  In Jesus resurrection we have hope, freedom, life, eternal life, peace, joy, love oh I could go on and on.  Thank you Jesus for conquering death and living today!

And just in case you haven't read the real Easter story yet, well you should!  Hop on over here, gather your family, and have a read.

Happy Easter,  The Kids Down Under

Thoughts On The Easter Bunny

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Our conversation over breakfast this morning went like this:

Christy: Dane you don't ask the Easter bunny for things!

Dane: Yes you do, it is just like Santa Clause, only he hides crap.  (disgusted look on his face)

Happy Easter Weekend!

xoxo The Kids Down Under

We ♥ Vine

We are stopping in today to tell you about our new favorite ap for iphones/ipads/ipods.  VINE!  Vine is a video ap that takes 15 second videos of life simply by the touch of your screen.  Here are some Vines we have created recently that we love:

Art Journals,  The Beach,  Colour,  Date Night,   Pie,   Arrested,

So if you have an iphone/ipad/ipod you need to start vining!  It is a great way to see what people in your life are up to and fun to experience little moments of their everyday!

Do you have Vine yet?  If so let us know so we can have fun following you!

xoxo The Kids Down Under

Workout Wednesday: Only 15 Minutes

Welcome to another Workout Wednesday post.  I have been a bit absent from these posts because for the past 30 days I have been trying out a workout for you all.  It's called the Shaun T Miracle 15 Minute Workout from the Dr. Oz show.

I saw this workout floating around in Pinterest land, and I know what many of you workout junkies are thinking, 15 minutes?  yeah right!  My thoughts exactly, but I was becoming a bit tired of the workouts I was doing, and decided, hey why not?  And guess what.  I LOVED IT!  This exactly 15 minutes, so seriously there are no excuses to skip it.  We can all drag ourselves out of bed 15 minutes earlier, or squeeze in 15 minutes after we get home from work.  What I love most about it, is in these 15 minutes, you will huff and puff, you will sweat, you will feel results, and after it is all done, you will feel better.  15 minutes includes the warm up, stretch, workout, and a bit of a cool down (although I usually stretch a bit more after its over, just because I like stretching).

And the results?  Well yes, I have been doing this for 30 days, and I'm not going to say I have the best body of my life.  But I did see results, especially in my butt and legs.  AND...the jeans that didn't fit me 30 days ago are fitting today, although I found that they had a big rip down the front of them, not sure how or when that happened, but I must have been giving someone a show without realizing it.  Anyways, yes, I think it is a winner.  It is going to remain a part of my life.

Click here to start your 15 minute workout!

I will say this, day one, I could barely finish, and I would consider myself in decent shape.  So if you are just starting, and haven't been working out in quite a while, well work your way up to the full 15 minutes.  Every little bit you do each day is better than doing nothing. Now, by day 30, although I am still dying, I am trucking along, sometimes I even cheer Dr. Oz on, because he is dying by the end as well!

So I hope this post encourages you.  If not to try this workout, but something else.  All I am asking for is 15 minutes of your time: 15 minutes of walking, 15 minutes of running, 15 minutes of abs, 15 minutes of stretching, just start something to get on your way to a healthier body.  I promise, in the long run, your body will thank you.

And I leave you with this thought, because in workout world, we all need something to make us laugh (hey laughing burns calories people!  love you all, Christy

The Life of a Colour Girl

I had the joy of attending Colour Conference 2013 and wanted to give you a glimpse of what my experience was like!

My beautiful friend Jess and I enjoying magnum bars.

Starting our days with coffee and toasted banana bread.

 
Boot up girls!

Max and Melody.  Secretly I aspire to be Melody!  Oh dreams my friend.  Our friend Alex (Jess's husband) doing his thing on the box drums.  Not sure if that is what those are really called, but it is my word for it.

I just love all the attention to detail.  Pretty streamers, polka dot walls, flowers in the trees!  Sigh...truly after the heart of this girly girl.

Snack packs!

Loving the gold, and the 3-D gems they used to decorate everywhere.  I gotta make me some of these!

One of the beautiful aspects of Colour is all of the initiatives they support around the world.  If you would like to check some of them out, just click here.

My beautiful friend Rachel singing on one of the special items, which included a giant pillow fight!

Our speakers, Bobbie Houston, Wendy Treat, and Dr. Caroline Leaf.

 They handed out over 800 goodie bags which were donated by local businesses.

The college prepared a Mumford and Sons song.  Loved this moment of the day, because we all know how I love me some Mumford!

A lot of wisdom sitting around this table!

One of the beautiful things they do for the ladies who attend is the pamper area.  You can get your nails done, a massage, or hair curled for free!  Of course, I got fingernails that looked like candy.  (Now you can have that song stuck in your head all day long!)

Hillsong United lead worship.  Such a treat.  I would normally pay high dollar for this concert back in the states, but am so blessed to get to experience it often here.  Never taking it for granted, I promise.

And of course, us college wives gotta stick together.  We had such a great time at Colour.  I felt so encouraged by the words, music, friends, & conversation.  Such a blessed weekend!  love,  Christy

You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16

Miracles

I have experienced two miracles today!  Today we had two of the prayers for healing that we have been diligently lifting up in faith answered by our great God.  Many of you know I have had two cousins, both babies, who have experienced health complications in the past two months and many of you joined with Dane and I in prayer for them.  So it is time for the praise reports!

Miracle number one:  Saydee, who was born 2 months premature went home from the hospital today!  There for a while it seemed all odds were stacked against her, but we serve a God who's name is bigger and greater, and He healed that little babies body!  I was so excited to receive the picture via text message of "Saydee's first car ride."  

Miracle number two:  My cousin Haevyn received the heart she needed in order to live.  We weren't sure how long she would have to be on the wait list, but today, the family received a call.  The heart was good, the transplant has happened, the heart began beating anew inside her precious little body.  We serve a God who has a master plan and it is all in His hands.  

God we give you all of the glory for the miracle of life you bestowed upon Saydee and Haevyn.  Tonight, I just feel like I cannot sing praises loud enough.  

We're Off Colouring Our World...See You Soon!

Hi everyone!  I am so excited because Dane and I will spend this weekend at Colour Conference, the women's conference here at Hillsong.  I will have the joy and privilege of attending and Dane the joy and privilege of serving.  We will be back very soon to let you in on all the details.

Much love, The Kids Down Under

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Window Shopping: Shoe Crush

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One thing you should know about me, I have a love of shoes!  Dane and my brother used to place bets on how many pairs I would try on while going through the Target shoe aisle.  Speaking of Target, I got an email today saying they are doing a buy one get one 50% off sale.  All you have to do is enter BOGO50 at the checkout.  Now, shopping American Target shoes isn't going to do me much good here in Australia, so I need all of you USA folks to take advantage and enjoy the sale.  I picked a few of my own favourites to share with you and would love to see what your favourites are.  Consider it a cyber shopping trip.  Of course, I only picked shoes that are in stock in size 11.  Yep, I have a huge foot, and finding shoes to fit isn't easy, but thank you Target for upping your size 11 selection.  Big foot women from all over the world rejoice!  love, Christy

Art Journal All Year Update

How are your goals for 2013 going?  Did you realize that we are 1/6 of the way done with this year?  I was never too good at fractions, but 1/6 of a pie adds up to a pretty good sized piece!  So I thought I would stop by to update you all on one of my favourite goals for 2013, my Art Journal All Year class.  I am proud to say, I have already completed more pages than I did in 2012, and although I am a bit behind my goal of one page a week, I am quite pleased with the five I have finished.  The creative process should never be rushed you know!

On the first page I was to create an introduction page in order to set the tone for my journal.  I used a picture of Dane and I that hung up in our bedroom throughout 2012, the paper came from a Frankie magazine (you are going to find that paper used all of the time in my art journaling...when I buy a magazine, I consider it as crafting material...yes I know some of you just gasped at the thought of me cutting up my Frankie).

Challenge #2 was to create a page all about my daydreams.  My goal was to use lots of layers on this page, so we have an old newspaper, several pieces of ribbon and edging, dandelion paper (thank you Frankie) and an old photo that I discovered in a box of junk at a thrift store.  I know I would do a lot of day dreaming while floating in a canoe on the lake.  I would love to know the story behind this shot, wouldn't you?

Challenge #3 was easy enough and so much fun to do, create a list of the things you love right now.  I really encourage you to stop reading and go make a list.  Seriously, it is such joy for the soul to focus on the happy things in life.  I used a page out of an old Urban Outfitters magazine that my mama mailed me to journal with.  I love getting art journal supplies!  One of the challenges on this page was to add our own illustrations to the print media, hence the sunshine, balloons and "accessories."

Next up was more of a soul searching journal entry where I was challenged to explore a thought.  Mine is about the daily struggle of wanting to be present in Australia, but also missing the states, all the while doing my best to make the most out of each moment life throws me.  The challenge was to use uncommon materials to journal with.  The paper I used here is a shopping bag and the kangaroo picture is actually a coaster I picked up here in Australia on my birthday last year.  I couldn't believe how well the colours went together, so it was meant to be!

And the last page I will share with you today is all about summing up a thought in one sentence (quite opposite of the book I wrote on the last page).  Part of the experience was to go on an art journal date, also known as, art journal in a space you wouldn't normally do so.  I flipped through magazines on our back patio until I came upon this piece of paper covered in random fabrics.  It immediately took me back to one of my favourite things I have from my Grandma Bebermeyer.  An old patchwork quilt made up of the most random fabrics.  I really don't know anything about the quilt, except that it really isn't in good condition and when I first had it in my hands it smelled awful.  Now, there were much finer quilts to be had of my grandmothers, but this one was just so special to me.  I couldn't help but think that the scraps of fabric that made it up were all pieces she had used to sew clothes, aprons, gifts, or pillows.  Those scraps had become a beautiful part of her everyday life, and I felt like I could carry some of those precious moments on with me by having that quilt.  So the page was created and the saying was written, and it might be my favourite page in the book so far.  And to think, I almost stopped art journaling today because I thought I had hit a creative brick wall.  Beauty from ashes my friends, beauty from ashes.

The awesome thing about this course is that you can do it whenever you would like.  If you are interested in taking it as well, check it out here.

Happy creating!  Love Christy