It's raining...it's pouring....but no tornadoes today......Last week (or was it the week before now? I can't remember) we had a TORNADO here! Yes, a tornado....or cyclone as some people refer to it. It was so bizarre! It was raining hard off and on (this is normal for this time of the year) and Bethany and I were going to "go to the shops" (as Andrew would say...I believe I sometimes say this too) after her nap but it was pouring so I thought that I would wait a bit and give her some lunch instead of taking it with us. Well....I'm driving to the mall and hear on the radio that there has been a tornado....right at the mall that I was going to......I was like "whatttt??? noooo". It seemed quite unreal.....like the time when I saw on t.v. that Princess Diana had been killed in the car crash...or when I heard on the radio that planes had crashed into the twin towers as I was driving to school or hearing that they found Suddam Hussein or that Osama Bin Laden had been killed....you get the idea. Anyway, sure enough....I kept hearing it about it and people were phoning in reports and experiences and as I rounded the corner past the mall I saw pieces of corrugated iron laying all over the place and sirens could be heard and the mall sign had been ripped to pieces....it was nuts! It took me forever to turn around and go home but I was so thankful that Bethany and I weren't in it. One man was killed as he was lifted off the scaffolding that he was working on outside and thrown to the ground. This I find so sad because he was only young and he had a young family. Imagine going to work like any other day and then dying at the hand of nature. How awful.....two little kids were in a car that had been crushed but they were saved. I think that about 14 people were injured. The tornado wasn't as bad as those that are happening in the States but for little old NZ it was pretty huge. Andrew was telling his family saying that it wasn't that bad....but I disagree! "A lot of people were injured! And one man was killed!" I keep saying to him...rather emphatically....ok, maybe compared to some of the natural disasters that have taken place in Australia this tornado is relatively small scale but I still think that you can't make light of these things. It's terrible...no matter what happens.

I have started a walk / run / run program for myself....sort of....I know, I have started these things a few times and given up but all one can do is try and try again right? I want to get fitter and healthier. My friend Mereana and I went for a run last Friday and whoa....it was tough. I had to walk a few times but I was proud of myself because I ran more times than I thought that I would. I tripped and bailed in some dirt but it was ok. No biggie. I was SO SORE the next day though...I think that I overdid it because some of my muscles are still sore.....maybe they are sore from falling too...I don't know. Anyway, this week I have been trying to start a walk / run program. I will see how it goes.

Hey, guess what? My baby is walking! She has been walking along the furniture for ages but in the past couple of weeks she has taken more steps on her own! Yay!!!! She looks so funny because her legs are spread quite apart as she does walk and she is a little wobbly but she is getting the hang of it. Yay for Bethany the walker!

We come to Canada in 5 and a half weeks....Who's excited? Me! Me!

I am in desperate need of getting my hair done...as in the greys coloured....but....I don't think that I can afford the moola that it costs me to get it done professionally right now because there are a few other expenses that are more pressing. So, I am thinking that I will have to go to the boxed colours for awhile....I'm not looking forward to it but what can one do? Sarah? If you are reading this....do you have any suggestions for boxed colours? This is a sad sad day for me....believe me.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! It is late in coming but that's life. I like what Laura said about how even if you don't have your own children you are still a mother and you still have mothering qualities (I think that this is what you were saying....correct me if I'm wrong). I am thankful for the many people that I know who are examples to me of these different qualities. I am thankful for my own mother.....she is tough as nails at times and she sticks up for herself and her children no matter what....but she is also tender and loving and cheerful and funny and she continues to teach me a lot. I am thankful for my friend's mothers who care for me. I am thankful for my friends and their loving natures that they demonstrate with others. I am thankful to be a mother and spend time with Bethany. Heavenly Father sure knew what he was doing when he created us women. Happy Mother's Day all of your beautiful women that I know and love! You are all doing a marvelous job at being you and mothering others!