Part I: Children are blessings from God... all the time.

When people find out we don't use birth control not only because we're ready for kids but because we're morally opposed to it, we get some strange and varied responses.  This doesn't surprise me given that two years ago--when I was taking the Pill myself--I would have been slightly offended if someone made that statement, no matter how gently it was worded.  I thought the Duggars were crazy.  Families were huge if they had more than four children.  I was sure the Pope was dead wrong on the birth control issue (ironically, now it's one of the few things he and I would agree upon).



But things change.



I came to realize that when I said, "Sure, babies are a blessing from God," I would silently add, But not all the time.  I had taken a disturbingly pro-choice stance on the issue, though I never would have admitted it.  Babies are a blessing from God... if they're wanted.  Sounds a whole lot like "Every child a wanted child," no?



Recently as I was clearing out my laptop's "My Documents" folder, I discovered a saved AIM conversation with Trevvor that occurred while I was studying in England in 2007.  We were talking about our upcoming engagement and eventual marriage.  And then, right in the middle of discussing the kind of family car we wanted to drive (he wanted a station wagon; I wanted a mini-van--we got the station wagon last summer), the conversation took this turn....



sncasto87: we're gonna have BABIES

futbolcampo: i'm still not quite sure how that will all work, but if you say so

sncasto87: well, we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it

futbolcampo: alright, sounds good

sncasto87: i'm not having a kid until we're 25 if i have anything to say in the matter

sncasto87: i'll make my womb refuse to reproduce

sncasto87: so it's a long way off, bud.

sncasto87: yey for BIRTH CONTROL.



Out of one side of my mouth, I was so excited about being the future mother of Trevvor's children... yet I wanted to graduate from college.  And I wanted to go to grad school.  And I wanted to work for a couple of years.  And wouldn't it be nice if we were married for a while first, and maybe even settled in a house?  Because I already knew that once I had babies I would stay at home--I'd always known that--but I wanted to have a "life" first.  So I took the Pill, making my womb incapable of reproducing, just as I said I would.  In my mind, babies wouldn't be a blessing at that time because I had things on my agenda I wanted to get done first.  Never mind that God might have a different plan for me, and if that plan included babies then I was going against His will by taking birth control:  babies were not an acceptable option and I would take measures to ensure that He didn't "bless" me with them.



Put in those terms, it sounds absurd, does it not?



If only I'd known how badly I would desire children three years later... and that I would struggle to have them... and be heartbroken.  And this struggle in part thanks to the effects of the Pill I then praised!  Irony of ironies.



And so I understand the view that people have of us "full-quiverers," as we're labeled.  When I say that we don't believe birth control is biblical (that is to say, you cannot find an example of preventing the conception of a child written in a positive light; rather, you find story after story of children being sought-after blessings), I sometimes get responses like this:



"But what if the mother was raped?"

"But what if the parents aren't married?"

"But what if the mother is a young teenager?"

"But what if they already have many mouths to feed and they can't afford another?"



Though I more often get responses like this:



"But you need to be married for a few years first."

"But you should be done with college at least."

"But you need to have a financially good job."

"But it's best if you buy a house first."

"But student loans need to be paid off before adding the expense."



And on and on go the "reasons" for delaying having children, even when the parents are of age and married, and even when they have a safe place to live and a decent job that pays the necessary bills.



All of these "reasons" for not having children... I've said them myself at one point.  But this is the world's view of having children--not God's.  With God, children are always a blessing, never a curse--no, not even an "inconvenience."  Does this mean the situation is always ideal or just what we want it to be?  No.  But God's ways are higher than our ways... and this is the topic for the next post.

Part I: Children are blessings from God... all the time.

When people find out we don't use birth control not only because we're ready for kids but because we're morally opposed to it, we get some strange and varied responses.  This doesn't surprise me given that two years ago--when I was taking the Pill myself--I would have been slightly offended if someone made that statement, no matter how gently it was worded.  I thought the Duggars were crazy.  Families were huge if they had more than four children.  I was sure the Pope was dead wrong on the birth control issue (ironically, now it's one of the few things he and I would agree upon).



But things change.



I came to realize that when I said, "Sure, babies are a blessing from God," I would silently add, But not all the time.  I had taken a disturbingly pro-choice stance on the issue, though I never would have admitted it.  Babies are a blessing from God... if they're wanted.  Sounds a whole lot like "Every child a wanted child," no?



Recently as I was clearing out my laptop's "My Documents" folder, I discovered a saved AIM conversation with Trevvor that occurred while I was studying in England in 2007.  We were talking about our upcoming engagement and eventual marriage.  And then, right in the middle of discussing the kind of family car we wanted to drive (he wanted a station wagon; I wanted a mini-van--we got the station wagon last summer), the conversation took this turn....



sncasto87: we're gonna have BABIES

futbolcampo: i'm still not quite sure how that will all work, but if you say so

sncasto87: well, we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it

futbolcampo: alright, sounds good

sncasto87: i'm not having a kid until we're 25 if i have anything to say in the matter

sncasto87: i'll make my womb refuse to reproduce

sncasto87: so it's a long way off, bud.

sncasto87: yey for BIRTH CONTROL.



Out of one side of my mouth, I was so excited about being the future mother of Trevvor's children... yet I wanted to graduate from college.  And I wanted to go to grad school.  And I wanted to work for a couple of years.  And wouldn't it be nice if we were married for a while first, and maybe even settled in a house?  Because I already knew that once I had babies I would stay at home--I'd always known that--but I wanted to have a "life" first.  So I took the Pill, making my womb incapable of reproducing, just as I said I would.  In my mind, babies wouldn't be a blessing at that time because I had things on my agenda I wanted to get done first.  Never mind that God might have a different plan for me, and if that plan included babies then I was going against His will by taking birth control:  babies were not an acceptable option and I would take measures to ensure that He didn't "bless" me with them.



Put in those terms, it sounds absurd, does it not?



If only I'd known how badly I would desire children three years later... and that I would struggle to have them... and be heartbroken.  And this struggle in part thanks to the effects of the Pill I then praised!  Irony of ironies.



And so I understand the view that people have of us "full-quiverers," as we're labeled.  When I say that we don't believe birth control is biblical (that is to say, you cannot find an example of preventing the conception of a child written in a positive light; rather, you find story after story of children being sought-after blessings), I sometimes get responses like this:



"But what if the mother was raped?"

"But what if the parents aren't married?"

"But what if the mother is a young teenager?"

"But what if they already have many mouths to feed and they can't afford another?"



Though I more often get responses like this:



"But you need to be married for a few years first."

"But you should be done with college at least."

"But you need to have a financially good job."

"But it's best if you buy a house first."

"But student loans need to be paid off before adding the expense."



And on and on go the "reasons" for delaying having children, even when the parents are of age and married, and even when they have a safe place to live and a decent job that pays the necessary bills.



All of these "reasons" for not having children... I've said them myself at one point.  But this is the world's view of having children--not God's.  With God, children are always a blessing, never a curse--no, not even an "inconvenience."  Does this mean the situation is always ideal or just what we want it to be?  No.  But God's ways are higher than our ways... and this is the topic for the next post.

Fertility.

I am trusting the Lord with my fertility.



But I'm learning that that means more than simply going off birth control and expecting God to send us a baby ASAP.  For some of us, it means waiting.  And waiting.  And praying, then more waiting.  And that is hard.  I'm not waiting very patiently.  I'm spiritually tapping my foot and thinking, "All right, Father.  I did my part.  Now You do Yours!"



I didn't expect we'd conceive in the first few months.  I've always known there was something a little off with my fertility.  So this past spring I had some blood work done, which discovered I have hypothyroidism, which means my thyroid under-produces hormones.  So I went on medication, assuming that would fix the problem, normalize my body, and lead to the ability to conceive.  Yet over half a year later, there has still been no unaided ovulation.



To realize that my body is broken and not functioning healthily is quite a downer, to put it lightly.  I don't ovulate.  Without medical assistance, at least at this point in time, I can't conceive a child.  Conception is so tightly tied into a woman's identity--my identity--that this fact hit me pretty hard, and it's something I struggle with every day.



Those dark questions pop into my mind unbidden, "Does God not think I'm good enough to be a mother?"  "Is this punishment for a sin in my past?"  "Don't I deserve a baby--why won't He give me one?"  Questions such as these lead only to bitterness and depression, and so I attempt to smother them before they can grow... but with every negative test and every lab result which shows no ovulation has occurred, they return all too quickly.



But then I remind myself that the Lord knows infinitely more and better than I do; He loves me, and He will do what is best for me (even if I can't understand it right now).

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Stories like Hannah's in 1 Samuel 1 give me encouragement:  God hears the prayers of us barren women.  I am not alone in my struggle; the wives of the great patriarchs of Israel--Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel--were barren also.  According to Proverbs, the barren womb will never say "enough" (30:16).  The psalmist says that

"He grants the barren woman a home, / Like a joyful mother of children" (Psalm 113:9).  

Barrenness is not uncommon among God's people.  I am not unloved; I am not less worthy than others who bear children; I am not being punished.  Thus far it has simply not been in God's plan for me to bear children.

So I have gone off of birth control and prayed for babies, for the Lord to open my womb.  But thanks to medical advances of late, not only can we prevent conception, we can also encourage or even cause it.  So for us the question became, "How far are we willing to go to medically encourage conception?" 



With this ever in mind, I have been taking Clomid--which is used to induce ovulation--for two months now.  We prayed about this for many weeks before deciding to use it, wondering if we were "going too far" to mess with my fertility.   God spoke through some close friends who reminded me that I need to do what I can to make my body healthy and able to bear children.  Not ovulating is not healthy whether you're trying to conceive or not!  Whether or not conception occurs is still completely in the Lord's hands, but if He chooses to cause it to happen, my body will be ready.



In closing, I ask all of you to please pray for Trevvor and I, this week especially.  Clomid has some rough side-effects, especially moodiness and crankiness (Trevvor's had to put up with a lot these past months).  And, more importantly, at some point in the next few days ovulation will occur, and if it is God's plan, we will be blessed with one of His greatest blessings.

Fertility.

I am trusting the Lord with my fertility.



But I'm learning that that means more than simply going off birth control and expecting God to send us a baby ASAP.  For some of us, it means waiting.  And waiting.  And praying, then more waiting.  And that is hard.  I'm not waiting very patiently.  I'm spiritually tapping my foot and thinking, "All right, Father.  I did my part.  Now You do Yours!"



I didn't expect we'd conceive in the first few months.  I've always known there was something a little off with my fertility.  So this past spring I had some blood work done, which discovered I have hypothyroidism, which means my thyroid under-produces hormones.  So I went on medication, assuming that would fix the problem, normalize my body, and lead to the ability to conceive.  Yet over half a year later, there has still been no unaided ovulation.



To realize that my body is broken and not functioning healthily is quite a downer, to put it lightly.  I don't ovulate.  Without medical assistance, at least at this point in time, I can't conceive a child.  Conception is so tightly tied into a woman's identity--my identity--that this fact hit me pretty hard, and it's something I struggle with every day.



Those dark questions pop into my mind unbidden, "Does God not think I'm good enough to be a mother?"  "Is this punishment for a sin in my past?"  "Don't I deserve a baby--why won't He give me one?"  Questions such as these lead only to bitterness and depression, and so I attempt to smother them before they can grow... but with every negative test and every lab result which shows no ovulation has occurred, they return all too quickly.



But then I remind myself that the Lord knows infinitely more and better than I do; He loves me, and He will do what is best for me (even if I can't understand it right now).

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

Stories like Hannah's in 1 Samuel 1 give me encouragement:  God hears the prayers of us barren women.  I am not alone in my struggle; the wives of the great patriarchs of Israel--Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel--were barren also.  According to Proverbs, the barren womb will never say "enough" (30:16).  The psalmist says that

"He grants the barren woman a home, / Like a joyful mother of children" (Psalm 113:9).  

Barrenness is not uncommon among God's people.  I am not unloved; I am not less worthy than others who bear children; I am not being punished.  Thus far it has simply not been in God's plan for me to bear children.

So I have gone off of birth control and prayed for babies, for the Lord to open my womb.  But thanks to medical advances of late, not only can we prevent conception, we can also encourage or even cause it.  So for us the question became, "How far are we willing to go to medically encourage conception?" 



With this ever in mind, I have been taking Clomid--which is used to induce ovulation--for two months now.  We prayed about this for many weeks before deciding to use it, wondering if we were "going too far" to mess with my fertility.   God spoke through some close friends who reminded me that I need to do what I can to make my body healthy and able to bear children.  Not ovulating is not healthy whether you're trying to conceive or not!  Whether or not conception occurs is still completely in the Lord's hands, but if He chooses to cause it to happen, my body will be ready.



In closing, I ask all of you to please pray for Trevvor and I, this week especially.  Clomid has some rough side-effects, especially moodiness and crankiness (Trevvor's had to put up with a lot these past months).  And, more importantly, at some point in the next few days ovulation will occur, and if it is God's plan, we will be blessed with one of His greatest blessings.

Baby Blurbs

We returned from the Baby Conference this past Monday, and I keep meaning to sit down and write a long, reflective post on how wonderful it was, how inspiring and encouraging all the speakers were, how lovely it was to be surrounded by like-minded families....  Obviously this hasn't happened, so I thought I'd just write a couple of blurbs from the week instead, hopefully with more to come later.



First, thank you for telling me about yourselves on my last post!  It was great to get all those comments and find out a little more about my readers.  Btw, I LOVE getting comments, so don't feel like you need to wait until I ask to give them!  ;)

Like I've already said, the Baby Conference was such a blessing.  We were able to hang out with Luci and Randall quite a bit and get to know this awesome couple better.  It was so great being able to see Luci speak with Jennie Chancey!  She did splendidly, and really conveyed some much needed info to the audience.  It was also wonderful meeting up with some friends I'd met at the Father & Daughter Retreat, and of course getting to meet lots of like-minded families (and then hold their babies)!  I even met a lady and her family who I'd found only a few days before on an online home-steading forum!



If I had to pick a favorite thing about the conference, I think I would pick the fellowship with all the Christ-followers.  That's just something "radicals" like us don't get very often, and I can't tell you how encouraged we were just by seeing these other families who were following the straight and narrow path.  Of course the speakers were wonderfully articulate and inspirational (and, most importantly, scriptural), but you can get that on CDs--and in fact, we did.  But at conferences like these, you go for the fellowship, the communion with like-minded Christians who are willing to be extremely counter-cultural in order to follow Christ.



I encourage you to visit Vision Forum Ministries and read about the Baby Conference topics.  I encourage you even more strongly to consider purchasing the CDs (today is the last day of their introductory special).  I can't re-tell the messages better than they were told from the stage, though I will probably be visiting some of those topics in the near future on the blog.

On a similar note, I've been reading a great book this week (courtesy of Luci!) that I highly recommend called Start Your Family:  Inspiration for Having Babies (as if I need any inspiration).  It's by Steve and Candice Watters.  SYF isn't quite as "extreme" as Be Fruitful and Multiply (which I highly recommend as well).  Because of this, it is ideal to introduce more mainstream Christians to the almost-forgotten-in-evangelical-churches idea that children are a blessing from the Lord.  The Watters examine common fertility myths and reasons many couples delay children, and then give a compelling but fair look at why this is unnecessary, using statistics, anecdotes and most importantly Scripture in their conversational (and controversial) argument.



In their closing chapter, they include a quote from J.R. Miller's book Home-Making which I found particularly inspirational, and with which I will close:

It is a new marriage when the first-born enters the home.  It draws the wedded lives together in a closeness they have never known before.  It touches chords in their hearts that have lain silent until now.  It calls out powers that have never been exercised before.  Hitherto unsuspected beauties of character appear.  The laughing heedless girl of a year ago is transformed into a thoughtful woman.  The careless, unsettled youth leaps into manly strength and into fixedness of character when he looks into the face of his own child and takes it in his bosom.

New aims rise up before the young parents; new impulses begin to stir in their hearts.  Life takes on at once a new and deeper meaning.  The glimpse they have had into its solemn mystery sobers them.  The laying in their hands of a new and sacred burden, an immortal life, to be guided and trained by them, brings them to a sense of responsibility that makes them thoughtful.  Self is no longer the centre. There is a new object to live for, and object great enough to fill all their life and engross their highest powers.

Baby Blurbs

We returned from the Baby Conference this past Monday, and I keep meaning to sit down and write a long, reflective post on how wonderful it was, how inspiring and encouraging all the speakers were, how lovely it was to be surrounded by like-minded families....  Obviously this hasn't happened, so I thought I'd just write a couple of blurbs from the week instead, hopefully with more to come later.



First, thank you for telling me about yourselves on my last post!  It was great to get all those comments and find out a little more about my readers.  Btw, I LOVE getting comments, so don't feel like you need to wait until I ask to give them!  ;)

Like I've already said, the Baby Conference was such a blessing.  We were able to hang out with Luci and Randall quite a bit and get to know this awesome couple better.  It was so great being able to see Luci speak with Jennie Chancey!  She did splendidly, and really conveyed some much needed info to the audience.  It was also wonderful meeting up with some friends I'd met at the Father & Daughter Retreat, and of course getting to meet lots of like-minded families (and then hold their babies)!  I even met a lady and her family who I'd found only a few days before on an online home-steading forum!



If I had to pick a favorite thing about the conference, I think I would pick the fellowship with all the Christ-followers.  That's just something "radicals" like us don't get very often, and I can't tell you how encouraged we were just by seeing these other families who were following the straight and narrow path.  Of course the speakers were wonderfully articulate and inspirational (and, most importantly, scriptural), but you can get that on CDs--and in fact, we did.  But at conferences like these, you go for the fellowship, the communion with like-minded Christians who are willing to be extremely counter-cultural in order to follow Christ.



I encourage you to visit Vision Forum Ministries and read about the Baby Conference topics.  I encourage you even more strongly to consider purchasing the CDs (today is the last day of their introductory special).  I can't re-tell the messages better than they were told from the stage, though I will probably be visiting some of those topics in the near future on the blog.

On a similar note, I've been reading a great book this week (courtesy of Luci!) that I highly recommend called Start Your Family:  Inspiration for Having Babies (as if I need any inspiration).  It's by Steve and Candice Watters.  SYF isn't quite as "extreme" as Be Fruitful and Multiply (which I highly recommend as well).  Because of this, it is ideal to introduce more mainstream Christians to the almost-forgotten-in-evangelical-churches idea that children are a blessing from the Lord.  The Watters examine common fertility myths and reasons many couples delay children, and then give a compelling but fair look at why this is unnecessary, using statistics, anecdotes and most importantly Scripture in their conversational (and controversial) argument.



In their closing chapter, they include a quote from J.R. Miller's book Home-Making which I found particularly inspirational, and with which I will close:

It is a new marriage when the first-born enters the home.  It draws the wedded lives together in a closeness they have never known before.  It touches chords in their hearts that have lain silent until now.  It calls out powers that have never been exercised before.  Hitherto unsuspected beauties of character appear.  The laughing heedless girl of a year ago is transformed into a thoughtful woman.  The careless, unsettled youth leaps into manly strength and into fixedness of character when he looks into the face of his own child and takes it in his bosom.

New aims rise up before the young parents; new impulses begin to stir in their hearts.  Life takes on at once a new and deeper meaning.  The glimpse they have had into its solemn mystery sobers them.  The laying in their hands of a new and sacred burden, an immortal life, to be guided and trained by them, brings them to a sense of responsibility that makes them thoughtful.  Self is no longer the centre. There is a new object to live for, and object great enough to fill all their life and engross their highest powers.

March has been crazy busy ...

with a Teddy Bears' Picnic,

Easter Bonnet Parade, one with an Easter theme, one with a Weather theme and one with an Australiana theme,

a day out on the water for Christopher,

and a bit of game playing down time.

and Earth Hour.

There was also a bunch of knitting and a thrift store find, but that's going in another post.

Have a lovely Easter!

March has been crazy busy ...

with a Teddy Bears' Picnic,

Easter Bonnet Parade, one with an Easter theme, one with a Weather theme and one with an Australiana theme,

a day out on the water for Christopher,

and a bit of game playing down time.

and Earth Hour.

There was also a bunch of knitting and a thrift store find, but that's going in another post.

Have a lovely Easter!

Australia Day

We have really been out and about this month, in spite of the sweltering heat. Last weekend we spent a few days in the bush, only an hour or so down the road from our place. We enjoyed the opportunity to explore a little further than a day trip allows.

We paddled in creeks filled with guppies and water skaters. Josh was disappointed to discover that this version of paddling did not involve canoes. It was so hot, and our car airconditioner is once more on strike, so any accesible creeks were considered fair game to cool ourselves off.

My favourite spot was Natural Bridge, a fascinating arch and cave caused by a creek eroding the sand stone. There are glow worms, but they are not visible during daylight hours.

Outside looking into the cave.

Australia Day

We have really been out and about this month, in spite of the sweltering heat. Last weekend we spent a few days in the bush, only an hour or so down the road from our place. We enjoyed the opportunity to explore a little further than a day trip allows.

We paddled in creeks filled with guppies and water skaters. Josh was disappointed to discover that this version of paddling did not involve canoes. It was so hot, and our car airconditioner is once more on strike, so any accesible creeks were considered fair game to cool ourselves off.

My favourite spot was Natural Bridge, a fascinating arch and cave caused by a creek eroding the sand stone. There are glow worms, but they are not visible during daylight hours.

Outside looking into the cave.

Birthday Drive

Another birthday out of the way. This year we took the kidlets, crammed them into the car and forced them to endure some aimless wandering through the mountains behind Brisbane. The 'are we there yet's started about ten minutes in, while we were barely through to the other side of the city. The above photo was taken at Jolly's Lookout, on the way to Mount Nebo. We meandered up the mountains, drove in to Bellbird Grove to see if we could hear bellbirds (we didn't) then up through Boombana and Mount Nebo (so many bellbirds, as well as a whip bird!! Follow the links to hear their calls.) before having lunch at Mount Glorious. So aptly named!

Exploring a creek at Bellbird Grove

Some of the picnic grounds at Bellbird Grove.

Birthday Drive

Another birthday out of the way. This year we took the kidlets, crammed them into the car and forced them to endure some aimless wandering through the mountains behind Brisbane. The 'are we there yet's started about ten minutes in, while we were barely through to the other side of the city. The above photo was taken at Jolly's Lookout, on the way to Mount Nebo. We meandered up the mountains, drove in to Bellbird Grove to see if we could hear bellbirds (we didn't) then up through Boombana and Mount Nebo (so many bellbirds, as well as a whip bird!! Follow the links to hear their calls.) before having lunch at Mount Glorious. So aptly named!

Exploring a creek at Bellbird Grove

Some of the picnic grounds at Bellbird Grove.

Please forgive our absence. We have been ...

swimming ...

posing with cousins ...

watching our uncle wed his beautiful bride ...

winning an academic award for best marks in Year 3 and ...

graduating Prep!

We managed to squeeze a bout of gastro into our busy schedule without missing any of the important stuff. Now that's multitasking for you!

Please forgive our absence. We have been ...

swimming ...

posing with cousins ...

watching our uncle wed his beautiful bride ...

winning an academic award for best marks in Year 3 and ...

graduating Prep!

We managed to squeeze a bout of gastro into our busy schedule without missing any of the important stuff. Now that's multitasking for you!

Field Trip!

The younger two kids have been studying space this term. Today both classes went to the Planetarium, followed by a picnic lunch in the Botanical Gardens. I didn't get to photograph inside the planetarium, but I took plenty of pictures in the gardens.

The Japanese Garden is always gorgeous. I think the intention is that it is a peaceful place, but I have never been there without children intent on falling in the water features and generally explore every square inch of the garden.

The water features are so darn tempting!

These swamp hens were fun to watch. The two chicks just about went mad peeping when they noticed the turtle swimming beneath them. The turtle had no evil intentions, but the chicks fled anyway.

I can't resist photographing water lilies. It's all to do with my Monet fetish.

The tropical dome is filled with the same plants I see when I head north to Mum's place. The geometry of the dome, and the huge leafy plants are so lovely together.

But I do have a headache from spending the better part of the day staring at the ceiling.

Field Trip!

The younger two kids have been studying space this term. Today both classes went to the Planetarium, followed by a picnic lunch in the Botanical Gardens. I didn't get to photograph inside the planetarium, but I took plenty of pictures in the gardens.

The Japanese Garden is always gorgeous. I think the intention is that it is a peaceful place, but I have never been there without children intent on falling in the water features and generally explore every square inch of the garden.

The water features are so darn tempting!

These swamp hens were fun to watch. The two chicks just about went mad peeping when they noticed the turtle swimming beneath them. The turtle had no evil intentions, but the chicks fled anyway.

I can't resist photographing water lilies. It's all to do with my Monet fetish.

The tropical dome is filled with the same plants I see when I head north to Mum's place. The geometry of the dome, and the huge leafy plants are so lovely together.

But I do have a headache from spending the better part of the day staring at the ceiling.