Green's Bush Walk

Alex and I both love our hiking but we don't often get around to doing it as much as we'd like. We'd love to do more camping/hiking trips in the future so we thought we'd better keep up the habit. 

There are some great hikes available around the peninsula area so we thought we'd challenge ourselves with something closer to home. 

Green's bush sounded like a good idea and we picked a trail heading inland from Bushranger's Bay.

We arrived at the trail while it was still morning and quite cool which meant we saw lots of kangaroos and birds up close amongst the trees and ferns. 

It didn't take long for the sun to get a bit higher and jumpers were shed. It was still a cool day and we walked mostly in the shade of trees perfect for a nice long hike. 

The track was quite easy with gently sloping hills gradual in incline both up and down and we walked through trees and ferns as well as coming up over crests and seeing farmland far into the distance. 

Fungus growth seem to be a problem in lots of different parks at the moment and we've seen lots of signs warning not to stray from paths to avoid spreading these introduced species. It's hard not to admire the beauty and variety of these fungi even though they are a danger to our native plants. I certainly took the opportunity to test out the macro function on my camera. 

We walked the length of the park and came out on a road opposite picnic area, so we stopped and ate our lunch together. We rested for a while to let our food settle and chatted in the shade before heading back for the return journey. 

I haven't invested in proper hiking shoes yet and my pace was little slower as my knees began to complain. The slower pace meant I noticed more of the smaller creatures that crossed our path though. 

Now that it was early afternoon we saw less of the smaller birds but many of the trees were now filled with noisy black cockatoos. They are quite funny if you take the time to stop and watch for a while. 

Walking back through the ferns we saw a couple more stray kangaroos and we emerged back out of the bush to our waiting car. We spent the trip home in the tired but happy silence that usually follows an accomplished hike together. Especially one that was over 18 km in total. 

We will certainly be investing in some good hiking shoes now though as my knees suffered a bit for a few days.

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning- the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array."

Genesis 1:31-2:1

A Covenant

Here's some long awaited photos of our wedding day. 

If I took the time to write all that the day meant to us and what it felt like I'd never get this posted. So you'll have to be content with photos. 

Needless to say, I couldn't stop laughing the whole day and my face ached by the end of the day. We both wouldn't have changed a single thing about the day and appreciated all our friends and family celebrating with us. 

Jared was a fantastic celebrant and we are thankful for the time he took to prepare us for marriage. 

The ceremony was just how we both wanted it, a service of praise to God and a reflection on the covenant promises of love toward us. 

The very first decision we made the night we were engaged was to have "May the Mind of Christ My Saviour" sung at our wedding. It reflected perfectly for us the attitude of relying on Christ to be the center of our marriage and keeping our focus on becoming more like Him each day.  

The best bridal party ever! Jason and Kirsty, our closest childhood friends. Wouldn't want to share these special moments with anyone else. 

Another request we had was the following reading, as we look forward to that day with great anticipation. 

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

"Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

the Almighty reigns. 

Let us rejoice and exult

and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his Bride has made herself ready;

it was granted her to clothe herself

with fine linen, bright and pure"

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."

Revelation 19:6-9

Proposal

"When someone else's happiness is your happiness, that is love." 

- Lana Del Rey

For those of you who don't already know. Alex proposed on the 16th December. 

We have picked the 19th of March as our wedding date. 

All I can say is God has an amazing plan. It would take a lifetime to tell of our journey together and how God has brought us to this point in our lives. 

Yes, he picked it all by himself:).

 God's plans are always bigger and better than our own. 

Pray for us as we seek to make wise decisions in our wedding planning and glorify God with our upcoming marriage.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen"
Ephesians 3:20-21