Still here - Aria MacDonald

Still here

We are still here!

Our little family just got back from taking a holiday from taking a break.  We spent about 5 days in the beautiful Coromandel, Hahei to be exact.  So beautiful!  Of course technically it is winter.  But I now know that winter in Auckland really isn’t winter at all.  Real winter is blizzards and -30 C degrees!!

We holidayed with our nephews and Hamish’s sister and her husband.  The days were lively with 4 boys and all that that entails and the nights were filled with lots of talking, card playing and eating a bit to much yummy NZ chocolate.

We came back feeling refreshed and a feeling a bit better.

Right now we are trying to find a house back closer to town.  It is a frustrating job but we are trying to remember God will provide.  I feel guilty that I stress about this given how much God has done for us but after the 3rd phone call to a rude rental agent one can get discouraged.

Right now there are a billion things to post about.

Last night we watched a little video of Aria for the first time since she died.  We heard her voice and listened to her make a little joke and saw her smile.  We miss her so much.  I wished she was here.  Asher asked me today ‘Is Aria going to come back to the world and play playdoh with me?’  I wish Ashie, I wish.  But she is much happier in heaven.

37 Responses to “Still here”

  1. jess says:

    hope you guys can find a new home soon!

  2. Heather says:

    Lots of love
    p.s. we are still here too, so happy to hear from you on Aria’s page!

  3. Rachael Schlierike says:

    Hi Anita,
    Random total stranger here again lol, glad your feeling refreshed and a little better, it sounds like your taking one day at a time and small steps which is exactly what you should be doing. I hope the house hunting gets less frustrating and something comes up soon… much love to you and your family and you are always in my thoughts. Kind regards, Rachael

  4. Fiona McNair says:

    Howdy, yes it will take some time to settle back into some form of normality, whatever that is?? Do you have to find jobs etc again? The right house is out there waiting for you, won’t take long. Go well and take good care of each other, you certainly deserved to have a break away. All the best for whatever it is you want in the next chapter of your life……..Fi

  5. Rod & Margaret says:

    Dear Anita, Hamish & Asher, so good to hear you have had a holiday break with family. You came to mind only this morning and I reached out in thought hoping that we would hear from you soon and wondering how you were doing. (Thanks Lord!) We will never forget dear little Aria and the journey we shared together. Do hope you are successful very soon getting a house nearer to town – we will pray about this one. Love & blessings, Margaret & Rod xx

  6. Leeann says:

    You are all still in my thoughts and prayers. It must’ve been so hard to watch that video of Aria.

  7. Bronwyn says:

    You will never forget her, nor should you. Will pray the next steps get easier.

  8. Olivia(Wellington,NZ) says:

    Best of luck to you all. You continue to be part of my prayers each and every night; exactly what I said in my tribute for Aria at her funeral. God has a plan,everything happens for a reason and I am sure something will come up when the time is right.

  9. iliganoa says:

    Hi guys,
    So glad you had a wonderful break with family, pray you find that special flat you can feel comfortable in.
    Come and see us at Redeemer, I have just arrived from 2 weeks holiday as well.
    God bless you abundantly Anita, Ashe and Hamish
    lol Mama Noa.

  10. Vikki Bland says:

    Welcome back from the Coromandel dear Anita. I am so happy you had that time away and have come back a little refreshed. We are still here too, and sending you a ton of love. We will remember Aria – her songs and her smile – ALWAYS.She is certainly forever in my heart.I pray you will find the perfect home just where you need it to be. Much love X

  11. Julia aka j-j says:

    Awwwwwww Asher, :'(

  12. Joan Marshall says:

    So very good to hear from you again Anita and I just love HaHei. We go up there most Christmas holidays for a few days and it is a wonderful place. You sound refreshed, defeated, improved but not quite right. So glad you were able to watch a video of Aria. She is always with you and to see and hear her is a great part of the grief process. Lots of warm fuzzies!

  13. Sandie (and Maureen) says:

    So pleased to hear that you enjoyed your time in Coromandel.It is a very special place to relax and “destress”.
    You are still in our thoughts and we hope that you manage to find a new house before too long.Take care

  14. Genevieve says:

    Will be praying for a home for you, really hope you can find the perfect place soon! xx

  15. fiona says:

    One step at a time- that’s all you can do Enjoy the happy moments and get thru the sad and difficult ones. I pray that God will bring you and the right house together- and you will know it is His doing. Peace to you all

  16. Lisa Robertson says:

    I hear you re those rental agents… They don’t make it easy do they? Y’all still firmly in our thoughts. Much love xxxx

  17. Viv says:

    So glad that you have had a lovely holiday. It’s great to get updates on how life is and what is happening for your family. None of us will forget Aria.

  18. H Wilkie says:

    So glad you had time out xxx Love to Asher and you guys, yes Arias happier in heaven waiting for her family, our life on earth is but a breath eternity is where it matters xxx

  19. Coralie says:

    Thank you so much for keeping us informed, I miss Aria so much and that beautiful smile stays with me. Hope you find the right accommodation soon.

    Thinking of you all with love.
    Coralie xx

  20. Christine says:

    Great to hear you’ve all had some time away together and are feeling a bit better. I’m with Ashie. 🙁 Wish you all the best with house-hunting, it’s never easy at the best of times. Aaargh, real estate agents! I think they’re from another planet! 🙂

  21. Cary Farrington (GRC) says:

    Thank you so much for sharing your life. Such an amazing faith in an amazing God. Thank you Jesus.

  22. Joyce says:

    It was nice to hear what is going on in your life these days. I still think of you all and pray for the best for you. May things get better each day.

  23. Belinda (LF-Aus) says:

    We are still here as well just waiting to hear from you guys! lol 😉

  24. Alexis and Rubina says:

    We want some New Zealand Chocolates too! Glad to hear from you Anita. Give Asher a high five from us. Why would rental agents be rude? Don’t they need and want your business?

    Next time start off with this: Hello, my name is Anita and I’m looking for a knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful agent to do business with. Have I reached the right number? Thank goodness because I prefer not to do business with people who are rude or unkind.

    Good luck! Glad to hear you have had plenty of unwinding time, and that you no longer have to suffer through the Nebraskan winters.

    Take care and stay in touch!

  25. Tiffany Keller says:

    Sounds like you had a great time! 🙂 Lol, yeah winter is “interesting” in America. I would rather have a NZ winter! Sorry to hear that you are dealing with rude rental people. They need to be more curteous, if they want more business! Poor Asher! I’m sure someday, in heaven, he’ll get to play playdoh with Aria again. God Bless!

  26. Taryn says:

    You’re so often in my thoughts and prayers. So glad you had some refreshment with family!

  27. Cousins Kathleen & Anita says:

    Only yesterday I was hoping we would hear from you soon. We’ll be praying about the house. There IS one out there just tailor-made for the McDonald family! Lord, lead them to the agent who has their house.

  28. Cork and Carol says:

    Ah yes, winters in Nebraska are indeed harsh as summer has been this year. Glad you are enjoying NZ weather and a time away! I have a picture of Aria on my desk in the kitchen and think of her and her marvelous family often. Praying for that home for you all! Love you heaps!

  29. Jan P. says:

    Hi
    Lovely to hear from you and pleased to hear that you are feeling better. It is such a journey that you are going on but you are all always in my thoughts and prayers. Take it from me who has endured the loss of two of our children. That you guys are amazing and so strong and god will provide so your house will be just the perfect one WHEN it comes along. You will notice how raw you are and that you don’t tolerate stupid people who are being rude, it goes to the core. Love to you all Jan.

  30. jen says:

    pleased you had a nice holiday with family 🙂

    I pray you find somewhere nice to live real soon with a nice rental company

    thinking of you all

  31. Angie says:

    So good to hear from you. Thanks for writing.

  32. lisa says:

    So so lovely to hear from you! I miss Aria so much. I think about her every day and all of you. You are always in my thoughts and prayers as you continue on your journey through grief and trying to rebuild your lives. God Bless you xoxoxoxox

  33. Linda Crosbie says:

    So glad you had a break away in the Coromandel. I was there two weeks ago for the first time in my life. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful part of NZ so close to Auckland. I so hope you find a house soon. If I hear of any place I will let you know. The video of Aria sounds so cute and must have been hard for you to watch. I know you will cherish, honour and celebrate Aria’s life everyday and watching the videos will be a reminder of the lessons Aria has taught many of us that have followed her journey. Much love to you all. Xxxx

  34. black hat tools says:

    Twiterizer Application http://ow.ly/69GLq?e=396l14

  35. Salvador Gershman says:

    I got so much information from here 😀

  36. Tonette Zakrzewski says:

    Thanks 😀

  37. toms shoes says:

    These all YouTube gaming video clips Still here – Aria MacDonald are actually in good quality, I watched out all these along with my friends.

Leave a Reply

Support Aria

There are many ways that you can support Aria.

  • Bank deposit
  • Cheque by post
  • Contact us directly
Subscribe to updates

Delivered by FeedBurner

Fundraising progress

Aria's support to date:

Progress meter: 75%

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”- Jeremiah 29:11