Snow Time

I know I know! I know that at the beginning of the year I set myself a goal to write at least one blog every week.  To date I have kept up with meeting that goal but tonight you will have to forgive me as I make this one nearly all photos. (its not really cheating)  I am just far too tired, fighting off a nasty cough and have not long got home from a lovely weekend away.

We were blessed to be able to take the kids away for the weekend and also make a trip to the snow. First time ever for all of the kids!  It was a real treat too!

The following is some photos of our time at the snow!

Checking out the amazing view from a pit stop on the way up the mountain!

I have to say Jesse wasn't entirely impressed with his snow outing.

Perhaps it was because his mother forgot his bag with his gloves in it and he was forced to wear his cousins pink socks as gloves!

One of my little snow bunnies!

Not impressed at all!!

Unfortunately (or fortunately) this was as far as we got up the mountain as the road was closed to normal vehicles and only with chains or 4wds were allowed up!

The main goal for the day was snowman making!

Wee snowmen were popping up everywhere!!

Of course the boys main aim was to throw snowballs at each other but mainly at Dad!

Something is missing......not sure what though!

Oh there we go, it had to have sunglasses and pink ones at that!!

 Jaydens master piece!!

After our trip to the snow we had a lovely soak in the hot pools too! Bliss!

It was a great weekend and like all weekends away, it wasn't long enough!

What did you do this weekend??

Last Night Together

You will have to excuse me if I miss any spacebar mistakes that I may miss when re-reading this blog as my 20mth old has pried off the space bar and hid it. We since have found it but its not working like it should - you now have to make an conscious effort to use strength in your thumb for it to work.  He has been doing things like that lately- scally wag!   Today I found the remote to the DVD machine floating upside down in the bath. Fortunately that still works or it was going to be bye-bye DVD machine because you need the remote to work it.  Yesterday it was another remote that had to rescued from the clutches of Jesse who was heading out to the sandpit.  I wonder what I will find where tomorrow?

So tonight it most likely the last night my wee man Jesse and I will have together.  I am sad, so sad. But also maybe a little teeny weeny tiny bit excited. Maybe about 0.5%.  Tomorrow he will be vacating our bedroom.(insert sad face here) Currently we have a giant bed between the three of us, being Jamie, Me and Jesse, a single bed pushed up against the wall and our queen bed jammed up against that.  I can roll and moved between my bed and Jesse's bed with somewhat ease and makes for midnight "uggles" (Jesse's word for cuddle) and hand-holding especially easy.  I will miss that.

But as much as I will miss it, he needs to move in plenty of time for him to get used to being in the same room with big boys and not right next to me before this next wee bubba comes along. I can't work out how I was going to bed-share with one husband, one toddler and a newborn. So with ten, eleven or twelve weeks to go before that happens now is the time. sigh! OH how I hate this!

30 week pregnant silhouette!

Fortunately I have a super duper husband that is prepared to spend the next week sleeping in a bed next to Jesse's in the room with two of the big boys. He is good like that.  And me I will get to have the entire bed to myself, be able to turn on the light at night, maybe even READ before I go to sleep AND be able to slip out of the side of the bed at night (as most pregnant ladies do multiple times a night) and not have to crawl down to the end of the bed to get out.  Now that I am looking forward to.

I ao enjoy sleeping with my children, especially my babies close to me, literally within arms reach. I enjoy listening to their breathing and their gorgeous sleeping sounds.  I love that when they are wee I don't have to get out of bed and up to feed them, we can just cuddle and fall back to sleep together.  I love that their sweet chubby fingers curl around mine or rest against my cheek and their tiny body molds itself into mine. It is so beautiful, so peaceful.  I will miss him, like I have missed all my others.

I know that this isn't everybody's cup of tea or idea of how babies and children should sleep or be put to bed and that's OK. But this works for us and our family and we will never change it.  You best be praying for me (and for Jesse) that this is a smooth transition.

Sleeping so peacefully!

To Death with Superwomen!!

I cried today. Sat on the floor and cried. Not because I was sad or happy which is quite the norm for me but because my house was messy.  And I mean REALLY messy and I just didn't have it in me to tidy it.  So I cried.  I am such a baby.  I know that sitting on the bedroom floor isn't going to get my house tidy but it felt like the only thing that could be done as I surveyed the Sunday damage.  I call it Sunday damage because it is at its worst on a Sunday. Hey you try and get 8 people of various ages, with conflicting clothing preferences and hair style issues out the door to be on time or even early to church. Todays damage is made worse by a busy week and the kids having friends over which inevitably creates a hiccup in the household routine. (Definitely not saying that they were particularly messing or anything). My missing beater was found half licked in the flannel drawer, my washing of three days ago is still unfolded on the window seat and I let my one year old fall asleep in front of the Wiggles in his high chair.  Today has been one of those days!

People often comment to me (once they find out how many children I have) that I must be superwomen.  I should invite them to come and look around my house. I am not superwomen.  Actually I don't really like the term. Whether they intend it or not, it comes across that they think I am actually better than they are.  So not true!  Definitely not true!  I live my life and they live theirs and we each deal with whatever our lives consist of. 1...2....3 or even 13 children.  We are all coping, dealing with and living our lives to the best of our ability on any given day! When we label someone with a Superwoman status or put them on a pedestal we are actually being unfair on them by not really allowing them to be 'human' and have bad days AND at the same time we are lowering ourselves and what we are dealing with and accomplishing to the level of nothing special, nothing amazing. We are all amazing! We all ROCK!!

Yes I have six children (soon to be seven)  I love each of them dearly just like a lady with 2 children.  My bad days are just as bad as yours as are my good days. There have been days where I could of called them 'Days from you know where!'  I think back to them now and I can most laugh as I reminisce.  Like the day when I only had 3 children, my then 4, and 2 year old climbed and got a can of bright blue paint out of the shed, used a screwdriver to pry the lid open, found a pair of paint brushes and proceeded to paint the back of the garage 'bathroom bright blue'!  The garage that belonged to the landlord!  Superwomen was nowhere in sight!

Or the day when I was sitting in the doctors office with my 4 year old who was having an asthma attack, my two year old was terrorizing the room and touching everything in sight probably making sterile things unsterile with dribble and my 5 month olds bottom exploded and poo oozed out of his nappy, all up his back and down his leg and through out his car seat and was screaming because he didn't like it.  I am pretty sure the nursing staff was about to order me straitjacket! Either that or order me a whiskey. Superwomen - nonexistent!

Or the time when I was bravely stupidly grocery shopping with my 4 and 2 year old and I had a 4 month old strapped to my chest (fortunately the 6 year old was in school then) and the 4 and 2 year old were running riot as they tend to do.  They ran ahead of me and the 4 year proceeded to bite chunks out of deli cheeses.  I had a number of cheese in my shopping that day, expensive cheeses at that!  Superwomen - who is she?

Those are just three times in a whole raft of occasions where superwomen was nowhere to be found and she isn't around today either.   In fact I don't know her very well at all.  We women can be our own worst enemies and we can be good at tearing each other down too.  I remember just after I had my first baby I was just getting into the swing of motherhood (actually I still am) and I used to have a competition with the mother across the fence from me to see who could get their washing out first in the morning.  Of course she didn't know she was having a competition with me, but she always won! Grrrr.  Every morning I would feel like a terrible mother who was doing a terrible job. I am not sure anyone ever set that the benchmark for mothering, that was to see who could get their washing on the line first in the neighborhood.  It wasn't until much later that I discovered her hanging her washing out the night before!  Hmmmm CHEAT!

So if I or anyone else looks like they have it altogether. Stop and think its probably because of one of these things....
1) Been there done that!  A tantrum in the supermarket isn't that scary and terrible when you have had to deal with 67 supermarket tantrums before.

2) I am faking it til I make it! I am probably silently swearing inside my head or thinking of how I can get my kids back when we get home all the while smiling an angelic smile. I also probably have an already opened packet of TimTams biscuits that one of the kids have opened on the way around the supermarket and I have bribed them all into being good with a lollipop at the checkout.

3) I have older kids too!  Yes they maybe large in number but at least half of them can take themselves off to the toilet, know the meaning of the word 'no' (well sort of), can hold a crying baby and know where to look for the cans of crushed tomatoes if need be!

4) And I probably left my house in such a state that even CSI would have trouble making heads or tails of it.

But in saying all that....there are times where I do feel somewhat superwomen-ish!  Like when I have totally owned the huge washing pile that has been sitting there all week!  Boom - I have my cape on!  Or the time when I had succeeded in cleaning up the kitchen floor after my son vomited all over it and my waters broke on top of the vomit with my husband not home yet!  Boom - I am working that leotard!

Truth is we all have terrible times as parents, times where we can't see the wood through the trees and we think we are the only ones dealing (and reacting) to such things.  But we all have our superwomen moments where we winning at this mothering thing.  A round of applause and a big hand for all of us!

10 Things I have Learnt as a Parent

As a Mama to 6, soon to be 7 beautiful blessings there are somethings well actually a lot of things I have learnt over the past 13 years.  Wow 13 years!  Yes my eldest turned 13 just a few weeks back.

My handsome 13 year old!!

A bitter sweet moment, as we all love to watch our children grow but it definitely makes me sad because time does go so fast.  Too fast.  I know 13 years it not really that long and that their are a huge number of mothers out there who have been mothering a lot longer than I.  Not only that, there are probably a huge number of mothers that are far more evolved in their mothering journey than I too.  BUT  there are lessons that I have learnt over my 13 years that I thought I would share with you, my readers.  Shall I share....

1.   Parent as it feels right to you.  DO NOT parent for anyone else.  For far too long I parented my first one, two, three children for other people.  Probably because I didn't have a lot of confidence in myself and I was too busy trying to raise perfect children to please others and to make myself look good.  Over time I have learnt to trust in myself, trust in my children and go by what my Mama heart feels is right for my children.  I wouldn't go as far to say that there isn't a wrong way to parent because I do believe there is a wrong way.  But if you honestly have your children's best interests at heart then you are doing great!  By all means read the books, listen to the 'experts' and talk to Grandma but YOU make the decisions that are best for YOUR children.  YOU know them best!

2.   Your children will help you rediscover your sense of wonder!  I love watching small children as they discover the world around them. From the leaky hose to the garden full of earthworms, everything is exciting and amazing to them.  If you let them they will teach you how to be amazed by and appreciate the very small to the gigantic world around us.  This of course may mean you get dirtier and wetter and totally out of your comfort zone than ever before but that can only be good for us can't it!?

3.  You will be embarrassed by your children - many many times!  Actually I think they are created with the ability to force us to leave our dignity behind. From poo-ing through their nappy AND their clothes AND our clothes in front of the corporate-friend-with-no-kids-who-thinks-they-have-all-the-answers-that-you-haven't-seen-for-ages to biting giant chunks out of a number of deli cheeses forcing you to buy said deli cheeses and vomiting on the carpet and all over you at the doctors surgery to THEY WILL EMBARRASS YOU!  Get use to it.......and you will!

4.   Children are people too.  Yes I think we all know that but do we act like it - I don't know.  It really should go without saying really but you will be amazed at how many people don't realize that they aren't extending the same respect to their children as they do to every other adults in the their life.  Really in a nutshell we shouldn't really be speaking to and doing to our children that we wouldn't be saying or doing to any other adult. Sadly for some reason that is a really touchy subject for a lot of people to get their head. around and even sadder some people will severely disagree with me.

5.  You will find yourself saying the most ridiculous things ever!! Things like"Please get your feet off the cheese" (actually it was damn cheese if I am honest).  "Please don't chase your brother with that plank of wood."  "Turn the drop saw off, now!!"  "Please stop making snowmen out of your mashed potato." "No you cannot buy eggs and sell them out the gate" "You don't need to stab your sister with a pencil" "Get the drawer out of the bath - it is not a boat"  and "Stop drinking the tomato sauce!"  I could go on and on and on.  I have plenty of them.  I use to think my children were exceptionally unusual but since realised ALL children are the same.

6.   Children's sense of imagination is NEVER-ENDING and will continue to amaze you (and entertain you) but only if you let it.  I love hearing my children play games, build stuff, create worlds, and invent characters but with all this imagining going it may mean one thing for you. You are going to have to listen to them even when you can't be bothered.  You just might have to stop and listen patiently while they explain the ins and outs of their latest lego creation.  Or it may mean you might have to incorporate a pumpkin person into their daily lives.  Or sometimes it may mean that you just have to laugh and move on.  Tonight Sophie told me that she just couldn't eat her "Mr Meat Pattie" friend that she had created on her dinner plate buy squirting on a smiley face onto her meat pattie.  A very clever way of getting out of eating her dinner I thought.

These imaginary friends lasted a good few days before they went back to being....well play doh and pumpkins!

7.  You will be cleaning up messes in places that you never thought could possible .  From smeared poo to vomit, squished play-doh to hair died in tomato sauce. I have had snot-covered sultanas and sparkly pink beads up noses and chewing gum in hair.  Paint and mud covered bodies and sand down pants.  You name it I have cleaned it. But no matter how many messes you clean up there is always another one not too far away.

8.  As mothers (and as fathers) we are all on the same team - well we should be anyway.  We have all embarked on the worlds toughest mission - parenthood.  There should be no labels, no us versus them but TEAM US!!!  Unfortunately right from the get go we are divided and boxed up into our (often self) given labels.  Normal birth vs C-section birth, Hospital birth vs Home birth, Vaccinators vs Non-vaccinators, Breast feeders vs Bottle feeders, Cot-sleepers vs Co-sleepers, Home schoolers vs Mainstream school, again I could go on and on. Coffee groups and friendships have ended over these labels. None of that matters! Well it shouldn't.  I know we believe that what we do is the right way to do it and that is why we do it but don't be so arrogant it's definitely not the only way of doing it.  We all make the decisions based on what we think is right (hopefully)  and that is our right as parents.   I really do go out of my way to encourage ALL mothers (and fathers) on this amazing journey of parent-hood no matter what 'box' they may fit into.  A little bit of positive encouragement can go along way and we all need that from time to time.

9.  You are never alone. NEVER!  Unless of course your children are out for the day.  Don't try and sneak a chocolate biscuit when you think they are outside because they will walk in and catch you.  Making a phone call while the kids are around - near impossible!  I have found myself hiding in my bathroom with my foot jammed up against it so whoever is banging on the door can't get it, all while talking on the phone.  Going to the toilet alone is no longer a right, its a reward!  Little fingers under the door, small eyes as an audience, important questions like "Can I have a biscuit?" or "Can I paint my face?" being fired at you through the door.  I'll even admit I have had sad little people sit on my knee while......ok ok too much information!!  You will learn the art of having a conversation over and above WWIII, a game of chase, a nerf gun war zone and pre-dinner madness.

10.   You will never laugh as hard, cry as much, be as angry, worry as much, lose as much sleep, be as tired. You will never be as proud, as happy, or as fearful. You will never hurt as much, sacrifice as much, and LOVE as much as you do now.  You will know the true meaning of unconditional love like never have before. There is nothing that these little blessings will and can do, that would change how much you love them. You will experience such joy and passion just from the smallest things but they will be the biggest things in the world to you. From little arm squeezes around your neck to sweet butterfly kisses on your cheek. From the playful arm punch to the endearing message from your now teenage son. These are the things that matter, that keep us going in all those tough times.  Those are things are fuel for our hearts.

What things have you learnt along your journey?

Taking it Slow

My boys latest craze at present is the 'Slow Mo Guys', and if you have never heard of them you can be forgiven because I would be totally in the dark if it weren't for my boys.  Check them out here on YouTube if you like they are actually quite fascinating!    The Slow Mo Guys   They are a couple of guys that take videos of random stuff E.g Watermelon vs Rubber bands, video it and then slow it down, right down until its almost frame by frame.  There is probably a technical term for this but I have no idea and my boys aren't here for me to ask.   My boys have even had a go at making their own Slow Motion Video of dropping a water balloon from a height, filming it, editing it and posting it on YouTube.  

 I am uh-em 36 years old, so I have been around for a few years, we had dogs as pets growing up, my Dad used to show dogs, friends have dogs, and neighbors have dogs.  Farmers have dogs, there are dogs on the street and in the park. They are everywhere!!  And in all my life I did not know that this was how they drank.  Sure I knew they lapped water with their tongues but that's as far as it went.  It wasn't until I saw this video that had been slowed down virtually frame by frame that I could actually clearly see how they drank.

So while I was hanging out the washing yesterday I was thinking about this concept, the concept of slowing things down and how things become so much clearer and how you notice so much more of a seemingly small everyday concept.

Watch that video again and you can see the air bubbles that enter the water on his tongue. You can see every drop and droplet of water. You can see the texture of his nose and the minuscule hairs on the end of it

At the risk of being incredibly cheesy, one could learn a very important life lesson from this concept of Slow Motion, of slowing things down. Everyone's life is busy and there is really no way around being busy unless you make a purposeful effort, a conscious effort.  Whether you are a working Mama or a Stay-at-Home Mama, a student or an empty nester, everyone is busy.  But the thing with being this busy all the time is that we can't, we don't notice the small stuff, the seemingly unimportant stuff.

Slow down would you and I mean S-L-O-W D-O-W-N!  You don't really need to check your phone right now, to check Facebook this instant and you don't really need to vacuum that floor again.  You don't really need to fold that washing right now, not all the time.  What are you missing out on?  What are you not noticing? What aren't you seeing clearly?

My challenge to you is to take some time everyday, just once a day and just stop and be. Go and be with your husband, be with your Mum or Dad, be with your teenager, be with your little one cuddled up on your knee, maybe even be with the one that you carry inside you. Just be.

What do you feel?  What do you notice?  What can you see? What can you hear?  What can you sense?

Stop thinking about what is for tea or what you are going to bake next week for the school bake sale. Stop thinking about how you have just noticed dust under the computer desk or what you are wearing to work tomorrow.

 Just STOP, Breath and Be.

Notice the wind on your cheeks, the crunch of grass under your feet, the curls at the nape of your little boys neck.  Notice the smattering of freckles across your daughters face and how she licks the ice cream off her top lip. Listen to your teenager as you lie on their bed as they do their homework, paint her nails while you are there.  See your sons face when he masters a BMX jump or proudly finishes the lawns for you.  Smell the sweet salty scent of your toddlers head after they have been playing out in the sun.  Breath in the perfume of lined-dried-in-the-sun washing as you gather it in by the armfuls.   Notice the glistening beads of water  sprinkled sporadically on the broccoli after a shower of rain.  Hear the song of the Cicadas and the chatter of the birds as the bed down for the night.

I really could go on and on but my point is, is that there is so much for the noticing, and hearing, the seeing and the experiencing but it can only happen if you slow down.  

You and your life will be richer and fuller for it.

Its called LIVING LIFE!

Just Across the Road

Its maize season around these parts which makes for free entertainment for little people, especially little people that love cool big trucks and monster like tractors. I have to admit even I find them pretty fascinating. I wonder what it would be like to be at the controls of such a powerful beast?? I am such lady, aren't I?

We were fortunate to be just across the road from this paddock, although I am not sure if the people whose washing was on the line when the dust was stirred up were thinking that exact same thing.

Little boys in gumboots are just adorable!!

Can't say the same thing for the shoes that I am sporting though.

I love Maize harvesting season. I am not entirely sure why that is but I find it somewhat comforting seeing and hearing the big trucks, tractors and combine harvesters driving our roads and paddocks nearly twenty-four hours a day.

 I probably wouldn't feel that if they were out my bedroom window at two in the morning.

We are in desperate need of rain. Farms are looking bare, brown and very sad.  It is hard to imagine that in a few short months though they will be long, lush, green and delicious looking.

 (if you were a cow of course).

                               

 I love finding simple experiences that aren't too far from home that the kids can observe and do.  Simple everyday experiences.  I don't ever want to be too busy or too overwhelmed with life that I might miss such a simple everyday but intriguing activity.  I don't ever want to be too preoccupied with the to-do list that I don't walk my kids across the road and watch the harvester harvest.  I don't ever want to not notice again.  My kids were taken with the gigantic machinery and spent a good while just watching them go about their business, waiting for them to come back around and waving at the drivers through the dust cloud.  

Simple. 

Whats been happening in your neighborhood?

In My Life This Month 2.

I feel I have so much to say, so much to tell you that I have decided to do an 'In My Life This Month' post. Whether or not anyone finds it interesting remains to be seen though.  July is one of those months that I just wished it hurried up and finish. And while there are aspects of winter that is fun and unique to the season I generally don't like winter very much at all. Too much mud, too much washing, too many foggy and grey days and so on and so on.  I do however love having the fire roaring every night and sometimes just sometimes getting to sit and relax with a cup of coffee right next to it.

So anyway
In My Life This Month......

In our home school.......

Since its the school holidays no 'school' work has been done, well certainly not in the formal sense. There is no way my kids would want to do 'school work' while everyone else is on holiday. Funny thing, I get asked that question all the time "Do you do school holidays too?"  Even though we are officially on holiday (even Dad is) doesn't mean no learning hasn't taken place.  We have been Geocaching and learnt about local history, deciphering clues, co-ordinates and riddles (logic).

Possibly the worlds smallest Geocache!

 

We have been very busy in the garden too. From putting top soils into our established gardens to erecting a 'glass house' to planting bulbs, plants and seeds. All which are doing well. (Apart from the lettuce who had their heads and most of their bodies nibbled off by naughty rabbits)

 

 Sophie was so excited to be planting the crop of garlic on her own!  She is especially excited now they have poked their heads up above the ground.

 

 

Helpful Home school Tips or Advice

 

Ummm... I don't know about advice but I am currently working on Pre-planning, Preparation and Time Management.  I am currently waiting for a couple of books to arrive from Fishpond. One being 'The Arrow and the Apple' which is about the story of William Tell. I am planning to feather out a unit study based around that book since my boys are totally archery mad!  The other book is 'The Giant Jam Sandwich' is which I will feather out a unit study for Kaitlyn and probably Sophie even though she is only 4 as she hates to be left out.  We will look at Wasps, Teamwork, Map-skills, Community and of course Chemistry in the Kitchen (aka Jam making and bread making). Exciting. I am really looking forward to it.

 

I am inspired by....

 

Beautiful Women and Real Friendships,  Stunning views from my window every morning, Inspiring Blogs about 'Gentle Parenting',  'Real Food' and 'Purposeful Living'.   Newborn calves born right outside our window, bright red flowers on our Camellia Hedge,  and our three pet puddle-ducks.

 

 

Places we are going and people we are seeing...

 

So apart from our geocaching jaunts and soccer games, we have been to visit family who are in the midst of calving season.

 

And I was super blessed to be able to hang out with some lovely women at a precious friends 'Mother Blessing' or 'BlessingWay'. This is an alternative to the common Baby Shower where the focus is more on the mother and the momentous and sacred occasion that is about to happen.

 



She enjoyed a deliciously thick hot-choc while we decorated her pregnant belly with henna art!



 

This candle is decorated with coloured thread that each women chose and tied around it.  She can light this when she is in labour and know that these beautiful women of strong faith will be praying for her.   

 

 

My favourite thing this month...

 

School holidays! Our garden slowly coming to life. On-going games of Scrabble and the occasional game of Memory.

 

What is working for us.....

Bedroom inspections! Even if a bribe is being offered.  At least they are tidy.

 

What isn't working for us.....

The price of petrol!  It is such a downer.  Being on a limited income every kilometre is taken into account.

 

Questions/Thoughts I have....

I have always thought about writing a book, but would anyone read it? (ok so now the secret is out)  How do I squeeze more out of my day?  I wonder when Jesse will start eating? Is it worth hanging out my washing today? Where can I find a milking goat?

 

Things I am working on....

Eliminating the words 'Hurry up' out of my vocabulary, especially when interacting with my children. Folding my washing everyday...yes I am still working on that.  Being better prepared for school this term.   Ordering my thoughts into action and then completing them.

 

Things I am reading...

Book last read:     The Externally Focused Church by Rick Rusaw & Eric Swanson

                              "How can your church get the attention of your community?" 

Current Book:      The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene

                              "A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated Children"

To Read:               Mission Girl by Fleur Beale

                              Heroes of the Holocaust by Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun

 

I am cooking...

We have been challenged recently by a number of sources to cut down on the amount of sugar we consume. Not that we were particularly bad but like most people we could certainly do better.  So I have been making a conscious effort to reduce by at least half the amount of sugar I use in baking.  Fortunately we do have an abundant supply of honey so I can afford to have a dollop or two of honey to sweeten things up a bit if need be.

 

I was pretty proud of this batch of biscuits which are both sugar and dairy free. I was making up the recipe as I went along replacing the butter with Peanut Butter (which happens to have half the amount of fat that butter has) and two dollops of honey (harvested from Poppa Peters hives). Best of all the kids like them, so I am pretty happy with that.



 

 

This pizza was made the other day from left over roast chicken and roast potatoes and kumara. Hmmmm was really good too. When you use up all the leftovers from a meal like that I feel like I am getting a meal for free.

 

 

 

I am grateful for....

- Our house. Its large enough to fit us all in and not be standing on each other too much during these winters months.

- Firewood. Friends with trees chopped down have kindly kept us in supply of firewood for the winter.

- Health. Up until today we have been quite healthy. Casey has had a spot of asthma and today Jesse was discovered to have Bronchiolitis (sad face here).

- Gods Continual Provision. Much to the amazement of others (and occasionally ourselves) we are still living on next to nothing.  We have been in some very scary places but have gotten through them by the grace of God.

 

I am praying for....

Healing for Casey and Jesse.

Gods continual provision

To know Gods will for us as we continue to venture forth on our journey.

Wisdom and direction for 'home schooling' and other extra-curricular activities.

 

 

Day in the life photos..

  





Biggest Brother and Littlest Brother

 

What happens when the kids have a real life baby to role play with.  Jesse happily complied and was content to lie in there for ages.

  

Someone has not only mastered the art of crawling but pulling himself up to standing. With one hand even!  So clever!

 

Google and YouTube is a marvellous thing!

Here is our attempt at making a wee stove out of a tin can.

 

The beautiful view off our deck!

I wonder how many babies will be born today.

 

Again Google is a wonderful thing....

We re purposed an old down pipe into a chicken feed dispenser and it worked a treat. 

 

Feeling very self-sufficient indeed!

 

Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. it means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” - Unknown



 

 What has been happening in your life this July?