Fresh and Free!!

When ones income is cut by more than half one has to think outside the square, make some cuts and adjustments in the budget and pray lots!  I thought that I budgeted before but now whoa...its all on now!
Food is where a BIG portion of our income goes in our family...so I had to make some major adjustments to our weekly shop.    I think you will find in most peoples shopping there are things that if you are truly truly honest with yourself, you really don't actually need.   

Something thats comes to mind is 'Baking Paper'.  Yes I know its only $3 or $4 BUT its $3 or $4 that I don't need to spend.  So its back to the Grandma way of making tins and trays non-stick.  Grease the tray or tin with a little bit of butter and then shake flour all over it. Then bang the excess flour off over the sink!  Wa-lah! You have home made "baking paper"!

Its all those little things. Every little bit counts.

One of the things that I am most grateful for is our garden and chickens and all the fresh food that it provides us.  God is amazing.

Here is what we have been getting...

Courgettes, Zucchini or if left long enough Marrow!

Cucumber (pretend you can't see the weeds)

Crunchy Carrots

Cherry Tomatoes

BIG BEAUTIFUL and RED Tomatoes!

and our feathered friends...

Have been giving us these!

Put them all together and you have a very very YUMMY Quiche!  There is nothing like going out into the garden and picking your own food, its like getting free food!  God is so AWESOME!  I am just wishing that we had a house cow because the amount of milk that we go through in our house is huge. We should have shares in the Dairy Company I tell you! I am however, looking forward to getting some of the honey out of our bee hive. We had a wee taste the other day and it was G O O D!

What have you got growing in your garden?

"But if each man could have his own house, a large garden to cultivate and healthy surroundings - then, I thought, there will be for them a better opportunity of a happy family life." - George Cadbury

Sunshine Fun

Sometimes you just have to get out and do something.  Sometimes its the best thing, even though you may just want to stay put, hide, do nothing but wallow......Doesn't it look good!

So we did do something...it was time for some Sun Fun courteous of Budds 1.

A day out on the water (or in the water)

and what a beautiful day it was too!  The sun was shining, the boat on the water, the kids decked out in togs and life jackets, and picnic baskets, chilly bins and the BBQ set up.

For some breakfast was the first thing on the agenda.

Uncle Cody enjoying pancakes at the lake!

and for some time to just sit and be!

There is nothing like watching your kids have fun, laughing and enjoying themselves.  I so dearly love that my children enjoy being with their cousins and are totally comfortable with their

 Aunty and Uncles.

Cousins Libby and Josh and their neighbour

Wee Sophie (2) just loved being out on the boat. She must of found it soothing because she feel asleep a couple of times.  She even had a go at biscuiting with her Dad (didn't catch it in a photo-darn it) and she LOVED it.  I thought she was very brave!

 

Look at these two...Budd Brothers

Mike
No competition between them ......yeah right!

Jamie

 

My husband's littlest sister Sarah, has Down Syndrome and is also Autistic.  So when she gets excited about something, there is no stopping her.  She loved being on the boat (it's beached in this photo) and she LOVED wearing a life jacket. In fact, I think she might get one for her birthday!

  

Just as much fun was to be had on the shore as on the water.

Mocha and Gucci enjoyed time out on the water too!

There is nothing like spending time with family and friends, and its even better when its in the sun.

Its all about relaxing, building memories, relationships and having fun.

Its days like these that you remember forever.

"Our family is a circle of strength and love, with every birth and every union, the circle will grow, every joy shared adds more love, every crisis faced together, makes the circle stronger."

- Author Unknown

No more curly ones!

I am in a funk.  Sadly.   I haven't been in the mood to be greatly inspired to write anything decent. 
That makes me sad. 

I have a lot to be thankful for. A LOT! My God, My husband, my children, my family, my friends, my church, my health, my house, my country....I really could go on and on and on.  I am truly blessed.

Therefore I truly haven't got a reason to be in a funk.  But I am.

It has been said that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger - Hmmmmm I don't feel very strong at the moment.  In fact one might say that I might like to curl up under my duvet and hide for the next several weeks.   I'll come out only when everything is back to normal.

Please God, no more curly ones!

Don't freak out. I AM OK. I am just saying.

Anyway here are some photos from my week just been!





Who needs beds?





My biggest girl is up the top bunk!

My volunteers!



The vivid green of my chives.



Who said chickens can't surf?

"All things work together for good to them who love the Lord..." Romans 8:28

Cupcakes and Pink

Two little girls....both insanely in love with pink. Pink dresses, pink felts, pink flowers, pink toothbrushes, pink towels and pink gumboots!

Dressed in pink and celebrating pinkness...ladies and gentlemen I give you...I kid you not...

PINK

 BAKING BLING! 

aka Hundreds and Thousands

So a batch of Cupcakes were in order. Quite fitting don't you think?

On a completely different note, we have had FOUR new additions to our family. Just to add to the 5000 plus bees and 17 chickens and two cats.

My husband is such a softy, he brought the food and held it up for the exhausted new Mama to eat and regain her strength.

He may deny that he even did that but that is sooooo his arm!  Mine are not that hairy.

  So.

 Anyone want a kitten? 

This girl LOVES to bake. Especially when sprinkles oh I'm sorry  BAKING BLING is involved! 

I love that you can see pink icing on her cheek!  (note the sparkles on the dress!)

Kittens

My Road.

Just down our road is where I walk.  Not too far but far enough. I can clear my head, talk to God, breath, sing if I feel so inclined and just be.  I love my children but sometimes one can have too much wrestling, rolling around the dining room/kitchen on the computer chair and little hands pulling on your clothes with little voices  saying"I hungry!"

Its down my road I reclaim a sense of peace and stop fanatising about locking myself in the bathroom with a book, chocolate and wine and not coming out til they are all in bed.

I love my road.   Its where home is. It brings me home when I have been away. It brings family and friends to visit.   I love lying in bed at night listening to the milk tankers come barreling down the road and their red tail lights reflecting on the walls through my window.  I especially love it when maize season is in its peak and big trucks and huge harvesters go up and down it all night long.  I love that there is no street lights that shine in my windows and light up my room like a Christmas tree (that keeps me up all night).  I love that when I look out the window I can recognise the neighbours car.

So I took a walk yesterday, I thought I share with you - my road.

 

Tree Tunnel!
 (neighbours driveway)

Oooo maize season isn't too far away!

Mt Pirongia with the Hairini Church in the foreground

I have a strange obsession for old sheds. 
I feel sorry for them.

Country Road take me home, to the place, where I belong....

HOME!

Christmas Fun, Family and Friends

HELLO there,   I feel like I have been away for ages...I have actually. Away from the computer, away from home, away from technology.  Its been quite nice actually.  I trust that everyone had a lovely Christmassy time spending it with the precious people in your lives.

Descendants of Linda Johnston (my mother-in-law)
Grandchildren and I see a couple of her children in there too!

Christmas time for us is spread out over all of December and some years it even manages to creep into January too. Phew!

My sisters first ever attempt into building a gingerbread house!

Christmas time for us, is not complete without our family tradition of new Pyjamas to open and wear on Christmas Eve!  This year we got to my Mums (four hours drive away) and I realized that I FORGOT them!  I KNOW!  I was resigned to the fact that perhaps we might have to forgo this tradition this year. But good old Mum came to the rescue and shoved me into the car and off to buy five sets of new Pyjamas at eight thirty at night! Bless you Mum!

 

 Its summer here, so Christmas means lots of BBQ with good food, wine, and an almost endless supply of potato chips

I have a little girl that LOVES potato chips! Can you tell?

Glorious days spent swimming, sunning and skimming stones.

 

Very special days!

Its time like these we reflect on how blessed we really are, to have people to love and to love us back.   To have people that care, that hold you up when you want to fall down.

 BUT

 most of all to have the most amazing GOD who loves us and blesses us every single day in so many different ways!

Happy New Year everyone

 and may it be filled with GODS riches blessings!

from my son Casey (10)
 shhhh don't tell him I showed you!;)