Cookie thief

Caught. Red handed.

But not one ounce of repentence! Nope, just gonna keep on looking for those cookies that were there this morning.... hmmm... but they aren't there any more bud!

Can 15 months be any more cuter??

More seriously, this little guy has bronchialitis again... we had a lot of quality time together in the small wee's.... lot's of time to just be grateful to be holding this little coughing,wheezing boy, thankful for a warm house, thankful for a cosy big bed to snuggle up in together, thankful for ventalin, thankful for his chubby little arms tight around my neck, thankful for the soft and easy snoring sounds after the meds kicked in, thankful to be his mama. Thank you Lord.

Why do we homeschool?

Just one of the reasons is that we want to instill a love and hunger in our kids hearts for God's precious word. (before anyone feels offended, I am obviously not saying that you have to homeschool in order to be able to do that. Homeschooling is just what we believe to be best for our family. No one elses. We have many friends whose kids love the Lord and His word, and .... they attend school!! OK?)

Onwards........ one of the fears that I have always had about homeschooling is that I would not be able to teach my kids to read. So the joy (and relief) I feel when I walk into the room and see Georgia curled up in front of the fire with her Bible is something that I am so thankful for. Just a few minutes after taking this picture, Lucy was curled up next to Georgia listening to her sister read. Yeah!

Business studies 101

This....

PLUS

EQUALS

So - the girls are saving up for a new addition to their Strawberry Shortcake collection. Their cousin got this for Christmas last year and every time we are in a certain store they look admiringly over to where these things are stacked. One problem. Big problem. They are $80. EACH! Now for you folk who are in the US.... you will be aware (as am I!!!) that you can just surf on over to Amazon, pay $24.95 for one and probably get free shipping right to your front door. $80 ladies!!! This is the price we pay for living in the closest place on earth to paradise!! That's 32 bags of feijoa fruit. Each. So.... feijoas anyone?

(Can I just say that these girls who long for this plastic extravagance are the same sweet girls who last week sent their $50 savings to the bible society. Guess I'll just go buy a couple of bags of feijoas.)

Friends

Two years ago we were here....

My Bryan was graduating with his Doctorate from the Masters Seminary. We were blessed hugely to be able to travel to Los Angeles for the graduation - it was such an exciting and actually an emotional time. The ministry that this seminary and church have had to us - individually and as a couple - has been HUGE!! We have been grown and taught and loved and supported and encouraged.... and so much more. And one of the best blessings has been friends. The kind of friends that you know you don't just make everyday. As I sit here and type with tears in my eyes I am just so aware how blessed we are to have such friendships. The world we live in is a hard place. And since that time two years ago the Lord has seen fit to have us walk through the fire - and we have been so thankful for that. A time of growth and pruning like never before. And through that time the love of friends has often been a soothing balm to a hurt soul. The Lord is so good to me to provide fellowship and love through His people. Friends such as these are just one expression of His great love and concern for me. I am thankful. I guess I just wish we didn't live so far away.... :)

I have one more thing to say. "What the heck was I thinking with that haircut?!" hehe...

Rainy dreaming...

This autumnal rainy weather always makes me feel like it is Christmas. We spent almost 6 years in the UK and this weather is Christmas weather!! One of the funnest things we did one year was go to a Christmas Market in Germany. It was a winter wonderland. The stalls with hand made crafts, food, roasted nuts, hot chocolate, - it has forever spoiled Christmas for me (in the festive sense obviously) because these summer NZ Christmasses just don't do it for me anymore!! Christmas should be cold. It should be strewn with fairy lights and the air should hang heavy with the smell of roasted nuts. There should be candles and adorable little wooden houses with smoke coming out the chimney. But still, this year when we do celebrate Christmas with the smell of BBQ's hanging in the air and the kids outside on their new bikes or scooters, our hearts will still be reminded of a Saviour, born to take the sin of the world. Born in a barn and placed by loving hands in a manger.

"For God so loved the whole world that he gave His only Son that whosoever should believe in Him, should not perish but shall have everlasting life" John 3:16.

Published author in the family....

Georgia won a Highly Recommended (3rd place) for a short story she wrote recently. Yeah!!

Here is the story... it's a funny one! That's my girl!!

5 – 7 year

Highly Recommended
Down the back of the farm by Georgia aged 6


The old farmer picked up his new blue bucket. He walked to the piglets. He stood at the pen and the farmer called ‚Here 10 little piglets come and get your lunch.‛ He put the peanuts in the pen and the piglets said ‚Thank-you for my lunch.‛ The farmer was so surprised to hear his piglets talk to him.


‚You’re welcome‛ he said. He went to the horse to feed him the hay ‚My lunch is going to be great‛ said the white horse. The silver and the white spot horse said ‚I agree.‛ ‚What the heck is going on at my farm?‛ the farmer said. The pukeko said ‚don’t worry it is actually ‘thank-you for my lunch’ day‛.


‚Oh,‛ said the farmer. ‚That explains it. I think I better go home and have my lunch too.‛


The End.

Impact Bible Conference

Just wanted to let you kiwi gals know of a great conference coming up in a few weeks. It's held every year on Queens birthday weekend and is a highlight for us every year because of the encouragement, time with friends - old and new, great food, and best of all GREAT teaching from God's word. If your soul is feeling a little dry of late then you need to consider coming. (Of course the fact that my husband is one of the speakers causes absolutley no bias on my part... hehe!)

This years conference theme is "Saved to be holy" and the line up of speakers is fantastic.

Go here to find out more.

And for those of you who would love to come but can't, you can go here and download sessions from the last few years conferences. The key note speakers have been: Pastors; Jerry Wragg, Scott Ardivanis, Rick Holland, Michael Grisanti, Steve Lawson - to name a few.... not to mention Martha Peace and this year Lisa Tatlock.

Hope to see you there x

Whose idea...???

Hey! You!!

Yes I am talking to you! That's MY bed!! Off. Now. Get!

Sigh. Well now that is dealt with I guess I will go put dinner on...

OK. And whose idea was it to get a drooley, bed hogging, man snoring, long eared dopey canine??

Oh yeah. It was mine. I guess he is kind of cute.

Weekend Fun

Daddy made a hut with the chairs and his new ladder... and my clean sheets!

Hope your weekend was a good one.

Eeny meeny miney mo....

Here in New Zealand, the days are cooler (well - they are meant to be!) and the evenings are longer. The perfect situation for getting busy. I have a number of things on the go... all sorts of different projects. I like to have a bit of variety - but I certainly don't consider myself particularly crafty or even good at it. Still, I enjoy it very much... so here is a wee gallery of my current projects. Maybe this will get me moving to finish some of them. I'll keep you informed!

1. A snuggle quilt.

I started making this (ahem) quite some time ago! It's fun - and fiddly -  and as I am a hand stitcher it is a long process. I am feeling like it has too much green in it so have plans for some more house/barn blocks with cremes and reds. What do you think?

2. Adorable little knitted hat

I taught myself to knit last year when our little guy was a new born and I love it! This little hat took me no time at all to make... but I made it too small (groan!). So I have lost the motivation to deal with those loose bits of yarn. Think it will be going in the gift bag....  Just to let you know I have since made the next size up... and he is just kissalicious in it!  (NB - just made it up - 'kissalicious' - meaning so cute that all who see feel the need to smother said object in kisses)

3. Georgia's quilt

This is a project that Georgia and I are working on together. It's very slow moving but we have achieved a lot. I have sticthed it all together and she and I are both working on the quilting. Lots of fun.... it might be ready for her to take on honeymoon. ;) She picked the fabrics herself... her future husband may not be enthralled to have this on the bed!

 

4. Another quilt....

This one is almost quilted and ready for the binding... yeah! It's for on the guest bed which I hope will give the room a snuggly feel. The fabrics are from a lovely store in the UK and they remind me of the french cottage look. Just perfect!

 

5. J's hooded cardigan

A sweet hoody for my little guy...

6. A children's devotional book

I love to write and am having a lot of fun pulling this together. I've given myself the end of year as my deadline... we shall see!!

7. A re-do...

I love wooden furniture and something that excites me is picking up things cheap and painting them up.... My husband got a sander for his birthday ;)  ..... we are looking forward to doing this cute little nightstand up for the guest room. Just for Rach.... I got it for $10 at a garage sale - yeah!

8. A crocheted scarf

The pattern it said that I could get all the flowers for this project made in a couple of evenings. Hmmm - there have been many evenings... and it's still not long enough. But I am at the stage where I can do it without much thought now.... so have endulged in a few Jane Austin movie nights...

That said... I have to make another one... two girls, two scarfs.... sigh....

So that's the winter projects for this girl. How about you? What have you got on the go?

Now all I need to do is choose which one to start with.....

Tasty Sausage pie!!

Tonight we had one of our  favourite meals for dinner and I thought I would share the recipe. My kids are great eaters and will eat whatever is on the plate - but this is a real goodie ("mama I love this pie times 3000!!")

There's nothing like pie, mash and vege on a chilly autumnal night... enjoy!

Ingredients:
- pie pastry/puff pastry
- 4 eggs
- 6 sausages (or whatever you have)
- cheese (about a cup or so - grated)
- milk
- mixed herbs
- one chopped onion

1. Boil and skin sausages
2. Roll pastry - you want a top and bottom
3. Line pie dish with pastry
4. Chop sausages and put into pie dish
5. Mix in a bowl - eggs, onion, grated cheese, a pinch of herbs and a splash of milk
6. Pour above mix over sausages
7. Cover top of pie with pastry - decorate with any left over bits of pastry

Cook 180 C (gas mark 5) for 40 mins... and enjoy!!

PS - this is great to cut up for lunches too if you have any left over.

Completely Cute!!!

Someone was waiting for Daddy to come home from work tonight... sigh.. lovely!

Someone else was waiting too... meet Mac!

Pass the Salt

These past few days the girls and I have had our Bible time in Genesis 18-19. The story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom. Both girls listened with wide open eyes yesterday as we read of Abram's conversation with the Lord about sparing the lives of the righteous who lived in the city. We talked about both the judgement of the Lord in having to deal justly and rightly with the wickedness in these cities - and also the kindness of the Lord as He promised to spare the lives of the righteous.

It's a big concept to get your mind around isn't it? The idea that the Lord could, should and does deal severely with sin. But on the other hand He is patient, gracious, long suffering and quick to forgive a repentant heart.

So -  back to today..... there were obvioiusly some parts that we skipped... but again the eyes were wide as I read of the narrow escape of Lot and his wife. But then the dreadful part - the part where Mrs Lot looks back. "Why did she look back mama?" It's a great question. Some commentators would say that her heart and desires were back in her beloved city. That she left reluctantly. It's hard to know for sure I guess but it's a lesson to my own heart - do I look back at sin with longing in my heart? Is there sin that I am relucant to walk away from? Is there a sin that I keep going back to? These are some questions that I need to be in prayer over. Maybe you do too, because we can be sure that the Lord does not leave sin undealt with in the life of a believer.

My big girl had just two more questions; "Mama would Lot have been sad that his wife was turned into salt?" - "Yes sweetheart I think his heart would have been very sad." - "Oh. Mama... do you think that he used his wife to salt his dinner?" -  "giggle giggle.... uh - no, I don't suppose he did".

Only from the lips of babes!

Completely in love!

Hello friends (or friend!!)
How was your mothers day? I hope that wherever you are you have had a lovely day. I was a bit spoilt today. In fact I was waaaaaaaayy tooo spoilt.... because my sweet and handsome honey has ordered me this book.....

You can read all about it here 

You can bet I will be counting down the sleeps till it arrives. I love love love caravans. I love camper vans too - my favourite being the VW kombi. I have dreams of owning my own one day - you caught the word 'dreams' right? When we lived in the UK we saw a brand new one.... swoon.... it looked like this....

                                                             But I might get a blue one...

Although the pink ones are pretty cool too...

I'll be getting one of these babies when a long lost relative leaves me a Kombi sized inheritance. yeah right!
For now I have on my shelf a kombi money box....

So now, back to my cup of tea and a little piece of chocolate.....

xx

Happy Mothers Day!

I know it's only Saturday night, but I wanted to get in first and wish all mothers a very happy day tomorrow. I know, I know,- there is much talk about the commercialism of this day... but I personally see it as a time of reflection in my own heart (Ok - and I admit, I do love breakfast in bed and handmade love notes from my sweet girls!)... as I was saying, Mothers Day is for me a time of reflection. How am I going as a mother? Is my heart thankful for the blessing of children - and in fact do I live like I believe that they are indeed a blessing? And what am I consciously doing to pursue their hearts for Christ and train them in the ways of Him? Honestly, these are convicting questions. The days are busy and more often than not of late my poor sweet children have had tired and distracted mama instead of encouraging and available mama.
This next week will be different. This next week I choose to love my kids by playing more, tickling more and chasing after their hearts more. How about you? What will this next week look like for you?

Proverbs 31:28 "Her children arise and call her blessed"

Hello!

Welcome! I have been lurking around in the wings of the blogosphere for some time now wondering should I or shouldn't I .... so it seems I will! I must caution you that I am the least techy person I know - so this may all end very badly and it will likely be the most visually boring blog ever... but if you can hang in there I hope we will have some good chats about life, homemaking, craft, writing, and most importantly, the Most Awesome God I serve.
So.... I hope to see you soon... xx