Go fly a kite!

Trying out a friend's stunt kite behind our house

(double click on the photo to make it bigger)

cheeeeeeeze!

Wishing he was allowed over too...

Issues

Being a pastor often means there are counselling sessions

- even canines have issues :)

I am a Farm Chick

For Christmas I got this cook book which has been on my wish list for some time.

These ladies call themselves Farm Chicks - and they are kindred spirits indeed.

They get a kick out of loving their families by making their homes beautiful havens,

serving up beautiful food and inspiring others to do likewise. 

I have joined the club - and they now regularly call me and

ask what else I have done with my can of white paint (ok - you know I am

kidding about that part....)

Yes, I am now a Farm Chick. 

I have often thought that surely there must be another name for someone 

like me... something other than old fashioned or (gasp) conservative...

Now I know. I am a Farm Chick.

The book has so many lovely recipes as well as hints for making beautiful your home.

This week I made cinnamon rolls. I used to make them when we lived the in UK all the time 

and I guess I got out of my cinnamon roll groove. Seriously these rolls are so good. 

And they looked just like the picture!

So... I know by now that you are keen as a bean to join the Farm Chick bandwagon.

Except maybe for you two gentlemen who are reading this... (yes I know all about you!)

The best way to get one (if you are outside of the US) is

The Book Depository

Farm chick. I am so cool with that. 

x

Good to go

This year I have used The Book Depository to order most of our school books. 

It has saved us about $200! I am still getting my curriculum from SonLight and I just love it. But the postage is a killer. 

So.... semester one. 11 weeks. Bring it on!

xx

PS - if you want to see the book titles, double click on the photo to enlarge it.

Summer time and the living is easy....

I am sorry...

but this fritatta is so darn good I have to share it.

Here is the official geek um I mean Masterchief judge ...

we got the double thumbs up people 

(I know you can't get over how excited he is about the meat free meal...)

hehe...

So... you want the recipe?

Sure!

Rachels Fritatta (thanks Rach!)

400g kumera (sweet potato) peeled and cubed

5 eggs lightly beaten

420g tin creamed corn

2 cloves crushed garlic

salt

pepper

100g crumbled cheese (I used Edam)

Pre-heat oven to 180 (gas mark 5)

Grease a 16cm square baking dish

Boil kumera till tender and drain. Place egg, corn, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well.

Combine sweet potato and cheese in the baking dish and then pour the egg mixture over making sure it's evenly distributed. 

Bake for 25 mins or till golden brown on top

Serve with vege or a salad and crunchy bread

PS - fresh vege from garden stir fried in butter.... ooooh yeah... can't beat it!

xx

Changing Rooms

Most of you will know by now that I get a real kick out of making my home lovely with bargains... and paint! For a while the tiny room that the girls have been sharing has been more than frustrating.... no storage, no room to play on the floor, no where to put clothes.... but we hung in there thinking of storage solutions, limiting the number of toys etc. However, enough has become enough. 

Goodbye guest room (hello sofa bed...)

I present to you... Changing rooms... the budget way!!

BEFORE

Remember this?

So... a bit of elbow grease and a day or two later....

Lucy's room - Princess High Tea theme of course!

I am still on the lookout for a cheap little table and chairs for her tea parties

I got the oven for $10 at Habitat 

  yeah!

Georgia's room.

She got the pink armchair for her 2nd birthday 

and it's been such a great gift.

The desk was $5 at Habitat. It was red and yellow with flames painted on it

- real elegant! hehe

Now it is a sweet desk for my girl.

The baby who is now a boy

Why oh why did I cut his hair... sniff sniff...

This shelf was also $5 at Habitat.

A couple of coats of paint and it's a lovely shelf for treasures.

I always had ideas of my kids sharing a room for the long haul.

Things are changing - for now at least.

I love walking past their rooms and seeing them playing, reading, writing, creating, dreaming

...just being little.

And sometimes you need just a little space to be little.

A quilt for my girl

Not quite finished in time for Christmas, but it has been very well received. 

I was planning on taking a photo of it on the bed except that we have decided to

put the girls in seperate rooms and now chaos reigns (just briefly!) 

The great thing about new homes is that they are warm in winter!

The ridiculous thing is that the bedrooms are small... and a challenge for girls and all their bits to share.

So.... watch this space..... it's all a bit fun  

Oh my - what a wild ride!

Hello friends, I'm back!
Some of you will know that 3 weeks ago I had to make an emergency trip down to my folks as my dear dad had been in a serious accident. I do mean serious. As in run over by his bulldozer serious. *groan*
You know those phone calls that you never want to get?? However, by God's sovereign grace my dad survived but has lost his right leg. I can't even describe how horrible it was to see him in the hospital bed, looking like death is so very near and wondering just what will be. It's all been very horrible and to be truthful quite frightening - but the worst is over (thank you Lord!) and now he has a massive adjustment to make to life. My dad is a logger. And a hunter. And a fisherman. The adjustment will be huge.

Anyway, all that to say "here I am". Thankful to still have a dad. Relieved that it was not even worse because it really should have been. And aware that life is fragile. Eternity is only a heartbeat away for each of us. We need to be ready folks. Are you?

So the first hideous week or so we were able to breathe easy again and even enjoy some time as a family. Some photos of our Christmas......

Christmas Eve with cousins

Christmas Day (mark 2) when Dad was 

able to come home for a couple of hours

Three of my brothers and I

The motley crew!

Georgia and Uncle Shane

Christmas lunch without mum and dad :(

Christmas Day in the pool

That's my girl!

Jack and Uncle Shannon

Kawhai fish - and Tua looking longingly

Mum's pretty garden

More of the lovely garden

Tua had been chasing them on the bike... so funny

Learner driver!