weekending

~ saying yes when she begs me to dye her hair ( it's just a rinse, mind you).

~ laying in bed a little longer

         ~ playing the game when she beckons with 'come and get me Mama, I've got your book!'

~ friends sleeping over and watching the sunlight dance on these two blond haired beauties.

a moment

...to remember.

shifting the kaleidescope

'shift the kaleidoscope and find fresh combinations of his matchless grace'
Spurgeon

Today i woke (actually I had been awake for a while due to one very wriggly three year old) and with some encouragement went for a walk through the forest, it was crisp and birds were singing their good morning song and all was still ...except my mind was full with a hundred thoughts running loose and causing havoc.
When life feels so complex and its hard to know where to even begin to make sense of any of it I am reminded to let it all go and focus on the beauty in the commonness of my day.
The simple things, the small kindnesses, the sounds and sights of life.
And so I shifted my view and found ....grace.

fathers day 2010

Dear daddy, I love you so much. I love that you go fishing with me and forward driving and build hideouts with me and that you do special things with me like going to wet n wild and Australia spectacular and going to Melbourne.Your the best daddy ever. I hope you like my card and this verse. Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 2 timothy 2:15.
from Jett. (10)

Dear Daddy, happy father's day. I love you because you take us camping, fishing and walks. Another reason I love you is because I love your big bear hugs. Love from your wildflower Jasmine. (9)

To daddy, I really love you because you go camping with us and do adventures. Happy Fathers Day. Love Zach. (7)

a moment to remember

travels and trinkets

long car drives
children exploring, full of what-we'll-do's
prospects of dreams fulfilled
friendliness
op-shops
searching for good coffee
is it a town or a village?
getting to know the trees and the birds that live in them
potential
sleepiness
anxiety
excitement
connection

weekends are full of living.

night words

~ cuddle me mama.
~ itch my back mama. no the other side. up. yeah. itch it harder mama. that's enough.
~ move over mama.
~ turn over I want your face mama.

she is soft and warm and smells of loveliness
she wriggles and turns all night
she needs to touch my skin
she listens to 'the three little pigs' or sometimes its 'the gingerbread man' while we lay together, me pretending to sleep so she'll stop talking and close her eyes
she squeezes so tightly saying 'your a good mama, I love you'
she is three and sleeps in our bed.

weekends are for...

~ backyard sunning and playing with puppies



~ browsing second hand stores with friends


~ board games

Hope your weekend was filled with fun and friendship.

a moment

....to remember.

needing nature

all of us.
it soothes
inspires
feeds
and brings us back to
who we really are,
at the core of our
beings.
creative souls
created in the image
of the
great
Creator

tea & talk

In a homeschooling family of four children we get to spend lots of time with one another but that doesn't always add up to quality. Sometimes I feel as if I missing them, who they really are, their little heart whispers. Sometimes the dynamic of four kids can get crazy and all I'm seeing is loudness and bickering.

At these times I'm reminded that perhaps a little one on one time is needed. And so after the other children are asleep or reading on their bed a tea and talk time on Mama's bed begins.
A tray is laid out all nice with flowers and its hot chocolate or tea, perhaps we'll have ice cream sundaes with hot fudge sauce or perhaps someone will be inspired to bake.



Recently my eldest girl really needed some Mama time. She got out her cookbooks and chose these butterfly cakes. She was so intentional and got a bit upset that they didn't look like the 'picture'. I thought ( as did all the googling eyes) they were perfect and it was hard to wait till the night hours to try some. Jasmine being a kind (and not so good at waiting ) girl allowed everyone to test one and my, they were SO delicous.
After getting the boys to bed and falling asleep with a little three year old who was taking way too long to get to sleep, a little tap on the shoulder brought me back to a girl growing up way too fast. She brought her bible, I brought the tray and we talked, actually she did most of the talking but I think thats exactly what she needed- someone to listen.

a moment

......to remember.

gluten-free scones and cooking with a little sister

There has been such a flurry of cooking here lately and some particular people around here prefer to cook not with the gluten-free flour so eldest boy has not really been getting to enjoy all the yummies coming from the kitchen.
Which has lead him to do some cooking of his own. He loves lemons and we have a pile of them so after browsing through the cookbooks he settled on Lemon Butter and scones to go with them.
Whenever someones cooking, like a magnet comes a little three year old shouting 'I'm helping!'
And whether or not the help is wanted she stays until licking and dipping requirements have been satisfied. Which as seen in above photo can lead to some fiesty (and messy) times in the kitchen.
But in the end the results are oh so good and with lots of Lemon Butter to spare I discovered it goes quite nicely with ice cream.

weekends are for-

surprise getaways with my love and friend......

a moment

....to remember.

what i love :: winterish

:: the morning sun

:: the crisp blue sky

:: nature art

:: the boys taking their dogs on morning walks

:: a splash of red amidst the muted cold afternoon