Treasured Memories 8

Do you find yourself falling into a pattern of daily grind, skipping the 'fun' activities because you don't have time or lack energy?Do creative arts, nature walks, drama, read aloud or spontaneous acts seem only a distant dream in your life?
Yet these Treasured Moments shared with loved ones uplift us, nurture our soul, remind us of the beauty and joy in our lives.
We want Treasured Moments for ourselves, for our children, for our families but how can we make it happen?
... Commitment ... Encouragement ... Support ... Ideas ... Plans.

I invite you to join us every Saturday and share your plans and ideas, your targets and goals and your stories ... your 'Treasured Moments'. In this way we may inspire one another, encourage ourselves and start achieving our dreams. Hosted by Erin at Seven Little Australians and Counting

My Treasured Moments this week are:

1.
Watching Sir N succeed at floating on his back during swimming lessons.

2.
Enjoying the anticipation of going away for the long weekend here in Victoria.  Tuesday is Melbourne Cup Day and we are leaving tomorrow to join extended family for three days up at Mansfield where Paul is intending to spend a day fishing and Sir N and I will join my dad for a 4x4 adventure.

3.
Watching my oldest rose Mr T connect with his younger cousins and brother one afternoon. 

4.
Seeing the pleasure it gave Paul to be involved with the Gorilla translocation from Melbourne Zoo to Werribee Open Range Zoo yesterday.

5.
Seeing my second rose Miss J hand in her final project for her Cert III in Children's Services.  Can't wait for graduation.

6.
Baking home made rusks (recipe to come) with Sir N and cousin Miss A with Granny in preparation for our trip away.

7.
Today I had fun redesigning my blog look and was blessed by Shabby Blogs tutorials and free images.


To join in you are welcome to add your post on Seven Little Australians and Counting using the Mr. Linky form (please link to the individual post) and include a link back to Erins post. If you haven't a blog we would still love to hear your voice, just leave your stories in the comments.

Blessings

Robert Gallagher Quote

Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to tell a child to go to bed.
~Robert Gallagher

Hanging Rock

When we completed Week 5 with Sonlight we took a day trip to Hanging Rock. It always amazes me how things just happen to fall into place when we need them!  We learned about mountains that week and Paul not knowing this suggested we go for a day trip to Hanging Rock.  It was so much fun seeing Sir N experience walking up a 'mountain' clambering over big rocks and learning what his own capabilities are.  Go N!

Hanging Rock Tree Stump Carving.

When we arrived we had a look at this Manna Gum tree stump.  This tree was over two hundred years old when it was struck by lightening and came down. Rather than remove the stump that had seen so much history the council commissioned Tim Jones in 2006 to create a sculpture with the remaining stump.   The carvings took him three months to complete.

Enjoying how far we could see from up high.

On our way down we had a look around the information center.

It was a wonderful day out in the sun and watching Sir N discover the beauty of seeing far and wide from up on a mountain.

Blessings

Kransky Potato Bake

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I love simple but tasty meals.  This is one of my favourites and is good value for money.



Kransky Potato Bake with green Salad

Ingredients:

Cheese Kransky Sausages (400 grams / 5 people), Potatoes, Butter, Parsley.

Method:

• Pre heat oven to 180 'C (356 'F)
• Peel Potato and slice
• Slice Sausages
• Layer Potato and Sausage finishing with a layer of potato
• Sprinkle with parsley and a couple of dubs of butter. (to make this dairy free simply give a lite sprinkle of olive oil)

• Bake for  1 hour with lid on.
• Remove lid and grill till golden.

Serve with your favourite garden salad.

Blessings

Friday's Art

In week 3 of Core A from Sonlight it suggested we work on cutting out skills.  I am so greatful for Sonlight's little suggestions as I find there are some things I just forget I need to let Sir N practice and this is definately a big one for us.  Sir N has not had a lot of practice using scissors so I went and got out the ABEKA Art Projects K4.(Available from Light Education Ministries in Australia.) I really like this book as most things are supplied with in.  All you need in the cupboard is some poster paint, string and glue and you can complete all the projects in the book.

Sir N finds the cutting out a little over whelming due to his lack of skill so I cut some and he cuts some and as his skill grows he cuts out more.

The bee's wings move.  We used a spit pin to attach them.

Sir N enjoyed making and wearing this pilgrim hat
The finger puppets were lots of fun too.

It was fun speaking about seeds and why they come from plants.
Sir N enjoyed mixing colours for the lion and pasting cotton wool on the mane.

Last week at Art co-op we used The Usborne ART Treasury and learned about Henri Matisse who used scissors and paper to "draw with scissors" when he was too ill to stand and paint.  Then we used scissors and glue to make our own pictures.

So don't forget to get the scissors out and build your cutting skills.

Blessings

A Garden Project

We started with a garden of weeds ..........

This is what I saw whenever I walked out my front door.  :'(  and with spring here in full swing I really wanted to do something positive about it. 

In September we attended the Sustainability Expo where we were given three native bush plants courtesy of the City Council.  Fragrant Saltbush (Rhagodia Parabolica), Blue Flax-Lily (Dianella Revoluta) and Austral Indigo (Indigofera Australis) and I had plenty of good intentions of planting them out within the week. 

One month later and D-Day arrived today when we got home after a very BUSY day.  Firstly we gathered all our things

Daddy helped us to get some compost from the compost bin out back, it was great being able to finally show Sir N what becomes of all those scraps he keeps having to ferry to the compost bin. Next we added Thrive fertilizer and dug it through the soil.

Sir N was not happy at all about having to do prep work! Have to work on ATTITUDE around here. Working with a happy attitude is not that easy and from the conversations with my friends it comes with the territory of being six years old.

Then we did the fun part planting our seedlings

Today we planted Fragrant Saltbush (Rhagodia Parabolica), Blue Flax-Lily (Dianella Revoluta) and Austral Indigo (Indigofera Australis). Along the back we planted a row of Cosmos (These are my Mom's favourite flowers. I must confess I love the blooms too they remind me of Africa where they grew wild along some roads and would have the most beautiful show in April.), Lobelia and some carrot seeds.

Mmmm this watering can is a little heavy....

Now when I come out my front door I see .....

I am looking forward to the day when they have all grown and are in full bloom.

When ever I do little projects like this with Sir N I am reminded of what my friend Mrs S used to say to me:  " You can credit card parent OR you can savings account parent! it's up to you what results you want." 
Credit card parenting is so much easier.  You do it all yourself there is no training, very little time "wasted" but boy the interest you gain in a lazy child is not worth it in the long run.
 Savings account schooling takes time as you spend a long time preparing, coaching, checking up on them and working on attitude and the positive returns are really worth all the extra time it takes to do things now.

Galatians6:8-10 8 For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
 9 And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
10 So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [[a]morally] to all people [not only [b]being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith [those who belong to God's family with you, the believers].

So my friends do not grow weary as you train your children at home.

Blessings

i-clips

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I shared about these over at GEMS 2 TOTS on Saturday but wanted to share it with my friends here too.
Back in June Alecat shared about i-clips magnetic page markers in her post Cute, Practical Bookmarks. I was immediately hooked.

I have owned and lost almost as many book marks as books.  I have been using these for the past month and I am impressed with their performance and price.  They are a great investment in any home that has books. 

Details:

Each clip measures 57 mm from tip to tip when open, 18 mm wide and 28 mm from edge to tip when closed.

Because they are magnetic they do not fall out of the book.

Meaning you can use either side to mark the exact spot on the page you stopped reading.

They are 2 mm thick when closed and do not damage the book you are reading.

They are available in a multitude of different patterns such as: Butterflies, Emoticons, Celtic, and Cupcakes. They are fairly popular and sell out fast but be persistent till you get the ones you want.  I buy mine from Book Depository.  They come in a pack of eight.

Blessings

Jess the cat!

A few weeks ago I was browsing at Big W and saw some really neat kits called Make-Your-Own Sew Cute animals, which are produced by Studiogirl and distributed by Grant Studios.

 

 

The kits come with all you need to complete the project, including a plastic needle. The only thing you need is a pair of scissors to cut the thread.

 

 

Each piece of felt comes pre printed and puched to make sewing easier.

 

 

The instruction leaflet is clear and simple to follow and older children could easily complete the projects on their own.

 

 

Step one line up the holes and start sewing.

 

 

We sewed half the cat and proceded to stuff it.  The best part was seeing the stuffing expand from it's vacuum packed bag!

 

 

 

Successfully completed Jess the cat.

 

 

There are four different kits available:

• Sew Cute Bear
• Sew Cute Bunny
• Sew Cute Cat
• Sew Cute Owl (this is our next project)

 

This craft was super easy and the best part was I did not need to be driving around to collect all sorts of bits and pieces and the pre punched pieces made sewing and lining up the bits easy.

 

I'm looking for easy projects to do with Sir N, any recommendations ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making your home a Haven

My hearts desire is to be a woman who builds her home and as part of this journey I have been encouraged by Courtney's Making your home a Haven challenge (Week 1). In her post Courtney describes two very different woman. These two woman challenged me to evaluate where I am at the moment and just what I was going to do to change where I am at to become the woman God has called me to be.

 Proverbs 14:1 Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

Definition of Wise: Properly, having knowledge; hence, having the power of discerning and judging correctly, or of discriminating between what is true and what is false; between what is fit and proper, and what is improper; as a wise prince; a wise magistrate, Discrete and judicious in the use or applications of knowledge; choosing laudable ends, and the best means to accomplish them. This is to be practically wise.

Courtney talked about two woman and listed 5 ways of a wise woman and here are some of my thoughts on those in her list. I was pleased with this list as it gave me something to think about.

 1. The woman of the home is engaged
I realise that this in not a true statement of me.  I have been else where in my thoughts and feelings as a result of no purpose.  Scripture is very clear about having a purpose and the consequences of not having one. 

2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

I often find myself off somewhere in my thoughts and life is happening around me and some times I have said yes to a child and been totally oblivious to what they just asked / told me. This week I have focused on been attentive not only to those speaking to me but to my own thoughts too.

2. The woman of the home is wise with her time management
Ephesians 5:16 says redeeming the time and again in Colossians 4:5 Behave yourselves wisely [living prudently and with discretion] in your relations with those of the outside world (the non-Christians), making the very most of the time and seizing (buying up) the opportunity.

My time management has definitely flown out of the window and as my Mom gently reminded me earlier this week a Stay At Home Mom needs to stay home in order to accomplish the tasks before her.  I certainly need more time at home to get my out of order home in order and running smoothly again.  My parents lived with us earlier this year and it was such a joy and privilege to see how diligently my mother works at home. Little did she know but I was closely watching in order to learn from her godly role model and practical know how.  Thanks to her I have gathered a few more skills along the way.

3. The woman of the home has a pleasant demeanor
My demeanor of late has been a very down cast one. I have been tired (my fault I know) and as a result I am purposing to go to bed earlier, work on my diet and create a Healthy Lifestyle for myself and my family. As a part of working towards this goal I am currently attending Healthy Lifestyle course at my church. 

My friend used to say to me " You need to be the thermostat in your home not the Thermometer!"  She was so right.  If I am being a thermometer I am reacting to what is going on around me, but if I am the thermostat I am setting the standard of the atmosphere around me.

Reba Bowman encourages woman to have sword friends rather than jelly friends based on Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron,    so one person sharpens another. The moral of her story is sword friends don't say what we want to hear but rather what we should hear and they encourage and build us up.  Conversely jelly friends just move with the latest trend and say what we want to hear. I realise that the quality of the company we keep definitely influences the thermostat of our demeanor.

4. The woman of the home is content
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you,

This past year I had the opportunity to work as a Store Recovery Associate at Big W four evenings a week.  I thought that this is what I needed but my Lord knew me better than I knew myself and in His infinite patient way allowed me to start work in the evenings. A year later totally exhausted I am pleased for the experience has given me a reference point to know just how being home full time is a privilege and I need to be content with every part of it.  I need to choose to have a content attitude and not be looking at others.

5. The woman of the home prays
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18   ¹⁶Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always); ¹⁷Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; ¹⁸Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].

Two wonderful resources I have used in the past are from Stormie O'Martian who has written a number of prayer journals and the two which come to mind are: The Power of a Praying Wife and The Power of a Praying Parent. I love how Stormie encourages us to pray through scripture and she shows how to use scripture to pray over situations around our children, our spouses and our marriages.

Week Ones Challenge: Go buy an extra large candle and light a candle everyday in your home. I will be starting mine in the morning! But you can start yours at dinner time. Do what makes sense for your family. I will be placing mine in the kitchen – the main hub of my home. Each time the candle catches your eye, say a prayer for peace in your home.By Courtney at Woman Living Well

I chose not to use a candle but rather use the oil burner which I received from my family one Christmas. A friend of mine had given me some lavender essential oil which is great at calming the nervous system . I found that the smell also helped to remind me to pray.  It was great to have a small thing to do to start off making my home a haven. It helped me be more focused in praying through out my day for those in my care and in what I was doing to achieve my purpose. 

The week ahead:

Play soft music everyday in your home. Choose worship, classical or another form of peaceful music that the family enjoys. Focus on using peaceful words and maintaining peaceful relationships. Remind your family to avoid seething anger, tattling, criticism or back talk. As the wife/mother, work on gentleness this week.

For inspiration you can head on over to Courtneys post titled: Sing, Dance, Smile and Swoon - Have fun in your home

Focusing on peaceful words has reminded me of a few sessions we did at GEMS in Christchurch. One of them was titled Tongue and Tone. I will dig out my notes and put them up here later this week.

May the Lord bless your words this week may they be as apples of gold in settings of silver.

Blessings

Two Blog Awards

Thank you so much to the two lovely ladies who blessed me with blog awards over the last few weeks.  You brought a smile to my heart. 

13 October 2011

Chelle from Last in Line presented me with a One Lovely Blog Award.  I love visiting Chelle firstly because in my heart I'm from New Zealand and her blog has some interesting things from home.  Secondly Chelle loves great books and shares her treasures with others. I am inspired in my home school journey when I read her blog.  She has generously shared / made pages to use with Notebooks and I aim to add this aspect to my home schooling with Sir N. Thank you for the window into your home school it encourages me.  Keep blogging. 

Here are the rules which I’ll tweak:

Snag the picture off my blog to use in your post, tell 7 things about yourself and then pass it on to 15 other bloggers. (I daren’t gift this on to 15 other blogs – wow, that’s a lot - that I follow since I’ve already hassled, umm – I mean invited, my blog pals to participate in a meme just last month.)

1. I was born in South Africa
2. I migrated / immigrated to New Zealand in 1997
3. I naturalised and became a New Zealand citizen on 12 September 2001.
4. I have lived on a game farm near Trackers (have a look at some photo's of the area at this web site) in South Africa for 5 years where I had giraffe, ostrich, hippo, etc for neighbours.
5. I lived at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in New Zealand for 3 years.
6. I will be celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary next month.
7. I love to cross stitch, scrapbook, build websites (Trackers is one of them)and blog.

 I’ll just choose 4 newer to blogging friends (who are welcome to reinvent the rules to suit themselves or decline - I've chosen to say "No thanks" a time or two when invited to participate in pass-it-forward awards - life just gets crunchy sometimes)

Alecat from Serenades and Solace
Amy from Raising Arrows
Belinda from Live Life with your Kids
Renelle from Dove's Rest

15 October 2011

Vicky from Creating with Wisdom and Victoria Leach - Portrait Art presented me with a Stylish blogger Award. I really enjoy Vicky's gentle heart and touch.  Her art touches me and I wish I could put pencil to paper this way and capture moments.  I settle for my camera. Vicky's blog is full of encouraging posts.  Thank you Vicky for sharing your heart your gentleness inspires me daily. Keep blogging and sharing.

First of all, I need to say seven things about myself - so, here goes:

1. I love great fellowship and encouraging teaching.
2. I love the Lord Jesus and pray my arrows will shoot true and straight from the Masters hand.
3. I have three children and would love to have some more.
4. I used to volunteer at 0800HUNGRY and wish that this concept could be implemented world wide.
5. I am a full time Stay At Home Mother (SAHM)
6. I am going to South Africa next year for a 10 year family reunion and my parents - in law's 50th Wedding Anniversary.
7. I LOVE international travel and if I had the finance I would take my children and travel North America, Canada, Europe, Hawaii, Mauritius and a few other islands as well as Namibia, Botswana, Egypt and Australia.

Now, The six people I'd like to pass the award to are: (I need to bend the rules here sorry ladies)

Michelle from HomeSchooling Downunder.

Nadene from Practical Pages
Susan from Kerugma (Home Grown Kids)

 I pray you all have a great week ahead.

Blessings

Treasured Moments 8

Do you find yourself falling into a pattern of daily grind, skipping the 'fun' activities because you don't have time or lack energy?Do creative arts, nature walks, drama, read aloud or spontaneous acts seem only a distant dream in your life?
Yet these Treasured Moments shared with loved ones uplift us, nurture our soul, remind us of the beauty and joy in our lives.
We want Treasured Moments for ourselves, for our children, for our families but how can we make it happen?
... Commitment ... Encouragement ... Support ... Ideas ... Plans.

I invite you to join us every Saturday and share your plans and ideas, your targets and goals and your stories ... your 'Treasured Moments'. In this way we may inspire one another, encourage ourselves and start achieving our dreams. Hosted by Erin at Seven Little Australians and Counting

My Treasured Moments this week are:

1. Seeing Sir N make progress in his swimming lessons.
2. Meeting a new home school mom who inspired me with her enthusiasm.
3. Receiving two blog awards.  (Thank you Chelle from Last In Line and Vicky from Creating with Wisdom )
4. Enjoying my first week at home in the evenings after a year of working as a Store Recovery Associate at Big W.

To join in you are welcome to add your post on Seven Little Australians and Counting (Treasured Moments 30) using the Mr. Linky form (please link to the individual post) and include a link back to Erins post. If you haven't a blog we would still love to hear your voice, just leave your stories in the comments.

Blessings