Girl's Brigade 70th Anniversary Family Day

We popped down to Berwick on Saturday for the Girl's Brigade 70th Anniversary - I was in Girl's Brigade for about 7 years as a girl and LOVED it. It's lovely to see Melinda enjoying it too. They had a great day organised for the family - sausage sizzle and a bunch of free activities; face painting, jumping castle, a craft table to make bird and fish mobiles, figurine painting and some 'old fashioned' games like sack racing - I haven't seen that in YEARS

Melinda won first prize for the Grade 2's in the Art Show and also first prize in across all Cadets

Nathaniel just LOVES having his face painted

The jumping castle proved irresistible

Timothy is yet to find the joy in such outings - all a little overwhelming for him

Get him home though and the mischief kicks in... his latest game at bed time is to go and get in a bed belonging to someone else! He used to just go get in his bed when he was tired and call out to us. Something (or someone???) gave him the idea that in bed with Melinda or into our bed and then calling out would be a much better response. I think this one here was encouraged by Melinda as he usually has 'Kevin Bear' and his dummy firmly attached :o)

And that's not Kevin Bear... this is Rachel Bear - given to Melinda when she was born by my Uncle John and Auntie Bronwyn... I named her after my favourite cousin :o)

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Sabbath Happenings

A lovely lovely day today! Church this morning was wonderful (except for Finding Nemo being the substitute for Kids church!) A guest speaker was quite interesting and inspiring, the children enjoyed knowing the song being sung as we arrived and best of all, we participated in the church's Fellowship lunch.

8 Adults, 2 children & 1 baby that we hardly knew (or didn't know at all!!) came for lunch. They each brought something to contribute... drinks, dessert & nibbles... while Pete and I provided mains. It was enjoyable to prepare it on Saturday, as a family, all ready for today; All pitching in to serve our guests.

The bible instructs us ALL to show hospitality (no exclusions!) and I do love the experience and am blessed I was taught by example as a child. It may be harder for those not taught early on, there's still no exclusion though!!!

It's sad if the only way one is going to be hospitable is to participate in events such as today when the church leadership orchestrates it.
I also think it's sad when we only extend hospitality to those we know and are comfortable with. I wonder, is that really hospitality? or is that when it crosses into 'entertaining'?
What I love about today's fellowship lunch is that it introduced us to 11 new people in the church!
If that's it's purpose, then I think it has a place, a good place.

Sitting around the table, sharing food and conversation together - it doesn't get better than this.

(PS the children did not go and watch the movie!!)

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Sovereign Hill - A Living Museum

Photo's at last from our trip last week! We're looking forward to returning later in the year for another visit







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A Letter to My Children About Marriage

Wow, this is SO powerful! I've converted it to word, enlarged it to 3 x A4 pages and it's now on the back of the toilet door. My children reading this many times over the next 10 years won't be a bad thing!!!
A great reminder for us 'already married's' too!!

A Letter to My Children About Marriage

Dear Children, Should the Lord give you the good gift of a husband or wife, and I hope He does, there are a few things I want you to know. Things that you may not hear from anyone else, and certainly not on TV or other media. Sadly, your church may not even tell you....

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Recipe by Request - Zucchini Slice

You're sure to love this! Stay tuned, a photo will be added before the day is done :o)

NB Be sure to follow the 'advice' through the recipe and I highly recommend following my recipe rule... always follow it 'to the letter' the first time you make it... then you're free to tweak it as you make it again and again - this way you'll actually know what you're tweaking! Much easier to figure out what's not working when you follow this rule.

Okay, the recipe

1tb Butter (not margarine or oil!)
200g sliced Bacon - about 1cm strips cut from REAL bacon OR 100-150g smoked salmon
500g Zucchini - this is after it's been both topped and tailed. I used 3 zucchini to get this - if you're using large zucchini then increase the SRFlour by 1/4c for every zucchini LESS that you're using because of the larger size
Grate zucchini or chop it in chunks then give it a quick wizz or 2 in the food processor
1 large onion, sliced. Cook this in the butter and if using bacon, with the bacon.
1c Frozen Corn Kernels
2c SRFlour
1tsp Baking Powder
1c grated Tasty Cheese
1/2tsp Celtic Sea Salt
10 Free Range eggs (asides from the reduced health benefits of caged eggs, you are responsible & guilty for the awful way the chickens live if you eat eggs from caged birds!!)

Grease baking pans well. I use one rectangle casserole dish and 6 muffin cups. You don't want the wet mix to be more than 2 inches deep in the chosen baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl dump the shredded zucchini.
Add all the eggs, mix till thoroughly combined.
If using smoked salmon, chop it small and mix it in now
Add cheese, mix again
Add corn kernels, mix again
Add salt and baking powder, mix again!!
Add SRflour and mix again :o)
Finally, quickly mix in cooked onion/bacon mix (hot is fine)
Spoon into chosen baking containers and bake at 180 degrees (fan forced) till golden

Delish!!

Great for lunch boxes, breakfast on the go, served in small squares as finger foods... whatever!
We'll use it for the first day's camping meal or take it on long car trips to avoid takeaway. Enjoy :o)

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Homeschool Freebies

If you're not familiar with 'Freebie of the day' then now is the time!

They've a great selection this week - and I'm quite fussy, I don't download everything they have on offer, far from it.

Today especially is worth a look. It is a publication of home school feedback from over 200 home schooled graduates. Today only remember!

Subscribe to them and you get a weekly email letting you know what freebies are coming in the week - and this week I'm really glad I have that reference as it will stop me missing out on some great publications :o)

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Catching Up

Busy Busy Busy! Wow, more than 10 days since I've posted!

and I'm not sure where much of that time has gone LOL... we have had a couple of GREAT days schooling... so much so that the day is over before we know it and not much else was done.

Let me see if I can catch you up with real life at our place.

In the last 12 days
-Melinda has 'graduated' and can now hang a full load of washing on the line, just the way I would and of course, remove it and fold it!
-We went to Ballarat for a wonderful 2 days. Staying with friends for one day, camping out at their place overnight and then to Sovereign Hill the next day before returning home. Will post a couple of photo's soon!
-Nathaniel participated in the annual Boys Brigade athletics not knowing athletics actually existed till now, and ran both the 400 & 800m!!!! If only I still had the ability to do that LOL
-We were blessed with tickets to an indoor circus type thing... juggling, magic tricks and all that. Pete took the children and one of Melinda's friends and I enjoyed almost 4 hours home alone. Yes, I tidied and cleaned during that time - but oh so nice to do it alone!
-We had our back yard inspection for the Puppy Walkers program through Customs and were APPROVED... just a couple more steps and we'll have a lively Labrador pup for approx. 12mo
-Our monthly Home Ed meeting was here and once again it was WONDERFUL. Just a joy to be able to have that time JUST with other women. Conversation changed dramatically when you remove men and children and it's sooo important that this is done from time to time in our lives. There are topics raised that otherwise would not be. Women can be ministered to when otherwise many of those needs would not be met. A woman who doesn't do this is missing out and also making others miss out on fully knowing her! Everyone has some great things to share and other women miss out when we won't make time for 'girls only' events. I know myself, there are some women I'd love to spend some more time with and they just 'won't'. You may not need other women, but regardless, other women need YOU!
-Pete and I started to celebrate our 10th Anniversary - I say 'started' because there's more to come and we won't be done till the end of April!! (Getting babysitters takes that long around here!)
-We went to the cinema for the first time in a LONG time and saw 'Blind Side'... well worth the rare evening out! (Our initial anniversary event, 6 days after the actual date!!)
-Just before posting this I've enjoyed a delicious Sabbath rest and the day has practically disappeared. All too soon, I'll be preparing for the week ahead.

I think that's about it - consider yourselves caught up :o)

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Get in line! ;o)

We're reading George Muller at the moment - as a 'read aloud'. We're about 1/2 way through and have had it less than a week.
I have to admit that by Friday night I couldn't wait... so I took it to bed and finished it off for myself! Now I'll be re-reading as I continue to share it with the children.

We had wonderful fellowship over lunch on Sunday with dear friends and had a great discussion on faith and God's provision... this book came up and was brought out. Paul asked to read it so it's promised to him once I finish reading it to the children.

In the meantime Pete decided it sounded good too... so sure enough, Sunday night he's reading it in bed!!!

We highly recommend it and are happy to loan it out - but you'll need to get in the queue!!

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What does this look like to you?

Let me know what you think, and stay tuned


NOW if you click on the bucket, it will take you to 'The Story of Stuff'
Haven't seen this before? - I sincerely recommend you taking the time to watch it now!
Ever wonder why you can't buy a washing machine that will last the distance they used to - or a microwave, CD player, vacuum cleaner etc etc? This presentation will annoy you and fascinate you. It will make you think. In my opinion, that's the best thing about it, that it makes you think and ways most of us have never thought before.
This bucket is one of the many choices we have made and are making in response to the presentation. It will all make sense if you know 'The Story of Stuff'.

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My housekeeping skills are just fine, Thank You Very Much!!

Ever been offended by something your husband has done? Most of you will have experienced this, I am sure.
I'm now learning that the best way to solve the offense, is for me to chill out and put my rose coloured glasses right back on! The ones I wore when we were dating - if you know what I mean. The days when we excused them almost anything :o)

For months, maybe even years and I've just not thought about it till now... I've been driven nutty (note I'm not saying he's driven me nutty, please), by hubby asking 'when is the last time the towels were washed?'
My internal dialogue... "who cares when, just trust that I'm doing my job, they're clean and you're not going to catch anything!" (btw, I know some wash towels daily, here it's a weekly-ish thing... and that's quite normal among people I know). My external dialogue was rather grumpy too... you know how it sounds when we assume we're being criticised (eek)

I was taking his straight forward, simple question as an inference that I wasn't washing them often enough.

Can you see how ego centric this was of me? Nuts I tell you, NUTS!

Then one day last week, the light bulb went off.... hubby was not criticising my work. It was a genuine question, based on me doing my job 'too well', if you will. He just wanted his towel to be clean.
Most of our towels are the same colour. So if I wash, dry, fold and return it to his to towel rail - is it going to look like I've cleaned it??? *NO*!!!!

I've solved the problem.

I've changed my thinking, and my approach.

I decided I could just lovingly answer his question when asked, or I could remove his need to ask.

I did the latter.

Now, I wash his towel, and replace it with one of a different colour. Instead of hanging on his towel rail, I place the fresh towel, folded on his side of the bed.

What about you? Anything come to mind? Pray that God will show you any innocent situations where you need a new attitude so you can get those rose coloured glasses back on and instead work on you... he's really not out to annoy you!