Moving week and other things...

 This week was a long one, especially for Blossom and Ross because they moved house. Though the house is much smaller, and the rent much higher, they are immensely grateful to have found a new home for their family in a time of rental scarcity here in North Queensland. 

One of my main jobs this past week was to mind the children while hubby's responsibility was to help with all the heavy moving, and to get everything from one house to the other in his 4WD with huge trailer attached. 

On Monday Charlie and Rafaella came to stay with me, while Cully May helped her mummy with packing. I took the kids to the kitchen shop so I could get new scone cutters, and some crumpet rings. Both of them were fascinated so we spent quite a while looking at all the interesting baking tools until tummies were growling and I knew it was time for morning tea. We went to Banjos for some sweet treats and as it's just near hubby's work we bought him some as well and drove around to drop them off. The grandkids love to visit Poppy at work! Next we headed to Officeworks for some colouring books, fresh pencils, and a few office supplies I needed for home.

Once home they were insistent that we bake cupcakes, so with little stools pulled up either side of me at the kitchen bench, we got to work measuring, weighing, filling patty cases and of course - licking the bowl!

Of course every cupcake needs sprinkles, right? They did such a good job...

After all that baking we swam in the pool, and as the water was quite cold, they hopped into a warm bubble bath afterwards, before we packed up the cupcakes and headed back home. Blossom, Ross and Cully May were pretty excited to see the cakes the little ones had made for them.

On Tuesday I caught up with housework (and rested up a bit as I was a bit tuckered after the previous day) and then on Wednesday while hubby was off doing the big move, I had Cully May and Charlie while Rafaella stayed behind with mummy.

I took the kids to Bunnings to get sunflower and pumpkin seeds, plus a few more punnets of flowers to bed in around the veggies, and they had a long play in the playground before tucking in to some savoury pastries and juice. Next we went to the library to return all the family's books as Blossom felt they'd be better off returned now than packed in a box for moving. Both kids loved the hula hoops, built a city out of amazing painted wooden blocks, coloured in, and generally played around until Cully May suggested it might be time to go home and make lunch. 

After lunch we went swimming and at one stage Charlie had said he'd had enough, so off he ran to get his towel. I turned to watch Cully May show me how she used the kickboard (she was swimming with it over to the side to get out of the water) when I heard a huge splash behind me and turned to see Charlie had jumped in! His little head bobbed up and I swam two long strokes to grab him as he went down for a second time. Honestly, this is the way to give Nana a heart attack. I had screamed "Charlie" so loud that the whole neighbourhood must have heard. 

Grabbing him I said, "Come on sweetheart, let's get you out of the water and we'll go inside" to which he laughed and replied, "No Nana, me swim more!"...I tell you, Charlie and Rafaella are miniature Bear Grylls, whereas Cully May is the cautious one always considering actions before following through. Thankfully all the kids have swimming lessons, but it was still a scary moment for me. 

Once inside it was bubble baths, a rummage through the dress-ups box for Cully May, then afternoon tea while watching the old animated movie, Little Bear. About five minutes in and Charlie was asleep...

...so Cully May and I decided to play around with a really good app I'd just gotten for my iPad. It's called Waterlogue and turns photos into various types of watercolour paintings. She scrolled the photos on my iPad and chose loads to alter within the app, and then asked me to take photos of her and Charlie to use. 

Here's the photo I took of her...

...and these are the paintings made by the app from the photos. She was thrilled!

Just before dinner I took them home, their NEW home this time, and met up there with hubby who was just finishing up the move. We left the family to settle into their lovely new abode and headed home for a simple pasta dinner and an early night. 

Thank you to everyone who prayed they'd find a home, because we all felt your prayers. 

Thank you also for praying about Ross's job...unfortunately he found out the night before the move that he's being retrenched and will be unemployed mid-September...so if you have some prayer time, would you pray, according to God's will, that he will get another job please? ((thank you)) 

OTHER THINGS...

Last week on Sunday we decided to get out of town and do something we've not made time for lately - a country drive. We drove 95 km south-west to Mingela, then 40 km south to Ravenswood (a gold mining town) where we discovered it was market day (more like half a dozen car boot stalls, but lovely), and then 90km along a dirt road to Ayr, before turning back to the highway and driving 100 km home again. 

Along the way we saw a mother emu with six babies, casually strolling over the track so as to keep her babies together (normally emus will take off running very fast as you approach); a brolga dancing in the bush; and cows...so many gorgeous cows, many with their calves. I was in heaven.

HUSBAND AT HOME and a renewed health priority...

Hubby actually started two weeks holiday break from his job on Tuesday afternoon (so that he could be of assistance to Blossom during the move and afterwards). They began moving the heavy items that afternoon, as he was able to pick up the large trailer early. This helped enormously by giving them a head start on the move, because moving everything else on Wednesday took all day and into early evening. 

So with him home for two whole weeks we're putting our focus on the garden prep for spring and summer, as well as getting back to juicing each day. I'm also baking low, or no, refined-sugar for the time being, substituting raw honey, dates or maple syrup, and removing some of the wheat based items I cook regularly. 

These gluten free biscuits (cookies) I made were really yummy.

Made from almond butter, almond flour, maple syrup, egg, coconut oil and some dried cranberries you only need to enjoy one at a time because they are quite filling. 

You'll find the recipe HERE but I replaced chocolate chips with the cranberries. 

GIFT FROM A FRIEND...

Ondrea and I have been online friends for quite a few years now. We've rejoiced many times as each of us welcomed new grandbabies and shared a lot of alternative medicine information back and forth. We have chatted about crochet blankets (Attic 24 being our muse!) and stitchery, and have even had a couple of long distance phone calls when an email just wasn't enough. 

She knew how stressful the past six weeks have been for our family with everyone being sick over and over and over again; and how I was the only one not to succumb so I did what I could for my beloveds. My own malady came from back-to-back migraines, 4 or 5 a week. 

So this period of time was filled with more prayer than usual for Blossom to find a home in time, for healing to come upon the family, for Ross's job, for their finances, and also for my husband's own work situation as well as my decision about whether to design again or not.

And just the other day, when I was ready to collapse into a ball and sleep for a month, this precious letter arrived from Ondrea, out of the blue, full of kindness and care...

She didn't think it such a big thing, but honestly, I did. 

When you are primarily a giver and rarely the receiver (which, please know, I do not mind at all) it's the unexpected moments like these that cause tears to fall, the tears which you didn't realise were all pent up inside. Her gift was like a reassuring warm hug, a gentle voice telling me "I know you're weary and need a hug of your own, and I care about you."

And isn't this the best bookmark? I think for sure it was made for me.

MOVING FORWARD...

The move is complete. Blossom loves the smaller house and says she really feels like it's "home". The children are happy. Ross is optimistic.

Hubby is bruised and sore after helping them move house, but ever so glad to have had time to help our family. He's excited to work around our own little quarter acre for the rest of his holiday break and already we've been out and bought two new fruit trees, decided on what next with regards to growing spaces, priced a few things to make family gatherings more fun, and planned a day-trip up into the mountains next week. 

My roses are all blooming and their scent fills the air around my desk...

My sewing room is in chaos due to my being busy with family and staying on top of homemaking the past couple of months, so now that the decision has been made to design again for the next 12-18 months, I really need to get in there and declutter (I have quite a bit of Blossom's which we'll sell in a garage sale when she's settled and has time), and then write patterns for the three new patterns I've already completed.

If you're wondering, yes, the decision to start a new Stitchery Club which will run for twelve months, was due to financial need and I am not embarrassed to say that. We have a mortgage to kick over and I'm already 64, so helping my husband to achieve that goal while I am still able is my delight. He works so hard for us, and blesses me beyond words. God gave me a real treasure in this man and I thank Him each morning for my Mark. 

Ladies, whatever your situation in life, look for opportunities to show kindness, care and love to those who may be having a difficult time in one way or another. Your small act many mean the world to that person you've reached out to. 

If you have a need offer it to the Lord, Who will lovingly direct you along the path He wishes you to take, and if your flesh rises up and doesn't want to obey (I really felt that way about designing again..) surrender your will fearlessly, because He who shows you a way forward SHALL make that way open wide before you. There is nothing more freeing than surrendering to our God. 

Okay, that's enough for this week's post, I'm sure you have lives to live and things to do. Thank you for dropping by again, and I am praying that *you* are touched mightily by the hand of our Heavenly Father in the days ahead. He knows you, He knows your situation, He knows the way through. 

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding...

Hugs and blessings

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