vintage and a little bit retro

David's mother has been going through her cupboards and here are some of the things she has passed on to me.  And today mum gave me a bag of doilys belonging to various family members such as my great-grandmother.  I feel like it is Christmas!

Perfect for a cup of tea and some fruit toast while flicking through the latest form Toast!!

And David's egg cup, which Audrey has enjoyed using.

sometimes

I wish for the beginning again.

too cute!

This clip is SO cute!  And she reminds me just a little of someone I know :)


Too much candy from Capucha on Vimeo.

Revelations

These days I feel like I am on a roller coaster.  Flying at speed in one direction and then being thrown sideways in another direction.  I have high aspirations of how I am going to go through the day.  Attentive, thoughtful and decisive.  To think before I speak, before I act. 

In the past couple of weeks everything I have been reading and listening to has had a common theme.  To slow down and to be attentive to the important things for now.  This doesn't mean that the pace of my life will necessarily slow down - just by nature of the fact that I live in the 21st century... but in the past 24 hours so much has fallen into place.  (I think God must have become tired of waiting for me to work it out - he had to spell it out to me!)

Yesterday I read this in the morning from Fenelon: 

"You do not see with the eyes of eternity.  God knows everything.  Nothing happens without His consent.  You are upset by small losses, but do not see eternal gains!  Don't dwell on your suffering.  Your oversensitivity makes your trials worse.  Abandon yourself to God."  (The Seeking Heart' by Fenelon pg 26)

Then while I was on the bus to work and reading A Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp quoted C S Lewis:
"You would be very ashamed if you knew what the experiences you call setbacks, upheavals, pointless disturbances, and tedious annoyances really are.  You would realise that your complaints about them are nothing more nor less than blasphemies - though that never occurs to you.  Nothing happens to you except by the will of God, and yet [God's] beloved children curse it because they do not know it for what it is."

I don't think Jesus could have spoken any clearer to me unless he was sitting next to me on the couch looking into my face saying "Listen to what I am saying!"  I am SO grateful for His direction. 

* the photos have nothing to do with this post, just moments I have captured of Audrey this week...

on this day

The kids were so excited to go to the snow.  Each year we leave it too late.  We headed out this morning in spite of the rain, and not too far from home the echos of "how much further" started filling the car.  After a while (and a quick stop at our favourite coffee shop in Cooma) we began to see snow on the side of the road.  the car filled with squeals of excitement.
We drove until we found a decent patch of snow and all clambered out of the car and into coats and gumboots.  I was the spoilt one, with a loan of ski pants, a coat and gloves.  The first 20 minutes had Audrey and Nicholas full of excitement and having a great time.  For the next 20 or so minutes the whines of "I'm cold" and "the snow is like ice" were grumbled and we took jackets off and piled into the car for lunch.  in spite of this, the photos show that we really did have fun and it was worth the trip to the "real" snow!

 

pink beanie care of my last visit to Berrima on a bitterly cold day.  hmmm that was when Nicholas was still a baby so i am due for another trip!

thoughts

At the end of the day, the end of the week I'm waiting for David and Audrey to come home.  Dinner is prepared and so I have some time to stop and ponder the week(s) that has/have been.  Bananas In Pyjamas is on in the background. I love that at six years old Nicholas still enjoys it. 

Yesterday I packed afternoon tea up in the pram and Audrey and I picked Nicholas up from school.  The weather was so gorgeous we ate afternoon tea at the park and the kids played.  We didn't rush to get home.  It was perfect.  I took tea in a thermos and watched them play while I wrote a list to prepare for our Spring/Summer vegetable garden.  I fear we are running out of time as we still need to physically move the garden to a new location.  I was going to take my camera, but at the last minute thought I'd just let them be and enjoy the moment.  I wished I had it in the end. 

Looking at some of the blogs in my favourites list I saw this.  Kylee brought these biscuits to Home Friendship Group.  They were so yummy - if I had any left I'd make French s'mores!

I haven't written lately but have been immersing myself in study - listening to Nancy Leigh de Moss.  I must be hungry because I feel my spirit filling on her studies.  I am reading One Thousand Gifts and Fenelon.  I am eagerly awaiting books that I can't wait to read, to learn from and to apply to my life and to our home and family structure.

In reading Fenelon the other day, this struck me:

"Learn to be lenient with the less important matters, but maintain your firmness over that which is essential.  Remember that true firmness is gentle, humble and calm."  This is certainly what my approach to parenting has been of late.  I am trying to be measured and calm!

I have a list of things I want to make and need to do (like frame and hang all the prints lying under our bed collecting dust!)  (inspiration from Molly Irwin)

Lately I have even managed some hand quilting. 
















I am keen to finish this one as my lists are growing of things to make!  Nothing like eagerness to start the next project to inspire me to complete the last one.  :)

Life is busy but I am getting better at taking time out for the small things....