A few
snapshots of our September so far…
Outside my Window
All is quiet
outside my window this pleasant Spring morning.
I am actually at
the house of the couple whose baby I am watching during the week.
Little one is fast
asleep after a morning of playtime, so I am soaking up the peace and enjoying a
rest.
In my cup…
Rooibos tea for a
change.
Around the house…
It has now been four
weeks since Dad flew back to China.
Life in our
household is as busy as ever with little children doing home schooling and keeping
up with the various projects we have on the go.
We are still
trying to put systems in place and organise our lives, but I think this will be
on-going in our big family!
Reading…
As I mentioned a
couple weeks ago, I read more than one book at a time…
Currently I am
busy with Wives and Daughters by
Elizabeth Gaskell.
I am listening to
an audiobook which allows me to “read” and get various tasks accomplished at
the same time.
When I do feel
like sitting down to read a book (usually while Baby is sleeping), Shirley by Charlotte Bronte is the novel
I am currently enjoying.
If you follow me
on Instagram, you’ll know that I loved Jane
Eyre and recently finished it.
I am also still
busy with The Yearling…to be honest,
I haven’t picked it up in a few weeks.
Listening to…
Celtic Woman recently released their new album, Ancient Land!
I have their tunes
playing on repeat while cooking and cleaning up after supper.
My current
favourite is Moorlough Shore which
you’ll just have to go listen to over here.
Thankful for…
My heart is filled
with thankfulness for the way the Lord provided part time work for me.
I absolutely love
looking after this sweet baby girl during the day, and find myself refreshed and
better able to cope with the noise and activity of our busy household when I
come home.
I am also thankful
for our new home and being able to plant a garden this spring.
From the kitchen…
I spend a lot of
time in the kitchen now.
As time is quite
limited, I am not always able to be all that creative or experiment with new
recipes.
However, I always
try to make each meal taste amazing and like to spend a few extra moments prettying
up a serving.
Over the weekend
we made use of our new braai area.
For
those of you who don’t know, a braai is very much a South African thing.
I love being able
to make a good fire and cook our meal over the hot coals!
Creating…
Well, despite my
good intentions, I have done very little sewing or creating lately.
Each day is so
full that finding time to be creative is not so simple.
There are other
things to be enjoyed right now, so I am focusing on being fully appreciative of
those things.
I did, however, set up my table and sewing things in a corner of the house, so now I can be creative whenever I get the chance without having to first gather my things or pack everything away afterwards
Out and about…
I haven’t been
doing any exploring lately, instead I have been able to take the little ones to
the library and to the local botanical gardens for a picnic.
I love being able
to go out with them!
We also usually go
to the Saturday morning farmer’s market for fresh veg and maybe a couple bags
of compost for the garden.
Watching…
Most evenings I
prefer to read or listen to my audiobook, but sometimes it is fun to sit down
with a homemade rooibos cappuccino (which of my readers have had one of these?)
and watch something light before heading off to bed.
I have been
catching up on a few episodes of Bringing
up Bates as well as some figure skating from this year’s world
championship.
One of my favourite things…
Getting up early
and enjoying a cup of coffee outside on the porch.
At this time of
the day, all is still (we live in a busy, noisy neighbourhood now), except for
the cheerful tune of the birds as they awaken.
Dreaming of…
Sowing more seeds
and planting out seedlings…and hoping the birds (and our cat) won’t destroy
that which I have already planted.
I am eagerly
anticipating being able to harvest more regularly from our humble little garden.
Already we are
enjoying home-grown radish after only a month of being in our new home.
I am hoping…
To somehow find
time to start some sewing for the upcoming gift market Heartmade will be
exhibiting at.
I have added
gorgeous little girl aprons and skirts, as well as gift tags and one or two
other things to our product list, so now I need to sit down and make the stock!
Quiet moments…
It is a sweet joy
digging in the garden; feeling the warmth of the spring sunshine on my skin,
and allowing my mind to wander while pulling up weeds and planting out
seedlings.
Gardening is one
of my greatest joys, and now I have the added blessing of being able to share
this passion with my younger sister, Gabrielle, who has lately discovered that
she too has a natural affinity for tending the earth.
Well, lovely
readers, I do hope all is well in your corner of the world.
What have you been
up to this September?
Blessings,
Kelly-Anne
