in my world ~ october

 ^Pear blossoms

^Our quince trees are also in bloom...

^New reindeer...

 

 

 ^27 weeks along...

^The beautiful ocean...

 

^Pretty flowers on the beach...

 

 the world outside

I am reveling in the beauty of these spring days...  There are new leaves and pretty pink and white buds on the fruit trees...  And thankfully the weather is still pretty cool...

in my cup

Earl Grey tea

around the house

I have been pottering about adding decorative touches here and there, and organizing something each day.  I am also keeping to a cleaning routine which works so well and gives me more time for other things.

reading

I just finished The First Sir Percy by Baroness Orczy,one of the books in The Scarlet Pimpernel series.  This book was a bit of a challenge to get through...I was almost two thirds of the way in before I actually started enjoying it.

watching

Every now and again we watch an episode of the Antiques Roadshow which we find really interesting...

listening to

I have been listening to hymns while going about my morning chores, and either Louis Armstrong or Josh Groban in the evening while preparing supper and waiting for Rucus to come home from work.

in the kitchen

I am a lot more organised with meals these days...  My husband is trying to steer clear of carbs, so I have had to put my thinking cap on and come up with alternative meals.

Last night I did make some delicious homemade pasta with eggs from our hens...we celebrated our six month anniversary with special dinner at home.

in the garden

How I love Springtime...the squash (I planted marrows, pumpkin, Hubbard squash, gem squash around the fruit trees) have all popped up and are already getting their true leaves.  My bush beans and peas are also growing beautifully, and my sweet peas never fail to cheer me up with their bright scented flowers.  I love cutting a few each day and placing them in little vases around the house.

out and about

Rucus took me to the beach for a picnic yesterday...  It was so delightful to breathe in the fresh sea air and watch the waves crashing upon the rocks.  We even saw dolphins...  A much needed outing after a busy few weeks.

creating

I have finished the front panel of the baby quilt, and now I am just waiting on some fabric to finish it off.

I also sewed a beanbag set with matching fabrics, and I have also been working on a few gifts for friends who are expecting around the same time as me.

I sent off some new stock to the one shop I still supply with my handmade items, and plan to work on a couple things for my Etsy shoppe which I am currently busy updating.

thankful for

Time spent with my mother in law who is visiting this week.  I only met her briefly a few days before our wedding, so I have enjoyed getting to know her better...  And let me just add that she spoilt me with some beautiful quilting fabrics I can't wait to use!

thinking of

How quickly the last six months have gone by...  My husband and I celebrated six months of marriage on October 3rd.

hoping

That the summery dress my sister has been working on will be finished next week...I am growing out of all my clothes, so a new dress (which will work for maternity and after birth) will be very welcome.  I am so glad I have a sister who sews so beautifully...she made the dress in last month's post, and plans to start another for me this month.

one of my favourite things

Taking our Border Collie puppy, Fletch, for a walk in the orchards each day.  It is so peaceful walking between the rows of trees...a wonderful time to pray.

for the love of words

"Happiness is in the quiet, ordinary things.  A table,a chair, a book...  And the petal falling from the rose, and the light flickering as we sit silent."  ~ Virginia Woolf

~

 Happy October sweet readers...what is happening in your corner of the world this month?

why I love being married

 In honour of our six month wedding anniversary , I thought I would share six things I love about being married...  

I tell everyone how wonderful it is to be married, and here are just a few reasons why...

i.  I love knowing that my husband chose me above all others to be his wife.  

This makes me feel truly loved.

And I feel honoured to be married to a man I can be proud of...  

I love calling him my husband, and hearing him say that I am his wife.

ii.  I love being the one to give him children. 

I love that a tiny life, part him and part me, is being knit together in my womb... 

I love how much closer I felt to my husband upon discovering I was expecting his child.

iii.  I love being protected and cared for.  

I love that my husband takes his role as protector very seriously.

I seldom feel anxious or fearful.

I love that my husband is a compassionate man...

I had a difficult time in my first trimester, but Rucus took care of me by trying to cheer me up and encouraging me when I was feeling so sick and tired.

iv.  I love having a husband to dress up for.  

I love that by wearing something feminine and becoming, and taking a little extra time to put on a touch of make up, just how he likes it, brings such pleasure to my husband.

I love that my husband sees me at my worst and loves me anyway.

v.  I love that I get to do everyday life with my best friend.  

Sometimes it is simply going shopping for groceries together, or taking the dog for a walk.

I love that when difficulties arise, we can work through them together, hand in hand.

As a single young woman, I struggled with loneliness, even though I was surrounded by sisters and was blessed to have a few really special friendships...

Marriage has filled that deep emptiness I felt.  

I love that I no longer feel out of place in a crowd, because I have someone to stand beside, someone who loves and accepts me regardless of my flaws.

vi.  I love that my husband knows me completely.  

I am fully his and he mine.  

I love that I can talk about anything with him, from my deepest feelings to less important matters...

I love that I can trust him implicitly, and rest in knowing he will always seek to point me to Christ and lead his family in the ways of the Lord.

Marriage is the greatest adventure...  I feel truly blessed.

This time last year, I had no inkling that I would be celebrating six months of marriage and be just fourteen weeks away from meeting our baby boy...

I give praise to the Lord for doing exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or think.

Have you read the story of how I met my husband?  If not, hop over here to read how the Lord brought us together.  

Did you know we were only in a courtship for two weeks before deciding we wanted to get married?

Dear friend, If you are still single, may I encourage you to continue trusting the Lord for a husband.  It truly is worth waiting for the one the He has for you...

His timing is perfect.

in my world ~ september

23 weeks along with our sweet baby boy...

 Cuddles with Fletch...

~

the world outside ~

 I have just come home after from taking our sweet new puppy, Fletch, for a walk down the road...lessons on the leash have commenced...

We had gentle rain in the night which has left the world around us feeling sparkly clean...

There is something so peaceful about an overcast morning.

 

 around the house ~

I am enjoying establishing more of a cleaning routine which means I can pace myself better...these days I don't have much energy.

in my cup ~

Earlier it was coffee. 

reading ~ 

I finally finished Miss Read's Over the Gate, and am now working my way through a rather heavy, but fascinating non-fiction book called Childbirth Without Fear which several of my friends recommended I read...

watching ~

After working our way through four seasons of Poldark, we lost interest...but on one or two rainy afternoons, I decided to watch a few episodes of season 5...I have to find out what happens.  {{Smiles}}

listening to ~

I have been enjoying listening to David Phelps' Hymnal again...so uplifting.

I also enjoy singing while busy with the dishes or cooking supper...

in the kitchen ~

As with household chores, I am becoming better at meal planning and cooking double meals so as to give me time to tackle some sewing the next day...or take a nap.

We eat a lot of soups and stews, and have also made it our tradition to have homemade hamburgers on a Friday evening.  They are absolutely delicious!

in the garden ~

Spring is here and there are new leaves on the fruit trees we planted last month...

And finally things are starting to grow...I sowed the first of my seeds last week...marrows, beans, gem squash and some salad things like radish and lettuce...

out and about ~

We have been out of town a couple times lately...first for an ultrasound which revealed we are expecting a baby boy.  Oh, how precious it was to see our little one moving about and receive some pictures for our scrapbook...

 A week later we drove two hours away to pick up our new Border Collie puppy, Fletch.  We stopped at my family on the way home to introduce them to the new member of our family and to share supper with them...

 

 creating ~

While in town, I stopped at the quilt and fabric shop to pick up a couple pieces of fabric for Baby's quilt.  I have started cutting the blocks out, but keeping Fletch stimulated and out of trouble means I don't have all that much time for sewing at the moment!

I have found a few other things I want to make for our little boy...hoping to share these projects as I complete them... 

 

quiet moments ~

My husband, who is a bladesmith, has started creating videos for his YouTube channel...  He recently had two students on course and made a video (watch it here) to show other potential students what they can expect from his courses...  He works on these videos in the evenings, and I enjoy sipping a cup of tea and reading a book while he is busy...or cuddling our puppy.

thankful for ~

Having found an amazing midwife to assist with our baby's birth...

 

thinking of ~ 

 How quickly the days are going by...in just a few weeks we will be holding our baby boy in our arms.

hoping ~ 

To send off some new stock of reindeer, Miss Lettice Rabbits, snuggle bunnies and birdy tea towels to the one shop I supply with my handmade items... 

 one of my favourite things ~

Taking Fletch to a nearby field for a good run....  My husband enjoys archery, so often he'll take his bow and arrow with and do some target practice...  I love walking with him to retrieve his arrows, talking all the while and soaking up the beautiful scenery...

 

for the love of words ~

My sister, Gabrielle, shared this beautiful quote on her blog the other day...and I just had to share it too...

"Happiness is the result of an attitude of mind. I believe we can build it out of small things."

- Miss Read

 

~

Happy Spring, sweet friends...

May September be a beautiful month for you!

Do share what is happening in your corner of the world...it is always a delight hearing from my lovely readers!

Blessings,

Kelly-Anne

we're having a...

We are having a little boy!

We are absolutely delighted...22 weeks down, 18 to go before we meet our sweet baby boy...

Small happinesses…

It is a beautiful overcast August morning…

I have just kissed my husband goodbye, poured myself a strong cup of coffee and now sit gazing out the window at my little garden…

I can hear the hens clucking contentedly at their breakfast, tractors already hard at work in the orchards, and birds singing cheerfully in the trees. 

 Spring is in the air, and my heart is filled with joy just thinking about the delights of the season.

 I also find myself in a sweet stage of my pregnancy…

19 weeks

 Apart from feeling a bit more uncomfortable and struggling to bend down quite so easily as before, I am enjoying my growing bump and feeling our little one’s tiny movements.

Progress on our little place continues, albeit very slow…

My husband spends most of his time at the forge working on orders, and with Spring around the corner, my attention has shifted to the garden…

I sowed seeds in trays this week, and can’t wait to start direct sowing in the beds as soon as we’ve had our last frost…

My sweet peas are growing beautifully, the daisy bush (gift from my husband) blooming, and I am hopeful that our little garden will bear well this year…

The whirr of my sewing machine can be heard most days…

I have been sewing items for my little Etsy shoppe which yes, is still in the works…

I find I am having to rest more these days, so often I’ll sit on the bed doing handwork like sewing the faces on my Miss Lettice Rabbits or the paw pads on my reindeer…

And during an impromptu photoshoot yesterday, my chickens had to come see what we were up to…

At the moment, our of my six hens are laying, so we are enjoying fresh eggs daily… lovely bright orange yolks from happy chickens.

 My days are filled with simple pleasures…

I love being busy in my little home during the day and anticipating my husband’s homecoming each evening, then supper by candlelight and snuggling up with one of Miss Read’s charming novels…

Cuddles with our mischievous Pepper cat.

Well dear friends, the day awaits, so I think I’ll bring this rambling post to a close…

 May your day be filled with sunshine and sweet blessings!

“A quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest.”  ~ Albert Einstein

With love, Kelly-Anne

And thank you to my sister, Gabrielle, for these photographs.