in my world ~ april

outside my window ~

Now that South Africa is in lockdown, it is a lot quieter in our normally very busy, noisy neighbourhood. 
It has been so wonderful to have some peace and quiet, and we are finding that we have more bird life in our garden...I even wake up to birdsong in the morning instead of traffic or people shouting.
What a gift!

in my cup ~

Earlier today it was a cup of coffee.

around the house ~ 

Everyone is busy with various projects they have on the go, such as the sanding and painting of furniture, the sewing of dolls clothes and the baking of treats, but we come together often...
If not around the table to share a meal, then outside in the garden for a cup of tea, or for our family devotions in the evenings.

reading ~

 I am currently busy working my way through The Complete Novels and Stories of Sherlock Holmes, volume 1. 
I have actually already read volume 2, so it is quite sad to think that soon I will have read all the Sherlock stories there are.
I also just finished When Tomorrow Comes by Janette Oke, which I really enjoyed.

listening to ~

I have been listening to a lot of hymns, both old and new, of late... 
I find them so uplifting and encouraging, especially in these uncertain times. 

watching ~

We have been watching season 7 of When Calls the Heart several evenings a week, and I have been working my way through season 1 of When Hope Calls while folding the laundry each day.
It is so lovely to have something clean and beautiful to watch every so often.

from the kitchen ~

As you can tell from the pictures above, I have been doing some baking...
I had been wanting to make hot cross buns for ever so long, and finally tried Mary Berry's simple, if somewhat time-consuming, recipe over the weekend, and was so pleased with the result!
Definitely worth all the effort!

creating ~

I have been doing quite a bit of sewing over the past week or so, starting with some sweet fabric pumpkins, then moving on to a tracksuit for Caleb, and birdy tea towels, which I will be sharing about soon.

in the garden ~

It has been wonderful being able to spend more time in the garden lately. 
Dad has cleared new ground for me, so I am hoping to fill this new patch with more veggies and salad leaves.
Stay tuned for a garden update coming soon.

out and about ~

As we are in the midst of a national lockdown, no one is going anywhere, not even for a walk around the block.  

one of my favourite things ~

Reconnecting with dear old friends in the world of blogging.

thankful for ~

Time at home with the people I love most in the world...
Evenings spent in prayer, worship and the reading of God's Word with my family,
and hearing how other families are drawing nearer to the Lord too...
Fellowship with dear friends via video calls.

dreaming of ~

Being able to go for a long, refreshing walk along the beach when the lockdown rules lift.

hoping ~

To use this time wisely and for the glory of God...
To get around to all the cleaning and organising that is on our to-do lists.

quiet moments ~

I love that the pace of life has slowed and that I can be home, my favourite place to be.

for the love of words ~

"The great thing about faith in God is that it keeps a man undisturbed in the midst of disturbance."  
~ Oswald Chambers
A beautiful truth to hold on to in these troubling times.

A blessed April to you, sweet friends...
I would love to hear what it happening in your world this month!

Blessings,
Kelly-Anne