valentine making.....

MAKING PAPER HEART VALENTINES.

 first we cut out lots of pretty paper hearts (back and front to match)...then sewed up the sides leaving a small boy finger sized gap.......

 ....then found small boys who obligingly stuffed those hearts full of smarties.....(payment promised of leftover smarties).....

then sewed up the little gap...viola, so sweet treats (and easy) ready for valentines day.  Yay!

school's in....

check out these wee sweeties...first day back for all of them at once (have been going randomly individually for a couple days tho)...how exciting and really can't believe we have such giant girls now - seriously Saye is a smidge taller than me now!-rude!!
And so our 2012 schooling adventure begins - Josaye is in year 10, Nyah started college (sob sob) and is year 7, Jose is year 1, and wee Micah (who isn't so wee, more like a small brick wall) is at kindy.

When thinking of all the age combos for the future.. I worked out tht when Micah starts year 7, my other babies will be in year 9, poss 2nd year at uni, and poss in last year of uni - sheesh, thats quite a age stretch when you look at it like that!...although its lovely to know my house will be full of children and their friends for many years to come, always a bright side hey...AND if Mr Man and I should like to pop over to Fiji or the like (in about 6 years or so I'm sayin`)...we have in- built babysitters...hooray!

harvesting

todays harvest...we are picking like this every 2 days (in some cases every day)...the weeds are thigh high, and you have to know what you are looking for, but its all there, waiting for us.  I am thankful for such bounty...and proud of my family's effort is helping create such a HUMUNGOUS paddock/vege garden....its still got more to give yet!

romp it....

Dinosaur romp anybody???

take 8 crazy kiddies (4 not pictured) and 2 crazy mamas, 1 crazy papa...some stompin' music, a pterdactyl burger or 2..and you have yourself a dinosaur romp!!

heart melt moment

this lovely chicky is a bit sick....her poor comb has flopped over and she walks slowly....yesterday we picked her up and popped her in a basket to restin the garage.  I found our Micah Jack in there with her, on a little chair, stroking her head and chatting..."it'll be awight shicken, you'll be better soon"...sweet sweet boy.  I so hope so my son!  Heart melt. x

sniffff...a new chapter book

This new year...its like starting a new book isn't it...open the book, press the cover open and inhale the scent of posibilities...I so do love a new novel...anyho; after much procrastinating...tooing and froing, wondering and thinking and racking of my brain, I came up with a set of seemingly achieveable goals for this new adventure.....and thought I would share them on here.

When I went to jot them all down, they still seemed complicated, distracting and wordy.  But the underlying theme in each came out clear...and with a single word in mind, this year I am aiming to be ...present;

in all aspects of my life.  To take notice (even more so); to give the best of my attention to whoever I'm talking to.....so often my head spins out to all the other things that need doing, juggling, sorting, commenting on, making, creating, organising etc etc.  I wish to be intentially present.

xx

christmas in the tent

a wee bit different for us than usual, and although the kids vote its their favourite, I'm unsure yet, as I so love fussing and faffing about, with the food, decor, outfits etc....um, gulp, maybe thats why the tent rocked??!!
Anyho, we are back from a magnificent time up North, camping....in the beautiful Waipu cove...such a magical place, with bird estuary sanctuaries, caves, forests, dolphins in the sea, the beaches of course.  We drank yummy coffee everyday, slurped icecreams and wandered about soaking all the sun we got, and delighting in just being still, and with each other.  Our mega highlight was being able to go and spend the day in the Bay of Islands, watching the dolphins romp from our boat, and take in the spectacular scenery and history steeped islands.  Truly amazing. 

This year has been a roller coaster, challenging, rewarding, beautiful, devastating, filled with personal achievements and challenges for all our family individuals.  We are so thankful to those who have walked by our sides, sometimes leading, sometimes following....for His Grace who has eased us through it, and for a deep abiding love - that is family.  Bring on 2012 - we are gonna love the life outta ya!!