Daily Walks

One of the things I missed about my day while making Autumn's Deb dress was the opportunity we had been taking to have a scheduled daily exercise walk.

I mostly was doing this with our older girls with the younger children joining in and Saxon and Rogan joining in when they felt like it.

One of these days we had already bathed our younger children and had them in their PJ's and they still wanted to come for a walk. Now for Trahaearn I often would take him in the Hug A Bub but this particular day he was a sleep in side when I started. Eden was reading keeping an eye on him and when he woke up brought him out in her jacket all snuggled up like a little possum. He had a wonderful time walking and seeing what was happening but so warm and cozy in the jacket.
Doesn't he look so adorable??

One of Arwen's favourite ways to go for a walk is to be carried by someone. We often take turns carrying her and she will even go to sleep as we have this walk.
Arwen along with the younger children do spend time running ahead and then back to keep up with us.

One of the major benefits has been he interesting talks we have had while walking. Sometimes this is just fun conversation: quoting movies, books and discussing everyday events.Other times we brake off as one of the children has something they want to discuss with me and this provides a perfect opportunity for some one on one attention but in a non organised way.

I also think that  having this time together without distractions of inside, even those necessary actions like cooking, folding up and other useful things is a benefit as it gets us away from the everyday routine to the 'outside world'.

Here we enjoy not only each others company but the beauty of the natural world around us that we are blessed to have.

I really am hoping that we can soon get back into this delightful routine again soon.

What do you think girls?

Blessings to you and your homes,

New to Me Hallway Mirror

Thank you so very much for all the nice comments about our new puppy, Abby.  She has been such a delight and has already become an important part of our family.  It is hard for me to believe over two weeks have passed since I last shared news from the house with the red door.  I don’t think I have ever gone this long without posting something since I started this blog over two years ago.  It is not for lack of things to write about but rather just plain busyness.

Anyway, I wanted to finally reveal what I meant to buy when I purchased the blue glass lamp for the master bedroom way back in April.  You may recall I had come across an item of interest on Craig’s List and ended up purchasing the lamp and the item.  What was the item?

It was a large Eastlake mirror.

Originally I was looking for something big to fill up the wall space at the bottom of the basement stairs (from the above pictures you can tell it did not end up there) and thought a large mirror would be just the thing. I have always loved the look of an oversized mirror leaning against the wall and this seemed like the perfect spot.

After a while, however, I realized it was just not big enough for the space.  It looked good but didn’t have the impact I had wanted.  I began looking for an alternative location and was so pleased to see it fit perfectly at the entrance to the basement stairwell.

No surprise in that I decided to paint it white – Annie Sloan’s old white to be exact.  I still have not figured out if I should distress the edges or leave it as is.  I keep waffling between the two.  I would love to know what you think!

Thanks again for your patience!  I am going to try to get caught up soon.

Sewing for Little Girls

Some time ago I bought the book Carefree Clothes for Girls: 20 Patterns for Outdoor Frocks, Playdate Dresses, and More 
At the time I loved the look of some of the clothes but other priorities seemed to get in the way of actually making anything. So with Autumn's Deb Ball coming up and having finally finished her dress I thought I would make the three younger girls a dress to wear for this special night.

I was going to make a summer print dress using the pattern from the book and complete with some very sweet little cotton pantaloons but not knowing the weather and the finding of some gorgeous tights (thanks Bernadette) I thought Panne Velvet would be perfect for the dresses.

The dresses were ver easy to make and the three colours  suit the three girls so well. The fall of the simple dress is very elegant and  I really like working with panne velvet as it does not need overlocking for fraying edges.
All in all I made these dresses in an afternoon (well when you space the time I actually spent sewing over a couple of days).

I really am looking forward to doing much more simple sewing this spring and summer using this book and some others I bought at the same time.

 Blessings to you and your homes,

Hearts for Home - 27th September

 In today’s busy and aggressive society mothers at home are not given much encouragement to be committed to their role in being home.

In my weekly 'Hearts for Home' post I am encouraging myself and others to commit to thinking about what 4-6 things we can do each week to bring our thoughts, prayers and actions to keeping our 'Hearts for Home'.

I am praying that a spirit of gentleness, generosity in thoughts and time along with loveliness and grace would lead us to be all that God wants us to be.

I pray also that each person involved in 'Hearts for Home' would also pray for any others involved as well.

May you be blessed by this initiative. I pray it brings you and your family many blessings.

So each week list 4-6 things you will commit to that will keep your "Hearts for Home'.
Please leave a you name and a link to your blog (if you don't have one just leave your list in the comment box) and perhaps a comment so we can all see and encourage each other.

If you would like, add the 'Hearts for Home' logo to your side bar as a reminder of your goals.
May God Bless you this week.

♥ Please leave a link to your Hearts for Home Edition on the Mister Linky at the end of the post, so we can all come and visit.
I would also appreciate you linking back here too.☺ ♥ ♥

Enjoying our lives on the 13th September by doing ♥ ♥

Hello Dear Friends,

This week is a very unusual one for us as we away from home on a family holiday and staying with some very good friends.

Therefore my heart is not centered around our home as a physical space but the home we have created within in our family circle.

We are just going to enjoy this time away nourishing our hearts and souls in the presence of each other as we have been blessed with this holiday gift of being able to have this time together

However as we are completely out of routine I do need to keep my heart focused on our little ones especially as we enjoy this time, but allowing for the tired little ones who get very excited with all the new and exciting experiences

So I will be adjusting expectations of what we can expect form each other as we are experience this wonderful time together.

Praying you all find peace and joy in your own homes this week,

Mother and the Home Fires

Some time ago while visiting Kim at Quaker Cottage she posted a beautiful passage from a book she was reading "The House on the Rock" from the book Lift Up Your Hearts to Mary, Peace, Prayer, Love by  Caryll Houselander.

As I read the passage (contained below) I was once again reminded of the aspirations I have for our home: To provide a sanctuary for all who enter within our Home and visit our Hearth.


I am, like so many other 'Keepers of the Hearth' are in need of  encouragment in our vocations in this world that does not deem our roles in society of importance and thus when I read such beautiful sentiments I am inspired to do that little bit better to provide a sanctuary for those within my family circle.


I hope this is inspiring for you as well.

To a young child home stands for God.  In it he learns to see and touch the gifts of God.  If his mother is wise she will make his home beautiful.  She will copy the world's creator and make a tiny new Eden.  She will bring in flowers and give the child animals and feed the birds.  The food on the table will be clean and simple and good.  It will not only taste nice, it will look nice . . . 

It is in his home that the child should assimilate the Sermon on the Mount, not as if it were being drilled in his brain by words, but as if he were breathing it in his whole being like the air . . .

The ordering of time, which seems so simple, really requires great skill and energy from the mother.  It has tremendous importance, above all if it is related (as it obviously should be) to the rhythm of day and night and is interwoven with prayer.

The child should wake to the singing of the birds (and they sing in the cities as well as in the woods).  Give his heart to God, when light is young, play for long hours when the world is awake and lively.  He should form habits of regular hunger and thirst, so that food and hunger come together, and his grace is a real thanking.  With twilight there should come stillness in the house and he should be lit to bed by the stars.

From such ordering of time he will learn unconsciously, though it may be years before he thinks this out, that he is not part of that chaos that man has made of this world, with its fearful abuse of time, but part of an ordered plan of love.

Blessings to you and your homes,

Happy One Hundred and Eleventy One Birthday Bilbo

We knew it was coming, yes we did!
We also knew that our annual celebration of the special day for all Hobbit fans, like we are, would not really be a happening event in our home this year.

Our lives have been revolving around our family holiday and Autumn's Debutante Ball and as tomorrow we are leaving on an adventure the best we could come up with, as I was ABSOLUTELY sure I could not organise a  party as we have done in past years Our Celebrations in 2010  and Our Celebrations in 2009
and an idea was formed that we would combine our trip with the theme of a Hobbit Adventure' such as Bilbo and the Dwarves had.

So in preparation of this we each drew lots for a role of a dwarf and Bilbo. I ended up as Kili one of the most popular dwarves in our family along with his twin brother Fili.

We intend to keep a journal ('To there and Back Again' Inspired) and try and work in some Lord of The Rings/ Hobbit adventures.

So to all you fans that celebrate this day in any way. Have a great day and have a little cake for me too please.

Blessings to you and your homes,

Yarn Along: 21st September

This week has been a very busy sewing week for me. I will be posting photos of the Debut Dress very soon.
Therefore I really did not get much reading or knitting done but when I had a few minutes I smatched little bit of reading from Rosemary Sutcliffe's The Rider of the White Horse. I am unsure I like this as much as her Roman Britain novels, but will continue for a while yet.

For knitting I have started some knitted dishcloths  from Joy at the Artful Homemaking blog.
I am using two different 4ply organic cotton together to create the 8ply required and am loving the way they are turning out. I think I will make them larger than the pattern though.

Off to finish my sewing so enjoy the other ladies 'yarning' over at Ginny's this week

 Blessings to you and your homes,

CURVEBALL...

Well, I had planned to do another post featuring pics of goods we will be taking to Texas but it just didn't work out that way.

Today was loading day, and for the first time EVER we loaded in rain and intermittent thunder storms.

CURVEBALL...

Tough to load when you have to cover everything with tarps, then uncover, then re~cover...

You get the idea... Even harder to take pics of anything when it's under a big blue tarp...

So I got nothin' for ya...

Until I return, and then I will be bombarding you with FABULOUS pics from the show...

Hope you don't mind waiting, IT'S SO VERY WORTH IT!

Back soon...

If you are lucky enough to be coming to the GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH...

MARBURGER FARMS****PLEASE STOP BY AND SAY HELLO!!!

TENT H   BOOTH 15

The magic starts on TUESDAY SEPT. 27TH!!!!

Letting Go!!

As parents I think we have many ideas about how we want to raise our children. Many ideas about the way our children will do things, now and hopefully when they leave home, taking the legacy of a warm and loving home with them as they go into the world to do what they are called to do.

We develop ideas that can grow and change over the years that I think we adapt in some form or another to the various needs and personalities of each of children.

I do not think our children are all of kind or one mould fits all. However that being said, I also think we are not being true to our children if we treat them all the same way in regards to the opportunities that arise in regards to the many personalities they have.

Sure I do mean that we remain true to the values and goals that are important to our family for each child, but within that structure that is unchanging is  the very real fact that we may have to change the way in which we do thing with a particular child or children due to the way they respond to various aspects of life.

In our education of our children i think this needs to be very much in the for front our our minds.
Our children are individuals, they do learn differently from each other, they DO have differing gifts and talents and we CAN and SHOULD adjust our own goals to the better goals that are being presented to us by our children.

After all isn't this one of the best advantages of home education our children. We know our children better than any teacher ever  could and we have the opportunity along with the care and love of that child to do what is in their best interests even if it does not conform with what we had planned for their educational needs this year.

I love to plan exciting and interesting things for our children's education. I try to document our plans and achievements both here and on my Learning Blog. I know I don't cover nearly all of what our children learn but I do try to focus on their interests and needs.

Now just because I have gone to great effort to plan the learning for our childrenI have quite often found that what I thought would be a  great study truly wasn't what we 'clicked' with at all. Our  children tell me often that I over plan and over estimate what we can do on any given project or feast day.

So when I opened my heart to hear the difficulty that our dear Vellvin was having in her learning I had to adjust my expectations with what was best for her. The programme we had discussed at the beginning of the year and re adjusted after Trahaearn was born was not a good mix for Vellvin. In fact as she has gotten older I think any form of timed or page requirements is not good for her general health and well being.

I found that our little girl was totally stressed out with the expectations of the 'school' day alongside the business that happens in a large family and the routines and expectations of that over the course of a day. And so fresh from the reading of
Homeschooling with Gentleness: A Catholic Discovers Unschooling, 
I found the courage to LET GO  and allow her to direct her own learning with some input form me and some overall supervision and interaction with her on a daily basis.

Really this is not so much different  from our normal routines except the pressure was off to 'perform' a certain amount to work each day.

I can tell you that after Vellvin created her list:Vellvin's learning Aspirations at the moment 
that we have a very excited and happy learner again. Vellvin is learning with joy and excitement, pursuing those interests that she has now. This may change over time BUT for now this is what she is interested in and I see the spark and love of life returning to her. How I missed it in our sweet and joyous girl. The burden of 'learning  for the sake of learning' was crushing her sweet and generous nature. What a lose that was to her and to us.

So for our girl at this time I am thankful that we can do this for her and encourage her to fulfil her purpose in life with joy and peace in her heart and thus ours too.

Blessings to you and your homes,

Hearts for Home - 20th September

 In today’s busy and aggressive society mothers at home are not given much encouragement to be committed to their role in being home.

In my weekly 'Hearts for Home' post I am encouraging myself and others to commit to thinking about what 4-6 things we can do each week to bring our thoughts, prayers and actions to keeping our 'Hearts for Home'.

I am praying that a spirit of gentleness, generosity in thoughts and time along with loveliness and grace would lead us to be all that God wants us to be.

I pray also that each person involved in 'Hearts for Home' would also pray for any others involved as well.

May you be blessed by this initiative. I pray it brings you and your family many blessings.

So each week list 4-6 things you will commit to that will keep your "Hearts for Home'.
Please leave a you name and a link to your blog (if you don't have one just leave your list in the comment box) and perhaps a comment so we can all see and encourage each other.

If you would like, add the 'Hearts for Home' logo to your side bar as a reminder of your goals.
May God Bless you this week.

♥ Please leave a link to your Hearts for Home Edition on the Mister Linky at the end of the post, so we can all come and visit.
I would also appreciate you linking back here too.☺ ♥ ♥

Enjoying our lives on the 20th September by doing ♥ ♥

Hello Dear Friends,

All my and the family's focus will be on the holiday away we will be having incorporation with Autumn's Deb Ball so to facilitate this:

1. I am praying  for peace and tranquility in my heart as I go about my everyday tasks loving and serving the Lord in my vocation as wife and mother and home maker. This is especially important over the next few days as we plan and organise for our trip away.
Packing and last minute things often equals stress in our home!

2. Finish Autumn's Deb dress today  (hopefully), make our three little girls a special dress for the ball and myself a skirt too.

3. In any spare moments work on my Elf Slippers  as I find knitting quite relaxing and can pick it up and put it down at anytime.

4. Remain gentle and loving and calm  even when the day becomes very nerve racking with too many people trying to do too many things

5. Try to organise some interesting things to do while we are away and some activities for the car, audio stories, games to play etc. It has been years since we did any sort of long car trips, in fact our younger children have not been on a long journey at all.

6. Be thankful for  the opportunity I have each day to love and be loved by special people. This is something I do not want to take advantage of and need to cherish each and every day.

Please could you pray for safe travel for us and an enjoyable trip as it is the first holiday we have had together in over 9 years. Oh and we have a lot of coughs and flu in the house. Please pray for a quick healing in the midst of all else so we can enjoy this time together.

Praying you all find peace and joy in your own homes this week,

Gentleness!!

I admire JR Miller and his writings. They have such a wonderful truth about them.
So today I would like to share this thought on Gentleness~ I agree with this thought wholeheartedly and pray that I am like this in my own life.

"Gentleness is a beautiful quality. It is essential to all true character. Nobody admires ungentleness in man or woman. When a man is harsh, cold, unfeeling, unkind, and rude and rough in his manner, no one speaks of his fine spirit. When a woman is loud-voiced, dictorial, petulant, given to speaking bitter words and doing unkindly things, no person is ever heard saying of her, “What a lovely disposition she has!” She may have many excellent qualities, and may do much good, but her ungentleness mars the beauty of her character." ~J. R. Miller

Blessings to you and your homes,

My Love of Baskets

One of the loves I have is that of baskets. I do have others that I am known for , hearts for example and of course my love of 'home and hearth' and all that entails.

I have over the years been fortunate to be able to collect and use baskets in our home. I have no idea where this came form initially but suspect it came form my reading of Emily Barnes and her book I have quoted before:The Spirit of Loveliness: Bringing Beauty, Creativity, and Order to Your Life
Once again it is a book that opened my heart to the beauty we bring into our homes and how we can give our homes a 'signature' of our own.

As it turns out baskets has been one of my feature signatures.

Some time ago we went to our favourite Antique shop where we have bought many books as well as many tea cups and other gifts for ourselves and others.

Of course on this particular day I managed to see a beautiful basket (top photo) that had a very reasonable price tag, in my opinion, of $10. Now you know I couldn't leave it there in that big shop, unloved and unwanted when I could offer it a very lovely home and a worthwhile life as my new craft basket now could I?

I have used baskets for many uses over the years. I have a very deep seated hatred of 'plastic' and will go to many lengths to avoid using this for anything in our home if I can avoid it, much to the annoyance of those who attempt to use plastic. I have been accused of causing a cluttered affect in our home but for the life of me I cannot agree with this.

We use baskets for so many collection points or storage or even carrying items and I love to see our children when they look for a receptacle for anything the first item they look for is a beloved basket.

The picture above is a collage of some of the baskets we have full of different items around our home at the moment.
These can actually change as I need to re-organise or need a basket for some other purpose.

I love the warmth of the various materials that these baskets come in and I really do feel more 'at home' hanging our washing from a cane basket rather than the utilitarian plastic one or pairing up socks or even just moving clothes from one room to another. Yes, I do think  they may last longer BUT where is the heart and soul that a cane basket brings to the task?

For I believe that just because we live our lives in service to those in our home that we do not need to be drab or boring. We can bring life to our homes and the attitude in which we do our work, and if something like a love of baskets helps us in our vocations to bring pride and achievement to our daily tasks then we should do all that is reasonable  to use these items to assist us in these worthy tasks.

So what are some of the 'signiture items' that you love and that you use in your daily life? I would love to hear from you about what you find brings joy to your life, as simple as it may be!

Blessings to you and your homes,

Home and Hearth

"Thus, simply as a child, we learn a home is made from love. Warm as the golden hearth fire on the floor."

I have no idea where I first saw this quote but immediately it resonated with me. 

It seems so obvious to me that a home is made of love. 

This is a goal I aspire to each day, that the home we have with our children would be one that is golden, warm and inviting to be in.

I remember from one of my many "Mothering books" I can't remember which but it is something I always remember: that we want to make our home a place where our children 'PREFER TO BE over any other place.' 

And because it is it will aways be a 'conscience place ' for them in their memories as they leave home. That in this constantly warm and loving  family circle within a home where love is shown that when our children are tempted by wrong and evil this 'Home and Hearth' will be able to help stear them on the path of good and right choices.

That has always stuck with me and what I strive for in the home I try to create for our family. A place we return to day after day, to refresh and be with one another. 

Not because we have no where else to go BUT because that is where we want to be.

Blessings to you and your homes,

Yarn Along: 14th September

This week as I join Ginny and the other Yarn Along girls. I really have only a small contribution to share.

I have been enjoying knitting these slippers from: Moonbeams and Applesauce: Rainbow Wool Elf Slipper Tutorial. 
Even though I have not made as much progress as I wanted they are super easy to knit. I love that I can pick them up and down at will as I do other things with the children, they don't require lots of thought and I am enjoying the texture of the wool.
My other poor little  gnomes are still awaiting completion in my work basket and I am sure feel quite neglected. Mossy Atlas is anxious for their company but is waiting patiently.

I have been using bamboo needles for my projects lately and LOVE the feel and texture as I knit with them. Has anyone else had this same experience with bamboo needles.

My reading this week is very sporadic. Picking up bits and pieces but I am loving the small bits and pieces from  The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons.

My knitting and reading are hampered by my sewing of Autumn's  Deb dress still but I am making slow but steady progress on it.

Hoping to stop by and see many of your projects this week!!


Blessings to you and your homes,

Discoloured LACE

Have you ever soon what should have been beautiful lace that has not been cared for?
The way it is discoloured, worn and has little bits of uneven pattern or even parts that are torn. This is quite a distressing sight to see I think. To see such a beautiful piece of work that was lovingly crafted now in a state of ruin or at least unloved and uncared for.

Even though LACE has a  beauty and Strength , all of it's own, as I have said before, it is a fragile and delicate fabric. It does require extra effort to care for, but it is worth that extra care because of it's beauty and delicacy.

If only we could see this in the people God has placed in our lives.
First off our own family, as charity and love begin at home, yes OUR homes and then in the people around us.

I know you have seen, as have I,  those people around you whose LACE has become discoloured, worn and weary from lives filled with many burdens and cares.

It is a sad sight to see and yet we often miss the opportunity to 'fix' the LACE in their lives. We choose to think that a 'master lace worker' would do a better job, and I would agree with that......However The Master Laceworker has given to us, that job.
He has given to us the splendid opportunity to be 'original lace workers,' in our ability to have the gift of serving and helping these people.
We can give this LACE a new lease of life with our thoughts , words and actions.

I think that we also need to remember that we do not cause any distress to other peoples LACE. That we do not cause any discolouration and little torn parts. That we treat other LACE with infinite and gentle care.
How can we do this you may ask?

 Our words and actions can cause many imperfections  to happen, not only in the fabric of our own lives (lace) but in  the fabric of all those we come in contact with.

This seems such a small and quite a trivial task to be given and yet so many of us have affected others with these 'trifles.' We also have in our own memories the LACE that was torn from someones unthinking or even deliberate attack on ourthe  fabric of life we hold dear.

So I would challenge myself and anyone else who can see the beauty of lace in others to treat the fabrics of those lives with the most utmost care and respect. Giving thanks for the opportunity to share the love of God with them in our thoughts words and deeds.

Joining in with Trish and my other LACE loving friends reflecting on
Philippians 4:8
Whatever is..LLovely, Admirable, Cheerful and Encouraging. ~ LACE

Blessings to you and your homes,

Goodies in the Mail and a New Family Addition

The past few weeks have been filled with lots of fun and excitement!  The mailman has been a regular visitor at my house – delivering a few expected packages as well as a nice surprise – and we have added a new member to the family.

Last week started off with the delivery of this wonderful enamel sign I won a while back from a giveaway hosted by Darlene at Fieldstone Hill.

It is made by Ramsign and is a work of art which is made to be used.  It took several weeks to arrive once my order was placed but it was well worth the wait.  Thanks Darlene!

The second delivery came about courtesy of Joan from For the Love of a House.  She recently shared her source for real wax candle sleeve covers - Lumiere Candles.  I honestly did not even know such a thing existed!

Since I am all about the details, I couldn’t wait to replace the plastic sleeves on my vintage light fixtures in the dining room and living room with the real thing.

The funny thing was, I was in such a rush to order the candle sleeves I ordered six twelve inch sleeves instead of the twelve six inch sleeve I needed.  Lucky for me, Lumiere Candles’ customer service is incredible.  I left a message about my mistake and received a phone call back almost immediately telling me what I need to do to make an exchange.

My new beeswax candle sleeve covers really do make a difference in the way the chandeliers look and I highly recommend them for anyone who loves authenticity.

The third package I received this past week was a lovely surprise.  I recently featured Jenni from Dear Lillie as the September RDH blog of the month.  During the post I mentioned how much I liked the silhouette shopping bag which was a new addition to the Dear Lillie Store.  Well, a few days later I received one in the mail!  It was such a lovely and unexpected gesture and I can’t thank Jenni enough.

Finally, I wanted to share a picture of the newest addition to our house with the red door – Abby!

She is a miniature Schnauzer puppy and came to live with us just this past Saturday.  She may show up from time to time in some upcoming pictures so I thought I should introduce her to you.

Hearts for Home - 13th September

 In today’s busy and aggressive society mothers at home are not given much encouragement to be committed to their role in being home.

In my weekly 'Hearts for Home' post I am encouraging myself and others to commit to thinking about what 4-6 things we can do each week to bring our thoughts, prayers and actions to keeping our 'Hearts for Home'.

I am praying that a spirit of gentleness, generosity in thoughts and time along with loveliness and grace would lead us to be all that God wants us to be.

I pray also that each person involved in 'Hearts for Home' would also pray for any others involved as well.

May you be blessed by this initiative. I pray it brings you and your family many blessings.

So each week list 4-6 things you will commit to that will keep your "Hearts for Home'.
Please leave a you name and a link to your blog (if you don't have one just leave your list in the comment box) and perhaps a comment so we can all see and encourage each other.

If you would like, add the 'Hearts for Home' logo to your side bar as a reminder of your goals.
May God Bless you this week.

♥ Please leave a link to your Hearts for Home Edition on the Mister Linky at the end of the post, so we can all come and visit.
I would also appreciate you linking back here too.☺ ♥ ♥

Enjoying our lives on the 13th September by doing ♥ ♥

Hello Dear Friends,

1. I am praying  for peace and tranquility in my heart as i go about my everyday tasks loving and serving the Lord in my vocation as wife and mother and home maker

2. Enjoying time with our family complete with Kynan home. It is amazing that we just slip back into old habits and styles with him home.

3.I am really loving the easy and relatively quick work I am making on these Moonbeams and Applesauce: Rainbow Wool Elf Slipper Tutorial.
 I can pick it up and put it down at anytime and loving the ease of knitting.

4. Plan all the items we need to pack for our trip for Autumn's Deb Ball and our 2 weeks away.

5.While one of my best de-clutterers is home I intend on getting this done. Finding time to do this is difficult and Kynan can work with others without me. Wish us well with this HUGE undertaking. Did I mention we have a pack rat in our home..aka  Stephen

6. I am making slow but good progress with  Autumn's, Deb Dress. I intend to have it finished this week.

Praying you all find peace and joy in your own homes this week,

A Sandpit of his Own

One thing we ahve always had in outdooor play for our children has been a sandpit. In our moves to various homes one fo the first things to be installed in the home was the trampoline, swings and the construction of a sandpit.

We have had arious constructions and sizes filled with many meters of sand and the chidlren have had many hours of play with trucks, sandtoys and  building of villages, castles and the never ending volcanao eruption. Tea parties ahve been enjoyed by fairies and  small girls.

However you know as well as I that mud is a big attraction to children and so one day Corbyn obviously having had enough of the 'regulation' sandpit, created his own with some lovely thick clay soil. (Yes the clothes were a trifle harder to clean than normal.) Taking it form one side of the driveway  to the other, in order to create this lovely little construction site.
Obviously he is the son of a civil engineer!!

He was most engrossed in this for a few days just digging up the dirt he had transported over the driveway , using the loader to tip in to the dump truck and then dumping out onto another part of the new sand pit pile.

Needless to say it is still waiting for him to come back to when he is ready for some more digging and shifting.  Of course the driveway does not look as neat and tidy to drive up to the house now as it did before, but that is no way as important as the joy and contentment of our little construction boy and his machines now is it?

Blessings to you and your homes,