WE GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We get the keys Friday the 13th of April!! Big thankyou to all who prayed for us, it was all definitely God's doing. The only bittersweet part is saying goodbye to Paul and Katrina and the kids!

Some pics

I haven't got a 'big picture' view of the front of the house so you'll have to make do with this. There are more photos in the photo album. Not many of the inside as Katrina originally made up the disk to show the owner what they had done with the garden.

Another quick update on the house situation

There are several applications in on this place which are being processed, we should know by tomorrow at the latest. Our application for the new place is being processed. I have photos of the new place given to me by Katrina (the current Tenant) taken before they moved in and now so I will post them when I have a spare moment (ha!). It is a bit bittersweet actually because we dropped around to see the current tenants, just have a cuppa and a chat, at about 3pm Saturday and left at 10:30pm! We had such a lovely time, and I will be very sad to see them go. But I am looking forward to the blessing of that house, God willing!

Oh Yay!!

5 applications going in on this place tomorrow! Yes 5!!!!!!!!! So I think we will be moving to our dream home!!!!!!!!! Probably moving the Friday after Easter at this point, it is still a bit up in the air but we'll see. Thank-you for the prayers, God's hand has obviously been over this one!

Put your prayer hats on!

Yesterday we found the MOST beautiful house! It is an old farm house that has been fully restored and renovated with 2 wood heaters (1 in the kitchen in the most fabulous stone setting) and heating ducted to the rest of the house. 4 bedroom and a sunroom, a PANTRY!!, fenced yard for the dog. It has tank water, but with a bore that is pumped directly into the tank. The current tenants have 6 kids and they all shower one or more times a day plus normal laundry etc. and they have never had water issues. It is on almost 2 acres and comes with three hens and a rooster! It also has a green house and a double bay garage! So now we have to find new tenants for this place asap. We are putting an add in the paper tomorrow. We also have to work out the funds needed for the move (bond to be paid, removalists for the large stuff etc.) It is currently lived in by a Christian family who have done an amazing amount of work on the place but need to lease-break to go back to Queensland (long, complex story). I know they would love us to have it because we'd love it as much as they do! I told them that August would be the earliest we could move unless we get tenants for this place, but we will start looking NOW!. So please, add this to your prayer list!

***********************UPDATE*************************

There have been two responses to the add in the paper as of 9:15am today. Two people coming out this afternoon to check the place out!!

I am updating a fair bit this week!

But I was excited and couldn't wait to share LOL. The nesting is back with a vengeance! My Beloved is at TassieNats (big car/drag racing thing) and I usually use that time to do things that I can't do or find difficult when the kids are out of bed and don't do when he's home because I like to spend that time with him. Tonight it was cleaning the oven (how exciting! :P ) but this extended on to cleaning the kitchen for an hour then going around and DECLUTTERING!

I was reading one of the homemaking blogs I keep track of (large family logistics, the link is at the left hand side of the page) and she mentioned that every 'baby year' (she has 9 so there have been a few baby years!) she goes around and collects all the knick knacks and other non-functional things and either puts them away or gives them away. I had a few knick knacks around the house that I have kept and moved from house to house over the years mostly because the people who have given them to me, mean a lot to me. I have come to the conclusion that I better honor these people by using the time I would use cleaning and caring for these knick knacks (or feeling guilty about NOT cleaning and caring for these knick knacks) to call them or write them a note to tell them how much they mean to me! To tell the truth, I get a little depressed sometimes at the mis-matched nature of our decor. It is inevitable at our stage of life when we live in a rental and much of our furniture is op-shop, gifts or the cheapest available to do the job. But the mis-matched knick knacks, few of which were to our personal tastes at this stage in our lives (the musical carousel horse I loved at age 11 doesn't do as much for me now!) only added to the disjointed, cluttered feel of our home. So they are now sitting in a bag waiting for a trip to the charity bin so they can bless a different home that has time to care for them properly. The only knick knacks I have kept are the ones that my Beloved is attached to (he gets very sentimental over some things, he is much more romantic than me!), our photo frames (I have my eye on a set at Target that all match though!) and a small crystal squirrel that my grandfather bought for me in Switzerland nearly 20 years ago. I am hoping that nobody will be upset that I have passed on gifts that they gave me, but many of the items I have put away were given to me by people who can't come and visit because of the distance and their health.

If my energy had not given out I would probably be still cleaning away merrily, but bed calls. I just wanted to share as letting go of this clutter is a big thing for me! :)

Ode to the Challenge of Church

I am the blessed mother

Of two aged under three

My beauties and my heartbeats

The very best of me

My days are filled with finger paints,

sloppy kisses, sticky hugs

With tantrums, pouting, storm clouds

‘Time outs’ and surly shrugs

I embrace the work I have

of shaping little people

But Lord knows I need that Sabbath rest

And the building with the steeple!

So off to Sabbath school we go

Dressed in our Sabbath best

For a weekly dose of the fellowship

And a little Sabbath rest

Church time comes and I scan the pews

I pick so carefully

For seats that are most suitable

For my two aged under three

The singing starts, my two do well

They sing along with glee

They don’t quite know all the words

But that doesn’t bother me

They put their offering in the bag

And settle for the speaker

But this, my gentle reader,

Is where the story’s somewhat bleaker!

My toddler starts to wriggle,

He’s about to sprint the mile!

For a kind church member

Is waving down the aisle!

Firmly planted on my lap

He quiets for a bit

Then starts to chortle and to wriggle

This child just will not sit!

I look around and find out how

My babe’s attention has been captured

Someone’s playing peek-a-boo

And young Billy’s quite enraptured!

I smile (somewhat thinly)

and turn my boy around,

Direct my attention to the speaker

And seek the message to be found

The calm is short lived at best

Madame two begins to giggle

The peek-a-boo culprit moved on

And is causing her jiggle

A stern word from Dad turns her back

To her colouring book for now

But not before someone else

Throws us a nasty scowl

I sigh and read the Bible

over my Beloved’s shoulder

Is it my imagination

Or am I feeling somewhat older?

Someone leans over the back of the pew

And hands my son some paper

Gleefully he rips it up!

He thinks it’s quite a caper!

The noise cuts right through the prayer time

And, feeling less than happy,

I take him to the cry room

To remove the paper and change a nappy

I listen hard to hear the word

As I complete his ablation

But someone else tries to engage me

In a conversation!

Politely I extract myself

and mutter up a prayer

I gird my loins and ready my heart

And head back into ‘there’

As I head in I see my Love

March Madame two right out

I hear the smack which is followed by

A Madame two sized shout

I suspect the peek-a-boo Culprit

incited riot and flack

Poor Madame two gets the consequence

Peek-a-boo should have got that smack

We settle as a family,

to hear the speaker speak

Madame two is happy

And Mr Toddler starts to sleep!

Just in time for benediction

And the final hymn

Oh well, I s’pose the Lord knows

We came to visit with Him!

So, dear reader, if this tale

Is to subtle and restrained,

I will make it clearer to you,

Put it in words quite plain!

Please don’t play with my children

When the Word is being read!

As a Child of God I need His Word

I need my daily Bread.

And I want to teach them to respect

The worship needs of others

To sit and be obedient

Especially to their mother!

Please lead by your example

And direct your attention on high.

There will be plenty of time for peek-a-boo

When we meet Jesus in the sky!

Our First Hospital visit!

Well, after over two and a half years of parenting, we have finally made our first rush to the hospital. On Monday I was hanging out and bringing in some washing while Billy crawled around under the clothes line and engaging in one of his favourite activities - eating dirt. When I got him inside and started running his bath I noticed that his upper lip was swollen all across the left side and was swelling before my eyes (already twice its normal size). Our best guess is a sugar ant bite to the inside of his lip, he probably bit the ant first! So we threw the kids in the car and headed in to the hospital - where I waited for 3 and a half hours then went home without seeing a doctor! By that time the swelling had gone down, his tongue and throat (which were my main concerns) showed no sign of swelling and it was WAY past bed time for both kids. NEXT time we will call the GP after hours number and have it dealt with locally. I'd rather sit for ages with a healthy baby in the waiting room than have shock or breathing difficulties at home though! The kids were both fantastic and Erin thought it was great to have a trip to Maccas with Daddy!

Erin:
is now fully recovered after being slightly devastated after Nana Julie went home (she visited for four days last week). She loved having Mum here and thrived on the extra attention. She is now counting the sleeps until we go to see Nanny and Poppy. This morning I put her in the bath and she said to me "I would like some privacy please Mummy!" which made me laugh. It made me laugh even more when she kept calling out "come and see me having some privacy Mummy!".

Billy:
has fully recovered from the ant bite and seems to be working on yet ANOTHER tooth! He is into everything at the moment and his favourite trick to practise is baby chin ups. He grabs the edge of something (portacot, chair etc.) with both hands and pulls himself up so his feet are off the floor then puts his feet on whatever he is climbing and pushes himself up further. He refused to sleep in his pram yesterday while we were out so was completely distraught by the time we got home. His sleeping has been off all day today because of it. Just the times more than anything because he slept in this morning.

The house:
has slipped a little, the burst of energy has subsided but I am about to get another one. I can tell because the kitchen is clean! I need to put away the bottles of plums and find a spot in the freezer for some stewed plums and mop the floor, but other than that it's clean! The freezer is starting to get very, very full and there are no bowls of tomatoes left on the bench waiting for attention. I have bought a smoothie maker which is getting a work out at the moment. Banana and peach is my favourite, although the banana and pineapple I had this morning was quite nice too.

The garden:
is slowing down now we're into Autumn. We need to mulch the garden beds and get some lawn maintainance done, but other than that things are very quiet at the moment.

Craft:
Erin's jacket and only that still I'm afraid. If I ever say again "hey, I'll knit a jacket in 4 ply!" shoot me!

Jess

Well, I think everyone knows about Pistachio the Belly Bubba now! I told my Gran today over the phone and I think she is still trying to pick herself off the floor after the shock. I think the biggest shock was when I said that we had planned to have this baby LOL I was inspired by an ABC doco on the CWA called "More than Tea and Scones" and made some scones. I am MOSTLY blaming the oven and the ingredients for the bairely eatable result but some of it was me too. I have come a long way from the new bride whose husband timidly asked if we could have something OTHER than pasta 6 nights a week, but I still have far to go in the domestic arts LOL

Erin:
made me so proud yesterday. We went to playgroup and there were mean, horrible children there who were just plain cruel. She went up to them and asked nicely if she could play with them to be greated with "No, you can't play with US!" among other things. She just took it all in her stride. My heart broke watching it! I took her to the bakery for a chocolate ball and drink afterwards then bought her a new colouring book and crayons (her other one got thrown up on a few weeks ago). As we sat at the table in the bakery she kept asking the waitresses to sit down with us and talk. I couldn't even take her to the op-shop (where she runs in and throws herself into the shop ladies' arms) or the Library (where she follows the librarian around 'helping' her until kids come in when she gives them a guided tour and assigns them toys to play with) because it was Launceston cup day and they were closed. When I have my license we are going to a different playgroup (this isn't the first horrible children incident) and she is going to a special music class and possibly dance as well. She has a great ear for music and sings constantly so she would love the music and a chance to interact with other kids in a supportive environment.


Billy:
has finally finished cutting another tooth. He has also learned peek-a-boo. Not only has he learned peek-a-boo, he has learned how to manipulate Mummy using it! He has an AWFUL habit of shrieking at the top of his lungs in the high chair. He is always a very loud, active "here I am, of course you love me!" type of personality, but put him in the high chair and you get the volume and the personality ramped up and an unhealthy dose of miniature despot added in. So he is shrieking away at the TOP of his lungs (seriously, never met a child as loud as this one) and I am just about to loose it completely, turn around to give him a piece of my mind and he grabs his bib, puts it over his face then pulls it down, grins and says "DOO" (boo) Tell me, what can you do in that situation except smile?!?!?! Thing is, it happened more than once. Sometimes he says "Derrrr" ('there' as in 'Where's Billy? There he is!). Sigh, I think I just have to resign myself to the fact that this kid needs me to loose the sense of humor sometimes! It's all very cute to melt now, but the cops won't think it is funny if he pulls his shirt over his face then pulls it down yelling "Boo!" when he is 19! I, however, will still melt when he is doing it at 32 LOL

The house:
is still getting spring cleaned. The study is in dire need of it as is the kitchen. The kitchen has been getting too much cooking and not enough cleaning so looks like a bomb hit it. I should know by now if you let it go for a day or two, it takes a week or two to get in hand!

The garden:
is still producing more tomatoes than I thought possible, that is part of the kitchen crisis! Blackberry season is starting to come to a close but I managed to freeze some to use at a later date. The corn isn't far off ready and my peaches from the most fussed over peach tree ever are starting to ripen!

Craft:
as a part of cleaning up the study, I am trying to organise my craft to make it easier to get to. When my other table (destined to be a sewing table) is fixed up, things will be a lot easier!

Jess