Our forever house

We are building our house. I call it our 'forever house' because I want it to be just that. When I was still at uni and my sweet husband was still doing his carpentry apprenticeship we bought a Californian Bungalow in need of a lot of love. We turned it into a beautiful family home and then we sold it. We then build a lovely house on a hill and we sold that too. Selling those houses was part of our plan but I am done with selling. He says he is too (I hope he really is).

This house has been a lot of work and a lot of time. Life is very unbalanced at the moment. We are close to the end and are looking forward to balance again. We have to gather together the last of our energy and enthusiasm and push through the long days and late nights. My sweet husband has been doing thirteen to fourteen hour days. I honestly don't know how he does it. He has a strength and determination and focus like no other. The children miss him. I miss him. I know he missed us immensely. He takes his role of providing for our family very seriously.We keep telling ourselves it will be worth it. We know it is worth it. We are building our forever house.

I want this house to be our children's 'childhood home'. We have thought a lot about it and how we will live in it now with young children and in the future with teenagers who will in turn become parents of young children. I want them to remember how the 'orchard' was once small but has grown like them. I want them to remember playing basketball with there dad and how slowly he went from teacher to competition. I want them to remember learning to cook with me in the kitchen and hopefully garden in the veggie patch and why these things are important to us. I want them to remember the pets that they fell in love with and how the learnt be be responsible for another. I want them to remember the fun and mischief that they got up to together as they developed a deep friendship that will last eternity. I want them to remember the magic of their childhood. I want this home to be their sanctuary. Now and forever. I want them to be able to walk through the front doors as adults and have the joy and love of their childhood come flooding back to them.

We are not building our forever house we are building our forever home.

30 in thirty

Make that 31 in thirty one.
Goals we are talking about. Last year I turned thirty. I was looking forward to it, like somehow this was the magic age in which I would finally be old enough and mature enough to achieve some goal and develop some habits that would suddenly turn me in to the me that I know I am inside (not so different from the me that I am now just a little better). Thirty would make me a grown up. A real grown up not just a kid pretending*. So I made a list of goals I wanted to achieve and habits I wanted to form for. Thirty of them. I called it my 30 in thirty  Well this month marks the last of my thirty months and pretty much none of the goals are checked off. Lots were started but not a lot finished. They are not big one off things. I should have done been able to do it. I know I can do it. I know I will do it. I am going to do it this year.
Here it is, my 30 in thirty.

And because this is actually my thirty one year, one more for good measure and to go alone with my new calling

31.Complete my personal progress

* I think I will always feel like a kid pretending to be a grown up.

Spring is here

Spring is definitely here.

I love the change in life's pace with each new season. I wouldn't say that I have a favorite season but winter is the season that I wish was a little shorter then the others.

I love spring. I love the blossoms everywhere, and the bright green growth on the brown grey branches. I love the longer brighter light that just makes life seem better. I love the new lambs with their tals wagging as they feed and the farmers using their tractors to turn the hills on the drive to school into a patchwork landscape. I love washing drying on the line before the dew wets it and the smell of fresh cut grass. I love outside play that does not result in a pile of wet and dirty clothes in a matter of seconds and eating outside in the sun. I love the change in play to compliment the change in the weather. And the warmth on my skin, I love the warmth on my skin.

I do love spring.

The grateful list #1

This week I am grateful for...

An hour long snuggle with my little man. He was happy to be held by me while we both professed our love to each other.

A brand new baby niece.

A last baby free girly movie night {for a while} with my sister before another brand new baby niece is born next week.

Having all my babies well and healthy.

Warmer days.

Tulips, planted last year with my babies, flowering {last year they were eaten by the rabbits just before the blooms bloomed}.

My one and a half year old baby boy who thinks he is the worlds littlest comedian.

New tea towels that actually dry dishes.

Archives of general conference talks that I can read, watch or listen to when I need inspiration, guidance and motivation in specific areas of my life.

Living so close to the beach.

But then there is...

Weaning my baby boy.

Not being able to see my sweet new niece or her family for another month and a half.

Cold sores.

little bed time rituals

Most nights before bed it goes something like this-

We read books.

We say family prayer.

'Bedtime horsey' rides to their room thanks to Daddy.

Personal prayer and then lullaby of choice to my little man {Always the same song, 'Why, why does the baby cry' with his name replacing the word baby. Sometimes I change it up a bit and throw in something funny, to a four year old, like why does the elephant cry. He thinks it is funny.}

Lots of kisses and cuddles and I love yous.

A gentle reminder to stay in his own bed.

Personal prayer and lullaby of choice for my angle girl {She mixes it up between 'Goodnight Sweetheart' and a song my husband made up when she was a newborn baby as he paced our hall pleading with her to go to sleep.}

Lots of kisses and cuddles and I love yous.

More I love yous {and another gentle reminded to stay in bed} as I turn out the light.

Bubba bub is then carried to his Daddy for a kiss goodnight and then cuddled all the way to his room, sometimes with a lullaby sung on the way.

Kisses and cuddles and I love yous as he is placed in his cot.

{A few go back to beds.}

Untitled

Sometimes in life I get to focused on the big picture. Don't get me wrong, the big picture is important. Very important. But what I sometimes forget is that the big picture is made up of small things. Often small and simple little things. The big picture would not be what it is without these small and simple things. They give it beauty and life and warmth and color and fun {we can't forget fun}. In my life I am able to recall the big pictures form my past but what is often missing is the details, the small and simple things. The things that made the picture great in the first place. I don't want to forget anymore of those small and simple things and I don't trust myself to remember them {history has proven that I am not good at it}.

This place is where I want to record the small and simple things that make my life what it is. And maybe some of my rambling too {because I tend to do that sometimes}. This is my place to remember and think and be. A place for the {healthy} chatter in my head.

I look forward to filling it.