Room with a view...

I wake up each day, to this.  I gaze out my lounge window, to this.....

How refreshing and beautiful... and peaceful.  Even in the rain which has been a lot lately!  I grew up with a view of the sea... I seem to gravitate to a view of the country & trees and I love it!

We've finally moved, put everything away and are settling into just life again - ahhhh.  This place is bliss! ♥  thanks mum and dad!

Things I'm Loving

So I'm joining in with my beautiful friend Paisley Jade in Things I'm Loving....

Honey Oat Cookies - these remind me of this icecream my mum made when we were kids!  Recipe at bottom....

[caption id="attachment_265" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="YUM!"][/caption]

 

This amazing lady - she is my Oma.  She turns 80 next Sunday.  She is one of the most beautiful and courageous women I know.  She has so much to tell me.  I have recenlty been making an effort to see her once a week - and I am so rewarded by this special time... and she loves it.

[caption id="attachment_268" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="with her great grandbaby - my little miss"][/caption]

 

These are in my garden!!  I grew them - yes I'm amazing!! (haha)

[caption id="attachment_267" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="pretty pink hibiscus!! might paint this someday..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_266" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="sunflower remnants - the plants have one big flower, but then produce all these babies!"][/caption]

I got out my crochet hook earlier this week...... ready for winter -

[caption id="attachment_264" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="The first hat I've made that actually has NO mistakes! YAY"][/caption]

And buying this - in preparation for some teeny-tiny hats for a teeny-tiny I'm expecting in August :D

[caption id="attachment_263" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="loving the warm earthy coloured wool!!"][/caption]

I'm also looking forward to a few things:

• 
  
  celebrating a special little girls 1st birthday next week


• 
  
  Young Mum's night out with my girlfriends TOMORROW!!

 

Now for the recipe:

Honey Oat Cookies - Edmonds cook book

125g butter

1/2 c sugar

2 T honey

1 C flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 c rolled oats

Method: cream butter, sugar and honey until pale.  Sift flour, cinnamon and baking powder and add to dry ingredients.  Add rolled oats and mix well.  Roll tablespoon amounts into balls and place on well greased oven tray.  Flatten with a floured fork.

Bake at 180 for 15 minutes or until golden.

YUM!!  they'd also be nice with choc chips in I reckon!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Can it be done.....?

I've been taking a little bit of time to reminisce 2010 - twenty ten.  You know what? - it was a really challenging and difficult year.  Not just for me, but for a lot of people I know.

Why does it take so long to get over some heartaches you go through?  I still battle with some, on a near daily basis.

Not only was it difficult, but it was AMAZING!  There are so many awesome highlights.  I can officially say that I lost 18kg in 2010, got fit and healthy.  I celebrated my beautiful girls 1st birthday, close friends got married, had babies.  I started dancing....  I achieved my main goals, and now I'm starting to think up new ones.



2011 - twenty eleven.  This year is going to be full of GOODness.  I just feel it inside me. 

God gave me a special scripture at the start of 2010 for me:

"You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.  The wilderness becomes a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy.  The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain.  They all shout and sing for joy!"  - ps 65.11-13

That certainly speaks of hard and difficult things, but it also says that out of those things, there will be abundance.  And I can say, that was my experience of 2010.  When we look to Jesus in our difficulties, he takes the ashes, and turns them into beauty.

So, can it be done?  - goals for 20eleven....?

• try to be a little bit tidier


• be more encouraging


• look for God and gold in people


• draw God and gold out of people

 

• exercise through my pregnancy (YES! Im pregnant!  due 9 August)


• try to lose weight while breast-feeding (.......try)


• have even more of an open home


• get to know more people


• improve my guitar playing

 

There are others, but I need to keep these 'public' things manageable ;-)

You know what - YOU are amazing.  You are not an accident - you were born and made for a purpose, you are beautiful and loved beyond measure.  You are part of a Kingdom. 

The more I realise that - the more I think it is ok for us to live as royalty.  Not being "flashy" with posessions etc.  But being you and knowing who you are.

[caption id="attachment_211" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Poppa's little princess....."][/caption]

Happy 2011!  May it be a goodie.

Weekend in the City!

oh the life of a mum!  I've been exhausted lately, no exercise being done here this week.  Miss 1 is running a fever today.

At the moment, I'm surrounded by people with desperate needs - and my heart of compassion longs to reach out and touch them all.  If only I was a super-woman.

On the weekend, we had a much needed trip away - and saw some beautiful things.  Highlights....

[caption id="attachment_175" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="My husband's client built, and owns this marina"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_176" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="a beautiful day for a child-less meander..."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_177" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="I snapped this of the city from a moving vehicle..."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_179" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="a beautiful wedding...."][/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="the simplicity, was breath-taking"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_178" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Istanbul street pizza... Turkey in Auckland City"][/caption]

 

 this very available, handsome man, is my brother! (in law)

[caption id="attachment_181" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="I found these people.... hitch hikers....?? hehe"][/caption]

 

Summary, YUM food, great company, special family, high-rise hotel, adventures - just the two of us... good times.

[caption id="attachment_190" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="he hates it when I snap pics... I do it a lot"][/caption]