God Provider

Well, some good news...

our friends, two families who were in search of accommodation have both managed to find a place... (at least temporarily). We thank the Lord for He provides!

David spoke to a real estate agent, on behalf of Daniel's family - and mentioned on the phone, in passing that Daniel was from our church and he was helping with English/paperwork side of things. Later in the conversation this same man remarked to David that now he now saw the value in Christianity! David had said nothing about his faith - merely helped a friend. We thank the Lord that he uses small things - that He works by His Spirit.

The boys stayed at our house while their parents signed papers. It was paper hats that kept them entertained part of the time - the rest of the time it was running around outside like wild Indians! Amazing how much energy 5 boys can generate together - rekon you could run a power station if you could collect it!

Won't you dance with me?

It has been special to see Owen and Rosa enjoy eachother's company lately:

Maybe they are playing Daddy and Mummy?

Ah, such sweet moments to savour!

Revamp

I really enjoy taking something cheap or free and making it into something I like... This time it was a freeby (YAY). Some neighbours had this desk out near the footpath to dispose of. It is quite a solid desk and Josh spotted it on our drive home.

The desk had quite a battered top (and my wonderful husband surprised me while I was out and sanded the top back for me - ahh, I was over the moon as the sanding part isn't my favourite and David has the knack of getting it done in half the time I do!). There were some key holes in drawers (no key) the rim along the desk was a little battered/chipped...

Here are the before photos:



And a few weeks later (yes, bit by bit is the only way for projects these days ;). I used a lick of white paint, a dose of the electric sander, some iron-on laminate edging, white wood putty and some scrap booking metal oval embellishments...

The white shelf on the top was my expensive $8 shelf (I turned on its side) I spotted at Salvos... It also recieved a white paint job.

I had a lot of fun seeing it come together, and even more satisfaction knowing that it is made the way I like and cost me very little.

Disappointment

Well, it seems the Lord does have other plans... both families that were looking for accommodation have both failed to get the house they felt was just right for them... and on one occasion, the house advertised was suddenly 'not available'... Hmm...perhaps it was the fact each family has 4 or more children..., but why would you advertise a house for rent (suitable for larger family) then when someone applies suddenly it is 'unavailable?' Well, we trust that God has better plans and so we continue to pray for both families who are feeling a little disappointed. David did another viewing of a house but unfortunately the asking price is a little out of their range... beginning to wonder if it might help to put an article about it in our local paper - to make people aware that there are sincere needs of our immigrant friends right here locally.... Still thinking, still praying...

... And while I have been quite incapacitated today (intense back pain from twisting the wrong way) I have been so very blessed. My beautiful mother-in-law has come and cleaned dishes, read to the children, brought in my washing and a stack of other things while I visited a physio., .... My hubby has rubbed my very sensitive back and even collected Owen for school... Joshua hung out the clothes for me, set the table and picked up the items on the floor I just knew I couldn't reach without sharp pain...While I feel helpless and a bit impatient for this nasty spasm in my muscles to pass quickly, I thank the Lord for the beautiful hands that have helped me through my day.

A glance at our week

Here are a few bits & bobs from my week. My hubby, currently down to only a few hours work left for the month (and currently working on his CV) has been helping some good friends (two Sudanese families who have struggled to find accommodation) to find new rental homes. He has been helping them pull their paperwork together (seems like the Real Estate required a huge amount...) and been visiting houses with them.... a trip down memory lane of our own search for accommodation in a foreign country a few years ago... We have been praying these wonderful people would be able to stay nearby... and that the believers from one family would be able to minister to the other family... Nice to think about how it ought to work out from a human perspective but God doesn't work according to our plans. He may well have something entirely different in mind. We continue to pray...

Have finished off a birthday gift for a very special nephew... a drawstring library bag (recycled Dave's old jeans - don't worry Evonne, they had a good scrub first!)

We spent a day (packed up the homeschool books - guess it isn't really home school when you're not at home??) with a friend who was hungry for company, being restricted to home with her epilepsy.

Have also enjoyed some wonderful company for lunch today (and as per usual the camera gets forgotten while I engage in conversation and racing to dirty nappies...)

And of course the usual things like washing, cleaning, doing school run and homeschooling... posting off things I've sold on ebay (hoping desperately not to make any mistakes and send off the wrong parcel to wrong address:)

Oh, and I have almost finished giving an old desk (neighbours were throwing away) a new face lift. I have taken before photos but thought I ought to wait until it is all finished this time - rather than have you waiting months for the after photo!

The highlight of my week has been viewing Fireproof - a movie created by a church in US about marriage. Really speaks about the sacrifice required in marriage to really love your spouse. I must confess I have watched it twice now.

Another hightlight has been studying about Moses and how God used Moses after his loads of excuses (Moses is rather bold to blurt them all out to Almighty God Himself). Moses was not a young man when he returned to Egypt. In the text, Moses is initially described as well-spoken and well trained and then 40 plus years later, totally different living situation, he is coming out with excuses about his being slow of speech his inadequacies etc (I guess the slow paced life of being a shepherd out in the wilderness had some impact here).... and yet God uses him. It has been great to mull over the story, to think over how God interacts with Moses and even provides Aaron to do the talking on Moses' behalf....

So there you have a few little snippets from my week.

Oh, and could you pray with me about my hubbies work situation? While I am really enjoying having him around and could do with a few more months of it;) He will need an income sooner or later...

hiding wires

Wires, wires everywhere. I believe my maternal grandfather was renowned for them... and yes, my hubby likes his technology too...

But what to do with the wires? I am constantly trying to dream up ways of tucking them away, finding ways to make them less obvious/tidy and yet able to be accessed when my beloved comes looking for that cable...

Well I was delighted to pick up these baskets (yes, my trusty Lifeline store). Serving dual purposes... to store bits and pieces, though more importantly to hide those nasty wires (...oops forgot to move one wire before taking this photo)

PLEASE... if any of you know of other creative, aesthetically ok ideas for hiding wires/making them less obvious, please send them my way...

Garlic Basil Butter

Just thought I'd share a little family favourite. When we have guests I often find myself making garlic bread to go with the meal.

I especially like to make garlic basil butter for the bread - always seems to go down well...

I simply soften butter (the real kind) and chop up basil and add crushed garlic. I mix it well and then spread it onto the bread (we like the Aldi turkish bread - often keep some in freezer). Then I simply wrap it up in foil and heat. Whenever we run out Joshua is the first to notice..."Awwhh Mum, I only had 3 pieces, what happened to it all?"

This time I decided the most economical way to do it was to use up the basil before it went wilted and sad in the fridge. I made a stack of this butter, put into small containers and put them in the freezer. This way I don't have to run to the shop to buy basil (my garden's basil is still small and wimpy) when I think of making it again... and better still it is ready to go!

What little family favourites do you have? Any tricks/short cuts for preparing meals ahead for guests?

side aches!

Here are some humorous things I have jotted down recently (the sort of funny things my kids come out with - that I just don't want to forget) I thank the Lord for children that are sometimes just so funny they make my sides ache. It kind of makes those disastrous nappy changes kind of pale into insignificance for a moment or two...

Some funny things from Joshua (8)

"Too much sugar makes bad protein!"

"I probably don't realise it, but I think I'm getting fatter!"

and Rosa when he put his shoes on wrong:

"Owie, dat's da wong way!"

and looking crossly at Bonnie (dog we are minding)

"Bonnie, do da barking over dat (points to side of house) way!" Ah, I just chuckled - yes, please Bonnie, could you bark over the other side of the yard so it is not so loud? Hee hee

...and this one made for one humorous shower... yes, David came and relayed this one to me outside the shower door - obviously it tickled his fancy... sure made for the most humorous shower I've ever had...

Rosa: Daddy, sore toe! (points to her little toe)

Daddy:Did Josh bite it?

Rosa:No!

Daddy: Did Owen bite it?

Rosa: No!

Daddy: Did Daddy bite it?

Rosa: NO!

Daddy: Who bit it?

Rosa: Mummy bit it!

that was met with a humorous uproar from Daddy and Josh, and a big grin from Owen... I guess she figured she could blame the sore toe on Mummy while she was away having a shower;)

..two year old humour!

**and yes, Evonne & Angela, that is my toe in the picture:) I put it there especially for you!

homeschooling link

Here's another great link for teaching Onomapotoeia (yes, I had to look this up, too...) which helps with poetry/creative writing.

Ah love a bargain!

My children have been exhausting our puzzle supply. Rosa seems to sit and enjoy puzzles for quite a while (nice while I am working with Josh on school work). I was thrilled to find some great puzzle bargains while visiting our local second hand shop recently:

Two Ravensburger puzzles (these ones for Josh). I took a bit of a risk - hoping all the puzzle pieces would be in the box. They were - yay! I payed a huge $2 each for these

Then a simple puzzle for the younger two ($1):

And this box of wooden nuts and bolts. Brand new - $3

So for $8 we have a few activities up our sleeve.

Don't you just enjoy a bargain?