Smell your baby!

In Joshua's Science program we have been studying bats and all sorts of fascinating things about them. I never realised just how crucial they are to farmers - as they play a huge roll in pollinating bananas, mangoes, and a host of other yummy fruit trees.

Having learned about how mother bats use their sense of smell to find their babies, we did an experiment. In the experiment Joshua had to choose a smell he liked (tropical blossom body fragrance :) and then had to find 19 more scented items from around the house (balsamic vinegar, toothpaste, vanilla, etc.) I numbered cotton balls with each scent and Joshua, wearing a blindfold (this was only because some items had colour as well as scent) had to find his tropical blossom baby amongst them all! I kept the list of each scent hidden away to reveal at the end...

Some smells were pleasant.. bringing to mind sweet meadows of honeysuckle...

Some nearly brought tears.. perhaps the smell of bonjella reminded him of the pain of cutting teeth;)

Others were plain awful , like the smell of balsamic vinegar on Daddy's salads!

I wonder if he could still find his smell in a bat colony of a couple hundred bats?

There are certain times of the day where I can most definitely smell my baby!

mushy melting mallows

Chocky-mallow biscuits

Here is the recipe for these biscuits. I just added a marshmallow to each while they were still hot from the oven. Best eaten warm and gooey!

I must confess to having a weak, gooey spot in my heart for mushy marshmallows (must come from being married to a mush-ball!)

My friend from highschool made these many moons ago and here I am trying them out on our Bible study friends all these years later...

ooohhh... just wondered if i might have made these before and posted them on my blog... think I need to organise my blog a little better so i can find out... ;)

give it your all, Owie

Over the holidays my building contractors put their materials to work:

Owen let out a gutsy song on the bus to his pacemaker check at the hospital... Owen sings loud (rarely in tune;) but always joyfully on such outings. It makes me smile to know he enjoys life so! We are never inconspicuous quiet passengers ;) ah, but who would be when you could be making so many new friends!

For soaking in

I have enjoyed these verses of Scripture so much recently... soak them in!

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all thing in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 1v18-23

I just love all that He has done and does!

Mammoth of a hairstyle

Rosa awoke with her hair in a fountain the other day. I looked at her and looked but I knew I had seen that hair-do somewhere before...

And then the next day on reflecting I remembered Ellie (the last remaining Mammoth) from Ice Age II and it all came to me.... (Sorry I am slow, I know)

Don't worry, I didn't loose any sleep over it !

Ingredient eater

Owen came home with his student report today. I just thought this comment was so funny - worth sharing....

Under the title of cooking the comment read:

'Owen enjoys the cooking program, though requires close supervision to prevent him eating ingredients before the product is finished'

Ah, must say I let out a hearty chuckle at that one!

Possums, synchronised couch play and mandos!

At lunchtime today we were sitting down to eat when we heard quite a ruckus coming from the garage. My brave Dave decided to take a peek and after much investigation (another ruckus) he discovered the culprit was this rather voluptuous beady-eyed possum...

Now to lure him out of our ceiling and convince him to make his home somewhere else !

...and some humour from those who are welcome in our home:

the latest tryouts for the 2012 Olympic games... synchronised couch play! (and no, seriously I didn't set this up - just happened to have the camera ready at the right time)

Other things we did on the weekend...Juiced up some fruit before Daddy and Josh brought the next load home from the markets!

David pruned a few branches to stop the nasty bird deposits from landing on my washing - that's my hero! Oh and here he is stopping to pose for his wife - as you do when you are in the middle of landing a huge branch on the ground!

David and Josh picked a big bowl of delicious mandarines from our lil'

tree out back - I do get so excited when even I (a very dodgy gardener) can

see some home grown fruit grace our table.... but they didn't last on our table very

long, I can assure you... fruit bats that we are!

Thank you Lord for little pleasures, blessings and fun moments!

Oh, and for answered prayers!

Andy - mentioned in previous post is doing much better (still has some radiation treatment to endure but worst seems over for now) and she and her fiance are now married - were married in the hospital on Saturday. I have been encouraged by their dedication to each other and sacrificial desire to be be there 'in sickness and in health'... They certainly had to start practicing this so early in their life together. May God's abundant Grace be felt by them both!

family

More family photos:

My beautiful sister-in-law, Beth with her nephew Benjamin!

Three brothers!

My handsome enjoying some time with Uncles and cousins!

My cute babies!

Prayers needed

Please, all my praying friends - remember Andy (relatives fiance) to the Lord in your prayers. We went to her bridal shower last Sun. and were told that later that day she was taken to hospital with severe neck pain, headaches and vomiting. She had internal bleeding in her brain (condition from birth she didn't know until now) and now has encephalitis... Please pray all bleeding would cease so no dramatic/invasive measures need to be taken (the particular area of brain is quite internal - not easy to access) and that the intense headaches would stop. When bleeding is under control she will need radiation treatment for some time...

Traumatic for her family, friends and especially her beloved. Wedding is to be at bedside with immediate family - with plans for a service with everyone later...

They need our prayers.

Friends

A wonderful, busy, social weekend. Here are some highlights:

A friend's 3rd Birthday party

Joshua and James getting aquainted boy style.

Joshua reading to Kate. These two cousins have enjoyed eachother's cousin immensly! They spent hours together outside having a mandarine picnic.

Then we caught up with a famous Bible college lecturer, theologian and author... none other than Mr. Bird himself! This is to assure his lovely wife that he is still alive and well...

oh and he had a message... and I believe it had something to do with a student...

that is what this next photo is about...

It is with a bang that this week begins -Two hospital appointments (those long ones in the waiting room) and Joshua enjoying some extra time with cousins on the coast (with a dollop of school work in-between...)

Thank the Lord for friendships which really make life so rich!