These are a few of my favourite things...

I would love to decorate one of my guests cottages like this... yes, the one with the view over looking the rolling green hills. :)

Days of Summer 13...

Enjoying the whole day at the beach... 

Days of Summer 12...

Enjoying summer fruits...

Days of Summer 11...

Enjoying a magazine and catalogue a special friend brought home from an overseas holiday for me...

An amazing home...

How amazing is this house is America...

This is the bathroom. Look how deep the bath is....

Another view of the bathroom...

And yes, this is still the bathroom...

Such a pokey little kitchen.... NOT....

Oh, and another bathroom...

One of many bedrooms...

The laundry... Absolutely nothing like mine...

How I would love to sit out the back here with friends on the weekends...

And one of the kids bedrooms.... Isn't it cute. I would have loved to have had a room like that when I was a kid. 

Okay, *slap, slap*, back to reality, lifting jaw off the ground and off to hang the clothes on the line.....

Something to make...

If you like making Origami, have a look at Origami Club. They have full instructions for making so many things, including letters and numbers. They have sections on planes,  nature, scenery, bugs, birds, flowers, furniture etc. All projects are rated for difficulty. Laura is making a pelican as I type this post. The instructions come in animation or diagram. Go on, have a go....

Days of Summer 10...

Together again....

Woke early to go to the airport. It's so nice to have the Muller's home again. :)

Days of Summer 9...

Casting Crowns Concert was soooooo good....

Days of Summer 8...

Tripping over and landing face first in Auntie Tiff's driveway...

(Ended up with lump on forehead, grazed nose, under nose, upper lip and cut inside mouth) :)

Days of Summer 7...

I didn't actually get a photo of dinner but Laura made this beautiful Roast Chicken and it was so yummy.. She got the recipe from the latest Better Homes and Garden while we were at Nanna's house.

Chicken in a Bag

Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 mins
Serves: 4

1 x No. 15 Chicken
1 tsp chilli flakes (Laura didn't use these)
1 Tbsp five spice powder
Salt and pepper
1 x 6cm piece of ginger,
finely sliced
4 shallots, white part
finely sliced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
½ cup chicken stock

Chat potatoes, boiled
Extra 1 shallot, sliced, to serve
Baby beans, boiled or steamed, to serve


1. Preheat oven to 200c. 

Dust chicken with chilli flakes, five spice powder, and salt. 

Put ginger and shallots in cavity of chicken.

2. Put chicken in a large oven proof bag, add soy sauce and chicken stock, tie bag and put in a roasting tray. 

Pierce a single hole with a skewer a bake for 1-1 ¼ hours. 

Serve with potatoes, garnished with shallots, and beans.

Laura made a beautiful homemade gravy from all the juices from the chicken. Yummo!!!

Looks like school has started already around here and Laura is getting excellent marks for Home Economics. I love HOMESCHOOLING. :)

Days of Summer 6...

Both kiddies mowing the lawns...

Mummy served lemon barley cordial with ice for refreshments and Daddy made a roast lamb in the new Cobb oven. (Just testing it before we take it camping next month) 

Days of Summer 5...

Cranberry scones at Nanna's house...

Days of Summer 4...

Screws, Timber & Ikea Instructions + Red wine + Phil Collins + Biggsie & Matt = An afternoon of fun

Days of Summer 3

A day spent at home catching up on washing and housework... 

Days of Summer 2

Afternoon at the beach with friends playing in the water, exploring over the rocks then fish and chips at the end of the Coolongatta Airport on a picnic blanket watching the planes take off over our heads... (After starting the day with breakfast and coffee with special friends and some inspirational shopping) :)

Days of Summer 1

I am joining my friend Skye in blogging for the rest of this month on our 'Days of Summer'.

I must admit today feels a bit more like a daze of summer... I've had a crazy week of doctors, dentists and distractions... So this afternoon while I was sitting down beside Jack in his afternoon rest time, I stopped to rest.... to gather my thoughts and read some Psalms. Laura made me a cup of coffee (she is such a beautiful blessing) and I enjoyed some homemade choc chip cookies. 

Holiday House...

Here's a holiday house I found right on the water at Sunshine Beach. I love the view. I could imagine sitting on verandah having afternoon cheese platters and looking out the beautiful colour of the surf... I love the baskets in the kitchen too. The house is so beautiful. I would love to stay there at Christmas one year and have all my family come to visit.

Unfortunately for the price it costs to stay there for 2 weeks at christmas you can buy a camper trailer! Way too expensive for me.... Arrrr.... it's nice to dream.

More holiday snaps...

Jack loves playing at the beach...

After swimming in the surf with Daddy he comes up to get warm and dry with Mummy...

Time to back into Mummy and have a muesli bar...

And some snuggles and love...

"Love you Mummy". Moments like these you will remember forever...

Some Holiday snaps...

We had a lovely time at Mooloolaba with our friends. Going out for lunch, ripsticks, roller blading and treeclimbing at cottontree... then fun at the beach, building sand castles and digging holes, looking for treasure in the rock pools, eating icecreams, playing in the park, thai for dinner and finishing the evening with a coffee and more icecreams on the waterfront...  Should do it more often. It was alot of fun. Thanks Matt and Skye and family.... :)

The kids loved exploring in the rock pools...

Buried treasure...

More buried treasure..

Beautiful Jasi...

Enjoying an icecream before it melts....

My little cutie...

I love this photo...

Capturing memories...

Best Iced Coffee...

If you like Iced Coffee and you are ever near Sunshine Beach, I highly recommend you try one at this gorgeous little Italian place called Frattellinis. You get the ice cream and ice in the glass, the coffee in the expresso cup and the milk in a little bottle. It is sooo yummy. We got some of the little bottles so we can put milk in them at home. They are so cute. The art is trying to get it all into your glass with out spilling it. :) Lots of fun.... We went there twice with all the family. They have big old timber tables and chairs. The place has a really nice relaxed, beachy feel.

Memories...

I just came across this photo of Laura and realised it was taken on her 4th Birthday. That was 10 years ago. Where did the time go? And Jack will be 4 in May this year. Wow, the time sure does fly. We need to slow down and enjoy every moment. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to put the kettle and enjoy the moment.... :) Well Jack's going to sleep beside me and I'm rubbing his back with one hand and typing on my blog with the other. When he's asleep, I will go and sip tea with Laura on the back verandah.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2009.

I wonder where our Journey will take us this year. I am excited to see what God has for us to do.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.   Jer 29:11