what have i been up to?

It's been 8 days since my last post (smack on the hand). In the past week I have been semi-busy and overwhelmed by busy-ness...

I went to a Mainly Music Conference, and was encouraged to become BRAVE. I have been pondering what that means to me. It was a really encouraging time, and I got to catch up with lots of people I hadn't seen in years, I didn't even know they were involved in MM. Weird, eh!

I have realised that I don't cope well with busy-ness, and that I need to keep an eye on what my schedule looks like. Learning not to over-commit... it will be a big thing for me. It's not that I have LOT's on my plate, it's just that when I am spread to thin - nothing works at all. The worst thing was that it all landed the worst week possible {PMT week}. It's annoying that I need to organise my life around that, but life is crap when I don't.

Homeschooling is going well, we have learnt a lot about science - through doing some practical experiments, and we have about 3 on the go at the moment (we are making stalactites, fuzzy balls and checking out what lemon juice, vinegar & water do to chalk). Hope and I are wanting to get fit - so are starting some daily walks. We are trying the 30 minutes a day - push play thing... it's a good place to start anyhow.

I spent last night knitting 2 really gorgeous scarves - see pic - Jonathan was out gaming, and so I had time to spare.

Today was a really nice day, so we went for a walk to the local bakery and sneaked a treat under this really interesting tree {see tree at the beginning of the blog}. It had lots of intertwining branches, and reminded me of my brain... I know, I'm weird! :D Life's all about being weird.

Photo's by Hope.

alimento

After being pipped at the post by blog promotion via my hubby's blogs... I would like to present my new blog about one of my favourite things - FOOD!

I don't think I could possibly catch up with him in regards to sheer amount of blogs - he has quite a few... some dead, some live and some just sleeping.

His best blog is, in my opinion, his DVD review blog. If you haven't looked at it yet, go take a squizz...

Dee

chazown

Chazown (pronounced Khaw-ZONE) is a hebrew word meaning a dream, revelation, or vision. It is used in the verse - "Where there is no vision (chazown) the people perish"- Proverbs 29:18 KJV

It is also the name of a new book written by Craig Groeschel. The aim of the book is to help you to discover your own chazown, what is your vision for life?

I finished reading the first chapter around a week ago and was touched by a prayer by Sir Francis Drake included at the end of that chapter:-
"Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves. When our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little. When we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord."
I second that prayer and say, "Disturb me, Lord, help me to dream bigger and risk more for you. AMEN."

The "homework" for this chapter is to write your own epitaph, to think about how you would like to be remembered. I have spent the last week thinking about this. I wanted to make it short and sweet. I thought about what kind of a statement I wanted my life to make in this world. Who did I want to be? It has begun an interesting path of thought in my mind.

I thought about the Proverbs 31 wife - I think I would like to have her epitaph said about me:-
Proverbs 31:28-30 (The Message)
28 Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise:
29 "Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!"
30 Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.

Proverbs 31:28-30 (New International Version)
28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

I want to be regarded/remembered as a fantastic mother and wife. It is what is most important in my life. I want to be remembered as a lover of God. :)

poll to help choose Grey Rabbit's name - PLEASE VOTE

Please vote in the poll on the right hand side of the screen!

Talking of “Aimee-ism’s”

We have just come back from the supermarket, where we experienced another “Aimee-ism”. Gotta love that kid – she sure brings a lot of smiles to us all.

Anyway, back on track, we were at the supermarket (Manurewa Woolie’s to be exact!) and Onecard is having a birthday or so the posters said. On the poster is a very yummy looking cupcake (yummier looking than the picture above), and Aimee went over to it and pretended to take the icing off it to eat. I was thinking at the time about the advert that is on tele at the moment for some type of heartburn medication (the one where the guy mowing the lawns ends up on top of a “hot & spicy chicken” delivery van – licking the “drumstick” on top). I was thinking that the next thing Aimee would do, was to start licking the poster. Well… the next thing she did was… lick the poster!!! It was one of those moments, I looked up at the security guard, who was standing by, and we both had a giggle.

You did what you knew how to do

This year my wonderful hubby bought me Dr.Phil's Family First Desktop calendar. I haven't really used it, but on occasion I read & rip off past pages. I am a semi-fan of Dr.Phil's tell it like it is attitude, it seems to provoke change in peoples lives, including my own.

Back on May 10th his chosen quote was from Maya Angelou. It is one of Oprah's favourite quotes - a fact that most Oprah viewers would know well, and one my friend Jo and I use often.

"You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better."

It's a bit of a mantra in my life. I am constantly learning that I am not perfect - even though I want to be, but there is no point beating myself up about things that I didn't know any better about.

We don't have a name for him yet - any idea's???

Yes, I am a sucker for punishment! (or in this case, cute rabbits) My friend brought over another bunny last night. I could hardly say no - especially when she brought out this wee cutie! He is a grey dwarf rabbit, and used to live with Cookie.

We don't have a name for him yet - any idea's ???

cookie & friends

Well, the introductions are over and all seems well...


I thought Cookie was a little lonely [He's only ever known life with another rabbit] and so I thought I would begin the guinea pig-rabbit introduction's.

<<< new work on homeschool blog >>>

Finally, you might say ;), I have put a new blog (or two) up on the read family homeschool blog!

I have not been as prolific with posts on it as I would like. That doesn't mean that I am not proud of my girls.

This year has been our best homeschooling year ever. We have settled into a great routine and the girls are progressing with their work well.

I am a very blessed mum, with three really great daughters!

welcome to newest member of our family

welcome to our new family member - cookie is his name, being a rabbit is his life... :)

He is a very sweet miniature lop-eared rabbit. Well, maybe not so much of the sweet, he comes from a home where he had a hard time - the dog there attacked him, and he has scars all over his ears. :( And since we have had him, he has bitten both Briahna and me...

As you can see, the cat's Eli & Maisy are very interested in our newest member of our family - the funniest thing is that they are the ones who are terrified of him! Cat's scared of Rabbit's, who'd have thought!

I hope that he will settle into life with us, and that we will be able to introduce him to our guinea pigs without too many problems.

My excuse for being blog-quiet

I have been sick all week. :( My excuse for being blog-quiet!

I have been really tired, had a sore throat and ears (the works really). I am still tired, but hopefully I am over the worst of it.

The funny thing about it all is that I now know that my husband can't cook, and the household is unable to cope without me - mother's the indispensable workers. Indispensable, under-paid, under-valued but certainly not under-loved - it's nice to know that my kid's and hubby love me a lot. They just don't want me to get sick all that often... ;)

It's funny - but I was just looking at my last post where I wrote this "I need some peace, some time to unwind and relax - to quiet the mind." Well, I have certainly had a lot more quiet time to myself the past week. God has a sense of humour, if it was Him that allowed this virus to attack me... hehehehe! I am not sure where I stand on the theology behind that thought (God allowing/making me sick that is). Still I was give time to unwind and relax! :D

Anyway, I am going to take the long weekend to recover from this virus... you may see me blog, or you may not - who know's. There are no guarantee's in life.