In Him

I just worked out that dinner for our family tonight cost a grand total of $4.85!  I bought Black and Gold Spaghetti and Cheese for .59c each today.  Heinz Baked Beans is $1.73 each (salt reduced!) and a loaf of bread is $2.20 which contains 22 slices so that is .10c a slice - so

a half a can each for the girls                   0.59

and a can each of beans for Dave and I      3.46

plus 2 slices of toast each                        0.80

                                                         = $4.85

A cheap, easy (Friday night, not gonna cook) filling meal. 
And WAY cheaper than takeaway (that costs $20 at the very least).

Yes I said CD player.  I’m one of the few who doesn’t own, nor intend to own a digital music player.  I like my tapes, records and CDs.

My faves at the moment are (in no particular order).

     Steven Curtis Chapman - All Things New

     Pillar - For the Love of the Game

     Casting Crowns - Lifesong

     Vivaldi - Four Seasons

As you can see I have a varied taste in music from classical to alternative heavy metal, so if you’re into music and like to be surprised, keep an eye on here.  (oh and I have no idea who would be in the top 10 over the past 10 years, so if it’s “popular” music you’re into, don’t bother!!! lol)

Notice the blanket I just finished in the background too.  I started it last year usuing up old scraps of wool from other projects, the finished result is old fashioned with new fashion colours!  I like it and it’s warm on my chair.

I guess my life isn’t boring.  I just assume it is compared to others.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my life and am so content where we are as a family (physically and otherwise).  I think I need to remember to see the special in the daily things again.  Something in the past that has brought me closer to God.  When I thank Him for EVERYTHING, it all seems special - because it is.

Today was another productive day, I got up around 9am again.  I’ve been getting to bed pretty late compared to my usual and so have been sleeping in.  I have stopped worrying about being up “late” because we live such a casual lifestyle that it doesn’t matter when we get up.  No one will be late for anything!   The girls seem less stressed, Dave seems less stressed and I am definately less stressed.  We are so laid back we’re almost horizontal!  The important thing is that we get everything done that we want to - meals, school, housework, feeding animals, hobbies, exercise, quiet times, family times, getting out and about, errands, and socialising. 

The “schoolwork” (I wish there was another word for it) was again at about 11ish but there were some different things we got done.  A science experiment involving a candle water and a coin.  Some bible study involving Zacharias, Elizabeth and John (see Luke 1:5-25).  Lots of free play for the girls when they’d finished. 

Dave suggested we get out of the house this afternoon, so we went to the dam to see how high it was after the recent spattering of rain.  We took Billy as well for a walk.  It was lovely there and Dave took the camera.

The dam 

——-

Us

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Merredin Peak

It was a pleasant change to our normal routine.

The rest of the evening was nice and easy, we grabbed takeaway on the way home (first time in quite a while).  Watched Ugly Betty, Spicks ‘n’ Specks and then The Gruen Transfer.  Now I’m going to attempt to get to sleep BEFORE midnight.

I thought I’d write about me.  I don’t often and it’s not easy for me, so I had to really sit and think about what I’ve done today.  Here it is.

Woke up around 9ish.  Got up around 9.15.  Coffee (only one, not enough milk for my second).   Crumpets (glad I grabbed those yesterday).  Tea (instead of second coffee because I’m drinking it with soy at the moment).  Sit around digesting and watching children play playstation2 games.  Generally trying to start brain.

10.15 - get dressed.  Strip bed of sheets and take out to laundry.

10.30 - alert children to possibility of school soon (don’t want them to startle and scatter!)

10.31 - put some washing on as its supposed to rain later in week.  Notice a neighbour somewhere burning off, hope it’s done by the time the washing needs hanging out.

10.45 - call girls to school (we do this at our kitchen table).  It was a relatively easy day.  They started with journal/copywork and I think they both did copywork, which is unusual.  Then on to Maths bookwork (They use New Signpost Maths.  Then Natasha had bookwork for English (Text Types) and Olivia had creative writing.  I set her a page long story.  Olivia had a science experiment to write the conclusion up on, Tash had done it the day before.  Our “extra” this week is Art & Craft they are learning to crochet and are making a scarf and a doll blanket.  Tash had finished all her work except for the A&C so I left Liv in Dave’s capable hands (he’s a SAHD/student) and went down the street for some milk and bread.  Tash came to help compare prices of milk as we had a $10 budget.  We ended up getting 2x 2L milks for $2.99 each (on special) and 1 loaf of bakery wholemeal bread for $2.20, so a little change.

When we got back Liv was still writing her story, a pleasant surprise (she ended up doing 3 pages!)

I hung out the washing sometime during school. 

I had my second coffee with lunch (YAY!) and sat on the front porch on the swing with Dave.  We were soaking in the sun and warmth as it got down to 0.6c last night. 

I noticed the weeds popping up in the gardens so I thought I’d get off my bum and do something about it.  Spent about an hour weeding and raking up dead leaves.  The girls helped and Dave cut some of the liquid ambers back in the driveway to dry and use for firewood.

It was starting to get damp in the air so I brought the washing in and made the bed.  Then it was time to start the quiche for dinner.  It was a pseudo spinach quiche (silverbeet) but it worked nicely.

Now it’s after dinner and I’m having my last coffee for the night (at 6.30pm) and waiting for the final of Australia’s Got Talent (7.30pm).  After that the girls will go to bed (Liv will probably read her current Christy book for another hour before lights out but Tash will fall asleep instantly!).  Then I’ll sit and watch brainless TV with hubby while I crochet a green stripey beanie for Tash and get to bed between 11 and 12 and start all over again! 

That’s my life - usual boring stuff, so that’s why I don’t write about it much.

I was just out the front of our house as hubby checked the letterbox and heard one of our chooks “going off”.  I thought she was simply laying an egg, but it went on for too long.  Dave went to look and a black cat had her backed into a corner screaming.  The second the cat saw Dave it was off.  We had the girls out free-ranging today, but it looks like their freedom has been cut short because of another’s greed.  We’ve been looking at putting some netting above the chook enclosure for a while now.  This will speed it up I’m sure.  Gorgeous (the attacked chook) is unhurt, apart from a couple of missing tail feathers.