Inside. Outside

So here's the thing.
In this home we have what you call an insider and 3 outsiders.
One of us loves being inside cuddled up with books, lazing around,
building lego with the boys, reading out loud, watching movies;
I guess we all love these things.
Jacques would just do it all the time...
if he could.
Unfortunately for him, he has us!
We love being outside, under trees, in trees, on the grass, giggling, walking, looking,
tasting anything that grows.
I love being outside.
I love the way outside smells!
I love my toes in sand, in water, in mud.
I love the sounds of the outside.
Birds, the soil as the boys the boys help air the soil, and at this time,
the crackling of the grass under their bike tyres!
Being outside inspires me to go back inside and continue being!

This past weekend we spent outside...

Friday Night Movie Campout

just outside our house

Walking at the Botanical Gardens

& climbing trees

& loving Dad

& more loves for Dad

some more

Watching the boys just fills my heart bubbles

An Autumn tree

Apricot Blossoms in Autumn 

Us

Love & Light
Nicky
>i<.

You are You and I am Me. We are Us

Last of last Thursday

Its thursday the 18th of May and I'm excited, cos I've planned a fire, marshmallows and a campout for the Boys and I for the friday evening. We usually have a typical movie night, but I thought we could plug in the LapTop, schnuggle up & watch inside the tent.
So I'm all excited and I tell Jacques, and he's like,
"Oh the boys, are sleeping over at my Mom."
So now I'm SUPER EXCITED!!!
Date night!!!

Jacques & I have been together for 11 years,
married for 9 and half of those,
had kids for 6 & half of those!
So we now what its like to be us without the kids.

We enjoy each other.
We irritate each other.
We challenge each other with our differences.
We speak passionately about our views.
He's a researcher, reader, writer, mystic, realist, indoors kinda a guy.
I'm a guttsy, fiesty, get your hands dirty kinda girl.
Together we recycle, consider the earth, Love God, Love our kids.
Love our neighbors, feel compassion, love sushi, read, play, laugh.
I love dogs.
He loves A dog.
I love trees.
He loves reading about trees.
I love walking with him.
He loves cuddling up on a picnic blanket with me.
When he looks at me,
even when I am telling him that he has done something wrong,
its with love.
A deeper love than when he first looked at me.

We really ARE worlds apart.
Our opinions are sacred to each other.
That is why they make sense to me.
That is why I hold so many of his and he mine.

I love you with a deep desire to know you more, Jacques.

Our Dinner for two

Merlot, Salmon Sashimi, Brussel Sprouts & Bacon & Beef with Soy Sauce, Chili & Coriander

Me and Him

Him & I

We did have our Movie Campout this Friday with the rest of the Us.
Pics to follow.

Till then Love & Light
>i<.

Growing and Eating

Its been a busy few weeks here.

Its getting colder, not too cold but colder.South African winters are nice.

pleasant.
I guess its because we live in the highveld.

There are some places where temperatures can get below 0 degrees celsius, during the day but after spending 2 winters in South Korea, its a blessing!

Three weeks ago the boys & I decided to plant.
So we cleaned out our tiny patch of forever growing tomatoes.

Turned the soil & planted peas.
yum!

Then we tried to seed some Purple Dragon & Chantenay carrots.
I'm not sure these are going to make it though, and I'm usually an optimistic kind of girl.

Filling egg cartons with soil

Purple Dragon Seeds (Carrots)

We salvaged some old wood from the dumpster and made geoboards.
so far Josh & Lijie are enjoying them.
Or being forced too, I'm not too sure.
They did enjoy making them though.
There was some element of fun in this...I promise.

Making a geoboard

Math

We had our coffee, craft & chat day.

Had a wonderful time picking lemons from trees on the church property.

The ladies and I had loads of fun making lemon pickle.

This week awaits the tasting.

Cannot wait.

Terxia

Marge & Me being goofballs

Josh, my ever pleasing wonder child, was complaining of stomach cramps every time he ate wheat.

I decided to try and eliminate wheat from his diet for a few days, or rather struggled too.

(its very difficult to not give kids a saamie when you need a quick lunch)
I made this crunchie recipe, using our home milled (fyi, its a food processor not a proper mill) oat and barley flour instead of regular cake flour.

So delicious, and nothing healthy about it all.
(turns out his portion of oats was just too big!)

Wheat free Crunchies

Love & Light
>i<.

Quote for the Day

Mommy, how do you spell, 'Mommy you fill my heart with bubbles?'
-Elijah Daniel Rothmann
4 and a half years old

His own Sun

My second.
My big hearted bug lover.
He eats with his body.
Kisses with his soul.
Plays under trees.
Doesn't care what the world sees.
Plays with his mind.
Listens with his heart.

He embraces.
He watches.
He listens.

I take him out of the Shadows.
Give him his own Sun.

He is feisty and sometimes fiery.
He is gentle and sometimes kind.
He is aware.

Of life.
Of his existence.
Of His existence.

With one eye on his brother.
With one ear on his heart.

I take him out of the Shadows.
Give him his own Sun.

For Elijah Daniel Rothmann

...keep thinking about these things."

Its been a while.
My thighs hurt from the 10 squats I did yesterday.
(it's good i might be able to fit into my 3year old jeans!)

So these past few weeks have been great.
There's been lessons. hard ones!
There's been frugality. so many nice things out there!
There's been simplicity. eish!
Oh and there's being Earth Conscience. expensive!

Upcycling. Gardening. Building. Dumpster Diving. Sewing. Teaching. Cooking. Playing.

Telling of stories.
Making new ones.
Accepting some old ones.

On Wednesdays we meet as a group of ladies from church.
We sit, we chat, we craft!
We share, we play, we giggle.
We indulge, we divulge, we pray.

Today Marge, shared a beautiful verse:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Phillipians 4:8 ESV

When too many things go all over the place, 'if there is any worthy of praise'...anything, keep focusing on it.
>i<