Bring on the sun!

An open summer sandwich, Jetter-style!

We're enjoying the warmth of the Australian sun on our faces!  We are so looking forward to warmer weather...!

The sun is fighting with the rainclouds at the moment.  The weather changes rapidly and in short succession. 
Whenever possible, we steal a few moments out in the garden.  We received a swing seat from some neighbours who moved away, and we are enjoying it a lot!  Don't worry, though, we still love our hammock. :-)

Waiting, waiting, waiting.  That is my feeling at the moment.  We're waiting for warmer weather, we're waiting for Gunnar to arrive, we're waiting for the end of the year when we will move.  But I am reminded today that God is in no hurry to bring us further down the track than where we are.  There is always good reason and purpose for the amount of time we spend wherever we are in our journeys.  We're just never able to see it at the time, only in looking back afterwards.

I often get impatient and want to fast-forward to the next step, but I would not be able to handle it there if I did that!  There is so much that I want to do and experience in life, but I must let it come slowly and in His time.  I'm just so thankful that He is patient with me and that He reassures me, "There's plenty of time for everything."

Spring has sprung - or it's trying to!

The weather is turning!  We've had so much rain this winter that it's causing floods in northern Victoria, only about and hour and a half drive from here!  It's great for our garden, but the lawn is always soggy.

So what have we been doing this winter??  We've been hybernating by the looks of it!  But the sun is coming out again, so we will too! ;-)

There's not much to tell about our winter.... Our Father continues to teach us many things, growing us and healing us and loving us.  And teaching us how to love each other, and other people too!  We're so thankful for His love and grace.  We would be nothing and nowhere without Him.

The routine of life goes on as usual...  Ulf continues to clean at the high school, spends time with the guys in Elisha Care, and reads lots of books.  Emma does some administration for Elisha Care, cleans for our landlady, spends time with girls in Elisha Care, and continues to be creative and craft-y.  To see what she's been up to, go here EJJ - Emma's Art.  To see what we get up to with our Elisha Care friends, go here Elisha Care.

It's lovely to be able to spend more time in the garden now that the weather is easing.  Cuttings of roses, lavender, and fig in pots are busy sprouting roots and leaves, and some raspberries are hopefully coming to life again after a spell without dirt.  The beetroots are growing steadily in the garden bed from all the rain and, next to them, the strawberries are resting for now, waiting for their new home.

Our current home will be up for sale in a few months, so we'll be moving in mid-summer!  Please pray for a great new home for us!  We don't know where God wants us, nor what He has in store for us next, but I feel like the move is part of a change of season for us.

There'll be lots of activity in the coming months, centered around the move.  There's lots of work to be done in the backyard to make it look decent for the sale of the house.  There's packing and cleaning and inspections to be ready for.  And then there's finding a new home and moving in!

In the near future, we look forward to:

* The arrival of Gunnar! Ulf's youngest brother will be staying with us for a while.

* Otto's wedding! Emma's oldest brother is getting married soon and it will be an opportunity to see my family again!