Nahlia's Swing

Daddy built Nahlia a swing today! Wheeeeeee!

Heute hat der Papa der Nahlia eine Schaukel gebaut! Huuuuiiiiiii!

Seville Water Park

Gestern waren wir im Wasserpark in Seville.

Yesterday we went to the Water Park in Seville.

Das war eine schoene Abkuehlung fuer unsere kleine Nahlia.

Nice and cool for our little Nahlia.

Ohne Angst ist sie zwischen den Fontaenen herumgekrabbelt.

Crawling all over the place, in between the water fountains without any fear.

Currently devouring...

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.
- Charles William 

I have found that I am now able to read a bit while Nahlia has her naps.... She sleeps on myseld or Ulf for all of her day naps, so it can feel a bit limiting sometimes, but it's great for making me rest!  Anyway, lately I'm reading during her naps and afterwards I feel like I've had a conversation with the author, which is lovely and reassuring on those days when I'm home alone with Nahlia and Ulf is at work.

I've just finished devouring 'Down to Earth' by Rhonda Hetzel... such a good, honest book about living simply, self-sufficiency, being kind to yourself, your family and your environment.  I;ve been inspired to look at my tasks as home-maker (or home-keeper) in a new light; I've starting making sourdough bread from scratch; I'm making kefir yoghurt and cheese and fermented vegetables; and I'm enjoying taking care of my home and my family.

I'm also enjoying 'Nourishing Traditions' immensely.  It is full of unknown nutritional facts from traditional cooking.

Ulf is enjoying ' Simple Prosperity' and 'A History of God'.

And I hope I get time to get into the others soon!

La La Falls

For the first time in a long time, we made an outing on the weekend!  And it was beautiful!  La La Falls, near Warburton, Vic, was a surprise path into a dreamland of rainforest, stone bridges and ferns reaching out to touch you.  It was refreshing and rejuvenating and peaceful.

It may as well have been an anniversary outing for all we knew - it was that beautiful and meaningful for us!

The path was an old horse-drawn tramway which carried logs from the mountain down the valley to a sawmill.  The path and rainforest were so serene and adventurous at the same time.  Walking the path felt like I was in a movie or a Crash Bandicoot game!

It was the perfect place to reflect on the journey of our life; the paths we have taken which brought us to where we are now; and the paths that lay ahead and all the possible destinations in life that they could lead us to.

After a wonderful five years in Melbourne, the beautiful friends we have enjoyed; the peaceful homes we have lived in; the challenges and joys of life that we have experienced with each other and with others; the birth of our first daughter; our journey with God and the ever deepening revelation of Him in all that we know and experience in life; have all been part of the path that has brought us to where we are now.  We have become a family, and since we received Nahlia into the world, we have experienced a growing desire to be closer to Ulf's family in Germany, for Nahlia to know her grandparents there in a similar manner that Ulf grew up knowing his grandparents - next door.  And it is this desire that has set a new path before us... one that will see us traveling in Australia next year and eventually moving to Germany and settling there.

We don't know exactly when we will leave our beautiful cottage in Lilydale, but we are excited to see this new path unfold before us as we venture out in 2013.

Penelope (Peep-Peep) the Duck

Today Nahlia met Penelope, otherwise known as Peep-Peep, the Duck, new pet of our neighbour Rose.  Nahlia loves animals and is not afraid of them, unless they make unexpected loud noises!  It took her a while to get used to the crow of Angus the Rooster.

But as you can see, she was not afraid of Penelope!

Until she started moving around!

A morning of sewing...

I had a morning to myself, so I thought I would try out another free pattern I found online.  This one's the Itty Bitty Baby Dress.  The first time I use a pattern, I often find something that needs adjusting, so this time I used an old tablecloth that I liked.

Well Nahlia liked it, but it's just a little bit too small for her.  Also, the dress isn't suitable for crawling - it gets in the way.  It will have to wait until she's walking... then I can make her a bigger size.

I have been wanting to make her a bonnet with a tie so that she can't pull it off as soon as it goes on her head!  That's what she does with her hats....  I didn't have a pattern for this, just used a knitted one as a guide.  My little pixie :)

Wild pumpkins

It happens every year, so why do I forget??  Once the compost goes onto the veggie garden, and gets watered, a plethora of pumpkins start sprouting.

This year I have planted about 10 pumpkin seeds in order to raise seedlings of particular types of pumpkin.  But only two have sprouted.  I was looking down the barrel of an autumn with very few pumpkins.... but then the compost went on the garden and the pumpkin-sprouting-party began!

There's something wonderful about receiving unplanned and unexpected gifts in the garden like these.  It's as though they are little blessings from heaven, each one carrying with it the ability to give greater gifts at harvest time!

And it is their giving which is their message to us... it is the same in all of nature, all of creation.... everything around us gives, gives, and gives some more.  They are happy to give in their living and in their dying.

Currently reading

We're always into some books or other, but at the moment we're into these:

'Organic Guide to Edible Gardens' by Jennifer Stackhouse & Debbie McDonald;

'A New Christianity for a New World' by John Shelby Spong;

'A Farmer's Life for Me' by Jimmy Doherty;

'I Love My 1, 2, 3' by Anna Walker;

'One River, Many Wells' by Matthew Fox;

'Basketry & Weaving with natural materials' by Pat Dale;

'Numbers';

'Practical Self-Sufficiency' by Dick and James Strawbridge.

Re-useable gift bags for Christmas

Love, love, love her little grinning face!  I decided to try some re-useable fabric bags instead of wrapping paper this year....  they're drawstring bags, but rather large to allow for all shaped and sized presents.  With a small present, I don't need to use the drawstring, instead I fold the excess fabric neatly underneath and finish with the customary ribbon. I'm rather pleased with the results so far.

Spring!

We've weathered the winter well this year, with a fireplace that lasts longer throughout the night and an extra heater in the bedroom to make sure it's warm enough for Nahlia to have her nappy changed in the middle of the night.

We are glad for spring, though, and I've been busy in the vegie patch, planting out seeds, tending to the remaining winter crops and keeping those lettuce well watered!

The other day some friends came and helped us in the backyard, to get a couple of new garden beds ready for planting and tidy up some old ones.  The apple tree got a new skirt - a corrugated iron one to keep the possums away!  It's always humbling to receive this kind of help - hard labour, ie.  And with a beautiful garden to enjoy, now I'm more excited than ever for summer!!

Ulf is now working for an online organic fruit and veg business, delivering organic goodness all over Melbourne.  He's absolutely loving it!  I'm not sure that he loves the driving itself but he totally loves doing it because he fully believes in what he's doing.

His two days delivering, which begin at 10am, give us a nice rhythm as a family as he can take Nahlia in the mornings and let mama rest a bit more!  On the other days we share the responsibilities of taking care of our daughter, which we are really enjoying.

Nahlia now has a tooth, is sitting up by herself, is taking heaps, eating heaps, and is almost crawling out the door already!  She is a delight!

Ulf's new employer had to find a new home for their four sheep, so we took them on as our new 'slashers/lawn mowers' he he he...  They are lovely additions to 'the farm' (as our friends call it) and they love their new home among the apple trees along our driveway.

Baby's Breath

In the days and weeks following Nahlia's birth, I was in awe of this tiny creation of life. 

She was soft and tiny and beautiful.  But it was not her big blue eyes, her soft fine hair, her tiny little hands and feet, nor the cute sounds she made that captivated me.  It was the feel of her breath on my skin.  A year ago she didn't exist, and then all of a sudden, there she was.

Strawberries and sunshine

I  love the sight of our strawberry patch after it's been weeded and freshly mulched.  There's something very satisfying about seeing them safe and cosy, free of their choking competition and all tucked in to their blanket of mulch.

One of those memorable moments... The sun shining outside, flooding our room with its light, and Nahlia enjoying herself, playing happily on the bed... [wearing her Daddy's favourite colour - orange :) ]

Winter

things I love about winter:
beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and easy and often to observe;
winter sun!, precious and warming and light;
fireplaces;
hot baths by candlelight;
green grass - green everything!;
sleep;
gumboots and walking in the rain;
a good chai latte with soy milk;
kangaroos close by the house when it rains;
homemade soups - yum yum!!;
cuddling up with hubby in bed before sleep, all snug and warm;
picking wild edible mushrooms - and the creations that ensue;
scarves and beanies and winter boots;
snowpeas;
working in the garden, preparing for the next growing season;
long shadows;
and the promise of spring and summer to come!

8 years

On Saturday, 30th June, we celebrated eight years of marriage!

We took the scenic route and our little cherub took the opportunity to have a nap.

Proud Dad with Nahlia at the cafe, where we had a scrumptious breakfast.

Enjoying the sunshine together while little Nahlia sleeps in her sling on Daddy's chest.

It was a lovely day of luxury - gourmet food, beautiful gardens, treasures found, and a walk on the river... a wonderful way to celebrate our growing relationship and our love for each other.

xoxo

The earth

I learnt recently that there is more life under the earth than living on top of it!  It's amazing, the life-giving resources that lie in the ground, the multitude of micro-organisms going about their business unseen and largely unknown.

The other day I got into the garden and got my hands dirty (need new gloves!).  It felt so good to work the soil, turning it over on top of the remains of last summer's tomato crop, mixing in some old straw from the chookhouse (chicken pen), and planting some winter crops.  [Above: peas next to the leeks; below: red onions and a couple of beetroot.]

The weeds have been uprooted and mixed in (except a few nasty ones which I removed altogether); the dead tomato vines are decomposing underneath; the micro-organisms in the soil have received oxygen and are hard at work.

I love the simplistic nature of this type of gardening.  It's messy and raw; and it relies on nature to do most of the work.  It makes me feel very connected to the earth, and I love feeling that way - like I'm participating in something bigger than myself.

Previously I have always followed the traditional method of gardening which involved meticulously weeding around the veggies, throwing all the old crops into the compost bin, and mixing in the compost and turning the soil once or twice a year.  This was a lot of work and now that I have a little one, I have no time for this kind of gardening!

It also doesn't make sense to me anymore... why not let the goodness of the old plants return to the earth while the new crop slowly draws up what it needs at the same time?  Why throw the old crop in the compost bin, only to have to shovel it onto the garden later?   And I've learnt that some plants, which we call weeds, actually put nutrients into the ground instead of taking them out.  [Clover, for example, puts nitrogen into the soil!]

I know I'm not doing it all 'right' and there may be negatives to leaving some of those weeds there or letting things decompose under the new plants, but I don't care.  I'm experimenting and learning as I go... and I'm loving it!

Paint on my hands

It's 8.30am, I'm still in my pajamas, haven't had breakfast, and while Nahlia's happy playing in her rocker, I'm painting.  It's not the usual time of day that I would do this, but I've been wanting to do some more on it for some time now, so I took the small window of 'free' time and got my hands wet!

It's not the usual way I would do things, either.  Normally I would do some task or other until it's finished or at least to a certain recognisable level of completion.  But I'm learning the new rhythm of life that motherhood sets for me.... letting her needs take priority over my desires.  [My needs must be met almost in sync with hers, for if I do not take care of myself, then I cannot take care of her either.]

I used to focus on the day that Nahlia won't have colic; the day that she will sleep by herself for long periods of time during the day; going to sleep and waking up without crying. I used to long for the day when things would be easier with her so I could get on with my life and do whatever I want, whenever I want.  How sad, but I'm being honest here.  But instead of waiting for her to grow out of her colic, I find myself growing into it.  That is, I'm growing in how I respond to her when she is obviously upset because of her tummy.  I am accepting that this is how it is for us - for her - and adapting my 'schedule', my outlook, my priorities, my everything, so that I can care for her in the most loving way - the way that she needs me to.  I'm growing and becoming the mother she needs me to be for her.  And loving her is what gives my life meaning - it makes everything else make sense.

So my painting is happening slowly, one stroke, one layer at a time... the way that anything that is done with love should.

It's 8.50am; Nahlia is asleep on me; I'm looking at the paint on my hand; and I'm smiling.

Nahlia's first Mummy-made dress

I don't care if it's winter, she's going to wear a dress!

 So I had some 'free' time this week as Ulf was at home to take care of Nahlia too.  I have many projects awaiting my attention, but instead of working on one of those, I chose to make a dress for Nahlia!  It's described as a Dutch Baby Dress...  After ramaging through my stash of fabric, I chose this lovely corduroy with embroidered horses which has been waiting many years for such a dress as this.  The back is one piece, all horsey corduroy.

 As you can see, Nahlia loves her new dress....  but I must admit it sits on her more like a tunic than a dress. 

What she doesn't love is smiling at the camera!

Spring water in autumn

This is our new family car.

 For a few months now, we've been collecting water for drinking from a natural spring on Mt Donna Buang.  We go about once a month and collect 100 litres, which lasts us a whole month.

The water tastes amazing and now that we're used to it, ordinary tap water tastes like pool water! [chlorine]

There is an abundance of wild edible mushrooms on the property at the moment [this is not one of them!].  Pine mushrooms and some meadow mushrooms are delighting our taste buds...

A clear sunny day is a rarity - something to be savoured while it lasts.

 

Naturally, Nahlia loves being outside!  She goes with me whenever I go out for a walk.  She loves looking at the sky and breathing in the fresh air.

I'm loving our sling, which even allows me to do some gardening work while Nahlia has a nap on my back.

But we often take her out in the pram as well, as she can see more from in there, and we don't have to carry her weight this way.

We are loving being a family and Nahlia brings us joy every day.  We do struggle at times, mostly with her periods of crying and burping, which sometimes seem to never end.  But we are reminded every day that she is healthy and happy - her smiles are the best!  She is sleeping through the night and is growing well - she has grown 11cm in length since her birth!  Quite amazing really.