So Blessed.

Yesterday was one of those days. You know the ones I'm talking about. It wasn't pretty. Everyone seemed to have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. There were squabbles, and tears, and nobody seemed to be very happy being with anybody else - and yet here we were, stuck together, and unhappy.

It was miserable. I felt hopeless, unmotivated, and the worst Mama in the world. By evening when I was outside hiding in the garden, planting out lettuces, Saraya tiptoed out when she was supposed to be in bed with a note for me which read "Dear Mama, I love you sooooooooo much. You are the best Mama in the world. From Saraya xoxoxo". Of course, this made me feel worse. I was a bad Mama, not the best Mama!! :( And I seem to recall writing those notes to my Mum - from memory it was often after a disagreement or when I was generally feeling unsettled. I cuddled my girl close and sent her off to bed, and sat in the garden in the dusky light..... and prayed. For forgiveness. For help. For good sleep, and for a better day tomorrow.

And.... today was better! I find generally that after a really bad day comes a really good one. Lots of prayer, and good conscious attitude going on. :) Yesterday was hard right from the start. Stuart went back to work - and I wasn't expecting him to. I thought he went back tomorrow! So suddenly I had lost 2 whole days with him - and I was really sad about that.

I once heard a saying that sums me up so honestly it's almost funny. "Our expectations lead to our depression". Hmmmm. If I had known Stu's holidays were over, I would have been fine. I would have been mentally prepared. But alas, I wasn't! And my incorrect expectations (of cups of tea, and conversation, and gardening, and treehouse-building....) indeed led to my depression. :) Mix that with 3 tired children who were all out of sorts, on one of the HOTTEST days we've had so far this summer - and well, what were our chances really?!?

Anyway, as I was saying, today was wonderful! Truly, a really good day. Here are some snippets.

Play-dough play

Mum gave Saraya a wonderful craft book for Christmas, along with some great materials. Today for craft we made Plate Gardens.

Saraya's flower garden with the washing on the line

Elijah's snow scene - with the traffic pile-up!

The children had so much fun doing these! I love how unique they both are. :)

Yesterday the children and I finished reading Wizard of Oz. It has been our chapter book for the past few months. Not a book I'd necessarily recommend, but one which interested us after Stu and Saraya took part in a production of the musical last year. It was very interesting to read the original! So today we began our new read-

We have read it before, but Elijah was only a baby so it's due for a re-read. Chapter 1 was enjoyed by all - I love this book! For my own reading it's Sense and Sensibility this month, my first time reading it and I love it to bits. :) Love the movie too.

William napped with his legs up on the cot bumper (okay, truthfully this photo was taken on the weekend but he did it again today!)....

and washed a baby doll in the bath tub.

As I mentioned, today was HOT!! So I had 3 happy babes playing with ice....

........ and water, outside!!! So much fun.

Elijah coloured in, and made patterns on the fridge with magnets.

And Saraya made a gorgeous little paper girl! Love the handbag. :)

Typically, Saraya and I watch Little Women as part of our lead-up to Christmas - movie night Mama-daughter style. :) Last year we simply ran out of nights to watch it, and decided to watch it today instead! We're very 'into' Louisa May Alcott's novels right now anyway. So we watched half together at rest time this afternoon (Elijah too! he enjoyed it), and Saraya and I finished it off tonight. Man I love that film! And the books too of course. :) I always feel so inspired to be more like Marmee - she always knows what to say, her children all adore her, and she just has this special way of making their home a precious haven for her family. *Sigh*. :)

After dinner tonight we decided to take a walk down our road before putting the children to bed. I am excited to share that the dear (fellow homeschooling!) friends of ours who lived across the road from us when we lived in town have now purchased a block of land just down the road from us!! They are planning to start building this year, perhaps living in a shed home whilst doing so. SO happy!!! We decided to walk down to visit their land today. It is beautiful. I am so looking forward to having them as neighbours again. And the 10 minute walk to their place will be a pleasure.

The view down our road from the driveway

Pyjama and sneaker-clad children :)

Will, riding high :)

On our way back down the driveway, watering our sunflower seedlings as we walked! I seem to permanently have Will in one arm and the watering can in the other, lately.

The sunset. Not happening until after 7pm at this time of year, but still, beautiful.

So tonight, I feel blessed.

For a God who ultimately hears me and answers "yes" to a plea for a better day! For my home, my family, my friends, my garden, wonderful books and films and all things which inspire.

So Blessed.