Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Changes



Have told you that we are planning to renovate our house? We have been thinking about it for a few years  now and have finally come up with a plan that we hope works. So exciting!! To get things underway we need to do some tweaking in our garden. This has also been an opportunity to make a beautiful new chook/duck house. I'm pretty excited about that too! Our yard has been eerily quiet lately.



So far we have pulled down the small side tool shed that rested up against our garage. It has left such a big space in the yard as we also took down a small chook fence, and the little red cubby where our ducks once lived. I love the exposed wood & the way everything now looks so different. I didn't at first though, it took me a few days to adjust, that's for sure.



The little out house, above, has been here since our house was built, around 1900. It was used as a bedroom by us and the original family. We 'joined' it onto the side of the house with a little alcove but with our new plans it really has to go. It would have been cheaper and easier to demolish it, but I really wanted to find a way to keep it. It's such a charming and sweet little building.



So here's the plan. A nice bloke called Col is going to back his crane down our driveway and lift the little house onto stumps between the tree, above right, next to the shed/garage.  It will sit towards the back with it's door facing the house. I hope to have a little path leading towards it. Lucy tells me it's to be a 'club house', which sounds fun. I can't wait to see it in place.





This is what remains of our chook/duck house and yard. Before Tom began to pull it apart I said a little thank you to it for giving us many years of happy chickens and ducks. Many years of eggs, ducklings, baby chicks and the lovely sound of clucking and quacking. I am such a nostalgic girl, too sentimental for this world at times I think.  Anyway, all good things must come to an end and really, it was time to rebuild after losing all our lovely birds to foxes recently. You can only patch up an old pen so much.


I'm super excited about our new yard and pen which will look quite different and be FOX PROOF!


We are going to orientate it a different way and have the open yard facing the washing line and house. It will be so lovely to see the chooks while I'm hanging out the washing this summer. Of course they will be free ranging most of the time. I can't wait!  I've been thinking about what type of chooks to get. Isa Browns are such good layers but I'd love to get a couple of fancy chooks too. Any suggestions?


 With all this pulling down of sheds and coops comes a lot of rubbish. Luckily we are able to re use quite a bit of material from the shed etc which is great but this lot above is heading for the tip asap.



We have such a beautiful big garden, it's one of the things that I fell in love with when I first saw our house, back in 2004.



While it looks a bit bare and messy right now I'm seeing past that and dreaming of what it will become.
On my wish list is a pond, maybe a creek (!), frogs, veggies, hidden corners, grass to run on, swings and lovely spots to sit and just..be.

Over the next little while I'll be documenting the changes. I haven't even told you what we are planning for the inside! This is the back of our house at the moment, with the little shed and it's green roof. Imagine the day the crane comes to swing it into it's new spot..wow!

How are things in your world? Are you planning anything new, fun or exciting? Are you glad it's almost Spring or are you heading into autumn? Changes happen whether we like it or not, don't they?
I guess it makes life interesting. See you soon, lovely ones xo


Thursday, August 2, 2012

Seven

Tonight I'm baking cupcakes and wrapping presents and thinking about the seven years ago when I was just about to have my fifth baby, my last child.


I've been thinking about how sick I was during the pregnancy. How cold it was that year. About being in hospital at 36  weeks with pneumonia, how scared I was for my baby. 



And how thrilled I was that she arrived safely after a tricky labor.


Are there actual words to describe the joy you feel when you are finally holding your baby safe in your arms? I don't think so. But you can see in my eyes the pure happiness and relief. The wonder of birth, it's so truly amazing isn't it?


I really treasured every day with Rosie as a baby, I tried to make the most of every minute, every new stage. I knew she was my last so I wanted to  enjoy it all. My precious one.








Rosie was born in the depths of winter. She likes me to tell her the story of how the heaters broke at the hospital and the nurses had to put eight blankets on us! She likes the way the pink camellia's in our front garden always bloom around her birthday, I do too.


I've been thinking about how Rosie grew from a little baby into a cheeky, funny little girl.



This shot is from my very first blog post ever!



                           Rosie became a ballerina at three. She danced every minute of the day.


I've been thinking tonight how Rosie has brought so much happiness into our lives. Of course there have been times when  it hasn't been easy, when I've felt impatient and tired, but there has never been a dull moment since Rosie arrived. She fills our lives with colour, energy and love.




It was such a big step for both of us when she finished at kinder, a whole new world was beginning.



 It's been so fun looking through photo's, it has reminded me of so many happy and crazy family times we've had. 


It's made me think about who Rosie is, and the things she loves, like animals, science and school. She likes to dance, to play netball, to draw & make things. She wants to be a doctor, a teacher. She likes old houses, ice cream, skipping & looking at the stars. She loves her family, her friends. She is funny, sometimes loud, often thoughtful and always colourful and loving.


 And tomorrow she turns seven! Wow! Rosie has been counting the day, the hours, the minutes.


Today we had some time together, just the two of us. It was lovely to have some time just on our own. When we got back in the car she said "Mum, I'm just so happy".
And I was too.

Happy Birthday, beautiful one, our cart wheeling girl, 
you make everything brighter.



And don't grow up too quickly ok?! xo