Our Family

Some Photos

I've done a couple of wordy posts recently so I thought I'd add some pictures into the mix. Enjoy.

Throwing a Sickie

Well today I am unwell so I am in bed, snuggled under my lovely Cath Kidston duvet cover (I very cleverly bought one years ago in Ikea when the lovely lady wasn't so popular - I have good taste you see, lol) baby happily gurgling beside me, kids playing in their rooms across the landing (Indiana Jones is being evangelised by my 5 yr old as apparently he's much too fond of those stupid idols, lol) and dh holding the fort downstairs. Now that I am no longer vomiting incessantly (sorry tmi) I have a cup of tea on the bedside table and I am surfin', surfin', surfin'. I am slightly disappointed as I should have been meeting with friends for a sewing morning today, BUT reading blogs and finding online crafting sites is almost as good,... almost. Anyway, I thought that it might be nice to share some of my findings, thoughts and musings. So here goes.

I really like this free online magazine, Rhythm of the Home
http://rhythmofthehome.com/
I particularly like the fleece baby bootees in the Warmth section; would love to make these for Li-Li if I get the time. Also, it's given me the inspiration to start to live more seasonally again. Last year we had a lovely season table and did lots of seasonal crafts and activities; with the baby coming, however, we seem to have ground to rather a halt. Our summer season table has been a rather pathetic offering of some colourful bunting draped around our season tree ( a branch set in air drying clay in a vase). Am definitely going to get into the autumn spirit now.

Jackie over at Hedgerow Ways posted a couple of lovely links this week. The first was Farmama. Wow this lady farmer/farmer's wife is so awesome. Her veggie growing/ preserving and crafting is so inspiring. Loving her log cabin quilt. The site which has really inspired me, though, is Plain and Joyful Living and it's ideas for Handmade Holidays. I made lots of my Christmas presents last year and had intended to do one or two a month this year to avoid the last minute mad rush. Hmmmm, then I had a baby. So I must get started soon in order to avoid pointless novelty gifts from the high street. There are lots of gift ideas on the blog but the idea I like the best is to have a Handmade Holidays notebook. You can find out about it here.
I am definitely going to start one. I have found lots of gift ideas on Wee Folk Art which are lovely.

Anyway, the baby is now nursing, and I seem to have grown a nine year old boy on my elbow.

Blessings to you all.
Jo

An Award

The lovely Jackie at Hedgerow Ways and Fireside Days has given me an award. Something about being versatile, which is nice. Anyway, now I have to tell you seven things about myself. So here goes.

1) I love curry. Vegetable Biryani is my absolute fave and when I was pregnant, Phil only had to ring the local curry house and ask for 'the usual' as I ate it so often. They had a buy one main course and get one free offer on and we really did take advantage of it.
2) My favourite ever book (apart from the Bible, obviously) is Anne of Green Gables. As a younger person I actually died my hair red because I wanted to be Anne so much. How sad is that?! If I had money I would be one of those eccentric ladies who collect Anne memorabilia; there are, I have found, many websites out there which sell such wonderous items. Ooh, I'd just love an Anne doll. If I am ill I eat tomato soup on the sofa, snuggled under my duvet and watch all my Anne videos one after the other; it cheers me up no end. This is by far my saddest online admission ever.
3) My house is sooooooooo untidy but I am trying to overcome it with planning and organisation. Lol.
4) I love cheesy low brow tv such as 'Four Weddings' and 'Come Dine with Me'. When you are the type of person who would happily buy an 'Anne' doll, other people's lives are very interesting. Lol.
5) I love to sing. I make everything into a song, particularly with the little people in my family. We have a nappy changing song, a tidying song, an I love you song,... it goes on. My older children hate my singing and think I'm bonkers.
6) I love museums and art galleries. My favourites are The National Gallery and The Museum of London. I once got shushed in the Courtald Gallery for enthusing over a lovely impressionist painting too enthusiastically to my then 2 year old.
7) I am a secret Royalist and will have a party with Union Jacks, jelly and ice-cream when Will and Kate wed.

That's it. Seven things about me.
I pass this blog award on to:
Leah at Homegrown Babies
A very versatile lady who is always striving to know God more and 'walk the talk'.
Sarah at A Mother's Heart
Another Godly girl who is forever seeking to hone her family life for God's glory.
Claire at Now We are Six
Claire is very versatile and is always learning new crafts and astounding me with how quickly and competently she picks them up.

Homemaking for Dummies

Okay, so I have a deep desire to be a homemaking goddess in the non-heretical kind of way. I love home decorating, love cooking, even love cleaning. I just need to somehow get it all together and become a domestic diva with a house which wouldn't look out of place in Country Living. That is the hard part. I do try. I hardly ever sit down. I am busy, busy, busy. I cook, I clean, I do all kind of homemakingey type jobs,... all to no avail. At this current moment I have given in. The washing up is piled in the sink, the floor is covered in crumbs and I am way too tired to care. All week I've stayed up until after 11pm tidying and cleaning so that when we rise the next day we will go downstairs to a haven of cleanliness and orderliness. Tonight, however, the energy has escaped me and I just can't be bothered.

In a bid to overcome this situation occuring on a regular basis, I am trying hard to get organised. I have bought myself a lovely pink binder which will become my 'Home Management Binder'. So far it has a calendar to the end of the year, a weekly planner, a home ed planning section and a recipe and meal planning section. I am working on the chores section and have laminated some chore cards for the boys which will live in map cases I purchased from Poundland. They have an opaque section and a transparent section. Each child will have a selection of chore cards in the opaque section and I will bring forward the cards for each day into the transparent section. I am paying them in beans, which will then be traded in at the rate of 1p each. I am hoping that this will alleviate some of my jobs and help the house run more smoothly.

The thing I am really enjoying is getting back to the meal planning. I am currently using the More with Less Cookbook which is a frugal cookbook produced by a group of Mennonite Christians. I have to say that I am loving it. All the recipes are super simple yet delicious and nutritious. Even the boys have eaten them without too much complaining.

I am also dreaming of revamping my dining/family room and have purchased a lovely green and white spotty oilcloth to protect my table as inspiration. I am going for a Cath Kidston meets attic 24 look. All girly and floral but bright and cheerful too. It is all a long way off, but at least I can dream. In the meantime, I am crocheting a granny stripe blanket to cover some of the felt pen marks on my lovely Laura Ashley sofa.

I grew up in a fairly chaotic single parent home. It wasn't my mum's fault; she worked all hours to provide, but it was pretty bleak at times nevertheless. Consequently, I am determined to provide a different experience for my boys. It is very difficult because of my lack of previous experience BUT I know that it is very important and that "I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me" Philippians 4:13. By his grace I will succeed; if you have a moment, please pray for me and those like me, who are pioneers in this strange but wonderful country.

New Title

So I've given my blog a new title. I decided that it more aptly described what I want to do with this blog than 'Jo's Boys'. The blog will continue to be about my boys, with photos for all you lovely rellies and friends who call in to see how we are getting on. However, I really want to focus on the joys and difficulties of being a first generation Christian mother. I have not had an easy past. I did not know God until I was in my early twenties and my life previous to that time was far from Godly. This has left me with many issues and struggles as I walk with faith the path God has given me in raising my mighty boys of God. I am a pioneer. The landscape is unfamiliar, and sometimes even dangerous. Our journey is tiring and full of apprehension. And yet there is hope. Our God is the great redeemer. Wisdom and understanding is bountiful in his word. His spirit guides and helps us. What an adventure. I hope you will share it with us.

Ed is always ready for an adventure.

Days of Elijah

Baby Elijah Wesley was born on 2nd May @ 3-06am weighing 8lbs 5.5oz.