The most effective organic pest destruction

the chooks were happy to munch through this lot.

We have reinstigated the days of paying for the pest!!! Get rid of the slugs in the garden, the eat all my plants. So for every snail the boys find they get 20 cents and every slug gets them 10 cents. We started this pest destruction programme about a year and a half ago. Not a lot has been destroyed this way but the boys are very keen at the moment. Jakob was wanting to buy some Lego and decided he needed money. So off he went and look what he collected. $2.10 worth.

My Queens Birthday trip

Needing to catch up with good friends in Waimate and Ashburton I took the long weekend to go away. Thanks to lovely hubby who had a boys weekend at home. (lots of car racing competitions, x-boxing etc).


At Bronwyn's house in Waimate I woke on Sunday morning to the most glorious rainbow I have seen in ages. This was taken out of the bedroom window. (I then went back to bed for a while until I was rung by my sister-in-law with a "baking emergency").

On my way up to Asburton to visit Marie I stopped at my favourite place - The Shearers Quarters - just out of Timaru. A good spot to stretch the legs. Great food, though the coffee is not the best, fantastic for kids and the most amazing surroundings. To stretch the legs I went animal visiting and just love the look of the Kune Kune Pigs. They look so ferocious but all they wanted was a good scratch on the back!

The awesome kune kunes contd.

don't forget the goat

the entry to the cafe

lovely big outside seating and huge playground

love the toilet and handbasin. Really in keeping

the enormous verandah

On a finishing streak

could not keep Morris out of the photo

I always have so many things on the go. I am very keen whenever I start a new project but that starts waning at some time and I end up with at least 10 things happening. Whenever I am sewing (not quilting) I get it all cut out and then it sits on my sewing desk for ages before I get to completion. I am always so inspired by each new idea that I start something due to the inspiration and immediately drop everything else. So I am trying to fix that issue!! This week I finished a cross stitch sampler. It has been 8 years in the making. I started it in a class at the Christchurch Embroiderers Guild with Jane van Kulen. I finished it at a lovely day put on by Lesley from Forget-me-knots. Morris would not leave me alone when I was taking the photos so he is in there too.
On my recent road trip I finished another cross stitch of a kettle and cups that was probably 10 years in the making (no photo as I still have not removed the line markings on the aida fabric).
On my desk cut up has been a bean bag seat. When reorganising Jakob's room I started it. To go in his reading corner. Anyway -finally finished though it was very roughly made!!
I have nearly finished a dragon bag for my nephew - again my continual problem - the "nearly" then sits around for a very long time.

Jakobs new bean bag seat

My treat

A pot of earl grey tea, a gorgeous apple pie and cream and something to stitch. All while watching a recording of River cottage everyday. Bliss at the end of a busy day.

I stewed some granny smith apples while making dinner. A sheet of Edmonds flakey puff pastry, put on apple, grate some lime rind, a spoon of brown sugar and some raisins. Fold it over, make some slashes, rub with milk for a glaze and cook in a hot oven for 15 minutes. Serve dusted with icing sugar and whipped cream and a pot of earl grey tea.

4 Children and 2 dogs

Eli loves having Meisha sleep with him

Well it is a busy weekend. I am down one husband (he has gone to Akaroa to have time out to finish two assignments and study for exams.
I have acquired one dog - Meisha - the parents-in-law dog (they are in Akaroa too). Meisha gets spoilt when she stays as she is allowed on beds etc.

My sister has gone to Cromwell (for a party and a local show) with her partner. So we have Montana-Rose and Albie staying too. Thanks to Uncle Simon I got a 2 1/2 hour break as him and Lyn picked the kids up to go and watch Matthew play rugby (they lost :-).)

At five pm all were tired so they got to watch some Thunderbirds.

They are now all in bed, though I can hear little voices so growly aunty will be happening soon.Dishes to do, things to tidy and then I am going to give myself a treat.

In spite of all of this ( or because of all of this - I was so shot last night all I could do was sit down and watch some of my recorded programmes and stitch a bit) I managed to get some stitching done on a quilt I am designing. This has been on the go since the day I had with Leanne and Rosalie last year.It is based on the concept of design that Leanne taught us.  I have just managed to start designing some of the stitching. Am not yet totally happy with the applique but it is a learning curve and I want to keep it  reasonably simple. So it is flowers and hearts. (very normal I know but a begining).
I have gotten very optimistic by putting 2011 on the quilt. It now has to be finished this year!!!

The Road Trip

Well a lot has happened lately and I have had a lot to blog but have not done it.

Crashed and wrote off our little car. The only decent small cars with lower km's seemed to be in Auckland. So we bought a Toyota Will and Aaron and I had a three day road trip driving it back down to Kaiapoi. The funny thing is that we have not yet taken a photo of the actual car!!!
Her name is KCC (said Casey) short for Kaiapoi's coolest car.

Off we drove

only took a few photos on the way

Gorgeous Mt Ruapehu

And on the ferry

Stephen's 30th birthday

Well Stephen is getting OLD. But the sun came out, it was 20 odd degrees and gorgeous. Huge turnout for his party. All the cousins were there - Mieke, Jasmine, Alissa, Jakob and Eli. It is amazing what happens when you turn your back for 20 mins. The boys came out looking very interesting!!!

Mothers Day stroll

 This year we spent mothers day in Akaroa on the Banks Penninsular. We stayed in a lovely house that was on a steep site so that when you went onto the deck you were level with the tree tops. Birds singing in the morning, sun shining and a view of the harbour. It felt like you had the place to yourself due to the dense bush but the houses were very close together. It was amazing to be so close and feel so private.

the view from the deck, lounge and bedroom

Eli showing off his new gloves I finished knitting

The rescued and shifted lighthouse. Due to earthquake damage we could not go inside.

  We had a lovely walk in the middle of the day that took a few hours, just mucking around being a family. Thanks so much to Colleen who allowed us to stay in her house with her.

getting wet

practicing their writing

Aaron playing with the camera

Lots of posing

All of us enjoying the wander

The School holidays are coming to an end

There have been sleepovers, movies, tramps, cycle trips and the list goes on. As the holidays wind down (back to school tomorrow) we did a few last things.

Jakob and I took Morris for a long run down at the river. We have not been able to do this for a while due to muck from the earthquake. Morris had the most fantastic time having races with Jakob.

It was raining as we ran around doing our last jobs and getting to be very late for lunch. So stopped at a bakery / cafe which had free face painting (by sheer chance). The boys got painted as different coloured dragons.

Then last of all - preparing for school - they had a long bath by candle light. Winds them down ready for a big sleep and the start of our normal routines. This can only be done in the winter months as it needs to be dark outside to be effective.

The Easter Sunday treat

Instead of just having a pile of eggs I made an easter cake. Well I was trying to make it look like a nest full of eggs. I made a banana cake in a ring tin and then iced it and covered the area near the centre in the more natural coloured eggs by cadbury.

the 5 s continues!!! Now the Laundry

We have done the dining room and computer, Jakobs room and today I got stuck into the laundry. I cleared the under sink cupboard out and found a lot of cleaning products that were unused. So that will save in the shopping over the next wee while. I then cleared out behind the shelf as we could never properly open the door. Filtered down to at least half the number of things on the hangers. Bulky things nearer the kitchen so that the door opens (I am going to be really anal and label the hooks so that the correct things get put away in the correct place. The top of the shelfs is cleared of junk and the shelves organised. The window sill cleared off. Then it all cleaned (except the floor). Man I am on a roll!! (or procrastinating as I do not want to have to do my room - that will be a mission!)

"oh happy thought indeed, the shelves in a cupboard"