The cozy and sure signs that it is Christmas time.

I started to reeaally get into the Christmas mode after seeing the photos from Crafty fairies Christmas fare. We are having a completely chilled and relaxed Christmas this year. I have a tendency to bust my gut with trying to do everything I want to do and more, but not this year, nohoh.. just takin it easy.

See, there is N. on the floor showing just how easy we are taking it (: Check out her toy nativity. One of the three kings has wandered and been replaced by Noah and some of the animals from the ark of course.

For the first time ever we went out to a field, found and cut down our own tree. That is so much fun to do! N found some exciting things too on the way.

It didn’t cost any more money for our huge beautiful lush tree as it would normally cost to have bought a small scraggly one from the street. I am amazed at how blessed we are, I can’t believe we have the space in our home now to adorn such a grand tree. I keep looking at it in awe, no decorations on it yet and it is so beautiful and wonderful to have in the living room!

I really like the tree, can you tell?

It has had me thinking of how ‘big’ a deal Christmas is to me. I know that the tree is a symbol introduced through paganism but I am absolutely in awe at this giant and magnificent tree, inside our home nearly as much as I am at the thought of a savior coming to earth to be sacrificed for mankind. I try to think what this tree looks like to our 1.5 year old daughter.. Its presence most definitely can not go unnoticed and I hope that the joy and love of this season goes equally as unnoticed.

Today we are baking from a packet!

(We don’t usually do that)

Run rascal run rascal run, run, run!

We have spent the last week and some being ill and the housework has been completely neglected to the point that it is a frightening experience to walk across the floor barefoot. I felt so stinky last night and wanted a shower as my hair was just greasy and yugh but I sacrificed my shower for sleep. This morning there was no choice but to get that much needed shower. The following became like some high speed comedy act as I tried to take a shower with N in our tiny bathroom with a door that is unable to lock let alone close properly!

Three minutes into showering N decided she’d had enough and escaped naked and dripping down our paper ‘carpet’ covered hall- (the hall is being worked still now) I let her be as I washed and then went to try coax her back into the bathroom so that I could wash my hair, only to find that not only had she escaped from the bathroom but that she had taken the water loaded wash cloth and dripped it all the way through the house.. Its only water right? SO I stick a nappy on her and I go back to try and rinse my hair as fast as possible before the little madam gets up to more mischief. When I get out the shower I find her as in picture above.. then I chase her around the room three times before I catch her to put her vest on her and continue to get myself dried and dressed only to return to find that N has found the cloth again – that was on the bottom of the shower and now she is completely soaking.. so I get her changed again.. The morning continued like that until lunch when she sat and scoffed her way through nearly half a loaf of bread,  liverpate, cheese and beetroot then crashed. I almost wanted to crash too but no.. instead the house is back in order and the floor is once again safe to walk on with no sign left of the mornings dramas.

I am so glad that not every day starts like this!!

Yep, I’m starting to think about Christmas and what I need to do in preparation and what better way than making a list.

• Make a wish list (I never do this to be honest.. but who knows maybe I will this year)
• Get a tree and decorate!
• Order/make, write and send cards.
• Print out a Christmas Advent book- must remember the reason for the season!
• Presents I need to buy/make for others Christmas.. (I want to make gifts as much as possible this year)
• What I need to make for Christmas.. decor, gift tags, gifts.. fun foods (almost always do this one!)
• Shopping list for Christmas food
• Make a decent Christmas music playlist or two.
• Organizing what needs done before Christmas- house finishing bits etc
• Make sure the calender flows no clashing dates appointments.
• Make a Christmas bucket list!
• Have a happy and RELAXED Christmas!!

>>>o<<<

N sometimes sings muuuhm MuHM Miiuhm! (That means me) This might sound strange but It has not completely sunk in to me that I am a ‘Mum’- or Muuhm as N puts it. I haven’t really thought too much on what it means.. I do take it with utmost seriousness that I am responsible for the well being of the little lady who now shares our life and oft times our bed and dinner and other things. I just don’t see myself as that warm gentle cozy quiet soft spoken ‘Mum’ woman that I see so many of. I am impulsive, oft times unconventional.. a bit too playful- what.. the toys weren’t a gift for me?

I started to read some books (about childcare) just out of interest and curiosity. I expected some nice suggestions and input, instead I was confronted with serious things.. things that really matter and might effect how my child lives and sees the world forever after. I learned too, that some of the things I take for granted are so extremely precious and more rare than I had ever thought, my love for every child and care that they are in no way harmed or maltreated for one. I am not perfect- I have my issues, but now I am able to see what they are more clearly how my decisions could be the difference in N having or not having issues.. I find it to be very interesting but more than anything I find it to be very important and I am surprised it is not on a compulsory reading list for parents and parents to be.

I’m looking for a GREAT cookie recipe.. its got to make big golden chewy cookies.

My goodness, N ‘helps’ in the kitchen the same way her dad does when I’m baking!

Mine is to..

1. Go chestnut hunting.

2. Make decorations with chestnuts.

3. Gather branches and use them as decorations..

4. Make a door wreath.

5. Carve a pumpkin. (actually I had a pumpkin carved for me, but was very happy with it!)

6. Have a fall ‘feast’ dinner party.

7. Eat baked apples.

8. Bake cookies and deliver them.

9. Make a family silhouette gallery.

10. Re-discover good music.

11. Invite the missionaries over.

12. Make something with fabric.

13. Make a x-stitch (silhouette?)

14. Have an indoor teddy bear picnic/’tea party’

15. Take more photographs.

16. Send cards to people.

17. Draw more.

18. Read a story to Nora each night.

19. Have a Happy Halloween.

20. Try a new recipe.

21. Go somewhere new.

I’m thinking about the price of nappies and the new format of facebook..  Nappies are soo expensive, and facebooks new format I think cheapens the whole experience now. For the first 10 minutes I liked the new changes on fb and then I had THAT feeling.. that, ‘wait a minute’ and realized that the new fb changes made it more like all the other social networks that I have left.. where you are just bombarded with people and information that you don’t want. SO I figure it might be time to say ‘goodbye’ to fb.. it worked well for me before, straightforward family- friends and no nonsense. I’ve decided to replace fb in my life by following friends and loved ones blogs again and sending personal emails and maybe even.. yes.. maybe snail mail!

N has clearly inherited her fathers love of neck wear, she will adorn her neck with anything she can find, dads ties, belts, shoe laces, tights… we have to be careful what we leave laying around! Here is here looking a bit more civilized in one of mums scarves.. proper Copenhagen Chic.

Previous owners had put up two walls that were removed.. you can see one was here (other was in the bedroom)

jumping forward in time, this room is stripped at this point! A new wall will go up here to make Noras bedroom and a dinning room for the time being.

and starting to be worked at this point! Sorry for confusing order.. the only pics taken were by Niels on his phone.

A little tlc from Jacob removing paint from some finer details above.

The master bedroom- or at least a corner of it. There is a glass door to the left that goes out into the garden.  You can just see on the far right edge where there had been a wall once also dividing this room, sadly can’t see the other half of the room in the picture.

Niels artsy shot into kitchen from living room through lit hallway.

The kitchen before!

and removing it is Niels dad…

photos taken around the kitchen clockwise..

Door to back stairs.

Bye bye kitchen!

Now you want to see the New kitchen and finished thing don’t you! ..

Coming soon!