What happened to the time?

I can hardly believe how long its been... I have neglected my blog!

We have had lots happening and this has consumed so much time.

We became carers again enough said about that. Its tough, its such an emotional roller-coaster and we were not prepared, I am not sure that you can ever be prepared?

It happens every time we make wonderful plans and get started on the house and renovations which have been put on hold so many times in the last 12 years.

We were painting the front of the house and then had to drop everything.

As it turned out we did get back to the painting and well we have to strip it all back and start again.  The paint bubbled, we sanded it back and tried again and again all with the same result. Quite disappointing when you are going backwards with progress.  We were able to get lovely help from the paint shop and they have replaced all of the paint with something different.

That is on my to do list.  I have let it go a bit.  Loss all momentum there.

However we have made progress. The study is becoming something wonderful the outside is progressing and a fabulous friend came and visited (she had not been for a while) and was quite shocked with our progress given how rough a time we have had in the last few years.

We are creating (finally) a kiddies garden for our Petal and Hurricane.  Its progressing quite nicely and they are able to use it and enjoy.  To date we have not really shared our plans with them we just surprise then either on the weekend or at Christmas or Birthday times, especially when Santa has placed something wonderful in the cleared area like a trampoline.

I am working on clearing another area.  A woodpile that was so important to us. When the kids were young we had no heating except for the pot belly.  This wood supply was constantly worked on by the men of the family. My dad, my other half's dad and my other half.   The pot belly has been replaced with central heating and the wood pile just seemed to grow and become a monster. Not much was ever being used.  I have now culled most of it, moved some to a more appropriate spot for a Pizza Oven when we are able to make one.   The cleared area will become another play area for the kiddies.  They have requested a seated area however I think we can do a bit better than that.

I have been searching on pinterest for ideas.   It has been so much fun. We have a blackboard area from this idea.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/386113368025586878/

I have moved over 200 bricks and my other half has paved a lovely area to the trampoline and back up to the house. This path is progressing nicely. The bricks are being re-used and I am learning the importance of saving money and reusing things.  These bricks are everywhere around our property and its nice to see them being utilised properly.

I am hoping to do something like this.... http://www.pinterest.com/pin/386113368025768308/with some pallets that we have.  A little house.  An area that they can use even when the weather is not brilliant. I know they don't care if it's sunny or raining they use the trampoline and blackboard.  There is some cover for the blackboard which means that there precious drawings and information doesn't get washed away. Even better all the chalk dust stays outside.

I would also like to create a teepee or a stand.  It will get their imagination sparking. So great to see them outside again instead of inside all the time. I think we are re-claiming our property and using it properly. The nasty neighbours drove us inside but not anymore.  It's lovely using the area properly and enjoying it again.  Making plans are fun too and we are actually spending time to do things again. Its been years since we have been able to do this properly.  Always something happened.  This week it tried again. We had a funeral on my Dad's birthday and that was so tough however we came home and just did a little bit.  We were kind to ourselves and enjoyed being outside.