To Find A Silver Lining

I discovered a few settings on my phone the other day, ones I hadn't even noticed before... so I had a bit of fun today:

Total Concentration:

Last Night:

I am loving having a three year old (most of the time), she is old enough to understand and start appreciating things... such as the powercut the other day!
On Sunday we popped down to catch up with an old friend of mine, and pick up some furniture from her... she and her family are relocating to Australia this coming weekend, and they are selling up (cheaper to start again over there, than to ship a container over). We are the lucky ones in this though, Button got a bed and both kids got drawers...
Up until now we've been borrowing a bed for Button, and while we so totally appreciated it - I feel good being able to now give Button her very own  bed, which will last her for the rest of her years here with us! The drawers will be replaced in a few years when we can afford to, but for now they are perfect and exactly what we needed for both the kids! Button had been using my old ones which have been falling apart for years (and fixed over and over again by hubby), and 'lil M had a…

The other day New Zealand experienced a BIG storm... it was one of the worst in recent history. Where we live it wasn't as bad as some places, but we still lost power here for three hours - typically between 5-8pm, right on dinner / bath and bed time!
Button is old enough to see this as an adventure, especially when the candles came out! Daddy had to cook her dinner over the fire (poor 'lil M had a boring dinner of sandwiches and a banana), thankfully our sausages are pre-cooked (gluten-free ones), so cooking a sausage and egg for her when she was hungry wasn't the big drama it could have turned into... 
They both went to bed by candlelight, but thankfully were SO tired that they crashed and didn't seem to notice... by the time they woke up, power had been restored and all had returned to normal! But I can see, as they get older - we'll be able to turn these experiences into adventures and really have some fun with them! This time 'lil M was NOT happy, everything…

In under thirty minutes...

Anyone who has had a young child or two, will understand the above chaos... urghhh! This is a regular sight in our house, and I try to tidy it at least once a day (generally after they have gone to bed for the night); but sometimes I am to exhausted to even care! I think this had been one of those times - quite possibly a two-day-hurricane!!!!!

Last week I had to race Button down to the Doctor with a bladder infection... thankfully it was on the day hubby was off work due to being sick - so he stayed home and watched the baby! Made the rush trip a little more bearable!
When we got home, I was surprised to find a parcel waiting for me - my cousin had sent up some 'belated' birthday gifts for the kids, perfect timing for our little sickie who was feeling rather sorry for herself!
Here she is posing in her new rabbit hat (which has hardly left her head since) and her new t-shirt the day after... she also got a 'camera', which has been used so much that the batteries SHOULD be flat by now, as it is driving us insane!

Me thinks someone has seen a real camera a few times!

Here are my favourite photos of the kids currently:

Button learning to smile and keep her eyes open for the camera! 'lil M with marmite all over his face!

It was my birthday earlier this month... and I got given a Gluten-Free Cookbook from my parents, and a Recipe Organiser from some close friends. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
What I love about the cookbook, is that it is a New Zealand Gluten-Free Cookbook, this is one of the first ones I have found locally; most of these types of cookbooks are written in America or England - often meaning we don't have all the ingredients available.
I have tried two recipes so far - one a roaring success (Lemon Syrup Cake) and one not so successful (Jam Drops), but I am more than happy to keep trying until I get it right... they were still rather yummy *grin*!!!!
The Organiser is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.! All my gluten-free recipes are scattered all over the house, and while I have yet to find time to start writing them up in the folder altogether, I now at least, have a place in which to put them... Some nights I am just stuck, I don't know what to do (I am sure most Mums have this problem at times), so to have some …

Who would think that you could find colour in June... I mean serious colour!
Well - here is the proof! I love these shots:

I love this next group of photos - I managed to get some shots, through the window, of birds beginning to settle down for the night in one of our trees! 
Hope you like them as well... it is going to be a photo heavy night tonight!

More sky photos - sorry, bit of an overkill! One day we won't be living here, and these kinds of photos will minimise significantly; but for now I am still in awe and totally appreciating the amazing views and sunsets we get here regularly... we have a fabulous Creator!

I have finally named and sorted all my photos from the past two months, and have discovered that I have a heap of extraordinarily amazing photos of skies... I LOVE sunsets, just in case that hasn't become obvious, plus storm clouds and other just amazing sights!
So here are my May Skies (more to come):

Watching :: Not really watching, but Caillou is currently playing on the TV for my three year old!
Eating :: Just had hot-from-the-oven-gluten-free-scones for lunch!
Listening :: to my baby boy putting himself to sleep over the baby monitor, he is VERY loud and busy; so not sure how much sleeping is going on!
Waiting :: and watching, wondering if my girl might have the beginning of a bladder infection :-(!
Doing :: a quick blog post before getting on with the afternoon chores which will include baking, dinner and hopefully some vacuuming in there also!
Loving :: that I have finished my latest counselling sessions, and my counsellor is very proud of my progress and said some lovely things about me last night!
Planning :: how to fit everything into another busy weekend... especially as all the sickies are still a bit under-the-weather. Hmmm (hubby is home today, as he still is not well at all)!
Buying :: (well bought) some second-hand furniture from friends who are going oversea's, for the…

Facebook has GONE...
My blog-reading list is down to about 6 (I think), but have added two further new ones which I have been kinda glancing through for a while, but have not followed closely!
Will now spend a little bit of time reading through these and look at some of their recommended sites... I figure if I like their writing, then I'll likely enjoy some of their recommended reading also!
If you're interested in knowing who the two 'newbies' are, I'll share them with you (they won't be to everyone's taste, I am well aware): The Actual Pastor Hands Free Mama
I thought I would feel a sense of relief, but to be honest - I am probably too tired to care right now! It has been a LONG weekend with the three sickies, and we have done nothing that we had planned on doing. Had to cancel lunch out as a family on Saturday, then dinner and babysitters on Saturday night, no church today, baking failure this afternoon, and no 'down time' for me yesterday! So I am sne…

So - the next part of these changes I have been talking about...
Sunday Snippets Linky: I have just e-mailed the lovely ladies who run Kiwi Bloggers and have let them know that I will no longer be hosting 'Sunday Snippets'. I had planned on completing the year out, but not a single person links up appropriately, and my most regular 'linker' was my lovely sister-in-law, you're a treasure Amy, thank you... In the end, I decided the effort that goes into one of these posts (photo collages don't happen in 5 minutes), and the lack of interest shown does not even out - so something had to give. This doesn't mean I won't be posting a 'Weekly Round-Up' or something similar once in a while for myself, but it won't be weekly and it won't be an obligation, and it won't be a linky... it'll happen when it happens, and because I want it to!
Mission: I mentioned last time that now I have cleared out of Facebook (well, as of this weekend); I was on …

So - for those of you who 'know' me on Facebook, and/or 'know' me in real life; may be aware that there have been some changes going on here... or at least, I hope you're aware!!!!
And I figured it was time for a blog post, an explanation, an introduction... you know; just something to keep you up with 'The Happs in my house'! 
Currently - the latest news is that Man-Flu has hit for the second time this season; and three out of four of us have been struck down! Me being the only one standing; hoping the kids start to improve tomorrow, and preferably hubby then as well (but he only got struck down today, so I am not holding my breath)! The kids aren't to bad - they're been sick for over a week now, but are just in that 'I'm a bit sick and a bit cranky - but not reeeeeally bad' state... hubby doesn't get struck down often, so here's hoping it's short-lived! 
But of course - this is not 'The Happs' I am talking about, just …

Or maybe that should read 'Terrible Tuesday'!
Hahaha...
Don't tell me I didn't warn you:

My hair is finally long enough to put up... so I did!
AND
Then I took photos, stupid photos!
But hey - it made us all laugh!
And even with her tongue out, Button STILL looks cute!

We are so very excited with Button... she started Preschool with a roar; and boy, did she give her teachers a fright! My daughter is LOUD and strong-willed (despite the blonde hair, blue eyes and coy smile), she knows what she wants and she didn't want to be in Preschool without 'my Mummy' those first few weeks!


But a month down the track, and while I still get the 'don't leave me Mummy' initially, I know it is only a matter of moments after I have left that the tears have gone, and a big smile is plastered over that cute little face. I have hardened up somewhat, and those tears no longer hit me in the heart to the same degree... I still have the odd moment, and I still go straight home and am almost on 'tenderhooks' awaiting 'that dreaded phonecall'! But so far - the only phonecalls I have had have been the wonderful ones, the 'she is doing really well, there is no need to worry' phonecalls. I had a message like that this morning when I …

Guess who loves Preschool... almost as much as his big sister!

Image can be found here
Stew - there is nothing quite like it on a cold winters night; tucking into a big bowl... warms you up both in and out, and fills you right up as well! Mmmmm, mouth is watering just at the thought of it!
You'd think that making a stew would be the easiest thing EVER, wouldn't you?!? Chuck in some meat, a few veggies and herbs and leave it for hours to simmer away - and, there you have it... a wonderfully filling meal come dinner time, that has left the house smelling amazing as well!
Not so easy in my life though... gah, a stew is one thing I just can't seem to muster - taking into account it has to be gluten-free AND dairy-free in my house! Don't get me wrong - I CAN do a normal stew, but with these restrictions, I just can't seem to get it right! I have managed to work the whole allergy thing into most cooking, and come up with workable and eatable recipes we all (mostly) love! But the humble stew just isn't coming together for me... I ma…