Well, mine sure do!

This is what happened the other weekend...

SPRINKLER FUN!!!

Now what kid doesn't like sprinklers or any other kind of water fun? Well, there are probably some who don't - but my 3 and a half year old LOVES it!

Here, I had just dressed her ready to go into town later...

 But SERIOUSLY...

Look at that drenched, blissfully happy grin!

There is just no room to be perterbed.

Yes, she needed a shower. Yes, I had to select another outfit for her to get changed into. Yes, she kept nagging me to do it all again (one guess as to the answer!) but she's a little girl with a love for the outdoors. I was definitely happy to watch her running free, giggling amidst the sprinkly sprays of water!

She's growing up.

I need to hold onto the sounds of girly giggles, silly voices, hilarious antics, and even the whiny nagging. These moments need to be held on to...

As for holding onto special moments - some major holding here!

This girl is developing new skills and abilities every day. It has always been said that the second (and so on) children grow up quicker but I didn't think it would be THIS fast. It's like DON'T BLINK OR YOU'LL MISS IT type thing!

Ten months old. Doing everything but walking ( can't quite work out how to step!).

She has the most gorgeous toothy, scrunchy nose grin that she just bedazzles you with.

And she has a very unique growl. Gotta hear it - can't explain it, but it's rather amusing.

And she also loves being outside. She hears the screen door and she is there trying to get out too.

She's not gonna miss out on any of the fun. NO SIRREE!!

Love my kids :-)

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna



That I am still plugged in!

Been a while since I've been here but I assure you there is good reason why!!

Let me tell you...

1. Hubby finished up in his last job, we helped with the clearance sale and moved house and hubby started his new job on another farm an hour away from where we used to live.

2. Sickness. I am generally not well alot of the time (that's a whole other blog post) and tiredness does not help that. Feels like I just can't get on top of it. To add to that, both girls were teething again right around when we were moving so unpacking the house has been a very slow process as my attention has been needed elsewhere!! Sprout is getting her 4 year old molars (she's pretty good with it all though) and Little Sparkle now has eight teeth (before we moved she only had two!!) In hindsight, she hasn't been too bad, just really clingy and whingy when the teeth are popping through which means...I can't get anything done!! But I'm their mother - it's my job to be there for them. SO I AM!!

3. Every other thing that happens in life. Motherhood is a full-time job and everything else has to fit into life somewhere too. So I've been juggling all that as well.

Sounds like I'm whinging. Well, I'm not really. Just explaining why I haven't been around much lately!

 I have a full life, not always fun but I'm happy! I wouldn't give my kids up for the world and I wouldn't wanna live without my wonderful husband.

Sometimes life does seem a tad confusing and you start wondering about what you could do better or differently. To be honest, there is much of these questions that hubby and I are rolling around at the moment; questions about what we can do to get better financially, what we can do better with the kids, our lifestyle etc.

I hope to get back into blogging regularly and get this side of my life (which I really enjoy) up and running the way I want it to. I have managed to dabble in some creative activities - predominantly crocheting and knitting. I've got the Crochet Fever! I'll share some of that later on.

And I hope to post about some of the afore mentioned issues in my life, with a positive spin. It's not ALL negative. I assure you it's not!!

Well, I WILL be back at some point.

Thanks for dropping by.

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna



I love crafting where there is no rules and involves lots of imagination!

It's fun to Just Create!!

Crafting with kids always seems to be this way - it's probably why I enjoy it so much.

Which brings me to the subject of this post...

The creation of Mr Owl by Sprout and myself.

The story begins with me walking into the lounge room near to Sprout's bedtime to find her on the couch tearing up an old newspaper. On questioning her why she feels the need to do this she replies, "I'm going to make a dog"! I don't know what kind of image was in her mind how to make a dog out of shredded paper but it got my mind ticking.

So instead of growling her and sending her to her bedroom (as it was bedtime) I decided to make the most of the situation and treat it differently.

So I growled her and then made something!! Ha!

Well I had to growl her cos she didn't ask before tearing up the paper. And I can't resist the chance to craft and create!!

So here we go...

 I grabbed some supplies - brown paper bag and patty pans from the kitchen drawer and a length of string.

I took them into Sprout and she looked at me curiously.

'Let's make a dog!' I said.

Her face lit up!! (Love that!)

We stuffed the bag with the shredded paper, tied it with the string, and I also used some of the pieces of the paper to staple on some ears. We then sticky-taped on the patty pans as eyes!

Now, I can hear you saying 'But I thought it was an owl?'

Yes, you are quite right. What started out as a dog quickly turned into an owl cos it looked ALOT more like one! Had an image in my mind but didn't quite work so I switched animals! See - no rules and Sprout was happy either way!

So the beak was added and some eye balls drawn on!

 Of course, every owl needs wings so strips of the paper were used for that too. And Sprout wanted to add her artistic touch in drawing some hair on :-)

And so...

The creation of Mr Owl was done!

And he sits on his perch on the couch ;-)

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna

P.S. Then Sprout went to bed!!





The other week I put together this cute little 'journal in a box'.

I had seen this kind of idea before but was reminded again when seeing it on Mel's blog HERE.

She also has the link to the proper instructions on how to make this delightful little memento!

So here is mine...

^The supplies: a box (gift box from Red Dot), index/system cards (enough for 365 or 366 days actually), a stamp inkpad and a date stamp, and 12 postcards (any sort that tickle your fancy really)!

 I used some cards that I liked (my favourite being the Disney one above - couldn't pass that up when I found it in the opshop card box!!). I cut the backs off and then cut down all cards to a size that would fit nicely into the box.

 Then I started stamping, arranging and journalling.

I like the whole concept of writing one line (sometimes it has been two but I've told myself it's NOT allowed to go over that) for each day every year. I think it will be interesting to look back on in years to come and see what we got up to, how we have evolved and changed as a family and individuals, and just seeing how different each year is!

So that's my cute little calender 'journal in a box'.

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna



I am in love with Op Shopping!

My most recent find has been something I have been wanting for a while.

We took a well deserved break after harvest and took our caravan away on a small trip! I have visited the local Salvo store here before and wanted to go there again because I knew it was good! Walking in the doors, I can't seem to describe the excitement welling up in side of me. It's all about the thrill of the seek - Oh the possibilites!! You never know what you will find!

I love it!

And it was worth it!

Not only did I come out with a great big pile of summer clothes (skirts, shorts and a couple of tops) but at the last minute, I spied with my little eye...

cane dolly chair!

I would love to have one in my size aswell. As a baby, I was photographed in one of these large chairs at my grandparents place and looking back on the photos, I have always coveted the chair.

So to find this little one was heart-stoppingly glorious!

Well I'm excited!! Can't half tell hey?!!

Anyway...

looks like a comfy, relaxing place for a particular little friend hey?!!

But you can meet her another day - I promise ;-)

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

Anna







A special day.

My Nan is 75 years old today!

Fancy that! Seventy-five years of life.

An abundant and blessed life at that I might add! I am sure Nan would agree.

She has been married to the same man, my dear Pop, for almost 58 years (I think!) and they are still very much devoted to one another.

She has birthed and raised 6 children with Pop by her side. One of these children was my Dad (pictured below - first fella in the shot with the black shirt)!

From these children, she has been given 23 grandchildren and from these has 18 great-grandchildren (if I've counted correctly).

What a lineage!

Today I miss my family. If I was back in Tassie, I would have gone and visited Nan and Pop or we would have had a meal to celebrate the big event with everyone! But I am not there - and that is ok because this is where we have chosen to live so I have to be thankful for what I have got!

I am very thankful for my Nan. She has always been a great example of love, devotion, hospitality, compassion and faith.

She loves God, her husband, her family and her friends.

She is generous and compassionate.

I have always admired how she could whip up a tasty meal. She would always have some goodies in the freezer that she could grab out and use on the table - something I have always aspired to do but have not acheived this as yet!!

I know that she and Pop pray for each and every one of their growing family. I love that they are devoted to their faith and want the best for each member of their clan!

I love Nan's adventurous and humourous spirit. Not adverse to a good joke and a bit of a good old stir! My Nan can be just a tad cheeky I say :-)

Good times have been had and many memories have been made over the years:

Sleepovers at their house with other cousins. Big family get togethers (to which there is never a lack of noise). Listening in on conversations between Nan and her sister, Joan as a young kid - they were always such deep and meaningful conversations about life and their faith - I got ALOT out of them!

I am so grateful for such an amazing woman as my Nan.

She's the only Nan I've got left on this earth!

So Nan...

I love you.

And I cherish every memory I have had with you so far and hope for many more!

Happy Birthday!

xoxo

With Sprinkles of Sunshine...

HAPPY 2012 EVERYONE!

I would have liked to have started the new year off with brand new 'stuff' but I just can't NOT post about this particular quilt from last year...

READ ON...

I remember as a young girl, watching my Mum cut out a copious amount of hexagons out of fabrics only the 80s and 90s could come up with. It was intended to be a bed spread for me but she never got it finished. Until...

My 29th birthday!

Which I celebrated in October last year (2011).

She packaged it up and stuffed it into my sister's suitcase who was coming over here to visit and spend my birthday with me (YAY!!)

When I saw it - I was soooo, well, I was sooo flippin' excited and thrilled with it! Who wouldn't be?

Take a look at it -