On Caleb and the Busyness of Life...

Have you ever felt as if the days are simply a blur...as if the week goes by without you even realising that Monday has come and gone and the weekend is upon you once again?

That is how it has been in the Gray household of late; while we are in this delightful season of having a wee baby in the house, the normality of life has taken on a different flavour.

I find myself looking at Caleb who is just shy of eight weeks, wondering where time has gone...surely he isn't almost two months??

In between caring for this precious baby boy I am blessed to call my brother and enjoying the gorgeous smiles he gives, I have been fighting off colds every few weeks and trying to keep up with sewing for Heartmade...  The Lord has had His hand upon our little business and blessed us with orders and sales even though it is winter and our quiet time of year...thus, my sewing machine has been whirring daily!

I hope to show you what I have been making in a post very soon, but in the meantime how about stopping by our new shoppe Facebook page?  We decided to create a page for us to share our recent projects, updates on our Etsy shoppe and more and we hope that it will be a lovely growing opportunity for us!  Visit us by clicking here...

It is my hope to return to regular writing and visiting soon as oh!  I have missed you all very much and don't enjoy feeling like such a stranger around the blogging world...  While I am putting together a wonderful post of photographs from a recent family outing, I will share Caleb's seven week pictures with you...I am sure you aren't tiring of seeing this adorable boy yet!

 

Until next time, dear friends...may the Lord bless each of you with a joyful, annointed day!

In Christ,

A Walk through my Garden in May

What a glorious day!  Ah, the sun was shining and there was an autumnal crispness in the air which made for perfect gardening weather...after perusing a Country Living magazine with a cup of coffee in hand, I was inspired to step into my garden and see about doing some weeding, sowing some seeds and basking in the glory of our Lord's incredible creation...

I discovered my cherry tomatoes had developed what I believe to be black rot, so I sadly pulled them out and cleared the bed, sowing carrot seeds as well as California poppies in their place.  I did think it was a bit late in the season for tomatoes...but they popped up one day and grew so swiftly I simply couldn't bear to disturb them!

I spent the morning enjoying the sunshine whilst thinning red onions and pulling carrots for supper.  I  harvested the last of my bush beans and had a nibble of fresh peas - could anything be more delightful for a light snack?

After a some wonderful outdoor work, I came inside to be greeted by the appetising aroma of freshly baked bread, lovingly made by my sister...did I mention she baked cookies as well?  I think it would be quite fitting to say it was a Little House kind of day...{{smiles}}

In my opinion, fresh farm bread, spread thickly with butter, topped with sliced avocado and chopped fresh greens (lettuce and arugula), from the garden of course, made for a deliciously light lunch...  Surely there is nothing so deeply satisfying as working steadily in the garden and being able to eat the fruits of your labour?

I love what Thomas Jefferson wrote about the garden...

"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden." 

Now for a walk around my garden...  Late last year we moved our vegetable garden up from the below our house to the side where the ground is a bit more level and is easier to fence off the garden from the chickens.  Interestingly enough, the success rate of the crops have increased as the garden is further from the plantation of trees near our house.  I have also found it easier to keep my hand on the garden and the weeds under control.  I had to add plenty of compost to the soil as this was new ground, and since then I have rotated my crops and harvested plenty of healthy vegetables...

Feverfew sweetly blooming... 

The first peas of the season...

My garden has somewhat of a ''jungle'' aspect to it, but I do try to keep it fairly structured otherwise I find I lose plants in amongst the stronger greenery and struggle to keep up with succesive sowing...but I do love the slight rustic appeal of a jungle style garden and love to grow flowers in between vegetables and salad greens.

Fresh homegrown carrots...surely nothing can compare...?

Calendula blooming beautifully among the peas...

A garden in progress; ever changing...

Arugula growing happily next to healthy kale and sorrel...

In case you are wondering about the tyres...I will just say that they are not my first choice.  When I think of my dream garden of someday, I imagine rows and rows of healthy vegetables; the ground thickly covered with straw and compost.  But...we have moles here...lots of them, and I cannot begin to tell you how many days I have shed tears on discovering my plants uprooted and the ground all soft beneath my feet.  Thus, the tyres keep out the moles as there is a second one buried below the surface with shade net at the bottom. 

Coriander...I am the only one in our family to actually enjoy the flavour of this strong herb...and I always like to keep a fresh supply on hand as I think it compliments a spicy dish so well!

Lovely leeks...oh, I can taste a leek and potato soup...

Red butter lettuce...

...Truly, my heart is happiest when tending the little patch of earth I call my garden...

~

How does your garden grow, dear reader...?

To A Sweet Little Lady ~ On Her Birthday

Today a very special little lady in our family celebrates her ninth birthday...

Miss Gabrielle is now a precious nine year old who can bring sunshine to so many through her beautiful, captivating smile!

Her heart is small and true, and she has a precious, sincere faith in the Lord.  

It was Gabrielle who particularly shed many tears each time another baby was miscarried, and it was she who faithfully prayed for the baby brother we are about to meet...  God answered the earnest prayer of this little girl, and her trust in Him has deepened...

Ever since Gabrielle began reading a few years ago, her free time has been spent with her nose buried in a book.  Books are wonderful friends to her, and she takes great pleasure in adding useful facts to her store knowledge...

Apart from her love of learning and literature, she has an incredible aptitude with babies and small children.  Her sole delight is in entertaining little children and making them smile - isn't this glorious in such a wee girl?

She is ''mommy'' to her dolls and takes particular care of their every need or want...her dolls are her children!

Although her interests may change as she grows up, she has expressed a desire to study midwifery when she is a bit older, and loves asking questions to do with babies...  Pregnancy and the gift of life fascinates her.  I believe this is a God-given gift, and if this is indeed her calling, the Lord will keep her inspired and motivated as she matures...

I could write much more about my Gabrielle...I say ''mine'' as she was the baby that at the tender age of ten, I carried around in a sling whenever I could, and devoted hours to.  She was my real love doll - a cheerful baby with gorgeous golden curly hair and big blue eyes and dimples that were too adorable for words...

I can still picture the day I met this little sister for the first time, and how much I enjoyed being able to cradle her in my arms after watching her grow within my mother's womb for nine months - something that seemed like an eternity to me.

Gabrielle and I have always been close, although over the last two years or so, we have drifted somewhat as I have become so busy with my little business and other interests.  

Little girls become little ladies in such a short space of time, and Gabrielle has grown up in the blink of an eye!

My desire is to draw nearer to this sweet little lady and discover her beautiful heart.  Oh, I love this sister of mine!  The girly girl...the ballerina...the blue-eyed princess...the entertainer of the family...the giggling little miss who will often drive me to my wits end...  But she is a treasure, and today is her birthday...her ninth birthday...

Please would you join me in wishing this sweet nine year old a wonderful birthday?

...And now for some pictures of Gabrielle through the years that I have shared on my blog, in no particular order...

 ^ April, 2016 ~ Gabrielle and Rebekah

 ^ Christmas, 2013

^ October, 2015

 ^ November, 2015 ~ Gabrielle and I dressed up for tea...

 ^ February 2016, Gabrielle and Rebekah

^ April, 2014

^ 2014

^ 2014

^ 2014

^ 2014, Gabrielle and Beth

^ 2009, Gabrielle and Beth

^ 2009, Gabrielle and Beth

^ May, 2008 ~ Beth, Mom and Gabrielle

^  April, 2007 ~ Two year old Beth holding baby Gabrielle

^ January, 2015

^ January, 2015

^ June, 2015

^ November, 2015 ~ Gabrielle and Beth

^ June, 2015 ~ Gabrielle and I

^ February, 2016

^ February, 2016

The Year of...2015...

 

 And so the year of 2015 draws to a close, and I find myself thinking back over the course of the last twelve months, remembering certain events, special times and sorrows, and praising my Father in Heaven for His incredible mercy and grace for each day...

One has to look back to see where we have come from before we can go forward…we need to remember the workings of our Lord and hide His Word in our hearts in order that we may move into the new year strong and fresh with our eyes fixed on Him…

I am left in awe at God’s grace after going back and playing out the happenings of 2015 in my mind…a year of pain, hope, sorrow, happiness and most of all, growth…both in our hearts and in our lives...both spiritually and physically…

Jesus has seen fit to grow our family this year, and as we welcome His blessings, so our hearts become heavier under the weight of the love He has given us to share!

I would like to share with you the most memorable moments in 2015 and I do hope you will enjoy seeing a glimpse of 2015 through my eyes…

 ~

January…probably my favourite month of every year, and perhaps you’ve guessed why…  My birthday falls on the 3^rd of January, and this year I celebrated my eighteenth birthday with friends and family, thanking Jesus for His many blessings throughout my life!  

January also saw me assist a very dear and special friend of mine with the photography at a mutual friend’s wedding…  Although we seldom see each other (even though we literally live 10 minutes apart), we have formed a sweet friendship and enjoy chatting over tea every so often…  To see the wedding she captured so beautifully through her lens, do visit her blog here…

~

In February I participated in a delightful tea cup exchange for the very first time!  Oh, what joy it was to wrap up a tea cup and some other lovely goodies and ship them to Canada, where the dear lady I was partnered with in the swap, lives…  To see my post on this lovely event, stop by here…

 

February also saw our family experience the heartbreak of a miscarriage once again…it was a time of great sorrow, but also a time of drawing closer to Jesus and submitting to His plans for us…

 

We also celebrated my dear mother’s birthday and Valentine’s day with a special, memorable dinner…

I sewed a lot more of my own clothes this year, and I am hoping to sew even more in 2016!

 

I took part in a 'Literary Heroine Blog Party' for the first time which was so delightful!

~

 

March was a busy month as we celebrated Easter, played in a small concert with our string ensemble group and I prepared for a month away from home.

 

~

In April I was led by the Lord to offer up my time and assist a friend’s mother with her little ones and home whilst her husband and older children were away.  I can honestly say I grew as a person through these few weeks spent away from home, and learned many things…I was looking after little boys, which was a completely new experience for me coming from a family of only girls!

 

I also visited my grandmother whilst in the Cape and you can see photographs from my trip here…  I missed my little sister, Gabrielle’s birthday which I was of course heart sore about, but I was glad to know she enjoyed her special day!  What a special part of our lives she is!

 

~

In May I returned home and settled back into doing what I love…I wrote a post called Finding Joy in a Season of Loneliness, which I hoped would be an encouragement and a blessing to other young ladies like myself, who have chosen to pursue the Lord’s will for their lives in becoming a daughter at home…it isn’t always easy or enjoyable, but He is the Master and Teacher, and His grace is sufficient for us…

 

 

In June Rebekah turned six years old, and we put together a sweet Princess party just for her!  I am so thankful for this sweet, compassionate little sister who has a quiet way of capturing your heart and loving you unconditionally…

 

We also went on an incredible drive up the old Montague Pass which I shared about here…this year I learned how blessed I am to be here, in South Africa, and to appreciate the unique beauty of this country!

~  

 

In July Beth turned eleven years old…  My Bethy girl, as I call her, and I are very close…not in age, but we share a special relationship and a love for many of the same things including animals, calligraphy and the outdoors!

I also began corresponding through letters with a couple of lovely ladies overseas, and it has been the most precious thing to write back and forth and bless one another with words, pictures and little gifts!  Our Father knows just what we need!

I also took another trip to Cape Town in July which you can read about here…

~

 

In August I passed my Learner’s licence exam, and I am slowly but surely learning to drive…did you note the s.l.o.w.l.y. part, my friends?  {{smiles}}

We also found out Mom was expecting again, and although we wanted to be excited, the fear of another miscarriage kept us quiet and reserved in our joy…

  

~

 

In September I again participated in a tea cup exchange hosted by lovely Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose…  See the post from my reveal here…

 

I also opened my Etsy shoppe which you can visit here!  I am stocking up where I can, so do stop by to see what I have been creating recently…

In September we opened our hearts and home up to this young lady…  Our family is fostering her till the end of February 2016 when she will be eighteen and it has been a learning experience all round...it hasn’t been easy, but our God is great and continues to give us His love and strength…

This year I grew a bigger garden, thanks to some extra outside help each week, and so far we have harvested plenty of potatoes, squash, salad greens, beetroot, etc…   

 

How to Make Preserved Basil...see post here...

I am hoping to get a crop of brassica in before long…here are a few of my How Does My Garden Grow posts if you’d like to see how our garden has taken shape over the past few months…

 

We visited my grandmother in her mountain home again...this time, it was Nancy, Mom and I who enjoyed a little road trip!  {{smiles}}

~

 

In October little Sofia turned four…can you believe this precious little girl is growing up so quickly?  She keeps life interesting and fun…

Nancy also celebrated her sixteenth birthday with a beautiful high tea with a couple friends…

In October I also announced my mother’s seventh pregnancy…a little boy is on his way, and oh my!  We are so excited!  My mom is now 26 weeks along, and before long we will have a little one running around…what fun that will be!

~

 

In November I signed up for an ornament exchange hosted by my dear blogging friend, Vicky!  I was so incredibly blessed through this exchange, and met some sweet new friends!  See my reveal post here…

We also had two special young ladies spend a few days with us, and we celebrated our friendship with a lovely, girly tea party which you can see over here!

~

 

Our homemade Christmas cake...

December was busy…very busy, and although I enjoyed just about every moment, I think I am ready for a quieter time…  Christmas came and went, and I can definitely say it was a special one!

~

This year I participated in a read-along for the book, Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott which was hosted by this lovely lady…I truly enjoyed discussing each chapter of my favourite story in depth!  Through joining this read-along, I was inspired to read more and have truly enjoyed it thus far!

I have seen some wonderful time period films this year including Belle, Wives and Daughters, David Copperfield and Far from the Maddening Crowd…my love for period drama has increased…I am captured by these stories and the way of life in those days…

I also read Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss, and this beautiful, challenging book is one I would highly recommend to every woman, both young and old…

What moments in 2015 stand out the most to you?

~

...2015 was a wonderful year for...

 Baking...

 

Raspberry and Oat Muffins.. 
 

Scones and Raspberry Jam...

Portuguese potato bread...

Preserving...

 

Marmalade...

Cooking..

 

Morrocan Spiced Meatballs...

 

 Chicken with Tarragon and Peppers...

 Sewing...

 

 Patchwork embroidered cushion for a friend...

Embroidered clothes hanger...

Patchwork tea cosy...for my hope chest... 

Family...

Four of my little sisters and I...Sofia, Rebekah, Gabrielle and Beth... 

 

Gabrielle and I posing for a picture...

Crafting...

Fabric Covered Tins...

 Herbal Bathtime Teas...

 Decoupaged Easter Eggs...

Gardening...

 

Cucumbers...

 

 Potato flowers...aren't they lovely...?

~

Dear friends, I am incredibly thankful and blessed by each of you, and praise the Lord for the friendships I have formed in this year of 2015…thank you for your kindness, your prayers, your encouragement and enthusiasm!  Blogging is one of my greatest joys, and every day I am overwhelmed at the kindness I receive from each of you!

I pray this next year of 2016 will be a beautiful year of growth for each of you…growth in our Lord Jesus Christ who loves us too much to leave us the way we are...  May we continue to strive to live a life for Him, extending grace and love to others in need and cultivating a deeper, more precious relationship with our Saviour.  He never promised an easy road, but He did promise to be near us and pick us up when we fall.  

 He is all we need, my friends…  Every day, thank Him for His goodness – sing His praises whenever you can!  May we not get caught up in the busyness of this life and allow the most important thing to become the least important…  I don’t know what this new year holds, nor do any of us…but the Lord knows, and I want to encourage you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and what He did on the cross…yes, there will be moments of sorrow and days of pain, but never lose sight of His love for you which is deeper than the deepest ocean!

Thank you for the rich fellowship this year, sweet readers!  Blessings in Christ Jesus!

  ~ Then thou shalt walk walk in the thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble."  Proverbs 3:23 ~