I have new boots!

When we were in the city at the museum the other day, we stopped into one of the tramping shops to look at boots for me. They had a couple of different models on sale (limited sizes) which I tried on, but didn't get any as I wanted to try on some others before making a decision. Then in the middle of the night last night, I remembered I'd need some boots for our snow holiday, so I didn't get snow in my shoes...so we decided to go boot shopping this morning (after working out if we could afford to buy any right now). First I needed to buy some insoles to try them on with (I used to have extra insoles in my old boots, that got thrown out with the old boots because I forgot to get Peter to take them out before they went in the bin. I then tried on 3 different pairs of boots trying to work out which, if any, were comfortable and suited my foot shape and size. I finally worked out that one pair did fit well and they happened to be the cheapest ones! (on sale for $200, originally $449) So now I need to spend some time wearing them around the place to wear them in (and what is really great is the store gives a 30 day trial period, so if I decided after doing some real walking in them (as opposed to wandering around a shop) that they aren't the right fit, I can take them back, no worries.

Cleaning update

It's taking longer than I'd like. The problem is Hamilton weather - damp and humid all year round (no dry winters like Brisbane). So behind any furniture that is next to a wall and especially in the dead corner of every room (where the air gets trapped and doesn't circulate) I have to clean the skirting boards, the lower wall and the back of the furniture as mould/mildew (what is the difference?) has started to grow. It isn't as bad as last year, now all the rooms have been freshly painted over the last year, but it is still there. I have even been extra conscious this year about opening all the windows on the fine days to allow as much ventilation/air flow as possible.

Splashback has arrived!

The glass splashback we are installing behind our new stove arrived this morning! We now have to wait until the electrician moves our stove switch on Monday and then we can install it. I'm happy that our timeline for getting it done in time to get the stove certified is staying on track.

Cleaning day

I have declared today cleaning day! I wrote a list of cleaning jobs that I wanted to get done during the school holidays (not the everyday sort, but the twice a year type of jobs). Up until now I have only got 2 of the jobs done (and one of those I only did yesterday afternoon). So today I want to get through the rest of them and while I'm doing them I'm getting the kids to tidy up (and bin it if necessary) their craft stuff and other things they have collected. It will be nice to have the house clean and tidy before we get back into the normal routine next week.

A woman who fears the Lord

I've just been reading one of John Piper's older sermons (I was actually only 3 month old feotus at the time he preached it) titled 'A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised'. The point that really stuck out to me at this time is that...A woman who fears the Lord is not anxious about the future. So even if unexpected issues keep arising with our kitchen improvements, I shouldn't be anxious, but trust God.

Here's an extract:

And now, finally, we ask, How can you identify a woman who fears the Lord? What does she look like in action? I think that is what the acrostic of verses 10–31 intends to give us. What is a woman like who fears the Lord? What sorts of things can we praise her for? I'll just mention four things that the wise man has chosen to celebrate about the woman who fears the Lord (and which I want to celebrate in my wife!). First of all, a woman who fears the Lord is not anxious about the future. Look at verse 25. I love this line, and I praise all you women who are like this: "Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come." Satan dangles in front of her the specter of tomorrow's troubles, but she glances up at the almighty God at her right hand (her magnificent German Shepherd!) and laughs at Satan's folly. She fulfills in her own life Proverbs 14:26, "In the fear of the Lord one hasstrong confidence, and his children will have a refuge."

Her fear of the Lord makes her fearless of man. But it doesn't make her naïve. She knows that the Lord has appointed some means for our safety. For example, verse 21, "She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet." Winter is a fearful thing in Minnesota, and God has appointed that we do more than pray that our feet not freeze. Clothing must be made or bought. When a woman fears the Lord, she will not be anxious about tomorrow, she will do what God has appointed for her to do and trust him in everything to show her mercy.

If you want to read or listen the whole sermon click here.

Better day

Today has been much better for my feelings of productivity, as well as actual measurable productivity. Today I have:

1. Ordered and paid for a splashback to go behind our stove (one of the things needed to comply with the hidden government regulations mentioned yesterday) - it should arrive Friday or Monday.
2. Booked in the electrician to come and move our oven switch on Monday (so that we can install the splashback).
3. Found out that we need to get the electrician to order the switch that we want to use for the oven switch.
4. I cut out the pieces for 3 pin wheels.
5. We delivered one of Joanna's remaining birthday party invitations.
6. I used the gas hobs on our stove for the first time - I like.

Guest bedrooms...

Do you have a guest bedroom?

How frequently is your guest bedroom used as a guest bedroom?

Does your guest bedroom serve a second function (eg. office, toy room...)?

I'm watching The Block 2011 and everybody's first room was a guest bedroom. They spent lots of money and time on the room and only one team made it dual function (study/bedroom) and they got crucified by the judges for it. But for those that made an exclusive purpose 'guest bedroom' how much will it be used for this particular function?

We never had a big enough house in Brisbane to guest bedroom. But when we moved to NZ we decided it was important to have a room for guest to stay in as we expected family to visit. But it still needed to be a dual purpose room as we couldn't afford a large enough house to have a sole purpose guest room. Which meant we had to compromise on bedding comfort and have a sofa bed instead of a normal double bed (and after sleeping on the sofa bed for 5 weeks ourselves, I think it is the most comfortable sofa bed we have slept on and we've slept on a few). Because the reality is that in the 35 months we've been living here we have had people sleeping in our guest room for 13% of that time. And the only people who've stayed in our guest room have been family and 1 couple from a local bible college (they did a mission at our church for a week).

Then if we think the opposite way...as a family of five, we need more space than one guest bedroom if we were to stay at anybody's house. Space that most of our family and friends don't have (even if they do have a guest bedroom).

So why is a guest bedroom such an important selling point when renovating a house for maximum profit? Are we kidding ourselves about our willingness to have people in our home or our willingness to fit in with somebody else's life if we stay at their house (not to mention any of the practicality problems)?

Need to vent (or is debrief a nicer word)

Yesterday, I got nothing done. Well, yes we went to the museum and that was lots of fun, but I didn't get to cross one single thing off my to-do list. There are a couple of things I've been trying to get done for days...making the pin wheels for Joanna's party and finish clearing our stuff out the playroom (ie. complete the move back to our bedroom).

Then there is the kitchen improvements. Like any renovation (which those of you who have done the DIY reno thing would know, and I knew in theory, but doesn't make the reality any less annoying), things are taking longer than anticipated, there are unknown factors about cost, there's regulations you have to comply with that are hidden in large government documents...

First

Naomi had her first haircut on the weekend. I just tidied up the ratty ends and evened it all up a bit.

What a mess!

This is the result of Naomi eating fried brioche with dark chocolate spread and berries for breakfast yesterday.

We thought she might be applying her camouflage for some muddy covert army mission.