Ok, ok! ... :)

I was sitting at the computer in our study a few minutes ago, when I heard the first loud 'splats' on our roof from an all-too-brief, but heavy, rain squall. (I've been noticing in recent days how brown the grass is getting, and had just mentioned this morning that we need rain - ergo I feel as though I must have somehow ordered it! :)

After sitting at the computer doing genealogy since early this morning it was a relief to jump up to close some of our windows against the rain. The smell was wonderful! Then all at once, quite as if a maestro was leading them, all the birds in the forest and around the house began to sing, and they sounded so amazingly happy that it was just beautiful!

But that's not why I haven't posted for so long.... On the Saturday after my birthday at the end of August, Tammy and Abby gave me a surprise birthday afternoon tea! It was so lovely of them and everthing was so beautiful, that I wanted to post a few pictures of it, but was not sure who had taken what photos, and on what camera - and I am so disorganised as to have still not worked it out yet!

Finally, Abby posted a couple of pictures that she took while they were preparing, here on her blog, which will give you somewhat of an idea - but you should know that they don't do justice to how nicely the girls had prepared and presented everything. In addition to our family, they had invited some of my friends too. I had no idea of it at all. Which was funny afterwards, when I realized how keen the children at home had been to get me out of the house that morning, while I had been enjoying relaxing and chatting with them for hours! (Tammy was at Abby's while they both cooked all morning - I thought she was at work.) As soon as I finally left with Neil, the boys and Bethany tore into doing a garden trim-up and getting everything else ready. Anyway - I was very proud of them all - for being always so generous, and for having the skills to do everything so well!

And while I'm posting about how wonderful the children are: We have just finished two weeks of school holidays, that we spent doing some of the spring-cleaning! Yay!! (That was me, not necessarily them :) However, it brought a little skip of joy to my happy heart to see how enthusiastically Ben dedicated himself on one of the days, to scrubbing out the oven, as well as the stove, the exhaust fan and the grill, until they shone like new. (That was my directive for the cleaning - to make everything look as if it is brand new!) It makes me feel as though I have done something right - to be able to hand over our son one day to his (projected) new wife and whisper, as I happily tear up a little and hug her, "He does ovens too!"

Not to be outdone, Oliver likewise gladdened my heart one day when he came to tell me, after cleaning all the windows and window surrounds in the house, and as though it was a precious secret he had discovered, "It really feels satisfying to get something clean!" Good times! The twins were really good sports about it all for the most part. They cleaned for 4-6 hours each day in the morning, then organised some fun dates and activities for each afternoon/evening. Now they are back at school for their last term before graduation!

(The photo at the top is of a baby quilt I sewed a few weeks ago. Bright, isn't it? I'm trying to stash away an assorted collection for future babies :)

Don't you love Spring?!