I am a mother to a gorgeous little miracle girl ("Little Spring")
I love reading
Nell's Book Corner
I love cooking/baking
Nell's Food Corner
I am a follower of Jesus Christ and try to live my life according to His purpose. I have a passion for women's ministry, which hasn't yet developed into anything tangible... but I have many thoughts and ideas that will bubble to the surface when God's/my timing is right.
I am someone adjusting to tropical weather and life as a pastor's wife - Big Spring was ordained as a pastor into the Lutheran Church of Australia and his graduate position is Cairns, in Far North Queensland.
Want to know more? I've 'stolen' the following interview questions from the gypsy mama, who answered the questions for Red and Honey (I hope they don't mind!) as I thought it might give a different insight to who I am!
1. How long have you been a housewife? How many kids do you have?
I've been married for 9 years (as at Oct 2011), but have been a full time housewife for 2 years, since going on maternity leave before having my first beautiful little girl. I didn't return to work after having her and love being a stay at home mum. Little Spring is our only child.
2. If I walked in to your house unannounced right now, what would I see?
Not much, because it's pretty dark right now! (it's 3am and I couldn't sleep so thought I'd get caught up on my blog!). If you turned on some lights, you would see the lounge room with it's screwed up paper on the floor (Little Spring having fun with what is suppose to be her colouring paper!) and crumbs on the floor (they're perpetually there with a 2 year old who loves to eat (see my post for further insight!). The kitchen isn't looking too bad, compared to how it has been. It needs some cleaning, but I wouldn't be horrified if you walked in and saw it at this moment! The rest of the house looks lived in!
3. What do you think is at the heart of why so many women feel that they aren’t doing a good enough job of the housework?
For me personally, I'm a perfectionist. Unfortunately my house is my biggest let down because it's impossible to keep clean/tidy. It's not about anybody else... I just want to have a perfect house because that's what I'm like. Then again, it is about everybody else... if I don't have a perfect house, then I won't have the perfect (unobtainable) image. It's so silly! And I know so many women struggle with this. Funny thing is, I don't care at all what anyone else's house looks like and as much as I judge my own house, I would never judge someone else's. I guess to answer the question, it's because we all want to appear perfect in our lives (whether a perfectionist or not) and obsessing about the housework is one of the most tangible ways to do this. Appearing to have the perfect life (A.K.A. perfect household) is perpetuated through society and I'm sure every woman feels judged by every woman, when, in fact, none of us even care!
4. What kind of memories do you hope your children have of you while growing up?
Where do I start? I hope Little Spring remembers the love in our house - our love for her and my husband's and my love for each other. Once we start taking the tinnie (aluminum boat) out more, I hope she remembers learning to fish as a family... and perhaps some camping adventures once we dust off the tent! I hope she remembers that I was always there for her and felt comfortable about coming to me for anything. This is a really hard question to truly put into words! I'll keep thinking about this might have to update it!
5. What do you do really well in your homemaking?
When the front of house is messy, it doesn't take me long to whip around and get it cleaned up. Big Spring is always amazed when he walks out of the room and when he comes back in, not that long after, the room is spotless. A pity it doesn't stay that way, but at least I can do it quickly when necessary! Also, I've always meal planned really well and this year my passion for cooking has ignited so I've started expanding my menu options instead of the usual most weeks. (check out my food blog for ideas on what I've been up to in the kitchen!)
When the front of house is messy, it doesn't take me long to whip around and get it cleaned up. Big Spring is always amazed when he walks out of the room and when he comes back in, not that long after, the room is spotless. A pity it doesn't stay that way, but at least I can do it quickly when necessary! Also, I've always meal planned really well and this year my passion for cooking has ignited so I've started expanding my menu options instead of the usual most weeks. (check out my food blog for ideas on what I've been up to in the kitchen!)
6. What do you want to build on and learn to do better?
Cooking skills... I love to cook. And cake decorating... I love to bake and would love to learn some techniques to build my confidence/skill.
Cooking skills... I love to cook. And cake decorating... I love to bake and would love to learn some techniques to build my confidence/skill.
7. How was your marriage affected from having kids?
Wow! Another hard question! I guess our marriage changed even before we had Little Spring in that we became a lot closer after the struggles we had with getting pregnant (Little Spring was 7 years 'in the making'). It's really hard to pinpoint what has changed since having Little Spring. Life just seems so normal with her now, that it's hard to imagine life without her. One of the biggest things is "date night". It doesn't really happen much at all anymore. That's more to do with our circumstances though... from the day Little Spring was born, all of our family live in a different state (and country) from us, so we don't have easy access to babysitters to allow us to go out as just the 2 of us very often. Since moving interstate at the beginning of the year, we also 'lost' the built up friendships we'd made over time and hence the access to babysitters when needed. Now here in Far North Queensland, we are building up friendships again, but finding babysitters is more about one being needed/required, rather than wanting one to go out on a "date night".
Wow! Another hard question! I guess our marriage changed even before we had Little Spring in that we became a lot closer after the struggles we had with getting pregnant (Little Spring was 7 years 'in the making'). It's really hard to pinpoint what has changed since having Little Spring. Life just seems so normal with her now, that it's hard to imagine life without her. One of the biggest things is "date night". It doesn't really happen much at all anymore. That's more to do with our circumstances though... from the day Little Spring was born, all of our family live in a different state (and country) from us, so we don't have easy access to babysitters to allow us to go out as just the 2 of us very often. Since moving interstate at the beginning of the year, we also 'lost' the built up friendships we'd made over time and hence the access to babysitters when needed. Now here in Far North Queensland, we are building up friendships again, but finding babysitters is more about one being needed/required, rather than wanting one to go out on a "date night".
8. What might people be surprised to know about you as a housewife?
Honestly? I have no idea! I guess the easiest way to answer this would be to find out what expectation people have of me, or what impression they have and see how accurate it is!
Honestly? I have no idea! I guess the easiest way to answer this would be to find out what expectation people have of me, or what impression they have and see how accurate it is!
9. If you could have coffee with any mother in history, who would it be?
Well, I don't drink coffee, so the answer should be no one! So, let's change the question to be "if you could have a hot chocolate with any mother in history, who would it be?" That's quite an easy one to answer... my own... she lives so far away so it's not very often I get to see her and to sit down face-to-face would be wonderful!
Well, I don't drink coffee, so the answer should be no one! So, let's change the question to be "if you could have a hot chocolate with any mother in history, who would it be?" That's quite an easy one to answer... my own... she lives so far away so it's not very often I get to see her and to sit down face-to-face would be wonderful!
