Pages

Thursday, July 25, 2013

{PHFR}

Joining these lovely ladies for {Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}

{Pretty}


Well, you don't blog for two months and massive changes take place in your life which leave you wondering where to start off again.

So let's start with the big stuff.

We bought a house.  It finally settled yesterday so I can talk about it freely.

A 1920s double brick cottage in country New South Wales.

This was necessitated by the fact that Mr Provincial got a new job, outside the Army (though he will continue in Reserves). 

Our house is nice and pretty on the outside, but inside it needs a tonne of work.  That is what the last two months have been spent doing.  Working out what we can afford to do right now to make it liveable.  Getting quotes, making choices, booking in contractors.  Getting rid of possessions because 'tis small!  

Contractors that don't always come through....like the electrician who was supposed to start today rewiring the house, but apparently has got 'booked up' and won't be able to come in until next week (we know that because we rang him today to tell him the fans we had ordered were mistakenly shipped here to Darwin not to NSW...not because he rang us!) and that causes issues for the painter who is supposed to go in next week, and the floorer the week after.  You run businesses people - I think a phonecall to the affected homeowner is a pretty basic necessity!  But I digress.

A very pretty house.  Our first family home owned by us which we can do with what we will.  Very exciting.  God has been most gracious in his provision.

{Happy}



One of the features which really attracted us to this property was that it is on a huge corner block so we can have our own vegetable patch, have a chicken run and fruit tree orchard.  In fact, the vegetable patch is already established - albeit empty.  And we know for certain there is a pear tree on the property because all of this year's crop was dumped on said vegetable patch.

As a side issue, it looks like we have interesting neighbour's to the rear.  Our conjecture is they are running a scrap yard from their property!  Things you don't notice before you put an offer on a house:)  We are thinking some nice new fencing or vines would improve our rear outlook no end!

One more cute rear view of the cottage before we move on...



{Funny}

Well they say you can never start them too early on household chores.

Tom Kitten is obsessed with the vacuum cleaner!  Not just climbing on it, but actually using it.  Properly.  As in it is actually running in these photos.




{Real}


Ginger loves these wellingtons!




It is the middle of winter in Capital Country and coming from the tropics as we presently do, our children don't really possess winter clothing.  Temperatures in Capital parts are around the zero mark or below (minimum) and our house has minimal heating - read one wood stove.  So we have had a mad scramble to outfit the children.  One of our friend's came through in a big way dropping off an enormous bag of clothing for Ginger that her girls' had outgrown.  Ginger of course had to try them all on.  This despite the fact the ambient temperature her in Darwin is in the high 20s/ early 30s (80-90F!).  She was dressed like this for the rest of the afternoon.