Happy April!

Summer is officially over. The air has changed, and you have to wear shoes outside. The wind has turned from cool relief to a winter freeze. Even the walls know what is going on; they’re almost too cold to touch.

But it’s that horrid, awkward weather. It’s a bit too warm to pull out the winter woollies, but it’s cold enough to warrant jeans, and a jumper.

Hello, Autumn, I've missed you. Hooray, you’re finally back! The season of celebrations, and birthdays, of sorrow, and of heartache.

I have a love/hate relationship with Autumn. It’s’ the time of year when I start to descend into my valley again, but it’s also the time of year to celebrate! I turn another year older. (And at the end of the year I GRADUATE!)

Autumn is my favourite season, and April is my favourite month. 

HAPPY AUTUMN, AUSTRALIA! HAPPY APRIL, WORLD!

Awkward & Awesome Thursday V.I

AWKWARD//

• Writing up posts on Microsoft Word cause there’s no Internet in my room.
• The 2 (nearly 3) year old pulling down my shirt (every day, guys, I’m not kidding)
• Having no schoolwork to do
• Boredom
• Tiredness
• Cold days, and then hot days
• Cold days in the middle of March (not supposed to happen, guys, it’s supposed to get cold at the start of May.)
• Temper tantrums.

AWESOME//

• Going home soon
• Teaching kids how to read, write, etc.
• Raw food (vegan, and uncooked)
• Fresh veggies! (guys, they taste so yummy)
• Planning posts for the next couple of weeks.
• Fresh lamb (like seriously, if we need some lamb we go out to the paddock and shoot it, that’s how fresh it is)
• This my first Awkward & Awesome Thursday post

It Can Only Go Up From Here

I’ve been thinking a lot, and taking lots of naps. (I’m not sure if the nap taking is due to boredom or actual tiredness) And I need to go home.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Victoria, and the people here. I love the Naylor’s and wish I could work for them forever (maybe not quite forever, at least until I get married) I love the countryside, the staying on the farm for (at least) 10 days before going food shopping. Not having my life controlled, and planned for me. Having the freedom to breathe, and ingest.
I love learning about Jewish law, customs, and feast days. (The Naylor’s aren’t Jewish; they just believe that Christians should take part in the feasts.) I love the talks I have about Christianity/Judaism, and other religion/ideas with Tasha & Warwick. I love the laughter of children playing, even the shrieking...

But...
I need my family. I need my mum, and my dad, my little sister, and yes, even my little, fat, ugly, runt of a dog. I rang them up last night (Wednesday night) and had a good chat with them, but they cut it short. It was like they didn’t want to talk to me... (I know they would’ve love to talk longer, but they needed to cook dinner.) Naomi (my little sister) said to me that she didn’t, and I quote, “like me getting so traditional and weird.” (Mind you that was after a conversation in which I told her to stop watching TV.)

I go back to WA (whenever I mention WA on the blog, I’m talking about Western Australia, just to clarify.) on April 9th. So, it’s only a couple of weeks left here, than I’m back to all my friends and family. J I’m starting to get excited!

PS. The winner of the giveaway is Mikayla! Blah, blah, blah, I’m not sure what else I’m supposed to say... Congrats, Mikayla! J Hope you enjoy your prize!

Life Lately {II}

LIVING//
 relaxing //saving money //making cake //enjoying not having great access to the web //writing a book // packing, and unpacking //studying //playing violin //moving sheep around

LOVING//
the patter of little feets //having my own room //double bed //hugs all times of day //laughing at silly things //eating healthier //dirt between my toes //acting like a little kid again //blog redesigning, again //red lipstick (I don’t wear out, at all. But it works at home)

LOATHING//
the distance from town //being away from home //no internet in the bedroom //daylight savings //screaming baby (he was teething...) //screaming children //the amount of insects //cupboard doors (& drawers) that won’t shut properly //tired eyes //

 LISTENING//
Freight Trains &Hurricanes – Sheryn Binks //Arise – Flyleaf //Pure Bride – Leeland //the laughter of little children //sheep //

LEARNING ABOUT//
Jewish feasts (Guys, I get to celebrate Passover! Guys, I am super EXCITED!) //Exodus //French Revolution //circles (and locus, and stuff like that #ihatemaths) // Bar Barukah’s &rites of passage //God’s timing //heeding God’s call //

LONGING FOR//
chocolate (I haven’t had any for like a whole month) //better camera (DSLR) //the Father’s kingdom on Earth //a new dress (I only have like 3 dresses here) //friends (there’s only one person I’ve seen who is about my age...) //Western Australia //end of daylight savings //peace & quiet //rain //

élan {the story of a girl with vigour}

You may have noticed that there have been a few changes on the blog recently. The biggest one is the name change. I picked it because it fits more with where I am in my life right now. I looked us COURAGE  in a thesaurus one day, and one of the words with similar meaning was élan, which means...

élan
-noun-
dash; impetuous ardour (violent passion): to dance with great élan.

...which is where I feel I’m at with my life. I have élan (violent passion) for life, for love and for my Father, and I need to tell everybody.

ps. The giveaway has finished, but the Internet is slowww, so you'll just have to wait for the results. In the meantime look for a new post this week. I know what you're all thinking,"Geez, Sarah, two posts in a week, how unlike you?" Whatever... There will be a post on Sunday (I PROMISE!) about who won the giveaway... stay tuned!

She's Called Victoria

As I write this, I’m looking down the hallway of a mud brick house, (mud brick, guys! It’s mud brick!) listening to the mutterings of four beautiful children. I can hear butter being used, and the TV is on. But I don’t mind, all this noise helps me think.

Let me give you a back story...

In July, I got offered a job to help look after four children on a farm in country Victoria. After much deliberation, I decided to give it a trial run in Jan. But things got complicated with moving and all that, so we decided to put it off until Feb. So after a 3hrish long trip from Pert to Melbourne, I arrived, exhausted, and so not ready for all the challenges that lay ahead. (Guys, Victoria is 3hrs ahead of Western Australia. I left at 12, and didn’t get here til 6:30... Crazy!) That night I stayed at my uncle’s place, and got “prepared” for what lay ahead... (by prepared, I mean, woken up at 7am by raging cousins, and a crazy aunty.) I arrived at the farm on Monday and have been here ever since.

Now...

I look after 3-4 children every day. Guys, I’m a live-in nanny! I also do odd jobs around the house, and pick up after the kids. And I also have to continue my schooling, so I’m doing distance education for Yr. 12, which is possibly the most important year of school ever... but I always like to take the hard way... :p The farm is 15-16kms away from the nearest town, which has a population of 600. It’s nothing to phone home about. Just a small farming community, they farm mainly sheep, with a few crops, and beef cows. But it’s quaint, and pretty. And I like it, and I’m awful glad I moved! I’m only staying for 10-12 weeks at a time, mainly because I have to return to Perth every 3 months so I can keep studying.

What’s in store for the blog...?

As I promised there will be a new name, but it won’t be announced until I’ve finished redesigning the blog...  ie. new header, blog buttons, etc. I won’t be posting as often as I would like, and there won’t be as many fashion posts, partly because I can’t be bothered, and I just won’t have the time. Also to get access to the Internet I need to be in the other end of the house, and that’s just a pain. So it’ll be more of a lifestyle blog...

Sarah
xo 

What's up, Doc?

Okey dokey! Sorry for being MIA on the blog!
Update on the giveaway: It is still in full swing. The only reason I kept it running is cause I've moved, and I want to get a chance for me to get settled, and get some more money, etc. before the giveaway ends. So now it's running to the end of February, and click on the link on the sidebar, and it'll lead you straight to it. :)