Love in Action Journey

So we dipped into our "holiday idea box" this morning ... and we drew out "a picnic tea party" . It worked out perfectly because Tianna had a friend over for the day, so while they decorated the table on the veranda outside, Angelee and I made a batch of peanut butter / choc chip cookies. Yummy!!! Here are some pics of our adventure at home today ...  Leelee whips up a batch of yummy scrummy biscuits! Sharing a baking moment. Bliss for this mommy.  Bakers treat ;0) Tianna and Emily enjoying the feast! Cheers girls!! Leelee taking a moment to catch her breath after all that hard work! Days like today are so important for us to savor. I was just thinking this morning that in just 8 years time my big girl will be 18 and approaching adulthood. I want to fill up these years with my sweet and precious children with as many precious memories as possible. Sometimes in all the routine and training up my children I forget and get caught up in the busyness of it all. The Lo...

My girls are on school holidays for 3 weeks! Hip, hip ... HOORAY!! I LOVE the morning sleep ins. If the girls get up early they know to make themselves some breakie and watch some telly till I get up. I have to savor this easy routine until baby boy makes his big arrival in October ;0) Yesterday we had tea and scones with a sweet friend. She is a mommy of two darling little girls and also has a little one on the way. I gleaned a lovely idea from her. At the start of the school holidays she got each of her girls to give her 5 ideas of what they wanted to do throughout the holidays. Each day they are going to do one of them. I loved her idea! So today, the girls and I wrote out some fun activities that we would like to do in the holidays. We wrote them out and have folded them into our "holiday idea box". Each day we will draw out one of the activities to do for the day! They are sooooo excited and so am I.  It was so funny coming up with ideas of what they wanted to do the...

After a really busy week and weekend I am finally sitting on my couch with the heater on full and my feet up on our lazy boy couches. Our tummies are full to the brim after a tasty pasta lunch. I am watching my two girls, puppy and cat lying all side by side soaking up some winter warmth at the heater. Hubby is curled up under a blanket taking in a Sunday afternoon snooze. Ahhhh ... these are rare and precious moments. I am loving this lazy Sunday afternoon.  From a happy and relaxed Janine xxx 

My house smells like pop corn and it makes me smile. I LOVE pop corn. My mom & dad used to have a pop corn machine which my sister and I used so often in the afternoons after school. I have yet to buy one now that I am a mommy - guess I should put it on my pressie list ;0) I am a bit naughty by cheating and buying microwave pop corn. I just find it SO CONVENIENT to quickly pop up a box as a snack for the girls (ok ... especially for me - hee hee). Funny how smell is so powerful in triggering memories. Sitting in my lounge surrounded by this amazing aroma brings back so many wonderful memories ... sharing my first box of popcorn with my handsomeness on one of our early dates before we married ... sitting in the kitchen with my mom, granny and sister playing scrabble with a  HUGE bowl of salt and vinegar flavoured popcorn ... making lunch boxes for my girls and adding a packet of pop corn in, which reminds me of the many bags of pop corn my mom made for me :0)...

Hey friends! I hope you are having a terrific Tuesday so far. As promised ... here is the update from my night out with the book-club girls last night. Silly me forgot the camera at home, but maybe that's a good thing, because all the pics would be of all the yummy food we consumed - hee hee ;0) It was so fun to put some make-up on and get out the house for an evening of fun, laughter and gift giving (and yes Jojo - definitely good coffee too!). Next to the amazing food and fun banter, we got down to some serious gift exchanging. Oh my word! These girls took gift swapping to the next level! Every time someone bonded with a gift, someone else swapped it right out their hands :0)  In the end we all went home with smiles and lovely little gifts. Here's what I got to walk out the door with before it could be swiped by any of the other girls ;0) A beautiful new scarf and heart charm bracelet which I absolutely adore. It reminds me of love in action :0)  I so wish I could...

It's Monday. The start of a new week. I can't believe that I am starting my week feeling so tired. Maybe it's the fact that 23 weeks worth of making a baby is starting to catch up with me now ;0) Somehow, I blame the Monday blues though. This morning was one of those mornings where I totally overslept. I blame that on the fact that we had no electricity this morning which is why the alarm never went off ... which more significantly meant that there was no coffee to face the morning with!!! Thank goodness my eldest gets a lift to school this week (we alternate with our neighbors) and Angelee's school times are way more flexible. Once I finally got myself ready and walked outside I spotted a pair of Angelee's shoes which she left outside overnight that the puppy found and chewed to pieces! Trying not to loose it with the dog, I FINALLY got her and myself in the car. As I took a breath, I almost threw up! She had stepped FRESH doggie doo over the seats as she got in .....

It's Fathers Day today and so this is my post firstly honoring my father. Dad ... I love you and am proud to shout it out for the world to read =0) It is so hard living in another city on days like today, because I would like nothing more than to spend time all together ... laughing and sharing hearts. Thank you Dad for all the laughs, cuddles and support you have given me over all the years. I miss you today being so far away.  Next up I am also blessed to have a dad-in-grace. My "in-laws" have never allowed me to refer to them as "in-laws" but rather as my "in-graces". It is so unique to who they are and they truly have shown me how to walk in grace. I am privileged to have both these dads in my life to love, respect and honor.  And now for my husband and the father of my precious children ... my Brett. What an amazing father you are my love, to your girls ... and to your son-on-the way! You show us all such consistent love and kindness. You make us ...

On this warm winter morning I am sitting outside on my veranda with a cup-of-something-warm-and-wonderful (interpretation: coffee - hee hee) looking out onto our very green garden. The Lord has sent us incredible rains over the last few weeks after an almost 2 year drought. Our dams are slowly starting to fill up again here in the Eastern Cape. This is the first time in my 34 years that I have lived through a drought with strict water restrictions. When the water restrictions were first issued we all wondered how we would adjust. It meant no filling the pools through Summer, sharing water at bath times or showering super quick with low water pressures, spacing out your washing days as not to waste lots of water etc. We all started finding ways to teach our children how to be water conscious. We put up water tanks to catch any falling rain that came our way so we could water the garden etc. It's amazing how quickly you adjust and also become thankful for the luxuries that you might ...

Over the last 6 days I had the sweetest time with my best friend staying over at my house. While we may live in different cities, our friendship has always crossed the distance. We have coffee-shopped, chatted till our eyes couldn't stay open anymore then found more to chat about in the morning ;) We have shopped, munched on chocs, watched telly, painted nails and just had the best time catching up! I have gleaned from her funky style and now own a pair of happy winter wellies to see me through the rest of winter. My Annie ... I appreciate you more than you will ever know sweet friend! Thank you for the gift of encouragement that you always bring into my life. All my love xxx Jan 

Words. We hold so much power with the gift that we have been given by God. Ever really thought about how precious this gift is that we have been given? No wonder the Bible says that the power of life and death are in the tongue. God never entrusted this gift to any other of His creation ... except us ... His beloved children. While all creation has a voice and can be heard in different ways ... only we have been entrusted with the gift to speak words. What a precious and powerful gift those words can be. With this gift comes great responsibility to each of us. Everyday we hold the power to build up, encourage, edify and breathe life, hope and love into one another and each others dreams or we have the power to discourage, hurt, confuse or tear down. The choice is continually before us.  When we add action to our words, they speak even louder. Everyday we use this gift. How much of what we say blesses? How much of what we say causes someone else to smile? How much of...

Precious friends, I am soooooooo excited about this post!!! I get to introduce to you my beautiful sisters blog: Niqui "Walking with my Jesus" . Some of you got a taste of what lies in her heart when she guest posted over here earlier this year. I had so many comments of how her writing spoke to your hearts. FINALLY she has decided to start up her own blog. I can assure you that you will always be touched by what you read. This is my big sister ... the one that I have watched growing up and always been inspired by. She stands up for truth, is so strong and courageous yet has the softest heart of compassion that I know. Please go by and visit her today and encourage her on her new adventures in blog land by following! She truly will inspire your heart as she always does mine.  All my love as always, Janine xxx