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...

Hallelujah!!! It's raining!!! I cannot tell you how excited we are. The Eastern Cape has been in serious drought for over a year already! Our little pool that we bought has stood empty for over a year ... all the grass is brown ... but now comes a celebrated reprieve in the drought and we are going all out to celebrate God's blessing to us.  Just look at how happy my flowers are ...  Even our Sabie boy is lying out in the gentle rain, soaking up the cool breeze. As for us ... well we are smelling the warm aroma of waffles sizzling in the pan ... Don't you just love all the happy faces =0) (My Leelee with her bestie Tanna) And Tianna with her bestie Jade. Mr. Gorgeousness with his artsy take on waffles ... After a late brunch we cuddled behind the piano working out a new little tune. My sweet 6 year old took this pic of us.   Precious Jesus, thank you for your gentle rain that fills our hearts with so much joy!!! Thank you for the many ways that yo...

I am so excited to be able to finally welcome Spring back into my garden!!! It still feels like Winter, but if it's Spring day, heck I am going to wear a dress that represents Spring to me :) As I walked around my garden and saw the sweet fresh new flowers and green leaves appearing back, my heart celebrated the faithfulness of God! Come take a peek at some of the places in my garden that make me smile.  Behind me is one of the first plants we bought when we moved into our house. This "Delicious Monster" makes me smile every time I walk past it. It stays green & shinny all year long.  When I sit on my veranda, this is the beautiful tree I look out at. It never ceases to delight my heart. Depending on how the light catches it, it shines multiple shades of green. I love how it stretches out over our gate and there are a host of little birds who nest all year long in it.  This is our Coral Tree in the middle of our back yard. In Summer it is lusciously covered ...

It's been a very full week of kiddies sleeping over, playdays, craft making for the kiddies to keep them occupied through the holidays ... and of course late nights every night watching the World Cup soccer matches taking place around our country. This princess is finally all tuckered out. The only appropriate way to end of a busy, cold wintry week is to fall asleep next to this sizzling away in our bedroom ... Our pretty little fireplace being put to good use! Night, night all ... hope you've had a beautiful week! Much love, Jan

Oh my goodness ... my dear hubby has his hands full with me at the moment!!! I am a woman on a mission. We have been in our home for 12 years now. Since December all I can feel is "CHANGE"!!! Every room I look at in our home either needs to be re-arranged, redecorated, repainted, removed ... you know the feeling? If I could, I would repaint each room tomorrow ... refurnish ... etc etc. Alas ... I will have to tackle one project at a time (this with me just having laid down one of my jobs!!). Hmm ... sounds like I am going to have to tap into some of that God-given creativity that He has tucked into me (that's one of the many perks of being made in HIS image right - Him being the creator and all - I must have a little creativity tucked away too! hee hee). So, project number one is to declutter!! Oh my word!!! That is a HUGE task in itself. One room at a time!!! I started by swopping out  my summer wardrobe for my winter one and tossing out all the clothes I never use. Wha...

We have had so much fun decorating the lounge this year. Our chocolate advent calenders fell off the wall and all the chocolates fell out of their molds, so we found this cute countdown calender ... Some of my other favourites are my "3 wise men" that my precious mommy bought me from America. They are so precious to me, and because we have a house full of little ones (from my 2 girls to my precious little niece and nephews) I didn't want them getting ruined, but still wanted to hang them out ... so I got creative and hung them on our chandelier!!! I also loved putting out my "just starting out" collection of snow globes ... And last of all ... some home made decorating from the girls, coupled with some choccie for all their hard work. What a fun day. Christmas is my favourite time of the year!!!!