Blog celebration.

This post will remain at the top until 10 December 2009 when names will be drawn for the give-away!!! Please scroll down for latest posts.

Can you believe it...this little blog has been visited more than 10 000 times...and to celebrate it I will be giving away a scrappy gift to one of you, and if you are not a scrapper, I will scrap pictures of your choice for you to frame.  All you have to do is leave me a comment and say whether you would like the kit or whether you would prefer me to scrap something for you...see that simple:)  If you don't scrap that is okay...this super little kit includes just about everything you need to make about 6 pages...so maybe now is the time to start.

This is a Personal Scrapper kit and features My Minds Eye papers, 4 pages of Bazzill, two alphabets, buttons etc.It is great to scrap those summer photos.  I will be drawing a name on 10 December.  OK?

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Herlien sent me this by e-mail yesterday...it made me laugh out loud...I hope it has the same effect on you:)

SOOOO!  Are you smiling?

LSOS Sketch #58: Sun Kissed

It is time for the next Little Shop of Sketches layout.  This is sketch no 58 and my take on it.  You are most welcome to do a layout based on this sketch and upload it to the gallery for a possible prize.

This photo of Bianca was taken while we were at Eerste River a few weeks ago.  I used:

My Minds Eye : Bloom and Grow printed paper and embellishments

Autumn Leaves: pink printed paper

Lukas with a serious pout.  I decided to scrap these photos because this is not how we normally see happy, smiley Lukas...but it does make me sad to see those big sad eyes...so glad we don't often see him with this little face.

Thanks for looking.

As the year draws to an end....

...yep that is how I feel!!! Random reasons:

• As you know we run a Non Profit organisation....therefore we are very strictly audited.  Last week they advised me that the audit will start on 30 November.  Joy...what a way to end off a year.
• When people start winding down operations at companies for year end...our operations speed up.  There are Christmas parties to be organised for our 101 (dalmations) children in the center. One of the parties is on Saturday when the children will be taken to the Toy Run by bus.  Christmas Lunch has to be organised for approximately 260 people.  Gifts are collected for our "golden oldies".  We make up a parcel for each of the 147 adults on the program. I think you get the picture.
  
• A holiday program must be worked out to keep the children busy and out of mischief...or 101 children can quickly feel like 200! 
• I have not bought a single present for my family yet...yikes...now that gives me heart palpitations. Actually just thinking of the busy shops and the crowds, gives me heart palpitations. (Mel...help!)  I so wish that I could afford a "personal shopper".

On a positive note.

• I got my car back (do you see my big smile?)I have come to the conclusion that it is not a lousy choice of car...there is just NO after sales service.  You want to know why it took seven months to fix.  Actually quite simple.  When they had to redo the engine they skimmed the cylinder head...and you are not supposed to do that with a diesel powered vehicle.  Expensive mistake for them...it cost them R20000 to replace the cylinder head. Now I can just imagine the fights if the vehicle was not still under warranty...they would have probably made us pay for their mistake.  I am so enjoying having my car back...and it drives like a dream.
• Bianca finished her first year of Journalism yesterday....so no more "mom's taxi" until next year....yay!
  

Now it is off to work I go....papers to shuffle and people to see!

Mary's Lamb

We have read a lot about  the violence in our schools.  This adapted poem was in a church bulletin and gives a lot of food for thought.

Mary's Lamb

Mary had a little lamb,

His fleece was white as snow

And everywhere that Mary  went

The Lamb was sure to go

He followed her to school each day

T'wasn't even in the rule

it made the children laugh and play

to see the Lamb at school

And then the rules all changed one day

illegal it became

to bring the Lamb of God to school

or even speak His Name

Every day got worse and worse

and days turned into years

Instead of hearing children laugh

we heard gunshots and tears

What must we do to stop the crime

that's in our schools today?

Let the Lamb come back to school

and teach our kids to pray.

Why we need friends....

I think I have told you that we are part of a very special fellowship group/cell group, consisting of six couples,  that meet every second week.  I call them special...because this is a place where we can drop our masks and just be ourselves...and we accept each other warts and all. It has been a tremendous blessing because we meet from house-to house and the host is the leader for the evening...so it is not a "heavy" burden on one couple to do everything. Just having this hedge of protection and knowing that we each carry the other in prayer makes living so much lighter.

Last night was our turn to host the group and we decided to expose them to our everyday life.  So we all met in the dining hall at the Mission.  We invited a few of the people on the program to share where they come from and a testimony of what the Lord had done in their lives.  One man spoke about his life and I have never heard his story.  In the past 10 years he had lost his wife and three children.  His son was killed in a bus accident, his wife died 7 months later.  His second son went missing and his body was found months later...he had been murdered. Last year he lost his daughter to cancer.  What made his testimony so touching, was that as he spoke he took out the photos of his loved ones...and the funeral notices.  He had lost all hope and started drinking heavily...so he lost his work and his possessions.  At the beginning of this year he arrived at the mission with his only surviving son, he stopped drinking and with counseling and a lot of love he has found his hope in the Lord. I listened, and  wondered how I would have handled so much hardship...so much heartbreak.

There was not a dry eye in the hall and our personal little moans and groans just became so insignificant.  I sat there and was humbled yet again and so incredibly thankful to the Lord that He entrusted these precious people to us.  How blessed we are to see what the Lord has done in so many lives.

It was very special for us to be able to share with our group why we love these people so much. It also gave them insight in what we deal with and can pray for us more effectively. Belonging to a group that care is so special, we can shout when we need help and know that we would help to keep each other from falling.

On a lighter note:

Have a great weekend!

LSOS - Sketch #57 : Water Baby

Here is Tanya's weekly sketch no 57.  Why don't you use this sketch to do a scrapbook layout and then upload it to The Little Shop of Sketches.   You might just win a prize:)

Here is my take.  Little Leane at the pool.  I used Imaginisce papers and Prima flowers.

Thanks for looking.

Sushi and Champagne Fashion Show

Okay...this was what I decided to wear. Did you know that we had a bitterly cold and windy evening?  So I was covered up in a coat all evening long.

I tried everything to download photos taken by the Media to no avail...so go here and you will see a lot of pics of the event.(See Stefanie, you will have your show and tell after all)  You will also see a pic of me and Fatima (our PRO) if you look closely, directly after the  Chinese young ladies (in yellow).

It was a lovely evening, despite the cold.  It was the first time I tried sushi (DH is allergic to sea food) and sorry, Shayne and Meriel, but give me a steak any day.

The Miss World contestants are beautiful, thin and SO young.  They wear the highest heels I have ever seen. I would fall on my face after two steps if I ever tried to balance on those things.

Now for the good news. The amount raised from ticket sales were substantial and when the cheque was handed over, Mrs Julia Morley, the director of the Miss World contest tripled the amount.  The money is earmarked for the education of the children of the mission and we feel blessed and deeply thankful.

A little nervous...and a little excited

Yesterday the 112 Miss World contestants arrived in our city for the Sports leg of the competition.  Tonight they will be taking part in a fashion show at a Gala event at the Boardwalk.  The Mission has been chosen to be the beneficiary of the ticket sales for the event, so little old me will be there too.

Now...what to wear?

A Weaver Christmas

Kirsty over at the The Weavers Nest posted this recently.  I love a challenge and offered to scrap the photos for her. The idea is that she puts it into a 12x24 frame. (available at most scrappy stores)

Cardstock used: Bazzil

Printed paper: Making Memories Falala

Flowers and embellishments: Making Memories Falala

Wooden scrolls: Kayser Kraft

Alphabet: Quickutz Finale and glittered with stickels

So what do you think...will it get a space somewhere or will Kirsty hang it behind the bathroom door?

Random thoughts

First I want to share with you my most favourite quote by Emerson...I just love how this is so totally opposite to what the world views as success.

I was awarded the following award by a brand new blog buddy....Cat over at "the juggling act of life.

Here are the rules:
By accepting this award I am required to tell you six things about myself that you don't know and then award it to six other gorgeous bloggers.  Now that is a tad difficult because I have had quite a few memes on my blog and most of you know more about me than my IRL friends.  So I had to go and dig deep for my inner most secrets and this blog would possibly be deleted again soon. So here goes:

1.  Now this one is something that I am really embarrassed about.  I can tend to become a bit obsessive about some of the things I do.  When I did my counseling course, I had to have every book available on each of the subjects.  When I took up x-stitch, I had to have just about all the colours of embroidery floss available.....now you can make your own conclusion when it comes to scrapbooking.  There was a point in my life that I had to take myself in hand and lay this down.  Anything that becomes more important in my life than the Lord and my family is an idol.
2. When I was at school one of the idiotic teachers told the class that children of large families will never achieve much.  I am one of six children....so I had to prove a point. When I studied I had to get A's.  When I started working in the private sector I had to reach the highest level in the shortest space of time.  Which made me the ideal donkey at work...because the harder I worked the more I was loaded with work.
3. I am a bit of a mouse and never go out without make-up.  Now this probably has its roots in the time that DH was still a manager at a large supermarket chain.  I was expected to always look my best when I went grocery shopping...FOR CRYING OUT LOUD...no wonder I HATE shopping.
4. Then there is my need for having very deep roots.  As a child my family moved around A LOT!  I was in three different schools in my grade 1 year.  My family moved to Cape Town when I was in Grade 12 and I stayed behind with my grand parents.  I never lived with my parents again and their home was therefore never my home.  So there was no going "back home" ever so often.  In our first 8 years of marriage DH was transferred every few years which took us from PE - George - PE - Bloemfontein- East London and back to PE.  I always had this deep need to have A HOME.  A place where my children could grow up and will always be home to them even when they are grown up.  I think that we have achieved creating this home.  DH will have to sell me along with our home on day.
5. In the first 10 years of our marriage my DH was very jealous and very possessive.  I think if there was a "back home" for me I would possibly have walked out of the marriage...so not having a "back home" was probably the best thing for me at that time.  It was a terrible time of not wanting to go to social events because "who was I looking at?" "Why were you smiling at...." (You get the picture?...not pretty)   When he phoned me at work it was "who was the man who just answered your phone...what are you doing?". I could never just be myself and life with a jealous man is no pleasure. When he started having a relationship with the Lord all things changed and our life became normal for the first time.
6. My mom and dad both come from  families of five children.  I am one of six children.  DH comes from a very large close knit, very Afrikaans family, you know... the kind that are friends with "dominee so-and-so and doctor so-and-so" when you meet them they will ask you " Now which Van Rooyens are you related to?" and if you are not from the branch that has status...YOU ARE OUT. (That is probably why I have such a deep rooted feelings against pompousness and status)  We have our fair share of wacky and weird family members and this can mean all sorts of k*k and drama.  Sometimes I sit back and think that I am living in the middle of a soap opera...I KID YOU NOT!  I could write a best seller, but that would mean that I would lose most of the family.(now that gives me an idea:)
   

Now you all know more about me than what I am comfortable with...so read quickly because this post WILL be deleted.

Now I have to tag 6 gorgeous bloggers:

• Allie
• Mel
• Shayne
• Meriel
• Desire
  
• Kirsty
• Stefanie (okay another thing you did not know about me... I can't count:)
• Michelle