Want to swop???

Jacqui is hosting a Christmas Swop... check out her blog, sign up and let's have some fun together.

Another book.. or more

Just got my ScrapScene update and found they are giving away a book.. well of course I entered to win it, but in case I don't I'm going to add it to my wishlist.

Death Swatch: A Scrapbooking Mystery (Scrapbooking Mysteries) ISBN-10: 0425224783
And while at Amazon I did a browse on this author (Laura Childs) and found some more....

Frill Kill ISBN-10: 0425217302

Bound for Murder ISBN-10: 0425199231

Keepsake Crimes ISBN-10: 0425190749

Motif for Murder ISBN-10: 0425217981

Photo Finished ISBN-10: 0425194345

Death By Design ISBN-10: 0425210006

So now there are a whole bunch more books to add to my already long wish list.. I best start saving! hehe

It's gone

I had my haircut yesterday afternoon... my summer cut... OFF! yip nice and short and breezy... and sooooooooooooooooo much lighter and less fuss.

And guess what?? hehehe after a scorching few days we're in for a much cooler week ahead... talk about timing... I think it happens everytime I get my haircut! hehehe.

This week's challenge list

Another week has come and gone and I'm sad to say I have not been good at doing my list of things... so reckon most of them will be here for another week :(

1 Shop locally... Went shopping yesterday and from the stuff I bought there were definately "non-local" products... is that bad?? I bought yummy kiwis and as far as I know they are definately NOT grown in SA... but as I really really like them I just have to buy them when the price is right... okay so they were a tad expensive but Aaron's reasoning was that there were three in the packet so it's "one for Mommy, one for Daddy and one for Aaron... a good deal."

2 Turn off unnecessary lights... this will definately be on the list indefinately!! I woke up at three this morning to find the lights on again!!! Not winning on this one.

3 Have more meals together... getting there slowly. Definately worked over the weekend but during the week it doesn't seem to be a priority to certain members of our household who only get home late!

4 Stick to the speed limit... goes without saying as it is the law of the country. BUT my problem at the moment is that they've reduced the speedlimit to 80 on the highway due to the construction works and that feels awfully s-l-o-w when everyone passes you. So I will admit that I have now been driving at around 90 or 100.... okay so it's still within the normal limit of 120 but it is over the current limit so I have been naughty.... will try better in the week ahead.

5 Fit at least one energy-saving light bulb... must still buy these so that I can do this. Our diningroom light needs to be replaced so this would be the perfect place to start.

Not adding any more things to do this week as I think I should pay more attention to these ones rather than getting ahead of myself. So here's hoping for a better week.

Tuesday morning

hehehehe guess what... I left my book at home again... bummer! So am sitting here typing up my blog entries for something to do... gets me up to date if nothing else.

So yesterday afternoon Aaron had another swimming lesson. Boy but he is coming along nicely. He climbed in before Meg even and was very keen to start swimming. Kicked off with the board and away he went across half the pool. Jumping in and touching the bottom even seemed to be okay. He has definately come a long way since the beginning of the school yeaar when he wouldn't climb in the pool at all.

Went shopping afterwards and once home just collapsed in the chair.... it was miles too hot to do anything (ie ironing!). I did make an appointment to have my haircut so that will all be coming off today!

Last night we joined one of the bible study groups at our church for a very interesting presentation by Birnie and Pat Bitter from Northcliff Union Church. They were part of a missionery team that went to China during the Olympics. It was amazing to see all the places they went and the people they met. The team went as part of a sports group as missioneries are not openingly allowed in China. They did meet some Christians there as well as attend a goverment sanctioned church service. There were 1600 people at the morning service and then around 200 foreigners at the international one in the afternoon.... you have to show your passport to attend the international service so no locals are allowed in. And then there is also propaganda displayed periodically on the screens saying that you are not allowed to say anything bad about the government as they are watching you!

The team also spent quite a bit of time in Dandong which is by the border with North Korea... literally one step away. There is a small river separating the two countries but they are worlds apart.

Please pray for the Christians in China. They do lots of good work with the ophans and abandoned and disabled children, as well as trying to unite families from North Korea who do miraculously make it out. And Christians are not just the "man in the street" but there are also high powered people who know God.

Okay, off to work now so will chat later again.

The weekend that was....

busy
fun
exciting
and relaxing

It has come and gone and was a great FAMILY weekend.... I really feel good today about this past weekend and here's how things panned out.

FRIDAY
We had a hail storm just after arriving home from school... it looked like it had snowed in our garden!

Well it was all over within 5 minutes and the sun came out again so we got packed up for the camp out and off we went.

Aaron and I arrived at school just on 4pm and browsed around to see what's what. Eventually met up with some friends who were in the process of pitching their tents so we booked our space right next to them and waited and waited for the Daddy to arrive with our tent. He eventually did and so with the help of some qualified campers (and muscle power) our tent got pitched. Here's a pic to prove that we were actually there!

The kids had a ball. Running around chasing each other, kicking soccer balls, riding bikes, blowing up balloons with the pump used to blow up the mattresses, doing the obstable course Aaron did it once but I never got pics :( )

The fires got lit and so we braaied and after supper the kids did stalk the lantern... very disorganised and lots of mutters and moans! Then it was time for the camp fire, hot chocolate and braaied marshmellows... yum.

Aaron fell alseep in my arms are the camp fire and so I just carried him off to bed and then hit the sack myself. Figured it was late (but discoved on Monday that is was actually only around 9:30!)

SATURDAY

The morning started WAY too early. Some idiot across the road from the school was hooting outside his gate to be let in... woke all of us sleeping in our tents and caravans. Found out it was about 4:45!!! Well we surfaced, found some hot water that our caravan neighbour had boiled and so had some refreshing coffee and I had bought some cappucino muffins so that was breakfast... I think BEFORE 6am!!

Lots of kids were up and playing cricket and then people started making moves of packing up. We were under strict instructions to vacate the school by 8am. Our tent was still fairly damp from the dew, but we managed to pack up and were out of there by 7:45.

Got home, hung the tent over the washline to dry out and unpacked all the goodies. Then folded up the tent. Just after 10:30 Aaron and I collapsed on our bed and had a good 2 hour sleep. Felt soooooooooooooooo much more refreshed after that.

We then made our way the The Hole In One for a family day that Keith had booked us for. Aaron and I had a swim, we all had something to drink, listened a bit to the singer (Kurt Darren?) and then left. Why? Well by then it was 2:30 and the LUNCH braais had not even been lit yet... I ask you!



So being rather hungry we left and went to PnP to get food and off home again. Spent the afternoon just being at home and not doing much. I went down to the chuch for 15 minutes just to hang my newest banner, and also attempted to bake some biscuits. Keith braaied for us for supper instead.

SUNDAY

After a much better night sleep we were still up pretty early. Aaron woke me around 6:15 asking when he could come crawl in by me... but instead I just crawelled in by him! He also took the side boards off his bed and declared that he didn't need them anymore as he was a big boy! I then had to please read to him bible stories so we had a pleasant 45 minutes or so.

Got up at 7 and decided I had better bake a cake... I had been asked to take eats for after chuch and then ones I had made on Saturday afternoon didn't turn out so lekker. So I did my quick and easy microwave chocolate cake. While doing this Aaron decided to build his world puzzle.. but halfway through Mommy also had to help!

Keith cooked us a yummy breakfast on the skottle too.

Then it was time to bath, get dressed and off to church. It was the first service by our new minister, Rev Brian Colmer. We are very happy to have him... will give us some grounding now after not having had a minister for 18 months. The first service (at 8am) had run late so the second service didn't start till around 9:45 and we also came out late and then stayed for tea... and the yummy eats. Only got back home at 12!

Well I spent the rest of my day doing load after load of washing and reading my latest book. A nice relaxed time. Keith was in and out... getting dvds, going to the pub or shop. Aaron played a bit, got thoroughly bored and then did some karoake and finally got to watch a dvd that Keith had hired... Donkey Oxte...not highly recommened!

I just made a simple supper and the boys ended up in bed by 8. I tried to watch the second dvd Keith had got... another disaster of a movie choice... so switched it off and read my book. Went to bed at 9:30.

MONDAY

Got up at our usual uneartly hour of 5:30. Aaron announced that he didn't fall off the bed. Had our normal morning routine and left home at 10 to 7. Got stuck in traffic... and that's been the story of the rest of this morning.

Phew... eventually got it all typed up... now off to upload the photos and then to post this.

Hope you've enjoyed reading my natter. Sorry for boring you if you didn't. Till the next episode... cheers.

A new look at the bible...

A child was asked to write a book report on the entire Bible. This is amazing and brought tears of laughter to my eyes. I wonder how often we take for granted that children understand what we are teaching???

Through the eyes of a child:

The Children's Bible in a Nutshell

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.

Then God made the world.
He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.

Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.
Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.
Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.
Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston.
Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments.

These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbour's stuff.

Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more:

Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets.

One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn.(I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans. Jesus also had twelve opossums.

The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.

But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.
Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again.

He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

Excitement abounds

Yip our household is buzzing today... and no it's not the sound of bees...it's pure excitement from one little guy all about his school camp out tonight. He has been counting sleeps all week and now the day has arrived. I don't know how much school work will get done with all the excitement though.. hehe.

So we've started gathering our supplies together:
1x tent.... had to borrow from a friend as we don't possess one... Thanks Karin & Brian
3x sleeping bags & pillows
some blankets/duvet inners to put under the sleeping bags... to make a mattress link feeling (ie help give us a softer sleep)
Food.... Keith is organise this... thanks!... plan to make hamburgers for supper
Juice to drink... must remember to pack from the fridge too
Mosquito repellant... NB!!! Don't want to get "carried away" hehehe
Torches... remember the batteries
Chairs
Sleeping togs
Toothbrush

Oh and I'm sure there will be lots more thrown in too... all this for ONE night at the school... and me who doesn't DO camping... hehehe.... amazing what we will do for our kids.

So please pray very hard that it doesn't rain tonight.... Aaron had even asked earlier this week "what happens if it hails?"
well my feeling is "we pack up and go home"....
"NO Mommy, we sleep in the hall then. We must wake up at school in the morning"
.... so reckon we will be staying over no matter the weather! Wish me luck.

ps... there will be hot chocolate and marshmellows on sale so reckon that's also a good incentive to go!

new background

Well I hummed and haa-ed and ooo-ed and aaah-ed but made up my mind (for now at least) and chose my new blog background. Your thoughts????

Check out http://alliebrownslayouts.blogspot.com/ for more examples if you want one too.

Up for the challenge?

Phew but this last week just flew past. My to-do list from two weeks ago needs a revisit... so here's some of the things I have managed to do

1 Turn away from your screen and... blink - Definately been doing this more and more
2 Shop locally... After last weeks comments I gathered that this should have been "buy SA products"... well will have to keep it on the list as I didn't go shopping this past week!
3 Bake something for a friend... I plan to do this on around my birthday... I share a birthday with a work collegue who just LOVES my Lemon Meringue Pie so thought I'd make him one all of his own.
4 Turn off unnecessary lights... keeping this on as there are some nights when certain people in the house leave lights on till the wee hours of the morning!!!!

Best I now add a few more to this list.
* Have more meals together
* Stick to the speed limit
* Fit at least one energy-saving light bulb

Right let's see where this week ahead is going to take us now.