Pamper Party

This weekend, I had the girls over for some much needed winter pampering. We had loads of fun - Deidre, my sister-in-law/hairdresser came out and dressed everyone's hair. We did DIY manicures and pedicures, shaped eyebrows, sat around chatting and joking and just had loads of fun!

I think a good idea would be to start making this a more frequent event! What do you guys think? After all - it's so much fun spoiling yourself, but it's even more fun sharing it with the girls!!!

Pillow Talk

A blog-buddy once wrote a post about pillows, and the big influence it had on her sleeping routines... well, as I found out for myself... she was definitely right! I had some trouble sleeping a while back, waking up (with much trouble) with sore neck and shoulder muscles, pins and needled arms and puffy eyes (although, i think the puffy eyes could have been of watching the WHOLE 2nd season of Prison Break 2nd in one week!)

Well, last week, after much moaning about our pillows, hubby gave in and got 4 new soft-fluffy-puffy-cloudy-dreamy-pillows... wich has in turn gave me lots of happy sleeping nights!

Nini luvs Nunu

My cousin is about 3 months away from having a Nunubaby! We are all so excited, and can't wait for the little one's arrival. I saw mommy2be the weekend, and she is looking SO CUTE with her preggo tummy! I just wanted to keep on rubbing it and pressing my mouth to it and talking with little Nunu! Ofcourse I need to make sure that nunu recognizes my voice so when the day is here, Nunu will know when it's Nini talking!

I do, however, think I have a very calming effect on babynunu, because whenever I'm around, baby never kicks... and Nini SO wants to feel nunu move around inside that tumtum!

Ah, but I'll just have to be patient for another 3 months, then I'll be able to hold, and nuzzle and devour this little one! Until then, I'll just keep on handing out kisses... MWAH!!!

Bein Twenty-Something...

Found this on a friend's blog.. thanx Twiggy!
And we thought the teenage years were bad... try being....
Twenty-Something!

They call it the “Quarter-life Crisis.”
It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn’t know and may not like.

You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren’t exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones.
What you don’t recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren’t really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job… and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn’t.

One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.
You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life.
You feel alone and scared and confused.

Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can’t meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Perhaps you love someone who doesn’t love you back, or worse yet, loves someone else. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren’t a bad person.

One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap.
Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic.
You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.

You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself… and while winning the race would be great, right now you’d just like to be a contender!What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it.

We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. …..

GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF US!!!!!

Prison Break

Okey, so I have a weakness....

Prison Break! I just finished the 2nd Season last night, and I'm telling you, I don't think I'll be able to make it until Season 3 begins!

I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is still busy with Season 2, so I'm just gonna say... you'd better make peace with the fact that you won't have anymore nails left after this one! Eish!

'n Mens het omtrent 'n Klipdrift en Eish (los die coke!) nodig na elke episode! LOL!

For those of you still watching... enjoy... and for those like me, who is now waiting... take it easy! Hehehe

Party time!

The past weekend, we celebrated my cousin's 14th Birthday, with a big bash! We had lots of fun... even long before the party started. We had weeks of fun planning the theme, thinking of decorations and costumes... and let's not forget about the cake we baked! A 3 layer Marzipan cake (wich later became a 2 layer ... no questions please!) We had a ball from the start!

Blowing up 60 balloons ... fun and exhausting!

The birthday girl in her costume....

Dancing, braaing, and lots of laughs!

The famous cake!

It's official...

Well, it's official, I took out my winter-stuffs this weekend. We are definitely getting some colder nights, and both of us ended up with a blankie in front of the TV!

Me particulary, not very fond of winter. I hate being cold... and I get cold very easy! This will also be our fist winter in the house we're living in now... so I don't really know what to expect. I think it's gonna be cold, couse we're right next to the river!

Anyways... there are a few good things about winter... like hot chocolate, and long hot baths, and cute scarves and jackets, and don't forget CUDDLES under the duvet!

Happy Happy

It was my brother's birthday on Sunday, and we had a lovely picnic next to the Crocodile River at the Hartebeespoort Dam.

We had a nice braai, the guys all played Bocce, and us girls just lounged around, chatting and snacking. It was really nice.


Coincidently, it is also my sister-in-law's birthday on the same day, and as you can imagine we usually always have a bit of a predicament this time of year on seeing them both on their birthday's!
Luckily, this year my in-laws decided to join the picnic, so we had a major birthday celebration with the two of them and my brother's friend Ivan, who's birthday also is on the 8th!!!
It was great fun, and always a pleasure to relax with family and friends

A nice rest...

I had such a nice rest this past long weekend. Slept in every morning, relaxed in my pj's until I was properly awake, and ate way to much junk food and easter eggs!!

We had a very nice visit at my mom's, and then a fish-braai at my in-laws.

Jacques worked almost the whole weekend, so then I was at home lounging, scrapping and daydreaming in my garden.

What a nice rest ... pity it flew by so fast ... but nonetheless ... very nice.

What did you guys get up to this Easter weekend?

I saw that Gypsey Purple had a lovely Easter feast, go check it out!

JESUS’ ETERNAL SACRIFICE

God almighty, our holy One

Conquering, victorious and risen Son

Saviour, Redeemer, Lord of light

You saved me, freed me, and gave me life

Is there a way that I can repay

What it cost You my Lord that fateful day?

When You gave your life upon the cross

For all mankind eternally lost

For I know I could never pay the price

The cost of Your eternal sacrifice

For salvation is a gift that You freely gave

When You died and arose from the grave

The hope that came from Your sacrifice

Is the hope we have of eternal life

© By M.S.Lowndes ~ 2002(Revised)

Memories .....

On Monday we lost our Oupa .... my husband's grandfather. We just sat around talking about good times and how we would always remember him.

Isn't memories a strange thing?

How one single song or line or face can bring back so many memories?

I just had a fun webcam chat with a friend I haven't seen in ages!

Had so much fun! Forgot how much fun he is, and how he could make me laugh!

Weather talk...

I was blog-surfing the other day, and came across Keep this on the DL.
A lovely post with pics taken by the writer right after a rainfall.
Made me think about our weater and how funny it's been lately ...I honestly don't know what is going on with the weather here in South-Africa. It's like the last two years has seen a drastic change in weather patterns.
Usually, we would have hot-hot weather through Desember to about April, with lots of summer rain and thunderstorms (the best!) Then we would have some cooler weather followed by a short winter with heavy winds in August. September 1st is knowns as "Lentedag" or the start of spring, and all the schools would have big do's and stuff. By then we would have hot middays. By October, it would be rainseason with lots and lots of rain.
This year, however, we've had temp's of almost 40! No rain! No rain! (and if you know SA, you would know, that this is BAD!!!)
Last year, it was freezing from March right through till about October, with the rain only coming (very little rain I might add) in Desember. And our "August-winds" gave way for FREEZING ICING SNOWING (in some parts of the country) weather (I might just add, I got married in a sleeveless dress, on the 5th of August, and it was freezing!
Don't know, what's going on... but there is definitely a change a coming!! I feel it in the air LOL
What's the weather like where you are?

Sisterly love...

A lovely tribute, from a lovely person.

Go check out This is as deep as it goes

She made this special for me, this is me and her at some party we were at, dancing the night away as usual.

Thanx Dolla, for your love for our family, and for really making an effort! You are the best sister-in-law any girl could possibly hope for! And an even better friend!

Most of all, thanx for loving "ou professor" sticking up with his nonsence sometimes, and making him happy!

Here's to many more dancing hours to come! Cheers!

You.

All I ever wanted is in you

Love, laughter, a pillow for my fears.

I want to give and to be given to

So I might feel myself flow through the years

Alive in you, the wonder of my tears

So I have found my melody,
And I have found my poem.
My heart has found its harborage,
My will has found its loam.
You are my hearth, my home

Like a movie

Like a movie the past two weeks played out in front of us. A little girl was kidnapped, just a stone throw away from where we are. A beautiful, happy, carefree 7 year old, stole from her house by her little friends godfather.

We watched from a "distance" on our TV's, newspapers and internet how her family, friends, school and community searched franticly for her. They called it the biggest manhunt to date in South-Africa, with more than 400 people walking through the streets and fields looking for any sign of her.

We prayed, we hoped, we wished. Then on Monday morning we heard. They found her body, in a stormdrain only a few metres from where I drive by everyday! I was shocked, horrified! She did not have any clothes on, showing it as a sexual perversion crime.

The suspect, who at that time was in custody, had confessed and showed the police where he dumped her little body.

Tomorrow, the 9th of March 2007, he will be in court, he applied for bail! I will keep on praying that he will not be granted bail, I will keep on hoping that he will be sentenced accordingly, and I know that he will have to stand infront of God and pay for taking one of His children.

This is only one such case in South-Africa. There are children who has been missing for 5 and more years. Cases that have been written cold, with the lack of leads and even interest.

I shudder to think that I have to raise my children in this day and age. Where we are not even safe in our own houses. Where we constantly have to be looking over our shoulders.

This is far past a cry for help South-Africa! This is the final straw.

Sadly, it is to late for little Sheldean Human's mom and dad. Their only little girl is gone, ripped from their life's by a sick perverted common criminal! I hope he rots in jail for life!

If you support this, please join the campaign, and wear a pink shirt with blue jeans on the 9th of March (tomorrow) This was what Sheldean was wearing the day of ther dissapearance. If you are in Pretoria you can join other protesters at the courthouse, where he will be standing trial.

If you can't make it there, please keep this family in your prayers, and also all the other children who are missing from their homes. Keep this country in your prayers!

Below, a picture of Sheldean Human. Our hearts and condolances go out to her parents and family....

Some RnR...

Hay, Hay, it's Friday!

This was kinda a long week for me, seeing I had to rely on people for transport and stuffs like that. (I had a little rugby injury - hehehe)

Finally the weekend is here, and I'm going to my mom's place for a little visit.

Looking forward to just relaxing and lying around doing as little as possible.

Here's to hoping all of ye also have a nice relaxing weekend, and for those who's husbands are away during the week and are planning celebrating Valentines over the weekend ... Enjoy!!

Happy resting, recouperating, and recharging! I'll see ye all on Monday!

Valentine .....

To all ye ladies ... have a wonderful Valentine's day!

Go out, stay in ... but whatever you do, have a ball!

And remember to induldge....

Crossroads

I'm finding myself at a place where I have never been before in my life! I do not know how to handle it, I do not know what to do.

I am torn between my heart and my head. On the one hand full of exitement for what lies ahead, and on the other hand dreading what lies ahead.

I guess it's one of those 'grown-up' things that all the 'grown-ups' talk about: "It's all part of growing up, you know!"
Right now ... I don't want to be a grown up. I want to that little girl, playing in the bamboo bush again. I do not want to make this dicision, I do not want to hurt someone to get ahead. I want to get out of this trap called life, and just live!

Mom .....

Here are all your children in one place

Enshrined behind some glass within a frame

A picture's like a word, a sign, a name

Symbolic of a much more complex grace

Years of memories lie behind each face

A wild sea no blessing can contain

Years and years of love, of joy, of pain

Of mysteries no heart can hope to trace

Here are all the objects of your love

A frozen section cut away from Time

A summit between dreams and memories

Which you need only look this way to climb

An icon for domestic reveries

Through which a thousand answered prayers move

Enhance yourself!

Ok, so I know that it's much easier said than done... I must admit that I am struggling with this one myself!

There are so many things that seems more important at the moment, and one keeps putting it off.

Today I would like to urge all of you to enhance yourself! Whatever enhancement you are in need of ...

At what point in one's life do you put your dreams and wishes aside? And who said that that was okey? Sit for a moment, and just try and remember those dreams you had for your life ... why not?

There is not one single thing that can justify putting off this for one more day! Not age, not money, not time, not effort .... NOTHING! All of us have amazing talents and enough ambition to feed the whole world!

Get in here girls ... Lets do this thing! Catch those ideals floating about in the big abliss ... they are YOURS! Enjoy every moment, don't let another year speed past without taking in everything, and doing everything you wanted to do!

So go on ... enhance yourself .... couse you're worth it .... Maybe it's Maybelline .... hehehehe