Laundry
...sort a little, nap a little!
Johan took Isla for the afternoon while we had the P&P, she didnt get a chance to nap of course!
Johan took Isla for the afternoon while we had the P&P, she didnt get a chance to nap of course!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Blessed Playdate and Prayer
Thank you Jesus for my wonderful praying mommy friends. I can't begin to explain the peace I feel when we gather around on the deck and pray for our children. Its a beautiful thing! Johan bbm me tonight from church to say that the Lord has put it on his heart to tell us that He is pleased with our group and that we should TRUST Him with MORE in all of our prayers, step out and He will be there. I can't wait to see you all again. LOVE YOU GUYS!
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Johan and Gioia go on an adventure
My beautiful family bonding and spending quality time alone together. Isla and I fighting nasty chest bugs at home, both green with envy.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Rewarding afternoon
Johan and I had some one on one time with our eldest, our super shiny STAR, our very clever Gioia...a round of cappucino's and a small toy was our way of rewarding Gioia. I think she is going to ask to sleep with her silver pom-poms.
Its Holidays!
Gioia makes me smile! She sings she is a "Hula hula Hibiscus girl" but her version is "Hula Hula Hi biscuit girl"...
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Nearly July holidays
I have a whole holiday plan for Gioia. She is home with Isla and I for 3 whole weeks, so I have set up a proposed new routine for us girls. It will involve bible time in the mornings, an outing somewhere close like the local park, library or green grocer and a cooking or baking session. An arts and crafts table will be set up and a shop booth too. This is a sneaky way of teaching Gioia maths. A ball activity in the garden will be co-ordinated by Johan, weather permitting of course, and then long hours sipping hot chocolate in front of our fireplace planning the next day will conclude the day. I have big ideas, lets see if the Benade girlies approve my activity calendar.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
For you, our MOM
Dearest Mumsie Wumsie
You have been FANTASTIC! I want to commend you on your nursing skills. Dad reckons it's his hard head and army background that got him through the last 6 weeks, I beg to differ. It was you! There is no way that he would have got on his feet so fast if you were not there to put socks and shoes on them. I know you did not look forward to taking the lead in his recovery but your attentiveness, patience and your beautiful oh so dutiful heart is what made the difference. Thank you for taking care of our Father, the endless stairs you climbed getting him all he needs. I can only write you a blog post and sing your praises, but know that it comes from my heart. You put all our minds at ease and you did it all with a smile. Dad has NO idea what he has in you, I wish he could see that and treat you accordingly.
Your eldest
LV
Mom, I would just like to thank and commend you for the amazing job you have done in taking care of our father in this time where he really needed all the help and assistance that only you could provide, seeing as us children are all on our own different endeavours in life and pursuing what this world and God has for us. I know and understand that initially you must have been petrified of the daunting task that lay ahead, fully comprehending that the task involved not only physical, human day to day, but also emotional support. You took this task by the horns and endured, WELL DONE!!! I speak for all of us when I express my utmost gratitude for the way and attitude with which you did this, as with many other things, with a kind and loving heart, and a smile that penetrates all obstructions. Thanks again ma, and may you to be BLESSED!
Lots and lots of LOVE! Jus
When God set the world in place,
when He hung the stars up in space,
when He made the land and the sea,
then He made you and me.
He sat back and saw all that was good,
He saw things to be as they should.
Just one more blessing He had in store;
He created a mother, but whatever for?
He knew a mother would have a special place
to shine His reflection on her child's face.
A mother will walk the extra mile
just to see her children smile.
She'll work her fingers to the bone
to make a house into a home.
A mother is there to teach and guide,
a mother will stay right by your side.
She'll be there through your pain and strife,
she'll stay constant in your life.
A mother will lend a helping hand
until you have the strength to stand.
Mom
There are not enough words for me to express how much I appreciate everything that you did for dad during his time of recovery. All the trips to Welkom you made, all the rearranging you did at home to make it comfortable for him, all the meals you made for him, all the time you spent with him and of course just being there for him. Thank You! I can defiantly tell you that you are one special person to have done that! The Lord has Blessed you with such a loving and caring heart. May we all be blessed with your giving heart!
Love you lots
Claire
Fathersday 2012
My girls have a full time daddy, for the first time ever, Johan is here to stay. I pray this will remain the case for ever and ever. I can see Gioia and Isla blossom like rosebuds under his lovingly watchful eye. He brings a new dynamic to the household and us three girls seek his attention every time he walks into a room. Gioia and Johan share a special bond, and on Fathersday she presented him with a gift pack filled with love letters and tokens of admiration that they spent the whole week making at her playgroup. I think if he was still away at sea or away in the desert I would have kept her out of school so she would not have made all these beautiful hearfelt objects and then not been able to give them to him. SO BLESSED, to have a Daddy and a husband.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Active little ant
Gioia's teacher pointed out to us that she needs to work on her upper body strength. She tires too quickly when they play the wheel-barrow game. The strong upper body aids with the writing and holding a pen etc. so we found her a great pull up bar to work on her biceps and triceps and we push her around the garden like a regular weed eater, plowing her little face into green grass.
Copycat Dino
Gioia saw the blackberry photo of Dino Isla. We then found her trying to re-create the dino back bumps herself. Johan came to her aid as she is not as double jointed as she thought she was.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Gioia makes us lunch
My Bean knows her way around a kitchen. She fetches the steps out of their hiding place and then by standing on them she can reach the stove, toaster and kettle. Mid morning she decided we all needed a toast snack, so out came the steps, the white bread, the margarine and bowls for Johan, I and of course herself. The big people waited out of sight in the TV room for the little cooks meal. What was presented to us made us both chuckle and flair our noses under out breaths. Gioia toasted two slices of bread, added abouy 60ml of flora to the center of each slice then added an un toasted slice on the top, forced it into a little round bowl and with a beaming smile of independance watched us eat a marathon runners carbo dream. I had seconds, but my brave husband couldn't muster the courage to graze through another mountain of creamy spread, no matter how lovingly made.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Sarah-Claire's Beautiful 1st Birthday
This gorgeous party was pink and orange, just like Gioia's 1st party. I designed a party name banner for the event that Pam hung above the adult buffet table. Each letter was designed on an A3 page and lovinly cut out by hand, along with one photo of Sarah-Claire from every month for 12 months. I also did little cupcake toppers, juice bottle labels, party bucket names and little thank you stickers that went onto the bubble bottles for the little guests. The juice bottle labels had each childs face on it, an easy way to remember who's juice bottle belongs to who, thus not spreading the 'winter bugs' from kiddo to kiddo.
