Frustration, frustration, frustration...

So okay, I need to vent a little - I guess this isn't the best place to do it, but somehow it works for me!!

We've been house-sitting a friend's house for just under a week now and I've completely fallen in love with it! Really big old farm-style kind of house - beautiful feel to it. It has 4 bedrooms, 2& 1/2 bathrooms, kitchen, lounge, diningroom, a huge attic, an enormous garden, a really big swimming pool and DSTV!!

And on Tuesday, I'll have to return to our little flat - where we all share one room! I feel guilty when I complain about our living conditions because we are very blessed to have some kind of home, but I so desperately want our own home again!

Having all this space has probably aggravated my already irritated feelings and possibly I'm over-tired from the whole Christmas thing!!

So with 2009 rapidly on it's way I pray that this will be the year where things really start coming right for us - that we will have our own home (very soon) and Quen will find stable work - work that he finds satisfaction and joy in.

I have so many thoughts running through my head about the new year - I'm concerned about Robyn not being ready for baptism, I'm excited about a new term of homeschool, I'm desperately excited about a home being in our very near future, I'm concerned about our spiritual welfare - we're not doing enough, not relying on the Lord enough, I'm excited about Sarah's wedding in December and so on and so on!!!

I need to settle down and make goals for myself and for our family - I need to be brave and strong...

December Holidays!

We have been EXTREMELY busy for the last two weeks.

After Ouma Bettie passed away we all shot up to Joburg by plane and car to attend her funeral and to be together for a few days as our beach holiday plans were obviously cancelled!

We had a great time together, but the best part was actually just chilling at home together. Quen and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary on the 16th Dec - we went to friends for supper without the kids and then caught the 10pm movie! The new James Bond - it was pretty good, but even nicer just being on a date!

We left Ouma and Oupa on the 19th and on the 23rd moved into the house we are house-sitting for a week. It is really wonderful here - 4 bedrooms, HUGE garden and a 8 metre swimming pool! Heaven, I tell you!

Christmas day is over now - the kids are in bed and we can finally just relax - I love Christmas, but am always quite glad that the day is over by the end of all the running around!

We had a great Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - I'm grateful to everyone who makes it so special.

G'night!!!

PS - some photos of our time with Hettie and Thys!

Totsiens Ouma Bettie!

Today has turned out being a rather sad day - our dear Ouma Bettie passed away after having a major stroke on Friday.

She was a wonderful woman who loved her family so much, especially her great grandchildren and I am grateful that I was able to know her for these last 11 years!

She always treated me like I was one of her grandchildren and made me feel so very part of her family.

I love you Ouma and will miss you!!! :(

The countdown is over!

Today Hettie and Thys FINALLY arrive! What a wait!!

I'm really looking forward to every moment of the next few weeks with all the family and friends we are going to see!

I love Christmas Holidays!

Beautiful...

Last night we were able to experience the moon, Jupiter and Venus within a few metres of each other - well, from here on earth that's what it looked like!
It was really such an amazing thing to see. I did some research and apparently the next time we are going to be able to see this phenomenon will be in 2052 - when I'm 74!!!

Makes you feel lucky for seeing it! Unfortunately you can't really see it on the photo! Boo hoo!

Happy Birthday Cammie!

Well, my darling big boy is turning 10 on Wednesday, but he had his party last Friday!

He invited all his boy pals namely (wait for it!) - James H., James B., Jared, Jordyn, Joshua and Daniel!!! What a lot of J's!!!

The had a great time walking the plank, searching for pirate's eyeballs in disgusting jelly and spaghetti mix and hunting the crocodile!

And I have to congratulate myself on a very great cake!!!!

They seemed to have a really good time!

Love you Cammie Doodle!

Look who's talking...

Just wanted to report that our little Jared is really getting into the talking thing! He is just parroting every word that he can. Right now we've got:

Go Car
Daddy
Mummy
Baba
Kitty
Cookie
Truck (sounds like k*k)
Bye
Book
Joshie (sounds like Oshie)

I think that's everything - he started about two weeks ago now, just saying all these words! We're all so proud of our boy!

Happy Birthday Jared!

Our little boy is 2 years old today!

Wow, I can't believe how time has flown - it feels like just the other day I found out I was pregnant and started on the "Jared" path!!!

He has had a wonderful birthday - a party yesterday with all his friends from Wriggle Worms, an awesome cake created and designed by Mommy with help from Aunty Paula and a wonderful day today!

We took the boys and Robyn to the Helderberg Farm and they had an absolutely wonderful time playing on the tractors and jungle gyms and also holding and petting the animals! It's really a great place to go.

Lots of presents - spoilt rotten - thanks everyone!

This afternoon we went to Aunty Irene and Uncle Barry's (family friends) and swam in their lovely big pool! It was so refreshing!

So all in all, a GREAT Birthday for our little terrible two!

18 more sleepies! xx

3 weeks left...

3 weeks left... till school breaks up for 6 whole delicious weeks - no deadlines, no homework, no homeschool, no ballet, no speech therapy, no cricket and best of all, 3 weeks until Ouma and Oupa arrive! Yippee ai yay!!!!!

We really, really, really, really cannot wait until they arrive and then we're off to Betty's Bay for two weeks of bliss... and Quen and I have our own room!!! What a novelty - we've all been living in one room (yes, all five of us) for almost a year now, so two weeks with our own room is going to be absolutely wonderful!

Please pray and pray that we are able to rent our own place VERY soon! I'm getting a bit desperate! Wish I could add those emoticon faces on here - it would be a slightly crazy looking one!!!

Anyway, a few days after Ouma and Oupa arrive, we've got Didi and Aimee arriving for a few days. We can't wait to see them and see Didi's increasing in size tummy! She's 12 weeks now - congrats, Didi!

Had a great weekend in Fisherhaven and enjoyed the Hermanus Primary Presentation! Really enjoyed staying with Winston and Barbara MacKinnon - they're so cool!

Anyways, gotta go! My book and my bed are calling me and it's just gone 8h30!!!

Love you all!

Thank goodness for Curves...

My heartfelt thanks to the man who created Curves - a gym just for women!!! Not only because there are no men bothering us girls or because there are NO mirrors on the circuit, but for the fact that I can get rid of a lot of my stress. Which was SERIOUSLY needed!

I feel A LOT better!

26 more sleepies!!!

Whoooooaaaaa!

Just had to share this picture of Jared - whenever we're driving around town in the car and we go down a hill, this is what Jared does while shouting "Whooooaaaa" at the same time!

Obviously thinks he's on a rollercoaster ride! And no, we didn't train him to do this!

Thanks Cammie for taking this photo while we drove to ballet! Excellent photo!

28 more sleepies!

Book worms

Who would've thought a Du Preez can be a book worm... Well, Lindsay managed to educate the kids well to ensure they read lots and lots of books. Sometimes however they take it a little far... Cammie falling asleep behind the pages of a book he adores. Jared too has his moments when he sits outside the front door and reads thru his story books. Defintely not Daddy's way of spending free time!!!

Quentin the "Hair Stylist"

Q having been an expert cutting boys hair, thought his confidence would reflect in a hair cut for Robyn... Well, not quite as expected but it looks neat and tidy (so he thinks) and luckily the hair will grow quickly. She looks cute regardless...

Bang, Bang!!!

Yes, it's Guy Fawkes night!!! We went down to Strand beach which was surrounded by idiotical teenagers who think it's funny to try blow eachother's hands off...! And then we drove to Gordon's Bay! It was beautiful there - not a breeze and the fireworks were stunning - really lovely big ones!

Jared was oohing and aahing and Cameron and Robyn just absolutely loved it!

All in all - a wonderful evening!

Happy Anniversary, babes!!! ;)

PS.: Sorry for the bad quality photo - taken with a Nokia...

Cammie's first date...

Yes, it's true! Cammie went on his first date - with his Mommy! We popped down to the local McDonalds on Friday night and had a great time - the conversation was 'sizzling'!!!!

During one of our chats he suddenly says, "I wonder what the cricket score is?" - my mouth dropped - these boys are designed like this, aren't they!!!

Anyway, it was a really great time and Cammie is insisting that we do it on a monthly basis!

Thanks babes, for looking after J-baby!

It's All Over...

Well, Robyn's first ballet exam is over! Thank goodness! She seemed to enjoy it a lot and was completely relaxed about the whole thing. Not like her pathetic mother. I just remembered my childhood nervousness of ballet exams and started to panic! Not too badly tho.
Robyn's ballet teacher phoned yesterday as she was so impressed with Robyn's attention and performance - she received the "highly commended" grade which is one down from "Honours" which is the top score!
Wow! I am so impressed with my little girl!!!
PS. The no. 4 on her chest isn't where she came - it's her number linking her to her name for the examiner!

Who's more nervous? Mom or Robyn?

Robyn has her first ballet exam tomorrow morning and I must confess that I am in a little bit of tizz about it! Silly, aren't I?

Tomorrow she has to wear her pink leotard, pink tights and ballet shoes with her hair in a gorgeous bun!!!

Will take photos and let you know how it goes!!

Hold thumbs for us!

Fun in the Sun!

Lovely, busy weekend again - but really a happy good one!

We had yet another braai with Paulie, Russ and the kids - delicious, scrumptious, mouth-watering and all other good things!!!

My darling Quena took all the kids (du Preez's, Baker and Whites) to Netty & Larry's pool where it seems like they had loads of fun. Except for the fact that Jared kept throwing stones into the pool - one of which hit poor Lollie on the head! Sorry Lollipop!

Paula and I took the opportunity to hit the mall - we just walked and looked and dreamed!!

It was also great to see Charline and Martin Crous again - old friends from Centurion Ward days! They are looking happy - I just can't believe how big Scott is now and that Lauren is getting married in December. Wow, I feel old!

What a really great weekend!!!

43 more sleepies, Ouma!

Jared's first sentence - Go Car!!!

Grandpa would be proud!!!!

Just one of those days...

It's been one of those joyous days where I've been tired so everything around me is irritating! Shocking, I know, but nevertheless it happens!

And of course, Jared picks up on my irritated feelings and enjoys to cry more than usual when I feel irked!!! Paula and I have come up with a crazy laugh which helps us get through those days - sounds a bit like two witches cackling - insane, we know, but it helps because it makes us laugh!

I'm finding this week of homeschool hard - I'm not feeling motivated at all but I know that Robyn's education is on my shoulders so I have already given myself a firm talking to and tomorrow we start fresh with renewed vooma!

Today Paula, Robyn, Joshie, Jared and I went to the nature reserve - to get the boys out and to look for a termite hill (couldn't find any). Went for a lovely stroll and then my kids found the mud! First Jared went running into it, but luckily he didn't get too muddy, but Robyn (who saw the mud) basically jumped into it and got her shoes and jeans covered in it. Mommy saw red!!!! Anyway, to cut a long ranting story short she cleaned herself up and we both calmed down again!!! Must learn to be more patient!

Cameron told me this afternoon that he is on the A team for cricket and sounded very pleased and smug about it! Congrats, my boy! You're a super star!

Love you all xxx

Happy Birthday Quena!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

What a busy weekend! It's all a bit of a blur already! We had a cricket match, slippy sliding, a braai, primary presentation practice, swimming, family, another braai, servicing of Quen's car, church with primary presentation, a lesson to prepare and give for Relief Society, lunch and then family tea for all the October birthdays happening this week! We had Quen, Lolly and Kate's birthday yesterday and Ashleigh's next Monday!

Quen had a quiet birthday but he seemed happy with it - we're going to have a little bash next weekend - the birthday boy wants an inflatable slippy slide. Boys... do they ever grow up?

Quen is desperate to join the family for their annual get together this weekend - I must say, I would love it too. We have seen everyone for a few years now and they haven't met Jared yet! Don't know what they're missing!!! Although I could be slightly biased...

How many more sleepies, Ouma? 49!!! Yaaiihhh, we're into the forties!

Heigh Ho! It's off to school I go!

It's our second week of homeschooling and so far, so good! Just did a test with Robyn for her 10 words that she had to learn this week and she scored... 10/10!!! Hurray!!!

Cammie is off to the museum today with his class and was so excited to get going this morning that he was dressed and ready by 6h45! Oh, how I wish every morning could be so easy. Normally it takes a lot more coaxing to get him out of bed. Typical male!

I am so excited about our December holidays - Hettie and Thys, Didi and Aimee are coming down to stay and we're all going to live in Betty's Bay for two weeks! Oh please let the weather be good. I plan to get a great tan, go dune boarding, nature walks, sleep, read, and eat! 53 more sleepies!

Sunday at the Nature Reserve!

We've had some really beautiful weather lately, so we decided to head out for the nature reserve this afternoon (after Quen's nap obviously) to lie around on the grass and watch the kids play!

I'm always reminded how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful part of the world when we go to the nature reserve - it calms my soul the moment I get there!

Cameron, Robyn and Jared brought their bikes with so it was action stations... for Quen because he said they could bring the bikes! I must say I did have a bit of a giggle while he ran after Jared who was very determined to ride his black bike on the road amidst the moving cars!

It was lots of fun though and so special to spend time together!

This evening we had a braai with Paula, Russ, Ashleigh, Lorian and Josh out in the garden - our first braai of the summer. Delicious! Russ braaied the most tasty salmon steaks which he allowed us to taste - very yummy!

And now for the best part of the day - the children are all asleep and I have a few precious moments to myself to get ready for homeschooling this week, catch up on emails and to start my new blog!

Before I sign off though I need to say a BIG thank you to my darling friend, Elaine for setting up my blog for me! You're a star!

And the last item of 'business' is CONGRATULATIONS to Bronwyn and Joel who have just taken "arrival" of their first little baba! I'm so happy for you!