Melissa's Photograph Contest - Bright

This week over at Capture Moments, Melissa’s photo challenge  is ‘Bright’!

I love this picture of Nancy holding Rebekah who didn’t want her picture taken!

Please visit Capture Moments and see if you can join in Melissa’s contest!

Blessings,

Kelly-Anne

'Sewl Mates' and a New Hobby

Finally, after much begging from Nancy, I have taken up sewing...well, there is a bit more to the story than just that.  It started with Beth and Gabrielle a few days ago.  They wanted to play Barbie dolls and I said I’d ‘play’ with them (dress the dolls, etc.), but I was shocked at the state of the Barbie dolls and at the clothes, linen and furniture!  “What happened?” I wanted to know!  When Nancy and I were little we played for hours with our Barbies, inventing amazing games for them and we made sure all our things were intact.  Unfortunately the little ones came along and...well...we moved and...well... there’s a baby in the house and a puppy....soooo – things are a little muddled!  I decided in my ‘bee in my bonnet’ way to do something about this...’Kelly to the rescue’ you could say!  Beth’s seventh birthday is on the 22^nd of July and I heard her say she wanted a new Barbie doll and Barbie things...Aha!  A perfect idea, but help!  I don’t like sewing at all!  But I was determined and what do you know?  I NOW LOVE SEWING!!!! 

Sewing the Main Bedroom things: a floral duvet.

I spent ages in our little sewing room which doubles up as a garage with Dad’s tools and things and our washing machine. Chores were left undone and blogging put on hold because I was busy – busy, busy, busy! You might say Mom and Nancy were a little surprised but Nancy soon got over it and started helping me make duvets, pillows and tablecloths for Beth’s birthday surprise! We now call each other ‘Sewl Mates’ instead of ‘Soul Mates’! It is a dream come true for Nancy because she now has a sewing partner! We are going to be very busy the next few weeks making lots of things for Beth and working hard helping with the family fudge business (and selling baby guinea pigs!) so that we can buy Beth a mommy Barbie and a baby Barbie!

Older child’s duvet ready for sewing up and frilly pillow.

Baby Barbie’s quilt and pillows ready to be finished.  Nancy is working on another one like this just in case there are twins!

The duvet and pillows for the main bedroom also ready to be completed!

So if I am a little scarce, you can remember I love sewing and that I am probably sitting in the room with pins and material, sewing to my heart’s content!

Blessings,

Kelly-Anne

P.S. Nancy and I made all these things by ourselves and had a wonderful time!

Melissa's Photograph Contest!

This Week I decided to take part in Melissa's photograph contest for the first time! Her theme this week is 'Your Favourite Photo' and here is mine:

I took this picture about three weeks ago...don't you just love the fact the Rebekah is wearing Mom's over-sized boots and that they are on the wrong feet?

Have a lovely day further!

Blessings,

Kelly-Anne

A Belated Worldess Wednesday

Time for Tots - Activity #9

Hello everyone, it has been quite a while since I last posted a ‘time for tots’, but here I am again all ready for another season of tot school and blogging!

This week Rebekah played with jelly. This activity actually needs to be done with smaller children who have no idea what ‘cutting up’ and ‘mixing’ is yet because that is exactly what she did! My mom once let Beth play with jelly at the age of one and it was hilarious to watch her slurp it up off the table and try to pick it up! Rebekah often helps Mommy in the kitchen by cutting up soft fruit such as papaya and for her birthday she got an apron, so now she is a big girl! This will probably be the last ‘baby time for tots’ post since Madam is entering a new stage of ‘little girlhood’ and needs more challenging activities to keep her entertained and stimulated, but don’t worry, I shall still do activities, they will just be for two year olds +!

So this is what you will need: A tray, spoons, bowls, etc, and table put outside where it can get good and messy, and ready-made jelly (try use a nice, interesting flavour and colour such as orange).

Rebekah ready to start but not quite sure what is expected of her!

Here are the instructions to playing with jelly according to Rebekah:

Start by cutting it up with a spoon...

Pick up a piece of jelly...

...Whoops!  Careful it doesn’t slide off the side of the tray!

Eventually put it in your bowl and carry on.

Have a little taste without anyone seeing you...not!  Nothing ever gets done without anyone seeing around here!  Beth and Gabrielle were hovering like flies around the table hoping for a taste of jelly (which they never got, of course!)!

Continue with this method: Cut, pick up, put in bowl, lick your fingers, cut...

This is fun!!

I wouldn’t advise you to let your tot eat ALL the jelly; tell him/her/ them it’s for playing with, not for eating. When Rebekah told me she was ‘all done’ I let her have a few small spoonfuls then told her we were going to pack away and she gave me no nonsense!

Remember, you can still share your tot ideas with me. They can be for one year olds, two year olds and three year olds. Even Gabrielle, age four, still sometimes joins in activities with Rebekah. If you would like to participate in ‘Time for Tots’ then please create a new post on your blog with your ideas (tried and tested with photos, please!!) and make sure you give a link to my blog and THIS post (click on the link to take you to the tot school rules page). Then come back here to THIS post and leave the link to your actual post in the comments section and I will get back to you! I hope you can join in the fun!

‘To the tots’,

Kelly-Anne

The Amazing (G)race

Are you prepared to embark on the most amazing race of your lifetime? I am! In fact, I started on this wonderful race when I was about ten years old. You see, Jesus found me and saved me.  And He wants to save you too! He loves and is gentle and He gave His life for all those who ask Him to take over their lives and this gift is free, absolutely FREE!!!

When you enter on this race you have to let go of your old self – Jesus comes and dusts all the cobwebs out of your heart and makes you new. Each time you have a problem He is there to help you and comfort you in times of distress or mourning. All you need to do is pray!

He requires lots of you as He is a jealous God...no hanging onto to itsy bitsy threads of the old, rotten life. But the wonderful things is, once you know Him and accept Him into your life, there is no need for anything else! Friends may disappoint you, life may let you down, but Jesus never forsakes you – NEVER!

In Deuteronomy 31 verse 6 it says: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Isn’t that a wonderful promise? Sometimes I feel down or alone, but I just need to hang onto that verse and never let go!

I have called this journey the amazing (g)race. The G is in parenthesis because God gives us the grace to run the race of life when we ask for it!

“From the fullness of his grace we have received one blessing after another.” John 1:16

When I was very small, perhaps Beth and Gabrielle’s age, I used to watch the Amazing Race on T.V. I used to love it because the contestants had to do brave things in order to finish the race.

However the T.V. program turned slightly sour and we were not allowed to view it any more.

Nancy and I still played the Amazing Race with friends and we had so much fun. When we went camping with friends in the forest we always played this game and were given different tasks by the grown-ups (usually those which helped our parents like collecting firewood, etc.).

Now, later on in life, I am reminded of the fun we used to have and I want to play it again, not quite like we used to though. I want to play the Real Race and run it well for my Lord. Sometimes life gets a little hard and there is very little fun and in order to keep faith we have to go back to the Bible, back to the promises God made in the beginning of time. We have to view this journey not as a dull thing that we trudge till the day we die, religiously praying for meals and going to church. We should view it as an exciting race – we should view thanking the Lord for our meals as a blessing; some families don’t have food on their table. And what about going to church? We shouldn’t view it as a Sunday morning thing...Jesus is not just around on Sunday mornings. He is with us ALL THE TIME! Every day and every night He is with us. Worship Him whenever you have a chance and praise Him for all the mighty things He has done for you and your family.

I encourage you to run you race well as Paul talks about in II Timothy Chp 4 verse 7:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.”

“However I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.” Acts 20:24

“The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong.” Ecc 9:11

Anyone can enter on this race. If you haven’t, now is the time! The race is not just to the swift and neither is it to the strong, it is for people like you and me, sinners who need a saviour! I pray the Lord will be with you and that you will run this race to the End!

Blessings,

Kelly-Anne

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3

My Second Versatile Blogger and Fourth Blog Award!

Hello everyone. I hope you are well?  Sarah, from Easy Make and Do, awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award. This is the second time that I have been given this award.  Thank you so much Sarah!

This award requires me to list seven things about myself.  Here are seven of some of my favourite things!

My favourite animal is a horse

My favourite colour is pink

My favourite subject is English

My favourite food is pizza!

My favourite movie is Dreamer!

My favourite music group is Casting Crowns

And my favourite book is ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott.

I must now pass this award on to other blogs.  I would like to give the award to the following two bloggers:

Danika from Crafts by Danika

My sister Nancy from Homemaker in Training

If the above blog owners accept, then they must please follow the three steps as I have done.

Have a lovely day!

Blessings,

Kelly-Anne

Floods and Beautiful Rain on the Farm

Last week Wednesday we had lots of rain through the night, resulting in a small flood and Dad having to stay home because the rivers had flooded out and he couldn’t get into Knysna to work! He spent the morning digging trenches to drain away the water that had overflowed from our 30 thousand litre tanks! Nancy and I had to sweep the water off the porch...we couldn’t even see the door mat because it was covered in water! Both my bedroom and my parents’ bedroom were under water and we spent the better part of the day mopping up buckets of water as the rain continued to pour down!

Later that day, once everything was a little dryer, the girls and Mom and Dad went for a drive to see the damage. I stayed at home as I had a headache. These are the photos that they took of the rushing rivers and of the road that washed away!!

This is where we live, on a farm in Kraaibosch, near Knysna and we love it! 

The Knysna area has been in drought for some time and everyone, especially those living on farms with only tanks for their drinking, bathing and cooking water, had to go very easy and not even flush the toilets too often!  It was amazing to hear so much rain fall and to see so much water!  Praise God, He certainly supplies all our needs! (P.S.  Had a gooood, loooong shower thanks to all this rain!)

The Great Homtini River

The three younger girls.  From left to right, Rebekah age 2, Gabrielle age 4 and Beth 7 in July.

Nancy and Beth

It’s amazing that water did this...

Here is the road to Sedgefield which washed away!!

We really live in a beautiful part of the country and I am so happy! I just have to look around me, even a short distance away and I see beauty...when I’ve had enough of the farm for a little while, I catch a lift into town with a friend and spend some time at the library where my dad picks me up after work – I very quickly want to come home to peace and quiet again...at least while the little ones are asleep, that is!

Blessings,

Kelly-Anne

Rebekah's Second Birthday

Yippee! I’m so glad to be back on my blog...we are almost moved in and set up with routines already established! But this post is for Madam Rebekah because it was her second birthday yesterday! I have another post filled with pictures of the farm and our lives that I will post another day!

Rebekah celebrated her birthday yesterday and what a special day we had as a family. Rebekah couldn’t understand why we were paying so much attention to her but I think she quite liked it. The morning was usual with school and naptimes, but in the afternoon Daddy came home from work early to spend the afternoon with his little Rebekah. The other girls and I cleaned up the garden and set up the party table while Mom got snacks and party food ready. When Rebekah woke from her nap, we were ready for action.

Rebekah wasn’t too sure if she liked the photo-shoot thing!

A hug for Mommy!

Because it was a toddler party, there weren’t any decadent things and because we dont have an oven at the moment we had to have little cupcakes that my mom bought, but it didn’t matter, Rebekah didn’t mind at all!

It was just our family at the party but because we are so many children nobody knew the difference!  We just wanted to watch her play with her present...

 Rebekah blowing out her two candles.

I made her a card, but I will do a post on that another day...little ones aren’t really interested in paper or fancy cards, so it is mainly a keepsake! Our friend made her a little apron, Granny and Oupa paid for a new outfit and Nancy bought her some lovely crayons.

 Opening the presents is (almost) the best part of a party!

 

What a sweet little princess apron! (She loves it so much and now she will have something to wear over her clothes when she is helping Mommy cut up fruit!)

  Opening Nancy’s present of crayons - perfect! She is always taking Beth and Gabrielle’s crayons and pencils but now she has her own that NOBODY is allowed to touch!

And now for the best gift of all that she has wanted for quite a while....

 

A MOTORBIKE!!!

Go, girl, go!

And now our little Rebekah is a little girl...no more baby:( It is a birthday tradition that we look through our baby photos and Madam loved to see the “baba” on the computer. Can you believe that two years have passed since I posted the news that our baby had been born? Here are some of Rebekah’s baby photos:

Beth and her baby sister.

She was our smallest, sweetest baby but she has grown into such a beautiful little girl and we are very proud of her and love her so very much!