Another Wonderful Week - 28

Hello everyone! When last do you think I did an ‘Another Wonderful Week’ post? I don’t think I want to know, but the truth is simply: too long. So I have decided to give it a go again - I really have been having wonderful weeks and learning lots each day!

Since I only decided to do this post halfway through the week, I have a shortage of photographs, but next time, I can assure you, there will be many more!

But now for our week in pictures!

I started off the week by trying out a new roll recipe.  I just popped the ingredients in the breadmaker to make the dough, then rolled it into long sausages and plaited them.  I also brushed a little egg yolk to give them a golden colour popped a sprig or two of rosemary on the rolls for extra special flavour.  Just for a bit extra I sprinkled on some Maldon salt!  They were delicious with a bowl of hot homemade tomato soup! 

Nancy has a knack for inventing the most amazing games for the little ones and Beth...yes, as you can see, is a sailor, and not just an ordinary sailor, but Captain Hornblower to be precise!  Nancy, my dad and I just love the ‘Hornblower’ TV series based on the books by C.S. Forester!

She looks quite smart don’t you think?!

 

I also made another batch of tomato chilli jam which was a perfect sauce for pizza! I will share the recipe soon!

Nancy did a craft with Madam Rebekah, which of course, she loved!

Wordless Wednesday...isn’t Zack, Beth’s new puppy too adorable?

Rebekah and I did ‘Time for Tots’...

...She T.O.T.A.L.L.Y. loved it!!

That was great fun – Rebekah age 2.

Beautiful Sunset

This week ahead I am going to be rather busy with all sorts of things, so I am going to take five or six days off from blogging, but don’t worry I will be back as soon as I can! Hope your week was just as wonderful as mine!

Many blessings for the week ahead!

Kelly-Anne

Time for Tots – Activity #10

Wow! Ten toddler activities already on the blog and more to come! I have so enjoyed sharing the pictures of things Rebekah, Gabrielle and I do together. It is special to look back and see what we’ve done. As I am sure you already know, at the end of each ‘Time for Tot’s’ Madam Rebekah and Miss Gabrielle show me their dirty hands...that is what I like to achieve – good, messy and dirty hands! It shows me they have had a great time! I also hope you like the new ‘Tot School’ badge!

This week we didn’t do a formal activity. Rebekah and I went for a walk down our little gravel road to go slosh and splash and sploosh in all the puddles that the heavy rain left us! We had so much fun in the mud and in the {very little} sunshine! The past few days have been tiresome with all the rain and miserable weather and we had a bit of cabin fever!

But now for the photographs of our winter puddle activity!

Settings out on our walk...make sure you put boots on.

“It’s fun walking in the puddles!”

Hmmm.....thinking and dreaming...

I just love this picture!

“Hey look at that big puddle!”

“Oooh...what fun!”

Back home again!

“You mean I can’t splash anymore...?”

Little Miss Rebekah...don’t you just ADORE this picture!

If you have a toddler activity you would like to share with me, then please create a new post on your blog with your tried and tested activity that includes photos and my ‘Tot School’ badge. Just click on the image, copy it and save it to use on your post. Please also link back to my blog. Once you are done, come back here to the actual ‘TOT SCHOOL’ post and leave your actual link in the comments section. I hope you can join in the fun! At the end of the year I would like to post my top five favourite toddler activities so you have plenty of time!

I hope you enjoyed my toddler activity! I will be back next week with another one!

‘To the tots’

Kelly-Anne

Wordless Wednesday

Rebekah's Birthday Card

Hello everyone, after a few weeks break, I’m back with another creation! I am excited to say that I won over at Mami Doodles Challenge and I had the choice of any digi image as my prize! I hope to use it on a card soon!

Rebekah turned two on the third of June. Little ones don’t really understand what cards are or appreciate them, so I made it for more as a keepsake.

So here is my card:

I love this paper and these are my favourite colours! I bought these papers at a scrapbook shop in Jeffery’s Bay over Easter time. It is supposed to be an Easter range, but I think it suits a little girl’s birthday very well with all the hearts, dots and birds!

I used a Sugar Nellie Stamp which I think looks very much like Rebekah and she also loves to play on the swing! The felt flower on the paperclip was given to me by a friend, along with some other colours; I just changed the silver gem for a pink one.

The sentiment says ‘Happy Birthday Sweet Rebekah’. I wanted it to say ‘Happy Birthday Dearest Sister’, but then I realised my mom and dad were going to write in the card so that idea didn’t work! I also put three heart brads on the top right-hand corner.

I won this funky ribbon over at Heidi’s Crafts and it worked perfectly with this card and really suited it!

This is my sweetest little sister, Rebekah and she is the joy of our lives!

I would also like to enter the following challenges:

Bearly Mine - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes with optional use of buttons
Craft your Passion - Anything Goes
KB Cute Monday - Anything Goes
Stamps R Us - There was a Little Girl

I hope you like my card!

Blessings,

Kelly-Anne

DVD Review - Dreamer

I am patiently waiting for a new DVD to arrive from Loot.co.za!  It is my favourite movie called ‘Dreamer’. I have watched many, many horse racing movies because I am a passionate horse lover, but none come even close to Dreamer! So if you are looking for a great family movie to watch on a cold and rainy evening, then here is my short review on it:

Cale Crane (Dakota Fanning) loves horses and her father, Ben (Kurt Russell), is a talented horseman who is tired of making rich men, who are only part of the horse racing fraternity for the glory it brings them, even richer. They have little care for the horses and for their wellbeing. ‘Sonador’ (which is Spanish for dreamer) is a promising young mare, but her career is suddenly cut short by a serious injury to her leg. Her owner, who is also Ben’s boss, wants to put her down, saying she is no good anymore as she cannot race. However, Ben insists on her being given another chance. She is given to Ben as severance pay and he takes her home to give her a chance to recover. By helping Sonya heal, his family start to heal too and after much love and care and the incredible determination of his daughter Cale, Sonya is permitted to run in the most prestigious race, the ‘Breeders Cup’, where dreams become a reality…

This is truly a heartwarming and touching story you will want to watch again and again!!

South African readers can purchase this DVD at Loot.co.za.

Have a wonderful and blessed week ahead!

Kelly-Anne

Click and Capture – Sky

Over at ‘Click and Capture’ Kiley’s Photo challenge this week is ‘Sky’ and here is my entry:

I took this picture a few weeks ago and I love it...the blue of the sky and the white of the clouds and the moon is beautiful!

Please hop over to Kiley’s blog and see if you can join in her photography contest!

Blessings,

Kelly-Anne

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