And then before Christmas....

Tis the season to be...... rained out!

We have had days upon days.. weeks upon weeks of rain!

I'm not complaining, really, we have had a very dry spell the last season and we are in dire need of these gorgeous refreshing rain drops. It's just that when the rain pours the kiddos get all cramped up inside and there is literally no signal via my littlest dongle thingie that allows any form of uploading to our little blog.

But I'm here now.. a few hours of  reprieve. And a few hours of trying to sort through blurred images taken without any decent form of natural light.
Oh well.. we will make do with what we have, shall we. *chuckle*

It's The Tree day!
Such an exciting day where we head up the steep stairs to the top of the hill and into our garage to haul out the box filled with all the sparklings to add to The Tree.

This year, things were a little different.
This year we had an unexpected visitor that decided our box was the most amicable hide out to nest for the season. When the box was opened this visitor decided that it's life was in danger and leaped from the box heading back for the forest. This visitor almost scared this mother to heart failure!!

Now as I said before... this was an unexpected visitor so you can imagine the squeals that erupted from me.
It was a huge!! Most certainly bigger than Blair and had the longest greyest tail ever seen.
Now, I know the boys would beg to differ here and have scoffed at my pleads of total endangerment.

I have decided to come to the conclusion that all animals here are of some alien decent and are fed a secret serum of steroids for them to become so enormous.
Really... a field mouse the size of our Blair?? Never seen the likes of it!

Moving on and focusing... Oh yes.... The Tree!

The Tree that now need to be washed down and any remains of 'field mouse' to be removed.
This dear friends would take half the day! How were we to get The Tree dried and decorated by the end of the day as promised to the younger brothers..? *sigh*

Well where there is a will there most certainly is a way.. who would have thought a leaf blower would have been the one to save the day?
The Tree dried and decorations found a place on each of the branches. I'd say the boys did a fantastic job of bringing in the Christmas cheer.

This year we are celebrating a little differently.
This year Christmas will be under the Lapa, with family at our home.
This year there will be two trees... not just the one!
This year our boys have decorated and are still working on the decorating of the Lapa.
This year the Lapa has been given to them to do up as they like..
I've been told it is still a work in progress, with the North Pole still to be made a feature!

This is going to be one magical Christmas!

Welcoming the warmth

 

 

In days long gone the people of the old ways would welcome in the beginning of the warmer half of the year by driving their cattle into summer pastures. Special bonfires were kindled and the smoke and ash from these bonfires would be used to protect their cattle and homes.

This year we celebrated the welcoming in of Summer by lighting beautiful lanterns and sending them off into the beautiful night sky. 

Bright beautiful warm blessings from our home to yours for the new Season.

Love

Angie xxx

This. That. The Other

Some of This....

Two Very Broody Gals.

Some of This....

Space ~ Reach for the stars!

Some of the Other...

Happy Halloween!

A little bit of Us....

School Scene

October is Cancer month around these parts... If you drive along the little roads that lead off the city roads towards the school you will see all the trees lining these little roads wrapped in pink.

It has been all the buzz around town, and for those who do not go to our little school, they have caught up with the happenings by reading the Maritzburg Sun (our free town newspaper) Where brightly coloured photos are splashed beautifully over the pages.

Have a little peek ~> (HERE) to have a look 'n see a few of the beautifully decorated trees.

This morning I opened the paper to find our Joshua smiling back at us (can you spot him?)
Just lovely - Vic, Karen and Lukie have been part of our lives for such a long time.
I would say its safe to say that our Josh and Luke are "besties"!

"Merchiston have embraced supporting Cancer month, not only by wrapping the trees in Bulwer Street in pink, but by inviting one of their own parents Karen Stander to the event. A moving morning! The Grade 7S class at Merchiston Preparatory School, decorated a tree in pink and dedicated it to Mrs Karen Stander, who is fighting cancer. Her son, Luke, is a member of this class. Karen Stander was invited by the boys, where she was given their messages of encouragement, love and support." ~ Maritzburg Sun page 19.

In other news.. that is the yarning news.... Knubbelchen is coming along... nicely, yet slowly.
I have been a little preoccupied this week with Garren's first swimming gala... precious moments!
Tristan's final year-end exams that started this week, our Joshua's 14th birthday AND  the preparations for our Halloween Under The Lapa shin-ding with special family and friends this weekend.
The little ones are so super excited!
I am also fighting off a sudden bout of "change-of-seasons" flu bug that has hit parts of the body that are really needed to keep this mum going through the day!

It has been crazy beautiful around here....

Shared with friends over at the Yarn Along Link up.

Go! Friends ~ Go!

It was Garren's first swimming gala and all the little Imps swam like beautiful little "fish-es".

Their songs of "Go! Friends ~ Go!" as they encouraged their fellow friends in their swimming races are still echoing through me.

I shall never tire of all the firsts........... *sigh*

Yarning Along

I couldn't agree more with Ginny over at the beautiful  Small Things ...

Knitting and reading, although not done at the same time, are two of my favourite things too!

I have so enjoyed joining in the last few times on her Yarn Along Wednesday Link-Up, that I have now decided to dedicate a day in the week just for that and join in with the fun too.

Share what I'm reading and update on whats happening between the knitting needles.

The link Up is such fun - I have met a wonderful new group of like minded crafty crafters and I am enjoying whats going on all over their blogs - I may just dedicate the same day to share a new blog friend too!

Such excitement!

I have also started on the cutest little Knubblechen, OK so I didn't wait until I could get to the Wool 'n Habby Shop to get the right type of wool used in the "recipe"!
But, hey, I REALLY couldn't wait - I just have to see how it turns out!

I have this beautiful pink in DK that I was keeping to make up a little something for a very special little baby girl for Christmas.. I don't see why it would make any difference If little Knubblechen was a little bigger and chunkier than supposed to be.
So hold them fingers and toes for me ~ please?

This month I also ordered 3 E-reader books to keep me company on those long dark lonely nights when the boys are all snugly tucked in, fast asleep and while Rob is out Patrolling for the Safe Community Watch.
I love me a good ol' fashioned book.. The one with pages to turn and when you hold your nose to the pages you can almost smell the story come alive.
But...... I am running out of space! Our home is really not big enough for all the books I want to buy and keep.
So I have promised to do my little green thing for our Mother Earth and start (very slowly!) buying eBooks!

Right at this very moment I am all about "How To Do Pickling" by Dr D.Jayne & Sons.

It is wonderful!!! It was published In 1917 and the layout and wording is simple and gorgeously refreshing. Something a little different to how things are published today. It has an array of pickling recipes, and although I thought I would have to do some kind of conversions with the measurements, they are all in easy spoon and cup measurements.
He has also popped a blurb after each section about the Doc himself and his home remedies and tonics, and about family life.

I cant wait to get pickling!

Shared with the friends over on Ginny's Link-up Yarn Along Wednesday.

This. That. The Other

Some of This....

Coop Shenanigans ~ Fluffy Butts

Some of That....

Nasturtium ~ The Edible Flower

Some of the Other....

Q ~ Quarrelsome Queen

A little bit of Us....

Shared with friends over at the Simple Saturdays Blog Hop.

Signing Of Shirts

Oh my how time has flown...

We are almost at the end of the year and the end of Tristan's school career!
This is the part were I'm supposed to tell you how old I feel...
But, Ive decided bugger it! I'm as young as I'm meant to be and I wouldn't want it any other way.

So, I presume you wondering what bought all this on?
Me reminiscing about my last year of school 18 years ago.... And now walking the path with Tristan who is now 18 years old and living his last year of his school career. *sigh*...
You see what I mean?
How time has flown..

There has been much excitement in the air over the last couple of months.
Tristan turned 18 years old , he had his Matric Ball, I am still waiting for the photos to arrive.
(mr kurtley krog... if you are reading this.. get your little white butt into gear!) 

There was also the Old Boys Induction Ceremony where the Class of 2014 were Inducted into the Old Boys Association..........

Friday all the final year boys at Maritzburg College got to carry on the traditions passed on from year to year by totally running amok the last day of the teaching school year. I wont go into too much detail but what I did want to share with you is the signing of school shirts! I missed out on mine, so as you can imagine I was so super excited to read all of Tristan's messages!

Memories.... that is... for Tristan.

Now to swotting for final exams....
To my dearest eldest son, (as they say around these parts) GIVE IT HORNS !!

Love
Angie xxx