LA LA LA LA LA

Since I have been going to gym I have been marking the days off on my HUGE calendar up on my office wall. (Don’t ask why, I just do these kinds of things.) Anyway, I have a program now where I do one day legs, one day arms, one day legs, one day arms and so on, So I have marked these days with L – for legs and A – for arms, which has turned out like this :

LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA

I did not even notice this until someone asked me why I had written LALALA almost across the whole month of July…

So I told him “Legs, Arms, Legs, Arms – Duh!!”

He didn’t understand of course, but I didn’t offer any further explanation either.

LALALALALALALA
DOOBEEDOOBEEDOODOO
OOOOOOOOOOOO

Have a LALALALALALA loveley weekend ALL.

WHEN YOU SAY YOU LOVE ME....

A while ago I was writing a poem about how much I love the Lord and in my heart I instantly heard Him respond that He loves me too. Like when a child tells her daddy she loves him and he responds immediately saying "I love you too." Well I can tell you I was so overwhlemed by His instant reponse I was almost unable to breathe and I had no words to express how I felt and I longed for a way to tell how that moment in time felt. It was only an instant but I felt like I was frozen in time, unable to move, so caught up in His overwhleming love. And today I was listening to some good old Josh Groban while I was busy working and I found myself in the presence of the Lord once again and I couldn't help but cry cause the song that was playing was exactly a description of how I felt that day when I heard Him say "I love you". You know how you felt the first time you fell in love - multiply that by a ten thousand, no, one hundred thousand!! The song goes like this:

When you say you love me

Like the sound of silence calling
I hear your voice and suddenly I'm falling
Lost in a dream...
Like the echos of our souls are meeting
You say those word my heart stops beating
and I wonder what it means...

What could it be
That comes over me?
At times I can't move
At times I can hardly breath...

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
For a moment there's no-one else alive...

You're the one I've always thought of
I don't know why but I feel sheltered in your love
You're where I belong.
And when you're with me if I close my eyes
There are times I swear I feel like I can fly
For a moment in time
Somewhere between, the heavens and earth
Frozen in time, oh when you say those words...

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
For a moment there's no-one else alive...

And this journey that we're on
How far we've come and I celebrate every moment
When you say you love me
That's all you have to say
I'll always feel this way...

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
In that moment I know why I'm alive...
When you say you love me...

When you say you love me
Do you know how I love you...?

A song I have heard so many times before suddenly became the simplest sweetest love song I ever heard....

GYM-CAPADES

Ok, so I figured it was time to tell you all that my hubby (Happy) and I have joined a gym. I am loving it and I have a trainer and all!! I have a whole personal work out plan too. Now the reason I have decided to “let the cat out of the bag” is because I have a really funny story to tell you from last night.

Last night I was working on my arms and there is one exercise I have not done yet and it is called the Shoulder Press. It has weights and you have to push the handle bar up till your arms are straight up over your head while you sit in an upright position, starting from about shoulder height. Anyway, I have been doing pretty much ok so far with the weights, I don’t have to lift too much cause I am doing toning and not body building, but I lift 20, 22 and 18 kg’s so far for my arms.

So I get on this piece of equipment and set it to 20kg –“not to heavy”, I thought - I.couldn’t.budge.it. I could not even get it half way up. I was starting to sweat profusely and my face was going bright red – after just one try…!!!
"Ok" I thought, "lets try 15kg" – hmpf! No go… looking around quickly, I changed it to 10kg (the very last weight that is still marked with an amount) You guessed it, no lifty weighty…
So I set to 1kg…..yes, you read it right 1kg. It is the very first weight and it is not even marked!! And there is a little switch you can flick which adds just 2,5kg to whatever you are lifting, I had to switch it off cause I couldn’t even lift 3,5kg’s!!!!

The worst is that there are these big muscle bound guys lifting HUGE amounts all around me and I am sitting there doing my tiny little bit and my arms are turning to jelly!!
I was PRAYING that no-one would see what I was lifting – I would have been so embarrassed. And everytime I am almost finished my little set of 10 I start to get the giggles cause I cannot believe how heavy 1kg can be for my shoulders, and then I can’t finish my set…
So when I was finally finished I quickly set the weight back down to 20kg and I put the 2,5kg switch on so that whoever sat down after me would not know that I had it on 1kg.

As a result, today I am aching and sore all over - everything I pick up feels like lead - even my tea cup. And typing this post has been a small mission accomplished. 1kg, and it has almost killed me!! LOL...

AND THE WINNER IS......

First of all let me say thank you to everyone who tried so hard to find the answers to this little competition. You were all very good sports and I am really impressed with your skills at investigating and searching.

So without anymore delays let me get right into it.

The runner up is:

Gareth from Sunburn – Yes, Angel is my sister you go that right! But please could you tell me how you figure KykNoord from The Other Side of The Mountain as my brother. He is really cool – make no mistake – but no, I am sorry he is not my brother. Very well done though!! And thanks for playing dude!

And the winner is (drumroll please…….)

Dawn from Dawn Unplugged. You got both right! Nathans Dad – over at 11Eleven is my darling brother and yes, The Mind of The Angel – or Angel over at Angel's Mind is my dear sister.

Well done Dawn – You are the official Best Investigative Blogger!!!
Wear your title proudly, you totally deserve it!

IT'S COMPETITION TIME!!!

Ok, this is just a small little competition that I am going to be running from today and over the weekend, just something to keep you all busy cause I know you have nothing else to do - I've read your blogs.....

Here it is:
Somewhere in blogland I have two blogging family members. YES! Two. What I want you all to do is find out who they are. You will have to do some investigating though. One tip - start with the blogs I have linked on my page.

When you think you know who it is, leave a comment with the names and I will go through the answers myself and announce the winner(s) on Monday 24/07/2006. Unfortunately there won’t be any major prizes or anything except to be announced as the Best Investigative Blogger – how’s that?

Bloggers who have a history with my family – you know who you are - are not allowed to enter this competition ok – fair's fair!! And only bloggers may enter, people who comment and don't have a blog won't be counted. You can't be Best Investigative Blogger if you don't have a blog. Anonymous entries won't be counted either.


Ready.

Get set.

GO!!!

Happy hunting…

A TOAST.....

Here is something a little mushy to tide you all over to the very exciting competition I will be running over the weekend....

You all remember my post last month about my dear friend who buggered off to Ireland for 9 months and how we laughed about bubblegum, tekkies, lifts and flats and all that? (Go here to read that post.)
Well she visited again, she found that post and left this message for me today:

Reta said...
I started a new job yesterday, without *brig, and it's just not the same. It even makes me miss Wrapsa! Ask brig - she will know...he he. nway, after i went for the interview, i told my mom **"ek het vir brig gevra om te bid want as sy bid gebeur daar dinge". And.. i got the job. Today is my second day and just trust brig to have me all up in tears, reading her blog. People looking at me like im crazy - and im just like:" Tekkies and bubbelgum and ireland and baaaaaa waaaa haaaa.
Man I LOVE THAT CHICK!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much for comming into my life - but 'specially for making me a part of yours.
Reta

Once again she has made my day. And it got me to reflecting on the blessing of friends. Friends that I treasure. They are like diamonds sparkling in a dark world. I have friends here where I live and I see them quite often and I have friends on the other side of the world who I have never seen face to face and whose voices I have not even heard, but who I met through blogging.

I am dedicating this post to those friends who stop by almost daily whether they are Resident South Africans, South Affies in far away countries and non South Africans living in their home countries. I cannot begin to tell you all how precious you are to me. We also laugh together and cry together even though we have never met in person our hearts have connected over space and time to forge strong meaningful friendships.
People like Reta, Dawn, Angel, Terri, NMOTB, Karen, Debra, Bunny Girl (Hunny Bunny), Lori, Beads, Blue (Gail), Myutopia, and so many other fantastic visitors… and also the many new "faces" I will be meeting in the future.....

You are one super special group of people and I am so happy to have gotten to know you all through blogging. I know we have got some very special friendships growing here regardless of age, religions, race or (giggle) sex... and whatever else there may be that would normally get in the way of people forming a friendship.

I know that I can tell you all my deepest fears and my darkest secrets and I will only get support and love from you. I only have internet access from work so on weekends I cannot blog – but I can tell you, I sure do miss y’all over the weekend. You guys light up my days at work. I wish I could blog for a living – that would be the best job ever.

So – bloggers, raise your glasses and repeat after me: “A friendship in blogland is a friendship for keeps, for a friend found in blogland – is a friend indeed!!!” Here’s to all of you who have made my life richer for knowing you …


Now on a lighter note:
q: What do you get hanging from a tree?
a: SORE ARMS!!! (heee hee hee)

Actually it's from gym - but who will ever know the difference...

* uuhh - that's me btw...
** i asked brig to pray cause when she prays things really happen"

CLASSICS

I found a CD that I have of Beethoven and I am just loving it! I love the classics. It is so relaxing and soothing.

On Friday night as I mentioned, I watched Pride and Prejudice - ladies this is a MUST see. It is the most beautiful romantic movie I have seen in the LONGEST time. The calssic story written by Jane Austen is a favourite among many and I feel they really did it justice.
The picturesque countryside, the HUGE mansions, the electricity between two young people who feel attracted to one another when they touch for the first time at a ball. The tension when there is so much to be said between two people and neither of them can find the words to say what needs tobe said.

Oh it was absolutely wonderful. I think I will go and buy it for myself to keep. There is definitely something to be said for the authors of old. The way they wrote, the vocabulary, the humour. You have to read so carefully so you don't miss it. And for the way in which things were done in the 18th century. Young men and women didn't touch - even in a greeting. There was never any shaking of hands as we do today and the only time they could really touch without creating a stir was at a ball while dancing. Greetings were very formal and the ladies would simply courtsey and the gentelmen would give a small polite bow.
They never called each other by name - it was always Mr and Miss so and so. A gentleman in those days truly was a gentleman. They would stand whenever a lady entered a room even if she went in and out of the same room 3 or 4 times - everytime she would enter, they would stand up.

There is one scene where Mr Darcey helps Miss Lizzy up into her buggy and that first touch between them leaves a remarkable impression on them both - a very short and common touch, but for them one that was so charged. I cannot remember when last I so enjoyed a movie. So pure and innocent. I do think sometimes I could have happily lived in those days. I am such a romantic at heart and I get so swept up in something like that quite easily.
I don't think I shall ever forget the vision of Mr Darcey as he appeared out of the mist that early morning when Lizzy had been out walking cause she couldn't sleep. It is so obvious that he had to exsercise a considerable amount of self control so as not to run to where she stood breathless at the sight of him and draw her into his arms and whisk her away.

Do yourself a favour, get this movie and travel back in time for a while... it is so worth it.

I AM STILL HERE!!!!!

HA - you all thought I had disappeared!!!

Well the reason I was so tired on Wednesday is because I was coming down with something. I went to the doctor on Thursday and I was booked off with a throat infection. I feel better now (that's what this picture's all about) and I have had some relaxing days off at home and some quality time with my boys. I quickly borrowed my sisters laptop to do this quick post to let you all know where I have been.

This weekend I watched "Bee Season" (weird??) "Pride & Prejuduce" (which was stunning - I watched it twice) "Zathura" and "Sky High", I finished my book by Jodi Picoult called "Plain Truth" which was excellent too. I still have a seriously runny nose but I am looking forward to reading all your blogs and catching up on all I missed.

toodles!!!

BLAH BLAH BLAH

Blah blah blaaah blablah blah blah blah blah blaaah bla blah. Blah blah blaaah blablah blah blah blah blah blaaah bla blah.Blah blah blaaah blablah blah blah blah blah blaaah bla blah. (snore)

No I do not suffer from Narcollapsy (spelling??) this is just how I feel today. I am exhausted and I don't know what to write. I wish I were at home in bed. So I thought I would write some silly poems I remember from primary school...

"As I was going along one day
My head fell off and rolled away
And when I saw that it was gone
I picked it up and put it on

And when I got into the street
A little boy cried: "Look at your feet!!"
I looked at them and sadly said
"I've left them both asleep in bed."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mr Giraffe, you make me laugh
You seem to built all wrong.
Your head is so hiiiggghhh up there in the sky
And your neck is so awfully long.
It seems to me that your lunch and your tea
have a very long way to go
I wonder how they manage to find
their way to your tummy below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mud , mud glorious mud
nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
So follow me follow
Down to the hollow
And there let us wallow
In glorious mud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

snore

TODAY IS SEAN'S BIRTHDAY!!!!

SEAN !!!!






















I love you lots and I hope you have a really REALLY lekka day my sweetie!!
Lots of love
Mamma!!!

THE BOYS, THE BEATLES, THE WEEKEND AND……..THE FOOTBALL

So the kiddos are home! And all is well. Sean and Donovan are taking a bit of time adjusting again cause Sean is at an odd age where he is too young to fit in with Mark, but he feels he is too old to play with Donovan and Donovan doesn’t get it. So there are ructions and tears every now and then – but it will pass.

Yesterday afternoon (Sunday) I went and watched a Beatles show done by “The Fabulous Four”. It was loads of fun and they were very good. I love the Beatles’ music and The Four really paid a good tribute to the Beetles. “She loves you” “Hey Jude” “Lucy in the sky with diamonds” etc. When we called them back for an encore they did some other really great 60’s music. “The Who, Rolling Stones (the lead singer Duck does a wonderful Mick Jagger impression) and some others. My dad is also Duck – so that was cool too.

My church has just opened a small library where we can borrow books and movies and CD’s etc. I borrowed the DVD collection for the Left Behind story series and I watched the first one last night. Kirk Cameron (From Growing Pains – a popular TV sitcom from many years ago) acts in it and it is very good. Very close to the book’s story – not much left out. The collection only consists of 3 DVD’s but I think they have put a few stories together in the following two DVD’s. I loved the Left Behind books and have read a lot of them. And I am totally enjoying the movies too.


And finally I come to the sensitive subject of last night’s Football final. I cannot believe what Zidane did. WHAT WAS HE THINKING!!! Head butting that guy in the chest like that!!!???? It was his last match and he goes out with a red card and a shameful memory – the whole world is going to remember him for that – more than for his brilliant soccer career. And it was rumoured that he was going to recieve the Golden Ball award as the best player of the whole World Cup. He threw it all away in a single moment of anger. I realise that he was tired and tensions were running high - but man ...... what a stupid thing to do. Not only did he drop the French team at the most crucial time during the match, he threw away all his efforts too.
So disappointing.
I am convinced that that was why the French lost – they were unable to score another goal without Zidane there and so it came to the dreaded penalty shoot out. And I think they just couldn't beleive what had happened either. And with Zidane red carded and Henry out (he was replaced) there were no strikers to take part in the penalty shoot out if it came to that.
The pressure, oh the pressure was just about too much to bear. Even after 33 minutes of extra time the scores remained at 1 all, it came down to a penalty shoot out. I felt so bad for the goalie – it’s not a good place to be in a final match like that. Finally Italy scored a perfect 5 out of 5 in the penalty shoot out and France missed one – it was not stopped by the Italian goalie – don’t get too excited, the ball hit the cross bar and bounced just in front of the goal line and out – missed by less than 6 inches. I don’t want to even know what Zidane must be feeling now – what a way to end a career. The world cup was so near yet so far for the French. And even though they dominated most of the game and had a few very close misses, it was the Italians who took the gold in the end.









Sigh ....

BRING ON THE WEEKEND BABY!!

Yea baby yea!! It's weekend!

I am so ready for this weekend. I feel like I have been waiting 100 years for the weekend. This week has just been so long - I can't understand why.

My kiddos are coming home today!! The house has been very quiet without them. And you know, I know they have watched all kinds of movies I would never let them watch and played playstation games I would not let them play - but I am not going to get all up in their faces about it. I guess she (their mom) lets them watch and play all those things to not be "uncool" with them. I am just going to let it go this time. I will not allow the enemy to get between us with these small things.

On Sunday I am going to watch a Beetles show at the barnyard theater with my mom and some of her friends! I am totally looking forward to that! France plays Italy in the World Cup FINAL on Sunday too - anyone been following the Football?? (The British apparently get pretty miffed if you call it soccer - I learned that while watching "The green Street Hooligans" with Elijah Wood, BRILLIANT movie btw) I am hoping to watch the game - although I will probably be at church.

VIVA LE FRANCE! VIVA!!!

I have no plans for Saturday - just some washing and a bit of housework and so on. As far as I can remember there is nothing on, on Saturday. I am busy reading one of Jody Picoult's books - can't remember what it's called now..... but it is very good. I am looking forward to having some good reading time tomorrow too. I don't get much time to read and if I do get a few hours in I really enjoy it.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Take care, I will be back on Monday again

JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN

Lord Jesus,

I pray your protection over all the little children of the world. Protect them form mistreatment, abuse, child labour, war, disease and death. For little ones who have been abused and mistreated we pray for your healing in their spirits and their bodies. For little ones who have been abandoned and are living in the streets we pray your protection and warmth in the cold Lord. We pray that they will find shelters for children where they will be cared for. For all the children who are in orphanages and children’s homes who are waiting and wishing and longing for a home we pray that you would soften the hearts of parents and families to adopt or foster a child. For all the children in war torn countries we pray your protection Lord. For children are the only true innocents Lord and they are the NOW GENERATION not the next generation. Father all those little hearts that don't know you yet - reveal yourself to them Father as you did to me when I was so very young. Open the eyes of the hearts of children in non-Christian countries that they will recognise you as the only true Living God. Raise up soldiers for Your army Lord. Raise up leaders in the countries ALL over the world. Father for each and every child in the world today - born and unborn I pray today. For you love all the children and long for them to be yours. For all the teenagers who are lost and searching and feeling like they don't belong and unloved - reveal yourself to them too Lord - right now Lord, where ever they are at this moment Lord. For Jesus, you were once a child too and understand what is in their little hearts and minds. All any child wants in any language or colour is love and warmth, food in their bellies and a Heavenly Father who loves them. Your love and Protection covers all areas Lord and I pray these things for and over the children of the world. Be with them Father and keep them safe. In Jesus Name,

Amen

Come to Jesus as a little child and have faith in Him as little child, crawl up onto His lap and rest your head on His chest. Listen to His heart speak to yours and know that He is love and He loves you.

He longs to spend time with you like this….. don’t you long for it too?

HOW IS IT THAT WE WHO NEED TO PRAY SO MUCH, PRAY SO LITTLE? YET JESUS WHO NEEDED TO PRAY SO LITTLE PRAYED SO MUCH…?

Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer. There are many verses in the bible which state that Jesus went off alone and prayed. Should we not do the same?
We cannot grow or fulfill the plans He has for us if we don’t spend time in the presence of God. Prayer is a direct line of communication with God.
Spend time in prayer – if Jesus felt the need to do so, shouldn’t we?
Do we pray too little?
Jesus, we would think, should not have needed to pray often because He is God's Son - yet he did. That is why the question comes up, we are the ones who need to pray alot and we don't but Jesus neede to pray so little and he prayed all the time......
Makes you think doesn't it....?

Mat 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.


Mat 14:23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,


Mar 6:46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.


Luk 5:16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.


Luk 6:12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.


Mat 26:36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said
to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray."


And it was Jesus who taught us to pray the following:

Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and
forgive us our tresspasses as we
forgive those who tresspass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
The Power and the Glory
Forever and ever
Amen

HOW DO YOU SEE JESUS ?

When you think of Jesus, how do you picture Him. Do you ever imagine Him like this:











For a long time I didn’t either. But the more I got to know Him, the more I realized that while He was on earth He was as human as you and me, except for the fact that He was sinless. He got tired and hungry and once He even got angry. Why would He not have felt joy and happiness with laughter too?
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and I am convinced He had joy in His heart. He loves us. Think of this, when you think of your children and how much you love them it makes you smile right? That love makes you happy, doesn’t it? How can you love someone and be serious and solemn all the time?
I love Jesus and that love I feel for Him makes me so happy inside and so excited I can just about burst.
We need to see Jesus as a loving God who can laugh with us just as easily as He would comfort us and cry with us. Imagine Jesus laughing and smiling at times – I cannot imagine that for the time He was on earth that He was solemn ALL the time. I am sure there were moments of laughter and happiness, especially among Him and His disciples.









Neh 8:10 ....For the JOY of the Lord is your strength.










Knowing Jesus brings joy and happiness to my life - and I bet, no, I know that these are some of His triats too....

WHO AM I?

I am His Precious Daughter. I am loved by Him unconditionally and I have felt His love and heard Him whisper it in my ear. He always has time for me. He is never too busy when I need to talk. I long to be with Him all the time – I am addicted to Him. I love to worship Him and spend time with Him in prayer. He is the greatest Father so loving and gentle. I can tell Him everything and He will never judge me. He will not love me less because of what I may have done before. He is my Great Eternal Constant the Lover of My Soul. The one I will turn to whenever I need comfort. I can confide in Him and talk to Him and He listens intently to every word. He knows my heart, my dreams and my desires. He knows every hair on my head. He knew me and had planned my life with good works for me to do even before I was formed in my mother’s womb!! My face is constantly before Him because He has carved it into the palm of His hand. He has blessed me with talents to use only for His glory. When I tell Him I love Him, His instant response it that He loves me too. I don’t have to wait to hear it and I never doubt it.
Who am I – I am His Beloved. That is what He calls me.






ME !!!!!