ANNIVERSARY MEME

This is an Anniversary meme. It’s not technically our anniversary – but we did get engaged on Christmas Eve so it’s close enough. I won’t be around to post this then so I am putting it up now.

1. Who is your man?

Barry is my man!!!

2. How long have you been together?

12 years – married for 11

3. How long did you date before you got married?

1 year – give or take a month or so.

4. How old is your man?

39!!! I want to have a party for his 40^th next year!!

5. Who eats more?

Sometimes he does and sometimes I do – depends on who’s hungrier.

6. Who said "I love you" first?

I can’t really remember – it was probably him, I don’t think I have ever said it first. And I still love to hear him say it!

7. Who is taller?

Oh he is – and I like it!!

8. Who sings better?

I do – by far!!

9. Who is smarter?

When it comes to general knowledge and life skills I am smarter. When it comes to business smart and money and budgeting he is smarter

10. Whose temper is worse?

His is worse. Gotten better over the years, but his is worse.

11. Who does the laundry?

We both do.

12. Who takes out the garbage?

The kids.

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?

I do. When he is away on business I sleep on his side.

14. Who pays the bills?

He does!! He’s my hero!

15. Who is better with the computer?

I am. He is learning now due to his promotion.

16. Who mows the lawn?

The complex garden services!!

17. Who cooks dinner?

We both do. But lately he is lazy when it gets to his turn – and then he buys take out or hot dogs or something like that.

18. Who drives when you are together?

Oh he does – much better for both of us that way.

19. Who pays when you go out?

Well it comes out of our bank account – but “he does”

20. Who is the most stubborn?

He is SO stubborn!

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong?

I am, and I say sorry first too.

22. Whose parents do you see most?

I think mine, we are closer than he and his family are. They are close, but not as close as we are. He visits his dad every now and then – they are very close.

23. Who kissed who first?

We kissed each other. We were at a club for my 21^st and the power went out and before I knew what was happening we were kissing!! I will never forget it. I had wanted him to kiss me for such a long time!

24. Who asked who out?

I think I asked him out. To my 21^st…

25. Who proposed?

He did. On Christmas Eve at my parents house in front of everyone!!

26. Who is most sensitive?

We are both very sensitive. He doesn’t show it as easily as I do ( I cry at the drop of a hat!) – but it doesn’t take much to make him cry – for a man I mean, I cry more easily, but for him, as a man it doesn’t take much. He cried on our wedding day, when our son was born, when we had to give away our kitty and when he gave me my car. And not so much cry as just have his eyes well up with tears and then he fights for control. He’s so precious!

27. Who has the most friends?

I do. Always have! He is more a “one best friend” man.

28. Who has more siblings?

I do!! I have three and he has two.

29. Who wears the pants in the family?

He does. I believe that being submissive and that honoring his request and wishes is important. A wife should be her husbands crown and by trying to take over his role that will never happen.

30. How did you meet?

We met on a conference at the Lion Park. We just connected instantly! He came to work in the same branch that I was in and our relationship and feelings grew stronger for each other from there. The rest is history!

E-MAILS FROM GOD?

This week I received an e-mail that had a sentence/statement in it which I had to complete and send back to. The sentence goes like this:

“You and I should…”

As soon as I read it I felt God complete it on my behalf. He said:

…spend more intimate time together.”

This is definitely something He has been highlighting for me this week. He wants to spend intimate quality one on one time with me. With us, I have decided that I will wait on Him. I will spend intimate time with Him so that my heart can connect with His like never before.

SPECIAL GIFTS FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE

I have been what many may refer to a “a friend in need”. I don’t have my own car yet and so I have needed many lifts to many places. Most of my destinations are not far from where I am and “en route” but I really have been a needy person. The people who have been helping me A LOT are really wonderful people. They are real friends to me and I wanted to let them know that what they have been doing for me means SO much to me. I don’t actually have words to say how much they have meant to me.

You see, I hate having to ask for a lift anywhere and I always feel like such a burden and a schlep and real “friend in need is a friend in deed” (please read that with a very whiny nasal voice for the full effect.) type of person. And these people have helped me out happily and lovingly every. single. time. without so much a sigh, or rolling their eyes or a complaint or anything.

Now, the thing is, I really want to thank these people, and I was wracking my brain as to what I could do that would be special and really show my appreciation of the people who have blessed me more than they will ever realise.

I want to get them something that will last and always remind them of the wonderful gift of friendship they brought into my life. Something meaningful and worthy of such people. I mean flowers are nice – but they just don’t say enough. A vase is lasting – but it just doesn’t say “thank you” quite the way I need it to. And anything else also just seems too, I dunno – BELEEEAGH!!!! Know what I mean? It’s just not personal enough…

Then I had a BRAINWAVE!! I recently restrung my pearls that Happy got for me about 10 years ago. And when I had finished I had a few left. Four, to be exact. Now they are not very big – but they are the real thing and I have friend at church who makes jewelry! So for Sharlene I am going to have a pretty and simplistic pair of earrings made that look like this:

Only the pearls are white, and the earrings will be silver too.

And then for Ester I decided on a pretty pendant like this:

And the pearl of course is also white, also in silver…

I think they are very deserving of these gifts and I hope that they will know just how much their friendship has meant to me. And the pearls represent their friendship which is like a precious pearl to me.

I just can’t wait to actually give these to them. I am so excited I can almost burst!!

And then there is Joanne. She is a God send – literally. Whenever I need guidance or advice or just a chat Joanne has been there for me. She has such wisdom and sees things from such a new perspective and her advice is always good and helpful. And I am always reminded of the Proverb in the Bible that says “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”(Proverbs 25:11) So I will be getting her a small pendant made to something of this sort of design. And none of it will cost me very much because I have got the pearls and I have got the Gold for the apple pendant. And the silver used will be very little and won’t cost much at all. So, the gifts will be meaningful – which I want, and light on my pocket too – which is just a bonus I think.

A good way to say thank you – dontcha think?

Coca-Cola's Crappy Customer Care

Coca-Cola has got very bad to non existent customer care. I am not impressed with them at all. Last week Tuesday I bought a 2ℓ Coke from our local Spar and poured some for each of us. As I got to the very last sip of mine there was a beetle in it. Which I almost swallowed! I was disgusted and almost threw up. Now I know you may all be thinking that the bug could have fallen into my glass without me seeing it, but I doubt it. I took the glass out of the dishwasher and usually (from my experience) when a bug or insect falls into your drink it floats on the top – it doesn't sink…

So, I called up Coca-Cola on their Customer Care line and told them what had happened. I was told to keep the suspect bottle and they would send someone out to see me. That was last week Wednesday. I have not heard a single thing from them since then, so I called again today. The lady on the other end of the line simply said she would have to log the complaint again as she did do it last week too. And I must please keep the bottle.

What they will do with the bottle I don't know. It is half empty (no, not half full) and I certainly didn't keep the beetle. I was so grossed out when it happened that the last thing I though of was bagging it to keep as evidence.

Let's hope I will hear from them before this week is up. I am not overly hopeful, but I will wait and see what happens.

Should I be surprised though? This is South Africa after all – not the best country to expect good Customer Service now is it?

Mommy Meme

Ok, so I haven’t been tagged – but Angel from Angel's Mind did this one and I enjoyed it so much I decided it was one I really wanted to do too.

I am a step mom and I have my own son too – so I am going to do this one on Donny – because he’s the only one I gave birth to. The other two boys will probably feature somewhere too, after all I have been their mom for almost 11 years now…

1. How long have you been a Mom?

In January it will be 9 years. But I have been a step mom to two boys for close to 11 years.

2. How many children call you Mommy?

Three!

3. Girl, boy, or both?

All boys.

4. Did you know what you were having?

Yes, when I was pregnant with Donovan I wanted to know – I’m not good with surprises I know I have to wait for.

5. How old were you when you became a Mom?

I was 25 when I had Donovan, and 22 when I married my instant family.

6. How long were you in labor?

Actually I didn’t even know I was in labour. I had Donovan on the day I had my final check up at my OBGYN. Our car broke down on the way to the doctor and I had to walk to a garage to make a phone call and I suspect that triggered my labour. I was already 2 cm’s dilated when I got to my doctor. Donovan was too long though and his head wasn’t placed nicely in the birth canal. No, it was behind the birth canal so I ended up having a caesarian – and even with that they battled to get him out!! LOL! It was very quick, I was in 16:00 and Donny was born at 16:32.

7. What’s your favorite thing about being a Mom?

I can’t tell you just one thing; I have cried at all the children’s concerts and sports matches. I feel very privileged to be allowed to raise three amazing boys.

8. What’s your least favorite thing?

Having to deal with disobedience, defiance and testing of boundaries.

9. Do you want more kids?

I would LOVE to have one more – but only if there was a 100% fully guaranteed guarantee that it would be a girl. I would so love to have a little girl.

10. Do you plan on having more soon?

Not soon, but sometimes I think that maybe God does have another child planned for us in our future. And sometimes I think it’s just me… LOL!!!

11. How many times have you been pee’d on?

I don’t really remember – probably a few times!

12. Barfed on?

PLENTY!!!!

13. Is your child named after anyone?

Um, no. I wanted him to have his own identity.

14. How did you come up with their name?

I compiled a list of possibilities and then we picked one together.

15. When your child gets in trouble, who is the bad guy?

Sometimes it’s me. And sometimes it’s their dad – it depends on who’s around at the time to handle the “trouble”.

16. What is the longest you have been away from your children?

I went to Bloemfontein once for about 6 days. And my two step sons have been away quite often to visit their mom. Usually it’s the kids who go somewhere, not me.

17. Bedtime routine?

We don’t really have one – each night is different.

18. Are your toes painted?

ALWAYS!!!!

19. Last movie you saw in the theater?

I don’t really go to the theater. We like to get movies to watch at home, it’s more family friendly and comfy. You can have whatever you like to eat and you can stretch out and recline or lie down while watching it too.

21. One thing you did give up now that you’re a mom…

Nothing I can really mention of the top of my head. I love being a mom. And everything we do in life requires some form of sacrifice. And to be a good mom I have made MANY of those.

22. Best Mom perk…

Little letters I find in my bedroom. Unexpected hugs and kisses. And being told I am beautiful when I look my absolute worst!!!

23. Snack, you sneak bites from your child?

I don’t sneak bites, I get given them. Donovan is very generous and shares easily.

24. When the kid is napping, you are…

Napping? That’s not something Donovan EVER did well or much of. He only started to sleep through after 3 years of age and even now his sleep is very restless. He talks and walks in is sleep – frequently!! Napping wasn’t something I got or get much of.

25. Where is your child(ren) now?

They are at school.

26. Favorite place to buy maternity clothes?

I like Woolworths, but I think I only bought one item from there. I bought mostly tracksuit pants and pants with a “draw string” in the top.

27. If I could do it over…

I don’t think I would change anything. I would like to be pregnant again, I loved being pregnant. Again? Anytime! In a heartbeat! But now is not the right time…

28. Did it turn out the way you expected?

Did what turn out the way I expected? My children? The birth? No, none of it turned out the way I had planned or expected. But the rest is in God’s hands. He is in control and I know nothing takes him by surprise. My hope is in the Lord and I pray for children’s futures. I pray for their wives, their careers their studies. And I know that we can overcome anything through Christ. As long as He remains in control – nothing can sink us.