O Christmas Tree

Christmas season is upon us all. Merrily we go along now friends. When parents and I happened to be in the same country recently (crazy reality that we seldom are in the same time zone), my mom was showing Asher one of the ornaments I made as a tiny tot. She loves this piece of my childhood, probably because as we all get older there are very few of those tangible pieces remaining. This got me to thinking on a way to preserve such trinkets. I am not going to throw myself headlong into 500 pinterest projects for myself and the kids this holiday season, mainly thanks to a reminder I read here.

Rather, I decided we can do the Jesse Tree Advent devotionals, including the little ornaments for each day; and we can occasionally make new ornaments are artsy things in light of the season. With two boys, almost 10 months and 2 1/2 years old, I have a very small window of time to do such things and have it be enjoyable and productive, sadly I often focus on the productive instead of the enjoyable. 

With my mom's love for childhood ornaments and this desire to do something fun and seasonal with Asher mainly, I decided to recreate one of my first ornaments made as a little person, the Christmas tree.  The best part is that most of us have the construction paper already laying around somewhere with glue and string of some sort. I had to run to Michael's for the glitter and admit that we walked around for 30 minutes looking at other things before I remembered why we had gone there to begin with. Thankfully, we left with ONLY the glitter and not many other items in tow as well. 

I started with tracing the original tree onto fresh green construction paper. 

Next I cut both trees out and followed that by cutting out the ornaments for the trees.

I applied the glue to spots Asher wanted to hang his ornaments and away he went(you could place the dots where you like if the littles are too little to tell you where they would like them). 

Then I applied the glue for the glittery lights or garland, whichever you imagine and Asher helped me sprinkle the glitter (no picture due to mommy needing to hold the glitter so the whole kitchen didn't wind up sparkly).

Finally he went to town on the stars and I punched a hole in the top for the string(anything you have laying around is usable here).

Here's the finished products. 1983 vs. 2013, thirty years requires updating. Asher did both trees as Mason was napping and would've eaten the ornaments rather than placing them anywhere near his tree. I hope you feel inspired with this easy activilty. Have a great day!  

The sound of Christmas

I absolutely love this time of year. Christmas is by far my favorite season, in South Africa and in the U.S. My mom did a great job of making it such a special season and I hope to do the same with my family. One of my traditions is to buy a new CD or several Christmas-themed songs each year to add to our home playlist. I like to start playing it daily mid-November personally, just to get in the mood early. Where ever we may be living at the time, the music of this season does something extra special in my heart. Maybe it is the hope that was placed deep in me years ago that longs for days when there is no more war, pain or suffering. Some songs take me back to my childhood and others point my heart toward what I am truly longing for, my true reason for Hope in this season. The One who made the promise in the first place and gave us reason to hope after everything seemed hopeless, kept His word and made Him flesh.

However you may come to this season, I thought I would share some of my favorite CDs or compilations that I have purchased through the years. While I love chestnuts roasting on an open fire and Jack Frost nipping at the nose of those in cold places, I find I need songs that take my heart back to my true reason for Hope. So here is my list of holiday favorites. I hope you enjoy ;)

Bebo Norman: Christmas

Come, Let Us Adore Him: Compilation

Shane & Shane: Glory in the Highest

Phil Wickham: Songs for Christmas

Jars of Clay: Drummer Boy



Sara Groves : O Holy Night

Upon searching for links to these CDs I discovered a myriad of Christmas albums that I think would also help our hearts in this season. Here some new ones I am adding to my wish list for future Christmas albums :)

Christmas Album Wish List: 

Glory in the Highest(Chris Tomlin)

Hope for all the world(Phillips, Craig & Dean)

Christmas in Diverse City(Toby Mac)

Christmas All Around Us (Various Artists)

Bethlehem (Kari Jobe)

Taking My South African Husband to my Texan roots

Thanks to technology, satellites and google, last Saturday night I was able to show my husband the house and neighborhood I grew up in. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. I have told him stories of growing up in Houston, Texas and how much I loved those early years of my life there. I told tales of bike riding adventures to and from the neighborhood pool and the local 7-11. This was in the '80s when things were simpler and we were all vastly unaware of the innumerable dangers waiting outside your front door. Thankfully summer days and weekends were spent riding your red schwinn as fast as possible down to the pool and spending most of the day getting major sunburns and chlorine soaked bodies. I loved every minute of it. I showed him the park we used to play in and even the house where the bubble boy lived. Without leaving my parents condo in Atlanta, Georgia, we were able to travel nearly 830 miles to see my childhood home. What a great and inexpensive adventure we took. Somehow being able to show him those things brought happiness to my heart that night. 

Have you ever wished you could show the people you love the place you used to call home? Try it out on a date night; what a great way to have a deeper conversation with those you love. 

Keeping the boy busy

I am always trying to keep Asher(28 months on the 28th) busy so he doesn't become destructive in my parents house( one lamp has already been injured). I came across this idea on Pinterest(always a life saver) and tweaked it a tad for our traveling purposes. Here is the blog it is from originally:

http://walkersinc.blogspot.com/2012/08/quiet-book-update.html?m=1

My tweaks: put the laminated pages in a binder for easy transport

 

Put all the stick on pieces in ziplocs

Using prestick(sticky stuff) instead of Velcro(tried it but it was too strong for the laminated pages) or magnets.

Also added pages for random coloring at the back.

Asher is a fan and therefore so am I. Hope you find it helpful.

Fun in Atlanta...so far.

Our trip to the states this time around has been different from our last visit. Last time it was just Jeff and myself and this time we have three little people in tow(two littles and one teenager actually). This time our visit has mainly involved the condo that my parents have in Buckhead. Here are some shots of the boys enjoying life so far.

Asher enjoying one of my childhood favorites 

 

Watching some Wimbeldon

Some brotherly love or smothering depending on who you are here.

The littlest Viljoen

I cannot believe he has been with us for two months already. So grateful and blessed with Mason Viljoen.

Two years!

Yes, I have been on blog hiatus since I had our second son, Mason. Yes, I will post some lovely pictures of Mason in the next post. This post, however is about the two big kids, Casey and Asher. Casey turned 15 last week Wednesday and Asher turned 2 last week Thursday. Whew. Let's just say March is not easy on the checkbook.

Casey chose to go ice skating for her birthday and we chose for Asher to have a Mickey Mouse party to celebrate his two years of life. We also included his cousin Kiki on the birthday fun as she turned 2 only two days before Asher. Crazy!! Here are some of the fun pics from the time Saturday.

I decided to get some fun decor off of etsy for the party, which you can find here. I also got personalized shirt iron-ons for the birthday babies, also from etsy, here.

Casey & Kiki

Mom & Ash man

Family picture(Aunt Stephy is holding Mason)

Ordered the cake, will use her again. Yummy!

Birthday boy!

Dad & Ash man

Already a driver

Asher's latest escapades includes an obsession with driving. He will gladly hop into anyone's car to drive it for them. I have caught him on his daddy's lap several times, in other friends cars and lately our kombi is his main preference. He hops up into the driver's seat and starts steering the steering wheel, flicking the brights on and off and trying to change gears. Our kombi is thankfully parked at the back of our garage so there is no danger in him playing with it, other than running the battery slowly down perhaps. He sometimes likes to take Mickey Mouse with him on his adventures. Always, when I ask where he is going the answer is the same-"home." Yes my baby, indeed we are going home, slowly but surely. Asher is driving the bus, anyone wanna hop on?

One Thousand things to be thankful for

My mom recommended this book to me a while ago(over a year ago I think). As with most things moms recommend, I filed it away in my brain and forgot about it. Why do we do that? I know my kids will do that too. Sorry mom for doing that. You have much wisdom to bestow on me. Another friend actually passed it on to me late last year after she finished it as well. The book is One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I am sure most of the planet has heard of it by now, the western half anyhow. I went to Ann's website and can tell it has been a hit because you can get the journal, the app, the book, etc., etc.

The thing I really am enjoying about this book is the simplicity with which she tackles subjects like suffering, thankfulness, experiencing God's presence; to name a few. She uses personal life examples on each chapter subject she engages and brings it back to God's word in a unique way.  If you haven't picked it up yet, then get yourself a copy. I put it in my Amazon list to the right so you can click and choose how you would like to get it. I am sure it is in your local Christian book store( I did see a bunch of copies at CUM here in Jozi). You can also check her website out here. She posts things on her blog a few times a week as well. Always encouraging and fresh words when I often need them most. Enjoy!

3 1/2 Weeks

This is the amount of time until the official due date of our second son. We have two other kids, Casey-our nearly 15 year old cousin/daughter who God gifted to us in a very unique way and then Asher-our first son who is 21 months(will be nearly two when his brother joins us).

About a month ago, I attended the baby shower of my dear friend Chandre(pictured below), who God gave me the privilege of mentoring(discipling) through her university life. Sidenote: I am so blessed to have walked with her as well through dating, marriage and now starting a family with her husband Mike. You don't get many opportunities like that in life.

 

Chandre is due two weeks after me, but to look at this picture you would think I was months ahead of her. We laugh about the comments people make to pregnant women. My husband recently asked me this question...why do I get so big in my belly? I can assure you I am bigger now than in this photograph and on two occasions have been asked if I am carrying twins. Let me take this moment to tell you how I answered my husband who is an amazing man and great husband and father, by the way. "God made me 5'2" and unless we want my internal organs to disappear completely, there is a small amount of space my babies have to work with in the womb. This is just the way it is for me and every woman is different." So, for all my preggie friends out there, do not fret or worry over how you look in the mirror or to the world. You have a miraculous gift from God growing inside of you, one that many women would love to have growing in them as well...and to answer that common question-no I am not carrying twins :), just one.

2013!!