From our readers

This one is from the lonely scrapbooker.

This one from Julie.

I'm just soooo ,soooo proud of you this year! You learned how to jump in the lake without floaters, you go under water with a mask and you swim for long distances. Wow! I'm just overjoyed and soooo proud...did I mentioned I was proud? My heart is so big with happiness! I feel like crying! Just 6 years old! Wow!

Thanks so much ladies.

You still have tomorrow if you have a LO that you want to submit one.

Fom

Mia's challenge 63.

Title: Just so you know and so that I will never forget... (I used the rub on as my title)

Journaling: You have always seemed older than your age. I keep reminding myself that you are only 7 years old. Don't grow up too fast. Enjoy your life. I love you very much!

Liza's challenge 63.

Sometimes I Wonder

What you are thinking about… How you really feel… If you get tired at times of our daily routine. You are a quiet man, not one to easily talk about how you are feeling at certain times. All I can do is look at you, feel what you might be feeling, and understand what you might be thinking. But I do know that inside of you is a sensitive heart, a man willing to endure lest he might hurt with his words. A heart filled with love for his family. I only wish that you will be more open so others can also know who you truly are. (August ’09)

Cabbie's challenge 63.

Title: a moment of love

journaling:

to my family, I thank god that i have you. I thank God that I was destined to have this kind of life and that you are all part of it. There are no complaints in me, all unconditional love for you all. The sacrifices in my life are nothing compared to the joy I have with you all now. All through the 36 years of my life, there are joys and sorrows but life is worth it because of you, my dear family for what is the meaning of life if not for you?
I ask God to give me the strength to go with life and its trials. I know I can do this because of you. Life is living to the fullest and doing what one's heart desires.

Helen's challenge 63.

Title:- You & me we was like Peas & Carrots

Journalling reads:-

The way I feel about you right this minute is not much different to how I have always felt about you. From the moment I first laid eyes on you I knew that you were the one for me and since then you & I have only ever functioned properly when we have been together. Truly not a day goes by when I don't stop to think about what a beautiful human being you are & how selflessly you strive to give everything you can to your family.

Janis' challenge 63.

Journaling: I lay my card, I lay my heart. I have never loved anyone as I have loved, love, will love you. Should I perish tomorrow, know that my heart will be with you now and forever.

Melissa's challenge 63.

There are few things I leave unsaid because we both learned in our lives that it could be over with no warning. My guys are everything to me, and I am so thankful that God chose me to be the wife and mother of my bunch of boys. Every moment of this journey has been worth the tears, the frustration, the joy, the self doubt.

Lynn's challenge 63.

Journaling reads:

The decisions that I make this summer will change my life forever. I feel so unsure & scared that I'll make the wrong choice. I just need to decide what feels right in my heart.

Shayne's challenge 63.

{God allows us to experience the low points in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way. The way we learn those lessons is not to deny feelings but to find the meanings underlying them. Stanley Lindquist

Cindy's challenge 63.

Cindy made 2 Lo's and thought I should choose, but I think they're both great and am showcasing them both.

Its called Magic.

The title is also the journaling which says

"believe in magic & your dreams will come true"

"Kelsey, What a GREAT moment! To see the fun & joy in your face. You have become so much more serious as you've got older & are starting to worry more and expect perfection in both yourself & others. So it melts my heart to see that the fun, happy kid inside you is still there."

Challenge 63.

This fortnight's challenge is brought to you by the super talented Stephanie Howell.

You can visit her blog here.

Her journaling:

Even if I get frustrated with your temper tantrums, I love you.

Even if I cry when you won’t sleep and I rock you all night, I love you.

Even if your job scares me and I sometimes wish you had a “normal” job, I love you.

Even if I have to take a shower to get a moment of alone time, I love you.

Even if something were ever to happen to me, I love you.

I love you more than I can say. 9/08

Her challenge to us all is to:

journal how you feel in your heart at this very minute.

If you weren't guaranteed tomorrow, what would you want your family to know?

Readers roundup

This one is from Tertia.

Today is your 22nd birthday. It was so nice to have you at home and to be able to sing to you at 6 this morning. You will never know how much it means to us that you wanted to be nowhere else on your birthday. Thank you for allowing me to follow you around with my camera.

When I look at these pictures now, I think of so many things. To other people these may just be a couple of photo's of a silly, beautiful girl, but I see so much more when I look at them.

I see you walk away from me in grade 1. Your pigtails bouncing on your shoulders. You didn't even look back at me once, you were too excited to finally be able to go to 'big school' like your brother and sisters. Little did you know that I cried all the way to my school about my baby that grew up so fast.

I see you cross the line at your first athletics meeting, straight into your daddy's arms. I see him catch you with tears in his eyes. Neither of us could believe that there finally was a little Jacobs that inherited his sporting talent. And didn't you inherit it!!

I see you telling me, hand on the hips, that your teacher was 'stupid'. Why did you have to run over and over, they KNOW you are the fastest! It took you very long to understand why you should train when everything came so easily for you.

I see the tears shoot from your little eyes the day that the Neurologist diagnosed you with Epilepsy. Not because you had Epilepsy, but because he said that you should stop doing sport. He felt so sorry for you that he said you could try to carry on with your sport but you should stop if you had another seizure. Afterward he told me that we should not expect too much from you. Little did he know just how far you would go!

I see you walk away from me the first day of school in grade 6. That day you were just as brave as in grade 1. It was your first day at an English medium school and you saw it as just another adventure that you took on with such enthusiasm.

I can still clearly see you slam the car door after you first Netball practise at St Dominic's, proclaiming that these English girls play like 'fairies'! The teacher had to call you aside and ask you not to throw the ball so hard, because you were 'winding' the girls! I see you refuse to play badly just because they couldn't catch a ball and I can still see how they get better and better until your team beat a few Afrikaans schools.

I see the day you received your South African colours for Water Polo for the first time. I also see how you stayed yourself through it all. I see your friends and team mates follow you, not because they have to, but because they can't help wanting to be near you and to be inspired by you.

I remember the day when one of your friends asked you why you have Epilepsy. You didn't know I heard and I held my breath waiting for the answer. Your answer? God gave me so many talents that He had to make sure that I remember that I am no better than anybody else, that’s why He gave me Epilepsy. I was so proud at that moment. No bitterness, no questioning, just acceptance of something that so many people use as an excuse not to live their lives to the full.

Today you are a grown woman, that gives so much back. I watch you when you play and coach. I see how the girls hang on your every word. I see them blindly trust you and do whatever you ask. I see how other schools approach you with better offers to came and coach at their schools and I hear you tell them: Thank you so much, but I am happy where I am.

In you, my child, I see all the qualities I would love to have: humility, loyalty, perseverance, wisdom way above your years and still... a little girl that hasn't forgotten how to play.

My birthday wish for you my dearest child is that all your dreams will come true and that every child that has the privilege to be coached by you will learn what it is to be a true sports person. I am so proud of everything you have achieved, but more so of the amazing person you are.

One day, when I am big I would love to write a book about you and all the hurdles you had to overcome to achieve what you have and still will.

Love you

Mom

This one is from Chiqui

Journaling: Our eyes feasted on a wide array of beautiful & flamboyant costumes. The parade was a sight to see, we even watched it twice (feb 2009).

Thanks so much for playing along ladies and for sharing your beautiful layouts and journaling with us.

Tracy's challenge 63.

SEE …. the beauty and wonder of our Heavenly Father’s creation in this gorgeous sunset – I have a “thing” for sunrise and sunset – truly Nature’s Splendour …

(pic taken from the window of our car whilst driving on the N3 somewhere in the Free State) Sept 2008

Janis' challenge 62.

Journaling reads:

What you see isn't always what you get. The white light is really a spectrum of various colours unseen by the naked eye.

Facades can be deceiving and should not be used to judge content and worth. Go beyond what you see and discover what lies within.

Lynn's challenge 62.

Journaling ties in with the title, I decided to pick one of the senses rather than do all 5.

My Mum's scarves smell just like her, I used to love holding one of them close to my face when I was younger & it can still give me comfort now when she isn't around.

The Scent of her Scarf...

...is a comfort to me when she can't be there.

Helen's challenge 62.

Title : Steers :It's that good

Journaling reads:- The Details

We are all crazy about Steers! When we first arrived it was always MacDonalds but now nothing beats the good taste of a meaty Steer Burger - not to mention their thick, delicious fries, barbeque sauce & special seasoning. Nov 2008

Serviette from Steers reads : Steers - It's that good.

Printed cardstock strip underneath reads:- Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize that they were the big things - Robert Brault.

Melissa's challenge 62.

We took Ethan & Cameron to their first fireworks show this 4^th. Watching each boy react to a new experience was an amazing treat. We were worried that one or both would cry, but neither did! Ethan enjoyed the show from the start, while CJ was a bit more apprehensive – first hiding under a blanket, but he came around – peeking out to watch & “oooh” & “ahhh” with the rest of us. It was so much fun. 7/4/09

Shayne's challenge 62.

Sandy Days

Journaling:

You love to touch the sand and build sandcastles.

The feel of it on your fingers and toes doesn't bother you at all - until it's time to go and then Hands and feet must be washed clean.

July 09

Mia's challenge 62.

Title: Comfort Food

Journaling:

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going and going and going. And what keeps me going is Coffee Crumble ice cream! The SIGHT of its golden brown cover and the FEEL of its cold container makes my mouth water! I can actually HEAR it call my name! The TASTE and SMELL are just heavenly! :D

Cabbie's challenge 62

title: festival of fun

journaling:

you can hear them chant...
you can see them with their colorful and exotic costumes...

you can touch their bamboo outfit...
but most especially you can smell their passionate ritual in the air!

Cindy's challenge 62.

Journaling says:
"HEAR the wild winds and hammering rain.
FEEL the rumble of the thunder.
SMELL the dampened earth.
SEE the torrential downpour and damage caused by the flooding.
TASTE the fear of being washed away.

Nicole's challenge 62.

Your eyes were absolutely sparkling with excitement as I took you inside your preschool. You couldn't wait to check out the toys and activity centers. It was quiet as we were one of the first to arrive so I was able to grab a couple shots of you and your teacher. The familiar surroundings and smells made it easier for me to let go of your chubby hand as I let you begin your 1st school day.

Challenge 62

5 Senses.
We have them, we use them every day.
The challenge is to do a LO either about a smell, touch, sound, sight or taste.
Otherwise choose one experience where you describe it using all 5 senses in your description/journaling. My example below.

1. Sitting here enjoying the cool of the rocks seeping through my legs, while the sun warmed my back with it's delicious rays. My face sensitive to the fine salt spray on the breeze.
2. The sound of the waves crashing and the seagulls squawking as they swoop and glide on the air currents.
3. The tang of the sea filling my nostrils, so clear and refreshing.
4. So much to admire of God's handy work, the varied blue and grey colours of the sea and sky, the freshly washed white of the foam, the many hues of brown in the rocks.
5. The fish and chips we had for lunch a memory of delicate flavours.