Celebration, Celebration, Celebration! – 10 November – 04 December 2016

Just to get it out the way this post has not been sponsored by any of the establishments mentioned.

As the title says, our family has recently had 3 celebrations, all in the space of a couple of weeks!!!!

It was JP’s birthdays on 10 November. He turned 29 (he is feeling very old LOL so we are saying this in a whisper) It was our 8th wedding anniversary on 26 November and it was my 28th birthday on 4 December.

Now as you can imagine if we had to celebrate each of these separately it would be a budget’s worst nightmare! So what we do as a family is combine the 3 occasions and have one joyous family celebration.

My lovely mom, who I treasure more than she knows….. treated us to lunch at Burgerbox Roadhouse on our anniversary as an extra celebration that we didn’t expect. It was so good. Thanks mom ❤

Tiara; Mom; Taigen – Nana with her “special treasures” 

JP & Jarryd; Jarryd & Mom

Me and my world – Tiara, Taigen & JP

Pulling faces & Playing Peek-A-Boo

This year we went to Billy G’s at Silverstar Casino for dinner. It was quite fabulous! It’s a buffet restaurant so you can imagine, we left with VERY full tummies! We had sushi, some sort of beef stew, shrimps, salads and delicious pudding. It was definitely an enjoyable meal , and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a meal that can cater for the undecided LOL! And as a bonus, there is a pensioners price, children 6 years or younger eat for FREE and if you go on your birthday (remember to take your ID as proof) your meal is on the house! There is one little catch, you have to book!!!!! At least a week in advance because they fill up really quickly!

While we were there we took some photos. There is an open area in the middle of the food court with water features that are beautiful, especially at night because they light up in different colours. They also had a man-made “beach” there for the kids to play in as part of their holiday program.

From left to right: Me & Mom; Mom;  Jarryd and Mom

Tiara and Taigen by the fountains

JP & Jarryd brothers….. in law

Taigen – Always the joker; Tiara – Always the poser;

Two completely different little spirits, love them for their uniqueness 

Beautiful fountains of light and JP as can only be expected, running through them getting wet!

My whole world, wrapped up in 4 people ❤

When all is said and done I am so grateful! Grateful for my own life, grateful for my husband that I can share my life with and build one together, grateful for my children even when they drive me insane, grateful for my mom (and my late dad 😦 ) for all the joy and opportunities they have made possible for me and that they are STILL there, 28 years later, to support and help where they can. I love you guys eternally, through thick and thin! Thank you for loving me!

Dance like no one is watching – 12 July 2016

When last did you pump up the volume and let your hair completely down to one of your favorite dance songs? I don’t know about you, but for me, doing that every now and then allows me to put aside the weight of the life you carry around daily. For me, it puts me into a momentary bubble where everything is just great and I can let off any steam through happy, sometimes wild, movements.

Dancing has been a part of human culture for centuries, we have used it as a form of celebration, as part of rituals, and then in social gatherings as a way to relax.

Today on the way home Taigen asked me to play his current favorite song from my phone, from the moment the music started he didn’t stop moving, his hands were waving, his head was bopping, his legs were flapping, his whole body, in fact, was just one big movement! He loved it, and so did I!

As I watched him just enjoy himself this thought came to me, he didn’t care how he looked or who saw him, he had no concern for other people’s opinions about him, he loved the music and he showed it.

I want to relate this to each one of us. You are born as a unique individual, your own characteristics, your own personality even your own likes and dislikes, but as you get older society will try to conform you, shape your ideas into something “they” deem as acceptable. You will be bombarded by adverts portraying “beauty”, people will tell you left, right and center how to act and at times even try change how you think.

Having said that I want to emphasize two things:

1. Find out who you are! Own it! And then love it!

Make it a journey, make it a personal one! Take the time to think about yourself. What do you like? What don’t you enjoy? Where are your strengths? What aspects could you improve on? Answer these questions honestly and without haste. Do this exercise without considering what anyone else may think. Once you have done this sit back and take a look at the observations you have made, do they leave you feeling comfortable? Where necessary, make some changes, but ultimately you need to own yourself and more importantly, you need to love yourself!

2. Surround yourself with good

It is not only impossible to escape the influences around us but it is also necessary that we have these influences (Book of Mormon – 2 Nephi 2:16). So, we can’t escape them, what now? I want to share a passage of scripture that I love, and that can be used to guide you when faced with a choice. It is found in the Book of Mormon, in Moroni chapter 7.

“For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know god from evil: wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent for by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one;”Moroni 7:16-17

Now it is up to you to surround yourself with things that influence you to do good, things that uplift and encourage rather than belittle and tear down. Become aware of the books you read, the movies you watch, and the company you keep.

Today I was taught a profound life lesson by a 2-year-old! A lesson I had been taught before but reminded of while enjoying my carefree little monkey dance like no one was watching, that I am grateful for!

 

 

 

 

 

Time out! 07 July 2016

Today was one of those days! A two-year-old that is over tired, still wants to be completely independent, doesn’t quite know what he wants and is still trying to master the art of speech!

I completely get the importance of discipline especially for a young one that is trying to establish his/her limitations with you but I have always been opposed to disciplines such as smacking and grounding, for my children I use the time out concept, they sit in a designated spot in the house (preferably a boring one) and they stay there for a set amount of time (one minute per year in age) and they have no interaction with anyone else in the home, once the allotted time is up I explain to my child what they did that got them into time out and then they apologise to me and to anyone else they may have affected. At first this takes some time, and a lot of patience from mom (or dad), to be an effective form of discipline but it does eventually get there.

There are a few things I enjoy about this form of discipline: there is no shouting, screaming, raising your voice or burning hands afterwards, it is calm, assertive and controlled. You don’t respond to your child in anger, that way you are showing them respect and you are teaching them that it’s not necessary to “loose it” when you are unhappy about something, we are well acquainted with the logic that children learn more from your example than they do from your words. This brief period of separation allows both you and the child to calm down, gather thoughts and restore peace as it were.

I must admit although i am a firm believer in this concept, both my children have had the occasional smack on the bottom when their behaviour was completely unacceptable but I have found that the need for those are minimized because, even at the tender age of two, they understand where the boundaries are and that there will be a consequence for their actions.

Today I am thankful for “time-out’s” for the peace, respect, and reflection it brings to me and my children.

Congratulations! You are a mom.

Lately, I have been contemplating the huge responsibility I have as a parent, apart from the obvious daily needs a child has like food, shelter and clothes every child has emotional, spiritual and social needs too. The majority of children grow up to become adults naturally, they are the next generation! You and I as parent’s play a vital role in the kind of adults they will be.

Now before I stir up the hornet’s nest i am not saying that every bad decision your child makes is on the parents head, every person has been given the gift of agency (the ability to act for themselves) but I personally believe that the kind of decision-making skills an adult has is directly linked to the foundation that they had at home as a child.

Let me bring this into a personal context; I have the privilege and responsibility of raising two beautiful people, Tiara and Taigen.

Tiara although only six at the moment has the divine potential of being a mother herself, she has the potential to be a wife and with those things comes a whole list of things she will be required to do. She will need to be a homemaker, she will need to be a teacher, she needs to be patient, non-judgemental, trustworthy, selfless, she needs to be wise.

Taigen has the potential to be a dad, a husband, a provider. Taigen will hold the priesthood. He will need traits like diligence, a level-head, discipline, he also needs to learn how to be a hard-worker.

    

Picture quotes from a talk given by Elder Jeffery R Holland in the October 2015 General conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titled: Behold Thy Mother

“The Family: A Proclamation to the world” says it perfectly, its says “Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.””By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible fo the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.”

The Family: A Proclamation to the world

When I think about it I really feel the weight of the title of mother that I carry. Tiara will be a mom herself and Taigen a priesthood holder. How does one not feel completely overwhelmed and inadequate to carry that title? This is why i am so very thankful to my Heavenly Father for providing me with teaching aids in the form of Family Home Evenings, scriptures, messages from living prophets and apostles, church magazines and the programs of the church like primary and young men/women but above all else i am thankful that He has given me the Holy Ghost to be my constant companion through whom I can receive revelation, get answers to my prayers and lead, guide and walk beside His beloved spirit children while in their mortal journey and one day return have them return to live in His presence for all eternity.
Becoming a mother has given me such a deep appreciation for the women I call mom. Only the angels know everything she has done and still does for me. Her love, dedication and sacrifice knows no end. Thank-you doesn’t even begin to justify the reward she deserves. I love you mom for who you are and who you helped me become.

Photo: My angle of a Mom, Jeanne Sharon (Webster) Andrews and my dad, William Andrews, my best friend and pillar of strength (I love this photo of the two of them) 

I hope and pray that I am able to be the kind of mother to my children that my Father in heaven would smile upon, a role model for good in their lives and a person that they can rely on in any situation and ultimately be the best mom I can be for them and what they need.

 

 

My life, my story!

I was prompted to keep a record of my life last night and this is the way I have decided to use.

A journal is a wonderful thing, it is something that you can reflect back on and see how you have grown and changed, it is something that you can learn from and preserve precious moments in time, it will be a way for your family to get to know you long after you have left this mortal life.

I hope this will be beneficial and uplifting to me and all those who take the time to read it.

Who am I?

• I am a daughter of God!

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was baptized on Saturday,04 March 2000. I was sealed for time and all eternity to my parents on 05 March 2001 and then sealed to my children 31 January 2015. These truths bring me more comfort and peace than any other knowledge I have. Come what may, my family will continue on  into the eternities.

Through the years of my membership I was shaken and tossed in my testimony of the truth, it was always there just dimmed for a  period. My conversion came gradually, my testimony grew stronger with time as I repented and applied the principles that I had been taught in my youth more fully.

My testimony and conversion continues to increase daily as I live the gospel. I am a long shot from perfect in anything but the Lord & my Saviour loves me anyway and that is something i am eternally grateful for.

Through all my days, in happiness, trials, sorrows and worries one thing I know for sure is that God lives, He loves me individually and that He literally is my Heavenly Father.

Photo: South Africa, Johannesburg Temple. 5a Jubilee Road, Parktown, Johannesburg

• I am a mother!

20 August 2009 @ 00:55am….. The moment in time my life changed forever! I became a mother. I was blessed with a perfect little girl. We named her Tiara. A princess indeed straight from the loving arms of our Father in heaven. She was the start of my “firsts”, what a learning experience it has been and still is! One I wouldn’t exchange for anything.

26 September 2013 @ 00:50am….. A son, my son, mommies boy entered into his mortal existence. His name? Taigen! How I chose it? I don’t really know, I just liked the name.

As both my angels grow I am amazed how different they are. Tiara is gentle, Taigen is boisterous. Taigen is selfless, Tiara makes sure she is OK first. Tiara is dramatic, Taigen is care-free. Taigen loves to help with everything, Tiara…not so much. The list can go on and on but their uniqueness is exactly as it should be. I love them more than words can describe.

Photo: Tiara, 6 years old (bottom left); Me, 27 years old (top middle); Taigen, 2 years old (bottom right)

• I am a daughter & sister!

I was born to two of the most incredible parents, William Andrews and Jeanne Sharon (Webster) Andrews. I cannot think of two individuals that have done more for me than my wonderful mom and dad, they have loved me unconditionally (which I think must have been near impossible at times, sorry!) they have gone without to make sure I had the best they were able to provide. I love them with all my heart.

When I was 5 and a half years old on May 30, 1995, I became a big sister! My brother was born, Jarryd Stephen Andrews. He was tiny! Over the years Jarryd and I haven’t exactly been the closest of siblings but I am so grateful that we all have the ability to change because now I can say I love my brother, I can look at him and be proud of the man he is becoming. He is a good person that has great potential and I am certain that he will reach that potential and magnify his calling on earth.

Photo from left to right: Mom, Jeanne, 52 years old; Me, 27 years old; brother, Jarryd, 22 years old.

• I am a friend!

I have been fortunate to have a constant circle of friends through the different stages of my life, the circle might not have been the biggest but I can say that they were all genuine, another thing to be grateful for, how many people can say without a doubt that they have friends that will be there in happy times and then be there to bear you up in times of doubt. The list is way too long to mentioned them all by name, but you know who you are, THANK YOU!!!!

While I have had this blessing in my life at all times I feel a responsibility to also be that friend to others. I hope that when I am remembered those will be fond memories and that I can be counted as a “genuine friend” to those people.

Photo: Austen Gordon, 19 years old (bottom left); Bongiwe Mtsweni, 18 years old (bottom right); Me, 18 years old (top left); Olivia Gordon, 17 years old (top right)