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Charl bought me an excavation set....with tools and the whole shebang!!
the end result...
a little chinese warrior.....

It's Thursday already.....

I have had a short holiday, and it was GREAT.  Jolandi's birthday was on Saturday and I arranged a nights accommodation at Protea Hotel Fire & Ice .  It was amazing and we were really spoiled.  I really love visiting hotels, you get so spoiled with the beautiful surroundings, the service, the comfort, it feels like a mini-holiday.
My favourite hotels definitely are in the Protea Group - Crystal Towers at the top.
There are so many more that I have not seen yet, but definitely in the near future.
Of course, I unfortunately did not get any time to paint during my holiday, which I really thought I would....but I have a lot of ideas for new canvasses, so  I can't wait to get started.
I end off with a quote on our email signatures for work:
"In this life we cannot do great things.  We can only do small things with great love".....Mother Theresa

Waterverf 2011

Dit voel soos verewig dat ek laas aktief op my blog gewerk het, en dit is omtrent.  Nege maande om presies te wees, en ek wonder waar die tyd heen gevlieg het.  Ek het my besig gehou met waterverf intussen en ek is mal daaroor.  Ek het nog soveel om te leer, en ek toets en verf en dit raak darem beter.  My pogings begin na iets te lyk.  My fotos is nie waffers nie. Ek sukkel nog met die flash en die glas in die raam, daar is alewig 'n dofheid, 'n groot ligkol....maar ek sal dit nog betermaak.

Hierdie fotos moet eenvoudig solank gelaai word vir my vriendin Christina.....anders gaan ek Maandag les opsê want ekt belowe om dit te laai!!  Ek het dit uiteindelik geraam ook nadat ek 'n baie bekostigbare omie ontdek het... So hier is 'n paar geraamde pogings....nog nie finaal nie, en ek sal nog beter fotos neem, hierdie keer in daglig.

Bennie and Steffie gets married!!

Jolandi and Charl
Chet,Eric and myself

Service at waterfall , they were married under proteas and roses

The beautiful bride...

After all the planning and chatting, and the stress and decisions, ...they got married on Saturday. Definitely the most windy day of the week, but the wedding was still absolutely beautiful.

Service and reception was at Cascade Manor in Paarl. Previously on my blog I also mentioned them as we had the HIV/AIDS conference there for the XL group. The service was at the waterfall, and the reception at the manor. Steffie looked absolutely amazing in her lacy wedding gown and beautiful veil. I had a lot of fun, and danced till midnight!!!

It's that time of the year again

I cannot believe it, but yes, it's December again. It feels like a few weeks ago when we planned our Christmas and Langebaan holiday, and now we are here again.

This last year has gone by so fast, I feel I have to get to a complete standstill or I'm not gonna stop spinning soon enough..

So I'm starting to think...what exactly happened this year. Suddenly I just went blank...so what happened this year?? I went to my folders with photos,...so to recap for myself and try to feel more in control:
I attended the ASATA function....got a tummy bug, a bad one, and spent the last day in the hotel bathroom...
I went with friends to Mcgregor for a weekend, and had a blast, and made a new friend.
I stayed in a few hotels on complementaries...Crystal Towers, Coral International
Jolandi turned 31, and I gave her a surprise birthday
My cousin got married in a castle.
Definitely some of the highlights!! So all in all, I think I'm telling myself no matter how much time flies by.....just be sure to make it mean something.

Alexa - Did she have one too many???

This photo made me laugh! I took a photo, ok well, actually several, and afterwards saw she looked as if she had been clubbing..!!! :-)

Very funny!!

Really....she is just sooo sleepy!

Unisa Eksamens / Exams

Right now I am busy with my 2nd semester exams with Unisa, BCom with specialization in Tourism Management.

I am pretty stressed out!!!

But when it's over, I'm celebrating!!!

Troue - Francois & Jacqueline -ByGraceAlone

Die bruid en bruidegom!


Die badkamer
Haar 'dogtertjies' het almal bypassende silwer rokkies, skoentjies, handsakkies, parasol en verewaaier gehad....cute cute cute

Francois en Jacqueline se troue was by een van die mooiste venues wat ek in 'n baie lang tyd beleef het. ByGraceAlone is op die Sinksabrug pad buite George.

Hierdie kasteel, ja letterlik 'n kasteel, was net iets ongelooflik moois om te sien. Jacqueline het absoluut stunning gelyk!

Oom Forrie verjaar!!!

Ons het nou die dag oom Forrie se verjaardag gevier in Langebaan met 'n STUNNING brunch die oggend!!!

Dit was 'n lekker kuier - lekker gesels - lekker lag dag en naweek!!

Jolandi goes 31

On 10 September Jolandi had her 31st birthday. Since her birthday was on a Friday and we planned to go to a wedding the Saturday, there wasn't much planned for her birthday since we had to leave very early the next morning to be on time in George.

But I decided, lets surprise her!!! Her expression was priceless!

Onverwacht - Mcgregor

These are just a few photo's of the "berghuisies" where we stayed recently in Mcgregor on the farm Onverwacht.

Everything you need is there, just bring good company, warm clothes and enough memory in your camera to capture the beautiful moments!

Eseltjiesrus

On the recent visit to Mcgregor we also went to Eseltjiesrus. I have to say that unfortunately our visit there was a little disappointing as I got more information from the brochure I read in the car than from the promised tour. But anyway, Eseltjiesrus is a donkey sanctuary where all old and 'used' donkeys can still get a good life after hard work, and sometimes suffering. They depend on donations to make things work, of this I am sure, as this is really the only useful information we got from our guide.

Nontheless, a donkey is still an animal that just seems to pull people. That almost sad face, almost too long ears. You just feel sorry for them without even knowing what their life was like. And I keep thinking of that old folk song....ooo die donkie , die donkie is 'n wonderlike ding! Cause isn't it just that. Its a wonderful animal, not graceful like a horse, not unique like a Zebra, but wonderful, with a face filled with emotion.

Mcgregor - Bennie Walden's Birthday

This past weekend I spent with a few friends in a georgous place called Mcgregor. Charl's brother , Bennie, had his 25th birthday and we went to stay in the mountains at a place called Onverwacht. It was just beautiful. On Saturday morning the owner came to say hi and bought us a bottle of Mcgregor Muskadel, because of the cold. But with a view like that, a fireplace and good company, who cares about the cold!!! The little houses are equipped with everything you need, and you are literally situated in the mountains. The views are just spectacular. Unfortunately there was a fire in the mountains about a week or two ago, but luckily as we left on Sunday it started raining. So the green will show , and the mountain will bloom . Definitely a place I'm going to visit again.