20/52

Portraits of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013.

We are going to at least one birthday party a week at the moment.  All Lucy's friends seem to have been born in May, so we are running around having a brilliant time.  This weekend, we were at Connie's party, where the girls bounced and ran around and played with the others, and had their faces painted, which they love.  Hattie is a butterfly fairy princess and Lucy is a scary ballerina witch.  

Thank you to everyone who read my post about my grandmother.  I really appreciate it.  

The words to say it

I have a lot to say at the moment, but not the words.  I had to take a long, sad journey last week, leaving the girls with Simon, and going to be a daughter and a granddaughter again.  It was particularly hard to go back to Ouma's room and see her stuff without her there, knowing that she hadn't just stepped away; I've brought a lot of it back with me, especially fabric and handmade doilies.  I'll make something out of them, or I'll store them, and my children and grandchildren, when the time comes, as it will, can say "Why did Mum keep all this stuff?  What was she going to do with it all?".

The secrets of a long and happy life are simple.  Be positive, be joyful, always maintain your standards - hair, make up, proper shoes and stockings until the end, keep everything, and always carry a hand-embroidered tissue packet and peppermints. 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let your gentleness be known to everyone.  The Lord is near.  Philippians chapter 4, verses 4 - 5

I don't speak any Afrikaans, but I understand a bit, and after the service, I knew the word "vreugde".  Her joy in life was in the Lord, as the dominee said, but, as he didn't say, also in her family.  She was joyful that her daughter was happy, that her grandson had married, that her granddaughter had married, and that she had been able to attend the wedding, and, most importantly from my point of view, that she knew her great-grandchildren.  Lucy and Hattie lit up her life at Easter, and I am so grateful that we were able to make the trip so often.

Be careful what you wish for.  After our holiday, I wanted so desperately to go back; going back, I wanted so desperately to be anywhere else.  She has left a gap in our lives that won't easily be filled, and we will all miss her.  

18/52 & 19/52

I was away last week.  Neither for fun or business, sadly.  So, here are some photos of the girls from the last few weeks, taken by me and by my husband.

Hattie, putting her coat on by herself.

Lucy and Hattie having a picnic outside.  Smile girls, I said, smile.  Silly sausages.

 Lucy and Hattie preparing for a sunny adventure on the Bank Holiday.  I'm sitting in the kitchen on a wet and windy night, wondering where the sunshine went.

Lucy preparing for her ballet exam.  Apparently, it was easy.  

Hattie the kitten, having a great time at a birthday party.

Portraits of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013.

WIP Wednesday

This is my absolutely, absolutely favourite thing I have ever, ever made in my whole entire life.  It is entirely from bits and bobs and leftovers, and I adore it.  It is Hattie's birthday present, and she is already very keen on it, and wants it very much, and keeps asking me when it will be finished.  So no pressure then.  Her birthday is in December, so I'm very much ahead of myself for a change.

It is about half finished, in that it has the half the amount of owls, some of which need eyes, and it still needs a  border, but as it doesn't need to be done for a while, I am putting it on hold for a bit.  Unusually for a crochet project, I'm actually enjoying making it.  

Sorry, yarn and hook nerds, I've no idea what I've used, it's all odds and ends.