Scrolling back on a social life..

 

I had one of those moments last night.. I looked back on my photo stream (photos posted and just on my laptop), and I thought wow. We have fun. And we are blessed.

Even the small moments (before school, dinner, laughing at a dance, at a party with friends) or the big moments (first days at school, birthdays, concerts).. I am loving out life.

We are also quickly outgrowing our small 'limbo' phase that we had staying with my parents. I appreciate everything they do, and we get a long great which makes living here easy.. but I miss our routines, our own furniture, my own way of doing things. And most of all.. with all our shopping for the 'new house'.. we are quickly outgrowing the storage and space we have! :)

 

Booked off..

I won't make any excuses, or promises this time around! I have blogged in my head hundreds of times in the last few months.. but to actually put pen to paper never happened.

I'll give it to 2013 - so far so good. New (not so new anymore) job is going good. Love the work (not so much some of the happenings at said office, but there are perks that make up for any small inconvenience. One thing I can't stand is constant gossip. Especially since we are a small office.. it is like poison.

Studies are going. I am almost done with my short course (two more assignments to go). I let myself down a bit by doing a lot of the work last minute. I start off each week being so sure that this week I will start earlier. Only to start late again.

Life has been good.. one of the last pieces that need to fall into place for this year is a new house. I have been looking, but just as with my blogging.. time is seems to fly and I have not found that perfect place at the right price. I have been living my parents since last year when the place I was renting was sold. Then everything else happened, so when I did move in with them it was actually a good thing. But I can tell we are all over it now (me.. and the kids). And I am sure my mom and dad as well. We take up almost all of their house!

I will do a little catch up post now.. I have some time (I'm booked off sick for two days!).

Time and Life..

It feels like I blinked my eyes.. and I missed so many days (posts)...

But do not worry. I'm back and I have many prepared.. And all order should be restored by this Friday.

A few things happened at once..

(1) School started again after a very nice holiday (my own, and a long one with my 3).
(2) A new job. Finally I am out of my comfort zone and exactly where I want to be.. more details on this later!
(3) And ah, yes. Life. Every day I think I DO have time, something unexpected (and very nice) happens in real life. I'll do a catch up "Great things in the missing month" and you will see.

One of the biggest obstacles was the fact that I sent my personal (new) laptop in to fix the screen.. all my photos and personal notes are on there. Backed up yes, but I prefer working through my own albums and posting. I kind of (first in my life) closed my laptop with a shiny new earring still on it..

So watch this space... A few big things coming up. Moving again. Work. And a few zingers!

Cape Town and Rise Against..

 



8 July 2012 I turned 30 and was gifted a ticket to Cape Town. I have not been there since about 2001.. and I really wanted to go (and I was quite vocal about it). Then yes, life happened giving me an excuse every time why I could not. Until they finally convinced me in a group Skype effort to just go in March. My brother had a ticket for me to Ramfest.. so what was my excuse. So I went. And I loved. Cape Town. Ramfest. Rise Against. Road Trip and just everything. Right down to the dash to the airport from the V&A Waterfront! Sadly (or gladly) we made the flight.. And I was back in Gauteng on Tuesday..

 

Starting with a neighbourhood lunch at the Sidewalk Cafe. This place was perfect - window seats, quirky houses, food and wine with a view.

 

 

After lunch at Sidewalk Cafe, we went to V&A for the cliche Coke pose and a beer at the waterfront. Then came the good part - road tripping 170km to the farm where the music festival was being held. Perfect blue skies, beach scenes. And posing on Chapmans with the sea as a background (picture with my younger brother). 

 

We got to the music festival at around 17:30. Just in time to see the perfect sunset over the mountains. And what a happy group of people. I am over sandy music festival camping - but they did it all perfect. Food galore (pizza, hamburgers, vegan, braais etc), no queue bars, four stages, and Rise Against. I won't lie and say that I have loved this band for all eternity, but I have loved them since my brother sent me the exact song I needed to hear and the exact right moment. That was in the mid 2011/12. I've known the band, but then I started loving. And their concert was everything I wanted. I paced myself throughout the day and night to be sober enough to enjoy, and this left me not on the level of crazy of some of the other festival goers, but (huge BUT). I was able to enjoy the band and the songs. And yes, there was a tad of emotion. Who would have predicted that!

 



/

After the festival we drove back to Cape Town.. and stopped at Hermanus. Initially I believe it was for breakfast but we only ended up leaving after 16:00. Perfect.

 

Monday it was me. The city of Cape Town and a car. I started on top of the mountain. I went to Hout Bay, Camps Bay. Drove along the coast with my windows opened. And just took it all in. 

Do I wish I could have been there longer? YES! Did I almost change my ticket to the next day? YES (just a moment after checking in while walking along the waterfront). But I loved every second.

And I got to come home to a new job and my 3 with all smiles and hugs. Planning our next trip. Next time I will not just pack my shoes with plans to clim Lions Head. I will do it.

The "Ask for less, not nothing" plan.

Wine in 2012. I have always loved the odd social glass of wine. I'm a "Long hot day, beautiful summer day, sunset outside with the kids playing on the curb and me chatting to the neighbours" kind of wine drinker. Living alone a bottle of Odd Bins  from Checkers lasted me more than a week.

Enter 2012. I moved in to my parents (my old family home) sometime in March 2012. I was hoping for a temporary stop over after our rental sold, but ended up being the best place to be with all the life that has happened to me and us the last 3 odd months (car crashes, hospital stays, scans, threats of health and death, you get the drift).

But back to wine, as I do not like whine. My family home is warm, friendly, open. There is multiple braais, long chats around the table. AdventuresBoth my parents are just at home and outside, sport people (sport watching for my dad, actual sport for my mom). This includes wine. And I will not go on the defensive, as I see all the posts. All the comments. And I know most people crack open a beer, stop at a pub, buy wine when travelling farms etc etc. But I have never in my life just did this almost daily wine drinking. And for a while it was fun (OK it still is) but if I am serious about health and fitness some cuts have to be made.

Now back to my genius plan. I know the festive season is not the best time to cut out all things alcohol. But I also can't wait until January. So I thought it is easier to go for healthier eating (easy when out being active with the 3), running more (aiming for at least 3 - 4 times a week, AT LEAST), then the wine. No more daily wine, but if I feel like it was a long deserving day, or if I am sitting somewhere on a mountain top overlooking nature, or around a festive table, saying no would be hard. But I can say less.

I know my plan sounds full of holes. But my mind is set and my heart strong. And I know me. Watch this space.

The blog. My life. Act 3, Scene 1.

You think.

Let me start a blog. I figured that it will take a while to decide exactly what direction to focus on. Without a doubt there would have been kids that filtered through if I decided to just do a “me” blog. But I wanted a space just share our adventures. Our life remembered. I have never been great with actual pen and paper memories, but I can update random thoughts online…

So who would have figured that even my life, as unplanned as it was, would just take that curve ball called, I guess life.

So while I want to just share, I do sometimes pause and wonder how much I want to share and how much whoever reads this wants to hear. I am sure I can do a real nail biter of a blog, all nitty gritty, stress about finances, work, kids, family fights, drama that I did not invite, weight, dreams. I could throw my hand to my brow and give you that.

But this is how my mind works. I take a step back. I think and see the good (there always is with the three). Do I have panicked moments? You bet. These are normally saved for some poor bugger who asks if I want sugar or if I have triplets or explains where to park. And then gets my life story when a simple yes and no answer would have sufficed.

So for now, my blog will continue as is. I will however add the following exciting feature pieces, because I thought I might as well go big or go home (in this case: do some of it publically so I have less of a chance of chickening out).

·         Finally reach all those last goals I set for myself to get fit again. I need to be the best me and the best mom for my 3 (now more than ever). There is no halfway any more about this.

·         Job and career. I need this more than ever for myself. I would love to just have a great life for us. No more stop starts.

·         No prizes for guessing the last one: Love. And dating. And all the fluffy stuff that comes with it.

I want control back. I’ve had it for so long, yet life has now dealt me cards that make people believe they should take over. I’m 30 and have never done one thing to break trust in me. So feeling this way now, I hate it. Fights over who gets control over the estate. Who decides what... I don’t even know where these things come from. And I want it out of my life. Out of our life... I want no part of it. I just want to continue.

So back to the plan: Nothing much will change. I just wanted to heads up that there will be more day to day adventures, but expect a dash of more real. With all of the love and fun, as always.

Even if it just for my own peace of mind. Putting things out there makes it all feel OK.

 

Hope this makes as much sense to you as it does to me.

Just one picture, one huge thank you. And love.

We said our goodbyes today, and typing with emotions still so raw is rough. But I stand back. Amazed at our support. My friends. My family. My brothers. My parents.. my three. I can only but echo the same words over and over... oh wow. wow.

No words can express all my thanks. Evey message, laugh (yes), cry, awkward moment, hug, message, email, facebook like. Every call. Every offer. Every coffee. All of it.

I know we have had a great life until this. And I know we will have the best ahead. We will aways remember. We will always save a bit of our heart for him. I will make sure they remember.

But I, in my believe and love, know that there is more. Oh so much more. And I will be there.

Who likes Mondays anyway eh? Tuesdays. Sounds just perfect for a new chapter.

Can I say thank you one more time? Thank you. And love. And thanks.

Our adventure has but just started. And one day at a time. One conversation and one everything at a time. That is what life is all about.

Love.

Looking back and moving forward. The checklist.

Review time. A while ago, I made an attempt to “be the best 30 year old” I can be. So now I am 3 months in on my journey. I had a list of things I wanted to do and be. Some need revision. Some need a tick. Some I will ignore today.

Three good reasons to be happy..

I can look at everything in my life (and by any stretch things have not gone according to the book).. and then I look down (yes and up), but down at the three people that fill every part of my life. And I have no reason to be sad. (Side note: I do live a balanced life, so I do normally look sideways at the  friends and family and books and wine and coffee and work and movies etc that fill my life, but I said three reasons). So as always, without further ado, a photo post of the last three odd weeks. Highlights only. Facebook , Instagram and Twitter will fill the gap :)

Crash, boom, bang..

It's been a while. My one rule in life is to try and keep off social media when you have a bad day or moment. Something about saying things you will regret. Don't ask me, I'm not a expert.

One thing I now know is that I should have done this more. Just write. Just think. Because when life happens, boy does it happen. I'm talking about the stuff movies are made of. Or in this case, my life these last two weeks. Popcorn ready?

I blame the internet. Sit tight.

Guess there can be many reasons why I have not blogged. Life being one. Work another, oh and the etc. But lately I kind of blame the internet.

And thanks to the Olympic opening ceremony, I know who started it..

Since I have not blogged in a while - I thought some randomness would be appropiate. So this is a guy who I think looks hot..

Twitter and Me

It is no secret that I like Twitter. I like it like I love Saturdays and flowers. For me it is more than staying up to date with breaking news, chatting with strangers and tweeting my random thoughts and bad jokes. The truth is much sadder tale.

As all tales starts, mine starts with once upon a time...  In a house just up the hill, there lived a girl that had another adult in the house. For the sake of the tale, let’s call him X… Now the girl and the X was happy. They were happy until they got married that is.  Pretty soon they had three beautiful princesses that lived with them. But Mr. X changed and was never at home. The fairytale ended and the party started. Four girls in one house, well that can only mean fun. Dressing up, make-up, reading and watching girly movies while sipping tea. Skipping the sunset and horses, we fast forward back to my topic.

Life happened and happens..

I am cautiously and optimistically happy about finding a new job. I've had my fair share of dead ends, too good to be's and broken promises. So I'm still not pinching myself of sharing for all the world until I'm convinced. Now if only my mom would listen..

Time and space and randomness

I can't believe it's been days since I blogged. Sound like a confessional to me. It hasn't been for my lack of trying that is for sure. Seems sometimes even people with "all the time in the world" can't manage to fit it all in to 12 odd hours.