Once again I was rapped over the knuckles for not blogging enough and so I thought I had better get a move on...and so here is another quick catch up post for those of you who have wondered what we have been up to. These pics are not extensive, but simply cover the events that I had captured on camera, and sorry to say, but there really isn't much here at all...I haven't even taken a picture this whole year!!

Anyway, I'll start off with this get youth get together at Jacque, Claire and Douglas's home (a new family in our church). Why were we invited you might ask, we simply because we're cool :-)

The girls enjoyed dressing up, and so here, Goldilocks and...I don't know...who is that???

Then, just a quick pic of Sugar sleeping on the couch...please notice his feet hanging off the edge...completely in his element!

We did our first official 'Jesse' tree, which we have renamed the 'Redeemer Tree' or 'Tree of Life'. Even though it was a bit of a last minute thing, we enjoyed making the little symbol ornaments from 'Bendaroos' which by the way are really cool, and also going through all the Scripture verses in our family worship times. It's just so wonderful to focus on Christ throughout the Bible at this time and to show the children the unity of God's Word.

Here are some of our ornaments - The tree itself symbolising the 'Tree of Life', the angels, obviously picturing the host of angels telling of the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world, the lights, showing that Jesus is the light of the world, the gold showing the Kingship of Christ, the pinecones, symbolising the seed of Abraham...and then the actual made ornament, the dove, symbolising the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters at Creation, and Creation itself.

The ram, symbolizing Jesus, through the story of Abraham and Isaac, when God provided the ram in Isaac's place - just as Christ was sacrificed in our place and took God's wrath in our place.

Then of course the rainbow, focusing on the flood, where only eight people were saved in the ark - also symbolising Jesus. Whoever is in Jesus will be saved, and then the rainbow pointing us to God's faithfulnes in keeping His promises and also pointing us to a time when God's judgement will fall upon this world again, this time with fire...

We really enjoyed all the symbols we have of Christ in the Scriptures and look forward to many more Christ-focused Christmases in our home. Praise God for the precious gift of His Son to save a wretch like me!

Christmas Eve and Christmas day were spent with Glen's grandparents in Viljoenskroon, in the Orange Free State. It was really hot there, but we had a good time, opening gifts and eating good food...we even had some opportunity to share Christ with some of the family....

All in all a lovely Christmas, and the New Year was spent at church with church family. What a blessing! We sang songs, listened to God's Word being preached and fellowshipped until the strike of midnight. Thankfully it was raining and so the fireworks were very minimal. Not so good for those who were waiting for a spectacular show...but good for Bonnie and Clyde who just hate those frightening sounds.

And so I have come to the end of this year of blogging, and will hopefully be more diligent in this year ahead. I wonder what God has got planned for us this year!