Celebrating 13 Years of Marriage

On the morning of my wedding thirteen years ago, I woke up extremely calm and excited aIl at once. I pinched myself  a couple of times thinking girl you are getting married today, and you leaving your hometown Port Elizabeth to a new life in the big Johannesburg.

 

I left behind my mom and sisters, family and friends and a great church that I was part of for most of my life. Starting over in a foreign place not knowing anyone was very daunting. Nonetheless this was the beginning of great journey that awaited Brandon and I as soon as we said" I do". We literally left it all behind, "Leaving and Cleaving"

A lesson that I learnt early in our marriage was to always stand as one, united no matter what the odds were, we had each other. We did not have much in material things but we had more than enough we had us. We settled well into our new home and soon after that we had to move to Swaziland for 9 months, another adjustment for us, but we made it work. We were determined and focused to build our lives together.

 

I think of the pearls of wisdom I was given at my bridal shower by aunty Mercia, she said you must make your house a home, you as a woman have the power to change the atmosphere the minute you walk into your home just by the tone of your voice, a lesson that stayed with me throughout the years. Young and married was an adventure, we had loads of time together,before the kids came along.

 

We faced challenges, we prayed, we cried, we laughed, through sickness and health, for richer for poorer. We are still learning in this amazing journey called  marriage. When times were hard and family far away ,we found family in friends and still have those people around today. We learnt how to appreciate each other and not take anything for granted.

 

Keeping the communication lines open at all times and forgiving each other quickly keeps the love tank full. Spending time together alone with no kids around is something we invest in, to keep the love alive. I can go on and on but I feel really blessed to have met such a wonderful life partner. We so different and yet we fit. We know it is only by the Grace of God that we are who we are today.

 

Thank you for reading and sharing in our joy, thirteen years and counting !!!

 

 

 

 

Honouring My Mom

Jessica and Jodi, I love this photo display of sisterhood

 

  

Mother's day is a day that gets me all emotional, I think of my own mom who lives in another province and miss her physical presence on days like these. My mom is a very simple woman, she raised me well and did her best with what she knew, I can hear her words ringing in my head "Always treat others the way you would like to be treated, Respect goes a long way". Growing up as a child we were always taught to call our elders by auntie or uncle titles, I still do this today and people sometimes react strangely, I simply do it out of respect as my mom taught me. I teach my girls to do the same.

 

I grew up with my mom and sisters, we did not always have everything and I don't know how my mom did it, but we made it everyday and made the best of what we had. Its amazing how much of my mom I see in myself, the way she talks and prays, they way she loves others has always inspired me to be a better person. She would always make enough food in case another mouth needed to be fed. 

 

Girls twirling love the freedom and innocence

  

As a mom to my two girls I am reminded what my mom taught me and how I can use those fundamentals to teach my own girls. Motherhood does not come with a manual and as a mom I often wonder if I am doing enough, am I doing the right thing, am I exposing my girls to enough life experiences. I can only comfort myself in knowing that I love them unconditionally and want the best for them and trust God to help me be a better mom each day.

 

 

I have many adventures planned in my head and heart for both my girls as I would like to give them opportunities I never had. As far as taking trips Jessica my eldest daughter always says she would like to visit Paris and Jodi my youngest says Mom I want to go to New York, so these girls have vision and I would like to make their dreams a reality someday.

 

I enjoy doing the simple things in life with them, reading a bedtime story, cleaning up together, baking, watching their princess fairy tales stories over and over, massaging each other, shopping and all the girly stuff. My girls are very artistic they love drawing and writing me personal notes, this is one way they express their love. I love watching and listening to how they interact with each other as they say some stuff to each other that makes me think and laugh all at once. I love listening to the way they pray as they just speak their little mind to the Lord,from thanking God for the bugs and praying for people with no food on the street. I treasure these moments and this at the end of the day puts a smile on my face and keeps my heart full. They growing up so fast and before I know it they will be teenagers then adults making their own decisions in life. I don't want to think about that yet ......

 

Enjoy the journey called Motherhood it unravels each day and you don't have to know it all at once, stay in the moment and take it all in. Thank you mom for the lessons your life has taught me and still teaching me today.

 

Wishing all the Moms a Blessed Mother's Day.

 

Thank you for reading, do leave a comment below I would love to hear from you.