a night in bethlehem

tonight was our ward christmas party - and wow did they go all out!! the theme was a night in bethlehem and our rec hall was decorated to look like a marketplace, with food stalls all about... we entered through the foyer, and paid our tax (a canned item to go to the donation bins our ward has been filling for the christmas appeal) before receiving a bag of coins to buy our dinner. 

we made our costumes that afternoon along with some friends, the boys were the most fun, queen sheets with a neck hole, a hole each side under the arm to thread a belt through - and a piece of cloth and a tie for their heads. us girls were rocking a robe with a belt and a tied headband - and our little ones had pillow cases with neck and arm holes along with a ribbed piece of fabric tied around their waists. easy! maybe we should just rock on back to biblical times, there'd be a whole less worrying about clothes wouldn't there!!

part of the evening was also a nativity play, complete with songs... the highlight was definitely watching some of our friends play the three wise men. they were amazing!

dinner from the stalls was great - biblical style, being served by all these lovely people. what a wonderful idea and so well done! we had turkish bread, beans, fresh fruit, kebabs, icecream (which i am fairly certain didn't exist in biblical times, but you know, maybe i'm wrong...) and were most definitely full - with coins left over!

as you can see from the pictures, everyone got right into it - there were very few people who weren't dressed up to the theme :) was extremely cool, especially all the jokes being thrown at doug for his beard - with people wondering if he had grown it especially for the night... hilarious

each of the stalls looked amazing, i can only imagine how long it took to set up everything up, but i know it was definitely worth the effort! it really helped everyone to get into the spirit of things and imagine christmas that little bit better.

mum and dad this is just for you! old brother nick from our ward sends his love - and of course he had to be the one running the fruit stall - nobody else is nearly as qualified as him to do so. the fruit was perfect and up to the usual standard we would expect from him, and he even gave us some freebies to take home afterwards. his wife put the whole thing together and deserves all the credit... it was incredible. wish you were here to share it with us!!

peter pan

tonight we went to the kalamunda performing arts centre to see my crazy beautiful niece laura play the lead in her school production - peter pan! she tried out for another part and was offered peter - what a legend! it was such a fun night and she did her part so well, plus i am a sucker for a good high school play, i'm not going to lie. there was songs as well - and the cast had the audience well entertained all the way though, especially the young bloke that played the dog (nanna) and the ticking alligator after hooks hand. 

peter pan and wendy caught on the marooners rock as the tide rises steadily 

"to die would be an awfully big adventure..."

us with our girl after the play ended - nonna called from samoa and demanded that we go and buy some flower for the prima donna of the play... (which she loved mum!) it was a great night, and although kalamunda isn't just down the road, i am so glad we went ♥

grandies

i awoke this morning to find this amazing picture of my fathers parents on facebook - taken at my friends parents wedding, many years ago. it was their wedding anniversary today and they had revisited some old pictures, which stirred some amazing memories in me - and then my family as i reposted this photo.

my grandma phyllis was apparently the most amazingly talented singer, with an incredible alto voice. according to everyone i know that ever heard her sing, she was blessed with the "voice of an angel". i like to thing that i got my gift of song from her, and that it would have made her proud when i sang at granddads funeral all those years ago. she passed away when i was just 6 years old, and the only memories i have of her are fleeting at best. one thing is for sure, i cannot wait for the day that i am finally able to sing a duet with her in the next life. 

my grandfather was the most amazing person i have ever known. at 86 he was still going strong, walking to the chapel to clean and just to do whatever he could help. he was funny, slightly quirky, had an amazing sense of humour (for those of you who are blessed enough to know someone scottish, you will understand this!!) and always, always, always had time for me. everything a grandchild could ever need.

i can't wait to see you both again when the day comes x

hayleys backyard bday ❤

my friend hayley and i were born three days apart - and all through school we would whine and moan about how we had so much longer to wait than everyone else because our birthdays are in december (yeah i know, i know, that made no sense at all - we still get one every year, at the same time...) only this year we are turning 30 and hayley decided to throw a party in her backyard, complete with games (twister spray painted into the grass - which i am kicking myself for not getting a picture of, elastics, badminton with bunting for a net...) a candy bar, chocolate fondue, a cotton candy machine - a punch fountain and a slushy machine!! it was supercute and old school cool and we had a blast - especially miss maddie who was spoilt rotten with sugar overload from everyone at the party.

hayley's funky cotton candy machine, which i of course couldn't leave alone until i had worked it out...

ta-dah!!!! :) the only one that worked all night - perhaps i just need more practice...

and the choc fondue, which as you can see, jen clearly decided that the biscuit didn't already have enough sugar on it. 

backyard parties are the bomb and this one was no exception, hayley did a great job!

happy birthday bebe!

pray for the philippines

as i am sure you're all well aware, there has been terrible tragedy in the philippines as the typhoon hit and caused widespread damage. it's easy to sit in my nice comfortable home in australia and feel bad for people there without really realizing what is going on, but once i read this article online the extent of the damage and the issues it has caused really hit home.

when i finished reading (and yes, i know you all know how emotional i get, so when i finished crying my eyes out) i knew it was something i needed to share with all of you. i emailed it to my parents, so far away along with a plea for them to be careful and be safe and then started telling everyone i know about it.

i am so, so incredibly grateful for the power of the gospel - and the promptings of the holy ghost in my life - and the lives of others. the same promptings that lead these missionaries to safety and can lead each of us to safety in our lives each day. i feel so blessed to know that i can and will be lead to safety if i obey the still, small voice when he speaks to me.

(and on a side note - our beautiful friends from our ward whose son is currently serving in the olongapo philippines mission - have already heard that he is in area completely unaffected - and he is safe! thank heavens!!)

please pray for those in the philippines, pray for the people, for those who have loved and lost, but most of all for them to find strength and comfort in their time of need.

new calling!

it's official. i am no longer hanging in the relief society presidency - i have been let loose on the primary children! i am the new music director and i am excited! this past sunday was my third sunday in primary and i have to admit it's a lot of fun. 

we have been learning a song called "picture a christmas" that the kiddies will be singing at the ward christmas party at the end of this month. i had to admit too, that i am so impressed with their efforts that it's not even funny. i swear they should be teaching me the words not the other way around.

i will miss relief society though, i had a ball organising the activities (and of course the swap tables!! ohh swap tables...) and working with the lovely ladies that were by my side through it all. but on to the next challenge i go! ♥  

for the love of joy

i follow so many beautiful, talented and wonderful people on facebook and instagram - and this week had a wonderful surprise when one of my favourites - anna french from for the love of joy announced that everything currently made and stocked in her online store was going to be 40% off until it all sold. she makes quilts and quilted items to pay for her college tuition and being that she is just 4 weeks off graduating, i guess this is the final run for the finish line!

i jumped in with both feet and bought the gorgeous cushion cover and quilt pictured here and am so so stoked with my purchases! cannot wait until they arrive, her stuff is so cute and i am so excited!

i am sure they will look amazing in baby k2's little nursery :)