The Last Op Shop Post for 2010

Last week Ms Thrifted Treasure  found a very nice, blue kettle with a white design on it at her local op shop. This lady is the queen of op shop finds! I mean it! She finds the best stuff at the most ridiculous prices!!! So, I was on a semi-mission to find myself a kettle. Admitedly, I had been keeping my eye out for one for  a few months, but hadn't stumbled across one that was either in good nick or the right price. As fate would have it, I found one at my local Salvos on Friday morning. Good nick and the right price.

Just showing you the Christmas mug I bought that same morning at a different op shop. I don't ever go for novelty mugs, but this one was in the front window and made me feel nostalgic and for only $1, I just had to have it.

This is Sam. No, not Ken. Sam! By instruction of Angel. She wasn't particularly fond of the name, Ken. We found him at another op shop. I insisted that she have him cos he's in really good condition and was cheap. Anyway, he now resides in the box under her bed that stores her Barbies. I've been instructed that he needs more clothes. Done! Found a nice pink jacketed tux at Toyworld for him this morning. He will be appropriately attired on Christmas morning. He will match rather nicely with the new pink dressed Barbie that is coming to live in the box under the bed.

~ Ky x

Road to Bethlehem

Tonight is the last of four nights for the Road to Bethlehem event. I took the kids a couple of nights ago and we had a brilliant time. So much so that I have promised to take them again tonight.

What a fantastic event that has been put together by so many dedicated volunteers to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It has a great family atmosphere with face painting, balloon shapes, crafts, a dvd tent, food and drinks, a playdough tent, a band and various other things. And all of it is for free except the food and drinks which are kept at minimal cost anyway.
The actual Road to Bethlehem experience is free too. You just have to book your tickets as everyone goes through in groups, at 6 minute intervals. The attention to detail is just so amazing! There are lights and sound and smoke machines. The whole shebang! I would love to see it late at night when it's dark. It's just too late for the kids by then though. Maybe next year.
I'm sorry my photos aren't all that brilliant, but you'll get the general idea. It's hard to take good photos with so many people around and a 3 year old wanting to be held the whole time.

The angel appearing to Mary to tell her she would be the mother of Jesus.

Some of the local vendors selling their wares.

The three wise men looking for the new baby King.

The three wise men talking to Herod.

A flock of sheep.

Some shepherds in the field at night being woken by the angel.

The angel bringing the good news of Jesus' birth to the shepherds.

A real camel, giving some authenticity to the experience.

The gates of Bethlehem.

A beggar on the streets of Bethlehem.

More vendors and beggars.

The inn keeper and his wife and daughter telling us about the miraculous birth of Jesus.

Joseph and Mary with the Baby Jesus.

An angel choir singing praises to the King of the universe.

As we left there were 'tax collectors' collecting donations that we chose to give in appreciation of our experience.

We wrote on one of the sticks and Monkey stuck it in the ground with the hundreds of others.

All these names and love notes at the foot of the cross.

The reason why Jesus, God, came to our sin filled earth as a human baby. To die the most painful, humiliating and lonely death imaginable so that we can choose to accept His gift of salvation.

The true meaning of Christmas.

The gift of eternal life...sin free.

~ Ky x



Just Touching Base

This is my first blog post in a week! You may have been wondering where I've been. Well, I've been here, just haven't had any inspiration to post about anything. I've got nothing! I'm totally empty right now. Haven't taken any cool photos. Haven't got much to say.

Actually, I'm struggling with the whole privacy on the web thing. I'm actually a private person, and have realised, derrr, that ANYBODY in the whole world can read what I post on my blog. So, now I'm torn about whether to keep writing my blog and what to actually put up on my blog. I don't need the whole world to know my business. I follow a few blogs where people share their families, their holidays, their ups and downs and comings and goings and I've realised that I don't want to do that. So my dilemma is, what do I put up?

I'm sure I'll figure it out. I'm sure inspiration will come to me. I think I just need a holiday and some rest. I've been ever so tired the past couple of weeks. We'll see.

I do hope you're all enjoying your preparations for Christmas. We are going to have a very quiet Christmas this year. Just the four of us. It will be our first Christmas with just our little family. No stress, no obligation, no expectations. Just us. I'm looking forward to it!

Peace out and catch you soon.

~ Ky x

Oh Christmas Tree

This is what happens when you give a 3 and 5 year old complete control over decorating the christmas tree.

I left the room while they went to work.

Yes, I know, it's such a HUGE tree...not. I'm actually not a fan of fake christmas trees. Mum and Dad NEVER had one. We had a real tree every year. I miss that.  I think that I will buy a real tree next year. Maybe a potted one so it can slowly grow over the years like the kids. Anyway, back to the decorating...

I was going to redo it after they went to bed, but I kinda like it all messy and lopsided, so I'm going to leave it.

Normally it would have the tinsel evenly wound around the tree with all the baubles hanging in evenly spaced distances. When I decorate the tree, I'm very particular about how everything is arranged.

Having children is teaching me to let go and just let it be.

After all, it really doesn't matter and they have done something special for the christmas season and have been creative in the process.

~ Ky x

A Christmas Gift

It is almost Christmas day. A day that has different meanings for different people. This year, more than any other, the true meaning of Christmas has dawned upon me. More than any other Christmas (that I can remember) I have heard the Nativity story over and over again. The full impact is hitting home. It's not about a man and woman travelling to a city and the woman giving birth in a stable. It's about God, the Creator of everything that ever was and ever will be, coming to Earth in the human form as Jesus. Jesus, the Christ. Jesus, our Saviour. Jesus! God! A Being that no one has ever seen, according to the Book of John. His glory is so great that no mere human could stand it! God reduced His glory to become Jesus the Man that we have heard so many amazing stories about. Jesus, what He gave up so that we could be saved from eternal death. He loves each one of us so dearly that He gave up His omnipresence forever! His OMNIPRESENCE!!! That really blows me away! Being a mere mortal, with a selfish, evil nature, I can't even comprehend that kind of sacrifice. I just know it's bigger than we can fully understand until we meet Him face to face. He sacrificed SO much to become a human. To be born in the most humble of places, a stable. To live a perfect, selfless life of service and love to others and then to be tortured, humiliated and killed by evil men. Men that were so proud and narcissistic that they couldn't see past their own greatness to behold the Glory that was before them. Men that allowed Satan to completely control them. Satan thought he could beat God. How can you beat God? You can't! Jesus did die and then He rose from that death. He beat death! God gave humans the greatest gift ever possible. A beautiful, perfect baby that became a perfect man, the Saviour of humans. He gave us the gift of salvation. That IS the best Christmas gift you or I will ever be given.  All we have to do is accept it...and for most, that is the hardest part.