A BIG 'ol Emotional week

After a lot of thought and soul searching I said goodbye to the one thing I have loved for the last 8 years...

Said goodbye to the 100 plus mums,dads,grannies and more importantly the awesome small people that have added such joy to my days.

They spoiled me with words, gifts and lots of hugs. There were tears.....and sharing of memories and we ate way too much food over three days.
Some of my beautiful families have been in our playgroup programme for 6 years...some just this year.....but they have all worked their way into my  heart and I will miss them heaps.

It doesn't make sense to give up something so special, but it is time.....with all the changes this year it does feel like I am meant to do this.
So today I have woken up relieved that I made it through the week of goodbyes....I am tired but filled up with goodness knowing that together with my fantastic team we have made a difference in families in our community.

I guess now I need to put some thought to the coming week and get myself out there for some Christmas gift shopping.....

or

maybe I will just hibernate for a day or two and gather myself and my emotions......plenty of chocolate sitting on my kitchen bench.

Simple Play

The renovations at our place are well under way......

and I am not one to waste ....

So playgroup returned today and what fun they had with a little of our "rubbish" 

A little thank you sewing

One more week of the school term to go.....

One more week of playgroup fun.....

One more week and then I get to say thanks for all your hard work in making the best team ever...

So a little hand sewing has been in order.

A little gift for the volunteers that are so great at volunteering..... 

 

A heavy heart this week

  After sharing last week a day in my life at work......I have looked at those photos during the last week and they will always remind me of the beauty in my day. The families I get to hang out with , the little ones that thrive in our play environment.

I love seeing new relationships form between families.... I love the relationships that I make with the families that attend each week.....     

But this week ..sadness is on my mind.....
One of those beautiful families who was coming along last year,  has had their world rocked.......
Little Rayaan was diagnosed suddenly with a rare lung disease just before we returned for the start of the playgroup year.....over the last 6 weeks he has fought a tough little battle.....one he lost last weekend...just 14 months old and the only child to his lovely parents.......

No words will bring comfort right now....others are holding their little ones closer.....  

We are blessed to have met the little guy.....     
         

 A little Ray of Sunshine.. raising money for the research into 
 Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH)

Ten on Ten - March 2015

Ten photos over the tenth day of the month...

This month I wanted to document a day at work for me...

So I handed over the camera to my sister and fellow team member...and this is what she saw..... 

I am not sure about so many pics of me...but I am glad I did it....a record of how lovely my mornings are spent right now....

{I am the Children's Pastor at my church and past of my role is running playgroup three times a week}

Joining in with Rebekah and her Ten on Ten Project

Easter Treats

With Easter nearly upon us and the end of the school term arriving I needed to make some little gifts for my playgroup helpers . They do such a great job every week...so a little thank you gift was in order.

I made little bunnies using this pattern   , caught me some little bunny tails and packed them all up with a little bit of chocolate and chocolate drinking mix.

We even made one up for Fraser's teacher too.

Joining in with Show and Tell

Things I am Loving

This week it was all about Christmas parties......

Bubbles... 

Usually forbidden foods....

all things that glitter....

A face painter to add some cheer

playgroups are finished for the year...and we finished with a bang 

3 playgroups + 3 Days = 250 excited bodies....big and small 

 

and some beautiful gifts to show their appreciation...although the pleasure was all mine.....

 

Then today....the list was written and left for mum to attend to.....

Dance productions to be ready for....

Pleased to report I attended well to each of the requirements..... 

 

Then there is the train that has spent most of the week off the rails......

 The elf that has been providing some smiles around the house.....

 The bees that are merrily making a hive in the now abandoned cubby house....

and to end the week that was.....the most beautiful of sunsets......

Tis really the season......let the festivities continue...

Joining in with Things I am Loving over at Meghan's. 

Look what we made at Playgroup

Each year for the last four years we have made a piece of art to represent the families that have been with us throughout the year......

Last year we did hand prints, the year before we did a face collage.....

We have repeated that this year......

So many personalities......we got them to work on their own square....this year due to the numbers we had to make family squares .....otherwise we would run out of wall space to hang them all....... 

 

Here is just a snapshot of some ...they make me smile just looking at them...knowing we have had another fantastic year at playgroup.......

 

 

 

 

Still a few more to do this week then I will tie them altogether in a wall hanging....

Joining in with Show and Tell  

Playgroup Alphabet Craft Part 3

I thought I would show you the last part of our alphabet craft we have been working on weekly at playgroup......

You can see Part 1 here

You can see Part 2 here... 

P is for Pig...

 

Q is for Queen...

 R is for Rainbow...

 S is for Seahorse...

T is for Tiger....

U is for Umbrella...

 

V is for Vase...

W is for Watermelon...

 X is for Xylophone....

 

Y is Yacht...

Z is for Zebra...

 

We had so much fun with these letters...all the families and children really looked forward in anticipation as to what the week's letter was going to be....

One of my families sent through a photo of 

Angus' Amazing Alphabet..... 

 

So I am loving.....my job, finishing the alphabet, excited children and mums who participated....and especially Angus and his mum for letting me see all his work displayed proudly.

Joining in with Meghan  again this week.