Naomi Starts Pre-School

This year Naomi started pre-school 2 half days a week. She has been waiting so long for the day when she would be old enough to go to school. We told her for the longest time that when she turns 3 she can go to school. We were hoping she would forget and not bring it up again, but in June as soon as she was 3 she wanted to know when school started. So, we had to tell her that when we come back from South Africa she will be going to school. We didn't learn from the first round. The day after we arrived back stateside she wanted to know when school starts. I had no idea she wanted to go so badly. Finally the day arrived that the school was ready for her and of course she didn't want me to take her picture. She was such a big kid. I dropped her off in car pool line and she just ran up to the door and just like that my little girl was gone. It was a little sad for me, but she loves every minute of school. He friend Audrey is in her class and they are so cute together.

Another Forever Family

Since coming back from South Africa a lot has happened and it has been difficult to keep up. Shortly after arriving back a sweet family from our church arrived home from Ethiopia with the newest member of their family.

Josiah Turned 6

While we were in South Africa Josiah turned six. I can't believe my little boy is getting to be a little man. We had a small family get together to celebrate and he got a few extra gifts this year. He had so much fun getting a new DSi and Super Mario Brothers game for it amongst other things.

Durban - My Home Town

The day after we got back from our weekend away we drove 10 hours to my brother, Neville's, house where we spent a week. He lives in Durban which is the town I grew up in. We had a wonderful week letting the children get to know each other and just having fun. Neville and his wife Melanie have 2 beautiful daughters. Aimee is 5 and Emma is 3. Josiah and Naomi got along with them very well. While were there we spent a morning at the beach (yes it was the middle of winter, but we had to do it anyway!). We also went to UShaka Marine World were we saw a dolphin show a seal show and many marine animals. The kids had a blast. I was surprised to find out the Gambit, one of the dolphins that did shows when I was a little girl, was still performing. Neville and Melanie were in the process of selling their house so we had to quickly clean the mess that we had trailing us for a last minute showing. We also spent time looking at their new house which is going to be completely gutted and rebuilt on the inside. Can't wait to see the finished product.

A Weekend Away

The first weekend that Greg was with us we went away with my parents and my sister's family. We stayed at a vacation rental place in Hazyview and had so much fun. One of the days we went back to the Kruger National park and the other days we shopped and spent time at the cabins just enjoying the sunshine. My sister, her husband and her 2 kids and our family stayed in one cabin. My Mom and Dad had their own cabin so that they could enjoy a little peace and quiet from time to time.

Daddy Arrives

The first 2 weeks of our time in South Africa the kids and I just hung out with my parents. It was a wonderful time for Josiah and Naomi to get to know their grandparents and for Mom and Dad to love on them. Naomi developed a very special bond with Grandpa and Josiah enjoyed reading about African animals with Granny. The time was a very special and the children talk about South Africa all the time. After 2 weeks, my Dad and I drove to Johannesburg to pick Greg up from the airport. Luckily his flight arrived much earlier than ours did so we got to bed at a reasonable time that night. The kids were so excited to see Daddy the next morning. We spent the first few days that Greg was there laying around and walking through the beautiful gardens around the property where Mom and Dad live. Here are a few of the pictures I took of the kids those few days.

The Waterfalls and God's Window

The first weekend that we were in South Africa my Mom, Dad, sister and her family and myself and the kids went to see a couple of the places that I enjoyed as a child. I fully expected my children to be in awe of God's creation, but unfortunately kids are kids and loved playing in the rocks and sand instead. Perhaps when they are a little older they will see the beauty in the waterfalls and the vast scenery. We saw 2 falls: Lisbon Falls and Berlin Falls, both of which bring back very fond memories of growing up in South Africa. Josiah loved looking at all the trinkets and wood carvings at the roadside stalls and asked every time we stopped if he could buy something. Naomi loved spending time with Granny and Grandpa and did not want to go see the waterfalls again. For lunch we ate at Harry's, our favorite pancake place. Eating there was one of the only requests that Greg had and so we knew we were going to have to go back when Greg arrived.