Christmas 2008

Here are some photos of our Christmas this year. You'll notice there are no pictures of Franco... He and his parents are with his other Oupa and Ouma. We miss them sooo much! But next year all the family will be here and then we'll have 3 toddlers! (Franco, Martelize and their niece Urielle). This year it was still very peaceful and calm, with Martelize, the only child, not mobile yet and being as good as gold.

Well hi there! Ouma Miekie plonked me down here so that I could learn how to make Pavlova. I've been watching her polishing the silver cake forks, but the whirring sound of the egg whisk really caught my interest, so she moved me over to where Mamma is busy. Notice the silly toy Ouma Miekie gave me...

The whisks going round and round, the fluffy egg whites and the noise intrigue me. How is all this going to turn out?

Ouma! A pastry brush is a stupid toy! It pricks my nose when I try to chew it.

The end result: a perfect Pavlova! The dessert is fruit cake. In Ouma's Noritake bowl is yummy caramel to go with the Pavlova....

Sunset. Oom Hendrik and Oupa Jan waiting for the F's to arrive.

Pappa's varsity friend, Oom Rudolph also came. I wore my fairy dress again, but Mamma said this time I'm not a fairy, I'm an angel....Fairy or angel, it doesn't matter, I feel so pretty!

We started our meal together with communion. Oom Hendrik instituted (is that the right word??) the proceedings.

Our dinner table: We had freshly baked bread rolls with cheese and salami, haddock mouse, rice salad, chips and dips and lots of watermellon, litchis and grapes. The big meal is on Christmas Day. so, in order not to stuff ourselves too much before Christmas, our meals on Christmas eve have traditionally been bread and cheese, mealies (corn on the cob) and lots of fruit. What would Christmas be without watermellon!! Too bad we forgot the mealies! Should bake more than a dozen bread rolls next time though!

My first gift and Mamma captures the moment. Too save money and too make tidying up very easy, our family wraps our gifts for each other in newspaper. It is fun to just tear it off and not to have to try to carefully open parcels in order to salvage the expensive wrapping paper! I enjoyed the paper more than the gifts, but my hands needed washing after all this!

Look my pretty dress with orange flowers! As usual Mamma and daughter are colour co-ordinated!

My first ponytail! Ouma Miekie put the clip in my hair.

Opening presents is hard work.... I fell asleep right here on my playing mat. Note my pretty panties.

Where's my dummy? I am 4 months and 3 weeks and I can put it in my mouth myself!

Getting ready to go to visit Ouma Jo. Mamma Thelwyn is snapping our German shepherd dogs, Sandy and Zaran, as they scramble into the bakkie. Pappa is putting all my stuff (pram, cot, bath chair, other chair, lots and lots of bags) in the back.

Sending us off: Oom Hendrik, Ouma Miekie and Oupa Jan.

Christmas lunch at Camp Reynard with the F's: Clockwise: Jansie, Jan, Eugenie, Ethie, Hendrik, Gene, Lalie and with her back to the camera Ouma Duifie (90) (Without the H's, the L's and some of the F's)

A Hungry girl is an angry girl. Martelize eating her Christmas meal (cereal). This was her 2nd or 3rd day of eating solids!

Martelize opening a gift. (Oops forgot that one cannot turn the camera sideways for a video!)