Only one photo week

Only one photo this week, but it has been a wonderful week. Jan and I celebrated our wedding aniversary by going to La Fayette for supper - very romantic - loved the music. We talked and dreamed a lot.
Saturday was spent cleaning the house and Jan gave Hendrik some advice on a "labour of love" that he was working on. (Love so brings out the best in a person.) Despite working till late, he did not quite finish it and was a bit frustrated with himself.

Sunday Jan and I went shopping - not our custom to shop on Sundays, but it was fun. We bought... a white slave for the scullery - the type you plug in. He/ she / it better live up to our expectations and do a good job. At least all my plates - even the large old fashioned Noritake plates - fit in this one. Advice for anyone who wants to buy such a slave: Do not buy the type whose name starts with a K and ends with an r - not even if it is a R1000 cheaper and not unless you have tiny plates. There is a lesson to be learnt here!

We also bought the dogs better blankets than the grey ones we bought at Makro about 2 months ago. The dogs have shredded those to pieces. My plan is to cover the blankets with mini-mat. Hope the material is strong enough. The idea is to have bedding for the dogs that is warm, but also easy to wash regularly. (Now I just have to do it - along with a heap of other sewing like shortening sleeves. Any tips on how to shorten the sleeves of jerseys? And jackets with linings? I keep putting it off.)

We also bought Jan a fleecy jacket and a thick windbreaker jacket for THE TRIP later this year. These two layers are a lot cheaper than the ones with the zippered lining... like R1000 cheaper....Plans....Dreams...Fun...!

However, the Green Cross walking shoes I had bought had to be returned. I never fitted the left shoe in the shop and it was decidedly uncomfortable. (There is another lesson to be learnt here!)

We had lunch with the L's. Franco had had a terrible fever earlier this week, but by Sunday he was fine. However, he started to sport an awful looking rash. We decided it was "Baby Measles" i.e. Roseolla.

Hardly saw the H's this past week. Martelize was apparently not too well either. I hope to see Thelwyn soon. My Russia DVD's from Amazon have been delivered to her work. I can't wait to get them.... Amazon warned that they might not work on our DVD player because they are region 1, but I decided to go ahead and order them anyway. (So hope that there is not a lesson to be learnt here!)

Frans and Thelwyn had a funeral on Monday: The parents of close friends of theirs had died in a car crash last week. A terrible, double tragedy.

(What if it had been us? What if both of us had gone... right now!? What if the children had to come and sort out our mess? We'd better get our buts in gear and start... what? Sorting our stuff? Updating our testament? Book space in a retirement.....!? At least there will be some (organised) memoirs in cyberspace!)

Glenmore Holiday!

Gert and Dorette had to attend a wedding in Port Edward on 25 April, and as we were to babysit Franco, we made a holiday of it and went down to Glenmore, after voting on election day. This was the view from "Fourie Cottage" where we stayed.


23 April 2009: One year old! Look how big I have grown!


What is this? What do I do with it? Does it make a noise?

A BIIIGG! sandpit! Wonderful! (Franco loves the sandpit at school and had a great time here)

Hendrik and Marietjie also loved the sand and quickly made a tunnel.

Oupa and Franco soon had other ideas...

Back at the cottage: Birthday party! Again! "Veels geluk liewe Franco omdat jy verjaar..."

So many cameras! Waar moet ek kyk? Franco, Franco... Julle maak my deurmekaar!

What's this? Franco does not like to put strange things in his mouth and has not eaten cake before.

Hey! This tastes great!

"Klaar-klaar!" Do I really have to eat supper? With half of his cake on the floor, Franco still had quite an appetite!

The neighbours cat came to visit! Animals are the greatest!

Spit image of Ouma Elna!

Ham sandwiches for Marietjie and Hendrik.

Hannes, Gert's brother came along too. Seven adults and one baby - that's the way to do it.

The previous time I was here, was 27 years ago: My sister Lalie and I went to Glenmore with 9 (yes nine!) children and only two adults! Jansie (10), Ethie (8) and Thelwyn (4 1/2) were the "big"ones. Eugenie and Dorette were (terrible) 2 and Hendrik was 10 months and then Lalie had two foster children of 3 and 1 years old as well. We had a rough time counting heads on the beach then! No-one got breakfast before 8 o'clock because we had to make sure everyone was really hungry and would eat enough to last until 12 o'clock. Nine plates of Pronutro did the trick!

Back to the present holiday... Franco loved the water!

The lagoon is the best, but the sea was thrilling too!

"Look what I found!"

A family pic of the L's

And another one! Franco in his carrier: the best way to carry a baby to the beach.

Franco wasn't much interested in boats and ships in the sea, but when they towed in this boat onto the trailer... Now that was very fascinating for this future engineer.

On our last day it was rainy and rather chilly, but nothing would keep these 3 out of the sea! They say you can always tell who are from Gauteng Province (Pretoria, Johannesburg region): the only ones in the sea on a day like this!

Franco can clap hands and wave "Tata"

Another blessed, filled weekend.

Last Friday was our last day of school. Tammy's family came out to the farm for a last day celebration. Here they are rubbing on sunschreen before going up the koppie.


Tammy's Ouma and Mommy Alta.

Tammy on top of the koppie - I'm so proud of her - my one and only homeschool learner. Read more about her and this outing here.


Hendrik really did us proud by leading everyone around the paddock on Klasie. He always does that so willingly and graciously - ek sal jou hou Hendrik!

What are Thelwyn and Martelize doing on the koppie and why is Martelize looking so disgruntled? This is a story for a post on its own and has something to do with a post a while ago which said "Watch this space." Those white planks took up most of our time on Saturday, but more about that later.... (Does the material of Martelize's dress seem a little outdated? It was Thelwyn's dress lovingly made by me... )

On Sunday Hendrik brought Marietjie to meet us.

We had a great time and we hope she did too.

Stable time was again Martelize and Ouma time. No ponytail today -te woelig Ouma!

Have horse will ride... or love me, love my horse... something like that. Marietjie getting her first riding lesson.

Hendrik's turns 27.

It was Hendrik's birthday on Thursday. Frans and Thelwyn took him to a show with some friends, so I had to babysit Martelize. I fetched her from her school for the first time. I found her swinging happily and I was greeted with a BIG smile.

She was as good as gold the whole time and did not even cry once. (Honestly! She really didn't.) I fed her, bathed her and put her in her cot to sleep at the appointed times and every time she happily obliged. What did I do to deserve such a good little grand baby girl? Martelize, as always, it was just pure joy to look after you!
Today (Sunday) we all celebrated Hendrik's birthday. The L's are househunting and the H's are getting the Malperthuis house ready as a weekend house. It's a privilege to dream with our children.

"Sharing a joke with Ouma. Ouma you are so funny and I am so friendly! Dis lekker op die plaas!"

"Look how my hair has grown! Ouma brushed it after bath time."

"At Tannie Lisa's baby shower on Saturday. I wore my camo outfit and everyone oohed and ahed. Tannie Lisa is expecting a little girl and I will play with her when we go with our parents to endurance rides and horse shows."

Two birthday boys: Hendrik and Gert's brother, Hannes. Hannes's birthday is on Monday.

"Riding horse on Oupa Jan is great fun."

Hendrik opening his gifts. He was thrilled with his Zulu CD rom, suitcases, special handtool and English Bible.

"What do we have here! " (Farao got a fright from the flash of the camera, not Franco - sorry Farao. The L's do not have a dog yet, and Jakkie and Farao were just as curious about Franco and he about them.)

"See, I can crawl fast, if there is something really interesting I need to investigate...!"

"Let me check your teeth. Everyone checks my four pearls and three other ones on the way every now and then."

A sniff from Jakkie.

"And the fun is spoiled, and my hands get a thorough wash... Oh well, we'll visit the farm again."

"Hi there, Cuz. Why are you chewing Ouma's red blanket?"

"Well hi there yourself! I was just watching you going all gaga over the dogs. I know dogs very well. Sandy and Zaran love me."

"What can I do now? I'm not feeling too grand - have a bit of a cold, so they won't let me play with Martelize, but still it's "lekker op die plaas." See you next week."