Virginia Airport

And yet another Saturday spent in Durban.  We went to Darren & Sandra Mays house for a braai - the kids had a great time splashing in their pool & playing with Kyle & Jared.  We went to Virginia Airport afterwards and enjoyed watching the planes landing and taking off.  We jumped in the car for cover when a lear jet took off - the thrust from the engines was pretty hot and a tad strong. Lots of screaming!!!

Good friends

It was lovely to hang out with good friends last night - lots of laughter, good dessert & great tunes - we went to Sean & Nadine Kennedy's for a Pudding & Karaoke evening.  It's been ages since we've all been together without the kiddies.  Greg & Tracy Wiblin were there too, so many laughs!  Lots of 'remember whens', and 'whatever happened to...?'. 

Last year seems like we all went into hiding, licking our wounds from our crazy schedules(church & home) & hectic work loads - one of my new years resolutions is to work hard this year, and play hard too.  Have more fun family time & enjoy life more - by seeing more of the country around me, creating more, using my time & talents for my families benefit.  A happy mom, is a happy family.

Everything in life is most fundamentally a gift.  And you recieve it best, and you live it best, by holding it with very open hands. I am always filled with much gratitude for all I have, and for the people that are in my life.

Phew!

Another busy week is almost at its end.  I went to my last Young Women activity last night - we had a 'Swishing Party'. All the girls and the leaders had to bring clean modest nice clothes or accessories that they no longer wanted & lay it out for everone to have a look at.  They spent the first hour trying outfits on, snacking on eats, and then we shouted 'GO!' - it was insane!  15 girls rushing at the clothes, grabbing what they liked, stomping on eachother, tripping eachother in their crazed state - lots of fun to watch.  A very succesful evening - they all walked away with armfuls of new things.  I have been released as the YW President- I'm going to miss the fun. 

WOZA Weekend!

Noah & Jonah went back to school this week.  The sound of silence pervades our home between 8am and 12pm.  It is true that life does get easier as the children get older(I refer here to housework of course).  Phoebe and Sophie started swimming this week - they are so entertaining, even in the pool!  Chatting, laughing, messing around and they are not even in the same time slot - they shout to eachother over a whole class.  Nuts. 

They are enjoying school so far, we have just completed our 2nd week - so far so good.  Sophie had her first art class yesterday - to which she was supposed to take an old T-shirt to cover her uniform.  Moments after leaving I walked into her room and there on the bed lay...the t-shirt.  Sigh.  You must know when Sophie is into her art, she's fully into it - paint goes everywhere.  I was very pleased that miracles have not ceased - she arrived home with paint on her face, in her hair, on her arm's, on her legs - and not a spot on her dress. 

Woza Weekend!  I am so pleased it has arrived - I am off to build some puzzles with Noah Jon.  Have a great weekend!

xxx

Christmas Day pics @ Hiram's house

The Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve

One cannot grow up in this beautiful province without visiting many of the local nature spots - there are fantastic places to visit.  We had a happy familly adventure today, the Mangroves are open to the public every 3rd Saturday of the month - so we decided to start the day with a walk through the swamps.  The kids loved feeding the red mangrove crabs, laughed when they saw the fiddler crabs, and Phoebe with her observant eyes was the first to spot the mudskippers(google them, they're funky little amphibians).  We then drove to Durban's North Beach and had fun playing in the shore break while Brod surfed.  We had the beach to ourselves, besides the huge jelly fish that kept beaching, and an odd little crab that did a funky dance.  10 point day.  No fighting, screaming, shouting - and only one crying incident when Noah fell off the walkway at the Mangroves and landed on one of the pencil roots amongst the huge crabs. 

My Folks

This photo was taken on the evening of their 39th Wedding Anniversary.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

My folks have celebrated their 39th Anniversary today - that's a long time to be married.  They are joining us for dinner tonight to celebrate!  T-Bone steaks with vegies for dinner, and apple crumble with custard for dessert.

School tomorrow, we celebrated the last day of holidays by going to the beach this morning, that ended almost as quickly as it began though.  Phoebe was jumping in the waves with Brod and suddenly ran out screaming - she'd been stung by a HUGE jelly fish, that promptly followed her to the shore and beached.  Poor Phoebs - her first day back at shool tomorrow - and her legs are covered in welts.

Righty O then, time to brace myself for this year.

Cheerio.

Getting ready

This has been a week of preparation again.  Ho Hum.  I have been preparing for next Wednesday - schools open and Sophie & Phoebe start their new adventures in a new grade.  Yesterday Phoebe and I went Uniform shopping - she starts Grade 3 this year.  Lots of fun - it was a lovely sunny day too, so we dragged Jonah along with us.  Little adventurer - he kept running off and hiding.  My nerves.  Noah had slept over at Tracey's place the night before - so we fetched him, he's been overdosing on Playstation these holidays.  I am very keen for him to be back at school!  It's big drama's every day about when and what he plays.  One day he will understand why I am the supreme ruler of his world - and why I MUST win every argument - and then he will thank me.  Hahahahaha. 

Off to do a few hours of hard labour in the office.

New Years Day @ Home

We spent the whole day at home sorting & spring cleaning for the New Year.  We've started a Von Brughan Family Journal, filled the first page with things we'd like to accomplish & places we'd like to go.  Day 1 of 2010 has come and gone.  Claudette & Luis left at 2pm to drive home before the mad rush of traffic started.  It was really great having spent time together - lots of happy memories.  This is one of my favourite photo's(below) of Claudette - she really inspires me to be creative & try new mediums in art. 

Tracey & the kiddies came over in the late afternoon to celebrate New Years Day with us.  Andre is still in the US visiting with family & seeing clients. 

New Years Eve @ Nathan's house