He still has my heart

We're coming up to a sort of anniversary in Feb, on the 14th believe it or not.

I waited months for him to call - and he finally did on Feb 13th 1997. And invited me to watch the sunrise the next morning...which just happened to be Valentines day. This I do not think was planned that way. Brod is so not a Valentines celebration kinda chap. But, oh the sweet memory of travelling in his old Mazda along Kloof Falls Road to get to the view point before the sun awoke. Nice memory. 

And my heart still beats all fast when he walks in the room (even if sometimes I have thrown stuff at him - ok that was when my heart was mad, so lots of bad beats were pumping then)...I get gooseys at his touch and my smile is right by my eyes when he looks at me.  

My Getaway Magazine Boy for February 2012.
Happy soon to be, 1st Date Anniversary, Brod - 15 years ago.
We were mere children, now we have 4 of our own.

Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe & enthusiastically act upon, must inevitably come to pass.

So, we did all that and it came to pass - through good friends of ours who offered us a holiday home for the 2011 Christmas Holidays.  It was a fantastic opportunity to whisk the kids off on a 2 week family journey - and we all managed very well, except for one occasion when Noah really missed our home in South Africa:)

Brod & I have a love for the Cape - it is one of our Happy Places. If you've been there you cannot help but love it. I have grown up in KwaZulu Natal which has a gracious appeal, however Cape Town's sheer attractiveness is lure enough for me. In the words of Boyd Ferguson," In the family of South African cities, Cape Town was always the blonde, blue-eyed, long-legged, brainy one with a gorgeous boyfriend and a movie contract; just more stylish and more urban." In short, Cape Town has a pulling power.

On one of our holidays there last year Brod & I decided we'd like to take the kids along with us on our next trip - and set a date for 2012. And when the opportunity arrived, we took it and now have already done just that. And 2012 is only beginning. Lots of gratitude to the Harries family for welcoming us into their home in their absence - and trusting that it would still be there on their return:)

We piled our little kidlets in the car - with all our holidaying belongings and set off on a 23 hour long journey - not quite how I envisaged it (our original plan had been to fly - the thought of that long trip with 4 little kids scared the heck out of me) - and we did it.  On many days, our only adventure was to set off for a 45min drive around the peninsula in search of 'Baboops' (Jo's word for baboons). Just chilling, drawing, resting or reading were enough. Oh, and eating. The baked cheesecake from the Constantia Alphen Spar - are delightful, we ate our way through 1 a week, the local Fish & Chips are devilishly good - the swooshing of oil in your tummy afterwards worth every bite. The frozen yoghurt delicious, and the view while eating it all - just magic.

Rock pools at low tide near Simon's Town

The Free State views are magical - driving towards Bethlehem

20 hours in the car - the kids were getting ansie

Just arrived at our holiday home - stretching some eina legs

The most delicious christmas cake I have ever had - ever.

Our first sunset in Noordhoek

Sand art

Fish hoek

Scratch Patch in Simon's Town

Rhodes Memorial

Our place of leisure

The view

Christmas morning fun

Still holidaying...oh joy!

It's a gorgeous sunny day in the the Cape.  I'm sitting at Claire's computer at Harries Haven in Noordhoek.  We've been here so long, it feels like we're locals. Hooray!  Love being a apart of a new place.  I love having local spots that we love. Making friends and having our kids find friends here too.Putting down roots throughout the country - that's the aim.  

It's been such an adventure:) 

We've walked, sun tanned, driven - alot, eaten enough fish & chips to be fish and chipped out, swan in the Atlantic, and Indian oceans, been on a boat to Seal Island, ridden on a train, hung out with penguins @ Betty's Bay, watched the seals at Kalk Bay, celebrated Christmas with Fish Hoek Branch, New Years eve with the Taims & Greeffs, shopped, slept. Watched Tintin @ Cavendish, Brod & I even ran away on a happy date while a local YW watched the kiddies. Bliss, indeed.

We leave early tomorrow morning...all is packed and ready to go.

And it still feels like it has come too soon.

How crazy.

Home seems far away. It's going to be an eventful 2012, I feel it in my bones.

Merry Christmas All, and have a super duper 2012. 

xxx