Christmas in July 2009

We drove to Velorenkloof early (6am) Tuesday morning. After sitting in the car for 3 hours we arrived safely with a warm (well it was freezing) welcome from Uncle Al and Zoe. Ethan had just fallen asleep 5 mins before we arrived, (round about the same time I realised I had forgotten the two chickens in the freezer at home, which we needed for our special Christmas dinner) so we thought we could move him into his camp cot, but he woke and there was no way he was going to go back to sleep in this new room. Charles did a great job at unpacking the car. M@ and Zoe gave each other a big hug. M@ started to explore the surroundings.



We were all getting hungry for lunch (even though it was only 9:30) as none of us had had breafast and started to explore the shaded braai area, which was a little cold for winter. But would be lovely for a hot Summers day. I started thinking of how nice it would be to have a similar braai area on my fantasy plot... (that I have been dreaming of)


Then an hour later the Van Stadens (Muggie, Sam and little Gabriel) arrived and once again M@ gave everyone a big hug. Yay! now we can Braai.



Katie made a delicious potato salad - she grated a little onion into the mayo, Wow! that is nice. (I will do that in all my potato salads from now on.)


I didn't think it was possible for Charles and myself to finish one kilo of texan steak together in one sitting, but i guess now i know we can, we must really have been hungry.

When you go away with a group of little people not much older than 2, it is always an eye opener to me that we are all born sinful. But it was a excellent time to train your little ones about sharing and giving turns. I also realised that my own sinful self comes out (pride), as a mommy it is always hard not to be proud of your little ones, even though they are not perfect. We all believe we have the best kids.

I was also reminded that potty training is coming my way soon with M@, as Zoe is fully potty trained, and just pictured myself at the shops with three kids and one needs the toilet NOW. Ahhh! Nappies just seem so much easier when you have three kids under the age of 3.

Every day at 15:30, the sun would set behind the the mountain, (south side) leaving us all confused as to what the time it and making our Croft very cold very quickly. Thanks to the Morso fireplace and the guys fighting to make fire, we stayed warmish. Isn't it just so beautiful to look at. It was also breath-taking to see the Milkyway so clear in the dark sky. (Confused by Charles for a band of clouds).


So at 15:00 we would make our way down the mountain to the Dairy were they milked the cows.

We got to buy cheap milk there. It was a little hard for me to stomach drinking milk that you just saw coming out of the swollen udders (I know what that feels like Mrs. Cow) of a snotty dirty cow.


Here is a picture of M@ pulling his cute face (as he calls it), very proud of him bottle of milk he just bought at the dairy.

This was the highlight of the kids day. I'm getting really excited about teaching the kids, as they are just little sponges wanting to learn. What an opportunity to let them touch, see and feel the process of getting milk. (oh, and smell)

Half way through the week Ethan and I got sick, and we were up all night listening to our poor little Peeth coughing himself to sleep with a blocked nose. Looked alot like the cows we had seen. (Check this out) and this was one of the better looking ones.

We need to drive to Lydenberg (50km one way) to replace those chickens we had left at home, got Ethan some meds and M@ some cool new shoes.

Charles and Alan went for runs in the late afternoon - way to much energy for me. They also packed a backpack with sweets and one of Matt's 300ml bottles of water and started there 3 hour hike straight up the side of a very steep mountain. Once at the top they found a old plane wreck and phoned the ladies at home to look up the mountain - they looked like ants. Then they got the bright idea to run all the way home from there. (Boys will be boys).

Muggie and Sam made their famous waffle breakfast and Charles discovered fresh cherries, so now that's the second thing Charles learnt this week, first the Milkyway and now fresh cherries. Unfortunately, they couldn't get him to try the fresh fish.

Well, with two chickens in the oven we were on our way to celebrating our Christmas in July.

What a special thing to remember that Christ came to earth in the flesh for us. Praise him!

We bought each other R30 gifts and we all agreed that you can still get someone something really special with just R30. It was great! And with a candle-lit dinner to finish off the evening and pavlova around the fire. Hmmm!

Well, we ate well, slept okay, had great fellowship and had breath-taking view of God creation, reminding us of his Glory. And... Charles learnt about cherries and the Milkyway.

Thanks to Aunty Kate, Uncle Alan and friend Zoe.

Also thanks Aunty Sam, Oom Muggie and friend Gabriel

for a really special week.