The Walsh Whereabouts

October 2010 - December 2011

2011-12-29T01:37:00.000-08:00

Well as I get ready to end the 2011 year, I thought I best spring clean my 'online' presence as well:-) ... only to discover that I haven't been onto Google Reader to read the Blogs I've subscribed to in over a year, and then to discover that it's been well in excess of a year since I last posted on our Walsh Blog too!

... so a couple of updates to summarise our 2011 year:

(1) January - Mike & I went to Mauritius and stayed at La Shandrani, this was an impromptu holiday and totally lucky for me as Mike was flying for work and I managed to get a ride along too. It was true bliss and well recommended!

(2) March - I resigned from work and a 20 year IT career to start my own business: Cura Soles, www.curasoles.com.

(3) May - Janine & I went to host our Cura Soles stall at the Durban Comrades Expo.

(4) September - Mike & I went on holiday in Sydney & New Zealand for the rugby world cup. We went to 3 games and stayed with some friends in NZ. We traveled over 2500km in a camper van through out North Island. Awesome holiday!

(5) October - Shark Cage diving with Mike & Jordan in Gansbaai to celebrate Mike's 40th Birthday.

(6) November (27) - Our nephew Sam was born.

(7) December (15 - 18) - our annual friends camping weekend away combined with our friends Christmas dinner, all at the Breede Escape in the Robertson area.

Happy New Year - may it be a year of wonderful miracles for all:-)

May - September 2010

2010-09-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

So it's been ages since I last posted and now as I grow older I realise that my memory fades quickly so if I'm planning to post on recent events I should probably not leave 6 months between posts:-)

So there are 2 highlights that I can post about and the rest is a blur, so here goes...

The 1st highlight was the Fifa world cup - we went to a couple of the games at the Cape Town Stadium, the highlight being the 1st Portugal game where they played North Korea. Portugal beat them good and solid! We thoroughly enjoyed the Fan Mile and the Park & ride Facility from Century City was superb!

The 2nd highlight was the pilgrimage trip that Janine and I went on from 4th - 14th Sept. The trip was to Egypt, Israel & Bethlehem (which is in Palestine). The highlights of the trip for me were the Pyramids & Sphinx, the walk up Mt Sinai where Moses received the 10 commandments - this walk is not for sissies, it was a 7 hour round trip which started at 2am - then floating in the Dead Sea, the Wailing Wall filled with prayer requests, the Manger / Cave were Jesus was born - the star in the picture below marks the spot.

The Way of the Cross / Via Delarosa was a bit disappointing as this was too commercialised and too crowded to be the 'spiritual' highlight that I was expecting. We ended off the trip on a cruise on the River Nile in Cairo... we had great fun as well as a spiritual experience, so definitely well worth it.

February - April 2010

2010-04-17T11:02:00.001-07:00

So here we are again, this time we're into the 2nd quarter of the year already and I haven't posted since January... It looks like I'm getting worse with this blogging thing. I have lots of news but it's just that there always seems to be other stuff to do rather than get onto the computer and blog:-)

We're in the rate race and trying hard to get out... last weekend, I joined a new group and played Cashflow 101. It's the Robert Kiyosaki board game that teaches you how to get out of the rate race... you do this by making enough passive income to equate to or better your expenses, then you're out of the rate race and into the big bucks. In real life this is what one should aim for too!

I know I haven't blogged &/ emailed for awhile because last week I was trying to get hold of a friend that I hadn't spoken to in a long while only to hear via another friend that she is on maternity leave - so that's at least 9 months that I haven't spoken to her. Shocking!! .... and another eye opener on how fast the rat race is and before you know it a year has gone by!

Anyhow, let's see a lot has happened since January... I'm not sure whether I posted on this at the end of Jan, but we went to watch Top Gear on the 31st Jan at CTICC - it was an awesome show, fast cars, skilled stunt drivers, impressive bangs, fire, hot chicks and quite a few laughs - well worth it!

I've been challenging the mind as well by going to Brazilian Portuguese Classes, a few Laughter Therapy Classes and started on some Finishing Classes. All going well so far...

28th Feb - Happy Anniversary to Elsa and Charel - Already 1 year since the wedding, and they're still looking as happy as their wedding day:-)

Weekend of the 20th March, we went for a weekend away to Swartriet (just past Langebaan, close to Vredenburg Mall) with our group of friends, so 19 of us in total. We stayed in 3 chalets walking distance from the beach - lots of food, and volleyball resulted in a fun weekend for all!

And the very next weekend, Mike & I went to Paternoster and stayed at La Balleine Luxury Chalets and Conference Centre. The accommodation was awesome - and the highlight for the weekend was definitely the 'Noisy Oyster' Restaurant. We had a delicious 3 course meal there and each course was better than the previous one. We would definitely return just for that restaurant. The 2nd night we went to Gaatje for supper - also good. If you're looking for a quick weekend getaway - this is definitely worth it. 28th March - Oh and Mike & I celebrated our 11 year anniversary since we met, and in the same area - Langebaan at that:-)

So that's it for now. Hope you are all keeping well. Please drop me a note / email if you have a chance.

December 2009 - January 2010

2010-01-14T09:58:00.001-08:00

Ok, ok so I have not done so well with updating our blog .... the last 2 months seems to have gone by in a flash! So let's see what's news...

30 November - Elsa, Charel & my gorgeous nephew, Jack arrived for a 1 month stay.

4 - 6 December - We went away for our annual 'camping' weekend in Robertson. We stayed at the Breede Escape which is nicely set up with a group of 10 or so 2 bedroom huts, so no need to set up tents. Thanks Kerry for organising. Definitely would like to join next year again!

9 December - Racing Day at Killarney. Mike made like Shumacher on the track and really enjoyed it.

12 December - Jordan graded for 5 hours and got his black belt in karate. Well done Jordan! In the evening, we attended our annual Friends Christmas Dinner hosted by Kerry, Neil and Janine. The Theme was Mardi Gras. Everyone dressed the part and a great evening was had by all.

13 December - Jack was baptised, Mike & I were very proud God parents so a very big congrats to Elsa, Charel & Jack! Peyton was also baptised at the same service so big congrats to Clarissa, Carl and Peyton too.

15 December - Janine, Nadine, Mike & I went to watch Watershed at Rhebokskloof. Good wine, company and music as well as a spot of celebrity aka Minki was there.

16 December - We held our Santa for Seniors Party at Huis Zonnekus. This is an annual event where we deliver Christmas presents to the Seniors. This year we managed to collect 308 gifts which was an overwhelming response and enabled us to deliver gifts to Huis Ysterplaat as well as Reygercourt. Thank you to everyone who helped out with this project.

27 December - Very sad to see little Jack and his parents leave Cape Town.

02 January - Linda arranged some beach cricket at Blouberg / small bay beach. It was a perfect day and great venue for the cricket. Pity about all the sun bathers that decided to put out their deck chairs on our cricket pitch, it sort of put an end to the game so we had to settle for pizza's from Blue Peter instead:-)

08 January - Went to watch Avatar for the 2nd time, this time on 3D. Thought the 2D was awesome so was expecting much more from the 3D version but alas not that impressed. The movie is brilliant though, so if you haven't seen it then please go - and it's a big screen movie so don't wait for the DVD, get to the big screen as soon as you can.

09 January - We've started a Photography Coaching course for 4 weeks (4 consecutive Saturdays). We went to Hout Bay Harbour for our 1st lesson and the theme was Patterns, Texture & Shapes. Next Saturday we get to review our pictures and enter into our next project. So far, enjoying it ...

11 January - back at netball. Are there any girls out there that want to play and join our social club. We desperately need players so feel free to contact me if you're interested.

And since I didn't post at Christmas or New Year...

"Christmas is forever, not just for one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself..."
~Norman Wesley Brooks, "Let every day be Christmas"~

Wishing all of you and yours prosperity, good health, wealth, happiness, greener pastures, abundant blessings and a very merry Christmas and New Year.

November 2009

2009-11-08T06:53:00.000-08:00

Has anyone heard of Ubuntu House? It's a home for abandoned and sick babies. Wow - what an experience. If you want to know more, please email me and I'll send you the details.

8th November - We went to the Jesse Clegg concert at the CTICC. Ard Mathews from Just Jinger and Dan Patlansky joined him on stage too. It was awesome. Well worth the evening out!

For those who noticed & asked about my low on the 16th September. Thank you for all your support and love. I feel like I'm on a roller coaster ride, some days I'm up and others down but I guess with time I'm hoping I'll have more ups than downs and in time I'll be left with a scar but it would have healed I'm sure. As the saying goes... What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger and this too will pass:-)

The last month, my mission was to get a Life and I think I'm slowly getting there as I've actually got up to quite a bit this past month. Let's see how much I can fit in next month:-)

For those that I have not seen in a long while, please feel free to pop in anytime for coffee and a chat...

October 2009

2009-11-07T06:24:00.000-08:00

Well I think I blinked and that was the end of October month and here we are nearly half way through November...

So to recap...

5th October - Happy 30th Birthday to my brother in law, Charel. Hope your year is full of wonderful and happy times.

12th October - Congrats to Carl & Clarissa on their beautiful baby girl, Peyton Isabella. You are both very blessed and I am sure she is going to bring you lots of joy.

18th October - ok so I arranged a ladies day out playing some golf on a short game / 9 hole course at Wagner's. I hadn't played for probably more than a year so needless to say it did not go well, I came home and advertised my golf clubs and shoes on Gumtree and they are now sold. Gumtree is your friend. I feel so much better now:-)

This month I joined a social outdoor netball club - we train on a Monday and a Thursday, so if you're keen to join us, let me know as we're still looking for more players in order to fill 2 Teams.

I've also started with some fencing lessons - wow, now this I've been wanting to do for ages and by fluke found a Coach that runs his training sessions from the Italian Club. I'm really enjoying this - much better than golf! See - when 1 door closes, you need to let go and walk through the open door :-)

I've also done a bit of home decor, sold our black leather lounge suite upstairs and moved the cream coloured one upstairs - the changes look pretty good if I must say so myself.

Janine & I have been to 2 different Photography club meetings and still not found the right club for us, so I'm thinking of starting up our own social club. Anyone interested or know of a group we can join?

For our ladies Kit Kat Club outing we went for a High Tea at Myoga at the Vineyard in Claremont on the 31st October. It was superb, well worth it if you're looking for a good high tea! I even manged to get a frozen Margarita:-)

On the evening of the 31st October, we went for monthly dinner at a 'Touch of Madness' in Observatory - have a look at our monthly dinner club blog for the review.

September 2009 - some more...

2009-09-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our Godson, Benjamin Adam Procter, on his baptism on Sunday, 20th September at the Durbanville Catholic church. He is such a good baby and sat through the entire church service as well as his baptism without a peep. We are very proud Godparents!

September 2009

2009-09-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

This month has been a bumper month already with lots of news...

September 1st - our friends Marc and Siobahn welcomed a beautiful baby girl into their family. Congratulations and may she bring you much happiness always.

September 4th - we had an 80's Themed Birthday party for Mike. Everyone made an effort to dress to the Theme. We had our dancing shoes on and one or two were brave enough to attempt some 'break dancing' and 'head banging' moves - luckily there were no injuries:-)

September 5th - we went to the Grand Arena to the Flat Stanley, Just Jinjer & aKing concert. The concert was awesome and real value for money. R120 for 3 bands was a brilliant bargain!

September 8th - Mike's Birthday, we went to a restaurant called the Opal Lounge on Kloof Street, Gardens. A fabulous experience and well worth it for a special occasion. Food, drinks, service and ambience was brilliant.

September 9th - Our nephew, Jack Ferreira Kerschbaumer, was born at 6:45pm (UK time). Congratulations to Elsa & Charel on their gorgeous baby boy. We can't wait to meet him!

And then this weekend past, we went to Hermanus for the Saturday. Great to see that SA beat NZ in the rugby so we took the Tri Nations Cup. Sorry Kurt:-)

September 13th - Happy 2nd Birthday to our Twin Angels, Morgan and Chad. I'm sure they had a great party and were smiling down on us!

September 16th - Little did I know that this day would be a life changing day for me. The less said the better:-(

That's it for now, but still lots more to come for September... watch this space...

August 2009

2009-08-15T04:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, 07/08 - 10/08 we went with a couple of friends to stay on a Farm in Tulbagh for the long weekend. We were 12 people and 3 kids - and there was ample space for all of us!

We went wine tasting on the Saturday morning at 3 wine farms: Twee Jong Gezellen, Montpellier & Paddagang so we were able to stock up on some wine and lots of Paddagang Port.

In the evening - we had a delicious butter chicken dish - Thanks to Fiona! On the Sunday evening - we had a yummy potjie - Thanks Shawn!

We played some 30 Seconds in the evening - with Lucy, Janine & Linda leaving us with some trade marks. The less said the better:-)

There were lots of Photo opportunities - I've posted some pics here.

Janine has some awesome pics on Facebook and Chris has some fabulous pics on Flickr...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/b-gin-r

Thanks Linda for organising the weekend away. Well done!

July 2009

2009-07-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well, just for a change - this time we actually did go overseas... we've just returned from a 2 week holiday in Orlando, visiting Disney World and all the main parks that go with it. The best park of all is definitely Universal Studio's (& Islands of Adventure - also part of Universal).

Not to mention that Mike & Jordan did more than their fair share of shopping. Orlando has some excellent shopping Outlets (aka Factory shops but they equate to our Malls e.g. Willowbridge style) where you can find all the latest labels at very good prices.

You'll also find lots and lots of restaurants and a few theatre and dinner spots - we tried out Medieval Times, which was a great experience. The food in US is definitely bigger than anything we have here. If you order any meal at a food court while shopping, you're sure to get a decent size plate of food - probably equates to 2 of our meals here. The take away foods start from about $4 - $8 for 1 meal. I didn't really find any food that was better than here though - although I did enjoy the Angus Beef / Rib eye that we had at one of the restaurants.

We visited the Kennedy Space Centre and the next shuttle launch was due on Saturday but then postponed due to lightning strikes they had the night before. We were not impressed as this was a once in a life time experience - and it was the 3rd time it was re-scheduled. It finally did launch on their 6th attempt on Wednesday. I caught the clip on You Tube:-)

I was quite surprised to find that Orlando did not have a proper public transport service, which means you rely on the hotel shuttles to get you to the theme parks (which is a free service so that's a bargain)... and then anywhere else you want to go to, you need to catch a taxi or rent a car. Walking is not really an option as the places to visit are quite far apart so the only walking we did was to a few gift shops & restaurants around the hotel we stayed at - the rest we did by taxi.

By the way - if you're up for a holiday to Orlando, you can quite easily spend 2-3 weeks there without running out of things to do. We were there for just under 2 weeks and got to see all the main Disney & Universal parks except for 2 water parks but there was still so much else to see and do that we could have stayed for another 1-2 weeks or longer. We also wanted to get to Miami and Key West but didn't get there as it would have been another day wasted on travel time - it's about a 3-4 hour drive to Miami. Maybe next time:-)

Ok, enough from me - I'll include a few pics and if you want to know more then come have a cup of coffee with me:-)

Happy Birthday 2009

2009-06-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my little sister, Elsa. She celebrated her birthday on Friday, 26th June.
She is also pregnant - so I'll soon have a nephew and be a REAL Aunty. I'm so excited and can't wait:-)

Happy 70th Birthday to my Dad for Tuesday, 30th June. Today we took him for a surprise birthday lunch at Bloemendal restaurant. He saw there were friends and family at the lunch table and then realised it was HIS 70th Birthday lunch - the expression on his face was priceless!

June 2009

2009-06-07T02:03:00.000-07:00

... Oh my word - seems I went a whole month without blogging ...

Well, if you haven't already done and you're interested then please have a look at some of my sister's wedding pictures - Refer Elsa & Charel:

http://www.jeanpierrephotoblog.com/

Seems most people are hibernating this time of the year so there's not much to report. Jordan is busy with studying for exams so we're keeping a low profile for a bit, until the studies are done and the results are out.

I did attend a Brain Power Seminar by Peak Performance Training a week ago. I learnt a few interesting facts such as us having 3 Brains - Rambo (Survival Brain), Maggie (Emotional Brain) and Einstein (Thinking Brain). Einstein is where we should strive to operate and this is where our IQ is at it's highest. Unfortunately, most of us operate in Rambo due to stress & every day pressures and this is when our IQ is at it's lowest or none existent.

Another interesting point was the Left Brain (thinking) vs Right Brain (feeling) - our Schooling is mainly Left Brain and then when we're done with school we praise those Right Brain thinker's in the World!

Lots more to discuss on this topic, so if' you're interested to know more then pop in for a cuppa and a chat:-)

I went to visit Ana Rita this weekend - her little baby is not so little anymore, Benjamin is growing fast and so gorgeous!

I'm sure there must be much more that I can report on but my memory is failing me so I'll sign off now :-)

Stay Relaxed, Stay Positive and Stay in Control!

April 2009

2009-04-23T11:26:00.001-07:00

Elsa & Charel's wedding was just lovely and perfect. It seems like ages ago now - and they are nearly married 2 months already. As soon as their Photographer has published their photo's, I'll add some of them here for you to view.

Mike, Jordan and I went up the Garden Route at the beginning of April for just under a week. It was great fun - and we did quite a bit - the highlight was the zipline tour in the Tsitsikamma area... I also had a chance to test our my new camera. Here are some of the pics. Feel free to comment.

February & March 2009

2009-02-24T03:06:00.000-08:00

Well, it's almost time for Elsa & Charel's wedding on the 28th Feb... only a few more days now. I'm sure it will be a perfect day and a very special wedding!

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, and the start of Lent so I'll only be posting again after Easter. I'll then have lots of news and pictures to share. Until then, have a happy Lent and Easter....

February 2009

2009-02-18T21:47:00.001-08:00

Well we're almost at the end of February month. It has been and is still a very busy month for me.

Much has happened in our lives this month - but to be brief and the most significant has been that - let's just say, we have sent another Angel - that we have named Adam - to be with Chad & Morgan.

Elsa & Charel arrive in Cape Town this Friday - and we're full swing into all the last minute prep for their wedding on the 28th Feb. I'm sure it will be an awesome day and everything will fall into place so that it is just perfect!

I was thinking - is there anyone out there that actually reads my posts / blog? If so, please leave me a comment... I'm interested to know because sometimes I take awhile between posts and feel quite guilty, but if it's only for my benefit then I may as well throw the guilt away:-)

Enjoy the rest of the month and will chat again in March...

January 2009

2009-01-10T23:00:00.000-08:00

Well here we are January 2009, and soon it will be the end of the 1st month of 2009. Mike & Jordan are back so we're almost 100% back to routine, we're done with all the 'back to school' shopping so now all that's left is to label everything and wait until the 21st Jan when schools reopen.

In the next month or 2, I'm also going to be busy helping my sister with the last of her wedding plans. Her wedding date is the 28th February which is just around the corner.

This month is the 1 year 4 month anniversary of our Twin Angels, so I'm off to the memorial park to chat to them and add some bright flowers at the park.

And then on another note - I've never posted about this, but since these 2 links were sent to me I thought I would add them here...

Ten things never to say to someone dealing with infertility:
http://lupuspie.blogspot.com/2008/05/ten-things-never-to-say-to-someone.html

What not to say to your infertile friend:
http://flakymn.blogspot.com/2006/02/what-not-to-say-to-your-infertile.html

My opinion on the matter is - just like you should never ask / congratulate someone who you think looks pregnant (as they may just have put on an extra couple of kilo's) so should you never make any 'silly' comments about having children to a couple who have been married awhile. You don't know what their circumstances are and what you say may seem 'innocent' but cause them much unnecessary pain.

OK that's my bit for today. Have a wonderful week further. Will chat soon again.

Christmas & New Year wishes 2008

2008-12-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

Some Christmas Cheer...

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."
Dr. Seuss

Our Christmas Wish for you...

May you live as long as you Wish,
And have all you Wish for long as you live
May what you see in the mirror delight you,
And what others see in you delight them.
And may you never run out of friends, love, money and petrol:-)

I would like to thank our family & friends for their special friendship.
We love and treasure all of you!

Merry Christmas and a very Happy & Prosperous new Year!

Love & Blessings,
Lucy, Mike and Jordan
Our Angels - Chad & Morgan
Our Dogs - Diesel & Vegas

December 2008

2008-12-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

And in a flash, here we are at the end of the year and Christmas is nearly upon us... the last 2 weeks have been rather hectic with everyone trying to get their year end functions done and dusted, schools closing off and soon it will be the new year...

Our work Year End function is a Pirate Party to be held at the Yacht Club at the Waterfront on Friday, 05/12... Jordan will be grading for his 1st Kyu Brown Belt on Saturday and then he is officially on school holidays.

We're having our annual Friends Christmas Dinner on Saturday, hosted by The Meirings this year. The Theme is Egyptian so we'll see how creative people are going to be:-)

St Lukes Hospice are having their Tree Lighting ceremony on Sunday - and this year I'm going to try and attend. It's really quite special. I've bought 2 lights in memory of Morgan & Chad, and I know they'll be shining brightly as they always are my little stars!

Clarissa & I are organising a Santa for Seniors Cake & Tea Party for the Seniors at Huiz Zonnekus on the 16th December at 10am. There are currently 25 men and 73 women residing there. We would like to encourage you, your friends and family to put together a shoe box / package of goodies that we can present to each of the Senior Citizens. You need not go to great expense as these people would appreciate the basics... We hope to collect 98 gifts so that we can deliver it to them at their cake & tea. If you're able to donate in any way, whether it's your time, baking or a gift or 2 for the Seniors, please let me know.

And just an update on the Santa for Seniors party...

"Our Santa for Seniors Christmas Tea morning was held at Huis Zonnekus on Tuesday 16th December 2008 at 10am. This was a huge success!
We needed 98 gifts and with your help we collected a total of 187 gifts. This meant we had ample for Santa to deliver to the Seniors and we were able to deliver to the Seniors at Reyger Court in Brooklyn as well.
Thank you to each and every one of you for your generous donations, help on the day &/ baking skills. We really value your contribution and the Seniors were most grateful.
It was all very worthwhile and we have decided to make this an annual event, so we’ll be in touch next year again.
Have a blessed Christmas and a very prosperous new year!

Best Wishes,
Clarissa & Lucy + Santa & All Santa’s Helpers"

November 2008

2008-11-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, 1st November I attended the last POI breakfast for the year. Next year, Natalie will be changing focus and arranging something different. It's all top secret for now so we won't hear until much later what it's all going to be about - I'm sure it will be good and well worth it so watch this space. I'll let you know as soon as I hear...

The theme for the last breakfast was "I have a dream". We listened to a few songs which inspired us to dream e.g I have a Dream by Westlife, Life's Gift by Nianell, Dreams made to last forever by Dana Winner, Dreams come true by Westlife

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
- Harriet Tubman

"Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be."
- Karen Rawn

We were spoilt again with lots of vouchers, prizes and love and light. Thanks Natalie for all the effort you have put into making the breakfasts so special for all of us.

Mike & I celebrate our 7th Wedding Anniversary on the 3rd November, so we had some early celebrations by going out for dinner at Wheatfields in Meerendal. We had the restaurant all to ourselves - now that's special!! We then spent the night at the Bell Rosen Guest House, and ended off with breakfast in the morning. We're still not itching which is a good sign I guess:-)

And off to the Halloween party we go... 2008

2008-10-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

On Friday, the 31st October 2008, we joined the Usual Suspects at a Halloween party hosted by The Meirings. Vannessa went to a lot of effort with the decor & snacks e.g. iced worms, vienna fingers, mummy viennas. Willem is quite the Sushi Chef we now know! ... Everyone dressed up except for Gathry who arrived late, and wasn't able to get a costume before the shops closed. In 5 minutes flat, he managed to be half dressed and arrived in a pair of skeletal stockings - say no more:-)

We also worked out that our last Halloween party was 5 years ago, so Vannessa has made it her mission to make this an annual event.

The courage to move on... 2008

2008-10-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

Today I attended the 2nd last 'power of inspiration' breakfast for the year, the theme was "The courage to move on... " and focused on those who have lost and / going through a tough time.

There were many inspirational messages to take home. The 1st Speaker was a lady that gave birth to a still born little girl, which I could easily relate to and brought back memories of Chad & Morgan. She shared the following poem with us:

I Did Not Die

Mary E Faye

Do not stand at my grave and forever weep.

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn’s rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and forever cry.

I am not there. I did not die.

Other points to ponder... There is life after loss, you can decide whether you will let grief perish you or whether you will grow and blossom from it. At difficult times, you need to take one day at a time. You need to keep busy, maybe take up a new hobby. God gave you tears to cleanse your soul. Sometimes, you need a friend to help you, and although you don't feel like going to tea, just do it - it will help you heal.

There was a lot more in the talks... I'll try and remember more and post later as I'm being rushed as we're on our way to The Mullers for some inspirational rugby, wine and good old fashioned braai:-)

Walsh ramblings 2008

2008-10-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well I haven't posted for awhile so there's lots to report...

Firstly, Mike is back from his 5 week stint in Nigeria so we're pretty much back to normal at home again for the next 5 weeks.

Secondly, it was our Twin's 1 year, 1 month anniversary yesterday so I paid them a visit at the memorial park on Sunday. I think now that we're on to their 2nd year, far fewer people will remember them - that's just life I guess! Mommy will always have a special place for you, Morgan & Chad!

Then, this weekend was fairly busy ... I started off going to the next Power of Inspiration breakfast. The theme was "Jewel of Life". We each received a stunning cut glass gem. I also won an Aromatherapy massage plus a whole lot more vouchers were given away. Lunch was at Bell Rosen and was once again super! The lesson I took home was that one is not put on this earth to survive, you're put here to thrive! ... and each of us are very special!

I then went for my Quantum Wellness treatment, and I seem to be reacting well to balancing all that was a problem before so soon it will be a better, healthier and well balanced & oiled machine you will see before your eyes:-)

We joined Vannessa & Gathry + the KKC ladies for a braai and a good social.

On Sunday, I had to wake up bright and breezy to join Russell for the 10km Gun Run. We made it in good time and I managed to run all the way, so I was quite impressed with myself.

Oh and to end off, here's something to think about:

"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space!"

Anyhow, enough rambling. Will chat soon again.

13 September 2007 + 1 Year

2008-09-14T01:06:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday Chad & Morgan. We can't believe that it is already 1 year since you grew wings and became Angel Babies. Mommy, Daddy & Jordan love and miss you very much!

Thank you to all who remembered our Twins birthday and for the very special thoughts, messages and lovely flower bouquets.

Well what was I up to today... In the morning I visited the Memorial Park to leave some fresh flowers and to say Hello to Chad and Morgan, and their friends Kendra and Jack. It was then off to Bell Rosen for the Power of Inspiration Breakfast - the theme for the morning was "It's Me Time!" so we heard all about Eu Stress (= good stress), Dis Stress (= bad stress) and how to relax in order to improve your life. The purpose of the breakfasts is 'to pay it forward' so whether it be a voucher that you receive and won't be able to use or a message you received from the Speaker, you should be sharing this with someone or passing it on.

So here are a few notes I thought to share:
- Touch is important. Hug a friend today!
- There was a story about a child talking to his Grand-father about having 2 wolves inside him conflicting with each other, a good wolf and a bad wolf. Which one will win he asked his Grand-father. The answer was ' the one that you feed'.
- 50% of illness that Doctors have to deal with nowadays are related to Stress.
- Learn to prioritise relaxation time. We often have the excuse that there is no time, but would you leave home for work, without a shower or brushing your teeth? The answer is no, because you have prioritised this.... so prioritise your Relax time.
- Woman feel guilty about going for a 1 hour massage, while Men have no guilt about spending a day out on the golf course. Stop feeling guilty, and spoil yourself!
- Many people feel stuck in a rut... get out of it, try something different every day even if it is 'brushing your teeth with the wrong side of the toothbrush'.
- Prayer is talking to God, Meditation is Listening... try meditation as a form of relaxation.

The Speaker was Jacqui de Villers, who is a Wellness Consultant, feel free to contact her if you would like some more information: jacqui@iafrica.com

The next Power of Inspiration Breakfast is on the 11th October and the theme is "Engaging the super radiance in Life & the Jewel of Living!". If you are interested in attending, speak to Natalie at 021 9791787.

Anyway, my day continued to get better as Janine, Nadine & I attended the Bloemendal blanc & blues festival. The main attraction was the rock band, Southern Gypsey Queen followed by Boulevard Blues. I bought 2 of the Southern Gypsey Queen cd's, here is their site if anyone is interested... http://www.sgq.co.za/. they are brilliant! The festival was excellent with much entertainment, and a lovely hot day so was well worth it.

13 September 2007 + 11 months

2008-08-18T10:24:00.001-07:00

I found this today and it had me in tears so I hope the Author does not mind me sharing...

Are you still a mother if your baby’s not with you?

I thought of you and closed my eyes, and prayed to God today. I asked what makes a mother, and I know I heard Him say:

A mother has a baby, This we know is true. But, God, can you be a mother, when your baby’s not with you.

Yes, you can He replied, with confidence in His voice. I give many women babies, when they leave is not their choice. Some I send for a lifetime, and others for a day and some I send to feel your womb, but there’s no need to stay.

I just don’t understand this God, I want my baby here. He took his breath and cleared his throat, and then I saw a tear.

I wish that I could show you what your child is doing today. If you could see your child smile with other children who say - we go to earth and learn our lessons of love and life and fear. My mommy loved me oh so much I got to come straight here. I feel so lucky to have a mom who had so much love for me. I learned my lessons very quickly my mommy set me free. I miss my mommy oh so much but I visit her each day.

When she goes to sleep on her pillows is where I lay. I stroke her hair and kiss her cheek and whisper in her ear“Mommy don’t be sad, today I’m your baby and I’m here”.

So you see my dear sweet one, your children are okay. Your babies are here in my home, they’ll be at heavens gate for you. So now you see what makes a mother. Its the feeling in your heart. It’s the love you had so much of right from the very start.

Though some on earth may not realize you are a mother until their time is done. They’ll be up here with me one day and you’ll know that you’re the best one.

13 September 2007 + 10 months

2008-07-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I attended an Inspirational morning breakfast hosted by the "Power of Inspiration Centre" aka "Angel House" which you will find at 24 Koeberg Rd, Durbanville. The Owner is Nataly. If you haven't been to "Angel House" before, then make a special trip - it's worth it. The next breakfast is on 9th August which I have booked for. Besides the delicious breakfast, you also receive lots of free gifts, a motivational talk & have a chance to make new friends. If anyone is keen to join me then feel free to phone Nataly on 021 9791787 or email her at powerofinspiration@telkomsa.net.

On another special note - Congratulations Elsa & Charel who have just got engaged. They are planning a wedding here in Cape Town early next year. I'm so excited for my little sister & soon to be brother in law:-)

I visited the memorial park this weekend and although I know our Angels are with us wherever we are, I still feel like I need to visit them at the memorial park too. Morgan & Chad, we miss you so much!

Angel Babies
by Sheila Dickson

Angel babies up above,

Look down on earth

With warmth and love.

When you look up at the night sky

You will see them shining for you and I.

Their wings will twinkle

In the moon's glow,

They are there to keep us all safe, you know.

Dear little Angels so perfect and true

When the time comes

They'll be waiting for you.

Call their names softly,

hold them with care,

Just whisper I love you

They will always be there.

Weekend Entertainment - 28 / 29 June 2008

2008-06-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, we went to monthly dinner at Alexia's... food was very good, and hopefully your Waiter is Jacob which will ensure good service for the evening. Have a look at our monthly dinner club blog for our reviews: http://www.monthlydinnerclub.blogspot.com/.

Sunday night, we were all sat down to watch the Euro Cup Final, Germany vs Spain, on the big screen at The Meirings... and wasn't it a great game:-) Janine, Vannessa and I were supporting Portugal -I mean Spain:-) ... and Gathry, Mike & Anthony were supporting Germany. I'm so glad the ladies got their way in the end!

Next weekend, we'll be watching the Formula 1 at Silverstone again on the big screen and again at The Meirings - looks like we're making a habit of this... but all welcome to join us. Hope to see you there.

Franschoek Motor Museum: 10 June 2008

2008-06-12T00:07:00.000-07:00

Another spot that's well worth a visit if you're in the Franschoek area is the Franschoek Motor Museum which you will find on the L’Ormarins estate. The L'Ormarins wine tasting is also well worth it, and although we had stocked up at the Wacky Wine weekend we couldn't leave the estate without buying wine and their delicious port. The estate is well kept and by far the best one we have been to, the service is top class too.

Here's the link if you would like more information:
http://www.fmm.co.za/

Wacky Wine Weekend: 6 - 8 June 2008

2008-06-11T23:55:00.000-07:00

If you've ever considered going to the Wacky Wine Weekend, but each year it passes you by then do yourself a favour and diarise it for next year. If you're fussy in terms of accommodation then you'll need to book accommodation now already for 2009!

If on the other hand, you're ok with sleeping in a tent for the weekend, then we highly recommend booking a camp spot at Arabella. It's the place to end off on the Friday and Saturday evening as they have a great live band - Fishbowl - that plays until the wee hours of the morning. they are awesome and sound better and better with each bottle of Arabella Shiraz consumed. At R30 per bottle, it's a bargain not to be missed.

The camping is for Freeee. The wine tasting for the weekend will cost you R40 for a passport which entitles you tastings at all the wine farms that partake in the Weekend. We visited 12 wine farms - our favourites were: Viljoensdrift, Excelsior, Mooiuitsig, Arabella

My advise - diarise this event for 2009. It's well worth it:-)

13 September 2007 + Nearly 9 months

2008-06-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Next week Friday will be 9 months since our Angels were born. Part of me wants to retain this blog just for them. However, I've realised that we need to live in the NOW and they will always be part of our lives in whatever we do NOW and Always, so I've decided to continue blogging again...

So what else has been happening in the Walsh Household? I'm currently on 2 weeks leave, spending some quality time with my one and only. Mike will be going off to Nigeria soon for some flying so I need to make the most of every minute with him:-)

Jordan is busy studying for his exams. He is in Grade 5 - and yes, writing exams already! So far he says all of his exams have been easy...

This weekend we're off to Robertson for the Wacky Wine Weekend. That should be fun! Will blog a bit more on that when we return.

Of course, we also have added 2 Dachshund puppies to our family - Diesel & Vegas. They are nearly 6 months old. Diesel is 3 weeks younger than Vegas, and it seems Vegas is the fast learner and also the more selfish of the 2. We need to start training them now. It's all in the repetition and praise or so I've read, so I'll start with that and see how long it takes.

Here are some pictures...

13 September 2007 + 7 months

2008-04-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that tomorrow, it's 7 months already! That's longer than my pregnancy with Morgan & Chad!! I went to visit our Angels today, and also said Hello to Kendra and Baby Jack... I spent a lot more time there than I normally do. I decided to take some lunch this time and enjoyed it while sitting on Kendra's bench. The place is truly peaceful - and no matter what stresses you're faced with they all seem to drift away at this special place!

13 September 2007 + 4 months

2008-01-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted anything to our blog for a long while now, since I didn't want to detract from the passing on of our Angels. Tomorrow (13/01) is 4 months since Chad & Morgan were born.
I think of them often and visit the memorial park at each monthly anniversary at least. Although, they are with us in spirit always - it helps to visit the memorial park. It's really peaceful there and a good place to reflect and pay tribute to them. Love you always XX

Memorial Service

2007-10-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

~ 4th October 2007 - Durbanville Memorial Park ~

On This Earth Just A While,

But Your Memory Will Never Leave Us

Welcome to Our Twin Angels - Part 1

2007-09-15T23:43:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that our lives would have changed so much in 2 days?

There was much that happened leading to these dates and after but I've decided to summarise the posting into the events between 13th - 15th September 2007.

At 24 weeks, I developed a condition known as pre-eclampsia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-eclampsia which put my life at risk. The pre-eclampsia could only be resolved by terminating the pregnancy / delivering the babies early. I was 25 weeks & 2 days pregnant (just short of the 26 weeks which is the 'viable' age for a baby) and my condition was worsening - so the Specialists decided that since the Fetal Assessment had improved for our little boy (it seems he weighed 560g now), that he had a good 'fighting' chance. He would be delivered by Cesarean section on Thursday, 13th September 2007. Our little girl was too small (weighing under 200g) and her heart stopped 2 days prior to this.

All went well during the surgery. In fact, the Cesarean section surgery was the easiest part of it all - we had a wonderful Team of 'ALL female' Specialists taking good care of us so perhaps that was the reason:-) Chad was born at 9:30am. He weighed 400g (less than what we were expecting). He didn't come out crying or moving so we were told by the Pediatrician that it was all over.... but then a little miracle happened, she returned within a minute to let us know that he had taken a turn for the better, started crying and moving about and was well!

I was then admitted to ICU / High Care so that my condition could be monitored - which should have been for 4 hours but ended up being 2 days, so Mike spent most of his time with Chad while I was there. Mike took some photo's of Chad to show me on the 1st day as I hadn't seen Chad at the surgery. On the 2nd day / Friday, I was wheeled into the nursery to see our little boy.

We were told that the 72 hours (Thursday - Sunday) after birth was critical, as such little babies have their main problems then e.g. brain hemorrhages during this time. Our little Angel was looking great and well in the 1st 48 hours so we remained positive that he would pull through.

On Saturday, 15th September 2007, I was moved from ICU / High Care back into a private room at 12pm. Mike arrived just before 2pm and we were then given the news that Chad had had a serious Stage 3-4 brain hemorrhage. They brought him to us. Although he was still alive, he was pale and blue and clearly not in the same healthy pink state as the day before. Still he looked peaceful and was not crying, so we assume he was not in pain. I remember sobbing and being in so much physical & emotional pain and turning to Mike and saying "this is so F*cking sore!" We held him until his heart stopped at 2:15pm. Mike & I were both shattered!

We named our Twins Chad meaning 'Warrior' and Morgan meaning 'Bright Sea'. We were sad not to have been able to spend time with Morgan but humbled to have been able to spend 2 days 4 hours and 45 minutes with Chad. Of course, now they will always be a part of our lives and we are very blessed to have Chad & Morgan always watching over Dad, Mom and Jordan.

The Twins will rest at Durbanville Memorial Park http://www.dm-park.co.za/index.php?page=about and the private service will take place in 2 weeks time when the ash grave is ready. I will post again at that stage so that you have an update.

Welcome to Our Twin Angels - Part 2

2007-09-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

"When days are dark, friends are few":-)

This is no doubt a very traumatic experience for anyone to go through BUT it has been very encouraging to know that we have such a great support system of wonderful friends and family to help us through. We would like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for all the prayers, phone calls, messages, those who brought us dinner, flowers, chocolates, books, magazines, those who were there to lend an ear or a helping hand with Jordan and Mike while I was in hospital etc etc. We really appreciate all of you and Thank you so much!

I would like to especially mention the following:

Thanks to Mike / the best Husband ever and he is mine:-) I would not have managed to 'survive' this if it were not for him!

Thanks to my very special little sister, Elsa, who has always been there supporting us from London and who managed to ensure that the news was communicated 'correctly' to my parents who are in Madeira.

Thanks to our Hotline number aka Janine. She managed to keep everyone informed of our current status through out, and is always there when we need her.

Thanks to Gathry & Vannessa for being our pillar of strength and supporting us whenever needed. Please refer to Vannessa's blog for more information - Thanks Vannessa for the postings re Chad. http://www.kendrameiring.blogspot.com/

Thanks to our Specialist Team of Doctors and all at Kingsbury Hospital.

Thanks to both our Companies - Intec & Pinnacle Point - for allowing us the time off and all the support during this time.

And a final note - I'm sure that there are many of you that are only reading our news for the 1st time now, as we certainly have lost track of who we have spoken to or who received the latest updates. You may feel that you have no words (as I know when I've been faced with this in the past when others have been through a loss, I'm out of words myself) but if you do want to leave a comment on the blog then please feel free to as we certainly will appreciate your comments.

Mike's Birthday Party - 8th September 2007

2007-09-08T23:33:00.000-07:00

Just a short note to wish my FANTASTIC husband a very Happy Birthday and year on the 8th September 2007.

Sometimes, it is quite apparent that to be organised is the best thing:-) I had booked and organised Mike's birthday party 3 weeks prior to the date + his birthday pressies and at that time I would never have guessed that I would not be able to make it.... I was checked into hospital on 7th September 2007 (the day before the party) and I'm very grateful that it could go on without me as he had a great time with all our wonderful friends.

Thanks to everyone for their presence, presents and spoiling Mike on his birthday.

It was held at Finkel & Koljander Bistro with Werner being the host. I received very good reviews of the place & the evening's proceedings, so have a look at this link if ever you're in need of something similar...

http://www.dining-out.co.za/member_details-MemberID-2676.html

Please feel free to post some comments and let me know what you thought ...

Walsh Bambino's

2007-08-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

We're now 21 weeks pregnant and still 2 heart beats which is great news! I've got no scans to post unfortunately but our next Fetal Assessment is at 22 weeks - next week on the 23rd August, and at that stage we may have something on DVD that we can post here. I'm hoping that we'll be able to confirm that all is ok, especially with the 1 twin which is growing smaller than the other and then also confirm the sexes.

As for me - I'm growing tons.... it seems my stomach needs my butt to grow in proportion else I won't be able to balance:-)

I've joined Preggie Bellies which is an exercise program / routine and hopefully that's going to get me fit again and keep me fit. We also went to our 1st ante natal class this Wednesday - quite interesting and lots of tips are shared. There are 6 classes covering different topics - there are no breathing & labour exercises as such so not the typical type class I don't think but what do I know:-)

I've done some research on the bear essentials that I'll need to buy for babies / twins and I've also found a Woolies / baby factory shop today. Spent a small fortune there but it was well worth it. thanks Linda S for the tip! If anyone wants more info re where the factory shop is then feel free to contact me.

That's it for now, so far so good...

Weekend at OppiKoppie - Bonnievale

2007-08-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a long while, so thought I would let you know about our most recent weekend away with our friends.

Venue: Oppikoppie Self-catering Guesthouse, Bonnievale
For more info, see the link here:
http://www.budget-getaways.co.za/default.asp?page=review%2Easp%3Fmode%3Dreview%26reviewid%3D886

There are lots of walks, canoeing etc etc. firewood is provided as well as a fully equipped kitchen.

Hosts: Natasja & Koos Wentsel

Date visited: Thursday 09/08/07 - Sunday 12/08/07

Friends that joined us:
Gathry, Vannessa, Branston, Janine, Nadine, Athony, Carol, Megan, Charnel, Chris, Fiona

Highly recommended spot, fully equipped & can sleep 15 people, close to a dam (must be great in summer but since it was cold we didn't make use of it for swimming). We were welcomed by Natasja with some vetkoek and wine - delicious!

The place is also close to Robertson and Bonnievale wine region so plenty of wine farms to visit for wine tasting. We visited Van Loveren (you get free fritters there, if you like 4 Cousins then this is the place to visit), Bon Courage (good wines & port here) and the best place for wine & muscadel was De Wets Hof (Danie de Wet wine's). There's a cheese factory and hot springs close by.

A great weekend was had by all!!

Congratulations - Eva Dounis

2007-07-09T02:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Martine & Chris on the arrival of their baby girl - Eva Anastasia Dounis. Eva was born on the 9th July, weighed 2.98kg and 52cm long.

Photography by Aleks

2007-07-05T02:53:00.000-07:00

Aleks came to visit us at the office on the 5th July, it seems he takes his camera wherever he goes, so here's a shot of me indulging in some chocolate that he brought when he visited.

If you would like Aleks to assist you with any photography please feel free to contact him at astapar@gmail.com. You can also have a look at the link I've added to his pictures on the right hand bar.

Congratulations - Ethan Muller

2007-07-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Linda, Shawn and Hayden as baby Ethan arrived on the 29th June 2007 at 00:15. He weighed 3.38kg and measured 49cm in length.

Linda arrived back home on Monday and she's been active on email already. Clearly, baby Ethan loves his sleep and giving mom lots of free time:-)

NEWSFLASH

2007-06-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Just a short note to say that if all goes well, we will have twins for Christmas!

We haven't told many people yet, but I'm sure the grapevine will work fast enough. For those of you who have noticed that I'm becoming a little rounder than normal, I'm glad to say that there is a reason for this but thanks for being polite and not mentioning it anyway:-)

Will keep you posted so watch this space...

"100 Things to do before I die"

2007-05-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

So I was chatting at work over lunch today, and we concluded that most people would struggle to come up with a list of "100 things to do before I die". I've started my list and I'm on 35 and really struggling to go beyond that.

Well here's the BIG mind blow - how do you know how much time you have to complete these objectives? I think the secret is to LIVE each day, and not to just EXIST as most do. If you live your life by this principle then it doesn't matter if you complete the 100 list before you die or not, at least you've LIVED to meet your objectives.

And here's another challenge - Compile your list (this is for your own benefit of course) BUT please send me your most outrageous or unusual objective? I'm still needing another 65 ideas so if you can help it would be most appreciated. Once I have my list of 100, I'll post them online... I'll have to check if any need to be censored of course. Would love to hear from you so I'm waiting in anticipation:-)

Happy Birthday Jordan

2007-05-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

Jordan turned 10 years old on Friday, 11th May 2007. Our little boy is growing up fast!

His party was held on the Saturday at Boot Camp in Tokai. He had 8 friends who joined him - Branston, Karl, Fabio, Keegan, Jordyne, Jordan V, Damian & Ancio. The pictures will tell the story....

By the way - if you would like any information on booking a Boot Camp party then please email General Eric Harrier at capetown@bootcamp-sa.co.za or visit the website http://www.bootcamp-sa.co.za/

Janine's Birthday Party

2007-04-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

Janine turned 21 again and to celebrate we had a birthday party. Hope you had a great birthday Janine and a fantastic year ahead.

Easter Weekend

2007-04-06T02:24:00.000-07:00

Mike's Dad and Sharon came to stay with us for the Easter weekend (06/04 - 09/04). We had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend, chilling, watching cricket and eating for most of it.

We went to Bloemendal for their Buffet Sunday Lunch, which was awesome. If you haven't been there for awhile or not at all - it's definitely worth the visit. My favourite on the buffet was the meats and they serve the most amazing and tender Tongue:-)

Here's the link if you would like more details.

http://www.dining-out.co.za/member_details.asp?MemberID=1909

Walsh Photoshoot

2007-03-24T02:44:00.000-07:00

If you know us well, then you'll know that we are NOT normally very photogenic.

Our party photo's record the fact that we're either pulling faces or one of us is caught on camera sleeping:-) ... so I thought it a good idea to try and make an effort to get some good family photo's, so here's a couple that my cousin took of us.

Cindy & Willem Wedding

2007-03-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Cindy & Willem who were married on the 17th March. We wish you a lifetime of happiness and love...

Bon Voyage Mom & Dad

2007-03-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

My mom & dad left on the 10th March for a long holiday in Madeira.

My cousin took some gorgeous pictures of them...

Sushi Party

2007-02-04T02:34:00.000-08:00

We had been talking about having a sushi party for over a year, so eventually it did materialise.

We had tuna & salmon sashimi, and everyone made their own California rolls. Ok, they came out a little bigger than normal but I suspect that it was becasue we didn't have a good quality sushi knife to be able to cut the rolls up properly without breaking them. All in all, it was quite successful and worth having another especially since I have enough ginger left over to last a lifetime:-)

Friend's Christmas Dinner

2006-12-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

Our annual Friend's Christmas Dinner was held on the 9th December 2006, hosted by Chris & Fiona. The theme was 'The Great Gatsby" and everyone made an effort to dress to the theme. We had a wonderful meal - we all contributed to the various dishes, so a pat on the back to all.
Father Christmas visited to hand out each one's gift and then the evening culminated with a lot of gambling and fun was had by all. All the funds used in the gambling games will be donated to a charity.

Thanks to Chris & Fiona for hosting this event. We look forward to the next one at Anthony & Carol's spot - they volunteered without any bribery needed:-)

Have a look at these pictures...

Cocktail Party

2006-09-16T05:20:00.000-07:00

We had a cocktail party on 16th September 2006, just to show that we were still up for a party. Cocktails and shooters all round and the results in the pictures below. Ok, so I censored the jacuzzi pictures - they were not suitable for display on the blog:-)

SamBee Wedding

2006-09-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our very good friends Brian and Sam, who were married on Saturday, the 9th September 2006. We were fortunate to be able to attend the beautiful day. We wish you all the happiness in the world .... and hope to see you in Cape Town soon.

Housewarming Party

2006-09-02T04:52:00.000-07:00

We held a combined housewarming and Mike's "21st" birthday party on Saturday, 2nd September 2006. Carl & Clarissa were kind enough to cater for us with their spit braai & salads. We had about 40 friends attend and a good night was had by all. It was great to catch up with everyone again. Now, that you all know where we live, feel free to pop in anytime. I've added some of the party pictures...

Decor Project - Guest Bathroom

2006-08-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

Well progress has not been as fast as we hoped. We have managed to finish painting all the rooms downstairs, however upstairs has come to a sudden halt after our painter letting us down 3 times. We have now decided to search for another painter so alas this project is on hold!

The 1st Decor project that we completed was the guest bathroom upstairs. We kept it simple by just adding some colour with 2 paintings and a red springbok skin on the floor.
Before and after pictures attached.

On another note - Our transfer has come through finally - so it's time to stop hibernating and join us for a house-warming party on the 2nd September 2006. We're also celebrating Mike's birthday, so we look forward to a good party and a catch up with all our friends. I'll post the censor'ed version of the pictures on the blog after the party.

Hope to report on some more progress soon, until then...

Our Home

2006-06-18T04:12:00.000-07:00

On 26th April 2006, we moved to our new house in Kleinbosch.

We were settled within the 1st weekend that we moved in, but now have embarked on a project to repaint all of the interior walls, along with adding a creative interior decor touch to each of the rooms.

I hope to publish some before and after pictures, as we complete each room.

Here are a couple of pictures of the house as it was before we moved in.