The BIG move

It's happened. The house is packed up in a container and being loaded onto a ship at port for the journey to Los Angeles. For 3 days the packers and us worked, wrapped, packed , boxed and slaved to get it all ship-ready before the container arrived on Wednesday. Backbreaking and heartbreaking work for us all. Cally provided an endless supply of tea, coffee, colddrinks, sandwiches and biscuits to us all to keep us going. So now we can only pray for the safe arrival of all our earthly possessions on the other side of the world!

The Angel of Kindness and Coffee waiting with me for the container to arrive.

It looked big enough to take everything, but we were left with 20 items that now have to be shipped seperately.

Dave, leader of the Pack--ers, signing the shipment off.

going...

...going....

...gone!

Our last weekend in the house and a big surprise!

Going to school for the last time in uniform...ever. Wrote his last GCSE -Physics on Friday.

Our South African friends who belong to our original Biblestudy group, arranged a surprise send-off party for us on Saturday! Evert and Christelle`s house was so beautifully decorated to look like pure Californian Sunshine.

Francois, Dan and Esias (yip, 2 of those 15 yr olds are over 6 ft tall!)

I'm not smiling, I'm grimacing in pain because Vanessa is sticking her fork into my arm : )

Ryk and Wimpie in charge of half the meat that was barbequed. That's the SA's for you...never knowingly undercatered!

only one rose amongst them....

Lyanne with James, Daniel and Chateu de Neuf Pape

Bokke! We watched the rugby testmatch played in Durban between the Springboks and the Lions. How exciting to see how we were thrashed by us. (you can only say that if you have dual nationality!)

Thanks to all who helped arrange it , kept the secret (my own kids!) and spoiled us with delicious food and wonderful company. Before we knew it , it was midnight and time to say "koebaai, totsiens, tata!"

Then the last day arrived too soon, I have been trying so hard to hold back time but to no avail. Tonight is the last night we'll be spending in this house. Things have been fairly chaotic, trying to sort out cupboards, declutter dark corners and deciding what GOES and what STAYS. Anyone else out there that suffers from Stuff Overload? I think we might just have succeeded in slimlining the whole move...?....no, it's still a lot of stuff. The packers will be here first thing Monday morning.

Meeting old memories

Daniel received an early birthday present from Cally and has been practicing hard for Wimbledon.

My true english rose makes a rare appearance, the smile signals the end of her school test week.

Now where have I seen this before? Ah yes, the older brother used to scale 6 foot security walls and gates at the same age. Monkeys from Africa! Quite sobering when the neighbour ran over this afternoon to report that Daniel was sitting on the ledge outside his upstairs bedroom window and was waving at the world around him. He even pulled the curtain behind him so that we wouldn't notice! We were downstairs, under the impression that he was having his afternoon nap. We can only thank God for His protection and safekeeping of our little boy.

This week has certainly flown by quicker than the last one and that does not bode well for the week to come... Meanwhile , we have been working hard at decluttering our life (and loft) and in the process have made some remarkable, if somewhat inexplicable, finds. Francois had a Clown party for his 3rd birthday which was of course, 13 years ago. I painted a nice clowny backdrop as part of the decorations. Those of you who were there might remember! Somehow, it has survived all the housemoves since then and re-appeared on Thursday, much to everyone's delight. After a photo session with the (now much older) birthday clown, we bid it a sad farewell. Those happy clowns will never see America. But we will. Soon.

Is it June already?

My my, how time flies. For 18 months now, we`ve known that June 2009 meant packing up and moving on. All the while it seemed far away...in the distant future...and now it's here. Suddenly there seems to be a lot more to do that isn't done yet. Fear and panic strikes in the dark hours of the night but God's peace has held me in one piece so far. I guess that this month will be filled with many "lasts" and "for old time's sakes" as we try to fit in much fun and memories into our days!

What is it with men and tea cosies?