Monday 29th August 2011

Friendships are like a good wine, to be savoured and enjoyed and today we were certainly able to do that. Having made the 1.5 hour trip North West to High Wycombe we joined the lovely Andrew and Van Heerde families for a South African style braai at The Chequers (Dave and Sarah's new pub).

Elizabeth was the centre of attention as this is the first time either of the families have seen her and I must say she rose to the occasion, gurgling and smiling and not shedding a single tear the entire day even though she must have been exhausted.

Nick Nick loved playing with the "big" kids and seemed very happy to relinquish the role of "baby" in favour of being allowed to ride scooters and play rugby.

The food was outstanding and I must have eaten at least 500g of boerewors on my own. As always with these couples the conversation flowed easily and the hours passed quickly, the children spent their time happily out on the local common and in a nearby wood and it was a very relaxed family that reluctantly made our way home in the late afternoon.

Saturday 27th August 2011

The weeks are simply blending into on another at the moment, and seem to pass in a blur of feeding, nappies, playing taxi and keeping a 3 year old entertained. There is now only one week left of the school holidays and whilst I have LOVED having the kids at home with me and they have been incredible with Nick and Beth, I am looking forward to establishing a routine and getting the house back into some semblance of order.

Last weekend was spent with Si's sister Jann from South Africa and as always the time together was like gold. On Sunday we decided to give her a quintessentially English experience and packed a picnic lunch before heading about 30 minutes south to Cuckmere Haven and the Seven Sister's Country park.

After a lovely leisurely stroll through the park we found ourselves on the pebble beach where we enjoyed a lunch of pork pies, sausage rolls, fruit and chocolate biscuits (what could be more English then that lol) before Phill and Si braved the water for a swim. Time spent with family in this way is always rejuvenating for the family and the children really enjoyed getting to know their auntie a little better.

Jann treated us to dinner at the Harvester which was as always lovely and a perfect ending to the day. Monday and Tuesday Jann and I spent enjoying each other's company before, all too soon, I was returning her to Gatwick so she could make her way home.

It is a bank holiday weekend in England, and although today is being spent in an ultra lazy fashion we have plans with friends both tomorrow and Monday and we are looking forward to much laughter and good food.

Friday 19th August 2011

Life at the moment is good and filled with those "pure bliss" moments that when they are absent send our lives spiralling down into despair, I am tired (very very tired) but I am happy. It is still the school holidays and I am blessed to be surrounded by four amazingly good children.

Yes Megs is a real teenager now and spends time skulking in her bedroom, but when the chips are down and I need her downstairs to wipe a smelly toddler bottom she never complains and simply gets on with it in her normal pragmatic manner.

Phill is Phill, full of noise and life, but again he has an amazing touch with a screaming new born and is more than willing to sit with her in the mornings while I take a bath, or of an evening while I try and get on with the supper.

Nick has coped so very very well with the arrival of his little sister and my precious boy has conceded with good grace to his surrogate "parents" in the form of Megs and Phill. He lights up the house with his cheery "Mornin" as he comes down the stairs and a more even tempered nature I couldn't ask for in a three year old.

As for our littlest gift, "Baby Bette" (as Nick Nick calls her), as long as she has attention from the ones she loves she is happy happy happy and is very content to sit and watch movies with her older siblings or watch Nick Nick play lego in the playroom.

I really and truly am blessed, as I said to someone the other day, I certainly do have the Earth, Sun, Moon and Stars, I have the four precious children I so longed for and a man who loves me wholeheartedly....what more could a girl ask for.

Sunday 7th August 2011

Life is good at the moment, the children are in the middle of their summer holidays and Si has just finished the first week of his two week annual leave. The weather has been perfect and we have been able to spend lots of quality time together.

I am a firm believer in family spending precious moments together and even my Megs (being a typical 13 year old) who would rather die than be seen out in public with her parents has admitted to enjoying of our outings.

We have also spent lots of time working in our garden and are really starting to see the results of the wonderful job my mom started while she was here. The roses are thriving and full of buds and nothing brings Si and I more pleasure at the moment then a day spent outside enjoying the sunshine and our lovely home.

England has really blessed us with a MAGNIFICENT Spring and Summer this year and whilst there has been rain (this is England after all lol) it has only served to keep the gorgeous country side green and provide a welcome relief from temps often reaching the mid to high 20's.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls.....

They certainly do grow up in the most delightful way.

Beth is now a bonny 8 week old baby and is really starting to interact with the family, she recognises our voices when we enter a room and her little smile seems like it will literally turn her face inside out it is so wide.

Weighing in at 4.75kgs she is still the smallest of our children and is just above the 25th centile for her height and weight. Certainly looks at this point as if this little mite may take after the ladies in my side of the family more (myself excluded) and measure in around the 5ft mark as a woman one day.

Such a joy in our lives, we thank God daily for this forth, final and much longed for baby girl.