Wedding Day...

Well the day has arrived and I woke up a bit nervous. Sharon was meant to come pick me up at 11.00 to go to her house to get my hair and make up done, however 11.00 came and went with no sign of Sharon. I knew we had to leave her house by 1.30 to get to the church on time at 2pm...and I dint want to be late.
She finally arrived at 12 and we headed off.

I only had an hour for the lady to do my hair and make up, so she decided on a simple French roll (our original design had curls coming out of it) and then she quickly did my make up. I wanted a natural look however they do things differently over there and she had no idea what I was talking about. I left it to her capable hands and even though my make up was heavier than I would have like it was OK...

My dress was tight, we went and saw a dressmaker a few days earlier but much to our dismay when I had it altered they had cut the extra seam away (who does that to a wedding dress???) and there was no time to do anything else. I just had to wear a slightly too tight dress...

Sharon had organised a white BMW to be my wedding car and her partner Garth was to be my driver.

As we were taking some photos of me getting in the car I managed to get tyre black all over the side of my dress !
Sharon thought I would be devastated but I was soooo calm, I wasn't nervous or anything..just happy.

We drove calmly to the church where much to my relief we were a tad early and had to park on the verge while a few last stragglers went into the church..

The time had come...and we drove in..

Kragga Kamma

Woke up this morning and Sharon picked up Craig, Darian and myself in the Bakkie (pronounced Bukkie) what S.A call a 4 WD ute...or any ute and she took us to the Kragga Kamma game reserve which is a self drive reserve on the out skirts of PE....

It was first view of the native animals....It really hadn't sunk in that i was in another country until now. PE is very similar to Perth in many ways....

We saw lots of different kinds of Buck, Rhino, Wilder beast, giraffe and cheetah.

We went to the office area where for R20 each Darian and I were able to pat a cheetah. We were led into the cage where we were then told that there were two cheetahs in here and that the female is not so friendly. Just as the guide started to speak a cheetah by the fence got up and started to walk to wards us...it was HUGE..almost to my hip. As it got closer you could here it purring. it walked directly too me, rubbed its head against my leg and sat at my feet. " Duma" was hand raised and has even stared in his own movie...
It was that most amazing feeling, patting and rubbing this amazing animal. I think I was smiling all the way home. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would pat a cheetah.

Tonight we went and saw the minister where we went through the documentation and a quick run down of our vows...

Time is counting down....

Getting the suit.....

I met Darian’s older brother Craig this morning. He lives in East London (about 2 hours north east of PE)

We then went into PE to organize Darian’s suit for Saturday and then went to the Spur for lunch (like a steak house) we each had a spur rib burger that cost R20 or $8.

We are getting a great exchange rate $1 to R6.

After lunch we went to a local tourist attraction called the Boardwalk. Took some photos, bought a t-shirt and some post cards to send home to the kids. The photos arnt that good as we forgot the camera and had to use Darian's phone.

Day 2...

Spent the day at Darians parents house getting to know my future parents-in-law. Tonight I had my first real South African Braai with Darian’s family and friends.

I also had my first taste of Borevours…..The curly sausage in the photo with Darian and I and his parents…

I also met Darians best friend Wayne and his wife Miriam. Very nice people who I instantly got along with.

And we are away....

We left Perth about half hour late. We even managed to sleep some of the way to Johannesburg. We landed in Jo’burg at 5.40 am, on time and headed towards Passport control. The amount of people was amazing and the airport is huge….Darian and I were separated as I had to enter the foreign passport line and Darian went through the South African passport line. Darian went through before me and I remember thinking “Please let me through’….they did and I got a 3 moth temporary resident visa. Darian by now had collected our luggage and we headed off to customs….nothing to declare so straight through and went and checked in for our flight to Port Elizabeth. We had to wait 2 hours before I plane left at 10.05 am.

I got a window seat and looked out the window the whole time….It only became cloudy as we descended into P.E and it was raining as we landed

We collected our luggage and I met Darian’s parents for the first time. I also met his sister Sharon.

We drove to Darian’s parents’ house where we went to have a nana nap and ended up sleeping the night through.

NO more sleeps

This week has just flown....so i will do a quick run down
Tuesday after school is guides so we have a hectic afternoon, but have organised with girls step mum that the girls home with Jacquie on Tues and then she can fetch them from guides. This way girls get to see their cousins and mum can bring down Matthew for the arvo. The girls were getting quite distressed about not seeing their brother for a month.
Wednesday Eloise has Acro after school so again the girls are going to Jacquie's...
Wednesday night the girls were in tears and very upset about me going. Its not fun being left behind...I had a bit of a cry myself and said to the girls that I would pick them up early from school on Thursday and we would go to McDonalds for ice cream and a play.
So yesterday was flat out, took Matthew to gymbaroo (mum got her first taste at toddler nightmare) and then we went and got Matthews haircut and finally collected 2 very anxious girls from school. Went to Maccas and then home. Enough time to pack their bags and head off to their dads. Once they were there, they were fine. No tears saying goodbye which made me feel better leaving them.
I then went to some friends of Darian's to have coffee and then home to pack some of the suitcase
Darian is at work today, he will get home have a shower and then its pack the car and off to the airport....
I am nervous but excited at the same time.
I hope to be able to update my blog when I am over there.
So this may be bye for now....

SPASA Gala Dinner

Last night Darian and I went to the Annual Gala dinner for the pool and spa industry at the Burswood Casino. The company he works for was presenting an award so we got to go eat and drink to our hearts content.
It was also a dry run for mum to look after Matthew and everything went well.
Mum is now staying with us so that Matthew can get to know her and vice versa....

Only 5 days to go....

One week to go......

WOW 7 days.
I know I have been slack and it has been ages since I have done a "real" post. I will try and do that later today.

10 days to go.....

Wohoo.....only 10 days till we fly.

2 Weeks today

Wow I cant believe two weeks today...well, tonight we will be flying.
Yesterday at the zoo I was looking at the lions thinking that in 3 weeks I will hopefully be looking at them in the wild, I am sure that they wont be as fat and content as the ones in the zoo.

We're all going to the zoo today.....

This morning I surprised the kids with a train ride. We parked the car at Clarkson train station and got on. On the way I told the kids we were meeting Auntie Jacquie and the kids and that we were taking the train, bus and ferry to the Perth Zoo....
I then had some very happy and excited kids. It took us 2 hours to get there...cant rush these things but as the weather became steadily worse during the day we were mighty glad we didn't drive.
We were lucky enough not to get rained on until we stopped and fed the kids, and then it came down....and down and down...
We saw almost all the animals except for the Aussie exhibit and before heading home we visited the zoo shop.
We all got a little wet on the walk to the ferry, but once you get wet you cant get any wetter.
The best time to visit the zoo is when it is raining as the crowds stay away and because its nice and quiet and cool most of the animals come out.
we all had a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday Eloise

My baby girl has turned 7....Wow ...
The girls were at their dads this weekend, so I didn't get to say "Happy Birthday" until 5pm....
She had a wonderful day with her dad as they went to see Shrek 3 at the movies.

Eloise opened her presents and got some gorgeous riding boots from Aunty Cherise and 6 Horse Riding lessons from Nana and Poppee (aunty as well). I don't think Eloise really understands what it means but once it sinks in....
Talia bought her a Kerplunk game and Matthew got her a new Veggie Tales DVD. Darian and I got her a roller case for a school bag...she has been wanting one for ages but as i was wrapping it i noticed that one of the wheels were missing so we have to replace it.....

By the time we got to cake, she was very tired and Talia helped to blow out the candles which resulted in tears, so we had to relight them and do it all over again.

My mum turned up just in time as she was staying the night with us.

Less than 3 weeks......

Wow I can't believe it is less than 3 weeks now before we fly...

Kids Play....

So after we fed the ducks and Matthew chased some crows away I took the girls to the little stream that runs through the park.

When I told them that the park had no play equipment they looked at me strange but once they got the hang of getting down and dirty in the water they all had a great time building dams and clearing the water so that it ran freely...

We spent about 3 hours just playing in the water

Feeding the Ducks.....

This morning I woke up and the weather was beautiful so I decided since it was so nice I would take the kids to the park after Matthews OT appoint.

I have been promiseing the girls for weeks that we would go and feed some ducks, so off we went to the Joondalup Central Park....

Happy Birthday Matthew

My baby boy turns 3 today!
We had a small family party to celebrate. Matthew still doesn't really understand the whole unwrapping of the present thing and when I bought the cake out he was almost going to cry.

He got some farm animals from Gran, a veggie tales DVD from Talia, a new leap pad book from Eloise and Some Thomas trains from Megan. Darian and I gave him an extension on his Thomas train set.

So my poor little boy with his virus and sore eye had a good birthday

In the wars....

Poor Matthew, he has been feeling crook all day.

This morning Eloise's class had their assembly (naughty mummy forgot her camera) she was a crazy carrot and they sung about the goodness of fruit and water. All parents were invited after for coffee and biscuits....so I went down, had a cupper and gave Matthew a scotch finger biscuit broken in half. He ate one half and held on to the other.

After saying good bye to Eloise we went to do the grocery shopping....yukky at the best of time, even more so when Kmart are having their HUGE toy sale....we managed to get all the shopping done and Matthew still had a hold of his biscuit...poor boy was not well...

So we got home and I put play school on the TV and he laid on the couch and went to sleep. I had to wake him up to go get the girls from school.

So we got the girls from school, came inside and Matthew went to the couch and laid down again, so Eloise went off to clean his room for me and I went and folded some washing, the next thing I heard was a big bang and a scream of a little boy. The next thing I heard was Talia screaming "MUM Matthew is bleeding"...

He had fallen off the couch and some how split his left eye brow open. OK it needed to be looked at so I bundled the kids into the car and off to the doctor.

Luckily they put us straight to the treatment room and the nurse had a look and said the doctor needed to see him.

The doctor came in and said that the best option would be to super glue it....

That went OK Matthew freaked a bit with the doctor and nurse holding him down, and because Matthew was crying Eloise got a bit upset too.

So he has super glue and tape on his eye which is to stay there until it falls off, if he rips it off it will need to be stitched and that means putting him under....we don't want that...

So the poor little man is not only suffering from a viral infection he also has a sore head.

I finally got the camera out to take a photo of Eloise and her missing tooth.... I also managed to get all 3 kids to sit together and got a half decent photo of all 3...poor Matthew looks sick still..
we are off to the doctor later this morning..

All I want for Christmas.....

Matthew was a very sick little boy yesterday, in fact he spent most of the day laying on the couch watching play school. Nothing serious, just a high fever and that dreaded cough that he has been battling with is worse. So we are off to the doctor tomorrow.

So because Matthew was not well I got the girls to meet me at the car after school instead of Matthew and I walking to the class rooms to get them.

So Eloise opens the car door and pulls out of her pocket a piece of cardboard and attached with sticky tape is her front tooth...I didn't even know it was wobbly...so now she looks extra cute...the other one is starting to grow down already.

So today Matthew was feeling better so we were off to an OT appoint where she was very impressed with his pincer grip, he was able to pinch 2 pegs onto cardboard all by himself. the other 6 he needed help as his muscles fatigue easily....but this is a huge improvement.

He then tried some cutting (which he was better with his left hand than right today) and then he did some painting and finally he stuck his finger in the paint and put it on the crown that he made....

we are seeing improvements all the time...

All so today I had my wedding dress fitting....all the chocolate I have been eating hasn't made a difference (sigh of relief) and the dress needs to be taken in and up...
So I am back in a month to pick it up...which is only 3 days before we fly so I hope all the alterations are OK...

Then tonight Talia had her wind up for guides...they went to the movies and watched "Bridge to Terabithia" excuse the spelling please...

well that was today and yesterday....

I'm off to bed as it is cold, wet and windy out side so i might snuggle up in bed with a good book..

The days a going quick

This week has been a blur. I have become addicted to Big Brother....yes I never thought I would and the week goes so quick that before I blink again its Friday night games..

Thursday the girls bought their school reports home, they are both doing sooo well. I am so proud of them. I have been told that Talia has quite a Talent for art so i am going to look into some after school activities for her.

Eloise is loving acrobatics, she has taken to it like a duck to water....

Thursday Darian went to Kalgoorlie for the day for work and then its Friday again....

yesterday I went and had afternoon at Matthews grandmas, even they have noticed an improvement in his speech.

Now its Sunday and its cold, windy and nice and wet...