Is That a Full or a Satisfied Dog? Both!

A couple weeks back we decided to switch things up and try a new camping location. So we traveled towards Loskop and made our way to Injasuthi (inja = dog; suthi = full). To go 40km it took us about 4 hours and 5 different rides including a long one perched on top of maize meal bags. It was slightly frustrating when we were unable to explain to people that distance is not relative -it may look far but really 40 kilometers here is the same as 40 kilometers anywhere. Nope - it is so very far. Ah!

That night we made the best hamburgers I have ever eaten and roasted our green beans - try it!

Midlands Meander

Our latest vacation took us to fall in New England - or so it felt. The Midland Meander was great. We ate a ton of awesome food - from paella to a German style fried pork leg and visited a few great wineries and cheese farms. We camped the first couple nights and then stayed in a sweet little cabin where we watched the coverage of Osama bin Laden's death! It was beautiful and relaxing!





























I should also mention that we rented a car which is kind of a big deal! It was wonderful and now we are totally geared up to get our own wheels! We are American for goodness sake!!!!!

I Wonder Where Olwethu Is?

After our brother paid Labolla for Nonhlanhla, her and their three year old daughter Olwethu moved to our compound permenantly and now it seems we have a permenant weekend child! When she is not there to greet us bright and early on weekend mornings we quickly find ourselves asking "I wonder where Olwethu is?" She is so bright, saucy and funny and has come to almost completely fill the void left in my heart when I had to leave Caroline, Ireland, Emma and Nichole in Denver (who she is able to name as she points to their pictures on our refridgerator along with Eli and Anna Rose - pronouced anyadarose).

She helps with our laundry and dishes, flirts with Derek and eats all the food we offer her even if it makes her gag as the hummus did last week! When I introduced her to hot chocolate she nearly lost her mind and started running around yelling "siyaphuze ichocolate" (we are drinking chocolate). She talks non-stop in isiZulu to us and must think we have some sort of learning diability becuase we answer her back inappropriately over and over. "Eish Melissa." But the other day she did say as clear as anything "it is hot" before eating her eggs. Then she proceeded to ask who had cooked them and if they were nice because she only likes nice eggs. One of the best parts of my week is listening to her and Derek have a full on conversation where neither one of them has a clue what the other is talking about for ten minutes but they are finally able to agree that if she stops messing with his paint brushes, he will give her some juice, but she must clean up the floor if she spills it. I wish I could video tape the fiasco that has become laundry since she is always present to help us - it takes double the time as we have to correct her without her knowing we are doing so lest she loose her mind and reprimand us very sternly.

We have made an agreement with her mom that if she matriculates with good grades from high school we will pay for her to fly to the states for a visit so you all will be able to meet her some day about 15 years from now if you don't come to visit before then.

Montana Louise!

Although I had made it very clear to Jenna and Trey that they were not to get pregnant while I was in South Africa they annouced that they had completely disregarded my wishes back in July of 2010 when they told me they were expecting their first baby in the early part of 2011. I was not planning on going home, but as the time drew near, I made a good decision, bought a ticket on short notice and rushed home.

I had expected the whole labor and delivery to be well over by the time I got there since it was well passed her due date, but when my plane touched down in Phoenix at 10:00 on the 25th of February Jenna had not even begun to have contractions. About an hour later they started and later that night Montana Louise was born while I suffered from jet-lag curled up in a chair in the waiting room. How nice of her to wait for her Auntie. I was very grateful as it was a special time and nice for me to share in those moments since I missed the whole pregnancy. I spent the first two weeks of her life sleeping on the couch of their rental home, waking up so I was able to be present for most of the night-time feedings even if it was just to sit there, the first couple poop explosions, shopping misadventures and was the first one Jenna left alone with her!

It was clear, to me at least, that my time in South Africa has changed me. This I realized as I calmly watched a movie and did a little yoga while my sister had contractions in her bedroom! Normally I would have been freaking out insisting she go to the hospital or that we google something! But no, Africa has taught me that things will work out however they will regardless of whether I freak out or stay relatively calm! Relatively - I am still very rarely in a state of complete calm! I still found extreme satisfaction in organizing her clothes but imagining Jenna disregarding all my efforts as soon as I left did not upset me at all!!!

Montana is so freaking perfect and right away was flung full force into the lifestyle of Jenna and Trey. Dinner out at two days old and before she turned three months old she had traveled to California, Vegas, been camping and hiking and done a little boating. Come to think of it, she made her first trip to CA before she was a week old. No big deal!

I miss her desperately and can't wait for her first African adventure next April!

Sweet Home Tenneessee

Derek and I both took a time out earlier this year to head back to the states to visit family. We both spent two weeks there and it was lovely. Lots of showers, good quality ice cream, Oregano's (well in AZ at least), unlimited freedom that comes from having a car and quality time with family.

Here are few snap shots of Derek's time in Tenneessee after he distributed some African swag - Anna has gotten so tall and slender!