The Great Fishing Trip...

So, as you know, Jake got a fishing rod from our good friends, Wes & Lizelle, for Christmas. From the moment he opened the gift, all he wanted to do was go fishing. The day after Christmas is my mom's birthday (happy birthday, Mom!), so we were pretty busy with visitors. Gareth's an aspiring fisherman (I'm not actually sure that he's caught anything to date), so he was more then happy to have a little partner to teach the ropes to. Jake couldn't wait and the date was set for a fishing trip. Rosanne and I went with for moral support and to take a bunch of pictures. We went down to the Milnerton Lagoon, which I don't think has many fish in it, but, since it was pretty much deserted, it was a nice spot for Jake to learn how to cast...

All ready to go...

Arrival at our destination and trying his best to be patient...

Under the old wooden foot bridge...

Gareth showing Jake how to put the hook, bait and sinker on the line. I can already see my baby's holey fingers... Getting ready to cast off... Jake holding on for dear life, and reeling back in... The seasoned fisherman in action... For those who don't know, this is the Milnerton lighthouse. What started out as a sunny, partly cloudy day, was quickly turning into a gloomy, windy afternoon (see earlier photos)... Jake's first and only catch was this tiny crab. The picture's pretty close to life size... Jake really got into the swing of things quickly and he had tons of fun... And then it started to drizzle, but still the boys fished on... I was actually pleasantly surprised to learn that my sister knows quite a bit about fishing too. She can also cast a line and helped teach Jake a bit, while Gareth did some fishing. Note the towel... It had started to rain, so I headed back to the safe, warm, dryness of the car While the rest of them fished for seaweed... Finally, the heavens opened and it began to pour. Rose, Gareth and Jake were, by this stage, soaked and decided to call it a day. Jake was NOT happy to go home...

The Camp Out...

Before Christmas, shortly after putting our Christmas tree up, Jake & I decided that it would be fun to spend a night camping out in front of it. It meant shuffling a bit of furniture around the house and putting our tent together in our dining room, but it fit in perfectly and we spent 3 fabulous nights sleeping there. Jake loved the novelty of it...

Christmas Day...

Christmas Day was a very busy day. Jake slept in until about 7:30, after waking up at about 4am asking about his presents. He went back to sleep quickly after I told him that Father Christmas hadn't been yet and that the reindeer would be scared off with all his talking... So, after he'd woken the entire household, he raced through to the lounge to check out what was in his sack. He was a very spoilt little man indeed and got everything on his Christmas list. His Ben 10 Watch was at the bottom of his sack though and it would've been a disaster if he hadn't gotten it. Seriously. With each gift he picked up, he'd feel it and announce whether or not it was his Ben 10 watch before ripping the paper off. It was quite funny. So, thankfully, there was a Ben 10 watch in the sack and he was thrilled with it. He also got his 'penis' fly trap, which he's been very excited about. Although, it seems to be quite a fussy plant to look after and it isn't doing all that well at the moment. Fingers crossed that it doesn't expire on me yet. Unbeknown to me, the Ben 10 watch did land up flying off Jake's arm on Christmas morning, only to land in the swimming pool. After a quick recovery and rescue procedure, the rest of my family managed to distract me and get the watch going again. Lucky!! He also got a scooter, which he's had tons of fun with, clothes and tons of junk - but that's what grabs him.

We had Christmas lunch with Jacques' immediate and extended family. There were 22 of us and we all had a lovely lunch together. Jake enjoyed being with his cousins and was spoilt by everyone on that side as well. He had a whole bag of goodies to take home!! We had the full traditional lunch, including beef fillet, gammon, turkey, roast potatoes, roast veggies, rice, peas, gravy, salads. I was almost too full for pudding, but there was trifle and ice-cream with divine hot chocolate sauce and Christmas pudding - I rolled out the door!!

Waiting to go through to the lounge and presents... A Transformer mask. Jake's sack was exploding...

The fly trap...

A fishing rod from Uncle Wes, Aunty Lizelle, Lara-Lyn and Robert. This gift has been a huge hit...

The moment arrives...

The gift that nearly wasn't. A Ben 10 Watch!! He doesn't know how lucky he is to have that...

Far too cool...

Lunch at the in-laws. Abi seemed intent on showing me what was in her mouth - I have about 4 photos of her like this. Jake was too tired to pick his head up off the table... Tammy, Abigail, Josette & Rebecca. For those of you who don't know these faces - Tammy & Josette are Jacques' sisters and the girls are Josette's. Abi's soft and gentle, a real mommy to Jake; Becky's like a sister to Jake. They fight like cat and dog, but absolutely adore one another. They're going to get up to mischief together later in life... Waiting for presents to be handed out at Granny & Grandpa's house... After lunch, at about 6pm, we headed out to my aunt's house. My cousin's were both there with their kids. Dylan's 6 weeks older then Jake and Eve's 10 days younger. We had tons of fun being pregnant together and the kids all get along really well and it's always good to see how they're growing. But, to get three 4-year olds at that time on Christmas day, to pose together for a nice family picture is like pulling teeth. First, Jake wouldn't smile and Eve wouldn't look up... Then Jake smiled and the other two wriggled... Then Eve smiled and Dylan looked away. But, look at my child!! He was just past it by this stage... I love how Eve and Dylan are having a good laugh at something they found hysterical, Jake just isn't even trying to smile with them. Thank goodness Christmas only comes once a year!!

Till tomorrow xxx

Christmas Eve...

OK, the photos are sorted out and I've picked out the best of the lot to put up on my blog. I'll have to do them in various little posts as and when I get time (sorry). So, back to the beginning of the festive season we go...

Christmas has always a been a bit of a crazy time of year, not only for us, but for most people. I find it a very difficult time of year and one where, obviously, I feel Jacques absence strongly. It's a family time and mine's broken. It's also always very difficult trying to divide our time up fairly between my immediate family and Jacques' family. We normally alternate meal times, so that we're sure to have seen everyone. This year, we had dinner with my family on Christmas Eve, well, it ended up only being my parents, Jake & I. Joanne and Rosanne both have partners with families they need to spend time with and they're trying to set traditions of their own. Joanne and Paul always have a quiet night on Christmas Eve at home on their own and then have Christmas lunch with my folks (Paul's mom joins in as she's on her own). Rosanne also has to fit in seeing extended family on her fiance's side of things. Like I said, it's a bit of a time juggling act in our house. Actually, that doesn't really only apply to Christmas time, it's a year-round act. We had a lovely dinner of slow roasted lamb, gravy, roast potatoes, Jake's home-grown butternut and salad. Of course there was plenty of wine on the table and a delicious chocolate marshmallow pudding for dessert (I must remember to bring the recipe, it's a real winner and just thinking about it's making my mouth water!).

In line with tradition, before bedtime, we laid our Christmas sacks out under the tree for Father Christmas to fill. My sisters & I still have ours from when we were kids and they still get used - if you don't put your sack out, you won't get any presents! I've made Christmas sacks for Jake and now for Connor too - they're bright and Jake loves his. We also laid out a mini-feast for Father Christmas and his reindeer. The reindeer were going to feast on freshly picked carrots and water, while Father Christmas was getting chocolates, home baked shortbread and a glass of sherry. Delicious.

Jake spent the night in my bed, which was the best gift I could've asked for. He's just so precious. Sure, he has his faults, which of us doesn't? But to me, he's absolutely perfect in every single way.

OK, enough blabbering, here are some of our Christmas Eve pictures...

Picking carrots for the reindeer. Jake was very fussy through this process - if they weren't big enough, they weren't good enough...

The haul... Totally excited...

Us at the dinner table... An excited little boy on his way to bed. Did anyone see these musical toys at Woolworths this year? They sing Jingle Bells and Jake has had so much fun with his... The spread for Father Christmas and his reindeer...

Jake getting cosy with Father Christmas' sherry...

All partied out! The cutest elf in the world (to me anyway)...

A New Year...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! The fact that I'm blogging again, means that I'm (sadly) back at work again. Jake & I had a good break together and, while we were pretty selfish with our time, it was just the break I needed. I've come back to work feeling refreshed and ready to face the New Year. At least that's what I'm trying to convince myself. I seriously wouldn't mind just having a really wealthy man around to sponsor my living for a while (like for the rest of my life)...

Work is a bit like a mad house, which I wasn't expecting. I'd thought I'd be able to look through my photos and get a couple posted on my blog, but I don't have time. They're coming and I promise to do them in segments. I think I took nearly 700 photos in just 10 days. I had lots of fun with my camera and Jake was pretty obliging too.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi, to let you know that I'm still alive and well and to warn you that there are LOTS of pictures coming soon. Hope everyone's had a great festive season, looking forward to finding time to read everyone's news...

Lots of love XXX

'Twas the night before Christmas...

So, it's Christmas tomorrow. I hope that, by now, you've all finished your Christmas shopping and that you are getting ready to enjoy the day with family and friends. Jake & I will be having dinner with my parents this evening and lunch with the outlaws tomorrow, so it's going to be a busy day or two for us. I'm not feeling great today, a bit nauseous and I have a headache, so hoping that I'm feeling better for tomorrow. It's going to be such an exciting day for Jake and I'm really looking forward to sharing it with him. Just hoping that this doesn't spoil it for me! Work is drawing to a close (YAY!!) and I probably won't be able to check/update my blog until I get back to the office in the New Year.

And, on that note, eat, drink & be merry. Have a very merry Christmas and a fabulous new year. Stay safe and see you all in 2009!

Lots of love, Sue xxx

A few photos...

How well do you know me? Ha! A few pictures!! Jake & I have been really busy lately and I'm really looking forward to having a few days off work between Christmas and New Year. Sadly though, for all of you, it will mean my absence from the blogging community for a whopping 11 days (give or take, it depends on how busy work is when I get back).

I am pretty busy at work at the moment, trying to get everything up-to-date, so that life's not a mad rush when I come back to my desk in the New Year. Clean slates and all. So, not much time to write more news, just a couple of photos and a few notes along the way...

We popped in at a braai my sister-in-law had at their house last week sometime. The weather was great and all the kids ended up swimming. I hadn't packed a bather for Jake and told him that he could swim in his underpants, but since my child has issues with taking his pants off (I wonder how long it will last??), he ignored me and climbed in fully dressed. He did have fun though...

Jake sent his letter off to Father Christmas last week. I had intended to do it on the 16th, but he was so exhausted that he went to bed without us doing it. The next night was no better, so he only got it off on the 18th. We promise to be more punctual next year... We also cooked Jake's marrow (zucchini) last week. It was delicious and Jake was very proud!!

This weekend went by in a blur. I have good friends here from the UK, whom I met up with on Friday night in the Waterfront for drinks. I ended up getting home at 2am, which was much later then anticipated, but tons of fun. I really miss having Jason and Sandi here and this trip of theirs has been so rushed that we've hardly seen them. They are leaving again on Thursday evening, so I doubt we'll even get to see them between now and then. Still, Friday night was great and, since I was driving, I wasn't suffering with a hangover on Saturday morning when Jake woke me up at 7am!

On Saturday afternoon, I managed to have a nap with Jake for 2 hours! Seriously, I can't remember when last I managed to have an afternoon nap, it was heavenly. Saturday night, we were invited to Joanne & Paul's for a Christmas dinner. It seems to be becoming an annual event of theirs and it's always a good evening. Sam, Steven & Mikey joined us there, so the kids also had a ball. Jo is a wizz in the kitchen (although Paul still needs a bit of assistance) and her meals are always delicious. This year was no exception. Jake & I spent the night, so I could enjoy a couple of glasses of wine and not worry about having to get us home safely. Pity that Jo couldn't join us, but I'm sure she'll make up for it next year! Thanks guys for a stunning evening, we can't wait until Connor's here so that he can share in all the festivities...

Sam & Jo relaxing with a drink on the stoep (Jo's is non-alcoholic). And who was it that was asking for photos of the bump?? There it is. That's my nephew...

Paul showing off about his braaing skills...

The kids playing with the hose in the garden. I'm still not sure what possessed Mikey to trust Jake with the hose - that face might look innocent, but underneath...

Jo getting the food ready...

And I'm still dreaming about this dessert! It was delicious. Please visit http://www.inapaarman.co.za/ and look for the recipe. It's listed under her cold desserts and it's called a Frozen Chocolate Malt Bombe. Jo said it was pretty simple to make and it was very impressive...

Jake and Mike tucking into the cherries...

This is what it looked like inside...

On Sunday we met some friends at the Blue Peter for drinks, which is always good fun. Jake was really well behaved and the weather was divine. Today it's overcast & raining, so I'm not sure what's up with that. When we got home last night, we collected my parents and took a drive into Bothasig (our neighbouring suburb), to walk around and see the Christmas lights. The residents always out do themselves with lighting up their gardens & homes. Again, I didn't have my tripod with me, so some are a little fuzzy... Our Christmas tree at home... Lastly, all that Jake wants for Christmas this year, is a Ben 10 watch. It's revolting and I decided that I wasn't going to spend money on it, but it's all he wants. On Friday I decided that I'd get it and went shopping. Every single shop in Cape Town is sold out. I called my cousin in Johannesburg and she's looked all over Jhb and there's none there either. She left her details with one store and they sourced one at their branch in Pretoria. Long story short, it'll be arriving in Cape Town at lunch time tomorrow. I can't wait to see Jake's face!! And this is Ben 10, for those of you that care...

Chat again soon!! XXX