Phew...

Well, here I sit, wondering yet again where the time has gone...  I don't seem to be getting very much of it for anything at the moment.  Work is manic again and we're busy with our financial year end, which always leads to time wasted searching for inventory and reconciling accounts.  Busy days, but I guess it keeps me out of trouble.

In between, Jake's had a pretty crazy time at school too.  He's had his test week (2 actually) and has had orals and mondelings (I so badly need an Afrikaans friend to help me with the editing!) and reading and projects to get through.  In among that, I'm still playing tug-of-war with regards to his meds.  He's been taking 27mg of Concerta for his ADHD and I love that it means he eats better and has more spunk, but I can see that he's struggling a bit socially and results-wise.  Anyway, we'll get him back on track soon :o)

We recently had the privilege of visiting the Drakenstein Lion Park, which is a sanctuary for rescued lions.  Most of these lions have spent their lives abused or in circuses.  None could fend for themselves in the wild, so this is the best solution for them.  It's amazing to get so close to these amazing creatures, even if a little daunting - those fences aren't really very high, are they??

Jake cooling off in a sprinkler - we did pick the hottest day of the year to go and Jake eventually looked like a tomato about to pass out...

We were there for feeding time too, which was quite a treat.  The lady in the blue dress is writing a children's book about one of the lions, Dodo, who's spent the first 8 years of his life in a concrete pit in Eastern Europe.  His cage had metal bars over the top and during the cold winters, Dodo had to lie in the snow in temperatures as low as -20 degrees.  His life at the sanctuary is as close to the wild as he'll ever get, but it's one heck of a lot better than where he's come from!!

Seeing the lions like this made Jake and I really sad, especially since we've seen the life they should be living in the wild.  It also made us really excited about our up-coming Kruger holiday.  We can't wait!

Nom-nom...

Dead chicken is gooood...

There were a couple of tigers too...

A definite highlight is some of the gorgeous white lions that the park has too...

All of the lions are sterilized and so the owners were very surprised when one of their female white lions gave birth to 3 precious cubs.  We were lucky enough to spot one.  The dad is in the picture above...

In other news, Jake and I finally braved a trip down to Blouberg beach.  It's the one we spent so many precious hours with Marius and his boys.  Re-visiting was really tough for us and we both kept hoping we'd bump into the boys, but we didn't.  We saw the park runners too, which we all used to do quite often on a Saturday morning... another harsh reality of our lives.  For now, things will change again, I have no doubt about that...

Our trip to the beach was made easier by having Rylee and my folks with us...

Rylee's growing so beautifully and he's talking so much these days.  He had the most fabulous 2nd birthday party at the end of Feb - I'll have pics for you as soon as I can...

Jake adores his little cousin...

It's really hard to believe that it really wasn't all that long ago that Jake was so tiny...

Jake's learned to be very patient with his younger cousins and they are all really crazy about him because of it...

Jake tried his luck finding shark's teeth, but it wasn't his day...

The last days of summer were spent by the pool, relaxing with our precious family.  Here's Jake and his Auntie Jo...

Another of Jake's younger cousins, Corky.  These two started out with a real love-hate relationship, now it's mostly filled with love and patience.  They all get so excited to see each other, it's very precious.  Here's Jake trying to teach Corks how to use his new board.  Corky wasn't heavy enough, so they shared the load...

Thank goodness for family...  so much love...

Stinky was there too... she's the rose amongst the thorns, but she loves the boys and they love her so much too...

We celebrated Baden Powell's birthday at the Sea Scout base too.  Jake received a certificate for completing his leaping wolf badge, so it was a special one for him...

Smart boys...

The flag ceremony, which is lead in by a piper...

Jake getting his certificate from the District Commissioner...

And with his two Grandpas - he's a lucky boy to always have so much support from his family...

Jake and Rylee having fun on the board...

Doesn't Rylee just have the most gorgeous eyes and hair???

How old are you going to be?  2!!

There's so much more happening, but my camera seems to be collecting dust at the moment...  I need to start pulling myself towards myself, don't I...

We're going away this weekend with our whole family, just for one night, but we're really looking forward to it! School also closes next Friday for 2 weeks for the Easter break and I'm hoping to get a few days off work.  I have a ton of leave owing to me and if I don't use it, I'm going to lose it.

Sending lots of love,

Sue XXX