Summer Loving...

 Well, once again, I'm left feeling a little embarrassed about how slack I've been at blogging.  I mean 2 months... seriously??  So, I'll start way back in November, where I left off - prepare for a completely unedited photo overload!  The pic above is of Jake watching a local wildlife program, 5050.  We watch it most Sunday evenings and always enjoy every one's photo contributions.  For the first time ever, I entered some of Jake's Kruger photos.  The guys at 5050 called to let us know when it would be on and there it is.  They shared 4 of Jake's beautiful baboon photos and gave him a special shout out on air, telling him to keep up the great photography.  Very special!

Little Rylee continues to grow more and more gorgeous every day.  He's such a kind, caring little boy and I love that we all get to spend so much time with him.  It's just so special having another little boy around.  Plus, this guy's got such good manners!! 

 In other news, my baby has finished primary school!!  I can't believe it myself, but he starts high school next Tuesday.  He's quite nervous, but it's going to be such an exciting time for him.  Did you know he's had braces fitted?  Just the top ones for now...

 Jake's also grown past me during the last couple of months.  I had hoped to snap a shot of us back to back at the same height, but that's gone.  And yes, I have put on 3kgs and no, I don't like them.  Hopefully the new year will see me getting fitter and healthier again...

 So much love in my heart for this teen...

 I was there to pick Jake up when the bell rang on the last day - doesn't he look happy with himself???  Lots of the kids were in tears and there are quite a few of them going to different schools for grade 8, so it's really the end of a chapter...

 We spent lots of time eating watermelon outside this summer...

 Nom-nom...

 Hi Jake xxx

 You have beautiful eyes and you have my whole heart...

 Jake and Stinky...

 He loves her too.  I think she loves being the rose amongst the thorns - all these boys loving her...

 Gogga loves having the older kids around him too - he's learning a lot...

 We tried to swim, but it's not so simple with the current water crisis...  The pool gets too low to clean and we have our downpipes leading to the pool, so that we can catch every drop of rain water when it does rain (we have had 1 or 2 days).  Then we have bins that we backwash the water into, to try let the yucky stuff settle out of, before we pump it back into the pool.  Our pump also broke.  It's been expensive.  So that blue mat on the pool is to help reduce evaporation.  It keeps the water quite warm too, which makes the algae grow.  Anyway, as you can see in the pictures, you can't keep the kids out of the water, even when the water looks like a swamp.  And they were too lazy to take the entire cover off, so just paddled in the shallows...

 Jake's been quite good for most of the holidays, without his Concerta.  It's not easy for him and he tends to over-react and get a bit loud and rough, especially with Corky, so he does get into trouble more, but it's been good to have him full of energy and fun too...

  This little boy is just like his dad.  There's so much of Rosie in him too, but his mannerisms and the way he says and does things - totally Gareth...

 Bianca loves being the center of attention at the moment.  It's gorgeous to see her self-confidence shining through...

 As a Christmas time treat, Jo baked gingerbread houses for the kids to decorate.  These have suddenly become quite trendy in Cape Town and the kids had a ball decorating them...

 Little heart breaker...

 It's always entertaining to see how girls do the creative thing, vs boys...

 Rylee's new funny face!  He enjoyed eating the sweeties and his mom did a lot of the decorating for him...

 

 Jake's inappropriate sense of humour...

 Jake and Corky getting ready to decorate.  These two can be so competitive with each other over the silliest things, but they adore one another too...

 Corky with an orange moustache...

 Rylee definitely eating icing and sweets...

 Jake with his fresh holiday haircut...

 Rylee's creation - he can't wait to get stuck in!!

 And my big boy with his.  Sadly, Jake's collapsed just as we arrived home and so we didn't get to enjoy having it on display.  He did enjoy the sweeties though...

 We had a real family Uncle Paul's this year, which was a real highlight for me.  I love it!

 It wasn't the warmest day for it, but we had fun regardless.  Here's Jake and my mom on the tractor ride up to the party...

 And Jo with her kiddies and Jake...and half of Gareth...

 The straw fight at the start of the party is such fun.  You spend the rest of the evening with straw in places you should never ever have straw, but you don't care...

 Stinky with her arms loaded for combat...

 Her target - Nini...

 The straw really does go everywhere...

 I love this child, my twinnie...

 And I love this child...

 When I look at photos of Jake these days, I get quite a weird feeling... how did he get to be so grown up?  And so handsome? 

 Rosie and Rylee taking a break from the straw fight...

 But not Stinky - she plays till the end.  So does Nini!  I'm not actually sure who has the most fun...

 Bi volunteered herself to help the band and then landed up having to get her mom to help her...

 Jo had to do the actions to Do-a-deer, it was most entertaining...

 Boys marching behind the band.  See how Jake and Connor both hold Rylee's hands?  That's because they both want to be his favourite cousin - totally a competition and Rylee's really stuck in the middle.  Thankfully, he doesn't have to chose and he can love them both...

 Just checking that his mom's still coming...

 Rylee had a chance playing the drums.  Isn't he just too cool...

  Corky had a go to - did I tell you that I love this child too?

And not to be outdone by her big brother...

The boys rushing off to go see Noddy and co...

All of us singing Carols in the dark and waiting for Father Christmas to arrive...

I just love this photo - look at Rylee's cheesy smile!! 

Finally Father Christmas arrived and Jake took Rylee up when his name was called...

Connor and Bi were amongst the last to have their names called.  Bi was starting to stress out.  My mom asked her if she'd been good and she said "I don't know, I tried".  Hahahaha...

  Christmas arrived without much fuss this year.  Jake and I spent a few days camping in Kommetjie with Jacques family, which was really special, but I never took a single photo!!

Rylee slept in late on Christmas morning and phoned Jake to bring his presents over so they could unwrap together...

 Jake was spoilt as usual, but he enjoyed every moment of his day.  This photo reminds me, he hasn't shared that chocolate yet...

 Rylee was so excited with his bag full of goodies.  When he'd finished opening everything, Rosie asked him if he wanted more presents and he said, "no thank you, I got enough" - very sweet...

 TV games to go with the X-box Jake saved up and bought on his own in May.  He's had to wait a long time for a decent game...

 Excitement...

 Trying out his new superhero cap...

 Pre-lunch granadilla champagne cocktails - yum...

 Sadly for us, Gareth, Rosie and Rylee didn't stay for lunch on Christmas day, but they did pop in to share gifts with their family before they headed off to enjoy their lunch with Gareth's family...

 These four are such monkeys...

 Just impossible to get them all to look at me at the same time...

We decided this year that the Christmas meal is always too much of everything and that we wanted to simplify it a little.  Jo made the most delicious prawn starter (divine, right??) and we had fillet steak stuffed with spinach and feta and pine nuts - too good.  2 salads, roast potatoes and some mushroom sauce for with the steak.  We made a trifle for dessert and ice-cream with both chocolate and peanut butter sauce.  It was more than enough and we were all stuffed.  And it was a lot simpler than doing two or three meats and veggies and stuffing and salad.  Stress-free Christmas rocks!

We took these sweet kids on a holiday outing to Intaka Island for a boat ride, bird watching and then went home for a swim and a picnic lunch...

 They do love each other...

 Following the leader - Intaka used to be one of Jake's favourite outings when he was a little younger...

 Exploring...

 Rylee and Bi get on really well at the moment.  He's a gentle soul and goes with the flow.  He even plays dollies with her...

 This is Bi trying to negotiate with my mom.  Unfortunately, since she shares my birthday, she also shares my strong will.  In this instance, she was carrying dirty stones that she wanted to take home with her...

 She wasn't happy about leaving them behind...

And on that note, that's the end of today's post.  One of my resolutions for 2018 is to try post something at least once a month here.  More for me than anyone else.  I mean, how can I keep a diary that I never write in??  

Wishing you all a wonderful 2018, may all your dreams come true.  Look out for the next post about our up-coming travel plans!

Lots of love,

Sue XXX

40...

 Today would've been my sweet Jacques' 40th birthday.  40!!???  I know I'm there, but he will always be just 26 to us, so to even imagine him being so old is impossible.  It's crazy to think that Jake is already half his dad's age.  The photo above is one of my least favourite of Jake, but I love Jacques soft, gentle eyes.  And look how big his hands are next to our tiny Jake.

Not a day goes by where Jake and I don't miss this gentle giant.  I wish with all my heart that Jake could have gotten to know his incredible dad, but that wasn't what life had planned.  We speak about Jacques a lot and I share stories with Jake about the man his father was.  He will always be that man and he will always be in our hearts.  We look at photos often and I hate that Jacques is just a photograph to Jake.  One thing that has been "fun" to see is how much of Jacques Jake has in him.  He definitely has Jacques' sense of humour.  He is also extremely affectionate and loving and cares so deeply for the people he loves most.  He is a protector.

  2 weeks and one day after the picture above, Jacques was gone.  This is him and Jake watching some very serious rugby match...

 

Besides family, wine was Jacques true passion.  He spent so many hours perfecting his craft.  I love this photo of him mixing up the yeast to be added to his wine...

 Jake was the greatest reward for our love and I am so pleased that Jacques got to know the love that a parent feels for their child, even though so briefly.  He was a wonderful husband and father and so very proud of his boy...

 This was us leaving the hospital with our new baby.  Jacques bought Jake this tracksuit, which was a million sizes too big - Jake actually wore it to his first birthday party...

 Jacques was a 6ft 4" giant of a man.  He was clumsy as a bear and I was always conscious of moving things out of his way, especially glasses around the dinner table.  If there was a glass in front of Jacques, he would knock it over.  That said, he was so gentle with our baby...

 Jacques stepped up to the plate and did everything he could to help me and to be the best hands-on-dad that he could be...

 Jake was only 5 days old in these photos and Jacques was way more confident at bathing him than I was - he would rush home from work to do this job for me...

 Seriously, pure love.  I don't think that there was a bad bone in this man's body...

 I'm sure we would've been celebrating in style tonight - especially as it's a Friday!  And if not a party, at least a braai with our family and plenty of wine, because that's what was always a priority for Jacques (the family, not the wine).  After all these years, he stays young in the minds of all of us that he left behind, but a little part of me can't help but wonder just a little about how grey he would've been by now.  I wonder how different my life would've been if he hadn't left us. I miss his laughs, his hugs, his gentle nature and his company.  Actually, everything, really.

Blessings to you all,

Sue xxx