Irene Dairy Farm

We took trip to the Irene Dairy Farm today. I would have never imagined the kids being so excited to see cows!! We have seen many wild animals here and all it takes for a smile on their face is to see a cow! It was a nice afternoon. The farm is a full running dairy farm with a nice restaurant to have lunch and a farm store. (I have to say it was the cleanest and most beautiful farm I have seen). The kids were very interested in the tractor and seeing the cows being milked. Enjoy the photos!!

Oh the famous tractor at the farm picture!!


The kids had to have a picture next to the cows with the numbers on their butt (they thought that was funny).

Look at the love between them! I have to say these two have created a special bond (not saying they don't fight), but they really watch out for each other, they hold hands in the parking lots, and they can play for hours together (yes even without fighting!). I have loved seeing them have this special love for each other.

All in a row waiting to be hooked up to a jug


A look at the milk collecting jugs



Seems like they have grown a lot since we have been here!

Follow the stone path to see more cows!

Alex learning to fly!


Maddie was tired of me taking photos - so I told her to smile for Grandpa - Look at the smile she produced!!! I think she misses all her grandparents!



Alex was a little more serious

OUR FIRST NIGHT OUT WITHOUT KIDS

We finally had a night out with new friends. It was our neighbor's birthday and they invited us to dinner with them and two other couples. We went to a restaurant called Cynthia's. We had our own private dining room which made it nice to get to know the other couples. So here are some pictures of our night:

Elsabe enjoying her night out for her birthday!!




Scott and I, Tessa and her husband, Gavin and Annalise(bottom row), and our neighbors Elsabe and Etienne

The kids decided they were going to stay up until we got home, so by the time they went to bed it was past midnight!! They were very good though!! They spent the evening with the neighbor kids and one of the other couples kids. Their maid babysat. It was great to get a night out!!!

The Last Few Days

This is a random blog entry - things we have done the last few days, thoughts I have had and more pictures for you to enjoy!!

We of little faith - We joked about our Internet the last blog. Low and behold the next day it was turned back on (something we never expected!!). So back to blogging and making phone calls to people back home!!

RUGBY!


Watching and Playing Rugby!! GO SPRINGBOKS!!

We had the privilege of witnessing the SA Rugby team making it to the World Cup! We were invited to a friends house for a get together and to watch the game. It was a great evening! and yes SA won!!



Scott and the kids "trying" to play touch rugby!



Even the kids got into it and had their faces painted. They wanted the American flag painted on their face, but this is what they got!

Did you know that the USA has a rugby team nicknamed the Eagles?!? I did not know until there was a game between SA and the USA. (I was told that we are not very good!)


Watching the sunset


Maddie in front of a huge row of roses. The rose bushes here are so beautiful. It seems in the US you need to have a good sense of rose growing to grow beautiful roses. Here there are rose bushes everywhere and they need very little maintenance! They bloom 10 months of the year!!


As Maddie was admiring the roses the saying 'Stop and Smell The Flowers' came to mind. It is a reminder, for each of us, to stop rushing because time passes quickly. Stop! and enjoy the day, the moment and the minute. Each minute that you miss, is time lost and will not come again. Give thanks to God for all your blessings!! It is amazing that God must of knew that I needed time to SLOW down. It seemed back home I was always busy and not stopping!! I have been awaken to the slow paced culture here. I now have moments (a lot) to reflect on my life, relationship with God, my kids, my husband, and my family and friends back home. Things I took for granted sometimes back home.
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MADDIE'S SCHOOL TRIP TO THE PRETORIA ZOO
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On Tuesday Maddie's class had a class trip to the zoo. It is an amazing zoo!! I went along with a few other moms and Alex.



Maddie's class




I rented a go cart to help Alex make it through the whole zoo. It is huge! Little did I know that it is mainly up hill - Boy did I get my work out for the day!!



Having Lunch


Some of the other moms (Charmaine and Marian) that I have gotten to know over the past few months.

Maddie and her classmates Mariska and Ashley


Having ice cream of course!




A stream running through the middle of the zoo.


Stopping to admire and smell the flowers! (seems like a theme here lately!)

We had a great day and a great time!

NO INTERNET!!

We are at a coffe shop right now using their wireless internet to inform everyone that our phone company has struck again. Our Internet line was cancelled by mistake and we need to wait 7 days to get it back online. This means we will not have email or VOI phone until this gets sorted out (a little afrikaans english for you all). I will call and bug them everyday until we get back online. Once again, their mistake our pain.

Until 7 days, maybe 14 or 28 or maybe we will just see you all over Christmas. :)

News on Riley

Here is the latest news we have received about Riley. As most of you know Scotts sister Deb is taking care of Riley while we are gone - This is the email she sent us today.

From: Deb Owen

Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 7:16 PM

To: 'Leenstra, Greg'; 'Terri Leenstra'; 'Gregory Leenstra'; Scott Leenstra

Cc: 'Dan Owen'

Subject: FUNNY FOR THE DAY - The pictures don't do justice to the real thing

Scott (don’t look at the pictures until you have read this whole email)

I think I need to share something with you. A few weeks back Riley had some fun with a skunk (maybe thought it was Sylvester) and he got sprayed. I washed him twice (with regular soap) the night it happened and it did not help. So the next day I went to the store and bought a dog clipper and hacked away at his extremely long locks. The guards on the clipper did not work because his hair is so thick and fuzzy it would clog up the clippers. I ended up removing the guard and holding each curl and hacking them off (I even got down to the skin a few times), the whole hair cutting thing took at good two hours. Then I went online and found a recipe to get rid of the stink which worked okay but did not completely remove the smell. Needless to say, at that point I could not take Riley out in public. We celebrated the October birthday’s last Sunday and mom mentioned tomato juice (which Dan brought up before). So off to the store I go for the tomato juice.

Now you need to go to the last email on this page to pickup the rest of the story.


-----Original Message-----From: Leenstra, Greg

Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 12:00 PM

To: Deb Owen; Terri Leenstra; Gregory Leenstra

Subject: RE: FUNNY FOR THE DAY

We need a picture.

From: Deb Owen

Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 9:01 AM

To: 'Terri Leenstra'; Leenstra, Greg; Gregory Leenstra

Subject: FUNNY FOR THE DAY

Okay, so I told you how ugly Riley looks after the skunk incident. Because he still stunk so badly when he got wet I decided to try mom’s home remedy of tomato juice. Well, things have gone bad to worse. Now not only is he so ugly (because of his hair cut) and still smells like skunk (even after his tomato juice bath), but to top it all off now he is PINK. Good thing I only washed the front half of him. LOL!

I think it is now time to tell Scott what I have done to his dog!

Deb

Scott,

The pictures don’t really do it justice. The camera is not picking up the pink hue. I am really sorry about the whole thing but I can’t stop laughing. The kids are going to crackup when they get home. Mom has suggested that I rewash him with peroxide recipe I used originally. Maybe that will bleach him back out! LOL – I can’t stop laughing. I can’t believe he is really pink!

Anyway, I am hoping he looks presentable when you come home in December. I think I will have to take him to the groomer.

Talk to you soon!

Love,
Deb

Riley's Lovable Look Before We Left!

Notice the Pink Hue

What an Ugly Dog - Poor Riley! (the poodle comes out in him)

Deb - I think you need to add the pink bows on his ears to top it off and to match his coat color!!

I'm It!

I was tagged by my sister Sara.

Here are the rules that I must post first.

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.

2. You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.

3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog for the rules.

And my middle name is Ann.....

A - Anticipation - It is official we have purchased our tickets to visit home sweet home!!! We will be home December 13 - January 7. OH HOW EXCITING - The thing I miss the most is HUGS!! I can not wait to see all of our family and friends (be prepared for a lot of hugs!!!).

N - Nocturnal - I am definatly a night person - most of my energy comes after 5:00pm and will continue until 1:30am. Scott always tells me to go to bed earlier so that I will have more energy in the morning. Not likely for me to give it a try, but thanks for the advice!

N - New - A lot of new in my life:

Pick N Pay - Is it the new Meijers? Not quite, but I am learning to adjust

Food - Man it sure is difficult to cook here when I am so used to the ingredients I could find back home

Friends - Working on it. We sure are meeting a lot of nice people!!

World - It is amazing what new things I am learning and how my eyes are open to different things

Bible Study - We just started a new Bible study with the books Faith Under Fire by Lee Strobel (an athiest turned Christian). It is made me realize how little I know in the Bible. There is a lot of deep and tough questions about Faith.

I Tag Eight is Enough, Melissa, Aunt Marva

Cockroaches

They have been spotted!! These roaches are on an adapter plugged into our wall in the kitchen.

We seem to be having an issue!!! We know from experience that we do not have the right living conditions for a lizard, but it seems it is just right for cockroaches. We had an exterminatior here 2 weeks ago and it seems it is not working (or if it did there was not enough poision to go around!). The grossest part is I will be sitting on the couch and every so often a cockroach is brave and takes a stroll across the room (they are invading the house and the surrounding tree in our yard). When the lights are off they are everywhere - turn the lights on and zoom -gone. They are able to squeeze into any crack in the walls. It seems to me that Flat Stanley may be put on a mission to squeeze under the walls and attack!! It will be risky - 1 Stanley against who knows how many roaches, but I am willing to take that risk!!

HELP!!

Having Fun with Alex's Birthday Balloons

I could not get this video to load onto the blog so here is a link to see it. Feel free to look at the other pictures - they are of a trip to Hartespoort Dam and to the Snake and Animal Park.

http://s221.photobucket.com/albums/dd12/lialeenstra/?action=view&current=BALLON.flv

OUR CHURCH

Wow God sure does answer prayers!! We have found a great church to become involved in. There are a lot of younger families and a lot of kids (not as many as Caledonia CRC - as I hear there are a handful+ pregnant women). We have really enjoyed the services as they were doing a series on the 40 days of Purpose. We joined a bible study group and have really gotten to know a few people. I even had one of the moms over for a play date with her two little ones. (I received my baby fix - she has a 2 month old boy). This past Saturday they had a celebration of the end of the 40 days. Great activities for young and old. We listened as little kids recited the verses they have learned over the past 4 weeks along with testimonies on how the past 40 days have affected people and their lives. Here are some pictures of the event:

Scott on one end of the rope

Maddie and Alex on the other end! Alex playing volleyball on Scotts shoulders
Alex doing the sack race Me and Robin doing the three legged race (this picture is for my dad who says I do not have enough pictures of me on the blog).

The kids reciting their verses - also a look at what the front of our church looks like)

We are very grateful that we have found a church to attend. It is so important to become part of a christian family. From the first Sunday we walked into the church we have instantly become part of their family. As I was sitting in church on Sunday morning I was reflecting on how cool it is that even being across the world there are people everywhere praising God. I am currently in the process of maybe heading up a Friday night program consisting of grades 2-5. I am thinking of a GEMS and a Cadet program. The children's ministry leader is going over the curriculum I have given her (I think I have talked her ear off with all of my excitement!!). Please pray that if it is God's will to have such a program that it will be easy to get started. The church is very excited about outreach and getting the Word out to all.

Eastside recently built a new church building and one of the things that struck me the most was an "alter of rocks" At the dedication ceremony they had everyone take a rock from their community and place it in this pile. They hope that that will symbolize the commitment they have to outreach to everyone in their communities and further.

Please pray for us as we continue to meet new people and become more involved in the church. We are excited to see how God will use this church to reach out to others!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX

ALEX TURNED 4 TODAY!!

It is hard to believe that Alex is now 4. Where has my little boy gone! Weighing in at birth at 9 lbs 15oz - he continues to grow everyday. What a sweet little boy. He has been waiting for his birthday for weeks now and is already talking about his next birthday.

What a fun filled day we had! It started with church this morning and then we meet our neighbors for a movie. Alex and Maddie have really taken to the neighbor kids. Alex was sad to not have cousins to help celebrate his birthday so I thought it would be great to invite his new found friend, Emile. He is 12 years old and Alex adores him. They have already come up with a secret hand shake!! We all went to the movie Ratatouille. (What was really neat is one of the rats in the movie had the name Emile).

Elzette, Alex, Emile, and Maddie excited to watch the movie.

Our neighbors - Etienne, Emile, Elsabe

(It has been great getting to know the neighbors!)

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After the movie our family went to a local restaurant (Spurs) to open presents and play!

Alex waiting patiently to open his presents (a golf set, legos, and matchbox car race track)

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Alex and Maddie had their faces painted - Of course Alex picked spiderman!!

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Riding a miniature ferris wheel at the restaurant
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All throughout the week Alex received packages from home! The mailbox was a hotspot!! The first card to arrive was from Ben and Laura Lappenga in Seattle (Laura you are so great at that!). He carried that card everywhere and showed everyone we meet in the mall!!

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Then Grandma and Grandpa Leenstra sent a package.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!!

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Alex trying on his new safari shirt (this picture is for you Grandpa!!)

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Later in the week a package from Grandma and Grandpa Dieleman:

Can you tell they love the anticipation of seeing what is inside?!?

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Alex was so excited - Spiderman PJ's

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We also received a gift from Aunt Jen, Uncle Greg, Jacob and Aiden. Foam castles to put together! It was great to see the kids creativity. It took them about an hour to put together their masterpieces!!

Very proud of their designs!!

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I would just like to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has sent love from home!! It is great to check our mailbox and have such love and encouraging words from friends and family. Thank you also for all the emails too!! We are truly blessed! I do not know what we would do without all your support and love. There were days that were very lonely and sad and then I would go to the mailbox and a friend from church or a family member just sent a beautiful card with a bookmark and encouraging words! It always seems to come at the right moment! God sure has blessed us! He knows what we need to help us get through our ups and downs.

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Anyway - about Alex - what a joy it is to have him around - he defiantly has a sense of humor that can put a smile on your face no matter what mood you are in. He is full of love and kindness. If he isn't giving out compliments he is making a funny face or joke to make someone laugh!!

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Here are a few of his latest sayings:

"Mom, I have never seen God."

"Well you know he lives in your heart right?"

"I don't see him in my heart, but I can feel him pushing in my tummy!!"

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"How do pigs write?" "With pig pens!"

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"Mom, I love you as high as the heavens with Jesus and Peter, around the moon, to the bottom of the ocean, and back again"

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"that's easy peasy!!"

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We are happy to see that Alex is adjusting well here - yet he talks about going home and can not wait until Christmas. I pray that God continues to bless Alex! He is healthy and happy and a joy in our lives. May he continue to love learning and keep his carefree joking spirit! We love you tons Alex!! You are truly a gift from above! HAPPY BIRTHDAY
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We would also like to say happy birthday to those who also have celebrated a birthday lately - Aunt Katie, Uncle Johnny, Aunt Sonny, Arianna, Grandpa Leenstra, Aiden and coming up Jessica. May your birthdays be special and filled with love!! May God bless you!