Another move...

Another phase in our lives is almost over. We have been here in this house in Fourways for 3 years now, and we are moving to another house here in the neighborhood next month. Can you believe it, we have to move while I am in Holland and the USA? A smooth move, or disaster... we will see in August!!

So much fun we had in this home, and we will have and keep great memories, but it is also fun to start something new and we are looking forward to another chapter in our lives!!



3 years ago, around this time we decided to move from Connecticut to Johannesburg and I can't believe that it is already that long. The girls were 6 when we came, still so tiny and young, and now pretty 9 year olds...

During a fashion show with your most favorite bear... well, don't ask the girls to do that now! LOL but at 6 it was fun!!


Our girls at 9, having lived already in 3 countries, but also 3 continents. Another move doesn't phase these girls!


This will be our last month in our house, and then when we come back after 8 weeks of holiday we will go directly to our new house and everything will be set up for us. Our beds made and we can start a new chapter!!

How fun and adventurous again!!
But now I need to purge, clean up, re-cycle, give away things we don't need anymore. Pack the most precious belongings and just hope for the best that the movers will do the rest!!

Have a great week ahead!
Mireille xx

Tranquility & Peace in this tumultuous time!

This picture gives me peace & tranquility in this tumultuous time.. I love the colors and I am thinking of using these in my new house... that I will be finding hopefully pretty soon!!



Just heard that I need to move house before July 1st, because landlord wants it for himself... I don't mind too much, although timing is not on my side! Since we are going on vacation for Easter and then just a few weeks later again on June 8th to Holland and the USA for a total of 8 weeks. School is ending June 2nd, so that gives me time to move house probably 8 days or so... because I want a new house BEFORE I leave for the summer break. Just a merely 2 months, to choose a house, pack the stuff and go to the new location here somewhere in the neighborhood...

Thinking of my 600+ boxes I had when we arrived here, we had a 40ft hightop container PLUS a 20 ft container... this is what we have to move one of these days this month or next month AFTER I do the grueling search for a new house.

The girls are concerned that the bunnies can't move with us to the new house, because it won't be so fenced in as this house.. we will see. Maybe a new Nintendo DS game we need to invest in in order to keep them happy... LOL

Please help me god to stay calm and collected!!

Oh well, I can ADD one more time to my list of already moving 27 times in my life... so I know how to pack a few things :-)

If you like to see what we are leaving behind... click HERE. Such a nice place, I will miss it!!

Soon I will update you on the new place, but those pictures will not be done till after the summer break... After the house hunting in the morning with the whole family we had to get home to prepare a dinner party for 11 adults and 6 kids... life still goes on like normal ;-)

Wish me luck!
Mireille xx

Valentine's Disco & Sleep Over

We have a club house at the estate we live in, and they organized a Valentine's Disco. So the girls wanted to go there with a few friends and have a sleep-over after.

They were all very excited, their first dance! Without mommy or daddy in sight! At least for the first 2 hours I let them alone and then I went over there with the excuse to take some pictures, but I was just so curious to see how it went!!

I promised the girls some pizza, since we don't eat that too often, it is still a treat for JJ & Jezz. After pizza it was time to get ready... do hair and make-up! We made little heart pouches for each girl with their own make-up kit as a Valentine's gift. So excited they were to use REAL make-up!! (Glitter eye shadow and lip gloss)



Here all dressed up and ready to go... giggling and giddy! They did their own hair and make-up, I only helped just a tiny bit and was impressed with the outcome! Very subtle make up, no big and flashy eyes, just very girly girl and sophisticated :-)
From L to R: Yuna, Jeongwoo, Jasmine, Juliet & Emma!



I dropped them off and 2 hours later (after Dirk and me had a FAB home cooked meal) I went back to check on them... ahum take some pictures. I had given them each R20=$2 to buy a drink or something to snack on. Excited to have their own money I see they bought themselves some cokes... not allowed in MY house!! One of the girls told me that they were not allowed to drink alcohol... well, I am sure they won't serve it either to you gals, but YES listen to your mom and don't buy alcohol!!



They danced a storm away! The disco was great with colored lights, disco balls and even a smoke machine! So much fun!





Jeongwoo's mom and her son Chan also came for a bit and danced with us.



The Disco was for 6-13 year olds, and there were some bigger boys (about 10-12 years old I guess) who were doing some break dancing and showing off for the girls, so Chan had to try some as well :-)



Then the dancing was finished at least that is what the girls decided, it was time for them to show off as well, so they were doing their gymnastic tricks for the audience... too funny! Soon, nobody was dancing anymore, but all doing their handstands, splits and other acrobatic tricks! LOL



Kids will be kids, what happened to be a sophisticated young lady with the curls in the hair and the make-up?? Suddenly they turned back into regular girls who like to impress their peers.... I guess being 8 years old, you can be BOTH!! LOL



After going home at 21:30 they still had so much energy that they changed into their PJ's and went back practicing acrobatic tricks, so for the next dance they will all be ready to impress even more!!

By 11 it was quite upstairs and the girls were finally asleep....

What a great Valentine's Weekend!

Did you have dances like this when you were young??

Have a good day,
Mireille

Thursday ~ Pub night at the club house

Every Thursday we have dinner at the clubhouse here at Fourways Gardens. This is how we met our new friends we have so far. The girls love it, there are so many children and families coming, so there is always a friend to play with. And while the adults have a sip of wine, the kids run freely around on the playground and grass fields that are ajoining the patio of the restaurant.

It is a buffet style dinner and the adults pay R40 and children under 10 pay R20. That is a little bit more than $5 for the adults and half for the children, so you almost can't cook for that yourself! A bottle of wine cost about R83, so we have an joyful evening where a few bottles of wine are flowing...mind you we are mostly with about 6-8 adults..so 1 bottle of wine doesn't do it!

It is always a fun and relaxing evening. Although it is getting cooler in the evening after the sun goes down and it is still winter, everybody is sitting outside. Luckily we have those patio heaters, those big mushrooms that keeps several tables warm. So these winters here in SA are not too bad ;-)

Most of you who are reading my blog are in the Northern hemisphere and still in summer season. Did ya'll have a good summer?