tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48913901232121083032024-02-07T12:47:45.627-08:00The Fey FamilyThe Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.comBlogger369125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-30030932290207698512021-05-30T18:32:00.002-07:002021-05-30T18:32:43.382-07:00A couple weeks in.<p> It is Sunday night, May 30. We have been in Michigan for 2 1/2 weeks. Our hearts are definitely still not fully on this continent, and I suspect they never will be. Tys and Jori are watching a movie together in the living room, and Darin and I are in our room doing work and writing blog posts. Fun times for the Fey family!</p><p>Physically, our move earlier this month went great. Other than an unfortunate incident of Jori getting sick in the middle of the terminal right before our plane boarded in Chicago, getting here was great. We had no problems with our luggage and had extra seats to stretch out on and sleep on our flight from South Africa to Switzerland and Switzerland to Chicago. And Swiss Air was amazing; the food, the service, the friendliness were all fantastic. Customs wasn't a problem and other than Jori being sick, the time in Chicago went by quickly. </p><p>We arrived to a furnished house with a stocked pantry, fridge and freezer, which were all amazing blessings. We've been receiving cards from so many friends and family from all across the US and Canada and have even had a few packages. We have library cards, went to the bank, and I've even been driving without ending up on the "wrong" side of the road! Tyson has a bike that he has been taking throughout the neighborhood and both kids have jobs (that pay!) through Business Connect. We took a tour of the high school, went out with friends, had friends over and have even introduced the kids to Taco Bell and gas station Slurpees for $0.99. </p><p>Yet, even though it looks like we have stepped in to this new life and are ready to go full speed ahead, we are struggling. Tyson and Jori are excited about a lot of the new things here, but they are lonely and struggling to feel like they fit here. Our home is wonderful, but it is above Darin's office on a busy street and not in a neighborhood, which makes it difficult to just go outside and meet other teens in the area. They are both still keeping in touch with friends in South Africa, but also realizing that the difference in time zones means a lot of hours in the evening when no one is awake to chat. We are adjusting to Darin working outside the home, and having more structured hours of work. While I didn't struggle with jet lag as long as I thought I would, I am struggling with how quickly the week fills up with stuff - not necessarily even fun stuff or stuff we want to do, but just the more hectic pace of life here in America.</p><p>We are also missing the people we said goodbye to in South Africa. This morning before church, a memory of Amo and Mohau popped up on my phone and it was so precious and made me genuinely happy, but I also felt sad, knowing that I can no longer just get in the car and drive over for a visit. I would never want to have NOT met our friends in South Africa, but my heart is heavy with the grief of the goodbyes. </p><p>Yet I know that these feelings and struggles are not going to be permanent. Tyson and Jori will make friends. We will all adjust to being city folk and having schedules that fill up with school, work, and activities. We will always miss being close to those we love on the other side of the ocean, but the pain won't always be so strong. </p><p>Thank you to everyone who prayed for us while we were still in South Africa and please keep praying as we settle in to this new life. God, the unchanging one, has been and continues to be faithful. </p>The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-80381034066824495512021-05-05T12:08:00.000-07:002021-05-05T12:08:04.913-07:00This time next week, we'll be on an airplane...<p>How is it possible that we are starting our final week living here in Hammanskraal? I know this is true in my head and I see it is true when I look at the calendar, but it still does not feel real that after almost a decade of living in South Africa, we are about to become residents of Grand Rapids, Michigan. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6aE2KBoU8eONTjZU7B2EbO3JjOragIZzXo-Fo-D2pqGkSp_sj4z-C7P1-OEzefYEpUQ0L8M-72bTrgxKieZ60941oeQey-RAnP_w1nbRnhIR2EosjkmBQ2F07yZkOaVGylHETT_xw-ZpI/s2048/20210505_174804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6aE2KBoU8eONTjZU7B2EbO3JjOragIZzXo-Fo-D2pqGkSp_sj4z-C7P1-OEzefYEpUQ0L8M-72bTrgxKieZ60941oeQey-RAnP_w1nbRnhIR2EosjkmBQ2F07yZkOaVGylHETT_xw-ZpI/s320/20210505_174804.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I can still remember landing here with ALL of our luggage, the group of men who insisted on helping us transport said luggage to the car rental agency in the parking lot, and the extreme anxiety I felt when we didn't have any Rand to give a tip to anyone. I remember celebrating Tyson's 7th birthday and Jori's 5th birthday within a few days of landing, and now we will be celebrating their 17th and 15th birthdays just a month and a few days after returning to the US. Where has the time gone?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6xlaHfCNXBdBn22hE7rKBA7n0Bm-0kc38o8f12E69uiaLrCX7_qEcpdYE2OAvc-JMv_gRndcp3nTB_TQRI3hrcyuQsm9STY4Hoppx0-4w1vnJiTuI-_VS94QIlu_zZaz9FAuPQtHURrj/s800/DSCN3177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WZwIzKdT5wQiGlDLGLx7mcafqmdvfjyKyAi6FHnb4esCnCmMGiGU-bnFlS9JIIttWodqm-JniUTAJXTHzGF04-zZ27jp_199ZQyucRXXkipxrtqOcq0GUZUwqizfafchSj-3JD0jot3K/s1600/DSCN3204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WZwIzKdT5wQiGlDLGLx7mcafqmdvfjyKyAi6FHnb4esCnCmMGiGU-bnFlS9JIIttWodqm-JniUTAJXTHzGF04-zZ27jp_199ZQyucRXXkipxrtqOcq0GUZUwqizfafchSj-3JD0jot3K/s320/DSCN3204.JPG" width="320" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6xlaHfCNXBdBn22hE7rKBA7n0Bm-0kc38o8f12E69uiaLrCX7_qEcpdYE2OAvc-JMv_gRndcp3nTB_TQRI3hrcyuQsm9STY4Hoppx0-4w1vnJiTuI-_VS94QIlu_zZaz9FAuPQtHURrj/s320/DSCN3177.JPG" width="320" /></div><p>We have been staying busy since I last wrote. We cleaned the garage and Darin's office is looking more manageable than it has in years. We've gone to a garden centre with a petting zoo, Jori got her braces off, we went for a final meal at Roco Mama's with our framily, said goodbye to dear friends at Tshepo ya Bana, and started the long process of saying goodbye in earnest. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFtCu2Cz27SOKosp3L1_ArpH-qHlSJpL_isOcFXFMg6lqMQDj63mvcU0Ni8kyff0hz5fKZxHxD6cwYBwdTN2g2vbfrwEnHsNFkdF-P2oKOZiVJpWy6pv13qXHEUlTe79KA4d5VbyNKyzp/s1280/IMG-20210429-WA0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFtCu2Cz27SOKosp3L1_ArpH-qHlSJpL_isOcFXFMg6lqMQDj63mvcU0Ni8kyff0hz5fKZxHxD6cwYBwdTN2g2vbfrwEnHsNFkdF-P2oKOZiVJpWy6pv13qXHEUlTe79KA4d5VbyNKyzp/s320/IMG-20210429-WA0007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVU0XUmu3k9CJ3bpaw80bmBM1IQI-GpOvvY5o2SXxoY_feqpdFN4GF1i-x8vM2Cfg5BIvoJrFStS1XEuncfPtEI0sSbPhNDulcZ4KSy_G6IJ-IbhJbLXaA9S8gNZbXk4DXGmj1ag65n4j/s923/IMG-20210429-WA0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="862" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVU0XUmu3k9CJ3bpaw80bmBM1IQI-GpOvvY5o2SXxoY_feqpdFN4GF1i-x8vM2Cfg5BIvoJrFStS1XEuncfPtEI0sSbPhNDulcZ4KSy_G6IJ-IbhJbLXaA9S8gNZbXk4DXGmj1ag65n4j/s320/IMG-20210429-WA0010.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6PZg_oLNeFbR8bM2oFKO3wOZ5v8v7dtNEmBVBQVvB6p9i5VbjAEE_AqenVMF7rA7c_F89g9eV9n1wtZ_D4BSy6S21irs3sjh58vrxBCFw68nZVBsH7hr-THIBZSJTFdI18JKIbX4gV5e/s2048/1619979027883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6PZg_oLNeFbR8bM2oFKO3wOZ5v8v7dtNEmBVBQVvB6p9i5VbjAEE_AqenVMF7rA7c_F89g9eV9n1wtZ_D4BSy6S21irs3sjh58vrxBCFw68nZVBsH7hr-THIBZSJTFdI18JKIbX4gV5e/s320/1619979027883.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Hy62yyMWm3LpmYoQID00r1HtMrw49r_qe5WUkOxkeJdFg4j5Hr_gcwHLyI38A8gmpfTxmZ9r7MHNhrhcBgsFOQqzbkRaB7xTzxmYoB7E0tA0lHOWku3foH6JBxnSzVqVo-RDk-2iRahc/s320/1620017870030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbFYxALJI7fCKAsZwcYW7Mgv3rU9SoQbO_id29WMh380WXuPqWuCmQHcp73Y_je5e48jd1STvlUbF2-YR9HFKlhLQeHGo8hrPj5OxqyV9YRS82KBzPE462okfdByRtNfNMVOE2RWfXG04/s1280/IMG-20210504-WA0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbFYxALJI7fCKAsZwcYW7Mgv3rU9SoQbO_id29WMh380WXuPqWuCmQHcp73Y_je5e48jd1STvlUbF2-YR9HFKlhLQeHGo8hrPj5OxqyV9YRS82KBzPE462okfdByRtNfNMVOE2RWfXG04/s320/IMG-20210504-WA0014.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjvv_fcCbI1bp4kQP09lSbjrEkIpgMIg30J0dogHVCtmlw53rvyWejPfpvx5Z84PdbGpk6CMhYVvsrpaYy8JpqG4RrPYNlNU6dHcNhtN7KAC5pOaDRBn1yeLGIi7wjaIWdxyFDuXWHZas/s1280/IMG-20210504-WA0022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjvv_fcCbI1bp4kQP09lSbjrEkIpgMIg30J0dogHVCtmlw53rvyWejPfpvx5Z84PdbGpk6CMhYVvsrpaYy8JpqG4RrPYNlNU6dHcNhtN7KAC5pOaDRBn1yeLGIi7wjaIWdxyFDuXWHZas/s320/IMG-20210504-WA0022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>We also have a lot to look forward to in this last week, including a picnic in the botanical gardens, coffee and melktert at Butterfly, Mother's Day, Mohau's first birthday and a three night sleepover extravaganza with Amo!! We also have Covid tests, packing, emptying the house and saying our hardest goodbyes, but if I keep my focus on the celebrations, food and fun, I am able to remain temporarily in denial about the hard stuff. </p><p>We truly appreciate the prayers being said on our behalf. Please continue to pray that we will remain in good health, have patience with each other, a sense of humor when things don't go as planned, and that we will remember that we have a Father who loves us and will be near to us even in the hard moments. </p><br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-42250328698636758312021-04-28T12:01:00.002-07:002021-04-28T12:01:49.808-07:00Two More Weeks<p>How is it that when I wrote the last update on here we still had two months until our departure and now we have less than two weeks? I guess time flies whether you are having fun, or not. </p><p>We are having fun still. The kids went bowling and going out to eat with their "great friends group", we've been hiking with the Lamprecht crew, we've also had a braai at Butterfly, sleepovers for our kids and with Amo, a mini game drive with our dog, and sweet times with friends. However, fun would not be the primary descriptor I'd use for how these days are feeling. Exhausting, emotional, heavy and hard come to mind.</p><p>Today is the 28th of April. On the 23rd we brought Nala to her new home. While we are thankful for the way God provided this home for her, we are also missing our dog and the joy she brought us. On the 25th we said goodbye to our church family at Eastside, where we've been attending for almost 10 years! Last night Tyson had his last sleepover with his best bud, Thato. In the 14 days we have left, we'll be saying goodbye to friends who are more like family, seeing familiar places for one last time, handing over the keys to our home, driving through our gate, and getting on a plane without a return ticket. </p><p>Each one of us experiences these things differently. We all feel sad, but one person in the house might lash out in anger to express this, while another shuts down completely. The moments ahead, both in leaving and arriving are heavy and we are feeling the weight. The stress of wrapping things up here and setting things up in a new place has us all tired and on edge. </p><p>We know God goes before us, behind us and is always beside us. We can look back and remember the peace we felt when we made the decision to return to the US. Yet we still have moments where we are anxious and afraid, where everything can be moving along just fine, and then the tears start trickling out, when a little annoyance becomes grounds for a huge argument. </p><p>We fully believe that we are being held up already by the love and care of many people and would appreciate your continued prayers for our family over the next several weeks.</p>The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-50478803831390302782021-04-15T04:05:00.002-07:002021-04-15T04:05:29.868-07:00if you are subscribed to our blog via email, this post is for you!!<p> Some time ago, our blog used to have a box where you could enter your email address and then you would receive new posts directly to your email. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UdGb_-k8O-RN9oiTeetsXwSX52G6bSEnQKTSOXrdoxMg6BBmM6KRQIOSqLKH2GMOy2BtCUj0cpBPhUyirPP5ohRTbRd77adGlcUmSWar_OJhCdiAf4BDAxaNBk05FlH9xYTZBWf-6xpl/s1236/Screenshot+%25282%2529_LI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="1236" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UdGb_-k8O-RN9oiTeetsXwSX52G6bSEnQKTSOXrdoxMg6BBmM6KRQIOSqLKH2GMOy2BtCUj0cpBPhUyirPP5ohRTbRd77adGlcUmSWar_OJhCdiAf4BDAxaNBk05FlH9xYTZBWf-6xpl/w400-h225/Screenshot+%25282%2529_LI.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know it's hard to read, but inside the blue circle it says "Follow by Email" and then there is a space for your email address and a submit button to click on. This feature was provided by Feedburner, and as of July, this service is coming to an end and as far as I can tell, you will no longer receive our blog posts by email! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This means that if you WANT to see anything new on this blog (and honestly, I don't know if I'll end up blogging more or less than I do currently) you will need actually come and check if there are new posts, or subscribe to this blog and maybe do what it says<a href="https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/blogbasics/subscribing-to-blogs/1/" target="_blank"> in this article</a>. I am not tech savvy enough to provide any other info than this. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As of right now I have posted new blog posts on my Facebook page, but I am pretty sure I will be going off of Facebook when we are back in the US. I know, what will you do without updates on our life. Kidding, I know you will survive. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, this is just a heads up for those who might be affected by this. </div><br /><p><br /></p>The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-34515418017716422042021-03-20T06:24:00.001-07:002021-03-20T06:25:55.216-07:00Holding on to the here and now<div style="text-align: justify;">Today is March 20 and in two months, if all goes according to plan, we will be back in the US beginning a new chapter in our lives. We have a lot to look forward to; a new high school, a beautiful home, driver's training, a Christmas vacation that is already being planned, summer visits from grandparents and so much more. However, for now this is still our home, the place where we gather with friends, spend time together as a family, go on walks with our dog. This is where we live, and although plans for our next steps are coming together, we still have a lot of living to do right here where we are. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">Monopoly, dominoes, Racko, and Clue are just a few of the games these two enjoy playing together. The mini billiards table we bought at a thrift shop is also a favorite, even if a few of the billiard balls are missing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjpD5PMb9gFcCLjbOrN_Eiezb-4sCA4bRQjTt4xwDHQsLxZ5gCUQYjsINx4ihDPA3U8PDFJuk47D1YAdB0yen0JNBS-TkKxiNZmkgeQxgUiGffRrvFYSlpuqNcNGz5S4YEefBk6OFHsLB/s2048/20210214_211329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjpD5PMb9gFcCLjbOrN_Eiezb-4sCA4bRQjTt4xwDHQsLxZ5gCUQYjsINx4ihDPA3U8PDFJuk47D1YAdB0yen0JNBS-TkKxiNZmkgeQxgUiGffRrvFYSlpuqNcNGz5S4YEefBk6OFHsLB/s320/20210214_211329.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South African Monopoly</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Nala, aka Noodle, Lala, Jupie, NuNu, Noodlo Doodlo and a few other odd nicknames. We all love having this silly pooch around. Taking her on walks gets me up and moving and also provides plenty of opportunities to interact with people in the community (and goats, cows and chickens too!). She now knows how to sit, shake, roll over and when she wants attention, she will "ask" for scratchies. The kids check on her before bed each night and Darin gives her a treat every morning, even sharing his barbeque peanuts on occassion. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qSCgoAVN67jGIWdAd1xPT26DH5uRq65Ov4EsSzl7ogoO8br32pRKvHLhjyyphiQ4mLKVX7YvaW2CV9vhaKZu8S4WndjX5RUsXe51z6j9Zfa1BIHJ8iBNHPOFbOAM1RTbS8tzNGlLIiCg/s2560/20210312_182616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qSCgoAVN67jGIWdAd1xPT26DH5uRq65Ov4EsSzl7ogoO8br32pRKvHLhjyyphiQ4mLKVX7YvaW2CV9vhaKZu8S4WndjX5RUsXe51z6j9Zfa1BIHJ8iBNHPOFbOAM1RTbS8tzNGlLIiCg/s320/20210312_182616.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our favorite pup, Nala</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Our favorite little friend came for a long visit earlier this month. As you can see, plenty of cuddles happen when Amo is around. I think we all are soaking up every smile, sound and snuggle and doing our best to stay in the moment with this little love. While we are here, we will be present!</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggS_w6gmb6PQFqPpXP-Vptd4oumSbZVToKMlB21UUoSXPfGdUeF7DO7cUNf6fJIe63bV_4jOSWhBfO_o2AYutNnYMWdXKHUYXcIx0RB8yfY69uVs-cHe0G4IC9iupuuLR8YZoCPdU5bi-p/s2048/20210308_092315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggS_w6gmb6PQFqPpXP-Vptd4oumSbZVToKMlB21UUoSXPfGdUeF7DO7cUNf6fJIe63bV_4jOSWhBfO_o2AYutNnYMWdXKHUYXcIx0RB8yfY69uVs-cHe0G4IC9iupuuLR8YZoCPdU5bi-p/s320/20210308_092315.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA85ocF1e260PKzbLTw_Hn2FZL-xaGpmO_ma0wX6mMgN1n1_gxS_ozzZIYYWjSy-fvBBQJnygSznUStk_f6ywgL4FPlJMEGpTrFcm4xWZc5X6yYk4iAI5iTsAfaZVQ4bDcLq0X5BgYEnq8/s2560/20210308_183000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA85ocF1e260PKzbLTw_Hn2FZL-xaGpmO_ma0wX6mMgN1n1_gxS_ozzZIYYWjSy-fvBBQJnygSznUStk_f6ywgL4FPlJMEGpTrFcm4xWZc5X6yYk4iAI5iTsAfaZVQ4bDcLq0X5BgYEnq8/s320/20210308_183000.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3OxrbnBram_alpJPxT2m7g7UAlqj9K9Jd2h8dCqhbWtLu2lJRIAlAn1S8j3msiC0-b2tvWaj20iuvHaNVFyKNbNQC_Hvg6R5_3Mcd7pMDW0WkoyKhzHwpncTEtmifdkW1UM40s302kzV/s2560/20210310_152538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3OxrbnBram_alpJPxT2m7g7UAlqj9K9Jd2h8dCqhbWtLu2lJRIAlAn1S8j3msiC0-b2tvWaj20iuvHaNVFyKNbNQC_Hvg6R5_3Mcd7pMDW0WkoyKhzHwpncTEtmifdkW1UM40s302kzV/s320/20210310_152538.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We are so thankful that most of the restrictions around covid have lifted recently and we have been able to enjoy time with friends. In February, we went to Warmbaths for two nights with our South Africa family. Darin and I loved having all of our kids together in one place! We swam, played games, ziplined, ate and just enjoyed time together. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaTKo2-IJUfp9putxgI1RVffZ_2nA6LaRcmuu3Da1QRW-XV-cTDL6LpI3W2PWljpEom_9_fD4s7_Oz6YQpXMspKNnIr35fj-woXulVVLqBCpFs-tut7enfhZxS_Ie0n5nWXAt7ejCQywA/s1280/IMG-20210221-WA0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaTKo2-IJUfp9putxgI1RVffZ_2nA6LaRcmuu3Da1QRW-XV-cTDL6LpI3W2PWljpEom_9_fD4s7_Oz6YQpXMspKNnIr35fj-woXulVVLqBCpFs-tut7enfhZxS_Ie0n5nWXAt7ejCQywA/s320/IMG-20210221-WA0005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey Hey the gang's all here!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-KyCESMtzH3CIQhPwabHtZFuApdosjrgmqSStsTpN5iQh4jNS2zuyVyZGkBAN9oJORP2d4-9EOaHuBtDo9L9AeQUshV7UcrHmryNjanpTZIKa0hV0HsFf1hxxdVcoizVmjYHEKRgxT27/s1280/IMG-20210221-WA0022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-KyCESMtzH3CIQhPwabHtZFuApdosjrgmqSStsTpN5iQh4jNS2zuyVyZGkBAN9oJORP2d4-9EOaHuBtDo9L9AeQUshV7UcrHmryNjanpTZIKa0hV0HsFf1hxxdVcoizVmjYHEKRgxT27/s320/IMG-20210221-WA0022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gracie, Phineas and Omphile</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHPnEW9YfdECaOZDwnCdhsdDWA4-qF1Z3d8mBZEYnhbQpdPtl_HSVdGrwyYUKYRZqe8LZKj3nKP_xhCH7_fp-7iD4mdWFlionSLT_A9Rr8zvap6Q0Xqb4okC9eTeCzRlSqfHgZR9RQmDc/s1280/IMG-20210221-WA0020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHPnEW9YfdECaOZDwnCdhsdDWA4-qF1Z3d8mBZEYnhbQpdPtl_HSVdGrwyYUKYRZqe8LZKj3nKP_xhCH7_fp-7iD4mdWFlionSLT_A9Rr8zvap6Q0Xqb4okC9eTeCzRlSqfHgZR9RQmDc/s320/IMG-20210221-WA0020.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annah and Mohau</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9OayrcRr1FXMit0VLRdVUE4-hPJ4SspJy0DSHxaXrlN_cH7G75ioxdOQ35u-t9w6yg1tuLKySKxMdbFGpQU-okj3Sbso-dTm0-YFItUXw4ewXaIRezPTI_3KVBg8te90LzfakHE99qWW/s1280/IMG-20210221-WA0028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9OayrcRr1FXMit0VLRdVUE4-hPJ4SspJy0DSHxaXrlN_cH7G75ioxdOQ35u-t9w6yg1tuLKySKxMdbFGpQU-okj3Sbso-dTm0-YFItUXw4ewXaIRezPTI_3KVBg8te90LzfakHE99qWW/s320/IMG-20210221-WA0028.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jori and Johanna</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HlfhxeWMK1ZEgjoVjFQVZqGaAlrfl0mw3joXF9eQDrJGm4L7gb0H4NLPKwyAyIZRmfESzg4UzwUM-JuMdsHLL8O18J80QFVjtUN-_lXc844UWz3U_2CiPJWuygaPOtbXfYij3idy14RV/s1280/IMG-20210221-WA0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HlfhxeWMK1ZEgjoVjFQVZqGaAlrfl0mw3joXF9eQDrJGm4L7gb0H4NLPKwyAyIZRmfESzg4UzwUM-JuMdsHLL8O18J80QFVjtUN-_lXc844UWz3U_2CiPJWuygaPOtbXfYij3idy14RV/s320/IMG-20210221-WA0010.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jameson and Johanna getting ready to fly!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVlreP_AIP4LW1RL_CVkt4hvYMt3CWD03EDTQY3RaKrh0oFujUP015QiWfM0QRpKk5ELnZlpqtw6yQR5rMB4poPNDZPUuaHW0RbTtWc9W1B0HcvIzyTH6BiSuh3zaWBGOdglV7EUpaueW/s1040/IMG-20210224-WA0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="780" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVlreP_AIP4LW1RL_CVkt4hvYMt3CWD03EDTQY3RaKrh0oFujUP015QiWfM0QRpKk5ELnZlpqtw6yQR5rMB4poPNDZPUuaHW0RbTtWc9W1B0HcvIzyTH6BiSuh3zaWBGOdglV7EUpaueW/s320/IMG-20210224-WA0011.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We have also been getting out and visiting with friends. We joined the Lamprecht crew on a fantastically fun hike by the Hennops River, which we crossed over by bridge and cable car! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQrtx3ZoG8hy3PenwT1i_mt5cSCBsIwQBCXBji_eToN_6xZ1TrxJ18jDoE2o66sVg75ScHpDVF-qwW7g-VMZACvGFpGDU3Kz6G2C1q9g-KotbALFbQqGs4_SK0E_RgYGlDE_AjoH0VbG4/s1280/IMG-20210309-WA0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="957" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQrtx3ZoG8hy3PenwT1i_mt5cSCBsIwQBCXBji_eToN_6xZ1TrxJ18jDoE2o66sVg75ScHpDVF-qwW7g-VMZACvGFpGDU3Kz6G2C1q9g-KotbALFbQqGs4_SK0E_RgYGlDE_AjoH0VbG4/s320/IMG-20210309-WA0026.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teens on the bridge</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcS8Eov3ZKaMd4eATbpZGGKjII-sHA0LG2Yp1gdvQcqEViCqxwbSKbie_lhK8hK4d9cWro9x9LVKX_-BLgnPyTtUxs1F1Je7R0RJD_ST4LXS_o_Ke-HjjlKn8bv_tPz3y2nCw5k12EjZl/s2048/20210309_105148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcS8Eov3ZKaMd4eATbpZGGKjII-sHA0LG2Yp1gdvQcqEViCqxwbSKbie_lhK8hK4d9cWro9x9LVKX_-BLgnPyTtUxs1F1Je7R0RJD_ST4LXS_o_Ke-HjjlKn8bv_tPz3y2nCw5k12EjZl/s320/20210309_105148.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my babies</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41ML9JQS-xVuU6-Uv4JuBNRTjA428TVBboDItTR_FB_PNG1Sd6f7A494sr3DHKK9ZP4Ie5xyx4YD2Pwcx0wtKHNJZgA5gBLj-ifWJVLskPaJgrEsxn6jvSYSnSKno3p1EepBXuptwEaZl/s2560/20210309_151935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41ML9JQS-xVuU6-Uv4JuBNRTjA428TVBboDItTR_FB_PNG1Sd6f7A494sr3DHKK9ZP4Ie5xyx4YD2Pwcx0wtKHNJZgA5gBLj-ifWJVLskPaJgrEsxn6jvSYSnSKno3p1EepBXuptwEaZl/s320/20210309_151935.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My partner in adventuring, Belinda, with 1/2 her crew</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We also met up with our friends and fellow Americans, the Burlesons and Goodwins in Pretoria. We plan to gather together again in April and we hope to see the Goodwin fam in Michigan this summer. </span></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprsfoewvP_kPKPIYV7I476Mtxf0W0VIu_KCzDECqw0O8ESV4C6MZ0z0mUq85_mNm5aFW6BBRDA5S2gIZMgrhrpflRPabHdD8QW00hrXQQIEI_o3t6gwA6yoV-AHl1D3c4CvWafMaqj2lJ/s642/Screenshot_2021-03-17-13-21-44-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprsfoewvP_kPKPIYV7I476Mtxf0W0VIu_KCzDECqw0O8ESV4C6MZ0z0mUq85_mNm5aFW6BBRDA5S2gIZMgrhrpflRPabHdD8QW00hrXQQIEI_o3t6gwA6yoV-AHl1D3c4CvWafMaqj2lJ/s320/Screenshot_2021-03-17-13-21-44-1.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj258zdX6NP1v_D5YKJnYUsrL0nLY_SwvfeKUmvA6iR-hhRp3s4AXQCPt7NDrU2U2ZpB2P6gArburqUY0zmoAOxjomvkvSqg-67cLEwXAB62u0Johow9Ck48dmfm2zSS1wY5-qPVAhCKTbM/s622/Screenshot_2021-03-17-13-21-35-1.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj258zdX6NP1v_D5YKJnYUsrL0nLY_SwvfeKUmvA6iR-hhRp3s4AXQCPt7NDrU2U2ZpB2P6gArburqUY0zmoAOxjomvkvSqg-67cLEwXAB62u0Johow9Ck48dmfm2zSS1wY5-qPVAhCKTbM/s320/Screenshot_2021-03-17-13-21-35-1.png" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhQL3l3HY6SgKyR3K2miEnJYfnlvrIJ4KP7D0qhmHqHiJ6hyphenhypheniJqrYEMw8OHv49GDIzCnXcu_sggDrNzxjn-dv8cxqRha5TzfpUY3bup8rf1arAfEtc-hqug7j7l0eVxfddy1IGXZVR2Xh/s623/Screenshot_2021-03-17-13-21-26-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhQL3l3HY6SgKyR3K2miEnJYfnlvrIJ4KP7D0qhmHqHiJ6hyphenhypheniJqrYEMw8OHv49GDIzCnXcu_sggDrNzxjn-dv8cxqRha5TzfpUY3bup8rf1arAfEtc-hqug7j7l0eVxfddy1IGXZVR2Xh/s320/Screenshot_2021-03-17-13-21-26-1.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Third Culture Kids</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We've been out to Butterfly for a braai and a lekker kuier with cake and coffee, and we have sleepovers and more gatherings planned with the Oosthuizen crew in the weeks to come! We took a drive out to Tshepo ya Bana and saw some familiar faces on the way there. đ I was hoping for a giraffe or elephant, but driving by zebras and an ostrich is still pretty amazing. </span></div><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-TuY24orD5oojGo_6uSggdSb3P7fxrBNwZYJSL9Lt7RCfC7ye13LQjUrUWDknnTk7fLhRXpz7pRGlcpP1DElkJFczcYxWKwKl4UFSyXoae-9GdYtxfvOUcSs-V8X2P35K1FUsnL_jRUd/s2560/20210318_095510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-TuY24orD5oojGo_6uSggdSb3P7fxrBNwZYJSL9Lt7RCfC7ye13LQjUrUWDknnTk7fLhRXpz7pRGlcpP1DElkJFczcYxWKwKl4UFSyXoae-9GdYtxfvOUcSs-V8X2P35K1FUsnL_jRUd/s320/20210318_095510.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zebras</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtKne11VWyExfuDsrEEJeZ-xi5OQQGgN2jczjdHjWcKzMixcsVj-BhiXi6ypXfEtMRUXbpVSKZq_D6C6cTnnfx2ya2KwrxTm2tPzlQ8x3s7iKx8HODeNVkm9y5piEUyDJ0ZJN6aqYVtZI/s2560/20210318_095606.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtKne11VWyExfuDsrEEJeZ-xi5OQQGgN2jczjdHjWcKzMixcsVj-BhiXi6ypXfEtMRUXbpVSKZq_D6C6cTnnfx2ya2KwrxTm2tPzlQ8x3s7iKx8HODeNVkm9y5piEUyDJ0ZJN6aqYVtZI/s320/20210318_095606.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is our home. These are the people and places we hold dear. These are the memories we will hold on to. </div>The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-51654193209135551492021-01-16T05:07:00.000-08:002021-01-16T05:07:03.944-08:00A Wrap up of 2020: The Year That Was<p><span style="text-align: justify;"> I almost decided not to post a yearly wrap-up, but for the sake of posterity I am finally getting it done. 2020 started off in fine fashion. We filled our days with school, orthodontic appointments, field trips with friends, and visits with our sweet Amo girl. Tyson spent time with his friends several afternoons a week and Jori was volunteering at the veterinary clinic that our pup Nala goes to. She even helped out in a few surgeries!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyDxJ4oHa2bGhs1fhqkofQVOBcHUaIvOYwD6xRSUmPZERBuUt0XuuoOwM48lwAggFb5nWf5gIDMDxsZmpxkvY_3DUFxCFt2KAkmvfmtwaxoksty2p65MkGuhM5-Q8JO47SGG-EM8HBOb2/s960/IMG-20200226-WA0002-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyDxJ4oHa2bGhs1fhqkofQVOBcHUaIvOYwD6xRSUmPZERBuUt0XuuoOwM48lwAggFb5nWf5gIDMDxsZmpxkvY_3DUFxCFt2KAkmvfmtwaxoksty2p65MkGuhM5-Q8JO47SGG-EM8HBOb2/s320/IMG-20200226-WA0002-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRM1Uuo47HaNejfM-9qiMVSeuzoUe_FT3eWzguOeFoMi6pHG7OMm9sFxuezpIa5I3hyB7n9FlWeUbSHktzdU2th34vCLKkncfApUwkHR11dMCE3O0I6I7a0TPB8TZo1kiWz6fcXQUtrt9o/s1280/IMG-20200103-WA0019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRM1Uuo47HaNejfM-9qiMVSeuzoUe_FT3eWzguOeFoMi6pHG7OMm9sFxuezpIa5I3hyB7n9FlWeUbSHktzdU2th34vCLKkncfApUwkHR11dMCE3O0I6I7a0TPB8TZo1kiWz6fcXQUtrt9o/s320/IMG-20200103-WA0019.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn735qWILWKhmjCOPFnmJKOZBGSoNzqQmlNtikc1FTaho2AUrPnnqE_l6Bcc3kItlg4GakvQXfYIkrvsT3bSx21XQujQG8KrvspwiOjzxP4j8WxvaAUVTmpmVuofW4jkpiy1VI-qiIJ_gV/s2048/20200121_123818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn735qWILWKhmjCOPFnmJKOZBGSoNzqQmlNtikc1FTaho2AUrPnnqE_l6Bcc3kItlg4GakvQXfYIkrvsT3bSx21XQujQG8KrvspwiOjzxP4j8WxvaAUVTmpmVuofW4jkpiy1VI-qiIJ_gV/s320/20200121_123818.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLZSfmqsWHSuXgxcq50VCU4uCtAprcLyyyALCT4w13QhsGKZse_4PWQKML4lL_uxNQ0HLaheqQ-YAkPnEaVTMt4byhRvwTePl8BRWih9C46tnd7QXmiar535PoWptRONpAT_0EcS0LhfR/s2048/20200117_113315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLZSfmqsWHSuXgxcq50VCU4uCtAprcLyyyALCT4w13QhsGKZse_4PWQKML4lL_uxNQ0HLaheqQ-YAkPnEaVTMt4byhRvwTePl8BRWih9C46tnd7QXmiar535PoWptRONpAT_0EcS0LhfR/s320/20200117_113315.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the middle of January Darin left for a work trip that took him to Thailand and Laos for 3 1/2 weeks. Early in March, Darin's mom and 3 other ladies arrived from Edgerton and spent a week volunteering in the community and experiencing a bit of our daily life in South Africa. While they were here, the Corona Virus quickly went from something we had hardly thought about to something we couldn't seem to escape from. Darin's mom had planned to stay on with us for a few weeks after the other ladies had left, but after a flurry of phone calls and trips to the airport she was able to get on an earlier flight before air travel was suspended. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zYG4LaUBvoF-ovb4kCwvLRZlLL-0KoqxOrM9_QF2Eb76-nI4yg-pPD6Y_tTKzv53YWVcMp04zYxW4Wb6yInYu-wupnZ0BYlWZCSzh4UqlKz83_cos44luOngD_p2fKtT9ZlZv3PwYeEj/s1280/IMG-20200206-WA0015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zYG4LaUBvoF-ovb4kCwvLRZlLL-0KoqxOrM9_QF2Eb76-nI4yg-pPD6Y_tTKzv53YWVcMp04zYxW4Wb6yInYu-wupnZ0BYlWZCSzh4UqlKz83_cos44luOngD_p2fKtT9ZlZv3PwYeEj/s320/IMG-20200206-WA0015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPF5eA44L4Oy4PUbApDdvLxCSqyjECUb2UxBla_6ZGeHk4ULVEyLHHmnhChf_pD7RSfmaT99YH8DP4Esw9cF2QBC-m5_xAjCSH8VcrHdzDRTUjb14quQAZbQ-Y9DT7tlJ4zOg4BVLnHYd9/s1600/IMG_20200128_133328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPF5eA44L4Oy4PUbApDdvLxCSqyjECUb2UxBla_6ZGeHk4ULVEyLHHmnhChf_pD7RSfmaT99YH8DP4Esw9cF2QBC-m5_xAjCSH8VcrHdzDRTUjb14quQAZbQ-Y9DT7tlJ4zOg4BVLnHYd9/s320/IMG_20200128_133328.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09CLJ_L1DeeGKHkOniH978oyYevARHIVTDFSKSKZk8cNNsWEPI2nJ4nOFMm1_YuO4SmfzLovPeP9jiJ3UN-YwI0DWOEe4ZMeFYs1kSbESWl9gzi8GvnYleA36VM6g0GkgwNS2ZKqD3CEX/s1280/IMG-20200311-WA0016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09CLJ_L1DeeGKHkOniH978oyYevARHIVTDFSKSKZk8cNNsWEPI2nJ4nOFMm1_YuO4SmfzLovPeP9jiJ3UN-YwI0DWOEe4ZMeFYs1kSbESWl9gzi8GvnYleA36VM6g0GkgwNS2ZKqD3CEX/s320/IMG-20200311-WA0016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLAlzeFOGk0dfGsCEPit8iSfHtuDsy1U2l0euv-OBovzrobPV_lB46t90kyagwm7UA6vQcx0KxU5GGLooN-KNLy8SMEACwW73pTROaaTKf336hhDKsm64Y2ZHaqm9iBw08VmezzkaRxcy/s1024/IMG-20200313-WA0042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLAlzeFOGk0dfGsCEPit8iSfHtuDsy1U2l0euv-OBovzrobPV_lB46t90kyagwm7UA6vQcx0KxU5GGLooN-KNLy8SMEACwW73pTROaaTKf336hhDKsm64Y2ZHaqm9iBw08VmezzkaRxcy/s320/IMG-20200313-WA0042.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The next few months were mostly uneventful as we adjusted to a new way of life that included a whole lot of togetherness! In May there was a bright spot with the birth of Amo's sister, Mohau. </span></div></blockquote><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdEaJVemGrOoEzzo8NsjRKOGG3a6ySeDabG_Q1FIxFJWRfeteVB9Npoj-bKDcnFY0U_T7OLHfjTLOMAYYWw6jjlBMvdnvkjDpyEGVBaE3-hKWlLMKqptj1HMM5jdMVSYDkjLucT3jZwet/s2048/20200510_132549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdEaJVemGrOoEzzo8NsjRKOGG3a6ySeDabG_Q1FIxFJWRfeteVB9Npoj-bKDcnFY0U_T7OLHfjTLOMAYYWw6jjlBMvdnvkjDpyEGVBaE3-hKWlLMKqptj1HMM5jdMVSYDkjLucT3jZwet/s320/20200510_132549.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-37QDGUkvBrzuEsPLnbvHCtg7GVhO-8CylgRu5Km22yxYkPPp-j0CmvpXzyCAMwZaMdpofAH8lTwrei5RoIAAPTJb17tRpoA8pNZgR5Xq5c3ZluDIQQMAczKI4FSnrpykRLYsK5f9pe_/s2048/20200530_114506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-37QDGUkvBrzuEsPLnbvHCtg7GVhO-8CylgRu5Km22yxYkPPp-j0CmvpXzyCAMwZaMdpofAH8lTwrei5RoIAAPTJb17tRpoA8pNZgR5Xq5c3ZluDIQQMAczKI4FSnrpykRLYsK5f9pe_/s320/20200530_114506.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> In June Tyson celebrated his 16th birthday and Jori turned 14. In July, as lockdown restrictions continued to ease, Jori joined Tyson in getting braces. Tyson started taking dance classes in August and was happy for the distraction and entertainment they provided. Darin travelled to Uganda and Kenya at the end of October and in November the kids and I went on our first field trip with friends since March! In December we took a family holiday to Pilanesberg Game Reserve and stayed at Kingdom Resort for two nights, enjoyed celebrating Christmas together, and then entered a partial lockdown just before the new year. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6TIorcaxAQCeSTbrFShW_7DqzQOY1AcsqF2LCOQmbYZHDYELMuKZCeTZTNbJVt0s_R9v6d2O-sT52CTqCeQRmcpNNPjRnIrEITyjr52cV_RSq-oZKw_3HRlAXboDRHqssModACNLrN_c/s1600/IMG-20200618-WA0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6TIorcaxAQCeSTbrFShW_7DqzQOY1AcsqF2LCOQmbYZHDYELMuKZCeTZTNbJVt0s_R9v6d2O-sT52CTqCeQRmcpNNPjRnIrEITyjr52cV_RSq-oZKw_3HRlAXboDRHqssModACNLrN_c/s320/IMG-20200618-WA0005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Oq48OlO_iOW265yzHQ0twLMbSyTa0-BolFyRkfz6AXT6KdNEFZ06AEdQkvmMsKVk1tQjPld_9C8SE-fUqJnpmuAzJJTyJEs6tC1YLXAifEiGEyViSqX63pqDX1BocxP7TsuagRxKSrDS/s1600/IMG-20200913-WA0021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Oq48OlO_iOW265yzHQ0twLMbSyTa0-BolFyRkfz6AXT6KdNEFZ06AEdQkvmMsKVk1tQjPld_9C8SE-fUqJnpmuAzJJTyJEs6tC1YLXAifEiGEyViSqX63pqDX1BocxP7TsuagRxKSrDS/s320/IMG-20200913-WA0021.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4GO6EJv5NLQTc1cLNIxU3DP7RLN6kEZLIleGaXqSz3NWsnUsmel1PRyQ2rW8oznfMc0TfMfIXU-vBrA5SY0gbtX1MBpL9eFRtZGP_CsiMzjLRHaxXJO-HavwwxodY0fg8GPH99n6m33r/s957/IMG-20201102-WA0029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="951" data-original-width="957" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4GO6EJv5NLQTc1cLNIxU3DP7RLN6kEZLIleGaXqSz3NWsnUsmel1PRyQ2rW8oznfMc0TfMfIXU-vBrA5SY0gbtX1MBpL9eFRtZGP_CsiMzjLRHaxXJO-HavwwxodY0fg8GPH99n6m33r/s320/IMG-20201102-WA0029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgUzXyRwnTdZcnZGdxIXhbmKp3V2I_WTKAm4uC_6mY5cRx_XgsPCmqIh61YzXscPcl8rbS51jUA38YG8EQWNP0qsBRao9aObP2t-1LVCVfU7zz6BCMaGVefCx-8wm-529OjDRAm9QRod9/s1040/IMG-20201108-WA0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="780" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgUzXyRwnTdZcnZGdxIXhbmKp3V2I_WTKAm4uC_6mY5cRx_XgsPCmqIh61YzXscPcl8rbS51jUA38YG8EQWNP0qsBRao9aObP2t-1LVCVfU7zz6BCMaGVefCx-8wm-529OjDRAm9QRod9/s320/IMG-20201108-WA0007.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXBIpSFmXWmrN1YKelYlNrkKLiB0uJU1W8yaoK1RuMXG0GAj5F1548Cp5KkuUtbZ-vrqQ7YhSs3i38Jz615pPYmUKEaITJAhyphenhyphenKNmEDc9gaiaj0Yv9wU8mpGO0EW6nHtrSz4AvOvq7jizp/s1280/IMG-20201209-WA0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXBIpSFmXWmrN1YKelYlNrkKLiB0uJU1W8yaoK1RuMXG0GAj5F1548Cp5KkuUtbZ-vrqQ7YhSs3i38Jz615pPYmUKEaITJAhyphenhyphenKNmEDc9gaiaj0Yv9wU8mpGO0EW6nHtrSz4AvOvq7jizp/s320/IMG-20201209-WA0017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">2020 was definitely different, at times a bit scary, and always full of God's faithfulness. We had many opportunities to learn how little control we have, even thought we often operate under the illusion that we are in total control of our days. 2020 made us even more grateful for our family across the world and our framily here in South Africa. 2020 also ended up being a year that our desire to know God and his Word grew exponentially as we participated in Bible studies over Zoom and started a Bible reading plan as a family. Although the year was difficult as we missed spending time with friends here and having family visit from abroad, as work trips were put on hold and family plans were totally cancelled, we are able to look back with thankfulness, for the health of our friends and family here and around the globe, for the work of God within us and around us, and for the assurance that God is in control over all that was, all that is and all that will be. We are holding on to his promises as we look ahead to the anticipated changes in 2021 as we leave our home here and settle into a new season of life in Michigan.</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-76999864072386970172020-10-17T06:30:00.011-07:002020-10-17T06:48:39.595-07:00Connection and Community<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzkG858erAGAwmjNxEXK7JRnVCeTZA3xZY-JmZ50ObBcxrlFfT-IYkdMLD7e3CZGjH3FdiTlwV23nNuhrJWKoSxu0vkqNAb1PZ5B7oTXqJBdMuBs_beQfM9JCJvT_vHmQK7Fj4VpzSnPN/s1280/850443be5bbfb29905cb8f3918529fa8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzkG858erAGAwmjNxEXK7JRnVCeTZA3xZY-JmZ50ObBcxrlFfT-IYkdMLD7e3CZGjH3FdiTlwV23nNuhrJWKoSxu0vkqNAb1PZ5B7oTXqJBdMuBs_beQfM9JCJvT_vHmQK7Fj4VpzSnPN/s320/850443be5bbfb29905cb8f3918529fa8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">When we had made the decision to uproot our lives in the US and move to South Africa, I was so hungry for information about what living in South Africa would look like. We had been to South Africa several times as a couple, Darin had come on work trips, and we had spent 10 weeks here with our children. We knew some people, had been into various shops, and had a familiarity with the sounds of English being spoken with a variety of accents. However, there is a big difference between leaving home to visit a place for a few weeks or months and entirely uprooting your life in one place to start over in another. What were the schools like, would I have access to familiar ingredients to cook with, what about healthcare? </p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I scoured the internet to find stories about living in South Africa and found a few women who were more than happy to answer my questions, however random and weird they were. There was Annie, an American living in Pretoria, whose entire blog I read in one day and when Darin came home from work I had all sorts of info to share with him about all sorts of issues. I also found Lisa-Jo Baker, a South African living in America, who wrote about her home country with such beautiful words. (In a weird working of the Lord, we ended up working with Lisa-Jo's parents for several years and even worked with Lisa-Jo on several projects here in South Africa.) I can't forget about Caroline, who was living in South Africa but getting ready to move to the US; we bought our first car from her and her husband! And Trace, who was the neighbor of my former college roommate, who had moved with her family to Johannesburg. I sent a lot of messages to these women and eagerly took in the stories of other expats I came across who were living life in South Africa.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="139" data-original-width="156" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7Z1tYQetQ83KV4vCRUL5zS94DfpyEUz99JG6aC2_nmzjDlpitM9qDBPU12jjA-UtqS-Tz1R8ACp-O8T_KQzdexmshUwbPPWHETRA9Qzb7RECqqgJCMofc-OibKToaAEu-R23OzTfDScQ/w217-h193/Screenshot_2020-10-17-13-52-44-1.png" width="217" /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Once we were overseas, I learned what stores to shop at, what ingredients I could use as substitutes in recipes, we put the kids in school, found a doctor and even learned what "feint and margin" means. In time, we had friendships with South Africans and other expats as well and could commiserate about the intense heat in summer and cold winters without central heating. Yet, I still felt alone and often unknown. There were things that I was dealing with that my other expat friends weren't experiencing, and there were all sorts of feelings inside of me that I wasn't sure anyone around me would understand. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="480" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pv0ZNK9QaYnDrsBAEy2gLxjc_reBLAvZB_e_WJ-thKW5pEhrq3fO7SzPZPlr-esok_Z_j7OdhDeZKVB3ncqlCqByP5Nyusdgb-LSjWViqZKZhBwXGNhjlnlYX-tJX20vFZAFwB0HUlj1/w264-h355/Screenshot_2020-10-17-13-51-20-1.png" width="264" /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I was so desperate for community and once again I scoured the internet to find it. I can still remember when I first came across the <a href="https://velvetashes.com/">Velvet Ashes</a> website. I read through their blog and felt my heart saying "yes" and "amen" to so many of the articles I read. Soon after I found their website they started talking about Connection Groups and I cried; both tears of happiness in finding other women who were like me and tears of relief in knowing that I would soon have other women who would understand me and walk with me. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHm4773gPHytgCnDBdN7fEflhX3ebPjfT1C5S-UeN20K0_bwfe14N_V2P9UOhlcPBMJ2tOfqPm5HHby_VTo55u-NTJfgvkTCXy5re3XT06VXX0CKgAbR2oIqr3FOdt7uRCcPRtmyezvbpD/s480/Screenshot_2020-10-17-13-49-06-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHm4773gPHytgCnDBdN7fEflhX3ebPjfT1C5S-UeN20K0_bwfe14N_V2P9UOhlcPBMJ2tOfqPm5HHby_VTo55u-NTJfgvkTCXy5re3XT06VXX0CKgAbR2oIqr3FOdt7uRCcPRtmyezvbpD/s320/Screenshot_2020-10-17-13-49-06-1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">After getting connected to Velvet Ashes via their website and Facebook, I discovered many other resources that were made specifically for women like me; women who had left their passport country and were living in a host country under a variety of circumstances. There were women who were working, women who were staying home, married women and single women, those with children and without, women who had just arrived and women who had returned to their passport country, women who moved overseas as expats for business or other reasons and women who were with missions organizations. These resources include <a href="https://www.takingroute.net/">Taking Route</a>, which has a blog, podcast, Facebook and Instagram page; <a href="https://www.alifeoverseas.com/">A Life Overseas</a>, where I found so many resources about Third Culture Kids and deep conversations about living and interacting well in your host country; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thetravelingacademy/?hl=en">The Traveling Academy</a>, an Instagram account about overseas school life in all of its variations.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtwxZAFeA42xY8xNdxTNRK9Jd0KsO0LlWuno_gB3LYgjEJVtt50HD0JV-g-alpJxVA7tuWlG8EQOhyLafXhzB_hevX1Vgp7dbumYgCoEhZSQk2wFoQeGeFWUMgG1M_Yh3ibQR9Ux75FM2/s205/Screenshot_2020-10-17-13-47-05-1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtwxZAFeA42xY8xNdxTNRK9Jd0KsO0LlWuno_gB3LYgjEJVtt50HD0JV-g-alpJxVA7tuWlG8EQOhyLafXhzB_hevX1Vgp7dbumYgCoEhZSQk2wFoQeGeFWUMgG1M_Yh3ibQR9Ux75FM2/s0/Screenshot_2020-10-17-13-47-05-1.png" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">My list is by no means exhaustive, but these are four platforms that have given me a community of people to turn to with all sorts of random and weird questions and all of my good, bad and ugly feelings. If you are living outside of your passport country, or know someone who is currently living or will soon be living outside of, or has just returned to their passport country, check out these resources and pass them on. While most of these resources are directed at women, A Life Overseas is not only for everyone, but also has a lot of perspective and wisdom to offer people who are not planning to leave their passport country anytime soon. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I have made real friendships through these groups and have grown through hearing a variety of perspectives on different topics and through learning from people who have cultures and backgrounds that are not just like mine. These communities have helped me through a lot of challenging times and I know that they will provide me with a lot of support and wisdom as we plan and carry out our return to the US. </p>The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-50180134651272350832020-10-10T07:47:00.000-07:002020-10-10T07:47:31.634-07:00Home<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQFYDEoZyNr60zb5EqplyrhURuDMBSSnHMPgW7sx-avp-6kJhHudBRsz6-bweDMq32Afvh2geAfnCEH9wapycJ4zFMyO5cHpxkDO0Wv1NNqiwFsVIo-ShD__WbTS4gTjrpKyH-iP7hvh4/s500/f01f4ee816b1056e999897439d87d603.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQFYDEoZyNr60zb5EqplyrhURuDMBSSnHMPgW7sx-avp-6kJhHudBRsz6-bweDMq32Afvh2geAfnCEH9wapycJ4zFMyO5cHpxkDO0Wv1NNqiwFsVIo-ShD__WbTS4gTjrpKyH-iP7hvh4/s320/f01f4ee816b1056e999897439d87d603.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is a quote I have come across many times in our years overseas. It has shown up in online retreats, books about Third Culture Kids, essays by expat writers, Instagram stories and Facebook posts. I have felt the sentiment behind these words to some extent during our visits back to the states in 2014, 2017, and 2019; the feeling growing stronger with each successive trip. However, with those journeys, we always had a returning, a coming home to what had become familiar, known and loved. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And now after nine years of fighting to make our home here, we are looking ahead to the next time we will fly across worlds, and this time, there will not be a ticket to return us to our hard won home; this place of cultures and languages that are not our own, red dirt and thorns, veldt grass and lemon trees, goats and cows roaming freely and donkeys pulling carts, our neighbors we see during the day and party sounds we hear each night. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Instead, sometime in May, we will head back to West Michigan. We will be taking up a life that will seem somewhat familiar, but we will be starting over in a new neighborhood, with two teenagers who carry childhood ideals about what life will be like. I am thankful we've been through this before and that I can anticipate the feelings of excitement and grief that will hit us all in the months to come. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Darin and I have wrestled and prayed and wrestled some more as the timing of our return is a lot sooner than we have always talked about and planned for, but we both feel such an incredible amount of peace with our decision. We have seen God moving ahead of us and felt him walking beside us. We are excited about the opportunities that Tyson and Jori will have in the states, even as we mourn the relative ease of raising teenagers outside of the American culture. We are eager to live within a days travel of our families, yet we have already wept over having an ocean between us and the people God has given us as family here. We are excited about new possibilities and totally bummed about leaving the routines and familiarity of our life here. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">May is still a ways off, and we plan to fit a lot of fun into our time here, while also preparing for the fun things that await us wherever God sees fit to plant us. And while we now face living in the tension of being in a place that is home, but also not, we go forward together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhFH9vo1TfPcZY2VBtKl8itkmK0u1O2gIrf2YftoS4EvZvWl3Jg3PdaMoTwGNWzjMT55F1bzRcLuwpFXehppwDMs_TZZtz_Br1BlQFqKOBvPD4IQgjmgTs7DcGtTTW2CM-I3U0ah6lYwI/s1600/IMG_1933.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhFH9vo1TfPcZY2VBtKl8itkmK0u1O2gIrf2YftoS4EvZvWl3Jg3PdaMoTwGNWzjMT55F1bzRcLuwpFXehppwDMs_TZZtz_Br1BlQFqKOBvPD4IQgjmgTs7DcGtTTW2CM-I3U0ah6lYwI/s320/IMG_1933.PNG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p>The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-19180728306810828342020-05-15T09:04:00.001-07:002020-05-15T09:04:59.861-07:00Blog-arona<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is May 14, which brings us to 7 full weeks of lock-down
here in South Africa. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the kids and myself, much
of life is going on as usual. We were already home schooling and I am thanking
God daily that this was not something thrust upon us during these crazy times
as it took me pretty much all of last year to feel like #FeySchoolforHighschool
was something we could actually do.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are missing our get-togethers with friends for coffee,
field trips, and other fun, but it isnât like we were going out daily or even
weekly for these events, so while it is a change, it is manageable. Tyson is
really missing his jaunts into the community and especially his friend Thato,
who he saw at least twice a week. I am missing his jaunts into the community as
they gave me 2-4 hours with only one kid in the house and that kid is content
to sit in her room listening to music and watching an episode or two on
Netflix, so I have lost my afternoon alone time.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeEwAbazltlMPiajPWO1QKXKxjsfyw8JjyrFIddXnQcmeuaESUFs5LuI1sCOWl-ZgfW-y5J8ppaqDvEELPsubz0CYYIJN6CwyJs096RUnMVJUSG_XiuSZscyZORLliL7NdfByjtYNwSjL/s1600/IMG-20200422-WA0018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeEwAbazltlMPiajPWO1QKXKxjsfyw8JjyrFIddXnQcmeuaESUFs5LuI1sCOWl-ZgfW-y5J8ppaqDvEELPsubz0CYYIJN6CwyJs096RUnMVJUSG_XiuSZscyZORLliL7NdfByjtYNwSjL/s320/IMG-20200422-WA0018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mask making...it was fun for 2 days and now I am over it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
However, my intrepid students are finding new ways to occupy their time. Tyson took what was initially a school project about a Roman Road and made a giant hole that he plans to use as a winter fort. Jori has been attempting to use up all of the makeup she has collected over the years in new and interesting ways. I am also finding new things to do, like sewing masks, reorganizing the house and baking!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWtEa8h4Tb0ro9OesDbrR0CEJ-Y7KoL4gALzkp1spHIL9P4ZIq3V4t7lHXkltH5t2k9DJX_3NqMMZjzPsIPuX_Cm1lha_HBrTBHc54qU_zzQHqNB0odT8nTDMpE9PAzLlGJc8suLVOw2C/s1600/20200409_142144-COLLAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWtEa8h4Tb0ro9OesDbrR0CEJ-Y7KoL4gALzkp1spHIL9P4ZIq3V4t7lHXkltH5t2k9DJX_3NqMMZjzPsIPuX_Cm1lha_HBrTBHc54qU_zzQHqNB0odT8nTDMpE9PAzLlGJc8suLVOw2C/s320/20200409_142144-COLLAGE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the beginning there was a Roman Road</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4O02yLCUz6h_fJjhRmK9UtMHN-553gJIBqlDC8hV55Olkk8-3-7bpmkAtJPqNuCPG1mPN875tKlv5ksdiBCbugOo_HX6PWY_q7LcUSr_V_-fRXw41O9RlqL-zZaIWs_eel-F6VOJaJXrB/s1600/20200515_161759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4O02yLCUz6h_fJjhRmK9UtMHN-553gJIBqlDC8hV55Olkk8-3-7bpmkAtJPqNuCPG1mPN875tKlv5ksdiBCbugOo_HX6PWY_q7LcUSr_V_-fRXw41O9RlqL-zZaIWs_eel-F6VOJaJXrB/s320/20200515_161759.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now, there is a giant whole, deep enough for Tyson to comfortably sit in</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJQAf4yXXGQKtflwA3FfpTUKl8EwZWdbXfT2xcWxhjNLasHs5R4POkZzgTA1IAwqYhUGfmFzFsVy7vAWr57PbGnK3ZJ2Q8aFYwdPtWZMDv_k2gBDvcgVEua3l7YkXbf7oWUnCL0fafQqg/s1600/20200429_145208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJQAf4yXXGQKtflwA3FfpTUKl8EwZWdbXfT2xcWxhjNLasHs5R4POkZzgTA1IAwqYhUGfmFzFsVy7vAWr57PbGnK3ZJ2Q8aFYwdPtWZMDv_k2gBDvcgVEua3l7YkXbf7oWUnCL0fafQqg/s320/20200429_145208.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She sparkles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Another big change is that with everyone being home from
everything, Amo has been staying home with her mama and aunties and uncle and
as of Motherâs Day, her new baby sister Mohau Tinyiko, which loosely translates
to Mercy Gifts. We are so thankful that Mohauâs birth was uneventful and that
she is safe at home with a family that loves her a lot. It is hard not having
the freedom of movement to bring our whole family over there or have their
family over here, but we are being extra cautious for the new mom and baby and
also for our sweet Mozie who is very susceptible to lung infections.<br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidCoI5mO0GkIAzjgeJblvMqz1FuNm8I1u_VCJD6Xi9AGAga9rT0FJWifYYhfN5uHc_HcqY1FanMipziTAAS8tBg5kwhDPAF6bq-fy4fErwLpaumqGJnJH3qrqTmW3Rmg6JyIUNLZJANON/s1600/20200510_132352-COLLAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidCoI5mO0GkIAzjgeJblvMqz1FuNm8I1u_VCJD6Xi9AGAga9rT0FJWifYYhfN5uHc_HcqY1FanMipziTAAS8tBg5kwhDPAF6bq-fy4fErwLpaumqGJnJH3qrqTmW3Rmg6JyIUNLZJANON/s640/20200510_132352-COLLAGE.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo on Top and Left from birthday on May 10, Bottom is May 15</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWMdsit4WOVsciw8cQdS6B5mWouRaQEzZAo5mh6hJN6A51BUgTVSozoxCzsmSRVu2067DNjl_LUUlBP8ll75H8HH0YiPJbtkfY2BZKbJPOxUsmEQbDWwr2rOI3zSHrSoK_KaQBVNpBq-H/s1600/20200513_150027-COLLAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWMdsit4WOVsciw8cQdS6B5mWouRaQEzZAo5mh6hJN6A51BUgTVSozoxCzsmSRVu2067DNjl_LUUlBP8ll75H8HH0YiPJbtkfY2BZKbJPOxUsmEQbDWwr2rOI3zSHrSoK_KaQBVNpBq-H/s400/20200513_150027-COLLAGE.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankful these two had a chance to meet Mohau</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Darin continues to be busy, as always. He has been managing
the distribution of food parcels from various organizations for Take Action and
procuring and reselling face masks as they are currently more in demand than
water filters. We are very aware of how God continues to provide for our family
and how He allows us to be involved both directly and indirectly in providing
for our neighbors here. This is not because of anything we have done, but due
to His faithfulness through many avenues, including many of you!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7BT54oV23teJ8m4Km684xiQlPBui0aWetnxLsRCzhGgCBQvmGum_wnT2XlpxjBVQrHtV542TcsI55P9arDvAYLIVyvIi7RDC7632xJr3JXMf5V4raycDx9a-eiUWS1Wti5we9Dn8mWuE/s1600/IMG-20200424-WA0029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7BT54oV23teJ8m4Km684xiQlPBui0aWetnxLsRCzhGgCBQvmGum_wnT2XlpxjBVQrHtV542TcsI55P9arDvAYLIVyvIi7RDC7632xJr3JXMf5V4raycDx9a-eiUWS1Wti5we9Dn8mWuE/s320/IMG-20200424-WA0029.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a fraction of the food we helped sort for vulnerable families</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Our family is doing well here in Hammanskraal. We know that
things will most likely be getting worse before they get better in many areas
of life, but we continue to feel Godâs presence with us and His calling on our
family to remain in this place we call home.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-55765393259554255562020-05-05T08:18:00.002-07:002020-05-05T08:18:58.049-07:00Baking fun with JonnaI thought I'd hop on here and share a few recipes that we've enjoyed over the last few weeks.<br />
<br />
First, my mother-in-law shared the recipe for Hip Hugger Bars, which are one of Darin's faves.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Hip Hugger Bars</span></b><br />
<br />
Cream: 1/2 Cup oleo (I used baking margarine, Grandma Karen says to use butter) and 1 cup brown sugar<br />
<br />
Beat in: 1 egg, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 tsp soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups oatmeal<br />
<br />
Take out: 3/4 cup of the above mixture and spread/press the rest into a greased 9 x 13 pan<br />
<br />
In sauce pan: Put 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 TBSP butter (I used baking margarine), 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 tsp salt and cook until chocolate melts. ADD 1 tsp vanilla<br />
<br />
Spread: chocolate mixture over oatmeal mixture THEN DROP the 3/4 cup mixture you set aside on top of chocolate by the spoonful<br />
<br />
Bake: 350 F/180 C until Golden Brown. This took us 45 minutes, but Grandma Karen said 20-25 minutes was her usual bake time.<br />
<br />
<br />
This next recipe is from the Wycliffe International Cookbook, which was recommended to me by Darin's Aunt Rose before we moved overseas. We use a lot of recipes from this book, but this was the first time I have made this bread.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>English Muffin Loaf</b></span><br />
<br />
Combine:<br />
3 cups white or wheat flour (750 ml)<br />
2 TBSP Dry Yeast (30 ml)<br />
1 TBSP Sugar (15 ml)<br />
2 tsp Salt (10 ml)<br />
1/4 tsp baking soda (1 ml)<br />
<br />
Add and Beat Well:<br />
2 1/2 cups (620 ml) HOT (about 120 F/50 C) MILK (alternatively you can add 2/3 cup (170 ml) milk powder to the dry ingredients above and then beat in 2/1/2 cups hot water)<br />
<br />
Stir in to make a stiff batter:<br />
2 1/2-3 cups flour (620-750 ml) ( I mixed with a big spoon and ended up having to use my hands to get all the flour mixed properly)<br />
<br />
Pour (I had to scoop and then spread) into two greased loaf pans sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes (I put them in my oven with a pan of boiling water for about 30 minutes) Bake at 400 F/205 C for 25 minutes. Remove from pans, cool and SERVE TOASTED.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cinnamon Rolls</span></b><br />
<br />
I also made Cinnamon Rolls this week, which also required yeast. This made me a bit nervous as I am pretty sure the last time I had made a yeast dough I ended up with two small loaves of bread that had the density of stone. However, I was successful and my children said that these rolls tasted like America. A very high compliment from them. The recipe we used was from The Money Saving Mom blog. We doubled the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture just like Crystal and her family do and we loved the frosting. I did use real butter for these, so can't say if baking margarine would work. The recipe can be found by clicking <a href="https://moneysavingmom.com/easy-homemade-cinnamon-rolls-in-the-bread-machine/" target="_blank">HERE</a> and while they are called Easy Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls, I made the dough by hand and it was just fine.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lemon Cookies</b></span><br />
<br />
If you like the taste of lemon, these cookies are for you! I first made them about 8 years ago, and hadn't made them in quite a long time. However, we had lemons on hand and these sounded really good to me. I posted the recipe back in 2012, but you can find it by clicking <a href="http://hefeyfamily.blogspot.com/2012/08/i-am-baking-queen.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> or searching this blog for "lemon". There are several other recipes in this blog post and I would still recommend them all in 2020.<br />
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<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-44131834562759170652019-12-31T13:10:00.002-08:002019-12-31T13:18:42.761-08:00Wrapping up a decade...It is after 11:00 pm December 31, which means 2019 is almost finished, and I still haven't written our annual letter. I started a few times earlier this month, but at that time, the end of the year still seemed so far away. There were a lot of things that were different for our family this year, but for the most part, different ended up being good!<br />
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Tyson and Jori began their home school adventure in January 2019 and wrapped up their last two courses the second week of December. Overall, the year went well, but it had its challenges. The curriculum we were using wasn't the best fit for us and that made for some added stress. However, we learned from these challenges and I am hopeful that the curriculum we chose for 2020 will be a big improvement. It was a big change having the kids around all the time. I am someone who needs my space and solitude and there were many times that I'd send the kids out with Darin to run errands just so I'd have some time alone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOspqMVbScE2pYtQ3UW17yFK090JvXX6eAJj99gSLLQoX0eznNd1FDanx2CBrGlAAW3Al4IIzcER0bb7bGg2mRI2ZzKMKghWLQJL1dIutITSbSW8HkGZ-EpSmXEpaEms1JsMN-WWQ7dNrY/s1600/20190228_105842+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOspqMVbScE2pYtQ3UW17yFK090JvXX6eAJj99gSLLQoX0eznNd1FDanx2CBrGlAAW3Al4IIzcER0bb7bGg2mRI2ZzKMKghWLQJL1dIutITSbSW8HkGZ-EpSmXEpaEms1JsMN-WWQ7dNrY/s320/20190228_105842+%25281%2529.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Study Buddy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-75DnhO44NDZO3k4AHiRR3u_XYaXEFgj0Cjd-pJYON55SqPSCZbCchXoNUWsAFAfk7KHuL2AzhGgCjz0DqoperjwHzw9IZCd0S7MKQRUiL3bNCh4A25afH2GJc4YZH5t6DoFUmo39d4u/s1600/20190725_133517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-75DnhO44NDZO3k4AHiRR3u_XYaXEFgj0Cjd-pJYON55SqPSCZbCchXoNUWsAFAfk7KHuL2AzhGgCjz0DqoperjwHzw9IZCd0S7MKQRUiL3bNCh4A25afH2GJc4YZH5t6DoFUmo39d4u/s320/20190725_133517.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard at work!</td></tr>
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While being together 7 days a week wasn't always awesome, I think we grew closer, learned more about each other and enjoyed a life that wasn't built around getting up and out the door early 5 days a week! I found that I really enjoyed knowing what the kids were learning and having the opportunity to talk to them about events in history or information they read in their science text. I also learned that I need to really chill out or our 2020 year is not going to be very fun. As one of my children said in a final reflection essay, <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't like it when my mom would yell at us or lose her temper and when she would always push us to do our work."</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The other child agreed with these sentiments. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too Cool For School Art Show!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2k8dilldAThXzijXMLlVlwUQnzjDYUhB0Rf3Ibhgy852YXTGg6uH1oATw1QTW5W-UVlui2YE7kmph118fzAmeix6acnQz9scQTjB8LbCEiblqP6RY6GPn45rZFH-MyRYyY2ROjUuTK54D/s1600/P1020340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2k8dilldAThXzijXMLlVlwUQnzjDYUhB0Rf3Ibhgy852YXTGg6uH1oATw1QTW5W-UVlui2YE7kmph118fzAmeix6acnQz9scQTjB8LbCEiblqP6RY6GPn45rZFH-MyRYyY2ROjUuTK54D/s320/P1020340.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Focused and totally engaged</td></tr>
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Darin had another busy year of travel with Business Connect. In January he spent a week in Burundi, and in February he spent three weeks in Ghana and Kenya. He flew to Germany at the end of May and went from there to Honduras. In November he drove to Lesotho for a week and then flew to Kenya later in the month for another week. In between these big trips were many days spent in Pretoria and Johannesburg as well as hours of every day on the phone or sending emails to people around the world. In just a few weeks he'll be heading out for a 3+ week trip to Thailand and Laos! I am super jealous, but hopefully will be making a trip with him later in 2020. In addition to his work with Business Connect, Darin continued working with Take Action and Busetsa in his "free time" He rounded out his year with being an amazing husband to 1, dad to 2, and friend to many.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWVAEY4vdyV9grZ_4rT20Mg7KK34R5bZF68ntPlYIEkuIfyU4eoqmnhsVAzLaKqsKcgosKRTRCsre-hwXMhbOmEdUTys4EvNydslPJpNPGPC85nVX2C81KMQ2YqVv-LECUQIaSIzsTvGR/s1600/IMG-20190116-WA0018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1040" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWVAEY4vdyV9grZ_4rT20Mg7KK34R5bZF68ntPlYIEkuIfyU4eoqmnhsVAzLaKqsKcgosKRTRCsre-hwXMhbOmEdUTys4EvNydslPJpNPGPC85nVX2C81KMQ2YqVv-LECUQIaSIzsTvGR/s320/IMG-20190116-WA0018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assessing water needs at rural schools in Burundi</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Kenya with Business Connect colleagues from the US and Rwanda<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcywSvBGRAox6z55l_P9UZ4MAzxUIxpXtKqC7DabDWOJ7ShL8H7dKwJ8Pl8tAcpopJ4ptfl2eVZRtr62dPAMqkmRdew2aPI2uFIW28tkXjTdx2DU9r7drdHZ0eJUrD5y__5CQJU8_D4UcT/s1600/IMG-20191231-WA0052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcywSvBGRAox6z55l_P9UZ4MAzxUIxpXtKqC7DabDWOJ7ShL8H7dKwJ8Pl8tAcpopJ4ptfl2eVZRtr62dPAMqkmRdew2aPI2uFIW28tkXjTdx2DU9r7drdHZ0eJUrD5y__5CQJU8_D4UcT/s320/IMG-20191231-WA0052.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Training filter distributors in Ghana</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4jrW2eAdRBP-DwrPmG-53dW_FtJTn1O8XRJfugfLhTuC_QrlErBwDt__uft0CWILqyj6j4XIQS_fQK8zSK5CeSqYypnC7aWwTaD1Whp1PmdCI3syX0IMIIdj3ahIZM3e1BFv-jjTil5H/s1600/IMG-20190617-WA0020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4jrW2eAdRBP-DwrPmG-53dW_FtJTn1O8XRJfugfLhTuC_QrlErBwDt__uft0CWILqyj6j4XIQS_fQK8zSK5CeSqYypnC7aWwTaD1Whp1PmdCI3syX0IMIIdj3ahIZM3e1BFv-jjTil5H/s320/IMG-20190617-WA0020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working hard in Honduras<br />
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A few days after Darin flew to Germany, the kids and I boarded a plane bound for the USA. We arrived in Oregon on the 3rd of June and were able to visit with my family, see one nephew graduate from high school and another get married before flying to Michigan and meeting up with Darin. We filled up the next week with cookouts, game nights, and catching up with friends before driving to Minnesota to be with Darin's family. We were able to join in on a family reunion, attend the wedding of Darin's aunt, spend time with Darin's Grandma and Grandpa, enjoy the Dutch Festival and visit with the lovely Miss O, who used to stay with us at Tshepo ya Bana. The kids each had a birthday while we were gone, with Tyson turning 15 and Jori 13. We arrived back in South Africa on the 19th of July, tired but full of memories.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUsTmdxtmamdIDA88AU7bLXdeE1MixB7brAoq9AkDg-pIWKhyphenhyphenOS0s55rU3wh0Q0ykhnCbzBSGHIs7gM8e5TPF5aqXaP1mGMVZvpd_IJJfsoNyBO4UYosHUuj1HwIMRdlEFRuSru34JvjP/s1600/20190602_145855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUsTmdxtmamdIDA88AU7bLXdeE1MixB7brAoq9AkDg-pIWKhyphenhyphenOS0s55rU3wh0Q0ykhnCbzBSGHIs7gM8e5TPF5aqXaP1mGMVZvpd_IJJfsoNyBO4UYosHUuj1HwIMRdlEFRuSru34JvjP/s320/20190602_145855.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving on a jet plane</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ow-6R_VCN0c_c54uoEUsvXCVIwkP0_Zv4VRSLn2OQi8abK1i-z34cvS2wd6LFIyKKz1_StshpsqPT2_MuR0eiD4VJozb7XWszL5glxTol5rwZC89Ghy1P9a-tZdSnFhzkQQoZQYGhuqG/s1600/IMG-20190615-WA0027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ow-6R_VCN0c_c54uoEUsvXCVIwkP0_Zv4VRSLn2OQi8abK1i-z34cvS2wd6LFIyKKz1_StshpsqPT2_MuR0eiD4VJozb7XWszL5glxTol5rwZC89Ghy1P9a-tZdSnFhzkQQoZQYGhuqG/s320/IMG-20190615-WA0027.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the Van Schepen cousins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkABX0VfrDavEHb_0x7oik8HW8Gw1EnbhcmJOjUFLSJfe-ifYS9WQQbJ1MYpzGfwBJHuLghuW2IjsOVeAngpqfHr0GbtCQpQi_gNm95hjW3atzWHO_JJn796QxPcboRi4xL5GHMDLS_Uy/s1600/IMG-20190706-WA0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkABX0VfrDavEHb_0x7oik8HW8Gw1EnbhcmJOjUFLSJfe-ifYS9WQQbJ1MYpzGfwBJHuLghuW2IjsOVeAngpqfHr0GbtCQpQi_gNm95hjW3atzWHO_JJn796QxPcboRi4xL5GHMDLS_Uy/s320/IMG-20190706-WA0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many of the Fey cousins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO7Bj2zOpOGCaycQwZW0hFm3Y4SLEFUZ9jDEEr6M-FnfFDcvaCpykbiPYRRuEMZfwzz6NoJQmjtAS9GhWiJ_6YpVX4zgece6wrElJqcLcLLe0CuXK0hgH7SxKWxQvLNIBWqpcWXJ5nm9V/s1600/IMG-20190714-WA0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1165" data-original-width="1200" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSO7Bj2zOpOGCaycQwZW0hFm3Y4SLEFUZ9jDEEr6M-FnfFDcvaCpykbiPYRRuEMZfwzz6NoJQmjtAS9GhWiJ_6YpVX4zgece6wrElJqcLcLLe0CuXK0hgH7SxKWxQvLNIBWqpcWXJ5nm9V/s320/IMG-20190714-WA0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reminiscing with Miss O</td></tr>
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My folks were out in September/October and we enjoyed exploring a small corner of Botswana with them while they were here. We had the best house guest, Amo, with us for a good chunk of September, October and November. We are so thankful that this little nugget will be turning 9 on the 4th of January!! We are looking forward to more visits from family and framily in the new year, including Darin's mom and the "Edgerton ladies" sometime in March!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1z7MD2uS6PvQZaGB3ZHv-dOErk0WJOaBN_7pAQOFsUCdjI_vpRWxUYTcvCs7Yom24iBsAnR00dwY7546XTIFFM6uDI_tpbplsQvdibDdrdrlwIKNELt4MD0PWTvTZfEe8zZ-05cOKdq7/s1600/IMG-20191007-WA0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1z7MD2uS6PvQZaGB3ZHv-dOErk0WJOaBN_7pAQOFsUCdjI_vpRWxUYTcvCs7Yom24iBsAnR00dwY7546XTIFFM6uDI_tpbplsQvdibDdrdrlwIKNELt4MD0PWTvTZfEe8zZ-05cOKdq7/s320/IMG-20191007-WA0012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gangs all here</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOoMEOyRzQeRmnRqJNVIgIYtXIFppCDyXsfJMFFYci_WVb00j0xat9tsJ2QIPrAimujWbEdSg2c3MmLSNZioloFZgcGYt0-DJwgYPVxHuRBFnq53_LX0rkdufAuQSakVHJu1PL36v_90hI/s1600/P1020421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOoMEOyRzQeRmnRqJNVIgIYtXIFppCDyXsfJMFFYci_WVb00j0xat9tsJ2QIPrAimujWbEdSg2c3MmLSNZioloFZgcGYt0-DJwgYPVxHuRBFnq53_LX0rkdufAuQSakVHJu1PL36v_90hI/s320/P1020421.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyson on the canopy tour in Magaliesburg, South Africa</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHJO1zeP-gwBeTaDKsFXIqrd-SW2oHwZasN2Xe_qgVx67-txMn4HpruvVcdANW6NBjBEXSZH-nkkha9jHrEMGRc88B4MCWC3dozHcDwGI4fS0w9yvIrFf22xbSXIgzUP5nIf4z-hH9OIB/s1600/P1020595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHJO1zeP-gwBeTaDKsFXIqrd-SW2oHwZasN2Xe_qgVx67-txMn4HpruvVcdANW6NBjBEXSZH-nkkha9jHrEMGRc88B4MCWC3dozHcDwGI4fS0w9yvIrFf22xbSXIgzUP5nIf4z-hH9OIB/s320/P1020595.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhino in Botswana</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#besthouseguest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nala, the Amo-sitter</td></tr>
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The rest of our year was filled with swimming in our pool, catching snakes in our house, dealing with crazy weather and crazy utilities, and enjoying time together as a family. We are thankful for the care and provision that God has shown to our family and friends here and abroad over the last 12 months and look forward to walking with Him in whatever He has planned for our family in the year 2020!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out, waiting for the power to come back on</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming time</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warming up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-DRdW5tMyYnzsY83SFcSyC4CJvpL-aH2IflitiqFUb2Rk0aOZEwibVBdU2n6_eDkHOEN_YJno0hW9srdZd3N3Xqlc1rozEJsB-KFaQrDx8_FVrm7Jwb0J8S3xYgnmW-sWgaghPbz3PSH/s1600/20191210_184812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-DRdW5tMyYnzsY83SFcSyC4CJvpL-aH2IflitiqFUb2Rk0aOZEwibVBdU2n6_eDkHOEN_YJno0hW9srdZd3N3Xqlc1rozEJsB-KFaQrDx8_FVrm7Jwb0J8S3xYgnmW-sWgaghPbz3PSH/s320/20191210_184812.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our flooded front yard</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collecting water to flush our toilets</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Science!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Releasing the python we caught in our garage</td></tr>
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<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-13410625158798923322019-07-22T06:43:00.000-07:002019-07-22T07:44:59.891-07:00We're back!And just like that, our time in the US is finished and we are back home! Here is a quick recap of our time away:<br />
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Darin flew out to Germany at the end of May and a few days later the kids and I headed to Oregon. We saw one nephew graduate from high school and another get married. We also got to help out behind the scenes with a graduation open house and rehearsal dinner, which were a lot more work than I had remembered! The kids went swimming with their papa, out for smoothies with their cousins and shopping with their aunties. They rode bike around the neighborhood and hung out at a local park. Family dinners were plentiful, with different groups of people around different tables almost every night.<br />
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Next stop was Michigan, where the kids and I met up with Darin who had been from Germany to Honduras while we were with my family. It was SOOOOO good to see my main man again. If you know both Darin and me, you are aware that one of us can be kind of high strung while the other one of us is a bit more grounded and stable. Michigan was a bit of a whirlwind full of trampoline jumping, bike riding, ice cream eating, thrift store shopping, marshmallow roasting, dog walking fun. We stayed at the Huismans and visited with church friends, college friends, work friends and life friends. The time there was short, but packed full of people and things that we love.<br />
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At the end of June we left Michigan for Minnesota, but stopped for an overnight in Wisconsin. This was one of the smartest things we could have done. Our family of four had been separated for the first two weeks and living on top of other people, out of suitcases and outside of our normal routine for almost a month, so having a night alone at a hotel where we could just chill was amazing. It helped prepare us for the next three weeks of living away from home. We arrived in Minnesota and spent one night in Edgerton before heading to South Dakota for a family reunion. The reunion was hot (hooray for AC) and fun (tubing, swimming, game playing, eating and lots of catching up).<br />
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(um, if anyone from the reunion is reading this and has pictures of our family, please send them to be at thefeyfamily@gmail.com. Apparently neither my husband or I had our cameras out!)<br />
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We wrapped up the reunion and a family wedding and then spent the next week going from Sioux Falls, SD (Darin's brother) to Sheldon, IA (my friend Tami) to Sioux Center, IA (Darin's sister) and wrapped up the week with the Dutch Festival in Edgerton and a special visit from Miss O who lived with us at Tshepo ya Bana. The next week was Luverne, MN (Darin's other sister and another visit with my friend Tami) and Edgerton with lots of family coming and going. The kids road bikes constantly; to the grocery store, library, bakery and hardware store. Darin and I went on motorcycle rides and walks around town. We visited with his grandparents, had a big family dinner with aunts and uncles and cousins, Darin spoke at his parents' church and the kids soaked up as much time with cousins as possible.<br />
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We arrived back in South Africa the day before I turned 41. We've been up at odd hours in the middle of the night, taking naps during the day and sleeping in late most mornings. Today the kids dipped into home schooling and tomorrow they are going away for a sleepover while Darin and I enjoy a night with Amo. We are happy to be in our own house, with our own beds and our own dog. We are adjusting to the dust and dry air and easing back into our life here in Hammanskraal.<br />
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We are thankful for the time we could spend with so many of you and sorry to those of you we missed! Happy Monday from South Africa!<br />
<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-79068160163657307282019-05-27T02:37:00.000-07:002019-05-27T02:37:07.993-07:00It's the Final Countdown!It is Monday morning. This time next week we will be a few hours away from landing in Atlanta. Yesterday after church, we stopped and bought snacks for the journey and once we were home the kids started packing their carry-on bags.<br />
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Darin is running around today and tomorrow and will hopefully be home on Wednesday, which is the day he flies out. Tomorrow the kids do their final assignments for grades and I can finish up their term 2 reports. I am trying to motivate them to work on their research papers, which will be completed after we return home, but they are more interested in updating Tyson's YouTube channel.<br />
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We now have three pieces of luggage fully packed and another one that just needs some clothes tucked into it. Darin has also started laying all of his stuff out in his office. It looks and feels chaotic, but I know it will all get finished before we go.<br />
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Last week we had a visit with Miss Amo, which was a treat. Tyson and Jori wanted her to watch a movie with them, and Darin and I could hear her jabbering away from the other side of the house. We also celebrated 3 years of life and health for Darin on the 22nd. It was three years ago that he was in hospital for 10 days after a brain bleed. We are so thankful that God spared his life then and that he has never had any ill effects from this event.<br />
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On Saturday we celebrated Jorika's birthday at Butterfly, met with the young man who will be staying at our house, and had Amo's family over for a good-bye party. KFC and a cake that Jori made all by herself added to the fun.<br />
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This week I invited myself and the kids to Butterfly for supper on Thursday night and will be leaving the kids there overnight. This will give me a chance to finish things up around the house and to just have a little time alone before we begin a long journey in the close quarters of the airplane on Sunday. Jori's friend is being baptized Sunday morning, so we plan to go to church, then come back to pack and turn over the keys to Alfred. Thankfully he already made friends with Nala, so we all feel better about leaving her behind, knowing she will be well cared for.<br />
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Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare to send Darin off on Wednesday night. We will only see him again on the 18th of June in Michigan. Pray for the kids as they say temporary goodbyes to their friends and life on this side of the equator and as they prepare to fit into the lives of family and friends in the states. You can also be praying for Alfred as he watches over our house and takes care of Nala. We are thankful to have found such a trustworthy caretaker for our house now that our usual house sitters have their own home to care for. You can also be praying for me that I will get enough sleep before our flight and will have patience with my children and family on the other side as I work through jet lag without my hubby by my side!<br />
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America, here we come!<br />
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<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-71568549433166629722019-05-20T07:32:00.000-07:002019-05-20T07:32:22.320-07:00Winding DownIn less than two weeks, we will be on our way to the US of A; or rather 3 of us will be on our way to the states and Darin will already be in Germany. We have started packing (2 suitcases are full!) and are working our way through the food in our fridge and freezer. This week we have Amo coming for one last sleepover before we go and on the weekend we plan to have a little party with her whole family to hang out and eat KFC!<br />
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Tyson and Jori have a list of assignments they need to complete by next Thursday and they are both planning to work ahead so that they can have most of next week off. Last week we had the #TooCoolforSchool Art Fair with our fellow homeschooling friends, which was our last "fun" event until we get back in July and I have recovered from jet lag. It is crazy that we are almost half way finished with our school year; probably closer to two-thirds of the way finished as we've been grinding through a lot of the subjects.<br />
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Getting ready to head out on such a big trip is stressful and exciting. Once we are there, we will be fully involved with our family and friends, being a part of their lives and living out of suitcases in their homes. Yet we already have things on our calendar for when we are back in South Africa, which reminds us all how quickly our time back in the states will be and also that at this time our life and home is here, in Hammanskraal.<br />
<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-89115147125485069782019-04-11T07:50:00.000-07:002019-04-11T07:50:35.288-07:00What to pack.It's Thursday. A cool, cloudy, breezy day. We have been enjoying the cooler weather this week and the rain! Tys and Jori are pretty much finished with school for the week. Tomorrow is ice skating, which Tyson has already decided to opt out of. He can't keep his feet from blistering, so the experience isn't much fun for him. Darin has some errands to run, so maybe he'll choose to go with him instead. That is, assuming we will be able to get to the rink tomorrow. National elections are next month and there have been protests in different parts of the country, and today they came our way. I think the protest was something to do with taxis and a lack of service delivery in the community. We could see smoke from burning tires and all the schools were closed, but there wasn't any action on our side of the highway. Who knows what tomorrow or the weeks leading up to (or after) the election will bring.<br />
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Darin and Jori are picking up food donations since the Take Action driver is having issues on his side of town and couldn't leave. Tyson has friends over and they are dancing and listening to music. I have been practicing my Spanish on Duolingo, which has become a bit of an addiction for me! It is crazy how much of my high school Spanish is coming back to me, and also how much of the grammar I've forgotten. The kids and Darin are also learning Spanish as Darin needs it for work and it will be a useful language for the kids to have experience with.<br />
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We've been having a lot of conversations about our upcoming trip to the states. We talk a lot about the fun stuff we'll get to experience, but also try to prepare the kids for potential curve balls, like the fact that people have changed since we were back 2 years ago, which means relationships and interests may have also changed. We've all changed as well I am sure. As an adult, the emotions that go along with living in two worlds can be tricky to juggle, so I sometimes feel inadequate in trying to help my kids prepare for transition.<br />
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We are also planning to take some of the stuff we've collected over the years back to the states with us. The week we arrived here in 2011, the kids turned 5 and 7, and this June they will be 13 and 15. They've gone through a lot of stages and had many interests, but have also put (some) childish ways behind them for now, but want to make sure these childish loves are not thrown away or lost. So, Papa and Gram, we hope you have some room in your crawl space for stuffed animals, school papers, and a few different collections that have accumulated over our years here. Jori has already started going through her things, and it is bittersweet to see my baby girl packing up doll clothes and Barbies. She is even thinking about bringing her precious Charity and Niecie to the states. We'll see what she decides.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveRjTE9hoA6UzQv5FgIm0jnqEHXS7jyCCJ8pBNZ9I7cvHsiOt28nKCw7sMCsdiCxHjRX_1Q2P-CLszYHHXrDM6-BTDKOoso3Yz2vp6jdp7B1xTCcEBEFH9CVRk100f5o5MDp66Y0QdNKi/s1600/P1020780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveRjTE9hoA6UzQv5FgIm0jnqEHXS7jyCCJ8pBNZ9I7cvHsiOt28nKCw7sMCsdiCxHjRX_1Q2P-CLszYHHXrDM6-BTDKOoso3Yz2vp6jdp7B1xTCcEBEFH9CVRk100f5o5MDp66Y0QdNKi/s320/P1020780.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jori age 5.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lots of growing, changing, packing and preparing going on around here, that's for sure.The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-59536717234444021932019-04-06T04:07:00.001-07:002019-04-06T04:07:35.235-07:00Let's Fly!It's April already and the weather has been cool enough to start bringing down the temperature inside our house. Hooray. I have come to really enjoy this time of year, our "fall". I am a jeans and sweatshirt kind of girl and this is the time of year when these items can be worn daily in the house, but when you step outside the sun reminds you that summer is still not totally over.<br />
<br />
Just over a week ago, Darin and I made what for us was a rash decision. We were talking about an overseas work trip that was coming up for Darin and trying to figure out if he could extend it without causing me and the kids to go insane, when we decided "Hey, why not have Jonna and the kids go to Oregon while Darin travels and then he can join us to continue our US holiday to Michigan and Minnesota". So, that is what we did. Instead of journeying across the ocean in 2020, we've moved our plans up by a year. Tickets have been purchased and we will be stateside in June! The kids and I will be in OR from June 3-18, then we will meet up with Darin in Michigan until the 27th before heading to Minnesota until the 18th of July. We will be able to attend 2 weddings, a family reunion, the Dutch Festival and just spend time catching up with people we love. We hope to see you many of you during our time stateside!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdishtxPZQur01EwmzG_za_fWjgwdrQZlHnvJ-z-RmXzcPUr3YCvKmXENnTXBGL6gNdqvbIkayl6gPMHajEhT85nlELFsZ9B5TJnSvmDx9-moavsEYDYtcelAtR_RP0DIZRAzeydaE2Aq0/s1600/happy+birthday%252C+ashley%2521.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdishtxPZQur01EwmzG_za_fWjgwdrQZlHnvJ-z-RmXzcPUr3YCvKmXENnTXBGL6gNdqvbIkayl6gPMHajEhT85nlELFsZ9B5TJnSvmDx9-moavsEYDYtcelAtR_RP0DIZRAzeydaE2Aq0/s320/happy+birthday%252C+ashley%2521.png" width="320" /></a></div>
From now until June, we will be busy packing, finding someone to stay in our house and watch our dog, and doing lots of school!! The kids have already agreed to not complain about an increase in work because they do not want to do school work on their holiday. I am pretty much agreeable to this as I don't want to be keeping track of and grading their work while I am busy stuffing my face with Wendy's fries and Frosty's and spending time with friends and family.<br />
<br />
So, if you could please be praying for us as we prepare for this unexpected, but super exciting, change in our plans? The kids are THRILLED and cannot stop talking about how awesome everything is going to be once they are back in America. Bless their hearts. If you could please pray specifically for Tyson and Jori as we all know there is no place on earth that is perfect or lives up to your expectations. Pray that they will be able to live fully present here in South Africa for the next 8 weeks, and pray that they will be able to transition well between worlds. Pray that Darin and I will have wisdom and patience with them before, during and after our time in the states. Pray that Darin will accomplish all that needs to be done before he leaves for Germany and Honduras and that his time in those places will be fruitful.<br />
<br />
Thanks for praying and see you soon!<br />
<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-34084161468306784962019-03-24T11:41:00.000-07:002019-03-24T11:41:36.435-07:00School ProjectsThe kids have been busy doing school projects the past few weeks. Overall, it was a good experience, and nicer than taking tests! <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For science, they had to choose a natural disaster and make a news story about it. The three parts can be found <a href="https://youtu.be/DJrmDeE-kaU" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://youtu.be/rOXP7qzxX4M" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="https://youtu.be/4A_keXGD8h8" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
They also wrote a newspaper for history. This was their first experience with writing a newspaper and learning about Lewis and Clark. Check out their newspaper<a href="https://mailchi.mp/09a1a1262e8e/lewis-and-clark" target="_blank"> here</a>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Grades for term one are finished and klaar. Tomorrow we start term 2 with a bang...Shakespeare, here we come. </div>
The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-65261039298900146682019-02-25T04:55:00.000-08:002019-02-25T04:55:00.516-08:00My secret life as a pool cleaner...<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today I spent 2 hours crawling around the swimming pool on
my knees vacuuming up the dirt that had settled at the bottom. I didnât want to
deal with another sunburn, so I wore a long sleeve shirt and had Jori put
sunscreen on my neck. I am guessing by tomorrow morning the pool will look just
as dirty, but I gave it my best shot. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Iâve managed 2 nights in a row sleeping with the bite guard
in! Thanks for all the advice!! I am sure my quality of sleep will keep
improving as I get more used to it and maybe I will also magically stop clenching
my teeth in the day time! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did a lot of home school planning while the kids were gone.
I have a lot of friends here who âun-schoolâ, and while there are times that might
be a lot easier, there are certain things I want the kids to learn and know how
to do, not only for educational opportunities down the road, but also for life.
I took time to go through all the assignments I have planned for the week to
weed out âbusy workâ, which I am not a fan of, and give them tools to use
across subjects.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It has been interesting for me to revisit subjects I studied
many years ago in middle school and high school as an adult. My view on the
world and events in the world has changed a lot with ago and with our living in
a foreign country. More than just stuffing my kidsâ heads full of knowledge, I
want them to think about what they learn critically; both in school and what
they see on TV, read online, or hear from other sources. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our week ahead looks quiet. Tyson has an appointment Tuesday
afternoon, we hope to have Amo overnight mid-week and we have tentative plans
to visit an agricultural museum on Friday. Today we need to buy milk â Goals!! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are counting down the days until Darin is back, yet I
know that as good as it will be to have him home, there will also be a period
of readjustment. The kids and I get into a groove when Darin is gone and while
it isnât better than our life <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">with</i>
him here, it is different and different can be good too. Sharing pool cleaning duties with Darin will definitely be better than living the secret life of a pool cleaner on my own. If you can remember to
pray for our family this weekend as we welcome Darin home and readjust to having 4 people in the house, we would appreciate
it! <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-17741487298310555462019-02-22T23:34:00.003-08:002019-02-22T23:34:25.621-08:00Introverts Unite!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Itâs Saturday morning; cool with a slight breeze after some
rain last night. Darin has been gone for 2 weeks and we have one week to go
until he is back home. We dealt with load shedding (power cuts) the first week
he was gone and a car breaking down the second week, so hopefully this last
week will be smooth sailing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I picked up my new bite guard on Wednesday. I have managed
to sleep with it for one night. If anyone has tips on getting used to sleeping
with plastic in your mouth, let me know! I tried to sleep with it in last night
and after tossing and turning for a few hours I gave up. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have been trying to find the areas of stress in my life as
a bite guard, even one that I keep in my mouth all night, is not the solution
to my teeth grinding. I discovered something I need that is often hard to come
by; I need time alone. Completely alone. The kids slept over at friends (thank
you Oosthuizen family) the weekend Darin left and when I walked into our empty
house after dropping Darin off at the airport, I felt this rush of peace and
joy and refreshing as soon as I opened the door. The silence and stillness and
knowledge that I was on my own was amazing. Donât get me wrong; I love my
family and I love being with them, but I need time to be by myself. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The kids are gone again this weekend and as soon as they were
outside the gate, I felt like my soul was dancing. My evening was spent
watching TV, working on home school plans, eating ramen noodles with fried eggs
and reading. While these are all things I can do and have done with other
people in the house, knowing I was alone cleared my mind and calmed my often
anxiously beating heart. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I cannot always be alone, but even when there are people
around me, I am looking for ways to carve out time for stillness. I put a table
in our bedroom and started a puzzle. I have tried putting on music a couple
mornings this week and inviting the kids to sit and do devotions together,
which kind of eases us into the day in a more âpeacefulâ way. While I am not
alone for this, it is calmer than our usual start that involves a lot of me
hollering at the kids that itâs time for them to sit down and get started with
school. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are there any other bite guard wearing introverts out
there?? If so, Iâd love to hear how you find time to be alone while surrounded
by your people. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-59435827642417932822019-02-07T07:28:00.001-08:002019-02-07T09:31:32.835-08:00Stress and dental careIt is already a week into February and just about time for Darin to head off on another adventure. Tomorrow night he is heading to Ghana for a week and Kenya for a bit longer than that. He has a lot of meetings and conferences and might even have to pack a suit coat for this trip!<br />
<br />
Tys and Jori have finished one month of home schooling. There are days that go really well, days that are pretty bad and days where I think "we did what we could". I'd say most days are like that. We have moved away from Easy Peasy in several subjects as they just weren't working for us for one reason or another. We are now doing Teaching Textbooks for Pre-Algebra, CK12 for Earth Science and I am throwing together a bit of this and that for US History as our kids do not have the groundwork that most US children get throughout elementary school and we've had to take time to figure out some of the historical figures and events that they *should* know about.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgvGYFMjtOLZ4th43sCsfnLXyWQwni1-pwP1dVMy69k6OYTJFQLs-ITwq6X8SFVn-oTi4S3DGTrGwC_AAvzyg2CQnRp7l5SCUAbkO-t2ZzyLxCXFN95kEzMNZNmgbYnyjzaYw44Om1Qv-/s1600/20190111_110022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgvGYFMjtOLZ4th43sCsfnLXyWQwni1-pwP1dVMy69k6OYTJFQLs-ITwq6X8SFVn-oTi4S3DGTrGwC_AAvzyg2CQnRp7l5SCUAbkO-t2ZzyLxCXFN95kEzMNZNmgbYnyjzaYw44Om1Qv-/s320/20190111_110022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out in the middle of the rink</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We are trying to liven up our home school days with adventures in ice skating and visits to local museums. We visited the Sammy Marks House last week, tomorrow will be our second ice skating excursion and next week we are heading to the Museum of Natural History. We replaced our library cards last week, which were stolen along with my purse a couple years ago. Now that we don't have afternoon homework, there is a lot more time to read. While our local library is not very big or well stocked, we can use our cards at other branches and hope to do so soon.<br />
<br />
We are also doing a lot of swimming still, although we experienced a major setback when our pool sprung a leak and swiftly drained out, turning our yard into a swamp. Thankfully Darin made the time to get a patch kit and after a family fun day of tearing down the pool and another family fun day of setting up the pool, we are back in business.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1XtfHwN-qGOaywemL4MRcmXEk-GWIa-cGqz9RdWIq52LfhN1uvJYx8KuwePOIKBsvClpeRjUcVd9MPYU2LZd7JEY4wABGrl-gmjEgkrcQKXihAzccYGEEntcx3G8fbCjH8vS6CZ9sK7j/s1600/20190204_180404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1XtfHwN-qGOaywemL4MRcmXEk-GWIa-cGqz9RdWIq52LfhN1uvJYx8KuwePOIKBsvClpeRjUcVd9MPYU2LZd7JEY4wABGrl-gmjEgkrcQKXihAzccYGEEntcx3G8fbCjH8vS6CZ9sK7j/s320/20190204_180404.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If only you could smell it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I went to the dentist yesterday and discovered that my teeth were wearing down at th<span style="background-color: white;">e gum line </span>NOT because I was brushing too hard, but because of grinding and clamping down my teeth. I didnât know that grinding and clamping my teeth would make them wear down at the gum line, but that is what is happening. Nothing to do with my brushing; in fact, the dentist complimented me on my oral hygiene. So my teeth are wearing away because I am stressed, and with how rapidly they are wearing away I am guessing my stress level is pretty high. The thing is, I donât necessarily feel stressed. I donât think I have that much to be stressed about, but my new dentist friend has advised me that all the fillings and bite guards in the world are only temporary fixes for an issue that will not go away if I donât figure out what I am stressed about and do something about it. In fact, if my nighttime teeth gnashing continues, my sweet new fillings could pop off my teeth. Fun.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHXkHhHaV7Cihyphenhyphen_rtqa1wyUIOL3ncmGg6erQ1Q793IY3ORIBLXtGlq6_NecRQIvVLpiUI2YPsNa6btBkwNDE83DLkmg-OmJRjtn7Wbzu9wGsyN57phDwPTp8Sv3OjEjA9TD8QURHGGKs4/s1600/20190206_122350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHXkHhHaV7Cihyphenhyphen_rtqa1wyUIOL3ncmGg6erQ1Q793IY3ORIBLXtGlq6_NecRQIvVLpiUI2YPsNa6btBkwNDE83DLkmg-OmJRjtn7Wbzu9wGsyN57phDwPTp8Sv3OjEjA9TD8QURHGGKs4/s320/20190206_122350.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to smile when half of your face is numb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I used to write, a lot. I think I shared quite a bit about
myself or as my mom called it âoversharingâ. Over the past couple years my
writing has slowed down. I still have a lot going on in my mind but putting it
out there isnât as easy. I am not 100% sure why this is, but have a few ideas;
I used to feel a bit more hidden as most people reading this were in the states
and I knew it was going to be a long time before I had to see anyone face to
face, my kids were younger and the things they did that had an affect on me and
vice versa seemed to be mine for the telling, I didnât have anyone to talk to
and really needed to get some stuff out in the open. I am finding lately that I
miss writing. I miss the process of putting my thoughts down in writing, the thinking
and working through and accepting my feelings. I miss connecting with other
people who have gone through similar things. Maybe if I get back into writing, the process will help me pull back the curtain and see what things are lurking there that are stressing me out that I am possibly in denial about. I'll save my teeth, one word at a time!<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-63191043939292410462019-01-15T08:23:00.003-08:002019-01-15T10:06:00.046-08:00When Darin is away...<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Itâs Tuesday morning. Darin is in Burundi; his first work
trip of the year. Since Darin started traveling out of the country, we have
discovered that Darin being away from home = something not so fun for Jonna and
the kids to deal with. We have been without water, had lightning strike and
destroy our Wi-Fi, and been stuck at home because of riots in the community. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last night a storm came through and knocked out our power.
This is not unusual and was not cause for much stress as the kids were both
asleep and I had a little charger to run my fan. Then both kids woke up and
said they were being eaten by mosquitoes and were too hot to sleep without
fans. I set to work hooking up extension cords and fans to our solar generator;
problem solved. Only the fans didnât turn on. I basically told the kids to deal
with it as it was very late, very dark and I was very crabby. For the rest of the
night, often as I was about to drift off to sleep, one or both children would
come into my room to use the toilet, complain about the heat, or apply more bug
spray. I was less than kind as I do not like having my sleep interrupted and my
power source had run out, which meant I had no fan to offer relief from the
heat. The fan had also been blocking the noise of said children scurrying
around the house as they tried sleeping on the sofa and opened the door to
check on Nala. I woke up with a sore throat from yelling at them to please go
to their rooms and just lay still and seriously STOP OPENING THE FREEZER to
look for ice packs as the freezer needed to stay shut to keep it cold. It was
not my finest night.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The power was still not on when we woke up. The freezer had
started defrosting and water was pooling underneath it. I had another go at the
solar generator as my phone battery was very low. I left a message for Darin
asking him what I was doing wrong, but he had no solution. I then went out to
try and start the gas generator that we store for Take Action in our garage. I
have used it before but found that this generator also would not start. Again,
Darin had no answer for me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once again, Darin is away from home and things are a bit
chaotic. We are hoping the power will come on before noon, but this morning has
still been a bit drizzly and weâve been hearing thunder, so the power company
might just decide that it isnât worth fixing as another storm could be heading
through. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although our situation this morning is less than ideal, we
have much to be thankful for:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The swimming pool that kept the kids busy for an
hour this morning</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A gas stove to heat water for coffee</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A fully charged computer that I can use to
charge my phone</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Friends who will stop by to look at the
generator</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A husband who stays patient when trying to
explain complex things</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Kids who know where things are, like a little
solar panel to charge the solar light!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Bug spray</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Overcast skies and cooler temps this morning</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A brain that is awake enough to come up with
offline homeschool work to keep the kids busy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">New mercies, the wisdom to say âIâm sorryâ to my
kids, and the knowledge that this too shall pass</span></li>
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* edited to add that it is now 2:30 in the afternoon. The
power has come on twice only to go off again soon after we started school. Peet
stopped in and got the generator to work (whoo-hoo), there has been more
swimming fun, we did Bible and History offline and I realized I am not good at
speaking âteenâ and need to figure out how to make stuff interesting for them,
and while we are a bit irritated with Eskom (Eish!!) we are doing just fine. <o:p></o:p></div>
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** now it is 6:20. The power has been back on for about 4 hours without going out! However, it is now raining again and there is thunder and lightning. We are hoping that the storm doesn't intensify enough to knock the power out again, but everything is fully charged, and it is cooler in the house, so we will make do!</div>
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<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-28830790152571748692019-01-03T11:23:00.000-08:002019-01-03T11:23:00.730-08:00Start 'em up!!Earlier this week, I told Tyson and Jori that we would be starting school on January 9. This morning, after listening to them complain that there was nothing to do, I moved up the start date to today.<br />
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We are using a program called <a href="https://allinonehomeschool.com/" target="_blank">Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool</a> and <a href="https://allinonehighschool.com/" target="_blank">Easy Peasy All-in-One High School</a>. Both kids are taking the same classes, some at the 8th Grade level and some at the 9th Grade level. I am hoping this is going to work out and that they will motivate each other to work hard and do their best. I do have a bit of worry that my overachieving daughter will end up leaving her brother in the dust in a very vocal and not so nice way, but will be praying that does not happen.<br />
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We are definitely going to go through a bit of trial and error as we figure out which courses are just fine as written and which courses need to be supplemented. Tomorrow will be our first day of US History, which out to be interesting as Jori doesn't have any prior schooling in this area and Tyson thinks they talked about it in Grade 8 - briefly.<br />
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I want the kids to enjoy learning. I want them to be interested in what they read about and I hope they will ask questions and seek answers and not simply accept what they are told. I want them to be open to different ways of viewing history, I want them to connect what they read to their own lives here and now. (Check back in a few weeks to see if I still feel this wayđ)<br />
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For now, we will be sticking to the basics; just understanding how the program works and easing back into a schedule. We'll also be enjoying our South African summer and our pool that is finally staying clean!<br />
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<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-53794590075181565282018-12-24T05:51:00.000-08:002018-12-24T05:51:08.118-08:00The year that was and the year that is to come.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As we prepare to enter a new year in less than a week, we look back with gratitude for the faithfulness of God throughout 2018, and with hope for His new mercies for the year ahead.<br />
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<b>Tyson</b> completed Grade 8 at Batho Pele Christian High School. It was a different kind of year for all of us. He made some friends, then lost them, then made them again. Socializing continues to be a battle for our boy and we are proud of the way he endured a lot of not so fun stuff this year and came out stronger on the other side. Tyson did well in school this year; he had a lot of projects that he really excelled in and a lot of tests and homework that he didn't do quite so well in. Tyson continues to love Nerf guns, Christian Rap, dancing, and having fun with his sister or his friends. He continues to love doing stuff with his hands, showing a lot more creativity than his parents and making a bit of a mess along the way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids swimming in our pond...I mean pool.</td></tr>
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<b>Jori</b> wrapped up her last year at Jabulane Christian Academy earlier this month. Jori had a good year in school, excelling in all of her classes and coming out of her shell a bit more in Grade 7. Jori loves listening to music, drawing, reading and also has developed a love of Christian Rap. She still depends on her brother a lot in new situations, but has been better about stepping out of her comfort zone. She is definitely living the preteen life of gabbing with her friends, painting her nails and worrying about what to wear.<br />
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<b>Darin</b> had another packed year with his work for Take Action Ministry, Busetsa Wood and Business Connect. Busetsa continues to grow, which means Darin continues to be busy delivering products, picking up supplies, managing payments and more. His role at Take Action was much the same as in years past, but he has passed on most of the day to day running of the Distribution Centre to other team members. His work with Business Connect, distributing water filters, really took off. Most days find him busy getting shipments ready, meeting with potential distributors, sending emails, returning messages and taking part in conference calls with people around the globe. This year Darin was privileged to travel to Rwanda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Zambia and 3 trips to Kenya and he already has a trip to Burundi planned for January.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSu33Vgc2Bzy068wtdZDH_DrC8-l3PGZqfvbln9jEiIXoj6OcprgZf_zwAGGJkHh2sEEjxVtCf9ceZbi7G1m4pLrquswreuFUL59tQMuEi8hBLHbNanHfAk0KAR_3VpWHEQz4lqkPBODu/s1600/20181213_200925+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSu33Vgc2Bzy068wtdZDH_DrC8-l3PGZqfvbln9jEiIXoj6OcprgZf_zwAGGJkHh2sEEjxVtCf9ceZbi7G1m4pLrquswreuFUL59tQMuEi8hBLHbNanHfAk0KAR_3VpWHEQz4lqkPBODu/s320/20181213_200925+%25281%2529.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glass of Pepsi Max, Yearly Planner, Phone, Laptop, Headphones and a Big Smile!</td></tr>
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<b>Jonna</b>: My 2018 was also busy. I continued to work with Take Action Ministry heading up the work with day care centres. I really loved getting to know the women who manage and work at the day care centres this year. The time and energy they put into caring for children every day is really amazing. They are not in it for the money, I can tell you that for sure. I loved stopping in at the different centres and being greeted by so many smiley little faces. It really was a joy to walk beside the centres and the women running them and see how much growth they experienced this year. Having Darin involved in so many things and traveling around Africa meant that I was also busier at home. Cooking, keeping our schedules in order and helping with homework (just not math!) rounded out my days.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course we still see this little lady and her family a lot too!</td></tr>
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<b>Visitors</b>: In January, Grandma Karen came out with 3 ladies from Edgerton to see a bit of our lives here in South Africa. Papa John and Grandma Willie came in September and stayed for 5 weeks. They brought my niece, Kelsey along and she stayed on for another 7 weeks after they left. My sister Laurie joined her for the last 12 days here. It was a great experience having Kelsey here, for me and Darin, but especially for Tyson and Jori. They went from hardly knowing their cousin to being best friends.<br />
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<b>As we wrap up 2018</b>, we are looking ahead to a 2019 that will be quite different. At the end of this month, I will finish up my work with Take Action Ministry after being a part of the organization for 4+ years and start 2019 as a home schooling mama of 2 high school students!! Can you feel the excitement!! Honestly, I am eager and I find myself thinking about what I want the kids to learn and how to best go about teaching them, but it is also overwhelming. When I decided to move on from Take Action, it was not originally to become a home schooling mama, but to dive more fully into exploring options of care for children with disabilities in the Hammanskraal area. However, as the school year progressed and Tyson had more issues with bullying and some of the educational aspects of school didn't quite mesh with our family, we started to look into other available options. They were either too far away or too expensive, and so we decided to give homeschooling a try, only this time with a dedicated, stay at home parent - me. The disability stuff is going on the back burner for a time until the kids and I have a bit of a rhythm worked out, and I am feeling mostly ok about this. It will just be a big change.<br />
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Speaking of big changes, Darin recently accepted a new position as the Global Director for Business Connect. He started out as a local distributor, then took on the role of South Africa director, quickly moved on to Director of Southern and Eastern Africa, recently stepped into the role of Africa director and now has been given a new opportunity to work with small business owners worldwide, helping them develop their own water filter distribution businesses. This change will mean a bit more traveling and a few more conference calls, but if anyone can handle such a big responsibility, it's Darin.<br />
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We look forward to sharing more about these changes in the new year. Blessings to you all in this festive season!<br />
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<br />The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-52248152993820284732018-09-01T07:06:00.000-07:002018-09-01T07:06:49.059-07:00Build Them a Home Progress Report #7<br />
So....it has probably seemed like I fell off the face of the earth. I kind of disappeared off the blog for a while as I was busy writing in other places, but I am back with a new report.<br />
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Since the last time I wrote, we managed to find a few bits of furniture to make the house feel a bit more homey: a kitchen table, a few nightstands and some kitchen cabinets (two of which are being used for bedroom cupboards instead)! The curtains have been hung and the electrical work is 100% complete. Next week the builders will plaster one final outside wall and build a stand for the water tank.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Amo chilling.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lenah cooking in the kitchen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Other side of kitchen</td></tr>
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<br />I honestly cannot say Thank You enough to everyone who has given towards making this dream a reality. We always loved visiting Amo and her family because we love them like family, but to be able to visit them in this house, where we can all find seating, where Jori and Johanna can go off into a bedroom to chat, where we can use the toilet and wash our hands all in the same room; it is the small things that are just amazing to experience with our friends.<br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl_2SxnCmJLvhTRvx9MQAdY-1iG7ts_0jhneUjLQeMGPjnJWJpQfQJGj9ukSgAehw10FMKAK7CrdAAE_Wf9Mwcf5n3zE9f-O4YeP349LF_kQpE2ZpZaQCDz0odT1cUh6Fn7KriTR4rdHN/s1600/IMG-20180819-WA0019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl_2SxnCmJLvhTRvx9MQAdY-1iG7ts_0jhneUjLQeMGPjnJWJpQfQJGj9ukSgAehw10FMKAK7CrdAAE_Wf9Mwcf5n3zE9f-O4YeP349LF_kQpE2ZpZaQCDz0odT1cUh6Fn7KriTR4rdHN/s320/IMG-20180819-WA0019.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She loves entertaining guests</td></tr>
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When we stop in, Amo is so much more a part of the life of the family. She isn't tucked in a corner next to a pile of clothes or laying on a bed in one room while everyone else is in the living room because of space constraints. She has a prime spot in the living room on this sofa and when family members walk past and talk to her, she turns her head towards them. I can sit in the living room chatting with Amo while her mom sleeps down the hall after working the night shift and I can chat with Lenah while she cooks in the kitchen and it is comfortable and the atmosphere is relaxed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwJBTKc-N0P_dIb-dujj6w6T6leKnGAeTECWX1upBO84CO37mI41zjJ3c-6GwZCd3NxaTn4gOwFg2W8TJ7owwrzxOha9TijNrKd4rCnEsp-Wyl4KhCffXtwQwYXbeXXXqZvTiB2igZ9oR/s1600/20180815_124355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1154" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwJBTKc-N0P_dIb-dujj6w6T6leKnGAeTECWX1upBO84CO37mI41zjJ3c-6GwZCd3NxaTn4gOwFg2W8TJ7owwrzxOha9TijNrKd4rCnEsp-Wyl4KhCffXtwQwYXbeXXXqZvTiB2igZ9oR/s320/20180815_124355.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jameson</td></tr>
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I stopped over the other day and Jameson was home, working on rebuilding the outside shack for storage. I asked him how he liked the new house and in his slow manner of speaking he told me how great it is to not have rats all over and dust blowing in on everything and how much more quiet it is when sleeping. He is happy that his sister has a place to study and that they can all sit together in one space.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6RP35DmjULiiAO900RSfgwdJos9bGtdZ2TNcD0aj385ewjAFUCQAWcCw2xa1QDcwfjM5x6jPx0wUxGzlhuHkKERRIY9VNYqnmJXKF5yDFkDVO4xsO4DTKzoJtQ3-Ys6mPLuccuvdD-H-/s1600/IMG-20180831-WA0021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="1280" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6RP35DmjULiiAO900RSfgwdJos9bGtdZ2TNcD0aj385ewjAFUCQAWcCw2xa1QDcwfjM5x6jPx0wUxGzlhuHkKERRIY9VNYqnmJXKF5yDFkDVO4xsO4DTKzoJtQ3-Ys6mPLuccuvdD-H-/s320/IMG-20180831-WA0021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother and Daughter</td></tr>
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We are hoping that as more donations come in we will be able to purchase a pump for the water tank and a hot water geyser (heater for you Americans reading this!) so that there will be a stable flow of water in the house and also warm water so they won't need to use kettles to heat bathing water. We also hope to replace their small two plate stove that has become a one plate stove after a burner stopped working, as well as purchase and install a sink in the kitchen and some more cupboards. Storage remains a huge need, so if anyone local has drawers or shelves or cupboards you are looking to get rid of, let me know!! <div>
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Thank you all for partnering with us. Please keep sharing as the work isn't finished. You can give by clicking the donate button at the top right of our blog. If you prefer to pay by check, please contact us at thefeyfamily@gmail.com and we can give you details on how to get that done. </div>
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#SpreadtheWord #SharetheLove #BuildThemaHome<br /><br />
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The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891390123212108303.post-45829157542478266272018-08-04T08:07:00.002-07:002018-08-04T08:07:43.314-07:00Build Them A Home Progress Report #6Hello All. First of all, to everyone who has given: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I am working on a note with words from the Baloyi's, but I am just not getting it done as fast as I would like. Please know that your gift has not gone unnoticed and your thanks is coming :)<br />
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It has been just over a week since I last posted and the changes in the house are amazing!! In fact, even though there are still some things that need to get finished up, including the final electrical hookup, the water tank/stand/pump to get water flowing to the house, and getting a kitchen sink, Amo and her family MOVED IN on Thursday!!! Darin went over this morning to hang curtain rods and took a few pictures as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLkqibT2JJMjsSPCCWHilLOPpGSp2vCk1lVgajIL4EPb2loQk7QFaPJeA7Jp51-8lWuvQSTHYGlmXcywss9ir1kHLYLFqCrNeHPv-T3SdUfWKo97JorJeNZspMobHNgaol4l-GaTJ-h2y/s1600/IMG-20180804-WA0016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLkqibT2JJMjsSPCCWHilLOPpGSp2vCk1lVgajIL4EPb2loQk7QFaPJeA7Jp51-8lWuvQSTHYGlmXcywss9ir1kHLYLFqCrNeHPv-T3SdUfWKo97JorJeNZspMobHNgaol4l-GaTJ-h2y/s320/IMG-20180804-WA0016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Amo waking up in her new house</td></tr>
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The picture above might not seem like anything special. I post pictures just like this of Amo all the time when she is with us. However, this is the first photo we have of Amo in her own house where the room is light enough to really see her! The photo below was taken with the flash on, or we wouldn't have seen our silly little goose with her flowing locks (we were messing around with a wig)! The old house was dark and the light that was shining in came through gaps in the tin that shouldn't have even been there! When Darin showed me the picture above it just made my heart feel light.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AnxkdrW_QIrgLqD16MVOH9iWOnbENte52zx6qVZmBbYkrgfJk982jCKWMMYw84fsjxwfsG2qHZOi9RdSTkFWgZJBHqP7KWrupjdaDDfal14xzdLshjxvwIBekQmuf9qRs-WIeTTR4WM2/s1600/IMG-20180728-WA0040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="775" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AnxkdrW_QIrgLqD16MVOH9iWOnbENte52zx6qVZmBbYkrgfJk982jCKWMMYw84fsjxwfsG2qHZOi9RdSTkFWgZJBHqP7KWrupjdaDDfal14xzdLshjxvwIBekQmuf9qRs-WIeTTR4WM2/s320/IMG-20180728-WA0040.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moza with long hair</td></tr>
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The whole house has been tiled and, while it took money away from things that were more "need" than "luxury", I am SO GLAD we went ahead and tiled the whole place. It looks and feels so clean inside. The tiler also laid tile for the shower and around the bath. This is such an improvement over the bucket they have used for so long!<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAaG9zuQvvepWoUvCwNcKK_CRlJFdJ4zm92abjgjEMxLeyiBUeTsqnz2Z3cTI55CpliyCK7GCCWxpBmdkqf-lewbJcCDsTc7afsuDc10C6POWAn_w-Iy6477db5ImUG65z3kwykUvnpZc/s1600/IMG-20180804-WA0019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAaG9zuQvvepWoUvCwNcKK_CRlJFdJ4zm92abjgjEMxLeyiBUeTsqnz2Z3cTI55CpliyCK7GCCWxpBmdkqf-lewbJcCDsTc7afsuDc10C6POWAn_w-Iy6477db5ImUG65z3kwykUvnpZc/s320/IMG-20180804-WA0019.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shower!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTYjTCLwFnHgyv4RIu2AE5Aga2n5EnJMui4P3cAT2HnvvzcqKCHJnpvcqaJ49hv41h1hbb4PIM6-hIQ6Ek82cjdAe4x61gjYHtqqP5pFO9XyKMAXap5vLd2VePDI14C5BNPQcORX1YEvS/s1600/IMG-20180804-WA0020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTYjTCLwFnHgyv4RIu2AE5Aga2n5EnJMui4P3cAT2HnvvzcqKCHJnpvcqaJ49hv41h1hbb4PIM6-hIQ6Ek82cjdAe4x61gjYHtqqP5pFO9XyKMAXap5vLd2VePDI14C5BNPQcORX1YEvS/s320/IMG-20180804-WA0020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tub and Sink. (Avocado Green might be out of fashion in some parts of the world, but NOT here)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ERGSMBtuIzL5YGwfI7h4_xZ2zyVGiDkup2-U_P4PdkZnXLYBBW8juYxcgr8WkQ1FnYge6Z_RQW5CWZllIndXrM2wF0BFvUW9ZJxEfIddF_6axanKy2FxUVrIa0GQ1jLMhTtQImNOKXeY/s1600/IMG-20180804-WA0018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ERGSMBtuIzL5YGwfI7h4_xZ2zyVGiDkup2-U_P4PdkZnXLYBBW8juYxcgr8WkQ1FnYge6Z_RQW5CWZllIndXrM2wF0BFvUW9ZJxEfIddF_6axanKy2FxUVrIa0GQ1jLMhTtQImNOKXeY/s320/IMG-20180804-WA0018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living/Dining/Kitchen!!!</td></tr>
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Darin has been over at the house a lot; hanging doors, hanging curtain rods, and just being the wonderful Uncle D we all know and love. I went with him on Friday to see what the house was looking like. When we got there, Phineas, Lenah's boyfriend, was taking down the tin shack.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcqa55z3wwuXrowpZBg5qtNnr7-fSalZzlLyx79RxGAtDJj-VNIvD6TfAKZOTTspj3iZOJ_R83Lrjq0o58HHUZcAzNBWNMPvJ2mdflnHxMMNV_QqExvIuZAIVbu1p913A1BXmPt78kLvG/s1600/IMG-20180803-WA0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcqa55z3wwuXrowpZBg5qtNnr7-fSalZzlLyx79RxGAtDJj-VNIvD6TfAKZOTTspj3iZOJ_R83Lrjq0o58HHUZcAzNBWNMPvJ2mdflnHxMMNV_QqExvIuZAIVbu1p913A1BXmPt78kLvG/s320/IMG-20180803-WA0011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New house to right of shack.</td></tr>
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I started helping Lenah sort through the piles in the house while Phineas worked around us. I have been in this house plenty of times. I have seen and heard the rats, I know there were often piles of clothes laying around as there weren't enough cupboards or cabinets to store things, I know about the leaks from the roof and the holes in the tin walls. I had never seen it all in the light of day. <div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUcdqZjY0AF2d-B5XOad31CZq6XAwPrjNzUViRZ4E7I-qLbnB0MjlS6Z0TUTNiRyOt7aht580a-bSa_IlPksKvSh2NSRtB4xZddWBVPMlAdmNJfU9YquUmoVZ48kk5EqX_ZYxMzUKkVwcX/s320/IMG-20180803-WA0012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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As I said above, the tin shack was always dark, with just one light bulb hanging between the rooms and fragments of natural light from the door and small windows. Grabbing a shirt and realizing that it was shoved part way into the ground to try and keep rats out and seeing that there was just as much dirt inside the house as outside were unsettling. But realizing how much mouse and rat poo was inside the house was heartbreaking. The floor was covered with it, and there was nothing the family could have done to stop it. Trying to keep a place clean when you are crammed in to a small space with no storage and no good lighting and no reliable water source is hard. The dirt and dust and piles all around might make you think we just had you all help a family of slobs, and this isn't the case. Our deepest desire is that this family will now be able to live in a home that gives them dignity. <div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg10Ac8qvnbO4IsEInPLzw2pFMCaoltKqslekvSKPew_ijRWgqP_Y8Uka1wgeXUv4j7MNvGYxEHnVgwEQT1wkFWfNlOqIsJcAqqA8Gpvy74GrKEFLkklrMWXa6yGhuV0LT-TaZpowDJXi0/s1600/IMG-20180804-WA0024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg10Ac8qvnbO4IsEInPLzw2pFMCaoltKqslekvSKPew_ijRWgqP_Y8Uka1wgeXUv4j7MNvGYxEHnVgwEQT1wkFWfNlOqIsJcAqqA8Gpvy74GrKEFLkklrMWXa6yGhuV0LT-TaZpowDJXi0/s320/IMG-20180804-WA0024.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amo sleeping on the front porch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9yuTTY4tXYB6mL2aN6rX9efPfrhmQrwp478ueY1yoe-Mg9WONlLROVlioga0ckFYmYLD5HuvvwupUZgdr6TjjI19FSkT0gDTb8bsavLLhdOxqZo9ME18ZbNNGZBkmmGA1zENNBMhvZoz/s1600/IMG-20180804-WA0025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9yuTTY4tXYB6mL2aN6rX9efPfrhmQrwp478ueY1yoe-Mg9WONlLROVlioga0ckFYmYLD5HuvvwupUZgdr6TjjI19FSkT0gDTb8bsavLLhdOxqZo9ME18ZbNNGZBkmmGA1zENNBMhvZoz/s320/IMG-20180804-WA0025.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you all for loving this family!</td></tr>
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We will be sure to post a few more photos when everything is done and the house is a bit more set up. This week we'll be cutting curtains to size and Darin is going to be trying his hand at building shelves using scrap wood from a Take Action connection. If you still want to help out, please use the donate button at the top of our blog!<div>
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Thank you for Spreading the Word. </div>
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Thank you for Sharing the Love. </div>
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Thank you for Building Them a Home!<br /><div>
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The Feyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00055089285793351624noreply@blogger.com0