Random

I was driving back from town a couple days ago and said to Darin “This is like driving in Holland (Michigan) during Tulip Time”. If you have ever been to Tulip Time, you just might know what I mean. There are so many tourists in the area and they do not understand the rules of driving in Michigan, especially the infamous “Michigan Turn”, which has replaced almost all left turns. A lot of people I know would stay out of Holland during Tulip Time because driving around with people who don’t know the rules of the road can be a bit dangerous and frustrating. The difference out here is that I feel like a lot of the South African drivers here are the tourists. I’m not saying I know all the rules of the road out here, because I so obviously don’t. But when I see a stop sign, I usually stop. Out here there are several stop signs that seem to be ignored by almost every driver. The taxis out here are crazy too. You just never really know what they are going to do. So, if you want a little view into driving in South Africa, more specifically out where we are currently living in South Africa, just head to Holland Michigan during Tulip Time. Just watch out for the tourists! 

Darin is gone tonight and the kids are watching a movie so I was able to slip outside for a while tonight as the sun was starting to set. It is beautiful. The smells, the sounds, the sights. I found myself thinking “I am in South Africa. I am actually living here” and that is a pretty amazing thing. On the flip side, there are other times that I think that same thought and instead of seeming amazing, it terrifies me. I realize that we are going to be here for a long time. “An indefinite amount of time”, is what we usually tell people. We’ll be setting up house here, sending our kids to school here, joining a church here and more. Our lives will be here. Both amazing and terrifying at the same time.

I do not miss the internet nearly as much as I thought I would. It has been so good for us to be cut off from nonstop internet usage. That being said, I am ready to be able to make phone calls without having to drive somewhere to do so. It isn’t super convenient. However, as with all things in life, this too shall pass. I also do not miss the TV as much as I thought I would. Now, when the next season of Amazing Race starts up, I’ll probably be singing a different tune, but right now I’m doing ok. We all are. The kids do miss PBS, especially Wild Kratts, but we can download a few more episodes from iTunes and that will take care of that. What I DO miss is the library. I am reading a book I picked up at Keegstra’s Dollar Store, and if I was back in Michigan and had picked this book up from the library, I would have stopped reading it and returned it by now. However, I am desperate to read right now, so I will keep plugging on!

I really need to start home schooling the kids soon, just to get us into more of a routine. I think the longer I wait, the harder it will be for all of us to get started. I also need to figure out how quickly the kids go through the different “subjects” we study so I can figure out if I need my parents to bring out any more material in October. That’s right!! Our first visitors are coming in October and we are so excited! My mom keeps sending the kids “secret” emails asking them to tell her what they want her to bring along to South Africa : ) It’s too bad Pebbles the dog can’t come along, although I think that might put my kids over the edge.

The flies out here are super annoying. You try to talk, and they fly right by your lips. I remember being grossed out when flies in the states would land on my food and I’d think “they are using my sandwich as a bathroom”, but now they are using my FACE as a bathroom. So gross. They try to go up your nose too. It’s just not cool. Not cool at all. 

We saw a whole family of giraffe out by the watering hole this morning. They were SO cool. The baby was even out there. So amazing. They are just so lovely to look at. Amos is filling the watering hole higher so they can get to the water more easily. Those poor giraffes have to bend so low to get a drink! We’ll put some pictures up in a few days!

That’s all the randomness for now!