It's Monday morning, 7.30am and Maddi's just gone back to bed (she woke up at 5.30am as usual).  I'm finally starting to work out how to do this blogging thing - it was very fortunate that I had a few spare days up in Perth to work it out (a kid probably would've worked it out in an hour but anyway...)  I'm still really enjoying it at Ron and Anne Bosveld's, you couldn't find more hospitable and friendly people.  So only about 8 hours till we start flying!! 

Dad and Wiwik arrived safely Saturday afternoon and they've been staying here as well.  I've repacked the suitcases and sorted them out more (when I left Albany on Friday morning, I just threw the last bits in and hoped I didn't forget too much!)  My check in bag is 1kg over and Maddi's is 1kg under.  Mine was under too but then I offered that Wiwik could put some of her stuff in mine:)  For on the plane, I was allowed to take 2 small cases for in the overhead cabinets but I've managed to fit it in one, a big "handbag" for me and Maddi's nappybag. 



Grandpa Botter



Yesterday Leo Timmer came and picked up the

little car to take it back to Albany.  His wife Jude

(who dropped him off) was just laughing when I

showed him the "tricks" like where the spanner is

kept and where to hit it if the car doesn't start,

though I'm sure he would've made it back to

Albany safely in it!

It was so fortunate that we had mentioned we

were looking for someone to drive it back

(so Steve can take it to work) to Shock (Rob

Spaanderman) and he found out Leo could.

Apparently it suited Leo too because Jude was

staying a bit longer and there were heaps of

people he could get a lift with but either too

early or late in the weekend.

 Yesterday after

the morning church

service, Maddi and I visited Opa Roth

at Manoah.  The first thing that struck me as I went inside was that the smell reminded me of my Opa and Oma's houses in Holland (in a good way:))  I think maybe because they were cooking lunch and I always remember that their houses often smelt like cooking.  All the windows also had those short dutch curtains and it just felt like an older dutch persons house with the furniture, pictures and other bits and pieces.The staff were very pleasant and Opa looked comfortable.  It was nice to see him again, also to see where he lives now and to be reassured that this really seems like the right place for him to be as he gets older (he's nearly 95!)



Anne has taken some really nice photos of Maddi. 

She has a very good camera and also a good eye

for it.  Everyone is enjoying Maddi so much.  She

 copies a lot of things like :

• hip hip hooray with arms up
• coughing (sooo fake)
• blowing raspberries
• trying to clap

If there's a group, she sometimes tries to get each

 person to do hurray!  She has been very content

and sociable even though she is coming down with

 a cold.                                                         



                                                               Bianca really wanted to know where Maddi and I were sleeping at the Bosveld's, so here are some photos (with the cheeky stow

aways).                                                                                    

This is Maddi's bed











This is my bed

Wow this blogging is hard work!  Getting the pictures and typing in the right spots is quite difficult but I'm slowly learning.  I gave up with the last few, they just wouldn't move!!!!

P.S.  I just looked at the final product and it's not exactly the same as I made it???  Oh well, next time better!