My baby turned 4!

I seriously can't believe that my baby turned 4 on Thursday. She has been so excited about her birthday for a while and things have been planned. She was able to bring cupcakes to school, which she took very good care of on the bus.

After coming home we went and did our traditional mom and daughter pedicure. We found a spa that actually had a normal (US) massage chair with a tub of water at the bottom. You make think I'm crazy but otherwise Kylie and I would have had to lay down on a table in separate rooms and put our feet in a bowl of water. Anyways, she was on cloud 9. She got hot pink toes with a big white star on her big toe.

When Daddy came home we went to her favorite restaurant Pappachino's and she made her own pizza and then played on the playground. Since we don't have any family here, we have kind of adopted some new family. One of her favorite couples is Meghana (pronounced Megna) and Mayur. Mayur calls her butterfly and is the whole reason her birthday turned out to be a butterfly theme. They came to the restaurant with us with a HUGE Winnie the Pooh.

side note...A long time ago my mom gave me Meagan's old Winnie the Pooh collection minus Pooh. Kylie has always wanted the Winnie the Pooh to go with it and I guess in a conversation I never heard she had told Meghana this. Well Kylie saw that Pooh and seriously, about died! She was so excited. He had to sit next to her to eat her pizza and later that night she fell asleep hugging him.

She opened tons of presents from family in the US and mom and dad. She was in heaven and had cake, that mom, did very last minute.

All in all, it was a very long, good day.

 The African drum that she has been waiting for...forever....

On Saturday, we had her birthday party. This was her first friends party. Since some things are cheaper here, we were able to have a bouncy castle and a balloon maker. I think the kids liked it as I heard balloons being blown up and popped for over an hour! The kids loved jumping and playing! Here are some pictures of the event...

waiting for people to come for her party

I think our friend Melinda stuffed her face!

the balloon maker...

I guess Josh needed a time out, to practice his meditation...

I am so glad that my Kylie Wy is here! She brings sooo many smiles to sooo many people. She is my little girl that I prayed and prayed for and when they told me at the ultrasound that it was a girl, I started crying! She is such a compassionate, kind, loving girl and in my prayers, every night, I thank God that he sent her to me!

25 Pebble Beach

Here are some pictures of our house over the past week.  We've used some of our own decorations from home but most everything else was here. We are really getting more accustomed to the house and have been appreciative of the landlords taking care of things as we've wanted different things done. (All in just-now time.) This means when they're ready.

We had no time off this week for Thanksgiving, (why wouldn't they celebrate the pilgrims?)  Instead, we had a get-together at our place on Sat., with a bunch of friends from work, which included some pilgrims and some Indians. It was really nice. Josh played some Xmas Cd's, and we had everyone bring their favorite dish from where they were from. We made sure we had turkeys, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and desserts covered! There was quite a nice showing and we were able to open the doors to use the outside table as well. We are proud to say that we've been able to introduce a couple of our friends to their first Halloween and first Thanksgiving! It obviously wasn't quite the same, but it made a whole bunch of us feel like we were back home for a while!

Well, next week will be an exciting week... Ky's birthday, the start of the Xmas holidays, and Marianne is getting her new South African tattoo!

Kylie and Josh in our picture window...

Kylie also has to wear her "favorite" jammies every night!

In the wilderness reserve (in our neighborhood)...our new Sunday drive.

The entrance to our house...notice the lock...we have to use a skeleton key!

The front yard

This is what you would see, if you came to visit...

 After a very long weekend! (she picked out the outfit) (Two days in a row...before bedtime)

I am thankful...

I have been thinking about what I'm grateful for all day.

• I am soooo thankful for both of my families.  I am thankful that I am loved by them, for who I am.
• I am thankful, believe it or not, for this opportunity to live in South Africa.  I honestly never had a desire to visit here but I love the people and love learning about my new surroundings.
• I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father and brother Jesus Christ.  I am thankful that I was born in a place where we all have to chance to CHOOSE what we believe.
• I am so thankful for my kids...all of them.  They have made the person I am today and I love each one of them for that.
• I am thankful for adoption
• I am thankful for my siblings...and thankful that we each have a different relationship and that we know how much we all love each other.
• I am thankful that I get along the people my family has married!  I wondered about that when I was growing up...really, I did.
• I am especially thankful for my parents and my husband.  Both have loved me through thick and thin and are still beside me today.
• Lastly, I am thankful for Magic Jack.  Without it...I definitely would be broke!

Halloween and a mini Safari....

Because those things go together right? 

First, we celebrated Halloween the Friday before Halloween.  It was fun to come into our new neighborhood and see everyone dressed up.  It almost reminded me of back home.  Since it's summer here and it can be more dangerous at night, our neighborhood did trick or treating in the early evening while it was light.  Instead of having their front porch light on...they had balloons in their yard.  Because you know how important balloons are to halloween. 

Anyways, the kids had a blast and although they didn't like many of their sweeties (that's what they candy) they still tried them all. 

Our make-shift Tinkerbell...

Our very "serious" knight in shining armor

All of their "sweeties"

That weekend we also went on our very first mini-mini-mini safari.  It was more like going to a farm and seeing animals but hey...we just got here.  The kids had fun seeing the animals and more importantly they loved the buffet afterwards.  It was some of the best food we've eaten since we got here!

I know you all know the animals names...

These giraffes were actually fighting...they throw their heads at each others bodies...

Must be tiring having people look at you...

Me...this past few weekends...

This is seriously what Aaron wants to get for our living room????

Bearings.....

Now that we have been here for three weeks, I can almost say we have our bearings.  We have figured out some of Pretoria and we were even brave enough to venture out of our little city this weekend and play.  First we went to a dam market...note the word...it's DAM not the other one!  I feel like my dad when I say that...he used to tell us about a dam family going to the dam market....etc, etc.  This is where we bought our first and probably only skin pillows.  Aaron kept looking at the zebra rugs and giraffe mounts...but seriously...where would we put that?  He even started telling me how cool it would be to be the crazy family down the street with the giraffe mounted to the wall????  After the skin store...at least that's what I call it we went to the Hartbeespoort dam market.  That was crazy!  As soon as we entered the market people were trying to get us buy things from thier stall...but everyone had almost the same things.  We bought a couple things but not a lot.  We didn't last long as being pulled five directions at once was not fun...and it didn't help having kids say...oh, look at this...I want it!

Today though we went to the Rosebank Rooftop Market.  Now, that was cool!  No one pulled us towards their stall and everyone was unique.  We had to make a few trips to the car, let's just say.  They only have this market on Sundays...so today was the day.  We made up for not going to church by visiting the outside of the temple and going to see the MTC and visit Bryce McChesney. 

The temple is really pretty on the outside!  It reminds me of the Chicago temple but done in all brick...which I don't think I've ever seen a temple done in brick.  We had no clue where the MTC was so we luckily ran into some people at the temple grounds and they moved our gps map around a little and said....it's here!  They kept telling me it was in Florida and I was sure I was hearing it wrong.  But nope, sure enough the MTC, CES building and South African Mission Office is in Florida, Johannesburg. 





We then got in our car drove to the MTC. When we got there we up to the door and here's what it said:



We got a laugh because we were seriously, on official business.  Bryce needed American food!  I would call that official business.  The lady at the office was from Utah and really nice.  She actually pulled him out of a movie and brought him to the front lobby.  It was so funny to see his reaction.  He looked at us like, Wait, I know you but I don't know you!  I explained who my mom was and I think he figured it all out.  He seemed to like what we got him and even got a little teary eyed!  I'm sure he misses home.  I told him how I just talked to his mom the night before and how she loved the letter.  He seemed to miss her too as the first thing that came out of his mouth was...tell her I'm doing great and I'm loving every minute.  He's very busy, he said...so I'm sure that helps with being home sick.



Anyways, here's some more pics what we got today.  At the bottom is a link to our new house.  I'll post more pics of the house once our shipment arrives and we make it more....OURS.

We got each kid a tree and Bryce, just a little smaller version, so he could carry it around in his suitcase.


Our new skins...obviously, one giraffe and one zebra.


I love this purchase.  The lady custom makes her pottery and may even make me an 8 piece setting.  She is making me a sample and they will be ready in two weeks.  Love it!


The link to our house...OUR HOUSE

Here is one picture from our house that I have to show.  Young women...cover your eyes and scroll down!



Aaron said he wouldn't get the house unless it stayed...let's just say...it's already, obviously off the wall.

Here are also some random pictures...

These are known as Jacaranda trees and Pretoria is famous for them.  I guess they say if a pettle falls on you then you get good luck.




One of the men that just stand in the middle of the road....either begging, selling things, or handing out flyers.