Everyone Leaves...

If you ever watched One Tree Hill may have heard or seen these words at some time.

Today, I felt them.
Two of our very dear, much loved friends, T and D said good-bye to us this morning, after spending the weekend with us.
And we all feel so miserable.

We met them last year in Calgary, after a mutual ex- South African friend told us about each other when she discovered we were all moving to Calgary in the Summer.

T and D are South African too, and had been living in the U.K for the past 7-8 years, and were re-locating to Calgary for T to do some post-PHD research at a laboratory there.

They arrived a month after we did, and we became firm friends.
We saw each other almost every sngle weekend, and became each other's support.

After we moved back to St.Paul, we still kept in regular contact and were saddened to hear that the time had come for them to return to the U.K.
Nonetheless, we had a great weekend together, and today when they left, we were left with that same hollow, empty feeling we have whenever we leave family, or vice versa.

Even the kids are sad :(

What is it about Summer?
Well apart from the obvious long, balmy, bug infested days...
It's really tiring.
Doing the same stuff I did over winter, but I'm bagged.

I find myself drooping by around 3 every day.
In fact I dream of the kiddos all going down for a nap so I can do the same.
But Ara and Cai don't like napping at that time.
In fact that is their high energy time.

So tiring.

But I do feel happier.
Must be the extra sunshine.
Must be the extra fresh air.
Must be the new stuff going on recently....

Definitely happier.

We've had a wonderful housekeeper for the past 6.5 years. We've all gotten very comfortable with each other over the time, and she knows what we like, and the little things we like done.
For example, whenever we've gone away for an extnded period, she would come in and air out the house and vacuum and dust a day before we got back.

She'd clean out the oven and fridge before I asked.
She's put away the kids toys, if they had forgotten.

Now we're all so sad, because recently she was diagnosed with an illness which makes it impossible for her to carry on working.
I call to check on how she's doing, and we miss her terribly.

We made a quick trip into Edmonton yesterday to look at kitchen appliances.

This is what we like for now:


This flat-top stove: (note the down-draft vent.Can't work around that since the stove is built into the island, and I don't want one of those large hooded vents)


Wall mounted oven:


and of course the dishwasher with the must-have concealed buttons:


We're using this granite for the countertops.It's called "Black Galaxy", and is black with some gold flecks/swirls, even though it looks brown in the pic:


It's starting to come together nicely.

And here's a pic of the house. I zipped over there this evening and took this. They're preparing the outside for the stucco, and the doors will be painted at the end...

Ooohh, I'm a bad blogger!
If I had a dime for everytime I blogged that, well, I'll have one of these babies now, wouldn't I!

Lots of busy-ness going on in our lives these days.
Add to that, three of the shorties and I have been fighting miserable colds for over two weeks, so bleeeccch!

I'm thinking of getting a sewing machine. I know nothing at all about these things, so if anyone can recommend a good make/model, I'd really appreciate it :)

Also, thinking of downsizing the scrapping supplies over here. Most of it is in boxes still (from last years "move-fest" over 6 months), and before we pack up to move again I thought I'd have a scrapbooking garage sale.
Still thinking though...not sure how that'll work here, especially since we live outside-ish of town...

Other than that, it's a lazy rainy Sunday.
Waiting for the nappers to wake up, and perhaps we'll shoot to Edmonton to grab a cuppa Starbucks :)

Have a good one everyone!

I'm Keen

on these:



I resisted these for a while, 'cause honestly, they're ugly as sin.
(See the big toe action going on there?)

But I tried one on and fell in lurve!
Ooohhhhh...now I'm hooked on Keen's.

A big shout out to Yugen and Kers, who informed me they follow this sadly-neglected blog, all the way from Durban

*waving* Hiya girls...:)

Not too much happening. The house is coming along, a little slower now, as the trades go in to do the electrical, plumbing e.t.c...still hoping for an end-October move-in date.

Finally adjusted to being back in a little town again.
The reason we moved, which was so that we could have more exclusive family time, is working, so Yay!
Although we do miss the city-living experience, and more importantly, the friends there...
Can't have it all though right?
We figure that while the kiddies are little and need us both around more, and I need Oshean's help with them, this is where we need to be.
They will grow in time, and we will move again...
So yeah, the gorgeous house we're building will be on the market in 4 years or so...any takers?...hee-hee..