Eish!

Well, I don't know if that's the right spelling, or if there even is a right spelling, but that's what a lot of South Africans say when they are amazed or frustrated, and right now I am most definitely frustrated!!

I had this whole big long lovely blog typed out which I had previously begun back when we didn't have internet in October and I was all ready to post in this month, but then internet didn't come. But anyways, now that I have internet access, removable device J won't format or something silly like that, so I'm left with nothing! Oh technology, so often the bane of my existence...

Anyways, enough moaning, onto some updating:

Well, lots has happened since my last post 3 months ago...sho, I really am a bad blogger! Well, the long awaited volunteer car that we thought would be here by the end of September finally arrived about 3 weeks ago!! So that was definitely exciting! For a while were borrowing Barney's car (a guy from Ruth's church) during the days to fetch the kids from school, so he'd come get us every morning and we'd drop him at work and then pick him up at the end of the day. It was actually quite funny, although we did manage to crack his windshield, not so funny, but his insurance covered it, yay!

Also, Mel and I have moved out of our little cubby at Ruth's house and into Glenys', a lovely woman from Ruth's church. She and her husband are so great, they have 3 grown up daughters, so we have taken over their empty rooms! We each have our own room, which is strange after sharing for so long, but nice just the same! We are free to come and go as we please, and there's no crying in the night or 4:30 wakeups, so it's heaven on earth :)

Since I last posted we've also been to 2 game parks, so we've seen 2/5 of the big five (rhino and buffalo) and also hippos, which are part of the unoffical big 6. We also saw giraffe and impala and boks and ostrich and zebras (my favourite out of them all) and crocodiles and snakes and monkeys of course, so it was so cool. We also managed to pick up pretty bad sunburns on the 2nd game excursion, so my nose is peeling beautifully now.

Also, we have been trying to plan a hiking trip to the mountains since forever, and our third attempt is in the works, although it looks like Mel and I are going to be roughing it on our own as other things came up for our friends, so we'll see how it goes...

The kids are doing great! They are all healthy and enjoying school and loving our newly painted pool, it's great in the summer heat that's just getting started here. Although with summer heat come summer bugs, there was a nice layer of flying ants covering the counter this morning, eww!

Mel and I are busy getting the kids' costumes ready for the Christmas Nativity Play that their preschool is putting on, along with some of the sewing expertise of their gran. They are going to have to most fabuous costumes for sure, and most definitely the most sparkling-we've been into the glitter glue :)

Mel and I have also perfected the art of navigating the government hospital system, or at least we have so far, although the rules will probably have changed again by our next visit there, they always seem to! We take trips in to get the kids' meds. sorted out and for checkups as well. There is a great Aids focused hospital close to downtown Durban and they do a wonderful job getting things organized for people there. They even sometimes take pity on us poor English-only Canadian white girls :)

Let's see, what else...I've driven standard a bit now, although I'm pretty rough! I have quite a bit of trouble getting started, especially on the hills (most of Durban is hilly!) but once I get out of 1st gear I do alright :) I don't think I'll master it before I come home, but it's definitely been an experience! Driving on the left side was much easier than I expected though, no problems there except for one or two curbs :)

I can't believe I come home in only 2 weeks though! Time has absolutely flown by!!! I'm trying to get it into my head that I'm leaving, but it's not working. I will be quite sad to leave the kids and Ruth and Mel, they've become my life. But I am also super excited to come home and see everyone again, so it will be a bitter-sweet goodbye for sure. I am set on coming back to visit though, I'd love to come back and stay for a month or so after I finish school, although that will be 2 yrs. from now! The kids will be so grown up by then...

But this update is fairly long now, so I'll finish off. I have so much more to tell though, about the school feeding I went to as well as the community feeding and the baby place we are going to tomorrow and just fun stories about the kids, and of course some pictures, so stay tuned. Maybe I will even be able to recover that long update from my USB thing, but don't get your hopes up :) So yes, hopefully I will be able to post at least once more before I come home, and if not, you'll be hearing from me in December!