Die groot trek!

Ons is op pad New Zealand toe!

Tog terug SA toe

Dit was n lang vlug maar die moeite werd gewees, veral toe ek vir Francois kon verras op sy verjaardag. Om weer by vriende en familie te kuier was net so lekker. Die nagte op die plaas, wel dit was nou nie so lekker nie. Ek en my ma het baie hard gewerk om alles klaar te kry want die 3rd desember moes ons die vliegtuig haal. Met stampe en stote en laat nagte het ons dit reggekry.

Rain vs Sun

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is not snoring because he is already at work! Today is one of those funny days... then it rains then the sun shines, you put your jacket on and take your jacket off. Today is also the day that I fly back to South Africa - a very long flight back that I mentally need to be prepared for. When you choose to fly somewhere take the shortest direct way when ever possible, trust me (spend the money, it's totally worth it).

This year also marks my 7th year of flying international flights every year, I think except 2005 when I finished my studies. The year of 2007 also brings the most international flights within the same year. I started back in May and flew from South Africa to New Zealand (Auckland), then also May I flew from New Zealand to America (California). Then, in September I flew back to New Zealand. It is now November and tonight I will be flying to South Africa and then December I will be flying back to New Zealand, which makes it 5 flights in total just for this year. Let me just tell you from a woman's point of view or more experience it really messes up your body, apart from jet lag, all the different time zone travel in such short periods make certain bodily functions also disappear until it feels ready to come back again, which is nice but probably not good physically for you.

Well I need to finish packing and preparing cause it is always hectic on traveling days. Please keep me and my family in your prayers as we travel again being separated from each other and then our reunion.

AGAIN AND AGAIN

2 Corinthians 1:9-10 We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for He can even raise the dead. And He did help us and saved us from a terrible death; yes, and we expect Him to do it again and again.
You may feel that things are beyond your control. It may even feel like you are dying. You may feel powerless and helpless. These are not bad emotions. They are good in that they make us realize just how much we need God. The joy of this scripture is that ‘He did help us and saved us.’ That is what God wants to do. And we can expect Him to do just that again and again. This can happen as we come to Him again and again.

Something I read that I received from my monthly email bible study notes and it really made sense.

I get the fact that everything in life is a process, I just don't understand why some take sooooo much longer than others. I get the fact that patience is a virtue so is all the other things like wisdom, self control etc but all those does not make me feel better...not on the inside. I know, I know what you are thinking, don't worry Adele everything will work out, yip that much I can tell myself too. It is always easier to criticize from the outside, looking at other people and telling them what you see wrong right. I know that cause I do that too. Tell me how do you get rid of the fear, that intense fear in your deep insides, the what ifs? It is easy to say to not think like that, but I have tried and it sometimes just don't work and hearing that from someone else does not make me feel any better. Tell me something I don't know!

Do I cross the bridge only when I get there or does that place me in a situation where I might be unprepared?

So anyway, yesterday while shopping we took someone else's cart without realizing it. We only realized when we were standing in the dairy isle and dad asked me if I put the broccoli in the cart. So I looked down and said nope, neither did I put the oranges and weird carrots in...so we looked up at each other and started laughing. Dad got all red in the face and started taking out the last stuff we put in all the way back to the nuts. So we turned around walking back still laughing out loud by this time looking for our cart. I left the cart and dad went to look around the corner back in the nuts isle and found our cart still right there where he left it! So he looks at me and says "bring back that other cart (laughing and all red)" so by this time I am almost wetting myself and said no way dude you took the wrong cart. So we continued shopping and laughing and wondering what the poor other person must have felt like when they turned around and there cart was gone ( I mean it would be a good prank but it so was not intentional, I almost want to do it intentional now just to see someones reaction!).

Koors Hoog

Ja met die rugby en die SA span wat so mooi doen is die rugby koors hoog. Hier in New Zealand is die rygby koors droog! Hierdie mense wil nie eens rugby praat nie so is hulle na hulle los. Maar ons Suid Afrikaners hou die vlae maar nog ietwat weggesteek maar darem uit by jou eie huis. Ons kom bymekaar vroeg oggend en maak n lekker ontbyt en kyk dan die rugby saam en skreeu saam. Vanaand is nou die Suid Afrikaanse Klub se lente dans en ek is seker dit sal groen en goud joluit wees daar. Sal maar sien hoe gedra die New Zealand se Suid Afrikaners hulle. Ag en dalk ontmoet ons (ek) nou net iemand interessant daar, n mens weet nooit! Wag en sien sal ek maar moet doen en so julle ook om meer nuus te hoor. Dis nog n maand en n half in die huur woonstel voor ons in die huis kan intrek met vele meer dinge tussen in, sal maar later daaroor gesels.

Musiek

Musiek - sonder dit dink ek die lewe sou verskriklik boring gewees het. Ons het nou nie cd's om na te luister hier nie en my mp3 player kan ook nie in die rekenaar in plug saam die muis nie maar n boer maak n plan...genaamd "you tube". Net soos jy deur jou cd's sou gaan kan jy nou net in tik wie jy soek en na hulle luister en sommer die musiek video ook kyk as jy wil. Daar is ook natuurlik online radio stasies, ons luister maar meeste na K-Love (positive encouraging musick) soos hulle dit noem.

Ek wens ek kon sing, maar ek kan nie, glad nie, nie naastenby nie...maar dis ok ek is beter in ander dinge. Ek dink sang sal ek beskruif as "giving your heart a voice". Ek lees die week in n berig dat hulle se sang het n ongelooflike positiewe invloed op n persoon, ek bedoel om self te sing, nie net te luister nie (dit gaan nie oor mooi nie, dis net die uiting daarvan wat goeie hormone vrystel se hulle...ek is seker dit werk net as jy positiewe liedjies sing want ek is seker die ander kant om werk ook). Dis seker hoekom meeste mense in die stort sing...die water beinvloed jou seratonien vlakke in jou brein - jou goed voel hormoon, dan voel jy so goed jy bars sommer in sang uit!

Ek is nou nogal n Josh Groban fan (het nou nie n foto van hom teen my muur op nie, maar hy mag maar enige dag vir my kom sing...sy krul hare en mooi gesiggie is n bonus).

Welcome Baby Slagg

My vriendin het gister geboorte geskenk aan hulle nuwe baba dogter - Kylie Elizabeth Slagg - dit was in lang afwagting maar nou is sy uiteindelik hier. (Ek is nogals sad dat ek nou nie daar kon wees nie aangesien ek daar was met hulle seun se geboorte)

Men are from Mars, Woman are from Venus

I went on a roller coaster yesterday - the emotional one. I went from boredom through shear frustration to absolute excitement all in one day. (sounds like a commercial but no trust me you can not buy this - it's only a product of your imagination). I understand more now that saying that says men are from mars and woman from Venus. Living solely with one parent and in this case the opposite sex has been real informing in so many ways. Opposite sex means opposite thinking, opposite everything, other side of the fence, using different brain waves. It is like searching for a radio station. Example shopping: (no wonder my mom went only with us {and after a while left my brother home too} all these years while dad was playing golf. And I have to say thank you to the golf otherwise the shopping would have been rushed to safe the man alone at home trying to figure out why in the world it takes sooo long just to buy some groceries).

So yesterday dad and I went grocery shopping once again (I am starting the get the pattern now...you make a list at home of exactly what you need...you go grab a cart...look only for the things on the list ...with speed...go to check out...get it in the car...go home). This is where that word "opposite" get its full meaning. See I go in...get the cart...then start on one side... observe what's new or what's on special as (because thinking further means that if something that was not on your list is on special or cheaper you can change your dinner menu and make something that was not a planned thing). Now this concept brings change and oh boy sometimes constantly changing things for men is hard to understand. Like for example "pop ups" on a computer, programs that start automatically when you sign on...all h#*ll brakes loose and they just want to delete things, it irritated them and thus it had to be taken care off in their terms. You get back and suddenly you have a different desktop! Don't ask they think they did you a favor!

Exercise ( I think this one is where that word "opposite" makes sense.) They want you to exercise...they are over joyed when you announce that yes you will start exercising too... till you do...and all you hear is...you're not doing that right! No wonder most woman do pilates or aerobics...they know for a fact that the man will not humiliate himself in that way! (we know that their response will be...you call that exercise?) Let's not even talk about those exercises you use the "ball" with!

All this said, I also now understand that word "compromise" a little better. When and where I am still working on.

Sussies en Vriendinne

baie geluk Elsie ook met jou verjaardag

BAIE GELUK MET PA SE VERJAARDAG!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Baie geluk met pa se verjaardag. Ek hoop daar is nog vele meer wat ek en pa kan saam beleef en saam geniet. Mag die Here regtig vir pa deur hierdie res van hierdie jaar dra in sy arms en elke voet stap van pa match en selfs vooruitgaan om alles vir pa reg te maak. Dankie vir alles wat pa vir my doen, vir pa se drukkies en liefde. Ek is baie lief vir pa.

Random Things

One of the random things I have seen here while driving was a tractor on the beach, in particular this one.

I love this picture it says; simplicity, strength, usefulness; with a timeline attached (the untold story).

I wonder if random things are as much around as random thoughts? (the untold stories of the mind) Like "what do motivational speakers do?" Answer (from my random thoughts if I have to give the answer): they talk you up unto a pedestal where you then have to climb back down to make the conscious choice to climb back up yourself again.

The tractor and me... (the untold story of the mind)...when I get on the tractor I have power to plough a field, pull someone out of a ditch, launch a boat into the water etc, but it is not me giving the power. The tractor have all the power but then also lack the "power" to do all those things and more without a driver. Is God the tractor or the driver or otherwise said, in my relationship with him am I the "tractor" or the "driver"? If I am the "driver" I have the power to make the decision as to what to do with the tractor's power. If I am the "tractor" I am the power but am not able to move without the driver. Alas, both must be present for anything to happen! The tractor must be in working condition and the driver must know the working conditions.

Oupa se Kleinkind

Nicoll (my niece) wearing grandpa's hat and grandma's scarf

Welcome

Exactly one week ago I arrived in New Zealand and with a week past much have been noted like; people here are very relaxed, lots of people out walking, riding bikes, sitting at coffee shops etc. What is most amazing is the amount of elderly people out, I am talking about those walking with bent backs walking with canes and frames, holding each other up. Those driving their little battery driven carts on the side of the road. The other thing that I have noticed is that this is not a very "model crazy" country as in the people on TV is everyday looking people - I like that. The country side itself is spectacular, open green fields with either sheep or cattle grazing, no electric fences keeping people or things out. Basically I feel a lot more free and safe here. Going to sleep comes so easy.

Nik's comments; I like the fact that the air is so clean, you wake up with a clean nose and throat. I like the local people they are very friendly. The fact that it can rain and within a half an hour the sun is shining again. The fact that I can walk to the beach everyday or just outside with not as much safety concerns. There is a lot a cheap places to eat healthy food.

At this stage we are also just continually praying for dad's work permit to come everyday. The doctor told him a while back he needs to take a vacation for so long till he feels himself he wants to go back to work. I think he is there now, he really wants to go to work!

Otherwise things are well on the home front. We go for daily walks, sometimes just to get out and other times to exercise (getting rid of emotions is more the thing it I think).