Beautiful Idaho Day

Posted on July 12, 2015

I awoke to a beautiful day here in Idaho, and quickly made my way into the kitchen to help my Mom prepare food for friends of ours from South Africa that were coming to visit.

I made a quinoa salad and a big batch of dinner rolls. Mixing up a fresh mixture of dough is one of the simple pleasures in life that brings me great joy. It felt so good to have my hands immersed in the warm dough.

The friends that came to visit are friends from when we lived in Cape Town. It is so wonderful when you can go for many many years without seeing someone, and then when you do it’s like no time has passed.

My sweet brother dozed off with his big beautiful bald head on my lap.  I love him so much. Afterward I wished I’d had a permanent marker close by so that I could have left some pretty designs on him.  I’m sure I’ll have another opportunity 🙂

    

A friend of my parents stopped by and took a couple photos of my sister Bernadine, my brother Jan, and my parents and I. I can still clearly remember having family photo’s taken when I was younger and thinking it was the worst thing in the world. Today I stand proudly with my family and hold every moment, every memory and every photo sacred. Our family has been through so much together, from Rhodesia, to South Africa, then to America, and our bonds of love are eternal.

My handsome Danny sent me this photo at one point today.  He is enjoying flying in the Middle East, but missing home. I can’t wait to be back on Tanda Malaika with him again.

  

Emma scooped water out of the dinghy this morning and found this squid while bailing. Who knew that squid could jump out of the water, high enough to land in a dinghy!  The creatures are doing really well.  They made a good lunch today.

And for dinner tonight they were invited over to the neighbors boat for Mexican lasagne. They said it was delicious. They scrubbed decks today, did chores, then had some beach time.

Tonight I ran into town to grab a couple things with Jan, Hunter and Kjira.

Jan entertained us with his rose covered glasses and spiffy hat.  We stopped by Albertsons and after having my back turned for just a second, this happened….

        

You can’t take these guys anywhere.  I have no idea where Hunter got the shark but he carried it all over the grocery store.  I guess it is shark week…

We grabbed an ice cream at Coldstone Creamery, and when Jan went to place his order he told the little girl working behind the counter that what he wanted in his ice cream, is brownies, gummy bears, caramel, cookie dough, nuts, raspberries, fudge, oreos, banana and coconut. She stood staring at him in disbelief, not knowing whether he was serious of not. Then a lady went to buy an ice cream cake and Jan tried convincing her that the one she was buying was the plastic display model.  He keeps us laughing constantly.

It’s been a good day.  I am grateful for family, good friends, and all the love. I am also grateful for an amazing husband who loves me so much.