see ya later...

After about four hours of straightening and packing, I'm finally kicking up my feet and taking a second to type. It's after midnight here. We're getting ready to sleep our last night in Cape Town and I'm really sad about it. And, it's strange...if you'd asked me three months ago how I'd feel on the last night...I feel sure I wouldn't have described it this way. I considered a few different titles for this post..."the end", "the last days", etc...just didn't work. I think most of us that have been here together agree that this just can't be it...the end. So, for now, it's a "see ya later". In face, I've already got a couple of future trips in mind ;-) So...to you, my Cape Town friends, it's been a pleasure to share in this journey with you. I'm taking home so many priceless memories that I have you to thank for. I'm praying for safe travels for each of you and that the days between now and the time that I'll see you again will be few
:-) Much love to you all!

Now...to those of you back home...we're coming whether you like it or not. And, the fact that I'm sad about leaving absolutely does not mean that I haven't missed you like crazy, because I absolutely have. And, you know what this means, don't you? The fact that I haven't seen you in three months means that we've got a lot of making up to do ;-) Please pray for us as we travel so far again...Love to you all, too!

oh dear...

I've fallen a bit behind on my blogging and am completely overwhelmed with the thought of squeezing the events of the last two weeks into one meezly little blog post. I feel sure that most of you reading this are not so broken-hearted that I'll have to spare some details, but it stresses me. My goal is to have the posts from our trip bound so that I can save them...and I have simply stunk at making sure I document everything lately. Oh well...life will go on, I guess :-)
So...life in Cape Town lately...hmmm...full of emotion. Anxiety, excitement, sadness, and so much more. Last week was an incredibly stressful week for Jesse and his colleagues as they finished up their projects...and when they're stressed...we're stressed. It meant lots of long hours and them being away from us for one last weekend. But, guess what? We survived and we packed as much fun as we possibly could into those couple of days! Excitement [as mentioned above]...I'm feeling because we're coming home in only a week and will have tons of special people to see and catch up with! And, sadness...because we're leaving behind lots of people who have become very special to us here.
The last two weeks, with the exception of the four days that Eli was sick with a yucky cold, have been really nice. In a nutshell...we've visited the West Coast, where we saw tons of animals and beautiful flowers...we've visited some beautiful gardens, a new park, and a new farm...spent more time at the market and on the beach with friends...enjoyed a slumber party with my friend Neha and her daughter V...took Eli and V ice skating for the first time...spent some time at the Cape Town science center...enjoyed a date with E on Tommy the Tugboat...ate at some more really yummy restaurants...and I just enjoyed another great ladies' night out last night. Whew...no wonder I'm typing from bed tonight at only 9:00!
I mentioned before that Jesse had his last retreat this weekend. It was held in Stellenbosch at the Spier Hotel and Conference Center. The hotel is part of the Spier wine farm so you can imagine it's surroundings are just beautiful. On Sunday, several of us headed up to have lunch with the guys and enjoy the afternoon in the area. Jesse had also made a reservation for us to stay with him there on Sunday night so I was really excited about that. It was a chilly and rainy afternoon/night so it was perfect for sitting by the fire and having a fun dinner at Moyo with my friend Jessica and her family. We had already eaten at two different Moyos during our trip, but it's hard to pass up. The decor and set up of the restaurants is amazing. You'll notice lots of details from the restaurant in my collages. My favorite is the big tree with the colorful couches and lanterns underneath. We ate in a huge tent and there were little what I called "tree houses" all around with tables for guests. So...you can eat in the trees if you want...how cool is that? I could go on and on about the place...really, on and on and on...it was incredible. Anyways...after dinner came the best part... drifting off to sleep by the fire in our room...it was such a nice break from our apartment!
The next several days before we leave are already filled with plans for a few more new adventures and many returns to our favorite spots one last time. They will be bittersweet ones, that's for sure :-)
Hope all of you at home are still doing well...can't wait to see you!

nine days with nanny nancy...

one thing's for sure...I said a while back that I thought the rest of the weeks here would fly...and they are doing just that. The past nine days have been some of the fastest but were packed with lots of fun with Nanny. My mama came into town last Sunday and left today. We had so much fun with her and are praying for her safe travels back to GA now.
Our week with Nanny was the most beautiful one yet. We had lots of sunny days which made for more good times on the beach and touring around. Lots of the places that we visited were places that E and I had already been but are must-sees here. On Saturday, we started out at one of my favorite spots, the Old Biscuit Mill and Neighborhood Goods Mkt, where we got our bellies full of yummy breakfast quiches and omelets. Then, we headed to Stellenbosch, a mountain town about 45 minutes outside of Cape Town. It's also wine country so it's full of beautiful vineyards. We spent some time at the Treasury Market there, where the sidewalks are lined with amazing foods, flowers and handmade goods. We found ourselves loitering around the cheese and olive tables...oh, and the bread and fudge tables (and maybe a few more :-) The markets have definitely been one of my most favorite things about this place and I was glad that Mama really enjoyed it too.
Another new destination for us this week was Charly's Bakery in town. Apparently, the bakery has been spotlighted in lots of well-known magazines and enjoyed by lots of famous peeps. We stopped by late this morning to enjoy some coffee and sweet treats before Mama left...Mama and I had the most massive blueberry muffins ever and E had a chocolate cupcake with cherries on top in honor of the ole' hometown, Cville. It was the perfect ending to a special week. Thanks, Nanny, for coming all this way to spend time with us...we had a lot of fun and miss you already. XOXO