Fraternizing with friends and family

What a good week we had! This past week was all about getting together with friends and family and catching up on the past 21 months! On Wednesday, my oldest (in terms of friendship) friend, Alexeii, dropped by and we had some good laughs over a lunch. He is just the same as I remembered him and is doing well! During that week, we met up with other friends for dinner on Wednesday evening, and for mid morning snacks on Friday. Everyone's food is delicious, and I am now certain that I will be weighing more on my return trip than what I was on my arrival in South Africa!

This week, Nathan and his cousins also got to know each other better, and loved riding their plastic motorbikes in the basement or jumping on the trampoline! We also went to various playgrounds with them and watched in amazement at how much energy each one of them has!

Our best friends, Tammy and Ryan, took us out to a very fancy restaurant on Thursday night. It was great to be able to leave our children with other people, so that we could go and catch up, and renew the long distance friendship! The six course meal served at this restaurant was phenomenal, and so beautifully presented!


On Saturday, our small circle of friends got together for a braai (BBQ) at one of their houses. Again, we were fed very well, and it was great to touch bases with our friends after 21 months abroad! It was especially good to see our American missionary friends, the Holidays!

On Sunday, after church and a lunch at my mom's place, we headed back down to my sister's place for a mini family reunion of uncles, aunts and cousins. The last time we were all together in one place, was for our farewell, approximately 2 years ago! If it wasn't for us, I doubt they would ever see each other :P

Our first stay in Johannesburg came, to an end as we drove north west to Gaborone (Botswana) on Monday morning. Liesel and Nathan had already spent 3 weeks with her parents in Gaborone, but this would be the first time I would have seen them in a long time. Her parents treated Liesel and myself to a night in the Gaborone Sun, Nathan-free, as a thank you gift to us! Nathan didn't mind staying alone with his grandparents, and we didn't mind eating a fabulous dinner (more calories!!) and a hearty breakfast!