We're ba-ack!

This past Monday was a somber one as we bid farewell to Liesel's parents, and the beautiful scenery and desirable climate of Charleston, and started on our two day trek back North. The trip went well and we arrived back to a sunny Cleveland on Tuesday afternoon. It seemed the beautiful weather we had down south had followed us all the way back. As we drove through the suburbs, we could see that most of the snow pack that, 10 days earlier, had besieged terra firma, had succumbed to the warmer temperatures, leaving only wet soggy puddles behind! It was a welcome sight to see the green grass appear from beneath its white blanket. To add to the snow's demise, Thursday and Friday saw unseasonably high temperatures of around 70 (21C). Of course Liesel took full advantage of the weather and spent as much time as possible outdoors with the boys! It seems Josh has become addicted to the outdoor lifestyle, judging by the fit he had when it was time to head back inside.

Being the first weekend back, we kept it low key. On Saturday morning we headed out to the shops to buy a couple of items. Unfortunately, the typical Cleveland weather pattern for this time of the year returned with highs in lower 40s (5C) and a couple of snowflakes were spotted mingling with the soft rain. Once we returned home, the boys and I headed to the basement to play for a while, while Liesel prepared some food in the kitchen. That afternoon, once the rain had stopped, Nathan and I headed to the garage, where I removed his last remaining training wheel from his bike. Then it was time for a "crash course" in riding a bike without training wheels. I am happy to report that there were no actual crashes during the crash course, and Nathan is slowly starting to get the feel of free wheeling down the driveway with little or no support. I think we need a few more days on the driveway (preferably with warm sunny weather) and then he can graduate to riding on the sidewalks.... That evening, once the boys were put to bed, Liesel and I caught up with some of our favorite programs that we had recorded while we were away.

At 2am on Sunday morning, Daylight Savings Time officially kicked in, resulting in one hour's less sleep for most of us. So with about five and a half hours of sleep, I dragged myself out of bed, and got ready for church as I was playing in the worship team. Church was good, and I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the team today. I even had my mom watching my performance from the comfort of her own home in South Africa! After the two services, I came home and got to speak to most of my family back home in South Africa, had lunch and then took a much needed nap! The rest of the day consisted of keeping Josh entertained while Liesel and Nath went to the library, eating dinner, bathing the boys, and rebuilding parts of Lego City (which was totally destroyed by Nathan and his friends a month ago when they had a 'tornado' party up in his bedroom.....)

Ah, it's good to be back!

Below are a couple of photos that Nathan took on our last day in Charleston..... I think it's a good idea to pay attention to those signs! That is a 12ft (3.5m) long alligator, just a few yards from that sign!