An update on our lives...

It's been quite a while since I last posted anything (a full 8 days!!!) so I thought I would quickly update everyone on our lives.

1. Job Applications:
I called every school before applying for each post, just to make sure that the posts were still available. One school that I called said I did not have all the reference numbers, and therefore took my details to call me back with the 3rd reference number that I was missing. They were quite desperate for OT's, and for each job that you apply for there's a reference number, and they had THREE job openings (right now they are 2 OT's having to treat 400 children!). So they called me last Tuesday (21 Oct) to ask if I would come for an interview as they are in desperate need of an OT. And the fact is, they only could call me cause they had my number from the previous week when they had to give me the extra reference number. Apparently our Department of Education in Gauteng Province prolonged the closing date for applications to 31 Oct, which means it will take the HR Section of the Educational Dept about a month to sort through and short-list the applications sent in. Then the schools only receive the short-listed candidates' applications in Dec (by which time our schools are closed for Summer Holidays) and would only be able to interview the candidates in January. Which means they will only appoint the chosen candidates in APRIL (with the start of the 2nd term in the school year). So I would have been without a job for FOUR MONTHS if this school did not have my number! I'm going for the interview on Friday, 31 Oct - and I am really praying that I will be granted this job! God work in misterious ways, and just even the way that they could get hold of me is awesome!

2. Mother-in-Law's Health:
Thinus had to fly down to Cape Town for work on Friday, 24 Oct and got to spend the weekend and these past few days (up until today, Wed 29 Oct) with his parents in Bellville, Cape Town. His company provided him with a rental car as he was not using their accommodation (saving them TONS of money!), and therefore could zip around everywhere that he had to be. He went to see his mother, who is now in a Physical Rehab Step-Down facility where she is receiving OT and Physiotherapy to rehabilitate her following the injury to her right femur bone (by the way, they decided on putting in plates and not doing a hip-replacement, which is down right awesome). My father-in-law had to remind the two ambitious young ladies (OT & Physio) that my mother in law suffers from a lot of pain, and now the instruction board above her bed reads "Respect Pain". How cool is that?!? Thinus says that his mother had her ups and downs, and that his father is really very drained (physically and emotionally). They looked for caregivers to look after his mother during the week, and finally found some qualified home-based caregivers at affordable rates. The whole family is helping out to help and provide for these caregivers. So please continue to carry my mother-in-law in your prayers, as well as Thinus' father.

3. Having a good life:
I spent the weekend with my parents, driving back to Jo'burg on Monday morning (actually first to Orange Farm and then to Jo'burg after finishing off my work day). I also slept over at my 4th brother's house on Monday and yesterday again to try and lessen the missing-my-husband part. By yesterday I was SO ready for Thinus to come home!!! Tonight when I went and fetched him at the airport, I literally RAN into his arms and started sobbing because it was so good to see him again and be able to HUG him!! He says the flight was somewhat rough, but the pilot must have found the short-cut between Cape Town and Jo'burg, bcoz even though their flight was delayed in the Cape, the STILL landed on-time in Jo'burg. (Apparently the flight took only 1 hour 40 minutes, a total of 10 minutes shorter than usual!)

So this weekend Thinus and I will join 3 of my other brothers to go and visit our 2nd oldest brother in Bloemfontein to celebrate his daughter's 3rd birthday (and the brothers are also participating in a Road Cycle Race on Sunday of 107km!!!). We are completely looking forward to the weekend and just taking time to relax - we are all putting in leave for Friday so that we can leave early for Bloemfontein, which is about 470km from Jo'burg.

And that's about it...and I know by now this post is no longer falling in the "just-a-quick-hi-and-bye"-category, but I hope that it brought you up to date on what's up in our lives. Hope you have a good weekend, cause I'll be spending it away from the computer!

Ciao!

PS: Here are some of the photos of the past two weeks - I included some of the pictures we took at my niece and nephew's Sea Scout Water Sports Day. It was SO cool!






My neighbour, Charmaine, and I after our first official swim for the summer. The piece of cloth around my hair is my swim shorts - I had to keep my wet hair out of the way!














The bottom picture is of Thinus and I, also after the first official swim of the summer...



















Ivan (right) and Zoé (left) preparing for their Kayak Water Polo Event - what a JOL that was?!?!













Joel is always climbing ANYTHING that he can find that will support his hands and feet - even his sleeping uncle Thinus!






Zoé and I (known as Aunty Dolla) taking a little rest next to the lake...whilst Oom(uncle) Thinus, Joel and my brother Gideon (in orange shirt and wide-brim hat) heads back to the shade.

Gideon read a bit while we waited for everyone to finish of their games for the day.

The prize-giving was quite something! And I just LOVE the outfits that the Sea Scouts wear - Sea Officer hats whilst in-land, and a nice 1400km away from the sea!