|| God cares ||

Last year around this time, I casually mentioned to Leon that I would love to have my bike shipped here one day.  I knew it wasn't high on the priority list but it was one of three things I would love to have imported.  There's a really great company that we use to ship things here and they ship a lot of bikes for organizations.

Literally days later, my brother called and asked if I'd like to have my bike.  Shipped here.  For free.  Bam.  Boom.  Done and dusted.

I could not believe it.  No one knew about my (small) desire to have my bike here.  But God did.

When I see that bike sitting outside, I am reminded that God does care for the smallest little desires of our hearts.  Is God a genie waiting to grant our every wish?  No!  But He uses opportunities to show us just how much He loves His children.  It is truly amazing!!

|| dailies 104 ||

^^unedited beauty^^

The mornings here are pretty glorious.  My only dislike is that we can't fully enjoy them because they start fast and furious.

We have made a rule that we don't pick Liesl up until 6 am.  That little stinker normally wakes up around 5:15 but will drop off to sleep again if we don't peek our heads in her room. Once she's up, she's busy.

Register is at 7 am each morning.  This is where all of the farm workers check in for the day.  The dairy guys have already been busy milking for at least an hour.  The maids for the house are busy making porridge and tea.  They come as early as 6:15 (depending on the day) to bath, and get their day going.  

At register, Leon dismisses the guys for all the various jobs.  There's dairy guys, irrigation guys (moving pipes and sprayers to keep the grass nice and green for the cows), two to three herdsmen that take the cows outside the electric fence during the day for grazing, and general workers.  

Like I mentioned in my last post, Liesl very often goes with Leon to register.  This is my time to get ready for the day, put my pot of coffee on, make sure the girls' desks are cleared for school and their books are out, and sort the laundry before my maid comes.

Also, depending on the loadshedding, mornings are different.  For instance, tomorrow morning, the power comes on at 8 am.  So...there's not much to do.  I probably will wait to make my coffee and get ready a bit later.  Other days, it goes off at 8 am so that's a real rush. On those mornings, I try to get up super early and get at least one load of laundry in and out on the line and any other tasks that involve electricity.  

Back to the gorgeousness of the mornings.  The weather is picture perfect.  A slight coolness and gentle breeze.  It is the quintessential summer morning almost all year round (except the dreaded winter -- my worst season here).  Despite the cold mornings of winter, there's a misty haze rising off the pastures that is breathtaking.  One must stop then to enjoy it because coming back even five minutes later, the fog has dissipated.  

The beautiful mornings truly makes one think of the verse, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are NEW EVERY MORNING; great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

|| Liesl baby ||

My precious, precious, spirited, lively girl.  Oh how we LOVE YOU.  Daily, you make us laugh and catch our breaths.  Your papa and I look at each other and say, "She is so gorgeous.  What did we do to deserve such a beautiful baby girl."

Even at just a few weeks old, we could see your fiery personality. ^^

You are constantly on the move, mimmicking our actions, and our words.  Of course, you say (and know) MaMa and PaPa.  You are crazy about your cousins.  To you, both of them are Teija (TA-yah).  When you see them from a mile away, you scream, flap your arms, and shout, Teija! Teija!

You also say duh-ees (duckies) and fis-ees (fishies).  Your parents (in classic first-parent-fashion), are pretty sure you can count to three.  We count your ducks every time you bath....which is twice a day (sometimes three times!!).  

Which leads me to the next thing we LOVE about you.  You are a farm girl, through and through.  You are up and at 'em with the sunshine.  We only pick you up at 6 am.  By 7, you are ready to go with Papa to register.  And if he even dares to sneak off without taking you, you yell, PaPA! PaPA! And stretch your arms out wide and beckon him to come back.  In a few months, he won't even have a choice.  You will be running after him.  :) Soon, you will be in the fields with your daddy for the entire morning.  You love animals and dirt and water....all in classic farm girl fashion.  

There's so many things that I don't want to forget about this stage of your life.  Goodness, the time has flown.  How is that you are almost one year, three months old?

Liesl baby, we love you.  We thank God for you very, very often and pray that you become His child and that He uses you in a super special way.