Beautiful Kalk Bay

Last month Jason and I decided to go for a walk to Kalk Bay. It is the next town over from Muizenberg and although I use to run through it all the time I rarely stopped to enjoy the town and wharf. Since it was getting summery we decided to make the best of it and walked there and back stopping at our favourite bakery to get some snacks along the way. By the end this pregnant lady was very tired but it was so nice to be out exploring and enjoying the sun with my favourite husband and our growing boy. This place is beautiful and I think we spend a lot of the time gawking at the mountain and ocean. It really was that stunning colour, I barely edited these. 

Enjoy your weekend!

3rd Anniversary Photo

1st anniversary (2013)

2nd anniversary (2014)

3rd anniversary (2015)

Each anniversary since Jason and I have gotten married we have taken a photo to see how we change each year. Considering it has only been three years we still look pretty much the same but I am looking forward to seeing the difference in us in 10 years and 20 years from now. Our anniversary was in September so I am a bit late in sharing this but that's ok. There is one for each year and then I added the one with our boy in it as well because he is a big part of this year! We will have to take one each year of just the two of us and one of our little family as it grows. The first two are in the front yard of our apartment in Antigonish and the last one from this year is at the beach by our home here in Muizenberg. 

Happy Friday!

24 Week Baby Update

I have been taking the exact same picture every month since I was 12 weeks in the same spot with the same black tank top. They almost all look exactly the same. Every week is way to much to remember but every 4 weeks is a lot easier. It really makes me notice how much I am growing.

I am actually 25 weeks today so I am a little late in sharing these. I now have a legitimate bump and am obviously pregnant. It's not only there at night after I have eaten a lot of food but is big even in the morning. This boy kicks all the time now and they are not just little flutters. I feel him everywhere and he especially loves to give a good kick when Jason talks to him.

I am feeling more and more pregnant and beginning to get lots of the common uncomfortable symptoms and aches and pains. Everything is still going well though and we are healthy and happy. My running has decreased significantly but I am still doing it some times and walking the other days. It has been so warm in Muizenberg this week we have even gotten out to the beach. I feel I need to get this boy some sun before we stick him in the Canadian winter. I don't think I am quite ready for it to be cold all the time.

Still not really any cravings. If it is true that they will like what you eat during pregnancy then this guy is going to love chai lattes (obviously!), spicy curry, yogurt, tea, lemons, breakfast food, and a lot of other things like chocolate. Just the usual staple foods in our house.

That's about it. Thanks for all the encouragement and keep praying for a healthy pregnancy. We are loving all of it!

Art Commissions

I have been doing on a little extra artwork on the side lately. I love it! This particular ship was done for a friends nephew and I filled it with every word or verse God brought to mind as it took shape. I barely took any pictures of the process but here are a couple I took between my camera and phone. It is done on canvas paper, size A3, which is 11.7 x 16.5 inches. 

I would actually love to be doing more of these so email if you would like a commission done for you or someone you know. I can do them bigger or smaller and on/with different materials. 

Use the contact page to email me and we can see what we can do, work out a price and design, etc. 

Scroll through my instagram to see some of the other ones I have done recently. There is a lion, some hearts, a brain, flowers and more. God always gives a shape and He always has words to fill it. 

To see an extra large canvas one I did for my friends baby read this post: Baby Wave

20 Week Baby Update

 12 weeks/16weeks

20 weeks 

Our baby is now over 20 weeks so I felt it was time to give a little update and share the few bump pictures we have taken so far. They make me realize that I really am growing! We had our 20 week ultrasound on Friday morning and baby is right on schedule. Ultrasounds are my most favourite thing. I could lay there and look all day at the little face and hands and feet. It is amazing how much bigger they get from one ultrasound to the next. Baby in the 12 week picture could fit into the head of the one from Friday. So much growth and development happening everyday it blows my mind. 

We also found out the gender on Friday and baby is a BOY! YAY!!!!!!!!!!! We have been very certain he was a boy since the beginning. I really felt like it was and Jason had dreams about having a boy so then confirming it on Friday was very exciting. We didn't have a gender preference so either was equally exciting but really though little boys are too cute! 

Here are some answers to common questions if you are curious: 

Favourite thing

I think just knowing this little boy is growing in me although I don't think I will ever have my mind quite wrapped around that fact. It's so trippy. There is a person inside of me right now! How crazy is that! But I LOVE it. 

Movement

I feel him moving a lot and Jason has even been able to feel him kick this past week which is so special. I just ate a really spicy butter chicken for dinner and he moved a lot after that. I think he liked it. :) The movement use to be just in a few spots but now I feel it a lot more spread out and higher up on my belly. 

Cravings

Nothing really. I get asked this a lot so I am sorry to disappoint in that I don't have anything weird or  exciting to tell you. Sometimes berries but honestly I always crave berries. Every. Single. Day. Forever. (& chocolate & chai lattes ) I also have been loving brussel sprouts lately.

Am I still running? 

Yes, haha. Did you really think I would stop running? It's my favourite. I run much less and slower but am definitely still doing it. Don't worry my midwife said it was totally fine.

Are you going to Canada or staying in South Africa? 

We are heading back to Canada sometime late November to have the baby. I have no worries or problems with the South African health care but we don't have maternity coverage here and Canada has wonderful health care for these things plus all of the other amazing perks like family and friends and people we love. 

Karoo Outreach, The Farm

Last month Jason and I as well as three other Bethesda staff went on an outreach to the Karoo. I already posted pictures from the outreach and what we did HERE but I also wanted to share some pictures of the beautiful farm we were able to stay on while in Prince Albert. The farm owners were the main contacts for our time there as they are friends of our team leader and have abundant hearts for Klaarstoom, the community where we ministered. Being able to stay on their refuge of a farm was such a treat for us and they took care of us so well. They even kept us warm as it was very very cold in the Karoo. (Note the picture further down of ice in the puddles.) These pictures are of the sheep and lambs, the prayer walk they have carved out of the woods, and some beautiful details that make up the farm. I definitely look forward to going back for another outreach, maybe just next time when its warmer. 

This dog is just like the one I had growing up named Tippy so I instantly fell in love with it. "Jason, can we get one?"

 

The white house to the left was where we stayed and the bigger one behind the trees is the main farm house. There is another house down the road and smaller places to stay dotted all around, each as beautiful as the other one. 

See ice! So cold when you don't have indoor heating. We spent a lot of time thanking God for fireplaces. 

The prayer walk. 

Ek is by jou. I am with you.

Did I mention the lady who ones the farm is a professional calligraphy artist? I just spent the whole time swooning over her hand lettering.

Snow on the mountains for the drive back to Cape Town. That meant cold weather was coming our way.

Don't forget to check out the pictures from this trip I posted HERE. To see the farm/calligraphy website go HERE.