Merry Christmas...

Ok, Breanne is not looking, but if you want... you can try to get her to look at the camera... :-) Will post some Christmas party pics soon and them opening their presents as well!

sorry....

Well, you know I could make up some great excuse for why we haven't been posting, so just pretend that I did and I'll just save it for another time! (um, traffic maybe?...)

20081217-Girls

u know the drill, click on the photo above to go to the Picasa Web Albums, I'll let the photos do the talking this time, especially since I am running out of words from posting so much these past months... LOL

Happy bday Gabe..

I don't know where in the world I got this picture, I don't even think i brought my camera to ERK, but I pulled it out of somewhere! May this next year bring you a ton of satisfaction, more relaxation, less work, more fun, more um... yeah, have a good one!

Happy birthday nephews...

Yup, all within a month, happy birthday boys... heres the link to Micky's blog http://markandmicky.blogspot.com

oh yeay! a new post...

2008-10-11_ADayAtTheParkwithKidsAndFriends

I think I am going to call this album, "A-day-at-the-park-with-the-kids-and-friends-BBQing-steak-and-fish-it-was-great-fun-and-etc-etc-etc". anywho... we had lots of fun...

"there are some other photos mixed in there as well... you know the drill, click on the photo thumb and it will take you to the picasa webalbum!"

I was at a rock concert over the weekend, and it's amazing how many no-name bands from the states there are traveling the world trying to make a name for themselves. We setup a tent and had more success then most of the bands performing... LOL (half of them ended up in our tent) Will post pix sometime soon...

Have a great week and God Bless!

the Beauty of Linux...

Here is a screenshot of the setup I currently use with windows and Ubuntu side by side. I was a bit nervous making the transition to linux so I kept my windows to boot up into if I had to, but immediately just stopped using windows.

Seriously though, I use windows for almost nothing, possibly only 3 programs that I find easier to use under windows. In Ubuntu (the version of Linux that i use) and possibly only use windows once a week or every two...

& as you can see, windows runs great inside of Linux! With all the cool effects Linux (beats Vista eyecandy hands down any day!) I only use about 15% of my RAM at any given time. All that to say, with linux coming up so fast and beautifully, I think Bill Gates did well to quit while he was still ahead!

another album...

2008_09_20-BdayParty

Same old... click on the link to take you to the Picasa Webalbum...

Our 9th anniversary

It's been a long time, I'll save my adorations about Liz for Liz :-D... suffice it to say, there ain't anyone else in the world I'd rather celebrate this anniversary with!

The pic is of the cake she surprised me with when I came home from whatever it was I was doing. May you all enjoy many similarly happy occasions!

and the consequent fish dinner as per tradition...

Happy b-lated bday to me...

Just the post is late, my bday was on time! :-D Anywho... thank you all for showing up, it was quite a crowd. This is the winning cocktail on the night for the competition, I expected more out of some of you! LOL!


...and yes, I got a hair cut immediately after seeing these photos!

Sorry for the scarcity of updates, but I will once again promise to update regularly! Here's some pics of the Pretoria Show that we were able to attend as well as setup a stall to promote our work! The girls had camel rides and we got to take them to the amusement park as well after a long week of work!

 

you prolly already knew this...

2008_08_11-ANightattheMuseum

You probably already knew this, but it dawned on me that a huge part of beauty is having white teeth! and probably straight teeth too... I mean i read it in mags before, but it never really dawned on me till I was looking at Liz and Rina and they both have such white teeth...

anywhoo... we took the kids to the Transvaal museum of natural history, it was quite nice, doesn't beat Cape Town's one, but it was nice as you can see from some of the photos in the new album. Just click on the photo to lead to the album. Ciao

the Olden days...

So Liz is convincing Bianca to write a card to her friend, and in doing so, mentions how when she was young she used to write her grandma handwritten letters and then post them which took a long time to arrive. To which Bianca logically responds, 'Mom, why didn't you just write her an email or chat with her, or SMS her?'
Liz says, 'Emails, instant messaging and SMS are fairly recent developments, when I was growing up we didnt have all those things!'
Bianca's eyes lit up, 'Mom, I didn't know you grew up in the OLDEN DAYS!!??'
Liz says, 'Whoa!! I didn't grow up in the OLDEN DAYS, Bianca... the olden days where before cars & TVs were around, things like that!'
Bianca sensing that Liz didn't exactly want to hear that added, 'I know you didn't grow up in the olden days mom, but my grandma did!'

Somebody please define for me what the 'olden days' are nowadays! Is it before TVs or before plasma and XLCD screens? Is it before the telephone or the cell phone was available for all? Was it before internet or 20MB ADSL came around? Before the airplane or before Ryan Air became a taxi service across Europe? What else is going to be obsolete over the next 10-15 years?

For my own peace of mind I'm going to teach my kids that the 'olden days' were before the technology boom of the 20th century, before the telegram, the light bulb, radio and the NYSE! God bless you all!

Double as strong 4 love...

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?' The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'. They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together. One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.'To which, his father said 'Yes.'

Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island. The father and son went on to complete the race together.

Watch this clip

Bianca's Birthday & Bangs

2008_07_06-BiancasBdayParty

We had a whole lot of fun for her birthday, she had about 20 friends over and we were able to organize a party at a Mobile Disney world, they were able to dress up (costumes and make-up) like any Disney character they wanted, they had jumping castles, shows, and a whole lot of other entertainment.

Then we got home and had a treasure hunt and games. Bianca didn't want a birthday cake but wanted banana split for everyone, and we had a little cake anyway! We took her to the pet shop for her birthday present, and after much deliberation, we opted for a fish-tank and 2 fish, other (non-)options were an Angolan Bunny (huge and super softly & cutely furry!), 3 french poodles, but she opted for the fishies, even tho' she really wanted a kitten! Too make a long story short, they had a blast and we came out tired!


Bianca also cut bangs, we made an appointment with a friend of ours to do it 4 days in advance so we told Bianca that she had an appointment to cut fringes and she was so excited she almost couldn't sleep. She actually looks real cute with them, a little older as well!

New album

2008_06_02-Revelations

sorry, no time to post, but heres some pix. Click on the image to get to the album. ciao

So the other day we are at the super market (buying what else but coffee...), at the cashier / check out and i was just short of change... so while i was digging out a bigger bill, Brooke says, "Thats ok daddy, dont worry! I have money!" I was like, "Oh, really! bring it on!" Now Leini, her 'big' friend, had given her a 'handbag' that she carries around everywhere. So she zips open her bag and digs to the bottom of the bag and pulls out a 5c coin (0.005 €cents) and asks the cashier if that was enough, the lady kindly replies that it wasn't. So she digs again and fishes out another 5c coin and promptly asks if thats enough. This went on until we were all laughing and she was getting more frustrated. A pile of 5c coins later, I got down to business and pulled out a bill and settled the account. But the moral of the story is if your going to invest in children, get girls, Brooke is only 3 and already trying to take care of me. LOL!

thots on baby sitters...

Not quite sure what to think of leaving your kids with friends, if you have any doubts, take a look at these photos. As much as we as parents may appreciate it... you have to take into account the long-term effect this may have on their personalities... LOL.


NAH...!! we are so thankful for you guys (Lynnewood). Love you all!!!

massive Johannesburg Zoo

since we are on the road and the laptop crashes every time i try to upload photos using Picasa, i have to upload them manually. I will upload more as soon as i get a chance to take a look at the problem. for now i uploaded a few, just click on the link (photo) below.

2008_05_05-JHBZoo

Just a couple of pix...

Happy birthday Micky

have a great year sis, couldn't ask for a better sis. have a wonderful year and may ur dreams come true! - US

travels - Sedgefield

The girls and some scenery pics during our stop at Sedgefield on the garden route.

Not a post card... ;-)

We were having dinner at a friends place with our two pet chameleons, just hoping a fly would come by, when one of the chameleons climbed onto my wine glass and started licking off the condensation. Thought it made a great pic!

I think that I will keep this photo on stock and if I am ever to design a wine label I will use it on my flagship white. Can't you see it on the front of a white wine bottle labeled 'Chameleon'?

Johannesburg via Garden route

Gonna be in Johannesburg for a couple of weeks, will keep posting. Going to take it easy 4 stops / 4 days, it should be fun up one of the most beautiful routes in the world - the Garden route! I'm sure we will take some great shots! but in the mean time i leave you with this shot from the 'old bridge tavern' pub in Somerset West. Incredible how the most common of places can turn out some of the most amazing shots... Cheers and God Bless!

Bianca....

Worlds View...

Must I say anything? Happy Birthday James, may this year be a good one!

Bianca on Strand Beach...

the Force B(rooke) with you...

Long, long ago (25th of March, 2005), in a galaxy far, far away (Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy), this little chub chub unboarded her circular spaceship. Unknown initially to the inhabitants of the guardians of the property she crash landed on, this chub had the uncanny ability calm and manipulate any situation, with her persuasive and original personality. Her most powerful backup weapon... is secret and almost undetectable... the smile of irresistibility! This last ability is not to be taken lightly, when coupled with the batting of the her two seas of blue eyes that you will get lost in even with the most advanced GPRS navigational system, very little hope remains for your 'force' of will! May your 'force' be with you!

Anywho, it was a great birthday party, thanks for all you that attended, I'm sure you had fun :-) for all of you that missed it, there was go-carts, a laser maze, bicycle/tricycle race track, oh, lots of stuff... and lots of cake and ice-cream! A huge thanks to POP in canal walk/century city (Cape Town) for organizing it! Lastly, her prayer for her birthday was for a bicycle, and God answers prayer! Have a good one!

So if you want to check out the album of the photos, go ahead and click on the picture below this photo. enjoy....

2008_03_25-BrookiesBday

Ok, well I'm just being a bit lazy and not finding the time to post more, but ill post a link to the latest photo album!

2008_03_30-March

been shooting some black and white on my favourite models - enjoy!

To Hug an Ellie

Good thing these gentle giants are afraid of small things, these guys are absolutely massive! I always wondered about that since first watching Dumbo as a child, why would they be afraid of mice. I think that it is simply because they are very gentle and caring animals and are afraid to squish anything. They have poor eye-sight and operate and identify mainly through smell. They have poor digestive systems and therefore eat enormous quantities of food, a baby Ellie that they had rescued from Zimbabwe was drinking about a 100 liters of milk a day, the sanctuary said that it had practically gone bankrupt just from the expense.

If you want to jump ahead of my posts as i get to them, go ahead and click on this image that will take you to our vacation album, with a few pics, as i get around to writing articles about the different things we did I'll post them, so go ahead and knock yourself out - Click away!

2008_02_27-Vacation