Don't you just love waking up on a Cape Town morning to stillness?
Especially after the constant blustery gale?
This morning, at our house was one of those mornings. And it was pure bliss!
The last few days of this year have been good. We went walking in Newlands forest (p.s. a wind free zone! Magic!!!! I'm going to go back soon!) with a friend from Zimbabwe...
 |
| a somewhat empty stream |
 |
| ...which the boys had to climb through |
 |
| pretty huh? |
 |
| The reason we went to the forest was to build forts - sadly Newlands doesn't lend itself to forts as well as Cecilia forest, but Braveheart and the boys made a grand attempt! |
 |
| The time it took was greatly extended by discovering that this stream that we crossed had tadpoles in it, which the boys just HAD to try and catch! They caught four, I was quite impressed! |
 |
| Belle and her cousin |
 |
| I realise I take loads of photos of Belle - but I also think it's because she just sits still! The boys can't stop long enough for me to take good ones! |
 |
| the cousins |
 |
| the boys cooling off |
So it's the last day of the year. I'm am not a fan of New Year's resolutions, but I do love the start of a New year, and the opportunity it gives to start things afresh, to change, to move on.
And although I did New Year's Eve parties in a big way when I was growing up (as my parents hosted endless numbers of them, and still do to this day and they're over 55!), in my parenting years they hold very little attraction for me. I think it's the combination of a great night - but a late night, and then an early morning with the kids!
This year, I really wanted to spend it with the kids, and also had hoped to hike somewhere for the sunset. But given that we'd already worn them out on a hike this morning, I opted instead to picnic on the beach at sunset. Aha! little did I know the South Easter would pick up, yet again!
Undeterred, we went to Noordhoek beach, where the sand was stinging our legs and blinding us, and climbed high into the sand dunes and sat in the shelter the Milkwood trees offered us. It was really lovely....
 |
| Aragorn... |
 |
| Our view |
We drew a line in the sand, said good-bye to 2010 whilst facing the land (suburbia), and then turned around, jumped over the line and yelled hello to 2011, looking at the ocean. I found it symbolic. (God had laid it on my heart earlier today - and I find those sorts of things sometimes downright odd (doing something physical that God has asked you to)). But this afternoon, looking at that expansive horizon, I realized that's what 2011 looks like for all of us.
A blank horizon. Empty. Barren. Open.
A year of opportunity.
Of Possibility.
Of hope.
As we continue to walk down this road together, may our year ahead be one that changes us all,
forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment