Due date is April 21st!

Hello everyone! It's Debbie & Keith. I am finally blogging again. I believe everyone has heard the news of the twins, if not sorry, I made alot of phone calls that day and was a bit glazed over. The pictures above are from our first doctors appointment. Keith and I are very very excited! Baby A is 9.2 cm which is apparantly 11 weeks and 1 day baby B is 8.1 cm which is apparantly 11 weeks. Baby A is in the top right corner and baby B is in the top left with a picture of them both below. Love you all and talk to you soon.

Debbie & Keith

It's me again!

Dear all,

Here is one more photo. I tried to add more animal photos and one of Holy Family Care Center for Aids Orphans but no luck for now. I'll try to get into town (a one hour drive) at the weekend to get a phone card to call Mom. Miss you all. Linda

More news from South Africa

Here are some photos from our recent weekend visit to Kruger National Park Wildlife Reserve. It is the size of IRELAND. You'll see how dry it is from the photos. I have no idea what the poor animals are eating but they all look pretty healthy! We saw many different kinds of antelope, giraffs, wort hogs, hyena's, large birds of all sorts, even some lions and nearly every kind of animal that made it into the Ark. Really a wonderful visit. One photo is of our camp site. We nearly had to stay in tents but at the last minute most of us managed to get one of these nice little rondovels. Couldn't fit more than 4 photos this time. Much much love,

Linda

Much love,

Linda

2008 CHRISTMAS PARTY

Our Christmas Party this year will be on December 20th. Please put your thinking caps on and give some ideas for food and entertainment.

News from South Africa

Hi Everyone,
Thi is my first opportunity to get on to the Blog since arriving in South Africa on August 2oth. Before beginning our program here in Ave Maria Pastoral Center in Mooketsi in the Northern Transvaal, I had a chance to visit the HIV/AIDS outreach center, situated next to our convent in Tzaneen. There are several of the Sisters here as well as many lay peole involved in the total diocesan effort to combat HIV/AIDS in South Africa and to help those already afflected. There are several facets of the total program including, education in responsible sex and prevention of HIV/AIDS as well as home nursing care aid and of course Holy Family Center for the orphans with HIV /AIDS. I visited that center also where there are 80 children from ages 2 - 17. In the beginning, before the anti-retroviral medications were available to them, so many died but now there is rarely a death and all are leading a fairly normal life. Those who can go home on weekends to extended family members and all attend school and regular classes at the local public schools in the area. One thing we really noticed though is that the little boys really clung on to Fr. Hans. Most of the care givers at the orphanage or women volunteers and the boys who don't have extended family to go to really miss a father figure in their lives.

Right next to our convent in Tzaneen (in the garage actually) a work area has also been set up by the Sisters to teach English and sewing skills to the local women. These wome made very servicable carry bags in Venda colors, for our participants to carry our handbooks and notebooks around in while here. Gerardine has also put in an order for them to make a bunch of beaded bracelets for us to take home to the housekeeping personnel at the Jules Chevalier Center at home.

Our session is now in its fourth week with four more weeks to go with this particular group. You can read more about it under "News" on the Cor Novum website www.cornovum.com

That's all for now. It's great to see all the photos of the kiddies.

Much much love to all of you,
Linda

alright, well these lil kids u see r:
the ones in the black hat r christina's lil brothers
the lil girl and the other lil boy r our niece and nephew, just 2 fill u in!!!!

Here's "Sparky" !!!

Hi everyone!!! This is my new puppy "Sparky". He's 8 weeks old and quite a bundle of energy. We ( Gary and I ) picked him up on Saturday and have been able to do almost nothing else ever since. He is a yankee doodle baby - born on July 4th!! These pics were taken on Monday - while he was trying out his new harness and leash. Love to all!!!

Dayna

The Vacation

Where should we go for the Strayer vacation? A cruise!?