I am way behind in days, weeks and months. Here are a few things I had been writing over the time, so much more has happened since then, but I can't collect it all so I will just say Happy New Year and start from where we are at at the moment! Motherhood is obviously busier than I realised ;-) Going back in time......
17th October 2012
Monday 15th
was a very sad day. Grandad John Hardy passed away. The patriarch of the family
and the sweetest man is gone from this world and has gone home. We were on our
way home from being in Harare for the week when we got the call from Matt’s
mom. I knew from the tone of Matt’s voice that something was desperately wrong
and I seemed to know what it was! We drove the rest of the way in silence both
with tears in our eyes, and coming home seemed different that day, it was our
home but more so the home that Grandad built, the land that he enjoyed and the
legacy he left behind. I am so grateful for the time we had in June with him,
he was well then and his sweet self, coming around every day to visit his
Great-Grand daughter. When we were home, I found a picture of him lying on the grass with Daniella
on Father’s day in UK and put it on our fridge. The next morning I was by the fridge
with Daniella and she smiled and chuckled and reached out her hand and touched
the photo and touched his face. I just wept! So small yet she knew him.
That night it
rained and I said to Matt that Grand dad’s prayer for us was answered, his
continuous prayers for rain at Golden Harvest was being answered.
We decided to have
a tree planting memorial service on Saturday in honour of John Hardy. We have
invited the people in the community who loved and respected him to join us.
It has been so
refreshing having rain – we had just more than an inch yesterday – such a
relief from the last time I wrote when we desperately needed the rain with the
fire. We rejoiced as it began to fall and stood out on the deck watching it
fall around us that fresh smell of rain on the dirt. That day Matt had said to
me that he didn’t think there was enough water in the dam to pump water for the
trees and it has now risen a metre. The Lord He is good!
21st
November 2012
I can’t believe
Christmas is just over a month away! Ridiculous how time just never stops
moving and seems to move faster these days. I guess watching Daniella change sp
quickly adds to that. She has a new little act or show for us every day, and we
just love her more and more every day.
Since my last post,
the dam has gone from rising to almost empty. It has been a serious test of
faith watching it go down as the guys try to water the trees, carrying water up
a hill in a container, doing it over and over again and having to do it all
over again tomorrow! The skies are cloudless and even though the sky clouded up
over the past weekend, the rain fell elsewhere. We can say ‘why God?’ and be
annoyed or we can say ‘ok God it’s in your hands we trust you!’ I heard an
amazing line this morning,
When God is in it, there is NO limit!
And that is what we
believe. This new contract of trees that we have to grow came from Him and so
we know that He would never let us fail. I have been challenged again and again
by my daughter, watching her child-like faith, knowing without a doubt that her
mommy and daddy love her and would never do her any harm, and that we continue
to love her unconditionally. We need that faith every day and I strive to be
more child-like!
2nd
February 2013
I feel slightly
ashamed that I have again taken so long to write. I have updated a few things
end of last year but I don’t think that I even put them on the blog, the
remained on my computer.
A new year!! 2013
We welcome you with
open arms, open hearts and wait expectantly for all the exciting things to
come. We have had a lot of Daniella’s firsts the last while. Let me backtrack a
bit to the end of last year :
Christmas
was a fun time of watching Daniella with her cousins,
she wasn’t at all interested in the presents, not event he wrapping paper. By
real Christmas day, we did it over a few days with different family, she did
manage to seem a bit more interested and even ripped a few pieces of paper! She
was more fascinated by the family cat that kept jumping in and out of the
Christmas tree!! Good times!!
On the 28th of
December we headed down to South Africa to spend some time with Matt’s folks
and sister. Rita had never met Dani before so it was a very special occasion
and I think that Dani could see her daddy in Rita as she saw her, kind of
frowned and then just beamed at her. It was very sweet, and Reets seemed to be
the favourite the rest of the holiday! It was a lovely time and so special to
spend good quality time with the family again.
It was Dani’s
first time in the sea and that was a real laugh. We found a perfect tidal pool
just down the road from us. It ran over into another little pool which had a
tiny kid size beach. The first day we went down the tide was in and it was
pretty rough even the little waves caught D by surprise and she wasn’t sure
about it, but we let her put her feet in and kick around and by the end of the
holiday she was crawling all over the place, eating handfuls of sea sand (the
most salt she has had in her life) and completely not aware that she was
crawling through water. A real water baby! It was three weeks of fun in the
sun! What a blessing!
We all parted ways
again, the folks one way and Reets another, and
us home. We were pleasantly greeted by the news that there had been a lot of
rain while we were away! On getting back home, to lush green hillsides and knee
high grass in the yard, we discovered that it had actually been a record
breaking rain fall. We had over 500mms in 2 weeks! The Lord is so good, when we
left home Matt was having to go to the stream at the end of our road and pump
water to fill the tanks to water the trees. The dam had dried up to practically
a puddle in the middle and now it is over flowing. When I saw it I could hardly
believe that it was the same dam. We took the kayak out on it a few weeks ago.
It really is spectacular.
20th March 2013
 |
| The Shade House from the mountain |
Life has been so good! The Lord is so good. The tree project is still going well, last week the last few thousands of trees (about 61 000 out of 100 000 went out) were collected and so we wait for the next season to come around. Until then the next few months hold some new events here at Golden Harvest. The Foundations for Farming Internship program has started and we will be having our first couple coming to stay at the guest house next month. There will be many more from here on out and so anyone interested in it send Matt an email and he can give you all the details.
We go into Harare on Friday, mainly for a wedding but also we will be celebrating Daniella's first birthday there with family. I can't believe that the sweetest little girl in the world is turning 1. She has started walking in the last week and she is so sweet to watch as she experiences this new skill.
The guest house is now almost fully functional. We have had all the plumbing sorted out, and a boiler put in, we had a HOT shower up there last week and it was amazing!! We are putting in lights that will run with an inverter... it is nearly a home. A home that will be lived in by our soon to be wed friends,Mark and Kylie, they will be living there for a few months which is going to be fun having neighbours ;-)
23rd March 2013
 |
| From this...... |
Our little baby girl turned 1 today!! Such a celebration. We had a tea party for her with family, she wasn't too sure about the crowd at first but by the end she was entertaining her fans, sitting on a chair clapping and making everyone clap with her! SO precious. As I put her to sleep that night I wept with joy watching her, thinking that a whole year ago she was born and how much in a year my love has just grown and how much joy she brings us. Everyday is a new day and a special day! We are so grateful to the Lord for giving us a gift so priceless!!
 |
| ...to this!!! in 1 year!! |
She is in full speed walk now. Just decided that as she is 1 she needs to go, so there is no stopping her now, the world is hers to enjoy and explore on 2 legs now!
I will try to update weekly...I really will try!!! Until then be blessed special people, til next time!
Our little baby girl turned 18 months yesterday!! I cannot believe how the time has flown. It has been the best time ever watching her grow and learn new things and sounds and words. It has made me see life from a child's perspective again and that is always so beautiful. Everything is still brand new and exciting. Why can't we all just live life like that all the time.
Our tree contact with the tobacco company came to an end and we have been waiting to see what the Lord brings with that. We are totally trusting that He has something far better and worthwhile. Yet it is still nerve racking just waiting.Matt has built a green house to germinate trees in and they are growing so well. We have started growing a few other things to like garlic and Chia seed. May be the start of some other new and exciting ventures!!!
