Garden Path

Here is the before picture...at least of the massive crepe myrtle. Half way through our path project, we decided it would be a good idea to take it out. It had grown way too big and had at least twenty trunks.

Here is where we laid out the rocks, taken from our backyard garden. It's like a big puzzle to find out which ones are going to fit just right. Luckily, we did have one triangle shaped rock to finish out the curve.

In the end, we now have the perfect little path to access the hose without getting all muddy. And the brand new Siren Red crepe myrtle will finish off the look. We still like the look of a crepe myrtle but we bought one that will only get about 7-8 feet tall.

If we prune it correctly, it should turn out looking like this...

Not this...

Finally

12x12 inch shadow box frames from Walmart - $30

200 used wine corks from California (ebay) - $22

82 wine corks from my Mom - Free

Finallly finishing the art project for my kitchen- Priceless

I vow to...

...sweep and vacuum my house at least once a week.

Why you might ask....

If do that much...maybe I won't find 5 tiny spiders, 2 dead roly-polies and a beetle like I did yesterday while sweeping.

Gross.

In better news...Stephen completely dusted the living room and rearranged the pictures and stuff on our built in shelves. They look awesome.

Not Feeling It

Please don't hate me. I just haven't felt like blogging lately. I blog in spurts...that's just how I roll.

A Different Kind of Paradise

The Simbavati River Lodge. We arrived at our lodge and were greeted by a young man giving us fruit cocktails and warm hand towels. This was our room.

Each morning, Desmond knocks on your door at 5:30am. By 6, you're having coffee or tea in the open dining area and by 6:15 you load yourself into the jeep for a morning game drive. When you get back around 10am, breakfast is being served. Homemade omelets, potatoes, bacon, cerel, fruit. Oh yeah, and when you return to your room for a nap...your bed has been made, the curtains opened, and your room tidied. The afternoonis on your own to sit at the viewing deck, your porch, play cards or sleep.

2:45pm...a light lunch is served and at 3:15 you head out for your evening game drive. But don't forget your drink order for the sunset break. Wine was my choice...because I'm on a safari...why not. When you return at 7:30, the best surprise awaits you. Your bed has been turned and the heated blanket has been turned on. It was AW

ESOME!!!!!

They fed us like kings and queens with all fresh foods and authentic South African cuisine.

The second we pulled up to the lodge, we noticed how quiet it was. So peaceful and utterly amazing. Every view was gorgeous. We were constantly amazed by the fact that we were actually in Africa and actually on a safari.

Stay tuned for some interesting Safari stories!

I'll keep your car safe.

I can't tell you how many times we heard this phrase while in South Africa. Almost every time we parked our car a man in a yellow traffic vest (no doubt stolen or found somewhere) would run over to us and tell us over and over that he'd "keep our car safe", "no scratches", "I'll keep an eye on it for you."

At first we didn't know how to react or respond, but after a few times we just went along with it and then gave the man like 40 cents.

Also...here are some of the awesome and crazy things we encountered.

- The guy who helps you parallel park.

- The guy who then helps you get out of said parallel spot and not run into traffic.

- The men who try to wash your window shield at an intersection with soapy water in a 2 liter bottle.

- The men who walk in between the lanes selling SA car flags...on the interstate!

- The homeless who will walk along side you and tell you to root for Bafana Bafana and have fun at the World Cup.

- KFC is really popular.

- When you order a coke...you get a 300ml coke can. Which is heavier than in the US.

Scavenger Hunt to the USA vs AUS game

We arrived at our hotel in Johannesburg at 8:30 am on June 5th. Our soccer game was at 2:30pm that same day.

We were still pretty jetlagged and all I wanted to do

was take a shower and take a long nap. Instead we got settled in, cleaned up and at 11:30 decided to get some lunch and make the "30" minute trek to Roodeport to see the game. I put 30 minutes it quotes because that's how long google maps said it would take but that's definitely NOT how long it took.

We took our trusty city map and our trusty Garm

in and got some general directions from the hotel front desk. All we really had to go off of was that we needed to get to the Ruimsig Stadium which we figured was in the town of Roodeport.

So...off we go for a few miles on the N1.

-We decide to ask for directions because we're not sure where to go from here.

- Some guy at a gas station tells us to go this w

ay, then look for the car dealership on your left, then go over a hill then ask for directions again.

- So we follow his directions...or we think we do.

- We ask for directions again, this time from a soccer fan at KFC where we finally got some lunch!!!

- He tells us we 'aren't very far' and to follow this road, then you'll come to a T and then go left and then ask for directions again.

- This basically happens about about 4 more ti

mes, until we are finally are out in the middle of nowhere crossing over some hills and we can see the stadium lights.

- We finally pull up to the stadium and it is called the "Roodeport Athletic Stadium"

That....my friends...is in the Garmin.

So anyway...it was quite the adventure and we made it to the stadium just minutes before kickoff. Oh and our tickets just happened to be reserved for the midfield.