40th Birthday Hoedown

hoedown
ˈhəʊdaʊn/ 

• noun: a social gathering at which lively folk dancing takes place.

We wanted to do something big and fun to celebrate my 40th; we hit on the idea of a barndance several months ago and have been planning it ever since.  The first item needed was a barn - but barns in Timaru tend to be used as barns, with animals and feed and equipment.  So, we simplified and held it in our school hall.  The next big need was a caller for the barndance.  These are like hens teeth - I chased down every avenue I could think of and came up with as many dead ends.  Nick graciously stepped in (this is how I know that he REALLY loves me); we bought a manual complete with an instructional DVD and music, and gathered a group of friends the week before to have a practice, for the benefit of the dancers and the caller.  The rest was easier by comparison - invitations sent, outfits planned and made, food bought, and the hall made up to look like a farm yard.  Liz and Graham were brilliant in setting it up, finding an amazing array of old stuff around their section which fitted into a trailer.  Matt de Beer loaned us several bales of hay, and the boys' scarecrow was set in place.  Let the hoedown begin, y'all!
 

After sausages in bread and finger foods, we warmed the crowd up with a few activities.  Tug'o'war was first, with ladies competing first and then a kids' attempt.

Gum boot tossing is a must for any western gathering;

then we had a showdown in which contestants had to single-handedly unwrap a chewy lolly and swallow it as quickly as possible. 

Horse race relays followed - teams had to shuffle back and forth with a miniature horse tucked between their knees and a toy gun in hand.

We had also been running an ongoing quiz activity; since no one at the party has known us for longer than four years and a few months we thought we'd give them a little look into our history by way of photos ranging 40 years.

And finally, it was time to pull out the moves - do-si-do, swing your partner, 1-2-3-stamp, walk the highway all started making sense. 

It was a jolly, lively evening and I suppose we might already be looking forward to the next event - since we have a professional caller now and all :)

I was blessed with beautiful gifts which I got to open on Sunday night at the Bothas - one really can't sit in a corner by oneself to unwrap a pile of presents! 

Thanks again to everyone who helped with settting up, clearing away, catering, planning, and those who came and participated and dressed up and had fun.  We are privileged to belong to such a marvellous family through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Queen Lynn

I love that the Queen's Birthday is commemorated in NZ - I especially love that it has fallen on the weekend of my birthday for the last two years (it's officially always a holiday on the first Monday of June).  My first 20 birthdays fell on Republic Day in South Africa until the day was abolished in 1994, when South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations.  Anyhow, having a day at home was fabulous with a lot of party arrangements still to be made.  Caleb and Aaron busied themselves with making a scarecrow for Saturday's hoedown.  The end result will be revealed at the party :)

Crackin' up

After another wonderful church service and fellowship lunch, we called in at Luke and Sharon for a cup of tea - and to have a look around their new house, following a move from Ashburton a few weeks ago. The Upfold family is already quite dear to us and it is a joy to fellowship together.

Their second-oldest son, Callum, is brilliant with his hands - in the photo above Nick is examining a bow, which he looked at after the electric guitar Callum made, and below is a whip - painstakingly hand-braided and sounding terrifyingly like a gunshot when cracked. 

Life begins at...

Beautiful day for a shift to Fairlie for Elijah and Rosanna today. Technically the move is tomorrow, but today was the day of emptying the house, loading up trailers, and final cleaning.

 Jobs were found for all willing hands...even gloved hands, scrubbing oven racks.

Today also happened to be my 40th birthday.  We went out for lunch at Sukothai, a gorgeous Thai restaurant on the main street in town.  In the evening we organized a small gathering to watch a follow-up movie after "Saving Mr Banks" a few weeks ago.  No prizes for guessing what this one was!  Next Saturday is the big hoe-down, so today was intentionally casual.  Still a great day though and I have been so spoiled and blessed.

Repent and be baptised

Praise the Lord for another baptismal service today, in which four candidates went through the waters.  Jacques, Ina, Gerda and Justus have all submitted themselves in obedience to the Lord's command and example to be baptised as believers by immersion. 

Another bundle of/for Joy!

 Baby shower day again - a huge blessing to be welcoming new little ones into our family.  Today was Joy's turn to be spoiled and pampered...

 Graham high-tailed it out of there as quickly as possible...

 ...not even blue juice could entice him to stay.

 The ladies had a jolly afternoon of chatting...

 ...and a few silly games to play, getting the brain matter going...

 ...along with some physical 'pass the dummy' activity...

 ...and then there were presents to be opened...

 ...and more fun while Lydia and Kem diapered a teddy blindfolded.

 Bronwyn was actually not working on her baby skills here, as she's already a fab surrogate granny...no no, she is a covert chicken-whisperer!

Thanks Mum

Mother's Day - Nick and the boys spent the day making sure I was happy and looked after :) We took our Chinese takeaways to Liz and Graham and enjoyed a shared lunch in the sunshine along with Simon and Monique and their three lovely girls - more about them in future posts, I'm sure!  Since the Clevely boys were so eager to please today, I snared the opportunity for a photo.  I suspect that next Mother's Day at least one boy will be taller than his mother.

Work and play

Saturdays, when Nick is home, are great family chore days (other days, when Nick is out doing other stuff, we just do boring inside housework things).   The boys got involved outside in the garden, helping with clearing away branch cuttings, and chainsawing (yikes) some trees which needed trimming.  We like to acknowledge their hard work with reward (not the other way around, bribing to incentivise), so surprised them with a trip to the BMX track at Centennial Park in the afternoon.

Crafty Mining

The new term begins!  After finally adjusting to the luxury of sleeping in during the holidays it was time to get back to 6 am alarms and early mornings.  Alarms work better when you remember to set them though, which I didn't.  7.10 rolled around and I guess by then I had slept enough.  Had a bit of panic; good thing the boys' lunches were already wrapped in tinfoil and ready for the piewarmer!

Monday is Minecraft day for the boys - half an hour each.  I agreed to play a game (more for their amusement than mine) - a quick crash course over breakfast was about all I needed to get the basic movements down.  It was kind of fun and I can see the attraction.  Apparently Minecraft is quite educational for this age group and is even being used in some schools as a learning tool, as it incorporates geography, creativity, strategy and a whole bunch of other good stuff.  I wouldn't take it that far though - it certainly won't feature in next year's homeschool curriculum. 

Busy Household

Church today was such a celebration as we received Graham and Liz into membership, and so quickly that there was barely time to photograph the shaking of hands.  They've been with us for a few years, and have now made their commitment to the family 'official'!

We also had the first of two baptismal services, with Nic Lotz and Madre de Beer giving glory to God for His grace and their salvation. 

Baptisms are a family occasion as we witness the candidate's outward testimony of their spiritual death and resurrection with Christ.  We always encourage people to gather around and watch, rather than sitting formally in their pews - it's generally only the kids who are brave enough to come closer!

Being the first Sunday of the month we also shared the Lord's Supper, and had a fellowship lunch together. Such hearty fare, spiritually and literally!