SPX Youth Hike

So I'm helping out at my church youth club and decided we needed some social activities to get the spirit moving, so to speak. So I took the Youth Club on a hike up table mountain during the school holidays. There were about 14 of us in total, including Big Dave and his friend Pickle.

Charles, as in Father Charles, came along too, a bit worried about his fitness.
It wasn't long before he nedded a nap.

They're quite a fun crowd. Young. Demanding at times, but fun.
So many girls though.

The view from our first main rest spot.

We took the jeep track up cos it isn't too hectic. These okes just look like they're on a Sunday stroll.

Then at the top, we had a water stop and time for a few photos.

On the road again...

And another break (are you seeing a pattern)
This was our lunch break - on the dam wall at the top of the mountain.



Looking back at one of the dams. Charles dammit, stop ruining my photo.



Then, if you thought going up was tough, well, going down is even harder...

At the top of Nursery Ravine.

View from the top.

Down, down, down.

It's fun to stay at the... Y M C A !

Another break.

And safely at the bottom, resting the legs in Kirstenbosch Gardens.

All in all, a good day out.

Cath birthday

Happy birthday to Cath, happy birthday to Cath, happy birthday
dear Caaaaath, happy birthday to Cath.



The lucky lady got breakfast in bed on her big day - her crown birthday nogal.
I can not take credit for this, it was all Big dave's work.

The day was pretty cool, don't ask me what we did, it is already a week ago and I can't even remember what we did on the weekend. However as it fell on a Monday, it was my day off so we got to chill out together.

Later that eve... surprise!
Cath was all ready to go out for supper (and looked fabulous I might add) when 20 people rocked up at our place armed with pizza toppings and puddings. Mmm, puddings I hear you say, what could be better?
Well for Cath, nothing.



Milling round the kitchen. I tried to get them to filter through to the lounge but I think they wanted to have first crack at the pizzas - greedy buggers!

Working hard creating the food.

Chilling in the lounge.

As I said to the others, it's wat easier for us to host as opposed to go out. So it was awesome to have them all round.

World's cutest baby...

Emma is now smiling more and more often now... sometimes even in her sleep.
She actually kninda smiles when she has to get rid of a burp, so that's what this could have been. But I prefer to think of it as a smile.

You can actually see Cath's smile from seeing her smile too.

Graceful sleeper, just like her mom.

The top says 100% cute but it's a lie - it's 110%.

We've been given so many clothes by so many people - we've been so spoilt - that I have no idea who gave us this top. But it's really quite cool.

Beddy turns 21

The little bugger that used to hang around a knee level has turned 21.
As if I diodn't feel old enough already.



Beddy does the unprepared speech thing.



Stevie is spellbound by Beddy.

And ten minutes later, by something else.

Naughty, naughty Stevie.

Shortly before this photo was taken, I asked Rory to indicate how many push-ups he can do these days. One is good Rory. Keep trying

Rory and Fr Charles.

And yours truly with Father.

A few more baby pics

Granny has been a star, helping out here and there - with babysitting, a helping hand, a 'let me hold her now (and give you a break) or just a batch of cookies.

This one just makes my heart melt. The tear running down the side of the face. Shame man, she gets so worked up and it kills me when I can't calm her (quickly enough).

But then a few minutes later it's all okay again and she's happy as can be and cute enough to eat.




Dad doing the 'put the screamer to sleep' thing. Getting lots of singing practice these days.

A few random pics

Okay, this was a picture in the local paper - for those wondering how Cape Town's World Cup stadium is coming along.

It's a beauty. I went past it the other day and it looks stunning.

We take rugga quite seriously in South Africa - but not just at the ground or at the pub.
Rory's parents'place is the spot of choice for about 20 of us come Saturdays - a projector puts the game on the wall for us and we watch in a fantastic environment.

Notice Cath trying to shield little Emma from the cheer of the crowd here.

Alas, my slippers have their best days behind them, but I had to take a piccie to remember them by. They were so apt (for those that can't see, they say 'Mr perfect').




Now up at the Heany castle, I have to feed the dogs. This is shadow, who sometimes likes to lie down to eat with a paw on either side of his bowl. He's so cute.

baby bits n bobs

So we moved up to the Heany castle - we have the East wing to ourselves and our baby - and it was a bit of a mission with all the boxes, etc.

And guess what - we have to do it all again cos we'll be moving into our own place (hopefully) within the next six months.

Needless-to-say, the place was a mess for quite a whilew and we took about a month to come right.

Little Emma having a bath...

And cath wakes emma up. Or prepares to pick her

up after Emma wakes up cath is more like it.

Who couldn't love this face?

I dropped the baby!

It had to happen sometime.

I dropped the baby.
Yes, it's true, I dropped the baby.

Whether she landed on her head or not I actually dont know as I was seeing a few stars of my own at the time. How did this come about? Let me tell you....

You know those balls - the big gym ones - well they're a godsend.

Emma loves it when you sit on one and bounce slightly. It puts her to sleep like nothing else.

Well our ball got a slow puncture a while back and after missing out on our easy method of putting the baby to sleep, I was desperate. I went to the petrol station, pumped it up and found the puncture. Then I fixed it using my bicycle repair kit. For three days it was fine. Then, yesterday, I was sitting on the ball at about 4 in the afternoon. I had got the baby to stop crying, her eyes had been closed for a few minutes and I was thinking of standing up and putting her in the cot, itself a battle to keep her asleep.

But before I stood up, the bubble burst. Not the bubble so much as the ball actually.

And in retrospect, I actually had a warning. In one of those strange ways in which you realise afterwards that something was wrong, I realised I had heard the sound of escaping air just a few seconds before.

Of course, at the time, it was such a soft sound that I didn't even take notice until I was arse-up and the baby was on the floor.

The ball is probably about 60cm high so from that height, I fell straight down and backwards, giving myself an arse-jolt of note and cracking my head on the chest-of-drawers behind.

Of course, I'm sure you're all worried about my health more than the baby but I'd better tell you about her too.

Milli-seconds after hitting my head, my bulging, muscular torso was propelled forward, and my huge cyclist's knees were propelled up in a sit-up crunch-like motion, kinda forcing the baby out of the gap like heat seeking missile aimed at the sun.

Emma Heany said it must have felt like an airbag for her, what with her being forced against my tummy but I think that is neither funny nor very nice.

Anyway, as i was sitting at the time she was dropped and the floor was carpetted, she didn't fall far, but she barrel-rolled three times before coming to a stop.

I'd like to say it happened in slow-motion but in truth, it was over almost before it began.

Having stopped on the floor, and not-surprisingly woken up.

She took a few seconds, no-doubt sucking up her breath, before releasing her usual scream.

She calmed down within a few weeks and seems totally fine now though. My bum is still sore.

Whew. Not a lekker experience seeing your child fly.

we're getting there

Pictures of the young one will be added soon.

Sorry it has taken me so long, but as I've mentioned,
we've moved house as of the start of the month and
we're still getting ourselves together up at the Heany house.

She's cuter than ever so brace yourself.

Those of you in Cape Town, ready yourself for a party at the Heany house soon.