Not a lamborghini......... ....but when you've been borrowing your mum's car like a teenager for 4 months because your own car is a health risk and doesn't work uphill...it is so liberating to get a one year old car that is the shiniest newest we've ever had. No MOT (vehicle inspection) for 2 years - who knew? Here is our new and improved Zafira - watch out Royal Deeside - here we come!
JR

Quick, here comes our bus!

The Vandewiel Family Reunion

This is for the benefit of friends who have not attended the family reunion.
Starting ceremony, for the 185 people in attendance. Crier, Mounty, Rasing the flag, Singing O Canada.
Crowds of people, families divided into colour groups. The Rita and Aubrey crew are in purple. This is the start of the talent show, Saturday evening, after the Amazing Race game, auction, sausage and pasta salad supper, but before the barn dancing and bonfires.

A close-up of one the acts in the talent show. Second cousins becoming fast friends.

Some worn-out purple crew people. Sunday they were entertained with marshmallow golf competitions, fried egg in a bun breakfast, non-stop coffee and McDonald's juice, hay rides through Opa's old pastures, petting all the animals on the farm and cooling off in the little kids' pool. The die-hards stayed in the afternoon, set up a big screen in the barn and got all decked out in orange to watch Holland lose the World Cup to Spain.

The more sensible among us headed off just after lunch, saying goodbye to cousins, aunts, uncles, Omas and Opas, a crew of relatives from Holland (first cousins once removed?), hoping to meet again in two years' time. Whew!

Handfuls

Strangers often pass me in the street and say, "You've got your hands full!" They never offer to take anyone off my hands though. We are back home and I am missing all those helpful and playful hands that made our vacation in NS so great for us and for the girls. As a one-mum entertainer in the summer holidays, I ain't as much fun.

Anyway, here are a couple of handfuls of pictures from the last few weeks.