"I Go Africa!"

This little girl, with the hair-ballies (as we call them) and the Ivorian heritage, kept singing out all morning, "I go Africa!" We'd told her during her bathtime that we were going to see lions and zebras that day at African Lion Safari and our excitement bolstered hers. It was a zoo of crazy, noisy, elated kids in my kitchen as I wrangled water bottles and snacks for the ride. Mama, who began this tradition when my sisters and I were young, came along for a nostalgic adventure and, for some kid-loving :)

So we "go Africa" as a reward for the end of our unit (still enjoying some learning but finishing up). It just seemed like the perfect day to get a wee taste of the savanna and rainforests of that great continent. So very thankful for how God opened our eyes this year to the vast and intricately woven tapestry that is Africa.

100 Years of Beautiful

She's a little package of beautiful and she just turned one hundred years old.

We celebrated Oma's birthday as a family and it was nothing less than sentimental and lovely. She sipped tea while we all watched a pre-recorded interview with her on the big screen as she shared her answers to the many questions her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren had prepared. She told of her faith--that she hoped was still getting stronger. She recounted memories to the camera of the Dutch Liberation in Holland. She was asked about her thoughts on heaven and her favourite colour. Her thick, Dutch accent is a quality that rang in my ears as a sweet instrument that evening. Maria Dam's children sang and so did her grands and greats. We each held battery-operated candles in the dark and chimed in together for "Happy Birthday". At the end of the night, we all moseyed outside to watch the surprise fireworks display. It was a true symbol of the bursting joy I felt to be connected to her life lived well.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 100th birthday, Oma! We love you very much! May the Lord bless you richly as you serve Him for as long as He allows you to be ours.