Lunar Eclipse...

We stayed up late to witness the spectacular lunar eclipse from our back garden on Thursday, 27th August. It was well-worth the late night, and a great reminder of how big God truly is! 

Enjoy the photos of the lunar eclipse's progression below. :)

An almost-full moon just before the eclipse started.

Getting closer...

Blood red moon - the dusty red colour is caused by the earth's shadow on the surface of the moon.

Last Days of Summer...

We managed to do a couple of outdoor summer activities during the last days of August. We visited Belle Isle for another beach breakfast. The children loved swimming in the river, while Candace and I enjoyed walking along the beach. 

The next week we took advantage of Turtle Cove Aquatic Centre's reduced evening rates. This waterpark is located in the Lower Huron Metropark and is a lovely place to relax, especially on a weekday evening, when it's not too busy.

We've really enjoyed this summer in Michigan!

Paddleboarders on the Detroit River.

Gifts from South Africa...

We received some amazing gifts in the mail last month. They included gifts from my parents, 3D-printed keyrings, bookmarks, and decorations from my brother, and jewellery, coasters, a Cape Town hat, and another awesome puzzle from my sister. Thanks, Cape Town family!

Eliza was so excited.

And here is Anya with her collection of presents.

My new hat, 3D-printed Springbok keyring and Table Mountain scene, and a fun SA puzzle.

The completed puzzle from Debbie. :)

Swallowtail Transformation...

I was walking in the back garden early one morning, and I noticed that one of the butterfly chrysalises had hatched into this beautiful eastern black swallowtail! It even let me carry it from the butterfly cage to a flower, as it was rather shy of flying. :)

Eastern black swallowtail caterpillar on dill, one of its host plants.

Delicately perched on my fingers.

I left it on a milkweed flower, where it could prepare for flight.

Family Zoom Meeting...

My parents recently visited my sister and her family in Scotland. I was able to join a Zoom call with my other siblings, where my Dad shared about Tristan da Cunha and his "Potato Stamp" postal history exhibit. Although I missed most of the presentation itself, it was great to see the whole family on one screen, spread out over three continents! My Mom is on the left and my Dad is on the right in this screenshot here. :)

Cleaning the Planet...

The girls are making us so proud. They wanted a trash grabber tool so that they can make our neighbourhood a little bit cleaner. On a couple of our family walks, they've already picked up a lot of litter from the roadside! It's so important to keep the planet clean and even if our efforts don't seem to be making a huge difference, every bit counts. :)

Like Peas in a Pod...

Our garden has blessed us with plenty of tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers this season. The children saw these baby tomatoes and quickly declared, "Why, they're just like peas in a pod!"

We've enjoyed daily meals with at least one fruit or vegetable from our garden, and my favourite is the cucumbers. Sliced cucumbers on toast with a little bit of mayonnaise is the best! 

The one thing about the cucumbers is that they're very good at hiding. We found an absolute monster cucumber hidden by all the leaves at the back.   

It's longer and thicker than Riaan's arm!