Amazing Quilt...

My wife is a very talented quilter - as I've highlighted before. I'm amazed by her intricate attention to detail and how she turns random bits of fabric into works of art. She's hoping to start selling some of her arts and crafts and I am fully supportive of this idea! Here's another one of her wonderful quilt creations. I'm a very proud husband. :)

A close-up of the pattern.

Dusting of Snow...

We haven't had much snow in southern Indiana this winter. However, there have been a couple of days in the last few weeks that have brought a light dusting of snow. The kiddos have loved watching the snow fall - even if it doesn't turn out to be much in terms of accumulation. :)

Castle Fun...

We finished up the cardboard castle kit (that we started back on New Year's Day) last week. It's a lot larger than we expected and took many hours of cutting and gluing! But it was good fun and Riaan loves it! :)

Putting the little figures around the castle.

The well and kitchen inside the castle walls.

 

Castle hoardings along the one section of wall.

The gatehouse - including drawbridge and portcullis! :)

Puzzle Fun...

Candace found this awesome 1,000-piece underwater-themed puzzle at a Thrift Store recently. It's always a little bit risky buying a second-hand puzzle, but it kept us occupied for hours and was 100% complete! :)

Getting started with the side pieces.

Slowly making progress.

Almost complete!

The finished puzzle. :)

Delicious Meals...

We're trying to eat a little bit healthier in this New Year, and here are a couple of our yummy meals that we've enjoyed. This here is Mediterranean baked sweet potato, and below is fish on rice with a salad. No surprise that Candace made the sweet potato dish and I made the somewhat easier fish dish!  

Fish on rice with a side salad.

Sorting and Organising...

We recently sorted and organised several boxes which were under the bed in our spare room, and which have been boxed up for at least five years. There are paintings from my High School days, as well as various Mercy Ships and Tristan da Cunha souvenirs. 

I put up some number plates from my time with Mercy Ships. AFM-912 was my favourite Nissan Patrol ship vehicle, and the other plates were from Land Rover Defender ship vehicles. A few days later we put up some Tristan da Cunha paintings and a Tristan da Cunha number plate, too. We're very happy with how things are looking now!

A sketch of Candace and Riaan done by a good friend in the UK back in 2017.

Our Mercy Ships wall. :)

Tristan da Cunha paintings by the talented island artist, Jimmy Rogers, and the Tristan number plate.

View looking down the passageway.

New Year's Day 2021...

All was quiet on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day for us here in southern Indiana this year. Candace and I saw in the New Year after putting the kiddos to bed, and we then had a pretty relaxing first day of 2021. Riaan and I started building a cardboard castle kit during the day and we all went for a brief walk in the crisp winter weather in the early evening. :)

Riaan and I with the castle book. My Mom brought it over on one of her visits to Indiana.

Making progress on the model. :)

On our walk later on New Year's Day.

Yummy lasagna for supper!

Evening snuggles before bed time!

Sweet Anya Joy...

I captured our new daughter's sweet personality in this photo. She's so cute!

Christmas Day 2020...

We spent Christmas Day bundled up indoors, as it was far too cold to venture out to any exciting places or State Parks, like we did last year. We read the Nativity story, thanked Jesus for his faithfulness this past year, and opened presents and played games and had a pretty relaxing day! :)

Eliza opens presents on the couch.

Riaan explores the contents of his stocking.

Candace made both Riaan and Eliza new African blankets with her material. :)

Riaan and Rusty snuggling me. :)

Christmas Eve 2020...

Our traditional family Christmas Eve dinner was held as usual this year. This year we celebrated as a family of five and shared a lovely meal together, complete with roast chicken and stuffing, roast veggies and gravy, and Christmas pudding with mince pies and brandy butter! We even had the traditional Christmas crackers on the table. It was a really fun night and the kiddos especially enjoyed it! :)

We've also done various fun activities over the holidays for the kiddos, including decorating a gingerbread house. Despite all the challenges of 2020, the festive season felt relatively normal for us here in southern Indiana.

 

Some of our Christmas cards we received this year.

 

Candace and the kiddos work on the gingerbread house.

Sweet Anya Joy.

(Fruit) Mince pies - yum!

No, this isn't our Christmas turkey. It's the top of one of our old carrots!

Our yummy spread.

The kiddos tuck in to their Christmas Eve dinner.

Opening a couple of presents - books. :)

Lighting the pudding. :)

Christmas pudding and brandy butter.

Christmas Star...

We made sure to witness the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, also known as the Christmas Star, on Monday, 21st December. It was awesome to see these two planets in such close proximity to each other (through the naked eye, at least) and it was a stunning reminder of how:

 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.                                                                             

 (Psalm 19: 1 - 2 NIV)

Jupiter is to the left and Saturn - with its ring just visible - is to the right.

Five Years...

Tuesday, December 15th, marked five years since Candace suffered her postpartum haemorrhage and nearly died. Her story is shared in two parts here and here. We are thankful to God for the paramedics, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers who saved her life during those turbulent hours back on a cold winter's morning in 2015. We had a pretty quiet day, but Candace did receive flowers from me and a good friend in New Jersey (at right), as well as several other surprises throughout the day! So thankful!

The flowers I gave Candace. :)