Summary of the last 2 months: MARYLAND

Luke, Mary, Thomas

In May we drove out to Maryland. Rob had 2 weeks of army training in Virginia and so I stayed with Greg and Kristin. The trip out there was a bit of a nightmare because the boys just wanted to get out of their car seats all of the time. At least we stopped for 36 hours in Michigan to see Rob's grandfather. The boys enjoyed not being in the car for a while.

Seeing all the cousins together was fun, although kind of exhausting at the same time. Kristin helped out so much with the twins and gave me a nice break which I REALLY appreciated.

At Vaccarro's

Rob came up to Maryland on the Friday and we went out. That was probably one of my best dates ever. We went to Vaccarro's in Little Italy, in downtown Baltimore. All I can say is YUM! We ordered a large Belgian waffle, topped with 8 scoops of gelato, smothered in cream, chocolate fudge sauce, and nuts. It was too large for both Rob and I to finish, although we definitely tried.

We then walked around Little Italy and took photos. At one point Rob was a few yards in front of me and two men started talking to me. They asked where I was from and when I said South Africa, they started asking tons of questions about it. Rob then walked over and pretended to have a South African accent and they were totally fooled thinking we were just some tourists. It was really funny. Rob and I then walked up to Federal Hill and sat on a bench looking out at the pretty view of Baltimore, all lit up. It was a really fun night.

Baltimore

At the BBQ

The next day we drove out to Shrewbury Pennsylvania and had a barbeque with Rob's family. Sunday we just hung out at Greg and Kirstin's home. In the evening Rob headed back to Virginia.


The following week was a bit crazy because Kristin got a stomach bug, I got some crazy sinus infection and had go on antibiotics and then I think I got the stomach bug for 24 hours. So, for most of the week Kristin and I lay on the couches and felt so sick. My morning sickness had also just begun so I just felt terrible.

Mary, Luke, Thomas, and Seth

Thursday afternoon Rob returned and early Friday morning we headed out to Ocean City and spent the day on the beach. Lots of fun. We then left for Utah on Sunday morning and traveled for 36 hours to get back to Provo. The boys were out of control and I vowed not to drive across the country with them for a LONG time.

Thomas and Luke in Seth's Jeep

Thomas, Seth, and Luke

South Africa

On the day before Thanksgiving we drove from Utah to Cassopolis, Michigan where Rob's grandfather and wife live. We arrived about 20 hours later, exhausted. Rob did all the driving and I looked after the kids. When we got to the house we just relaxed and then hit the sack pretty early. Then early on the Saturday morning we left and drove to Baltimore and arrived at Greg and Kristin's house after about 12 hours. It was so good to see them again. By the time we arrived though Thomas has croup. I was really worried about him, but luckily with Greg being a doctor we had a professional keeping an eye on him. Over the next few days we visited with them as well as Rob's family. Sometime while we were in Baltimore, Thomas developed conjunctivitis. Then Luke got sick with a cold and conjunctivitis and Rob and I got the adult version on croup. Anyway, we flew to South Africa and the boys cried for about 13 of the 16 hours. Fortunately we had one extra seat beside us and so either Luke or Thomas would lie down for part of the way while the other cried. I think that they were tired and struggled to sleep while not lying down and their sicknesses probably made them feel worse. So after that hellish flight we eventually landed in Johannesburg.

The next day was Sunday and because we were all sick we just went to Sacrament Meeting. It was so strange being back but cool to see people I hadn't seen in a long time. Over the next few days we mostly just relaxed by the pool and took care of some errands, such as closing my bank account, and so on. It was really nice and relaxing. I loved seeing my mom and grandparents again. I loved the heat! Sometime while we were there I got conjunctivitis too and I had developed a bad chest infection, so I went to the doctor and got onto a couple antibiotics. Rob, Gramps, and I did go to the Rhino and Lion park and that was fun too.

Springboks

About to be bitten by the little critter!

Some friendly Zebras

I love the African grasslands

On the Thursday we headed down to Cape Town and Andrew and my dad picked us up from the airport. Some of the things we did: went to Llandudno beach a few times, went to Camps Bay beach, sat on Hout Bay beach eating Thai food, went to Moyo and ate in a tree house, saw a few friends (sadly not all of them due to lack of time), swam in my dad's pool, spent a few days in the Cederberg, Rob hiked up Table mountain, walked around Groot Constantia, ate at the Waterfront, and went to Chris' graduation. There are tons of other things I wish we could have done/seen, but it is hard travelling with 7 month old babies who don't sleep just anywhere and get so grumpy without their naps.

Luke at Llandudno Beach

Thomas as Llandudno Beach

Thomas and Luke

At the Waterfront with Table Mountain in the background

Thomas copying my father

What to do when you don't have your stroller at the grocery store

At Groot Constantia

Chris and Luke

Andrew

After two weeks we headed back to Johannesburg and spent Christmas there. Christmas eve we had a wonderful dinner at Martin and Cicely's place and then on Christmas mom made a delicious Christmas lunch. In the afternoon we headed back home. I hate saying goodbye! The plane ride home was awesome though because it was almost empty and we had 4 seats each - so we slept most of the way home.

We then had a big Christmas meal at Rob's mom's place and all of his family came round. That was nice. After spending the next day with Greg and Kristin and the day after that with some of Rob's family, we headed home. Rob again drove all the way. We were so grateful to be home. Travelling is fun, but it is also nice to be in your own home again afterwards.

Trip to Baltimore

Last Thursday Rob and I flew to Baltimore for five days to see family.

It really was a lot of fun! We spent the first while at Greg and Kristin. It was great seeing them and Seth again. Since we arrived in the middle of the night we first saw Seth when he woke up Friday morning. We gave him his presents but he was much more interested in giving me presents! These presents consisted of random toys he had. We also read books together and he and Rob had a sword fight. He really is fond of Rob!

The funniest thing happened though. The whole time Seth was stinking up the place and I repeatedly asked him if he needed to use the bathroom. He kept saying no. At one point while we were sitting reading a few of his books, he jumped up and yelled, "I need the potty!" He ran downstairs, where his potty is usually kept, but it had been moved because that is where Rob and I were staying. He ran back upstairs and screamed, "Where's my potty?" I told him it's in the bathroom and once he went into the bathroom we didn't hear a sound for a while. After about 2 minutes we hear, "Rob, can you come wipe me?" I started to laugh so hard. Rob didn't mind at all though. But, as soon as Seth was clean, he ran out the bathroom. Rob was dying from the smell and so asked Seth what was to be done with the potty deposits. Seth shrugged and ran off. So, Rob tried to figure out how to remove the bottom part but in his attempt spilled poo and wee all over his arm. So funny!!!

Around 4pm Rob's paternal grandmother, known as Mawmaw, came to pick us up. We had the most delicious pot roast for dinner - it was incredible! That night it began to snow. Usually Baltimore doesn't get too much snow. Well, the next morning there was about a foot of snow on the ground. Jesse's family Christmas party was planned for Saturday but it got moved to Sunday afternoon. The blizzard continued and so we just hung out with Mawmaw - everyone was encouraged to stay at home and off the roads. By the evening there was 2,5 feet of snow on the ground. Rob went out in the middle of the afternoon and began shoveling the snow around his grandmother's car.

Finally on Sunday morning it had stopped snowing. Church throughout Maryland had been cancelled. So we went to Jesse's house to help out prepare for her Christmas party. I also looked after Anthony (Jesse's 3 month old baby) Between 1 and 2pm everyone started arriving. We had a delicious lunch (pork loin and stuffing) and then everyone handed out gifts. I continued to play with Anthony. What a good baby!! He didn't cry once.

That evening (Sunday night) we drove to Shrewsbury, PA

to stay the night with Mommom, Rob's maternal grandmother. That was fun. I was really quite tired though! The next day (Monday) we drove back to Maryland and visited with the mother of one of Rob's high school friends. His friend didn't make it from Connecticut because of the snow. We then went to Greg and Kristin's house. We chatted to Kristin and played with Seth. Greg came home from work around 6pm and we then went out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory - I'd been wanting to go there for forever and finally we got to go. It was yummy! That night Mary (Kristin's mom) came over and brought us a gift for the baby, which was very kind of her.

Then on Tuesday morning we just hung out at the house, playing with Seth and chatting to Kristin. We did scripture study together. We waited for Rob to get out of the shower. When he came through to the living room Kristin said to Seth, who was sitting next to me: "Why don't you let Rob sit next to Nicky?" He said no. So Rob jokingly said, "That's ok, in a couple hours when we leave she'll be all mine." Seth then said, "No, she's mine!" Rob then replied, "She's mine!" Seth continued to say, "No! She is mine!" This went back and forth for a while which was amusing to all - even Seth thought it was funny. He then looked at Rob and said, "I'm going to keep her!!" We all started laughing. He is such a cute little boy! After scripture study he pretended to read and made up various verses in the scriptures which was really cute.

We then left and arrived back in Utah around 8pm. It was snowing....AGAIN! Rob hadn't shaved since we left Utah last week and was growing a beard. But, this morning he felt it was too irritating so he shaved it off.

North Carolina (May 2009)

After my trip to NYC I flew straight to Raleigh, North Carolina to meet Rob who had been there for 2 months. It was so wonderful seeing him again. During the month of May we stayed with his uncle and aunt in Wake Forest. It is such a beautiful area. There is a large lake (although man-made, you'd never guess) and thousands of trees everywhere. My first day there we went to the beach in Wilmington, about a 2 hour drive from Wake Forest. We got there really early, hoping to catch the sunrise, but the sun had risen just before we got there. It was really windy and the water was cold, although I did run in - it had been too long since I'd been at the beach.

It was a pretty relaxing month though - we cycled, we went to the gym, we helped in the garden, I worked on family history, we watched movies, we went swimming in the nearby lake, we went running, and we took a trip to Baltimore so I could meet Rob's family and see Greg, Kristin, and Seth. While in Baltimore, we went to the zoo which was fun and also went for a nice walk with Greg and family. It was a delight seeing Seth again. We also spent a couple days in Pennsylvania, visiting some of Rob's family. I don't recall doing much else. Just relaxing and enjoying time with Rob.

Just before I arrived in NC, Rob began to realize he didn't want to be in roofing and we began talking about options. He did some research into various careers and decided it would be good for him to get a masters and perhaps a doctorate as well. He has always loved the idea of teaching computer science, but teaching at a high school would not allow him to earn enough to support a family. But, he realized that if he became a university professor he could still teach and earn more. So, he applied to BYU and we began looking into moving back to Provo. I was happy about that because Provo was the place I felt most at home. I could also continue my studies at BYU which would be easier than doing them from a distance.

Christmas in Baltimore, Maryland

On Friday the 19th I flew out of SLC to come to visit Greg, Kristin, and Seth in Baltimore. The flight was a little crazy. Just before we were about to take-off, the captain said that we would be experiencing some turbulance. Well, as we took off the plane was bouncing around in the air like a crazy chicken trying to fly. I began to feel sick and wondered if I'd survive, but fortunately I did. :)

It was awesome to see Greg again because I hadn't seen him since February. It was also cool to catch up with Kristin again. Seth is so cute: he was so excited to see me he ran round and round in circles, throwing toys around. I laughed so hard. At night we read stories together before he goes to bed, we sing, and then he says: "Tuddle me, Nittee. Tuddle me." The other day we were all just sitting in the lounge just doing our own thing and suddenly he says to everyone: "I yuv Nittee! I yuv her so much!" (yuv = how Seth pronounces love) I just smiled and told him I loved him back. He then said: "Nittee so pretty!" I couldn't believe he was saying these things. So cute!!!

Two days after I arrived we were going to church and as I walked out the front door, I didn't realize that there was a thin layer of ice everywhere, so I slipped and felt face foward down the stairs. I hurt my hand a little and was in shock so I just lay there for a moment. Kristin screamed to Greg to come and he came running out, slipping on the ice, he also fell down the stairs but his foot shot out and kicked me in the eye. So, within minutes my eye swelled up and by the next morning it was blue. I thought it was the funniest thing ever. Poor Greg felt really bad.

Since I arrived all I heard from Seth was that he wanted a skateboard, so while in the toystore with Greg I bought him a skateboard for Christmas. I was so excited to give it to him. So, finally Christmas day came and I got to give him his gift. He was over the moon and gave me a big kiss. He has played on it all day every day since then. Definitely a good gift for him!

On Christmas, Kristin's family came over for brunch. In the afternoon we played UNO and Settler's of Catan. In the evening we went to Kristin's uncle's home (Mary's brother) for Christmas dinner - loads of Kristin's cousins were there.

The day after Christmas we and Kristin's family drove 4 hours to the Wisp resort. It was a long drive especially since Seth wasn't in a very good mood. :) When we got there we hired some snowboards and hit the slopes. Kristin's brothers, Nick and John, went immediately to the blue slopes but since I had never done it before I stuck to the bunny slope. But, eventually I felt like I had finally got it and so I fell less and enjoyed it more. I had some pretty spectacular falls though!! That night we went out to eat at the resort restaurant. The food was pretty good. Nick and I each ordered something, then cut it in half and swapped. That was cool! That night as I fell asleep I could feel my body still snowboarding.

The next day I woke up so stiff. I could hardly move properly. We went tubing for 2 hours - I loved it! At first I was a little nervous but really began to enjoy it. I could have done it for more than 2 hours. I kind of wanted to snowboard again, but my body was just too sore and tired. Instead we went a couple times on the snow coaster which was awesome. It went incredibly fast.

Today Kristin, Ray (Kristin's dad) and I went to Washington DC. That was a lot of fun! I really like that city - well, the part I saw, at least. It is just so pretty. I loved the architecture and all the memorials. So pretty! I definitely need to go back at some point and see more. I saw a lot but only really scratched the surface because you could spend weeks there and not get bored.

Another place Kristin took me too was Ellicott City. That was a small little historical town. I had the most amazing hot chocolate there!! Here is a picture of Seth and I in the little restaurant where we had hot chocolate.

Walk in the canyon

Today was Kristin and Seth's last day in Utah. So, we took a walk up in the canyon - it was really pretty. Here are some photos:

Squaw Peak and Rock Canyon

Kristin and me

Seth giving me a kiss

Des, Kristin, Seth, Valerie, Marianne, Kelly, and Grace

Snow in the mountains - winter is on it's way!!!

Chris' poem

This morning Chris sent me a poem he wrote that gives him inspiration while on his mission. I like it a lot! :)

The alarm clock buzzer sounded, I couldn’t believe my ears.
I felt like I had had no rest, like I hadn’t slept in years.
My entire body ached, my muscles stiff and sore,
We’d done a lot of walking in the weeks and days before.

I lay in bed a few more minutes, my companion let out a groan.
“Is it six-thirty already?” was his only feeble moan.
I stumbled out of bed but my mind was far away,
I took a shower, ate some food, but didn’t think to pray.

We left the flat and went to work, we tracted that whole day,
My hands were sore and I thought to myself “This is all work and no play!”
At the end of the day we still walked an hour to reach the boarding door.
With searing heat and blistered feet I didn’t want to walk anymore.

Before I went to sleep that night I knelt down prayerfully.
“Dear Father help me to love the work and do it joyfully.
We tracted this whole morning, saw no success all day,
I’m really discouraged, I’m really tired, that’s all I have to say.”

I got off my knees and rolled into bed, the sleep came fast and quick.
The heat and sweat enveloped me, I fell asleep in a tick.
When all of a sudden I was in a field, a place so strange to me,
Up on a hill with grass and trees, looking out right over the sea.

I saw a man who was under a tree, he was not too far away.
I wondered who was over there; I walked over to where He lay.
He saw me come and rose to His feet; I recognized His face so mild.
It was the Saviour who was relaxing there, waiting for me for a while.

We embraced as we met and I fell at His feet, but He lifted me joyfully.
He said to me “Go and do the work our Father has given to thee.”
Then He looked in my eyes, gave me a smile and asked me how do I feel?
But I looked at the ground and said “I’m tired, I think I’ve run out of zeal.”

He said to me “I think I know, what it’s like when you say you’re tired.
I preached many days in anguish of soul to people who thought I was a liar.
I know how you feel when your feet are blistered, when you don’t want to walk anymore,
I walked a thousand miles in desert heat, man but my feet were sore!

“I know what it’s like when your hands are sore; they drove nine-inch nails through mine.
Then they lifted me up upon the cross, you know I was scared to die.
Because I know what it’s like when you feel so lost, like everyone’s forsaken you.
My Father left me alone for a while and I hung there in agony for you.”


He hugged me once more and with tears in my eyes, I watched Him walk from me.
I cried out “Don’t go!” He continued to walk getting further away through the trees.
At a distance He turned and He said once more, those words I shall never forget:
“Elder Burgoyne, lift up your head. Go and do the work our Father has given to thee.”

The alarm clock buzzer sounded, I couldn’t believe my ears.
Was it six-thirty already? I felt like I had slept for years!
I jumped out of bed with zeal in my heart, I shouted “Let’s go do the work!”
I just couldn’t wait to go out and tract, so I ran out to iron my shirt.

My companion looked up and said “Are you mad? What’s got into you today?”
“The Saviour’s Love,” I quickly replied, “There is no time to play!”
Then I turned to him and with tears in my eyes, I said “The Saviour suffered for me.
So I want to go out and do the work that my Father has given to me.”

Seth at BYU

Ottavio's

Kristin took me out to dinner last Saturday at Ottavio's - a great Italian restaurant on Center Street, Provo.

Seth and Kristin come to visit

Seth and Kristin arrived at 11pm on Monday night. I went with Des to the SL airport to fetch them. Seth was so tired he could hardly even keep his eyes open. So in the car he was asleep in no time. It was so cool to catch up with Kristin again.

On Tuesday Des came to pick me up after my classes and we (Des, her girls, Kristin & Seth) went to Spanish Fork where they ride horses. Almost immediately after I got in the car, Seth began talking to me and as he spoke he said my name over and over. I love it because he calls me: Nittee.