B-I-G A-N-N-O-U-N-C-E-M-E-N-T !!!

There are lots of things to share - including many photos - and things are buzzing at the Betts-house... For now, just have a look at these photos - taken last night:

Do I need say more???!!!

In case I do, notice the ring on Nathalie's finger - it's not the typical diamond-ring, but a very special black pearl ring from - - - you guessed it: TAHITI!
More than just 2 people are excited around here at the moment!!

And the date is set for the 5th of December 2009!!!!!!

Just letting you know...

... that I will be off the internet/computer until Sat/Sunday.

Our family was going to go away for a 4-day vacation tomorrow, but due to a combination of bad weather and the death of a lady (my age) from our church that our family is quite close to (her son is one of Jeremie's best friends), we will stay home instead, cuddling up together in the house, playing games, talking, sharing, watching old family videos, eating and who knows what else...
Of course, go to the funeral and be there for the grieving family.

Have a great week!

Today

This morning, we went to Lollipops Playland where Nathalie used to work - a fun place for kids.

Shayden was meeting his biological mother, as he does every 3 months, plus some of his siblings.

This was before they arrived, Shayden LOVES play houses!

Isn't he such a handsome chappy?!!


Sisters enjoying some time "hanging out" with each other

This is the little girl I've been praying for so much - Ali (named after the boxer Muhammed Ali) - Shayden's little 2-month-old sister.

Isn't she adorable?!!!

Social Services have decided to let the mother keep her - - - I've been praying that little Ali will have all her needs met and not need to go through the same trauma as all of her siblings, including Shayden... I used to feel very burdened for her and concerned for her safety. I also did numerous calls to Social Services.

It's now out of my hands (really always has been, but I felt to "speak up for those who can't speak for themselves") and I have come to a place of peace - leaving this precious little girl's life in the hands of the Lord, trusting HIM that HE will protect her from harm and unnecessary trauma - which will definitely need a miracle of God, considering the mom's history and track-record...

Maybe you can pray with me?!

It would be the absolute BEST if she could stay with Mom, so you can pray that God would help her be a good mommy! And that in case that wasn't happening, it would not go unnoticed by social services and Ali could be placed into a loving home (possibly ours, although at the moment I can't imagine having the time and energy for another one)

Nathalie is home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After 7 long months of being gone to places like the USA, Germany, Hungary, Egypt, Israel, Paris and Tahiti - our beloved Nathalie came H-O-M-E last night!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a wonderful and emotional reunion it was! There is sooooooooooo much to share and catch up on!

Lewis, her boyfriend, met her in Tahiti, her last stop of a week+, where she was able to not only see him before everybody else but also show him around the places where she grew up and that she loves so much! They had an amazing time, getting spoiled by so many special friends!

W-E-L-C-O-M-E H-O-M-E, sweetheart! It's soooooooooooo good to have you back home!!!!!!!!!

Jeremie and Leilani painting the welcome home sign

Sitting down for a lasagne-dinner just moments after Nathalie and Lewis arrived.

Can you see Jeremie's excitement?

He really WAS excited - just doesn't show it - hehe

How do you like his new hair-do?

And Kylie prayed last night before going to bed: "Thank you God for bringing Nathalie safely back from all those dangerous places she went to!" Can we say AMEN?!!!

Happy birthday, Leilani!!!!!!!!!

So much has happened since my last post and since I've been battling quite the cold I couldn't make it to bloggy-land:)

Sooo - first things first: Leilani turned 14 on Easter Sunday!!!!!!!!

Enjoy some pics:

sitting on a special chair that Jeremie brought home from youth group a few days before her birthday (they had done a treasure hunt, starting out with a paper clip and going to people's homes, exchanging it for something else and so forth...until being given this chair that ended up at our house - amazing, eh?!!)
Reading the card from her grandma in Germany... and opening her package with some special treats in it for everybody!

the combined gift from everybody - a new cell-phone - - - made HER happy!!!

'lil sis enjoying the special birthday breakfast with coffee-cake, fruit salad and yoghurt

Vacation, fire and fashion...

• Today was the last day of school in the first term of the school year! YAY!!!Starting tonight, we have a little over 2 weeks of school vacation, or holidays, as they say in Kiwi-land. Looking forward to a bit more relaxed schedule and time with Leilani and Kylie - plus Nathalie coming back next week!
  


• Rich JUST made the first fire of the season in our woodburner! COSY! We are so blessed to have wood for just about the whole winter - and all for free!!! Rich and Jeremie (and our tahitian visitors that came) worked hard to get the wood, cut it and chop it into "bite-sized" pieces. We were still missing the kindling wood - until TODAY, when Rich found a carload full at a place that was wanting to get rid of it - for free! Perfect timing! THANk YOU, JESUS!!!
  


• When our family first moved to NZ from the islands, we found the clothes fashion incredibly boring with mostly blacks, greys and blues. A couple of days ago, I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked at Rich and myself: we were both wearing black and grey - - - yikes! What happened?!!! I guess this shows how quickly we adapt to a new culture (it's only been 4 years!). Later on that day, I did put on a very colourful tahitian pareu (cloth wrap used as a skirt) with my black top - MUCH better, if you ask me :)

Some of the l-i-v-i-n-g I've been enjoying...

A wonderfully delicious fruit growing in our garden: Feijoas - I haven't seen them in any other country besides New Zealand - the season is just starting and Kylie is the only one in the family who's had them - she gets them as soon as they are ripe and devours them before anybody else gets a chance at them ... I can't wait to have a taste, too!
We are also blessed with 3 apple trees! They're not very good for eating and full of worms (we were gone on our trip when they should have gotten treated), but they're great for baking - once all the yucky stuff has been removed, 'course!

Beautiful flowers Rich picked for me from our garden! I just HAD to add the pink gift bag with the "baby" on it - - - it was for a baby shower I went to yesterday. There are 4 ladies from the Tauranga House of Prayer who are expecting babies in June/July - and those baby showers are "raining down" :) - FUN!

An outing to the beach a couple of weeks ago with 3 friends from Tahiti that came to visit us for a week

Is that chocolate apple cake yummy or what?!
Jeremie and Leilani playing volleyball with our visitors

Princess posing

Now that it's getting colder, I insist she wears tights to school with her skirt.
She had a hard time with them this morning - she really doesn't like wearing those things at all and would rather be bare-legged and barefoot (is she becoming Kiwi or what?!!).

In her exasperation she exclaimed, "Oh, they're so sluffy!"

Thinking that I hadn't heard right, I asked her to repeat the word.

And yes, I HAD heard right, sluffy, sluffy, sluffy, she kept repeating with the tone of her voice getting ever more intense.

When I questioned her about the meaning of the word sluffy, this was her definition:

"They are hard to put on!"

There you go! Now you know! Ya never stop learning, I tell ya.

Gotta watch this!

Our little prince is starting to W-A-L-K!!! How exciting!!! He is still very hesitant and will only walk on his own when he's really motivated :)

Sometimes...

... I am enjoying the moments of L-I-F-E too much to carve out the time to write about them on the blog. Just so you know I'm well and loving my life.

I'll be back again :)