Foremans on the Go

Baseball!

2012-01-21T01:20:00.001-08:00

Lucas is enjoying playing on his baseball team again this year. Click on the picture below to see more of Lucas and his team.

Lucas playing baseball

Rebekah - One Week Old!

2012-01-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a few pics of Rebekah when she was one week old.

Rebekah at One Week

Playing at Home

2012-01-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a series of fun pics of our kids having fun at home!

Playing at Home

Lucas' 1st Day of 1st Grade!

2012-01-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

Lucas will begin attending Grade 1 at The King's School on Wednesday, January 11. The schools in South Africa follow the calendar year so January brings a new year of school for all the children. All schools require uniforms so we had fun shopping and finding all the necessary pieces for Lucas. The scratches on his face were from a bicycle crash he had Sunday night. He completely bent his front tire so we were happy with a few scratches and no broken bones. We are excited to hear his stories from his first day but we aren't so excited to have to be up quite so early in the morning. School for the younger grades begins at 7:45am! Lucas' school day ends at 1pm so we will still have lots of time to play in the afternoons and evenings. We are so proud of our handsome young first grader!

Lucas-Grade 1

Lucas' School Uniform

Welcome to the Family Rebekah!

2012-01-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome little sister!

Rebekah Noelle Foreman - Born December 31, 2011

2011-12-31T11:28:00.000-08:00

Rebekah Noelle Foreman - Born 12/31/11

Alexis' 5th Birthday Party in South Africa

2011-12-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

Alexis' 5th Birthday Party in South Africa

Alexis' celebrated her official 5th birthday with lots of friends on a day camping trip. Another mom made her a fantastic pink princess castle cake and she received some fun gifts. Her favorite part, though, was seeing all her friends again. She had a wonderful birthday and the kids enjoyed sunny weather for swimming as well.

Birthday Celebrations!

2011-11-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

We are now back in Joburg and getting settled into our new house. We had a couple of birthday celebrations right before we left so I wanted to share just a few highlight photos. We celebrated Joshua's 2nd birthday with a Thomas the Train theme and Alexis' 5th birthday with a Princess theme. We even managed to do a little Trick or Treating before we left. Our kids were so excited to experience that and even Joshua kept saying, "more candy!"

Joshua's 2nd Birthday!

Alexis' 5th Birthday!

Trick or Treat!

Heading back to South Africa!

Happy 6th Birthday Lucas!!!

2011-07-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

Lucas' 6th Birthday

Lucas was so excited to have a Transformers birthday party! We invited family and a few neighborhood boys over to help us celebrate. We just had to do a few water games since it was too cold last year in Joburg to even think about it! Click on the picture of Lucas so see a few more pics from his party.

4th of July

2011-07-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

4th of July

It was so fun to be in America to celebrate the 4th of July! Our kids enjoyed doing a few small fireworks and we loved being with family. Click on the photo of all of us to see a few more pics.

March Happenings

2011-04-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few recent pics of the kids. I haven't taken too many photos lately as we are busy packing our stuff up! Just over 2 weeks before we leave!

March 2011

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

2011-03-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Dan!

2011-03-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

Dan's Birthday

Above is our most recent family picture taken on March 9 which just happened to be Dan's 36th Birthday! The finance office was on a retreat that week so we enjoyed celebrating with many friends at Magalies Park. The retreat was great for team building and we also studied the book of Nehemiah together. Childcare was provided so I was able to attend the meetings as well. The kids had a great time together and especially loved swimming! Click on the picture below to see a few more memories from the retreat.

Finance Retreat 2011

Watch me spin!

2011-03-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, we can finally post again!

2011-03-06T12:19:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! A parent of a co-worker was able to bring us a new battery charger for our camera and we are soooo glad to share some pictures once again! I couldn't resist adding a pool picture. We are almost to the end of summer and the days are just beautiful!

Christmas in Drakensburg

2011-01-13T10:13:00.000-08:00

Drakensburg

A family from our local church offered us the opportunity to stay in their timeshare house in the Drakensburg mountains over Christmas. It was AWESOME and such a blessing! We were so far back into the mountains and it was absolutely beautiful! We took the kids on 6 hikes (at least 1 hour each) in the first three days because we love to explore. Our kids are real troopers but I also brought extra sweets to help them go uphill! We saw wild animals up close and waterfalls. Our house had a pool so each day we'd hike, stop for a jump on the trampoline and then get in the pool. The kids loved every minute of it. It was such a restful time for our whole family and great to spend so much uninterrupted time together.

We invited some good friends of ours to come join us the last two nights we were there because the place where we stayed had enough space. They are very good at photography and we were so thankful they took pictures for us since our camera fritzed out the day after Christmas. The closeups of the animals and some scenic shots are from them.

The coolest experience happened the day before we left. We'd seen lots of zebras and they finally came right into our backyard. We sat and watched them for close to an hour and several of us got to touch the "leader" of the group. It was a definite highlight for all of us!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-10T06:12:00.000-08:00

It's Our 10th Anniversary!

2010-12-23T06:03:00.000-08:00

10th Anniversary!

Wow! It's been an awesome 10 years and we are still so glad to be married to each other! Even though we didn't have grandparents nearby to watch our kids, a good friend of ours watched our kids so we could go out overnight. Dan just brought me a bunch of pink roses-so romantic!! I'm sooooo thankful for the wonderful husband I have!

Activities in December

2010-12-23T05:55:00.000-08:00

December 2010

This month has been fast and fun so we've just put a whole bunch of pictures together of what we've been up to. Click on the cute pic of our kids to see lots more. The photos will hopefully explain themselves! Merry Christmas!

Alexis' Piano Performance

2010-12-13T10:27:00.000-08:00

Piano 1

Piano 2

Alexis had her end-of-the-year piano class performance. She and 4 other children from her class played together. They each had a little cloth mouse and used that mouse to play high notes then low notes. Then they played on the black keys and did glissandos on the white keys. It was too cute to watch the teacher trying to get five 4 year olds to do the same thing at the same time!

The "Library"

2010-12-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

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Library #1

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Library #2

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Library #3

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Library #4

I took these pics awhile ago but thought they were too cute to pass up! Lucas and Alexis turned our living room into a library and helped Dan & I check out books. Our kids have such great imaginations!

Christmas before Thanksgiving!

2010-12-03T06:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas #1

Christmas #2

Many people go on holiday (vacation) starting Dec. 15 for about one month. This means all schools including Sunday School finish by the end of November. Lucas & Alexis had their Sunday School Christmas program before we celebrated Thanksgiving! Click on the pic of Lucas the bird to catch a few more photos of that fun day!

Joshua is learning to walk and he loves it!

2010-12-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

Joshua walking #1

Joshua walking #2

Lucas plays baseball!

2010-11-26T12:36:00.000-08:00

Lucas playing baseball

Lucas is now a few games into his baseball season and just loves it! It's so great to watch how his skills have improved so much in the last year. His team is called the Imps (wish they would've thought of something else...). He plays in the Under 8 league and has games every Saturday morning. Click on the pic above for a few more glimpses of a recent game.

Warm Baths

2010-11-24T05:53:00.000-08:00

Warm Baths

We visited Warm Baths which is an area about 1.5 hours outside of Joburg. It is known for its natural hot springs. There is a water park where most of the pools are warm water pools because of the springs. We camped with 3 other families. There were 8 adults and 14 kids. What a party! This was our first time sleeping in a tent with kids but it went well and we had so much fun. Great to have such a refreshing weekend. We went October 22-24 so we celebrated Joshua's first birthday while we were there. Click above and see a bunch more pictures or enjoy the videos below!

Alexis' Princess Party!

2010-11-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

Alexis' 4th Birthday

Alexis had two little girls over for a princess party to celebrate her 4th birthday. They started by coloring princess pictures and then spent quite a bit of time putting on glitter makeup. They had so much fun! We also read the story "The Princess and the Pea." I then hid a ball under one of 4 pillows and the girls had to sit on them until they felt the "pea." I had more planned but they just wanted to play with Alexis' dollhouse which was just fine. I'm glad they all enjoyed it! So, click on the carriage above to see more of the party!

Alexis' 4th Birthday!

2010-11-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

A-4-1

A-4-2

A-4-3

The dollhouse was daddy's special project for Alexis' birthday. He thought of the idea, designed it and found someone with tools to help him build it. I did a bit of decorating which was also fun. Needless to say, she loves it!

A-4-4

Joshua & his Birthday Cake

2010-10-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

Joshua & his birthday cake

Click on the picture above to see a few more messy pictures of Joshua eating his cake!

Joshua is one year old!

2010-10-27T01:13:00.000-07:00

J-1-1

J-1-2

J-1-3

Recent fun!

2010-10-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

Being silly!

Joshua at 11 months!

2010-10-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

Having fun!

2010-10-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

Capetown-part 2

2010-10-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

Capetown #2

We finished our time in Capetown with a visit to Table Mountain and Robben Island, two famous landmarks. Table Mountain is flat on top thus giving it the "table" look. When the clouds cover it in the afternoon they call it the "tablecloth." Robben Island has a maximum security prison. It is where former South African president Nelson Mandela was held as a political prisoner. We learned a lot about South African history on that trip. The last fun event of the week was letting the kids stick their feet in the freezing ocean water just one time! Brrrr!

We only had one little hiccup in the trip - Lucas made one trip to the emergency room. He was sitting in a car where you put money in and it moves. He later explained that he leaned too far and fell out...on his head. He was quite dazed. He didn't cry but he also didn't remember things for several hours - thus the visit to the ER just to get him checked out. He was fine and we were so thankful. We arrived back at the lodge a short while later and he was very frustrated with me when I wouldn't let him climb the outside wall and jump off. Hmmmmm....!

Homeschool Displays

2010-10-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

Recently, all the homeschool children in our organization put together a display of something they were currently studying. Lucas and Alexis have been studying the ocean and its animals in science so we picked that for Alexis' theme. Lucas had just checked out a book on robots at the library and it showed several different ways to make one at home. He was enjoying learning how robots work and learning how to draw them. So we picked that for his display theme.

Homeschool

Homeschool #2

I did my hair all by myself!

2010-10-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Alexis' hair

Alexis' hair #2

Our First Few Days in Capetown

2010-10-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Capetown Trip

The finance team here in South Africa visited Capetown at the beginning of September for a week of meetings and retreat. This was Joshua's first airplane ride and he did great! The lodge where we stayed was a 5 minute walk from the ocean so the first night we took a walk down there. We saw whales!! It was so amazing! Usually we just saw a fin or tail but one time there was a whale that actually jumped out of the water. So cool! On the first day we visited the town of Hermanus which is famous for its whales. Every year at this time whales come very near the shore and this is the best place to see them. We were not disappointed! We watched 2 whales swim side by side down the shoreline. Alexis' quote of the day - "All this whale watching is making me hungry!"

Our 2nd day was also full of adventures. First we went to an area called Boulders which is known for its African penguins. These are relatively small penguins that live in the sand along the beach. After lunch at the wharf we took a tram ride to the top of Cape Point which is the southernmost tip of South Africa. It was soooo windy we literally had to hold on to our kids at all times. We didn't want them blowing away! We then took a 15 minute drive down to the Cape of Good Hope which is the southwesternmost tip of South Africa. Click on the picture above to see lots more photos of our first 2 days in Cape Town.

Lucas' first Piano Performance

2010-09-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

Lucas and Alexis had only been to their music class 5 times when their teacher, Marianne, decided to have a piano performance party for all the students. Lucas practiced his little 12 note song all day and was ready to go. He volunteered to be the first in his class to play. There is a pause at the beginning of the video because the music Marianne placed in front of him was not what he had been told to practice. He played what she asked and still did a great job. We were so proud of him. Alexis decided she wasn't ready to play in front of others and that was just fine for us too.

A few September videos of Joshua

2010-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Joshua loves books!

A few August videos

2010-09-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

Go Big Red!!!

2010-09-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

Husker #1

Husker #2

Joshua - 10 months

Husker #3

Alexis - 3 & 1/2 years

Husker #4

Lucas - 5 years

August 2010

2010-09-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

August 2010 Happenings

I wanted to get caught up on pictures before we head to Capetown next week. Lucas still enjoys homeschooling. Now he's waking up at 7am and asking me to get up and do schoolwork with him before breakfast. How can I refuse? Alexis loves to do creative things like paint, color and dance. Joshua is on the move! (It's a good thing I wear tennis shoes all day!) He's cruising along the furniture and learning animal noises and car sounds. We hope you enjoy this collection of pics!

Family Band

2010-08-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

Something Fun...

2010-08-26T09:32:00.001-07:00

Here's a few fun thoughts for you. The kids were reading a library book that showed a picture of the inside of a basement and another picture of a furnace. We had to explain what those were. The other day I had to explain that for many people in America a dishwasher is not their daddy! Dan and I had a date night the other night and we left to find a restaurant at 6:30pm. We were grateful that there were still 4 restaurants open at the mall when we got there. Most stores close by 5pm although there are 2 grocery stores that usually stay open until 6pm. By 6:30pm the streets are empty and everyone is home for the night. We still haven't quite gotten used to that. When we tell nationals that we were used to a 24hour Walmart they have a hard time grasping that concept!

Rhino/Lion Park

2010-08-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

Rhino/Lion #1

Rhino/Lion #2

A few weeks ago, the entire Finance department took a day to visit the Rhino/Lion Park. We enjoyed seeing lots of animals as well as having a braai (that's South African for BBQ) and fellowship. All the excitement just wore Joshua out!

Racecars

2010-08-26T07:56:00.001-07:00

Time to race!

Lucas & Alexis attended a friend's birthday party and I had to share some photos of the racecars each child got to make. What a great idea! Click on the above picture to view a few more.

Field Trip to the Zoo

2010-08-20T05:49:00.001-07:00

Trip to the Zoo

A few other homeschool moms and I took our kids on a field trip to the zoo this week. The kids had so much fun seeing the animals. The highlight of the day was the gorilla who threw a cucumber at us! The kids also laughed a lot at the orangutan who was really fat with really long hair. Even the other monkeys threw stuff at him. We did enjoy beautiful weather and a great time with our friends. Click on the picture above to see more of our trip.

Joshua in the tub

2010-08-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a little boy who just loves bathtime!

School

2010-08-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

School outside

Every once in awhile we do our school work outside because it's so much warmer.

Art class

We are studying the ocean and sea creatures for science. So today we traced starfish and painted them different colors.

Making Cookies with Friends

2010-08-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

Making cookies #1

Making cookies #2

Two of our neighbor girls came down to make sprinkle sugar cookies with us. It was a lot of fun and I got great laughs out of watching them because I didn't realize that little kids make such little cookies! They each made several that were no bigger than a penny! It was a little hard to wrap those to send home with the girls!

Joshua at 8 months

2010-07-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

Joshua at 8 months

Yikes! I finally found a few seconds to get some pics together of Joshua at 8 months. He's already 9 months by now...where does the time fly??

Alexis plays tennis

2010-07-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Playing Tennis

We've had some warmer days lately and were able to enjoy some time outside playing tennis. This was the first time Alexis really got into playing tennis and I loved capturing her smiles on film!

Lucas' Cowboy Birthday Party!

2010-07-21T06:19:00.000-07:00

Lucas' 5th Birthday Party

Howdy partner! Got some sharp shootin' pics for you to see here!

A Few Fun Videos of the Kids

2010-07-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of Joshua crawling at 8 months.

Here's a video of Alexis dancing - gotta love that hip action!

Here's a video of Lucas dancing - check out that energy!

Cowboy Birthday

2010-07-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

Cowboy Birthday

Lucas celebrated his 5th birthday today! We could barely mark off the days on his calendar fast enough. So much excitement! Tonight Lucas said, "I'm a cowboy and I've been busy rounding up the bad guys." We hope you enjoy these pics of Sheriff Lucas in his new duds.

Go USA!

2010-06-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

Go USA!

Here's our little cheerleader getting ready for the big game tomorrow night! Do you have your vuvuzela and flag ready? GO USA!

uShaka Marine World

2010-06-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

Soccer Family pic

Ushaka Marine World

When you click on the picture of Alexis and the sharks, you will see photos from another part of our vacation to Durban. We were able to visit uShaka Marine World. We saw a seal show and a dolphin show but spent most of our time there walking through an amazing maze of aquariums. There were so many sharks and other ocean animals. Starfish of all colors, an octopus that plays with baby toys, purple jellyfish (Alexis' favorite), Japanese spider crab (Dan's favorite because it was huge and grossed me out!) and garden eels. Who's ever heard of garden eels? I couldn't take a picture of them but they were the coolest. I really thought they forgot to put a "fish" in that aquarium until I realized that what I thought were plants were really the eels. What an awesome glimpse into God's underwater creation! Our visit to uShaka Marine World was actually a great introduction for homeschooling because Lucas has a bunch of ocean experiments that we'll be doing for his science class. Anyway, hope you enjoy your tour through our underwater adventure!

Vuvuzelas

2010-06-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

Vuvuzelas

Well, the World Cup 2010 has finally begun. We thought it only fitting to buy Lucas and Alexis their own vuvuzela to celebrate. I took of video of them playing their vuvuzelas but it just doesn't do justice to the quite annoying sound they make. Then add the 94,000 people that were at today's first game and you have enough to give you a BIG headache! But almost everyone has one and they play them ALL the time!! Kids march around our neighborhood blowing their vuvuzelas, people blow them out the windows of their cars or even while they're driving. Johannesburg was literally buzzing with excitement today. I've never seen or heard anything like it! P.S. Inside the cone of the vuvuzela there is this warning...Prolonged use of vuvuzela can cause ear damage. Blow at your own risk. Gotta love it!

Joshua plays peek-a-boo

2010-06-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

Lucas' trampoline tricks

2010-06-09T04:34:00.000-07:00

Alexis' trampoline tricks

2010-06-09T04:30:00.000-07:00

Swimming in the pool

2010-06-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

Our Durban Vacation

2010-06-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Durban Vacation

We had a wonderful vacation enjoying the ocean in Durban, South Africa. We love taking vacations ("going on holiday" as they say here) during the off seasons. It's much quieter and less crowded. Durban is about a 6 hour drive which took us 7.5 hours but our kids did just great in the car. There was so much to see! The first 2-3 hours actually reminded us of a drive through Nebraska in late fall. Flat, brown, lots of cows and corn ready for harvest.

We spent most of our time at Natalia Resort. The kids swam, played putt-putt, jumped on the trampolines and enjoyed the arcade. Dan and I enjoyed playing ping pong. It was a short walk to the ocean and we went 1-2 times each day. The ocean was beautiful and Lucas especially loved running in and out of the waves. Alexis enjoyed playing in the sand. Joshua enjoyed the sand too - aaagh! I tried to keep him on the beach towels but that was one battle I lost every time. Oh well, at least he knows now that he doesn't like the taste of sand! We certainly enjoyed the warmer weather!

Joshua's Baby Dedication

2010-06-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

Joshua's Baby Dedication

Joshua's Baby Dedication took place during our IMB prayer retreat at the end of April.

It's been 2 years....

2010-05-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

Wow! We have finished our original 2 year ISC term (May 2008 - May 2010) and we are now one month into our one year extension. I thought it would be fun to share a picture of each kid 2 years ago and then now. It's amazing to look back and see all God has done in our lives. Five years ago we never would have imagined all that was in store for us but it has been one great adventure!

Lucas at the playground

2010-05-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

Lucas started jumping off things when he was just 2 years old. He has no fear and thankfully a lot of coordination. He has never visited an emergency room or had a broken bone. He is very physical in all does - he's "all boy." Here's the latest...

Alexis recites a rhyme

2010-05-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

Alexis thinks this little rhyme is just hilarious. In case you didn't catch the words, here they are...
Dan, Dan, the funny wee man,
Washed his face in a frying pan,
Brushed his chair with the leg from a chair,
Dan, Dan the funny wee man.

Joshua at 6 months!

2010-05-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

Joshua - 6 months

All right, I know there are lots of pics of Joshua in this album. Dan laughs because there are times when I literally take 30-40 pics so I can pick my favorite five. It's so hard to choose because each type of smile represents a different part of his personality and I just want to share them all! So just humor me and laugh when you keep finding more! Hopefully it will brighten your day like it does mine!

Joshua on the move!

2010-05-17T02:07:00.000-07:00

Here's Joshua at 6 & 1/2 months learning to scoot/crawl!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day

I so enjoyed my Mother's Day yesterday! Dan and the kids gave me flowers, cards and great gift cards for clothes and a pedicure/massage. I was very impressed that they were able to keep it a secret! It was a nice surprise! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful, loving husband and 3 great, energetic kids!!

Joshua says "dada"

2010-05-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

I was working in the kitchen the other night when I heard Joshua start to make "talking" sounds. Of course, the 7 times I tried to get it on video, he wouldn't talk anymore but I did get it the next day. It sure is fun to listen to!

World Cup 2010

2010-05-04T01:01:00.000-07:00

April #2

Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day! It's been raining off and on for almost 2 weeks now. We sure never imagined this much rain when we thought of living in Africa! Our family has been sick this last week so it's actually been easier to stay inside and not feel like you're missing something.

South Africa has World Cup fever! There are jerseys, flags, hats, etc. being sold in stores and on street corners. The World Cup will be here June 11 - July 11. The communication team at the Support Center has put together a website where you can keep track of all the news including ministries taking place during that time. Check out www.WorldSoccerJourneys.com for lots of fun information!

A few fun things happened in April...Allison celebrated her birthday and Lucas' baseball league had its Prize-Giving (Award Ceremony). Lucas now has his first baseball trophy and thinks that is just awesome! Check out these photos and more by clicking on the picture above.

Cat Girl!

2010-05-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun video of Alexis!

Bunches of pics from March & April

2010-04-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

Pics of the Kids

Wow! Today is my "type A - get 'er done" day! Enjoy some recent pics of our kids!

Joshua in his bouncy seat

2010-04-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

Joshua loves to smile!

Tummy Time!

2010-04-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Joshua loves to play while on his tummy! I'm so glad I figured out how to put videos on our blog!

Video of Joshua

2010-04-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

Joshua in his walker

Neighborhood Egg Hunt

2010-04-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt

One of our co-workers, Carla, offered to host an Easter egg hunt in her yard if we would help with inviting all the kids in our neighborhood. Lucas loved inviting the other kids! He talked to each one personally and then told them he'd knock on their door the following week when it was almost time to start. It was a great turnout as we met about 6 new kids and 4 parents! We started with the egg hunt and then I helped lead a few games. Carla shared the real reason for Easter-how Jesus died on the cross but rose again 3 days later. We celebrate a risen Lord! The kids had a great time and we have been able to continue those friendships in the last 2 weeks. We are really blessed to be in this little community where there are a lot of families with kids that we can get to know.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

Easter Morning

We enjoyed our earliest sunrise service ever on Easter morning! We woke up the kids at 5:45am so we could be at Horwoods Farm (a nearby park) for the beginning of the 6am sunrise service. Four or five local evangelical churches came together and shared in the service. It was beautiful praising God outside as we watched the sun come up. What a great way to celebrate our risen Lord! Afterwards, the South African tradition is to have tea, coffee and "hot cross buns." These buns are like a roll with raisins and have a cross on the top. They are only made that way for Easter. After the service we went with another family to their house for breakfast and an egg hunt for the kids. It was a great time of fellowship and getting to know one another.

It's Getting Chilly!

2010-04-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

Cold #2

Cold #1

Our kids were excited to show off their new stocking hats so we had to take a picture! We are now several weeks into fall and it's mostly just a bit colder at night. Without central heating it's harder to stay warm. The 2nd picture shows how we put Joshua to sleep one night. We made sure he was really bundled up. What a cute little guy!

Johannesburg Zoo

2010-04-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

Joburg Zoo

Since we are now several weeks into autumn, we are trying to use our Saturdays to visit fun outdoor places before it gets too cold! Here are some pics from a couple weeks ago when we went to visit the zoo.

Tokoza Bible Study

2010-03-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

Tokoza Bible Study

Since August, Dan has been helping with a Bible study in Tokoza, a nearby township. He drives out every Wednesday morning and picks up Pastor Benias before heading to the house where the Bible study takes place. Dan and Pastor Benias take turns leading the Bible study. There are usually about 6 people or so who attend the Bible study. This has been a great way for Dan to get out of office and be involved in the lives of the local people. They are trying to start a church in the area. They have found land and are now trying to build a place to meet. Here are a few pictures that were taken by Dan's dad when he and Dan's brother, Joel, attended the Bible study in December.

Happy Birthday Dan!

2010-03-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

Dan's Birthday

Dan celebrated his birthday on March 9! We enjoyed surprising him all day!! First, the kids and I came to his office, put a blindfold on him and led him out to the car. We took him to play a round of Adventure Golf. Next we went out for lunch at Wimpy's (yes, it's an odd name but they have good hamburgers). Dan did have to get some work done so we took him back to the office while we took naps. I think we got the better end of that deal! Then we went back to work with a cake and celebrated with his co-workers in the finance office. The only suprise that didn't work out was when we gave him his present. I showed the kids what it was a minute before we walked out to give it to Dan. On the way out Alexis says, "Daddy, you're getting a rugby ball." Oh, well! All the other surprises worked and Dan had a fun birthday!

Weekend Getaway

2010-03-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

EBC Weekend Getaway

Fun quotes from our weekend:

Joshua - "Who's gonna hold me next?"
Lucas - "What should I do until you all wake up?"
Alexis - "Can we go back to vacation after breakfast?" (This was the day after we got home)
Allison - "Where's Joshua?"
Dan - "This is a salt water pool!" (This seems to be quite common here as it is apparently easier to keep clean.)

The Weekend Getaway was held at Heronbridge College which also has a retreat center. We so enjoyed the opportunity to get to know so many people form church. Our kids were a hit...especially Joshua who got passed around and around and around. Of course, he entertained well with all his smiles and coos. The second night we got to try our hand at barn dancing, line dancing, etc. Dan actually danced but made it very clear that this was the first and last time! The weather stayed sunny even though we arrived in a thunderstorm. We greatly enjoyed our time away and came back refreshed. Just click on the picture above and you can see a few pictures from our weekend.

Pass the Parcel!

2010-03-03T12:44:00.000-08:00

February 2010

Lucas and Alexis went to the birthday party of the neighbor boy who lives across the street. They played a game called "Pass the Parcel." You pass a gift that's been wrapped many times. Each time the music stops you unwrap another layer towards the gift. The child who takes off the last layer of wrapping paper gets to keep the gift. The funniest part of it all is how you pronounce the name of the game. Our kids kept telling us they played "Pass the Parcel" but it sounded more like "Pass the Paahsul." Any time Dan & I tried to say it ourselves our children were quick to correct us. Apparently we couldn't say it right or get the accent to go with it!

Daddy Time!

2010-03-02T11:27:00.000-08:00

Daddy Time!

Wow! I didn't realize it'd been so long since I'd put something new on our blog. Dan just finished three very intense weeks of training on new financial software. Even with the extra hours he had to put in, Dan still was still able to spend fun time with the kids. I was able to capture a few of those moments on camera and would like to share them with you.

Here's a fun question Lucas asked me just the other day. We were singing the song, "Open the Eyes of my Heart, Lord." He asked me, "How many eyes does my heart have? One or two?" I did my best to explain it but he still had a very puzzled look on his face!

Joshua at 3 months!

2010-01-31T04:52:00.000-08:00

Joshua - 3 months old!

Here are some fun pictures of Joshua. We are reminded once again of how fast babies change and grow. Please know that the many pics of our little guy are because we know how much the grandparents love to see him over and over. It's the same reason we can take a video of him simply looking at us and be completely fascinated by it! Several people have commented on how expressive Joshua is and he is always quick to smile. He also makes great use of his bibs because he drools much more than the other two ever did!

Lucas and Alexis have had a new experience recently. Our neighbors across the street just bought a bulldog puppy but since they both work we were asked to give it a lunchtime feeding. Super! Lucas & Alexis enjoy playing and learning about a puppy while we have none of the responsibilities of actually having one! Every day after lunch we "give it a pet" as they say here. The kids really enjoy playing with Princess although they are still getting used to her playfulness. It's a great way to relax before naps!

Catching up in January!

2010-01-29T03:11:00.000-08:00

Catching up in January!

Whew! This month has been a bit crazy, we didn't have internet for awhile and I was busy researching homeschool supplies so I am posting odds and ends pictures today. On Dec. 23 we celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary! It's amazing how time goes so fast but we are so blessed to enjoy being married more and more each day!

In the middle of January a couple and their daughter from Mozambique visited Joburg. We knew them from our training that prepared us for the mission field. It was fun to see them again after almost 2 years! We visited the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens and enjoyed a beautiful dry morning. We had them over for supper and enjoyed playing Rummikub. That's the new game of choice at our house (thanks mom!). We've had several families over for supper and we always play a game or two before they go home.

A family we worked with in Dakar just moved here after their stateside assignment. Steve will be working in finance in the office next to Dan's. Lucas was wondering how they would adjust to life here and asked, "Do they know about stoplights?" We assured him they did but it's always interesting to see what our kids remember the most about moving here!

We were reading a Clifford book the other day and Lucas looked puzzled. He then asked, "Why don't they have an electric fence?" Hmmm, good question. Probably because they live in a book!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

We pray that you are all enjoying a blessed Christmas Day as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour! We enjoy being able to teach our children more about Baby Jesus with each year. We went to the Christmas service at our church this morning and Alexis was still singing the praise songs this afternoon. It was so sweet!

Our Christmas this year was unique once again. It was warm, dry and green. Roses are still in full bloom. We got together with friends this afternoon for a Mexican meal and games. Lucas and Alexis eventually played in the sprinkler in their swimsuits. They had a blast!

We do have a prayer answer to share. We finally got all the needed paperwork for Joshua's passport filled out and we should be receiving it very soon. We had 2 new experiences while we were at the U.S. Consulate that are worth sharing. Alexis had to use the bathroom and the automatic flusher surprised her right off the seat! Lucas saw me drink from a water fountain and gave me a weird look. I asked if he wanted a drink and explained that the water was ok to drink. He loved it! He took so many drinks there was water down his shirt and in a big puddle on the floor! Oh, the joy of modern things!

Foreman Fun #2

2009-12-16T12:57:00.001-08:00

Foreman Fun #2

We enjoyed taking Dan's parents & brother to our church. They were able to watch Lucas & Alexis in their kids Christmas program. They sang Christmas songs and then put on their swimsuits for a slip-n-slide, end-of-the-year party! It's hard to think "Christmas" when it's so warm and there is no snow, no lights, no boots/mittens/scarves, etc. Instead we're getting suntans (burns really) and going barefoot. We have done a little decorating in our home. We put up our 18 inch tree and stockings! There are a few pictures of when we all played mini golf. That's it for now since a little boy is calling my name....Have a super day!

Fun with the Foremans!

2009-12-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

Foreman Fun!

Dan's parents and his older brother, Joel, arrived on Monday, Nov. 30. We gave them a day to get over jet lag and then we were off! We wanted to see some new sights as well as show them some of our favorites. We visited a Rhino & Lion game park and saw lots of animals. They watched Lucas' first baseball game (those pics are already on our blog) and visited a Dutch bakery near our home. This was of particular interest since both Lee & Jean's families are from Holland. They enjoyed watching Lucas as a shepherd and Alexis as an angel in the younger kids Christmas play at our church. We also heard the Johannesburg orchestra perform a Christmas concert. They attended a large braai (BBQ) at Dan's office and have spent countless hours holding Joshua and entertaining Lucas & Alexis. We have played many games of Rummikub and enjoyed reruns of "I Love Lucy" and Bob Newhart. In a nutshell, we have had a wonderful time so far and have a few more adventures planned before they leave on Sunday.

More fun with Grandma!

2009-12-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

More fun with mom!

My mom was a huge help the whole time she was here! We wanted to make sure she was also able to enjoy the sights of South Africa so in the last 2 weeks of her visit we tried to take her to fun places. We visited several restaurants and malls besides some of the other things we've shared previously. We found a few more souvenirs but she had a few surprises up her sleeve as well. Check out the picture of the gift she brought in one of her suitcases! She definitely deserves the "Expert Packer" award. We enjoyed playing many table games - especially Rummikub. We laughed at the amount of pictures we took of Joshua as we tried to create our own backgrounds for his "photo sessions" in our bedroom. We are pleased to announce that our 3rd child doesn't appear to be lacking in the picture department as of yet. We also had fun decorating our 18 inch, 25 cent, Walmart special Christmas tree. It doesn't really feel like Christmas with 80 degree weather but we are trying to at least make it look a little like Christmas. It was a wonderful blessing to have my mom come. We had a fantastic time together and saying goodbye is always hard. We love you mom and we miss you!

Play Ball!

2009-12-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

Lucas' first baseball game.

Lucas played in his first baseball game yesterday! We heard about the league through a friend here and they had a team for 4-6 year olds. This was great for a little boy with lots of energy! The team's name is the IMPS (not something we'd pick but...). Lucas had 3 base hits and was so cute to watch because he didn't want to stop at first base. He ran all the way home 2 different times and we had to get him to run back to first base and stay there! He has two coaches and they are great at making the practices and games so much fun for the kids.

The Pretoria Zoo

2009-12-01T06:24:00.000-08:00

Pretoria Zoo & other Misc.

We enjoyed a visit to the Pretoria Zoo with my mom and want to share those pictures with you. It's always fun to see so many animals! There are also a few misc. pictures that we included just for fun! We hope you are having a great day!

Irene Market & Adventure Golf

2009-11-25T05:07:00.000-08:00

Market & Golf

We enjoyed taking my mom to visit a few places here in Johannesburg each week. These pics are from early November and are of a trip to an outdoor African market and to play mini-golf. It was fun seeing life through her eyes. We've forgotten how unusual our life can sometimes be. One such thing we didn't get a picture of but it was an awesome sight. We saw the back of a dump truck packed full of guys going home from work. They were all standing and holding on to each other or the side of the truck-had to be at least 50 or more of them.

My mom just flew back to the U.S. two days ago and it was such a blessing having her here! We'll share more of our pictures over the next few days.

Can you sleep like Lucas?

2009-11-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

Are you sleeping Lucas Foreman?

Check out these three pics!

The Bunny Farm

2009-11-20T06:04:00.000-08:00

Bunny Farm, etc.

Well, it's been raining for 5 days straight so I've had some extra "inside time" to get a few things done. We didn't know when we moved here that we could get sunburns one weekend and be freezing cold the next! We've heard that the weather has been very unusual this year. If only we hadn't told my mom to just pack summer clothes.....whoops! On one of the warmer days we were able to visit a bunny farm. The kids had a blast and we were glad for an outing. Here's a few pics of that as well as some of Joshua and other things we did with my mom. Enjoy!

A Princess Birthday

2009-11-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

Alexis' 3rd Birthday

Alexis celebrated her 3rd birthday on October 29. The color of the day was "pink" and the theme was "princess." She had a wonderful time and we hope you enjoy these photos of her special day!

She'll be coming on an airplane when she comes!

2009-11-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

Grandma comes to visit

Well, we have survived our first normal week with Joshua at home and it has been wonderful. He is a very good baby and Lucas and Alexis just love to hold him and give him kisses. This also allowed me the opportunity to work on showing you more pictures. So, here's a few from when my mom landed in Johannesburg on Wed., Oct. 21 after her first ever international flight. It was quite the experience for her and she had a great time. She was simply glad to be here before Joshua was born and now she can enjoy all our children the whole time she's here.

To the Hospital Again

2009-11-01T01:11:00.000-07:00

NICU

Baby Joshua came home Sunday afternoon but by Wednesday morning he was not doing so well. We noticed that his color had changed a bit and we had him tested for jaundice. His levels were elevated enough that the doctor requested that we bring him back to the hospital. We didn't know at that time that we'd have to leave him there for 2 days and nights. That was hard on mom and dad but Joshua was able to come back home by Friday morning. We are so thankful that he is doing very well now. It was a bit of a stressful time as Alexis celebrated her 3rd birthday on Thursday so inbetween the birthday festivities we made 3 trips to the hospital to visit Joshua. We are so glad that is all behind us and our family is home and healthy! Alexis had a great birthday and we'll get those pics up soon. For now we just wanted to show you Joshua's new shades!

Welcome Joshua Lee Foreman!

2009-10-24T04:48:00.000-07:00

Baby Joshua

Joshua Lee Foreman was born on October 23 at 11:17pm. He weighs 5 lbs. 14 oz. and is 19 inches long. He enjoys eating, sleeping, cuddling and watching Husker football.