Its 2010 Christmas with Liam - Oh what a night - Oh what a pleasure

Yes 2years 6months old and we are into our 2nd Christmas - Wow, This year he was a bit bigger and understood a wee bit as to what father Christmas is all about, Mom and Dad did a good job of the build up over the last week or so and the creche where he goes also played a big part as well when you listen to his redemption of FATHER CHRISTMAS GOT STUCK - pop over to www.leolizma.com if you have not seen it yet - just AWESOME.

Well the big night came and we were all at Leon & Elizma's House - that's OuBill-OumaRia-Tania-Andy for the big moment that father Christmas arrives, not to talk about the supper that was waiting after opening the presents.

Well I put together a video of some, and please note some of the hi-lites of Liam, for those that want to see the un-edited version you are more than welcome to pop over anytime to watch it or order a DVD by post.

Edited down to the last cut, no spot lights - 18minutes of pure happiness - sit back and enjoy it with us. had to start it of with a bit of fun and mocking of OUBILL - but it  is my I-MOVIE, so here goes - the best 16 minute movie you have seen.......................... it Christmas with LIAM

ONE COLD WINTER NIGHT IN DECEMBER 2010

It all started long long ago, picture this - 1942, one cold winters night, there was a competition as to who had the biggest BACKSIDE, well in the end it was no question.

Leon & Elizma decide that its time to re-decorate the fire place and have it done before Christmas, so Leon and I climb in, head first - hence the backside view. We chop up the existing tiles ( which were cracked anyway), clear the rubbish and proceed to prepare and lay the new SLATE HEARTH. 

L & E had carefully measured, pr-ordered and took delivery of the new slate fire place - lets hope it fits.

Well here are some photo's of the project - right through to completion

needless to say BUT, they used a computer techie's tape measure to order the slate to size, they should have used a electrician's tape measure,

I had to chop a massive 1mm from the plaster to get it to fit in the fire place hole.

The tiles have been chopped out, carpet was masked off to protect against the mess and future cement stains

Then came the front piece, leveling and get it into the right position, excuse the BUTT's

Hey its in and it fits perfect - blood-sweat and no tears

and - YIP its level - at last

The finished product - finally - JOB DONE AND DUSTED

 Now next week end, when the cement is all dry and set - we can put the fire place unit back in place and have a nice warm Christmas Eve family night

CAN't WAIT

Franky has a good saying - " TEAM WORK MAKE THE DREAMS WORK"

From Zero to Hero or is that minus 8deg C

Well, it has been said from the MET OFFICE  - Weather Bureau, that this is the coldest November week in 17 years and the earliest snow in 29years here. The pictures of the snow across the country are toooo beautiful -  when you watch the BBC News and weather forecast.

Every time it has snowed here, and it has every winter, ever since we arrived, Leon told us Surrey does not get much snow, HA HA HA. I put same old photo's on the blog, but just for the record - here are our first SNOW PICS this year of 2010/11 winter, taken early this morning in our front garden.

  FROM THIS - I must say - when we were down at the coast a few weeks ago in Cornwall

 

to This surprise today 30-11-2010

 

ROLL ON A "WHITE CHRISTMAS"

We are off to MURRAYFIELD the home of Scottish Rugby

Yip it is all confirmed, booked & paid for. We are off to watch the Sprinkboks play Scotland at Murrayfield.

The travelling party consists of ( in no particular order ) BILLY, LEON, ANDY & TANIA, Andy's dad JOHN and Andy's brother DUNCAN.

We drive up to Edinburgh on Friday, book into the hotel, SATURDAY have a full ENGLISH breakfast ( in Scotland), do some sight seeing and off to the game at Murrayfield, kick-off at 14h30. Weather conditions expected to be "Bloody Freezing",Back to the hotel after celebrating a S/bokke win and painting the city red and drive home on sunday.

So we have been to Twickenham last year, now it's Murrayfield and then it will be Cardiff in Wales next.

Watch this space for photo's and video's of the week-ends adventure for sure

 20th NOVEMBER 2010 - SCOTLAND - here we come - Boots & All ( as Naas would say)

Hier kom die BOKKE.

As the English 2010 Summer draws to an end

Yip, its that time of the year, it starts to get darker early afternoon and when you get up in the morning to go to work it is still dark. Well this year we really cant complain, it has been a bumper summer with plenty of sunshine. I have even been able to catch a bit of a tan while working in the garden.

Here is a couple of pictures of our garden, as the summer sun starts to set and the beautiful autumn colours move us towards winter.

Liam goes camping in The New Forest - July 2010

Leon, Elizma & Liam, braved the oncoming winter and went camping in The New Forest.

It is a National Park in the South West of England about 2hours from home.

OuBill and OumaRia decided to visit them for a braai and a walk around one of the local Villages - Liamington. What an awesome day-out it was for us and we left much later than planned for the drive home. If only they had a bigger tent.

It reminded us so much of when Leon and Tania were small, when we camped, to see Liam running around freely with not a care in the world

JULY 2010

Billy & Leon tell the MUD & DECK story

Mud, what mud, just look at that beautiful deck in THE YOUNG COWLE's back garden and YOU would ask the question - WHAT MUD.

Well that mud was almost the end of Leon as he had this vision of what the back garden should look like by the 1st of June 2010 and at times could not see the end. This job started on the 3rd April, through Easter weekend and ended on the 31st May 2010. Every week-end and a couple of days in between - 2 months of solid hard labour.

A job to be proud of if you sit back and look at the VISION and the end product.

there are some more pictures on Leolizma.com - just click here OUR NEW DECK

Episode 1 - THE MUD

This video project is 25 minutes long so I have broken it down into 4 video segments, episodes 2-4 to follow in the week.

LIAM - 2 years old - WOW 1/6/2010

OumaHia and OuBill

were there to celebrate this very very special day

LIAM's 2nd BIRTHDAY

1-June -2010

There was plenty of preparations going on, then the friends arrived at Leon & Elizma's home to the joyful singing of

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIAM.

A special video for OumaZET en OupaDanie, far far away in South Africa on this special day.

"Ons het Julle gemis"

pop over to www.Leolizma.com for lots of photos of the Birthday Boy

The Hole in the Wall & a Scottish Braai

It all started with

- LETS HAVE A BRAAI -

and while you are here, can we fix the

HOLE IN THE WALL.

Not really, we were all going away for a weeks holiday, Andy and Tania invited us over to their house in Andover. It is halfway between our house and the holiday resort. We would have a braai on the Sunday afternoon and leave for the holiday on the Monday about and hours drive from Andover. Some time ago Andy made a hole behind his wall mounted TV to install wires for his surround sound system. Now, when he takes the Tv down there is this big hole in the hollow plasterboard walling. Well together we fixed it before the braai, Funny thing is, it was the hottest day of 2010 in England, and we mixed the plaster outside in a bucket and by the time we took it inside it was hard already. We had three attempts before we got the timing and the heat right.

OF course Yes, we had to taste the braai cooked on his new WEBBER

The King of the Barbeque shows off his skills, while the judge looks on with beady eyes.

I must say he passed the test with flying colours

Mothers Day in the UK

14th March 2010 - Mothers Day in the UK

I took Ria out for Cream Tea on Sunday to a wine farm "DENBIES" about 20miles from home, a lovely drive into the Surrey countryside.

We walked around a bit and then enjoyed Cream tea, with Scones and Clotted Cream

Liam is visiting OUMA and OUPA in South Africa at the moment, so Leon sent the video

To make her day.

WOOMYS _ OUMA

LIAM............ alias Michael Jackson

The Video says it all

While Leon-Elizma - Liam are visiting SA with Ouma Zet and Oupa Danie who are "GEORGEOUS AND SLIM" in Liam's words, soaking up the good old Sand Sea and Sun at MARGATE - he has performed the dance of the year.

This is what Leon sent us on email tonight

Not for the faint hearted

Liam does Motor Cross Racing

A WALK IN THE PARK
One cold and rainy Sunday, conditions were perfect for Motor cross racing and Liam did us proud. They popped in for a visit and we went outside in the cold for a bit of fun and warm-up.

Liam on his BIKE

Liam Visits Ouma

I think the video says it all, I don't know which one of the two enjoys it the most.

LIAM & OUMA RIA.

Tania - 07-02-2010 Happy Birthday

The Video has been added

The editor just could not resist the temptation and the shortage of time to start this blog input. It is the 7-2-2010 and Tania's 31st - WOW - so here is a taste of the birthday girl and see the video below. She makes us proud is an understatement.

Mr Andy Mitchell is a wonderful asset and adds SO MUCH to that smile of hers.

We all went out for dinner on Saturday night, Ria & I, Leon & Elizma, then the surprise for Tania, Andy brought her a wee bit later and there we were. She was totally surprised and bewildered, but the evening got off to a good start.........

stop panicking, there was a trustworthy baby sitter for LIAM

Sunday 7/2/2010 it was braai time at our place and Rugby on the TV, you guessed it, Scotland against France. Sadly for one - Scotland lost..........

The editor - alias OUGROOTTE is behind the camera - sorry

The FIRST of MANY - YIPPIE

BED TIME STORIES


Which one is Thomas the train and/or the car or the skippie

Tonight we make history in the life of LIAM, he is sleeping over for the very FIRST TIME at Oumie & OuBill. we were and still so exited with this new adventure. Leon and Elizma are going out to dine and we baby sit the whole night through. There is one problem with this, I have to get up and go to work at 6;30, most likely before the big man wakes up. Then its over to Ouma, wake up call, and breakfast time, get him ready for school and drive him there.

Wow what an adventure.

Now as this is a first, the organising and organising was all part of the adventure. Elizma almost in tears, "THIS IS THE FIRST TIME he does not sleep in his own bed where I can give him a kiss or just stand at his bedside and admire him, it is going to be so strange and a little bit frightening.

thats the cow or is it the buffalo

Leon popped over to give him a bath, not to overdo the strange and first time environment away from the normal rituals. When Papa eventually tore him self away and closed the front door after high five and low fives it was all beginning for OUMA and OuBILL.

AN ADVENTURE into the future.

Now it is time for Thomas the train to go to sleep.

So after a bit of play and eating some nummies from Ouma, it was off to bed.

Oubill was reading a story while Ouma got his bottle ready.

Just for a minute close your eyes and picture the three of us - blissful happiness and pure enjoyment - What a honour and a pleasure to have a grandson like LIAM and his Mom and Dad that entrust us with their precious son.

WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW

Whats this Liam, and he answers - a TEDDY

NIGHTY - MAMMA en PAPPA - love you , NIGHTY

"LIAM"

I have to add this,,,,,He went to be at 7pm, its now 9:15pm and we both just opened the door a wee bit to admire

"THE SLEEPING BEAUTY"

A Birthday message for "MY MADAMPIE"

The day My life changed forever
07-02 -1979
Don't cry my Madampie, don't cry my little Madampie.

Our love will guide you wherever you roam, you won't ever/never be alone.
You don't know how we met, little lady, and I wonder if you really care,
For I am always close by and around you, You are part of this life that we share.
At the time when you were still a baby. You'd wake up every night and you'd cry,
I’d get up just to comfort you, Madampie, and sing you a sweet lullaby.

Don't cry my Madampie, don't cry my little Madampie

You are growing incredibly fast, dear, and one day you'll be larger than life
You will just spread your wings and you'll fly, dear,
And I guess you'll become some mans wife.
While you' re raising your own little baby, you will realise there's no love as strong,
as the love you will sing to your child, dear, it's the same love we sing in our song.

Don't cry my Madampie , don't cry my little Madampie

Now I won't be around for always, but I'll stay for as long as I can,
I am hoping to see you get happy, if it fits into life’s master plan
You know somehow I'll always be with you,
For it's my blood that flows through your veins
and the thoughts that you think might be mine,
and the memory of true love remains.

Don't cry my Madampie , don't cry my little Madampie

"OUGROOTE"

07-02-2010

It has not and will never change....... it only grows - forever

REG-UIT

The camera NEVER lies

There is always weather for a braai - barbeque.

with a Sprinkbok Jersey.

This item is for anybody planning a trip to the UK - best thing is to listen the the words of the song and ignore the video

Summer - come on Summer

January to December

Liam with OuBill's Hat

We popped over to the 3Cowles for Sunday lunch today - roast shoulder of lamb with all the trimmings.
mmmmmmmmm.

While we were waiting for the chef to complete the task we were entertained by the big fella.

Where do we put "OuBills" hat

A walk in the common

Here in England, there are miles and miles of pathways through local forests, along the winding canals and in the protected commons. Going out for a casual walk hand in hand, or taking your dog out, or even for some exercise is a favourite pass time over week-ends. You down your wellington boots and off you go, so what if its raining - take your brollie with.

Just a while back Tania, Ria and I took Murphy for a walk along the river behind Tania's house. Through the dense bush and winding paths - just pure relaxation, nothing else, after a week stuck at work, time to unwind.

You don't have to be in the mood - you just do it

Murphy meets Roxy - what a match 23/01/2010

This is what you would call " love at first sight".
Andy and Tania have been planning this event for months. They travelled 3 hours down the road from Reading to Andover. Then took the M25 down to Dover to pick up the new addition to the family. Yip Murphy , who has been pretty lonely, has now got an eternal mate, her name is ROXY.

The video, which was taped using the most amazing technology at out disposal. Andy skyped us using his 3rd rate Mac PC. My PC recorded this and enhanced the video content and this is the end result - un edited and recoreded as it happened.
As a passing comment - look and listen - Andy says " HI, to all the Cowles"
He does not know what he is letting himself into!

AWESOME, just AWESOME.

MURPHY & ROXY