Another whole week of not blogging ... been able to FB but not blog ... OK had a good enough excuse ... we went up to POLOKWANE to the Reserve ... to visit Nan & the kids ...
The journey was uneventful but as we got closer and closer I got this pain in my chest ... seeing Nan for the first time since Ben died was incredibly hard, but going out to the house was even harder still ... I felt like he was there in every room and round every corner. Kelsey also felt very uneasy when we first got there ... in fact we all did...
FACT is ... it will never be the same ... we just have to admit it will just be very different from now on.
Nan is coping as best as she can ... "baby steps" sweetheart :-( (our thoughts and prayers are with you every minute of every day :-)
Russell and Nicola are growing up so fast ... Nicola is doing very well after her accident ... Nan showed us her X-rays and it was amazing how she had broken her jaw ... Nicola sat and told Kelsey how she had actually fallen off the 'stoep' ... apparently she had been climbing up the back of one of the chairs and it had toppled forward sending her and it crashing to the floor, (only about a 2m drop !!!! )
Paul, Kelsey & the kids got to enjoy Ouma & Oupa's pool on the first day there ...
We didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked with Nan, unfortunately she had to work ... but her new job sounds great ... This meant however we did get to spend a lot of time with the kids which was nice ...
Kelsey, Russell & Paul did the 'man things' like bow shooting and 'monkey hunting !!!' Sadly Nicola had a bit of an upset tummy for the 1st couple of days,and she was feeling a bit 'flat', so her & I spent a lot of time doing 'quiet' things(baking muffins which I burnt :-( and her watching Princess DVD's and me reading !!! It was so beautiful and peaceful up there)
Nan's mum's found out that her turtle had laid some eggs... check out these baby 'Leopard Turtles'....
Some other wildlife we saw whilst on our safari ... Giraffe.
Blou Wildebeest.
Bush pigs ...
AND the elephants ...
I finally got to see the cheetahs in the wild ... 
The baby rhino that was rescued a couple of months back ... now running amok at the office and chasing the girls ...
We did manage a 'hike' up the mountain though !!!! only us idiots would choose to do that when the temperatures soared to 40'c ... got some lovely photos, although because of the heat it was very 'hazy' ...
Nan's place from the top of the mountain behind the house ...
The front gates to Nan's place ...
At the top of the mountain with the kids ...
Kelsey & Me at the top of the mountain behind Nan's place ...
The hike DOWN the mountain ...
Nan had organised us all a game drive on Sunday, including her parents ... mum was with us but she opted not to go on the drive (now her staying at home is another story I won't put to print ) ... we ended up taking as very slow and extremely dangerous drive up the 'Gorge' to the top escarpment .... they have a landing strip up there !!!! and we went to the Extreme 19th Hole which is shaped like the African Continent ... NO we didn't go up to the T-Off of the extreme 19th ... you need a chopper for that !!!
However Nan asked myself, Paul & Kelsey to join her on Wednesday to take Ben's ashes to the top of Hanglip Mountain .... We were very honoured to be part of this extremely sad occasion, and Ben knew I always wanted to fly in a Helicopter, but I would rather my first time had not been so sad ... BUT it was also an incredible experience ... Nan thank you so much ...
A stunning Sunrise on Wednesday ...
The view from the TOP of Ben's Mountain ... so beautiful 
Farewell Bushmen Ben ... always loved ... never forgotten.
Farewell Bushmen Ben ... always loved ... never forgotten.
Nan wishing you farewell ...
Paul wishing you farewell, Ben (he left you a smoke...)
So peaceful & beautiful at the top of your mountain ... Ben
Ben's Mountain ...
After our Helicopter flight we went to the golf course for breakfast...
Me & Nan with Ben watching over us ...
Paul & Kelsey with Ben keeping watch over them ...
Kelsey has promised that one day, when he's older he will CLIMB the mountain (because it is possible with permission from the reserve) and go and visit Uncle Ben.
I can't put exactly into words what I am feeling right now ... about the loss of Ben and the pain that my soul sister & best friend Nan is going through, I just want her to know that we will be here for her ALWAYS ... NO MATTER WHAT...
Just had to share this with you ... it's very unusual to see a Barn Owl in broad daylight ... this young lady lives in the roof of one of Nan's neighbours ... she was upset because they were moving things around in the roof and she was disturbed a bit ...
Hanglip Mountain ... R.I.P Bushman Ben, see you next time we visit ... 
Hanglip Mountain ... R.I.P Bushman Ben, see you next time we visit ... Our return journey to KZN was also thankfully uneventful ... bloody hot ... especially as we hit PMB ...
We left Nan & the kids on Thursday ... we had to be back home by Friday cos we had tickets to the rugby on Friday Night ... Sharks vs Leopards ... it was Jason's Birthday so we were invited to join Cyndi, Robin, Jason & family. Of course the Sharks chowed down on the Leopards ... we beat them 63 - 6 ... but a fun game ... and the Sharks kept playing right to the end.... I think Paul enjoyed his first live rugby game at The Shark Tank ???
Just have to mention the unpredictability of our SA weather at the moment ... Friday night at 10.30pm the temperature on the patio was 28'c !!! (Today ... pissing down with rain and only 17'c.
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