Letters to my Grandchild

  Hi sweet girl,  Thank you for the early morning calls (early for me but late at night at night for you!)  I love chatting to you and seeing you on a video call.   We were so pleased for Tammy that she got the job she applied for, and she passed her driver’s license.  At the end of the month your Dad also passed his.  On 1 November you visited Disney World for a day as your birthday treat.  It looked like a beautiful day. In November we went to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve while you guys were getting ready for Thanks Giving in the US.  You'll recognize the One Stop and the Mugg and Bean where we always stopped for  breakfast on our way to the reserve.  You\ll also recognize the entrance to the park and the cottages. We saw on CNN that a police officer was wounded in a shooting at your local store, the one you walk to regularly.  Gees, keep safe my precious girl. 10 November 18 November You went t...

  Yay – we got our US visas on 9 September, so we will fly to San Diego in 5 months time!  Can't wait to see you three again. You were in your first Poway Parade, marching with the Del Norte Colour Guard and you   went to the school homecoming and to a fall festival. We were so sorry to hear that you had to have two more teeth out and new braces fitted the same day Em.   I really wished that I could have the pain for you.   Mark went to Las Vegas for 8 days but was back just in time for your birthday.   After fetching Mark from the airport, you all went to watch the rugby at a little pub called the Bunny Chow!   So cool! Y ou showed me where you were going to have new piercings for your birthday earings, just above the the old piercings.

Hello Darling Em, Tammy’s stepfather passed away on 3 rd August. Tammy said that he wasn’t part of their lives for over a decade. He reached out to her a few days before you left and they had a nice chat for about an hour.   Granny Laura was responsible for sorting out all of his papers.   Two weeks later your Uncle Garth suddenly died.   Everyone was shocked as he was in good health and had a good job in Dundee. Its funny how things happen Em.   When your Aunt Candice left to go and live in the UK, Garth didn’t want Ben to leave South Africa to live with her.   But eventually she persuaded him and Ben did go to England.   What would have become of Ben if he had stayed with Garth?   Sometimes things happen for a reason. On 12 August you did your first Colour Guard performance.   Your folks put us on a video call so that we could actually watch you from the stand – even though it was on a small screen Tammy let us know that you were the girl wit...

  Hello my darling girl, I can’t believe that you have been in the US for a whole month already.   I still feel as though you have gone on an extended holiday and will be back soon!   On 1 st July you collected Ruby. Mark sent a message: "Very nice to have Rubes with us. We got back from fetching Ruby in LA at around 8.30pm and then missioned at Avis in San Diego until after 10.30pm (long story) so we only got to sleep after midnight. Still tired but going to have a more chilled day today. We have an apartment viewing at 1pm, we're doing grocery shopping and we're buying a crate for Ruby. Oh, and going to the bank to see if we can open bank accounts." You took Ruby to breakfast with you, pets are welcome in most places.   On 4 th July you went to breakfast at 1HOP where you ordered drinks and got three huge 1 pint glasses of juice – you said that they were the size of your head!   And your blueberry pancakes were also extra-large!     I ...