Why, open her presents in her wedding dress, of course.
A great few days with my family, with gorgeous food (not going to be getting back into that frock for a little while yet) and incredibly beautiful presents (this link in particular, still to be hung but very gladly received by The Husband). I did incredibly well, with the Husband secretly catching me eyeing up Abigail's gorgeousness and putting an order in for the gold and black beads of joy. Aren't I a lucky girl indeed?
For goodness sake let me know if this doesn't work, but as a final farewell before I run off for the jolly holidays, here's a montage that the Boy made of the day.
Wowsers... that looks promising!
Enjoy, happy holidays and thanks for all your support, messages and comments in 2008! Here's to my first Merry Christmas as a wife!
xx
An early start for a car-hire team who didn't arrive. Breakfast in the original 1940s wing of the guesthouse - period flagstone floors and fittings. Collected at 11am for the transfer to Shamwari. Crossed forests and rivers into bushland to arrive in pure and unadulterated luxury at lunchtime. Welcome drink of homemade iced tea on arrival in glorious sunshine. Tour of the small and perfectly formed Bayethe (pronounced Bay-Yet-Tee) Lodge. Lunch of a three-course menu of salad, fishcakes and gateau overlooking a waterhole to watch warthogs and various bushbucks drinking in the heat.
Chatted with two couples at lunchtime - one on their 25th wedding anniversary from the same area of Southern Ireland that my father hails from (coincidences!) and one a lovely pair on honeymoon from Dublin who would be sharing our safari truck later.
Our sitting room in our tent, complete with complimentary wine and welcome message...
An hour of shower, plunge pool and reading then tea and cake to line our tummies for safari.
One happy honeymooner - I could no longer feel my teeth from grinning at 30mph along dirt tracks in an open sided jeep!
Closest of close encounters with a 'unit' of elephants: six actually sniffing the Land Cruiser. Incredible. Then on to see Black Backed Jackals, zebras, various bucks and birds.
Sundowners of wine and nibbles (or any cocktail that took your fancy!) overlooking a staggering vista of valleys and hills.
Posed for dinner at 8pm now. Talk of a day-long drive tomorrow and picnic away on our travels to be prepared by the kitchen. Would be wonderful... We returned to our room after the safari to find a personal message on the bed, flower, leaves, chocolates and our bed turned down. I could get used to five star living.
Our guide Jamie is incredibly knowledgeable and has a great sense of humour. He is just perfect and so much fun to be around as well as satisfying my innate 'teacher's pet' gene that has me answering questions in excited tones!
Now... what will dinner hold for us??
...
SCRUMPTIOUS! Dinner of Impala for the Boy and fish for me, with springbok spring rolls to start. Chocolate brownie for pudding and stayed up til gone 1am chatting to lovely Dubliners. So looking forward to our day in the bush tomorrow.
Now, about that turned down bed...
Birds of Eden to follow, then a walk along Tsitsikama Reserve Beach front to the breathtaking Storms River Mouth. Officially my new-found 'happy place'. Sadly, the renowned bridge was closed off due to recent fires and rock falls, but an alternative walk to cove rocks proved well worth the detour.
The sound of the breaking sea-waves, the river meeting the tide and the slow erosion of ebb and flow while settled with the Hubbie will be ingrained on my mind.
Sleep ready for the morning... lions beckon!!
PS Check out the completely intentional and rather terrifying 'his n hers' khaki... Very fetching... non??
A morning of toast, jam and boat trip to the Heads of Knysna.
Drive to Buffels Bay and walked along the deserted beach for an hour, writing our names in the sand.
Married one week. Delirious.
Cocktails and sunset while we watch the rugby game: South Africa v Wales on telly in the harbour cafe then dinner at the FABULOUS 34 degrees South. Calamari, Prawns, Steak, Cheesecake and wine.
Happy weekiversary indeed.
