Baby Mostert coming in October!

Just look at that little nose and toes!

We're pregnant! 14 weeks now. I have been writing about being pregnant all along and will post some of what I wrote here. I'm planning on making another photo book with Blurb towards the end of the year/ beginning next year of 2013 as a kind of pregnancy/ newborn diary to keep.

Another sunny weekend

Looks like the sun is slowly returning to this side of the world. Can't really be called hot yet at 11C midday, but at least it looks a little more inviting outside.

The tomato plants have graduated to slightly larger pots and are now living in the greenhouse. Courgette and pumpkin seeds have taken their place indoors in the seed trays. Maybe a little tight for the larger seeds but they'll have to make do if they want to stay at around 20C. I need to go check on the tomato seedlings in the greenhouse to see how they survived their first night out of the warm and cosy house. It was a mere 1C outside when I woke up this morning. Oh well, they'll just need to toughen up!

Andre mowed the lawn yesterday for the first time after winter and it looks so lovely. I love a freshly mowed lawn. It makes the garden look bigger and fresher and neater.

He also did some tidying up around the garden of branches that were getting a bit out of hand. I do have to watch him with that saw!!

Don't worry, the apple tree is still standing!

I had last year's geraniums overwinter in the greenhouse in pots and hanging baskets, but I'm afraid I might not have given them much water while they were in there. Andre brought them out for me yesterday and I have been giving them lots of water lately whenever I remembered. I'm hoping they'll come back to life. One has started making new green leaves so there is hope.

The yellow with red tulips are looking very cheerful. There's also some hyacinths and grape hyacinths flowering here and there and the little forget-me-nots are starting now too. 

Next job will be planting out the peppers and chillies into the greenhouse and then planting the sunflower seeds in their place in the seed trays indoors for a while.

And the 2013 gardening begins

Although still quite cold (max 6C) we actually had a lovely sunny weekend. I had a bit of a cold and was feeling quite miserable, but towards the end of the weekend after lots of rest felt well enough to spend a little time in the garden. With the short British summer you can't wait too long to get those seeds in the ground!

These snowdrops were out at the beginning
of February.

The only veggie seeds I've planted so far are tomatoes, peppers and chillies. They're the ones that need planting earlier and will probably again end up spending their entire summer growing in the greenhouse. The seed trays are inside at the moment as the greenhouse isn't heated and therefor still too cold. 

Then I also planted some flowers in the front corner of the veggie patch and under the pear tree. You can see the flowers I planted, the ones in the boxes, below.

I'm very excited to see some colour in the garden. The bulbs I planted at the beginning of winter are growing really well and one area of the garden is full of bulbs which should look great soon. We already have one tulip flowering in the front garden and a few daffodils nearly ready to flower. The flowers I've planted this weekend will flower after the bulbs during summer so we'll hopefully have nice continuous colour. I'm also looking forward to getting the sunflower seeds started. Waiting for the next warmer sunny weekend to plant the rest of the seeds in the greenhouse.

Andre built this bird feeder while I planted the seeds and flowers. We have about three other bird feeders hanging in branches of trees and see many little birds coming for their meals in our garden.

Skiing at Kitzbuhel

26 February 2013

Kitzbühel old town

We drove to Kitzbuhel in Austria yesterday so Andre could go skiing. It's been three years since he's been skiing in Switzerland. We've been to Kitzbuhel before and like it because you can walk from the village to the ski slopes which means I can stand at the bottom of the slopes watching him or go for a stroll round the village and see the shops. It's an easy 1hr40min drive from my mom and Jurgens house, except that it was snowing all the way there and the roads were quite slushy so took a bit longer.

After renting the kit, Andre spent about two rounds on the beginners blue slope and then headed up a red slope which he enjoyed for the rest of the day. Both of these I can stand at the bottom watching him go up and down the slope. Or as I did later sit at a restaurant on this slope watching the skiers go past. He came skiing down to the restaurant for a lunch stop of goulash soup, one of our favourites in Germany, before heading off again.

The restaurant where we had lunch on the slopes to the right.

My view of Andre coming down the slope from the restaurant.

lunch break

We'd like to one year spent a few days there so he can explore some of the other slopes more, and I the village and shops!

Posted with Blogsy

Sledging at Reit im Winkel

24 February 2013

We're in Bernhaupten for the weekend and yesterday drove to Reit im Winkel to go sledging. From the car park a mini bus takes you up the snowy mountain. They have chains on their wheels and it was quite interesting how easily they drove up the steep incline and around bends.

As the sledges would only be available for rent later in the day we did a scenic walk first, a 6km (about 2hrs) round trip through the snow. It was beautiful there. At times hard work walking through the snow but worth it.

After lunch on the mountain it was time for sledging! I decided to give it a miss as the sledging trail was actually the 4km road downhill all the way back to the car park. The very same road we came up in with the bus! Of course the busses wait for all the sledges to have gone ahead before driving again. Everyone jumps on their sledges at the same time so no one will get run over by a bus! It is rather steep and windy as I said before. So mom and I waved the guys off and then jumped in the bus to follow them down. They had great fun but did admit it might have been a bit much for us! Andre had filmed it all with the gopro so I'll post it here as soon as I'm done editing it.

Posted with Blogsy

A little holiday

We're in Germany at the moment. I'm sitting in a very comfy chair by the window watching snowflakes fall.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

New Years Day floods

It's been raining all day today and it reminded me about these photos we took on a walk with Andre's dad and Marietjie along the Kennet & Avon canal on the single sunny day of their holiday here with us. 

All taken on the 1st of January 2013, using my iPhone or Marietjie using her new underwater camera.

The photographers photographing.
Marietjie showing off her new English wellies!

That is a field, not a lake.

Marietjie on her way to the swans, paddling across the field.

A dog enjoying the water where there's normally only grass.

Again, not normally any water over there.

Father & Son

Kennet & Avon Canal

We couldn't believe how much water there was where
normally there is none.

Very muddy- wellies was a must!