wedding family fullmoon feast

here's the bride and groom in styling wedding attire...




























inspiring cakes

and a few of our awesome friends...

ra!

Hello daar!
congratulations meneer! Nous jy n getroude man..mal! Hoe was die troue? Was jou familie daar? Hoe gaan dit met die ma-to be, dit is nou seker al amper tyd vir die baba om te kom? hehe al hierdie vrae...nee maar rerig baie geluk ek hoop alles gaan goed by julle en dat julle baie joy sal he^ saam. Ai die kinders raak groot hey? Anyway alles van die beste
liefde en stroopwafels
A*

BAIE SUPER GELUK BRAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

HEAVY COOL!!!!!
geniet dit!!!!
tot wanne jy in koala land??
hos!

Geluk met die pampoentjie bra. is jy nou in oz?

***
Gammat word aangekla dat hy vir Meraai 'n bitch genoem het.

Tydens kruisverhoor sê Gammat, 'Djy't da' boe oppie balcony gastaan, en ek da' onner innie straat.' 'Ja,' së Meraai. 'Daar was mos baie anner mense by djou da' oppie balcony,' së Gammat. 'Ja,' së Meraai.
"Nou hoe wiet djy dan ek het met djou gapraat?' 'Omlat ek die enigste'bitch' daar was,' së Meraai

Briewe tussen die ver verwyderde familie

So more is de groot dag wat ek rachel se familie ontmoet. Ek het vanaand die huis mooi skoon gemaak.

Ek wonder maar net hoe voel julle oor al die sake. Dis seker moeilik om daar ver aan die ander kant van die wereld te wees terwyl al hierdie groot dinge n julle seun se lewe gebeur. Ek wens daar was nie soveel moeilike gapings tussen ons nie. Ek wens ek kon genoeg geld he sodat ek julle hiernatoe kon laat vlieg of ets. Maar tyd werk miskien soms in ander tipes siklusse en dalk is daar redes vir als wat ons eers ordentlik sal begryp wanneer ons weer mekaar sien. Miskien laat tyd en afstand sekere dinge toe om eers ordentlik te groei en ontwikkel.

Dis omtrent vyf weke of wat voor de baba ook oppad is, nog familie om te ontmoet, maar een ding op 'n slag. Soos julle seker weet, ek trou Sondag. Ek hoop julle is darem bly, al is dit half sad dat julle nie hier kan wees nie. Dis nogal 'n essensiele deel van die storie vir my om julle betrokke te he in als. Als begin nou iets soos 'n volle sirkel maak, selfs my kinderdae en als wat ons as familie deurgemaak het, skuif in volle perspektief. Ek dink daar's 'n groot omwenteling in die mens wat ek was toe julle afskyd van my geneem het. Dit was bietjie meer as 'n jaar gelede nou. Toe wou ek net wegvoeter en myself alleen in die wereld gaan vind. Nou wil ek net sorg dat die mense wat die naaste is in my hart gelukkig is. Daars min dinge so belangrik soos familie. Ek en Rachel het elkeen 'n paar goed neergskryf wat ons wil deel met ons vriende en familie op die troudag, en daarom wil ek dit vir julle ook stuur.

***

Hoe voel ons oor al die sake? Wat is elke ouer se grootste begeerte
vir sy kind? Sekerlik dat die kind 'n lang en baie gelukkige lewe sal
hê, met 'n vrou wat lief vir hom is, en kinders waarsonder die lewe
maar saai sou wees. Rachel skryf sulke mooi dinge oor jou en sê soveel
kere hoe lief sy jou het. Jy moet tog ten minste een keer per dag in
geen onduidelike taal vir haar sê hoe lief jy haar het.

Jy's reg dis nogal "weird" om te dink dat jy trou – ons kan eintlik
gladnie 'n prentjie maak van hoe dit by jou lyk en is nie. Dis regtig
jammer dat ons nie daar kan wees nie, maar nou het ons minstens regtig
rede vir 'n ordentlike "party" as julle eendag hier kom kuier – ons
sal daarvoor begin spaar so gou ons weet wat die huis wat ons wil bou
gaan kos (dit sal so binne 3 weke wees).

Jou familie hier gaan beslis al die pad in ons gedagtes by julle wees.
Ons gaan selfs 'n glasie klink op jou troue. Ons sou so graag daar wou
wees, maar nou ja, dit was regtig nie vir ons moontlik nie. Ek sal
darem graag die vrou wil ontmoet wat sulke mooi dinge oor jou sê.

Oupa Hannes en Ouma Sybil sê ek moet vir julle baie geluk sê en die
Here se rykste seën toewens. Tannie Toys ook. En Artos!

Ons is regtig opgewonde oor dit wat ons sien in jou as Louis aangaan –
dit lyk asof alles waarvoor ons deur die jare gebid en gewens het nou
bymekaar kom – weggaan was sekerlik die beste ding! Ons kan nie wag
om jou weer te sien en die grootmens Louis te ervaar nie!

Sê asb daar op die troue dat jou ouers, broer, suster, Annika, oupa en
ouma vir hulle groete stuur en dankie sê vir die troue wat hulle vir
julle gee en dat hulle jou in hulle familie opneem. "Groete uit
Afrika!" Ons hoop om hulle almal eendag te ontmoet.

Jy MOET die fliek Kiterunner kyk – dis 'n baie uitsonderlike fliek. In
die fliek is daar 'n troue en, anders as ons westerlinge, is dit nie
net die bruid en haar pa wat in die paadjie afloop nie – dit is die
bruid en die bruidegom saam met hulle ma's en pa's, met arms ingehak.
Dit was die mooiste ding wat ek nog gesien het. Ons sou so saam met
jou en Rachel en haar familie wou wees.

Jou storie laat mens twyfel aan toevalligheid en glo daar is tog rerig
'n God wat omgee en in beheer is. My wense vir jou en Rachel is (in
Engels sodat Rachel dit ook kan lees):

• May you be the best of friends for the rest of your lives;
• May you never stop saying how much you love each other;
• May you always regard your partner's interest higher than your own;
• May you never find it difficult to say "I'm sorry";
• May you never allow anything to damage your beautiful relationship;
• May you live this one life you have to your fullest potential –
physically, mentally and spiritually;
• May your children give you lots of pleasure and happiness; and
• May the God of your and my forefathers bless you and keep you, make
His face shine upon you and be gracious to you, turn His face toward
you and give you peace.

Baie liefde van jou familie

April - getting married

By Rachel

I never thought it was possible to love someone as much as I loved my old dog, my first best friend. And then I met Louis.

We met in Edinburgh. A skanky little place called the forest cafe.

The moment I saw him I thought “who's that.” I watched him out of the corner of my eye.

I met him in the bathroom. I was walking out. He was walking in. We said hello. And I swear I was in love right then.

He sat by himself at the furthest table out the front, with a pen and a book. When he got up to leave I felt like chasing after him. Giving him my number. Never felt like that before. But I let him walk away. Watched him go. I told myself that if was within the divine order of magic and chaos, I'd see him again.

I went back to that cafe. I was standing out the front, in ripped pants. He walked past. Turned his head as he walked passed and smiled back at me and I could have eaten my heart. There's that boy I like.

Later I was drawing a comic. He came and sat beside me. I showed him. He showed me his pictures. We went out front for a cigarette. Started talking about puppet shows.

“D'you wanna be best friends” we said. That was our first conversation.

I thought he was the sexiest thing. Me and Pixie stayed over his place that night.

I saw his room, his drawings on the wall above his desk, Calvin and Hobbs on the bed.

The next morning I told Pixie I was in love.

Maybe it was the next night or the night after he told me he loved me. He couldn't shut himself up.

Kept going on about it, kept trying to roll his tongue back in his mouth. You're not supposed to tell people you love them so quick. I just watched him talk. I wanted to tell him I loved him too. But I didn't. I just watched him talk.

Sometime that week we were standing by the window in his room. He was telling me about the magic abandoned pirate ship he wanted to build one day for his children, lost in the jungle of his future back yard. I never thought this about anyone before, but right then I thought that I wanted to have his children. Not even for me. But for them. I thought that there could be no greater present I could ever give my child, than Louis, as their father.

By the end of that week we agreed that we were married. By the end of the next week, we decided we should do it for real. We went over to announce the news to Louis' mate Java, and asked him to be best man. Thought maybe we'd get married in Gretna Green. It didn't happen quiet that way. Money changes everything.

We had a pregnancy scare in Scotland. Called the phantom baby Mowgli. Got a little frightened. Vowed to stand by each other. Louis ran all over Edinburgh looking for a banana, cos I wanted one. They were all green. He went from shop to shop, looking. When it turned out I wasn't expecting, there was relief, but also, disappointment. Like we had lost something. I guess that's when we decided to make little Ripley.

Little Ripley is the magical beast we created in a London squat, our anarchist palace. The day we found out she was on her way, I had just come back from Wales. I had been there meeting family.

During that week I had been looking at old family photographs. My aunty marie pulled out a black and white picture of my grandmother as a young woman, holding my dad, as a tiny baby. Smiling into him. I had suspected it, but right then as I held that photo I knew someone was growing in my belly. I knew then with that photo in my hand there were four generations of my family, together. And I knew this was one of the divine moments in my life. And looking at the way my grandmother smiled into my father, my childhood hero, I knew that I could do it. And I wasn't afraid.

When I got back to London I told Louis we needed to go to the chemist. We got the generic brand test. I looked at it for a while. And then I went into our shabby little bathroom. Funny that I was scared stiff, that there would be only one little blue line. But there were two. I called him in. I showed him. We stared into each other for a while in disbelief. Started crying, and laughing. He said wow. He had the most precious face. Louis has the most precious face.

Two days later I flew out of London. My ticket was already booked. We knew that we couldn't pay for it again. We knew that Louis would have to stay behind and get the money to fly out. Apply for a visa. We knew that standing in between us was an ocean and a long line of bureaucrats and bankers. A legal mafia.

We cried at the airport. I held him and sang him the song that my dad once played to me. My dad had said-if you don't feel like this, then you're not in love. I remember thinking that I could never feel that way about someone. It made me sad when he said that.

I sang Louis the song, “you are the one...who's lead me to the sun, how could I know, that I was lost without you...” and we cried. I never ever sang for anyone before who wasn't comatose or under two, “and you should know that you are light in my veins...”

I still can't believe how it felt to walk away. Watch him dissapear. I was miserable. I had to go through Egypt. Got stuck there for two weeks. Finally got to Australia. Felt like I was going a bit nuts. It felt like the longest time in the world. I cried a lot. Mum and dad said it was okay, I'd be better when Louis got here. They were right.

Two months and a London winter later he pulled up in the cab out the front of my sisters house, wearing his glasses. The most handsome thing ever. The love of my life.

I love Louis so much. He is the most gorgeous man in the world. He is my best friend. I want you all to know that none of this was an accident. I knew, as I headed into Scotland that I was going there to fall in love. I knew the moment I saw Louis that I never wanted to be without him. And everyday since I have thought that I must be the luckiest girl in the world. He's that good.

Louis is the archetype someone was thinking of when they came up with the word honorable.

Louis is talented and creative and sensitive and wise. He has a way with words. I know he will make wonderful counsel to little Ripley as she grows. I want to learn Afrikaans so I can hear him speak with the poetry of his native language. Louis looks after me. Louis is strong beside me and he is gentle. I trust Louis and I feel so secure in his love for me. I love the way he looks at me. Louis sees me for who I am. Louis has been my shining light since the day I met him. He looks after me. I feel protected by him. He is clever and amazing and wondrous and magical. He makes me pinch myself in disbelief. He lets me cry on his chest. He brushes my hair. I'm so relieved to have met him. He is my savior. I'm crying when I write this. He loves me. And I am so lucky.

I hope that I can be as wonderful to him as he is to me. He is sexy and cool and dorky and wacky.

He has worlds within his amazing mind and he lets me in to play.

Louis in so genuinely lovely it can make your heart ache. Everyone who meets him knows it.

By Louis

The Afrikaans word for marriage is 'trou' - say 'brrr' - now say 'trrr' - and then:
't-rrr-oh'...

TROU means to be faithful, committed, dedicated. For me, marriage isn't about a ceremony. It's about being TROU to the person you share your life with.

I think love starts out like a deluxe foot massage and pedicure session. There are oils smelling like special little patches of Eden. Your toes feel like perfumed cotton pads. Your feet are baby-bum soft miracles. But then love turns into a mountaineering expedition. There are foot sores. There's the smell of chives soaked in ammonia. There's white cheesy skin rubbing away.

I think love is when you can take the long and hard road with someone, and end up loving them more, exactly because of all the strange and disturbing things that you encounter. The things that makes us human, that make us truly ourselves. The things we hide from most people, except the lucky few who we trust enough to allow behind the facade of perfume smells and baby-softness.

I feel I am lucky enough to know Rachel this way. The way she eats messy, as only someone could who's enjoying her food so much, she couldn't care one little bit where all of it ended up. The way she smells like guava and mountain herbs, like a real person who lives and breathes and sweats. The way she will bend to no reason except the unfathomable force of her stubbornness. She's like a rainstorm I want to run around in and kick mud puddles.

My family has always tried to tame me with the thought of meeting a girl one day and starting a family. I guess they were thinking, it's all good and well to have all the wild fun - the dirty, free, childlike, playful life - but when you meet a girl you will have to give all that up and put on a nice little Sunday suit so - I don't know, maybe not scare her away or something.

When I met Rachel, I was overseas, desperately trying to prove myself to my parents in some way. Trying to make a big independent life on my own. I was trying to do all the things I hoped would make them believe I would be o.k. I made some dirty pounds, but wasn't very good at it. I took me a few deeply lonely and tortuous months to realise that I had to forget about that. That I would have to make my life the way only I could, doing the things no-one could do as good as I could. Which is easier said than done, because there's nothing more scary than one's own dreams, gifts, abilities and talents. These are the things that somehow gets bruised the most as we grow up.

The more I got to know Rachel, the more I found faith in myself again. Her presence was like hearing a long-forgotten language again. A language that conveys certain expressions and meanings much better than any word you'll find in a common dictionary. My ears had grown blunt from listening to the garbled noise of the world. Of people who don't believe in anything. Who has given up on those dreams and special gifts, and will try to convince you that it's better to just get with the program and do the same.

Rachel believed in saving the world. My own idea about he future was much bleaker, to say the least. She was up for anything, even crossing the world with only a thumb for a ticket.

I was in awe. I had started settling into a mediocre life, thinking that maybe I would never find anyone who could match my passion, that I should tone down, get with the normal thing... or something as close to it as I could manage. And then I met this girl, and suddenly I felt overshadowed. I would never be mad enough, passionate enough, creative enough to match her drive. But at least I could try. I could try with all my might. It was the best feeling ever.

I believe when people love each other, it means that they bring out the best in each other. For my part, I've known this to be true with Rachel, many times over, somersaulting over and over, like a unexpectedly big wave over and over.
I've crossed so many thresholds, geographically and spiritually, because, man it's as tough as I've never believed I could handle, but as we tread this epic trek of our lives together, I just discover depths of love that I never knew existed.

That's why I think TROU is such a beautiful word. It's been an adventure filled with too many details to try and even remember, but through it all I've know her as the woman I am TROU to, because all my heart is in it, all my heart is dragged along by it as if tied to the back of a truck or something. And the more I am TROU to her, the greater the strength of this love pulls me.

Rachel has the strongest compassion, tender-hearted love and understanding for people I've encountered in anyone, and it's the kind of human love that I know has withstood many hard tests. She's a genius, as far as I've been able to establish. She's funny, exciting, mad, and... I've said funny. Any small thing she does, she does with simple creative love. Even when she makes toasted bread or two-minute noodles, there's little magic hearts all over it.

She's got music in her bones. That's most inspiring. She's got more incredible ideas than can fit into one lifetime, and I know her as one who will jump and roll and wrestle until she has turned them into a reality.

She's the insect I'm fascinated with.
She's the woman I'm proud to have as the mother of my child. She will be the best friend and teacher and damn tough protecting, caring, passionate force of a human a little girl could ever wish for. That I could ever wish for.

So I think I am quite lucky. Very lucky, and very happy.

I NEED TO SAY SOME MORE THINGS - PANT, PANT...

I wish my family was here. The way I left my home, compared to the way I think and live now, is drastically different. I would want them to meet all these friends, all these people I've gotten to know as my family. I want them to see the family I'm starting. Only now that we're taking this incredible new step of starting our own family, now that I'm expected to be a father, only now do I experience the degree of intensity that my parents had to go through. Now I can appreciate the level of love and emotion and everything I had no idea existed. Which makes me respect them so much more, and respect all fathers and mothers so much more. Which is why it means so much to meet Rachel's family in person. And I can only dream of the day when she will meet my parents, and we can share in the incredible gift of family together.
As for the friends I have met here in Melbourne, I've experienced the kind of love and commitment that makes me feel like I am always with my family. I can't be grateful enough to know friends like these.

I would say more, but this is the point where I should shut up.

Thanks very much for sharing in all of this with us.