Christmas in New York!!

As many of you have probably picked up from our GOOGLE TALK statuses, we are going to New York for Christmas!

You see, Katherine's work is flying her to San Francisco for some meeting for two days, and the main guy there says he's fully booked until 21-23 December, and wanted to know if that would work for us. HECK YES! A free flight for Kat to the USA over Christmas, and free accommodation for the both of us while we're in SF? Essentially half-price to USA for Christmas? Who wouldn't want that!

News justin...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. JONES!

Our very dear and old (in more than one sense of the word) friend, Justin, has just hit another milestone! Our GOOGLE SMS service isn't working at the moment (stupid VODACOM) so we aren't getting our IMPORTANT DATES SMS reminders so we are a bit behind on important events, but we'll get around to having you guys over for a nice dinner and maybe a boardgame or something, to celebrate the coming of another year, and the going of more of your life :)

God bless old friend!

Senseless tragedy

Today a good friend of ours sent out an sms around midday that told us his sister-in-law had passed away.

The shock of this sudden loss, and the painful reality that it was a close friend's family, was made so much more unbearable owing to the nature of her passing - an attempted hijacking.

Usually we'd feel horrible and sad simply because it's a friend's tragedy, but for some reason we feel even more gutted than we would normally be - not sure if we've grown more compassionate over life, or because we know the bereaved personally. Whatever the circumstances for our pain, I felt the need to share.

The loss that has occurred wasn't only senseless, but far more tragic because Bianca wasn't a threat to anyone. That two would-be thieves made a decision today to do something this heinous and become murderers just completely shakes my understanding of humanity. The gravity of the events today are even more overwhelming when I consider that these two people loaded a firearm and went out to steal, and to kill. What other reason would someone have for having a loaded weapon?

Reports are disjointed at the moment, but some articles say Bianca was just shot. Plain and simple. How can someone fathom such a thing?

To the family - especially Careen, Cliff, and Bianca's brother and parents - our deepest condolences. We may never fully comprehend your pain but we feel the loss as if she were our sister too. To Hylton, we will always be here for you during this time, and well after the shock and anguish has passed. We know it's hit you hard and we have been praying for you and the rest of the families.

I want to see justice, but I also need to remember vengeance will come under God's authority. Right now we must simply thank God for bringing Bianca into everyone's lives, and pray that the Lord Almighty will be our comfort and our strength. For the Waburtons and Bianca's family, we will keep you in our prayers.

This is completely shocking and I've felt so numb - I don't know of anyone who hasn't been affected by this. This is absolutely senseless and right now is a tragedy beyond compare.

Pizza and boardgames

Thursday night is FUN night at the Johnstons!

We hosted Ryan Reeves Campus Crusader and the Botha's for make-yer-own pizza and boardgame night, and fun was clearly had by all. We didn't end up playing a single boardgame, but instead a boatload of cardgames (admittedly it's a pretty small boat).

Bronwyn McPherson (as in person) arrived with none other than Magnus Pimpus at the latter stages of the evening.

High fives for Bang! victorious sheriff (il sceriffo), Badbreath BrYan and his thar deputies Oldman Botha, and Righteous Reeves McGee.

Mom's blowout fracture

Yes, unfortunately it's official, my mom has to go under the knife again for yet another operation, and this just ten days before her 69th birthday (sorry mom, is that inappropriate?).

That fall she had a week ago has resulted in a blowout fracture to her eye socket / cheek area and she now has to undergo a bone graft and some other surgery to repair the damage and restore feeling to her face.

It's all becoming a bit much for me to handle, because I hate to see my mom in any discomfort, and I really think something needs to change for her lifestyle - she can't keep falling and breaking things - life is better than that! She deserves so much more!

Please keep her in your prayers (if you're the praying type) and I'll keep you posted on the progress and surgery etc.

Greg and Bronwyn - 2 years!

Life seems to pass us by very quickly nowadays. Our best man, Greg Landwehr, and his equally wonderful and lovely wife, Bronwyn, have been living together now for two years, and praise God they've been happily married for every single day of those two years!

Congrats guys and here's wishing you both a whole lot more of happiness and God's blessings, as well as copious amounts of little Landwehrlings clawing at your ankles :)

... speaking of which ... when are the kids coming along? :)