First Christmas

This Christmas was extra special for us! My wife and I had our annual leave all sorted, so we packed up the trusty 1996 Toyota Camry 2.0 – seriously, that car's a legend – and headed out for our very first Christmas in the Northern Cape. The kids, my son and daughter, were absolutely buzzing. They just love camping out in the granny flat in Brandvlei; it's always such an adventure for them. This time, we were planning on staying for about 7 or 8 days, so my wife took charge of all the food, treats, and drinks. You know, everything we'd need for a proper family getaway. We were definitely bracing ourselves for some serious heat, as it gets incredibly hot in the Northern Cape during the summer, often soaring past 40 degrees Celsius.

Once we arrived, we quickly unpacked and made ourselves at home in the one-room granny flat. The kids were so excited, they practically leaped into action, eager to set up and decorate our little Christmas tree. It truly felt like a genuine family effort, with the excitement of Christmas Day building up with every decoration we hung.

Can you believe it? This was our eighth visit to our house in Brandvlei, but our very first time spending Christmas there. And thankfully, this time around, we had fully functioning hot water from the new cylinder that was installed, running water in the granny flat, and flushing toilets! A massive shout-out to my incredible dad for installing everything and for teaching me and my son a thing or two about plumbing. It's truly a three-generation affair when we work together – from eldest son to eldest son to eldest son. Working with my dad is always a pleasure, and it warms my heart to see the bond between him and my son. They're like two peas in a pod, truly each other's best friend, a relationship I honestly envy.

This trip wasn't about work at all, which was a nice change. It was purely a relaxing getaway where my wife and I could just unwind and enjoy quality time with the kids.