Sweet Time in Swaziland

Two years ago, we crossed paths with the Allen Family for the first time. We have been blessed to see them each year since them. As we were planning our family vacation for 2010, Swaziland sounded awesome because we had never been there and our kids would enjoy having playmates for several days. We drove 4 hours from Johannesburg to Mbabane, Swaziland and enjoyed our time with the Allen's. We then traveled from Mbabane to Nelspruit, South Africa then back to Johannesburg. The landscape was breathtaking and learning about our fellow missionaries work in Swaziland was a blessing as well. Pray for Steve and Monica Allen as they continue to reach the Swazi people for Jesus Christ.

We forgot that we were still in Africa. Swaziland was so beautiful. It was green and the mountains were majestic. It was a blessing to be able to travel there for a vacation.

A Swazi home on the way to Mbabane to see the Allen Family!

Lacie, Lauren, Lily, Nathan, and Easton

Easton, Lacie, and Lily on a huge rock in the Allen's backyard. Our kids were so happy to play outside at night! It was a blessing to out of a malaria area for them to enjoy playing until the sun went down!

Lacie and Nathan

Kendall and Easton

The Allen's and Helgren's at Swazi Candles. Swaziland is known for their candles. We had a great time visiting!

It was neat to watch the candle makers at work. Their hands have got to be so strong to mold the wax like they do! They were so kind and loved the children being there.

The kids got their own ball of wax as a souvenier.

Lauren was mesmerized by the whole candle making process.

A finished turtle candle. The kids all chose one turtle to bring home for themselves!

Soap is also a product made at Swazi Candles. Some of the scents were: Mango, Peppermint, and Kenyan Coffee with real coffee beans on top!

I love this elephant, he is now a member of our family!

Rhinos

My favorite African animal is the giraffe and the colors were beautiful!

Easton on the slide at the playground.

The cafe at Swazi Candles. It was a lovely place for lunch and the kids loved playing too!

Nathan and Lauren loved having a buddy to play with that was the same size.

Lauren loves to have her picture made and says, "Dheese!"

Easton playing with his favorite things...cars and trucks and making them in perfectly straight lines. Precious boy.

One morning, Monica and I went to the Royal Swazi Hotel for a massage. This was our anniversary gifts from our husbands! Kendall and I celebrated our anniversary on January 10th and Steve and Monica on January 12th! While we had our massages, Steve and Kendall took the kids to a Game Reserve and saw lots of animals!

These zebra are different from ones found in Zambia because they have a shadow stripe.

Steve told Kendall that it was very rare to see the male and female together. So this is a neat picture! I want to say that they are kudu, but I am pretty sure that I am wrong.

Easton was soaking everyone with the COLD water...but he would get it later from Lily and Lacie!

Nathan got in on the action splashing the girls with water, he had a great example to follow, Easton!

Lacie and Lily are sweet friends, what a blessing for them to get to play together for four days!

The kids decided to play in the pool water our last night. The temperature outside was about 75, which is cold for those of us with thin blood!

The Allen's house on the right and the house we stayed in on the left.

The view from the Allen's back porch! We promised our supervisors that we wouldn't transfer before we came! Now we can see why we had to make that promise!! :o)

Lily and Lacie got Easton with a bucket of water the night before we left for Nelspruit!

This sign just made Kendall and I laugh. Afrikaan is a language much like German, but we drove through the "Bad Place" as we like to call it..."Badplaas". And we were going to say that we had visited America without anyone knowing it because we went to "Carolina"!

Gettin' ready for the big plunge!

Easton is my little fish! He loves the water, no matter the temperature!

Monica was awesome to get in the COLD pool with the kids! Lauren was happy, then once I try to take a picture, she becomes disturbed by the whole swimming idea.

We took all of the kids to see all of the airplanes at Mercy Air. It was so neat because we got to see most of the pilots with their aircraft. What a blessing to have missionary pilots who can reach areas that we are unable to reach with a vehicle to minister and meet the needs of those without Jesus Christ.

Daddy and Son...priceless, these are the days!

Kendall and the kiddos with one of the airplanes at Mercy Air in Nelspruit, South Africa.

Easton loves any kind of aircraft, but he was so excited to see a helicopter up close!

The Allen Family: Steve, Monica, Lacie, and Nathan

Our family picture...everyone is smiling!

I had to post this picture for 10 years from now to show Easton how silly he could be when trying to get a picture of him and his sisters! I love it!

The Allen and Helgren Kiddos

From left to right: Nathan (22 months), Lauren (23 months), Easton (3 years), Lily (5 years), and Lacie (5 years)

Lauren says, "here we go again...from Joburg to Swaziland to Nelspruit to Joburg!" The car is our second home as a missionary kid!

A beautiful sunset after a Johannesburg thunderstorm.

David and Kendall grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for our family get together! David is from McAllen in South Texas, so he and Kendall got along well. He is a good man, he attended Auburn University...WAR EAGLE!!!

I met Tracy at the Homeschool Conference in Cape Town, as we prepared Cinnabon for tea time. She is a fun friend and I am so happy that our paths crossed on this side of the ocean.

Leah and Lily played "missionaries to unreached people" after we had dinner.