Lots to catch up

First some photos

1 year old Cameron in our pool clad in full baby wetsuit while dad braves the April chilly water

Naz, Gareth and Cameron with Tim looking on from behind - More photos of Gareth's visit here.

Nathaniel turns 7. 3rd from the left with party friends, on his birthday cruise to Seal Island in Hout Bay. More photos here.

Stanford students still keep us busy with lots of fun functions.

Darling Brew at Pieter Dirk Uys's Evita se Perron, before the show Icons & Aikonas. From left, Rose, Irene, Sherry, Tim, Parth & Francisca

After the show - one time neighbours in Pinelands. For info on Pieter's work, go to his website

That covers highlights of April and May. March was spent wrapping up the first quarter and enjoying a two week break before the start of the second quarter during which Tim nipped off to a conference in Bali, and I stayed home.

The blog has been abandoned these past couple of months and I blame it on entirely on Tim’s ancestors and my inability to focus on anything else. Over the past 6 months I have met more than 2,000 people, dead and alive. I've become familiar with the lives of some incredible people and places. Too bad most are long gone and the places forever altered. Tim has a host of fascinating and sometimes famous ancestors.

Lucy Jane and her father, Luther Derwent

Part of the joy of tracing family is meeting descendents of long lost cousins. A couple of days ago a parcel arrived for me here in Cape Town, South Africa, from San Diego, USA with over 200 pages of Stanton genealogy from Tim’s 3^rd cousin once removed, Ruth Lewis. Some lovely personal stories from great aunts and uncles who took time to record their memories.

What I set out to do was trace Tim's 8 great grandparents and their families, and that has largely been done. I have often got sidetracked along the paths of some of his 16 great great grandparents, and filling in those details can be very consuming - they had so many children in those days!

I have to confess that many discoveries would not have been possible without the help of Tim’s 5^th cousin once removed who lives in England and is related to Tim’s mother's maternal grandfather, Luther Derwent pictured here on the left with his daughter, Tim's grandmother, Lucy Jane Derwent.

The week after Gareth, Naz and Cameron left, my sister came to visit for a week and we enjoyed loads of outings and plenty of time to chat, plus two movies. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Iron Lady.

To end, here's a photo of a recent "Dinner with the Stantons" taken by a waiter at the Vineyard hotel where we dine every week with four students, meeting them in small groups. We love the evenings, the chance to chat informally, and also to hear their stories.

02 May 2012 - Tim, Sherry, Allie, Irene, Hahn and Nayeli at the Vineyard Hotel