Netball Season

How exciting is this? I don't know what the cup is for, but Netball has started for this season, and here is the first photo of the season. Jade plays for her school at Bondi Junction.

Go Jade go! You are looking so tall and grown up. How blessed I am to have such a beautiful family.

THE LITTLE BOY IS ONE!

The party was loads of fun, with lots of pretty decorations and lots of presents to open, ably assisted, of course, by my little friends

We practised blowing for a couple of months prior to the big event


But I still got gun shy when the real thing came along (much to Disa's amusement) and Chloe was most concerned in case I burned my hands on the candle, so she held them tightly. Chloe is Nana Pania's moko and Disa is my girlfriend, and there's little Anihera on the left, she's Chloe's sister

But Mummy came to the rescue and she blew the candle out for me

Then it was no holds barred and I was in



Thank you Mummy for such a great 1st birthday cake, it tastes every bit as good as it looks

In fact I think I'll have some more

When you're the birthday boy, surrounded by admirers, every thing you do is fascinating even blowing your nose

The highlight of the day (after play, presents, food & cake) was cruising on my bike with Disa on the back. Disa's mum is laughing cause I can only ride backwards, so I push and push until I hit something behind me and then I scream until someone comes along and turns me around. It's the coolest fun!

Well I had a great birthday and I think Gran Denny enjoyed it too

CAMERA EYES

Now how do kids learn so quickly that when the red light starts flashing on the camera, they're going to be seeing stars very soon. Unless of course, they are clever enough to put on their 'CAMERA EYES' and shield some of the glare..........

Trying out his birthday bike

Choice pressie, Gran

(That's Justine, her friend Karen, and Pappa Dave partially obscured)
Hmn now that looks very much like a MacyD's hash brown on the tray there

Tissues are just as much fun as that white roll paper in the bathroom

I can still manage a squinty smile for Gran, even though she keeps following me around trying to make me blind with that flash

Helping in Gran's Garden

I had a little helper

His name was Spotty Chops

And every time I turned around, he'd got a little spottier

So we took him straight from the garden to the bath tub!

Lucky I'm sooo cute

Boy, the bathroom is such a fun place

And all this paper for me to play with

Yea, we finally have decent internet access and I can start posting again, yea, yea

Guess What We Did Last Night

I feel like the luckiest gran in the world.

The excitement was at fever pitch at our house yesterday. You see we drove over to Hamilton straight after work. And I was beside myself with anticipation, we were taking little Major to the rugby. Dear hubby was beside himself with anticipation too, we were actually going to the rugby and he didn't have to pay. You could so feel all the anticipation, the air was electric!

I didn't get to see too much of the rugby in the end, I couldn't take my eyes off the little darling. He was so cute when he clapped his hands as the Chiefs ran on. You'd never know it was his first rugby game either, he handled it like an old pro. We taught him how to wave the Chiefs flag that the lovely Functions Manager gave him. Dear hubby complained about the price of the food, but we had a great night. The only down side was every time I did get to look at the rugby, Dan Carter was taking another kick, and man is he deadly!

End result, the Crusaders whipped the Chiefs on the Chiefs home ground, but a gran, a koro and a wee moko had an absolutely fabulous time.

TSUNAMI, PITFALLS OF LIVING BESIDE THE SEA

A couple of Sundays ago we woke to a frenzied call from a friend blasting his message down the phone "Tsunami warning, head for the hills!"

Before I was even ready to be awake, there we were, in the car, in a full to overflowing car park somewhere up in the Papamoa Hills, surrounded by mums, dads, bickering kids, pets galore, worried looking nanas and grandads and a few straggly others who looked like they'd come straight from a night on the town. And still the cars kept rolling in.

I wasn't prepared for it, it was night-mareish. Would the sea really engulf my new raised vegie gardens? And what about all the not-quite-precious-enough-to-make-it-inside-immediately stuff that's stored in the outside shed awaiting the next round of sorting to get a final resting place inside the house? There was time enough sitting in the car to envisage all my semi-treasured possessions floating around the house on the force of the wave.

We were kept up to date with the latest developments thanks to Kerre's Cafe on the clearest radio station we could receive. Thankfully she (Kerre Woodham) had put her regular show on the backburner and devoted every minute of today's show to TSUNAMI updates.

Its not the height of the wave that matters its the force behind it, some Civil defence expert droned on to us. A wave with a force of 100km behind it can travel a hefty distance inland with frightening ferocity!

A sense of impending disaster washed over me; the sea is at the end of our street. We're definitely goners if it hits - well we aren't because we are safely in the car miles from home, but the house wouldn't stand a chance. And now dear hubby is nagging me to get out of the car and walk to the top of the hill, which he estimates will take anywhere between 20 and 45 minutes.

Groan.

Thankfully I buy some time by insisting someone has to stay in the car park to keep an eye out for the nanas and grandads. "They look ever so concerned". Phew, he buys it and we go back to listening intently to the next update.

Estimated time to hit Papamoa beach deferred for a further 40 minutes, more opinion and advice for surviving Tsunami from yet another expert. Two and a half hours later and the experts finally agree: They don't really know what's going to happen, when!

Cars are starting to leave the car park now. The kids next to us have come back from up the hill and taken their totally freaked out cat, in his cage, for a stroll through the bush, to put him at ease, I wonder. The dog in the car next door is barking at full volume again - the cars have disturbed him.

"Can we go home now, pleeaase?" Ten minutes later the car park is now only half full and dear hubby finally decides its probably safe to go. Besides that we'll get better pictorial coverage from the TV. We're not mentioning that this was yet another false alarm. Remember the boy who cried wolf? Experts don't cry wolf, it just didn't turn out to be as serious as they first thought.

Now what did we learn from our little excursion?

We went straight home with firm resolve to check and update our 72 hour survival kits. Dear hubby had thoughtfully thrown ONE kit into the boot of the car prior to our hasty departure. But have we checked them? My what fickle folks we are, as soon as we discovered the RED ALERT was over, we made a promise to check them real soon.

And one day we will, in typical Kiwi style, but there's no rush eh.

I CAME BACK

Well hi there friends and family, no need for a search party, I'm alive and kicking but without decent internet access I haven't been able to post for a while.

Quick update, I've transferred from Hamilton to Tauranga and now I'm working for a different part of the Tax Dept, in a lovely office overlooking Tauranga's inner harbour, it really is lovely here, can't tell you how good it feels to be home.

There's just one thing that's missing, and I mean really missing, that's to say I'm reallllly missing and that is my beautiful moko Major, who incidentally is now ONE and he's the size of a two year old. Yes sadly, Major is still at Hamilton keeping his mummy on her toes as he crawls at an amazing pace around the house, wreaking havoc and leaving little trails of destruction behind him wherever he goes.

When I get some decent internet access I've got loads of great photos to post and a few tales to tell. But for now, I'm okay and still busy settling in. Stay tuned.

We've Been Busy

Thirteen things I'm greatful for in mostly reverse chronological order:

My darling mokos

Eldest moko aka seasoned international traveller

Major loved the sea from the minute he was introduced, he squealed with glee as every new wave came crashing in

Oops slightly out of order, the back view of Jade's Church Bag, stiched with love by Gran and this applique kindly completed by Aunty Justine

A fun picnic at Papamoa Beach on New Years Day

Major's new skill for New Years Day was mastering clapping his hands

Big Cousin reading to Little Cousin

Enjoying real fruit icecreams at a Berry Farm where we got strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, yum

Opening Christmas presents on arrival at Grans

Hmm who had most fun Gran filling this Christmas box with goodies or Jade opening it?

Quality time with Uncle Cookie on Christmas afternoon

Our small family sitting down to Christmas dinner

Cheers Ears!

Today's top 5

1. The house seemed back to normal today.

2. I didn't over eat

3. Finished sewing for Jade, and everything looks great.

4. Jade arrives tomorrow

5 It was great having Michael staying with us for the past few days. I've never watched so many documentaries before. What a pleasant change from the E Channel. He's even coming back next week for a few more days to look after Jade while Justine & I return to work.

Christmas morning at our house

Merry Christmas.

We've already been up and opened some of Major's presents, since he awoke before 6am. So here are a few snapshots taken earlier this morning. Now the little angel is full of a croissant breakfast and tucked up back in bed.

I can't believe they are letting me so close to the presents, all I've heard for ages is "Don't touch Christmas"

If I'm allowed to sit this close, a little touch surely must be in order

Wow, I like this!

See Gran's lovely tree

Now this one's kept way out of reach, I can only see it when they lift me up

Yip, my first Christmas has just been great so far

Notice how tired I'm looking, well it's 7.45am and I have been up for a couple of hours

Yea, more toys to ignore while I practise turning the TV on and off, but thanks anyway folks

Compliments of the Season to one and all

As my grandmother would always say "Compliments of the festive season to you, merry Christmas and Happy New Year"

This month has flown by, and it's officially Christmas Day here in NZ however, I'm not going to bed without saying hi and we love you to all my family who are scattered around Australasia.

We are all ready for Christmas tomorrow (or rather today), it will be a small affair for our household. My youngest son Mike is coming over to join us so there will be my eldest and youngest and one moko (grandchild) and me. (Eldest granddaughter is in NZ, but she is spending Christmas Day with her Nana and Granddad Eagle, we'll see her in a few days time).

Dinner will be a splendid affair with marinated New York style roast beef, rolled roast of pork and of course the staple kiwi meat, roast lamb. These will be served with a selection of salads and kamokamo and extra sweet peas from the garden. Because Justine and I both worked right up to today, we've cheated and bought the salads and desserts.

Dessert consists of strawberry glazed cheesecake, choc cheesecake, lemon meringue pie and white chocolate mudcake.

My guess is we'll snooze in front of a Christmas movie on the telly after that lot!

Today we took Major to have his first Christmas captured on film at Santa's grotto. I don't have the pics yet but the photo above is how his mummy dressed him to meet Santa for the first time. He wasn't afraid either, staring intently at the white beared giant as he bounced contentedly on his knee. It was very cute.

And lastly, lets not forget the reason we celebrate Christmas: the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. I have loved reading a few verses each night of the story of Jesus birth.

Luke 2:1-20:

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.