celebrating 10!

Finn turned 10 on the 19th! 10 years......wow where did that go!!

It was a big weekend. Bowling on the Saturday, sleepover with 3 others, dvd, outside in the rain playing ball games + then tunnel crawling in the mud!! It was lots of fun + man can those 10yr old boys eat!!

love this pic of Taidhg..............he had such a good time bowling + was on the adults team + bet me!!

And the cake!! Finn wanted a rugby field. How easy was that!! I was feeling rather overwhelmed with tiredness by mid morning Sunday (told boys to be quiet at 1am + then they were awake at 6.45am) that I forgot to take a pic of cake without candles...........doesn't look as good with candles in. Tasted yum too!!

I made Finn 'Bart Simpson' themed invites. It was like a postcard...........pic on front + info on the back. Simple!!

just a little 'yay' its taken me all week to post this post!! Thank goodness its the last day of term tomorrow.............so looking forward to the hols!!

ps. can you believe it yesterday I was putting the wheelie bin out in the snow + collecting mail!!

I had a great time all by myself!! Snow in my hair + on my face!!

spontaneous

after a few weeks of kids vomiting I was getting a bit of cabin fever!! Which resulted in a bit of a grumpy mummy!! So I felt a bit bad for being the 'grouch' all weekend long + surprised the kids with a afternoon tea party after school. I made little name cards + wrote letters to each of them.

I got the bubbles + moustaches from Elise's blog........a pdf file she shared back when they celebrated thanksgiving. I used the bubbles on Taidhg's birthday invites back in Dec + have used them again on Finn's invites recently.

um yeah notice the lack of home baking......... didn't I mention the word 'spontaneous'

it was fun afternoon...........letters, donuts, moustaches + a teapot filled with juice!!

I saw 500 Hundred Days of Summer last night..............wow wow wow..........I love it!!.........yeah did I love it!!

and then there was silence!!

we are having way too much fun!!! :)

It's Friday isn't?

So tonight I look forward to blobbing on my sofa eating my chocolate bar by myself once the kiddos are tucked up in bed!!

long week this week.............my kids are dragging their butts out of bed everyday!! Its hard to get up at 7am every morning after having 3 weeks of sleepins!! Today felt like Friday all day!! So why I aren't I making homemade pizza or burgers??

Got some pics developed today............so hoping to get a scrap on as the I just got this mths Jenni B kit..........her kits are magic!!

new camera

I love my canon a lot but sometimes I get sick of lugging it around with me like a baby bag...........so for about year I have wanted a smaller camera so I could carry in my handbag......less bulk is good sometimes!!...............so as we left fiji on Monday I checked some cameras out in the duty free section (since we didn't buy anything on the way to fiji??).......and i picked up this wee baby

Olympus Australia Digital Cameras Digital SLR Digital Lenses xD Cards - FE-4030 details

I got it in pink!! The features are fantastic............I guess what sold for me was the extra features likes fish eye, pin hole, pop art + drawing. I have only had a little play with it so far + here a few pics I took today with it so far.

this is the pin hole feature..........giving you the vintage look

the fish eye feature............not a great pic as the chooks kept moving

The draw feature............this is pretty cool too!!

and finally the pop art feature...........chooks featuring again!! Very bright!!!

I can't wait to get some better photos + print them out..............I don't have photoshop + I'm so not techno..........so these new features are great for me!!

help its freezing here today...............wishing I was here right now...........................

BULA!!

I have just had the most amazing 10 days away in Fiji with my family...........it was heaven on earth............I didn't want to come home........I felt very sad leaving the Island yesterday + saying goodbye to all my new friends...............and then today to fly into a cold Auckland + a even colder Taranaki.

We went to Plantation Island...............its amazing............everyone is so friendly + there is so much to do. I just can't say enough about it!! I want to go back NOW!!

lots of lazy days!

lots of swimming in 1 of the 3 pools on offer!!

lots of hanging with goofballs!!

lots of flower wearing!

lots of silly photos with my girl!

a few cocktails each night!!

and to end the perfect days.............amazing sunsets!!


you can understand why I want to go back!!??

its just one big joke!!

and how much do we enjoy it?!!............we love that we have a bit of a joker in our family now.

He's cheeky, friendly, nosey + loveable...............and he's a horse.

joker arrived last week.

and this little girl is in love with him!

he's rather cheeky + loves to play

I see a great friendship developing here

I love it when i go to the hen house he follows me to check out what I'm doing + tries to eat the eggs in my hand!! Always looking for a treat.

I'm going on a little adventure on Friday + I believe the weather is looking up!!

while it was pouring with rain...............

last mth ..........Ruby turned 8. Where has that time gone?? I asked her not to turn 8 as she is growing up too fast!! How lucky are we to have her..............her sense of humour, her laughter, her gentle ways + of course her loudness, her ability to know that someone is sad + knows just what to say, her friendships with her brothers + her sensible ways + her so goofy ways are just some parts of her that make her something special.

Her birthday was the 15th May + off we went to chipmunks with a group of friends + then home again for some party food + then some dvds + a sleepover!!

Kev made her birthday cake.........a guitar cake..........which i have to say was pretty impressive!!

I just used sponge + made some cream chesse icing (YUM)!!

I made the invites.............making them simple like a postcard. Sorry poor photo as I took it at night.

And look what I finally got!!..............CHOOKS!! 5 in total so far!! Only 2 are laying atm but thats Ok as we are getting 2 to 3 eggs a day. They are just so funny to watch + I love it when they run!!! They look so urgent + in a hurry!! Its always about food + boy are they nosey!! Sorry pics aren't flash due my hands still shaking alot.

So with my health I went to the speacilist last week + found out I have Grave's Disease. It affects my eyes + legs. Its normally in your family or brought on by stress..............mine was stress. It can lay dormant for awhile before you know you have it. Then you have a complete burnout + that was me. I laid on the sofa for a week + couldn't move!! Also Grave's disease results in a overactive thyroid.

I'm getting better each day slowly.............my heart rate is still over 90, my body still shakes, I still feel nervous + anxious about everything.............thats just some of the symtoms I still have but the ones that are gone now are ........... I don't feel like I'm over heating, I can sleep through the night now + my hair is not dry + brittle anymore. I'm still taking my natural meds + feel so normal compared to 6 weeks ago..........its going to take awhile till I'm back to my normal health..........something like 18mths to 2yrs!!

So here we are in June.............that fab mth that is!! Its the beginning of winter, time to eat lots of yummy soups, light the fire, have sleepins on Sundays, winter sport on Saturdays, frost + blue skies that go on forever, a mountain at my doorstep covered in snow, no cows to milk, my birthday, a tropical hoilday, play lots of board games with the kids, go on one of our discovery winter trips somewhere in the Naki + get crafty (did I say that)!!!

So i hope you are having a fab June so far?

I know I said..............

I wouldn't be back for awhile but I seem to have some extra engery this morning.........maybe it was the lovely cards I got for mothers day this morning!!!

Thanks for the get well wishes...........its a slow process but we will get there in the end but to add to the mix I also have something wrong with my liver............having test soon..........fingers crossed its nothing major!!!

With a overactive thyroid it makes you very very tired ...............so I have very little engery for anything + thats just 1 of the many symptoms I have. So when the kids go to school I seem to spend alot of time on the sofa..............I'm so over it but thats how low my engery is!! But then there are times I have to get moving + yesterday was one of those days as it was Saturday morning sport. And now that I have 3 kids playing sport we are split 3 ways. With rugby we have to travel + hockey is at the turf sametime + in Stratford each week. It looks I'm doing the home games. And yesterday I got to watch Taidhg play rugby............it was his second game. I just love watching the little kids.............running the wrong way + playing in the wrong team are just some of the entertaining moments in the game. Taidhg scored 2 tries..............and hey lets not forget the 2 drop kicks he did in the game...............the result of playing with a big brother at home in the backyard!!!

Don't they just love playing with their mouthguards all the time!!

And notice we shaved all Taidhgs hair off.................bloody nits.............but fingers crossed we are over them...........we had a lady come to our house + denit us all!!...........well not Kev!! I didn't know that ppl even did that as a job!!!

And Ruby has decided to be the goalie this season for her hockey team.

and so today its Mothers Day. I have never been big on celebrating this day with brought gifts.........instead I love the handmade cards I get every year from kids. Growing up Mothers Day was not big in our house either but my mum did like a phone call to wish her a happy mothers day. Its not that we believe in it but why do we have to have a public day to remind us about our mums + say all those nice things that should be said in our everyday.

Two years ago I spent my last mothers day with my mum as she was dying + tomorrow is her second ann.

So instead of feeling sad I'm planning on taking Ruby out for arvo tea tomorrow + celebrating her - my mum + Rubys Poppins. Rubys misses her alot + I think its important to remember to celebrate what a wonderful person she was. And thank her quietly.

So to all mums that read my blog today I wish you all a wonderful mothers day with your family.

ps I do believe that as a mother on mothers day we shouldn't do anything!! ;)

apparently I'm being taking to Iron Man 2 this arvo!!

down + out!

so many things have happened since my last post!! And I can't be bothered filling it in!!
I'm still here + very busy but my health has not been good for nearly 2mths........we found out I have a over active thyriod. So hopefully when I start to feel good I will be back on here!!

Relax!!

oh yes thats what I'm gonna be doing for the next 2 weeks!!.........yay for school holidays!!

What a busy term at school esp this last week............tryathlons, a birthday, a visit to hospital + Easter visitors.

But my what fantastic weather we have had.............its like a mini summer.........love it!! Still in shorts + T's!!.........and visits to the beach...........autumn is my fav season by far. And i see our Chestnut tree is shedding its harvest already!!..........missed the blackberries this year.

On Wednesday Finn + Ruby entered the weetbix tryathlon for the first time. It was stinky hot day...........+ should i add in there it was Kev's birthday!!
Ruby was in a team event + she ran. Finn was on his own + did the bike + run.
For some reason my kids weren't keen on swimming in the sea..........I didn't get that considering they swim at the beach all the time!!???



Afterwards we headed to the beach to relieve ourselves from the heat.






Then we ended up here!





At the hospital with a cut foot!..........the outcome was good..........just a nasty cut + no stitches needed! But the kids enjoyed the visit to the hospital...........checking out the xray room + having rides in a wheelchair!!

Right I'm off to enjoy my Easter + I hope you have a good one too!!

Welcome Home..............

by Dave Dobbyn thats what Kev sang to his friend on Saturday as we farewelled him.

So powerful + appropriate for Dave as his Aussie army mates brought him home on Friday.

A wonderful service for a great guy..........lots of laughs + tears on Saturday as many wonderful tributes were made to Dave.


We will miss you dearly Dave............a little bit of us goes with you.


I was so super proud of Kev to sing this song...........huge courage + a lot of love.

today we are bunking school to do this...........

school was meant to finish at 12.30 but they cancelled the meeting + so its meant to be normal hours............but we made plans............and we are still going to do our plans + go to the beach this arvo!! The weather is crazy perfect + it won't be long until we will be lighting fires + adding the layers of extra clothes!!.............so making the most of it!!

off to splash in the waves!!

Today was a day to celebrate

12yrs ago I said YES to this fab guy!!



we got married down the road from our house in these gardens Te Popo. It was a fantastic summers day. Kev sung + played the guitar to me as I walked to him. (isn't he magic!!) My parents both gave me away.

I wore a pink wedding dress! Same shade + I had small flowers like this dress sewn on my empire line.
We had the best band!! As well as having such amazing talent they made their own instruments plz!! Such clever clever ppl. Kev had a wee jammin session with them too!!

It was a magical wedding. And I'm so glad I got to marry such a amazing man!!

So today we celebrated with my favourite breakfast ( i got to choose as I was making them).....pancakes!!

and then we all hung out for the day at home. Kev did have to milk so we couldn't go far. And then we wined + dined ourselves with the kids.........yes we took our beloved kids to dinner with us!! Infact they make the day even more special !!........did I just say that!!........lol

But hey I haven't shared my exciting news.............on WEdnesday night we went to the More FM winery tour .........which was awesome.........but afterwards we went into town + hung out at a small bar + some of the band members from the concert arrived + then Che Fu rocked in!! They had a big jammin session with only about 40 of us!! Ok with out sounding too corny it was really cool!! He just ad libbed + was singing about the ppl in the bar etc..........it was very cool. Well worth getting home at 2.30am!!.............btw I didn't suffer as I was the driver + lets just say Kev is still recovering!!

But on a sad note we received some very sad news when we got home from dinner that one of Kev's school mates passed away suddenly in Aussie. RIP Dave...........in our thoughts + prayers.

Right looks like I've done another midnightner!!............not good being Monday tomorrow + a busy week!! Lots to do + lots planned..........might even find some time to create!!

Lately..........

we had a trip away..........it was wonderful to reconnect with great people.
of course a stop at the beach was needed..........it was so hot!!


and then some of us have felt like this of late...........not fun!

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Our lights have being on into the small hours ..................wish I could say it was one hell of a party..........but more like 4 nights of hell!!

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I have spent lots of time in my lovely big bath .




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and today is a new week!



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