Smudgers UK-NZ

Christmas NZ Stylee!!

2012-01-24T08:44:00.000+13:00

Christmas 2011 was a long, hot, fairly quiet affair. Christmas Eve we spent the afternoon down at Plimmerton Beach where Daisy took much joy in snorkeling in the shallows.

In the evening we headed over the road to Trina and Steve's house with a group of others for a few pre-Christmas madness drinks and nibbles. We then headed home fairly early to get Daisy tucked up into her bed, finish wrapping the presents and giving the house a Santa makeover!

I along with lots of other people love Christmas Eve. The magic of it all as a child used to leave me giddy with excitement and now I am an adult I still get giddy with excitement for our children. Last year of course Jacob was here to share the magic with us so this year we couldn't help but feel there was something (or someone) missing. :0(

As usual I was awake before Daisy on Christmas morning and laid patiently in bed waiting for signs of life from her bedroom. Thankfully this year I didn't have to wait too long and by 7am she was awake and came in with her stocking and opened her presents on her bed.

We then had a chat with her about how we should be thankful for what we receive as there are some people who aren't lucky enough to have a mum and dad or a roof over their heads let alone a roomful of presents and toys.

After our little talk we then followed the Santa sparkles to the living room and Daisy's face lit up when she saw the other presents that were waiting for her.

Before opening the presents we all sat down to a lovely special breakfast of salmon and scrambled eggs which is usually toasted with bucks fizz but this year we opted for cranberry juice instead! (Mum don't get your knitting sticks out just yet) This was just a health conscious decision we decided to make.

After breakfast Daisy got to open her presents and then she chatted to my Mum via Skype who also got to watch her open her presents too. I think I say this every year but thank God for Skype!!!

We then had another Skype chat with Rich's family before getting our glad rags on and heading over the road for lunch.

The rest of Christmas day was spent basking in the very hot sunshine that we were treated to. We had a beautiful lunch made by Trina and Steve (complete with pigs in blankets and Brussell sprouts provided by the pomms from over the road!)

Trina and Steve were extremely lucky to be surrounded by various family members most of which came from Australia for Christmas and this of course made us reflect as it always does on why we are here and will we ever get used to upside down Christmases but it also made us thankful for the lovely friends that we have made and the great life we have built for ourselves.

We finally left at about 8pm feeling completely stuffed of lovely Christmas food and Daisy and I were fast asleep by 9:30. That's was Christmas is all about.

Boxing Day we decided to take a leftover picnic to Campbell Park in Paekakariki. This is the same spot we spent last Boxing Day when Jacob was visiting. The weather was so much better this year though which meant the little kids and the big kids got to have lots of fun in the water.

We spent the day leisurely playing games, picking at leftovers and catching some rays and felt completely relaxed by the time we headed home.

The following few days Daisy and I spent at home whilst Rich went off to work. We had some gorgeous weather which gave me the chance to work up a good old sweat in our gym with the great equipment that Santa bought for me (being gloves, a kettle bell and a stopwatch!) and Daisy got to enjoy some bike/scooter rides and just hanging out with Mummy. We also got to add to our little veggie patch that Rich created. We are now growing three varieties of tomatoes, some celery and two types of lettuce - get us being all green fingered!

Funny creatures

2012-01-02T18:09:00.000+13:00

We have many "funny" creatures here in NZ. Things like wetas, cicadas and stick insects. Things that have become an everyday occurance to us now. We also have three funny creatures of our own too!

This is Luke doing his favourite Hungry Hippo impression!

Daisy the toothless wonder :0)

Luke keeping Daisy warm (in 20 degrees of summer) whilst watching TV!

Laya enjoying an early evening sun bathe

Laya trying to be a present!

Our two cats really are quite funny little things. Right from the start Luke was always a lap cat and would take any chance he could for a rub behind the ears or a stroke down his (big, long) back! Laya on the other hand has always been more timid and wary. She has always remained loyal to us though and never a day goes by that we don't see her. When we lived at our old house we used to worry a lot about the safety of the cats because we live on a busy road that some morons choose to race up and down at ridiculous speeds! Although when we moved house we remained on the same road the location of our new place is much better for them. We back onto a lot of trees and our side section is like a playground for them with the grass and big open areas. Apart from a fight that Luke once had with a cat from over the road they have both remained very safe. Just recently Laya went missing for a day and since then she has become a real lap cat. constantly following you around like a small child - you can't even go to the bathroom without her!

Luke trying to be an apple!

On to the other creature - Daisy has very happily just finshed her second year at school. She has learnt so much in the last year and her school reports have been excellent. We are very proud of her and have loved watching her grow.

No one would have seen how much she has grown more than my Dad on his recent visit. The last time he saw Daisy in the flesh she was 3½. The day he arrived he was shocked to see the young lady she has grown into. In the last six months she has really matured in her own mind which has been great to see. She recently decided that her favourite colours are pink (dark pink not baby pink!) and black. She also asked for a leather look jacket which my lovely Mum sent over with my Dad.

Daisy had her ears pierced for her 6th birthday but sadly they never healed properly so we decided to take the earrings out. Last week she decided that she would use her saved pocket money to have them done again. The first time she was quite brave and only cried briefly after the second one went in but this time after I explained the wonder of deep breathing she got through the whole thing with dry eyes - she is one brave little thing :0)

For her 7th birthday she has decided that she would like to have her room decorated in pink (not baby pink), black and white! So that is what she is getting. It will be our present to her so watch this space.

Its been a while

2011-12-20T21:18:00.001+13:00

It's been a while I know and I apologise. Sometimes days between blogging pass and turn into weeks which turns into months but anyway I hope to not leave it so long next time.

Here is a little slice of what we have been up to recently.

I am proud to say that I have completed the first year of my Legal Exec. Diploma. Yay for me! On 25 October I had my exam at the Massey University in Wellington. I have not sat exams since I was 15 (and I didn't do very well in those!) so I was quite nervous at the thought of it. Throughout the year I have been handing in progress reviews which were all completed in September. Then it was time to review all the work that I had done previously and get my head down and revise for the exam. It can be difficult juggling work, home, children, husband and revising but with a clear plan I was able to get through it all and come out of the exam smiling. I won't know the result until just before Christmas but I feel positive and that it went OK. Now I can let out a huge sigh of relief and look forward to the next few months study free!

The day after the exam I was in hospital for a scheduled surgery that I have been waiting a long time for. I was told it could be up to six months for an appointment but I believe that a very polite phone call I made and a cancellation bumped me up the list with only 7 days notice of the op.

Thankfully I am now fully recovered and have been able to get back into the gym which always makes me happy.

I quite often talk to various people about my commute to work each day. I spend 20 minutes on the train and then a further 20 minutes walking along the seafront. Wellington Harbour can be stunning and delightful some days but it can also be miserable and awful. One day a few weeks ago though I was making my way to work and saw this little fella enjoying a nice morning snooze on the rocks:

Although the weather was grey and dark it put a little smile on my face for the rest of the day.

Things We Are Loving Right Now

2011-10-20T15:24:00.000+13:00

RWC fever continues to rock Wellywood:

Spring has sprung and our clocks went forward YAY!

We have had our first bbq of the season to celebrate my friend Trina's birthday.

I have finished all of my assignments for my first legal exec paper - now I am busy revising for my exam at the end of the month.

Rich and I have a passion right now for training in our gym at home in the garage. We don't need an expensive gym membership, just a little imagination, some great tunes and you'll have trouble keeping us out of there. We are also boxing and we have radically overhauled our diet and the results are making us smile.

The news that my Dad is coming to visit in November has to be the best so far. After 3 long years I will finally get to hold my Dad's hand and rest my head on his shoulder.

Most days I read the Daily Mail website. Although I left the UK behind a few years ago I still like to keep an eye on what's going on. Most of the stories on there make me glad that we made the decision to leave but today I read a story that made me smile.

Introducing Lady McCartney! Nancy and Sir Paul can't stop smiling as they emerge as husband and wife.

Sir Paul McCartney has found (real) true love again! All of the photographs are beautiful but this one in particular I just love.

Congratulations to them both.

Lastly we love 24hours in A&E which airs on UKTV in New Zealand! It is a programme from Kings College Hospital in London and each episode is recorded over a 24 hour period. We love to watch the programme itself but the thing that gets me most each time is during the introduction where you hear a lady say the following:

Everyone should walk through an emergency room at least once in their life because it makes you realise what your priorities are. It is not the rush, rush, rush and the money, money, money, it is the people you love and the fact that one minute they might be there and one minute they might be gone.

Chilling but oh so true.

Welcoming the World to New Zealand

2011-10-06T10:27:00.001+13:00

Unless you have been on Mars for the last three weeks then you will probably know that New Zealand has been hosting the Rugby World Cup 2011.

We have never really been a family of fans but in the time that we have been here we have watched a few games and tried to learn some of the rules. A few months back we went to the stadium in Wellington to watch the local Wellington team and on 11 September we went back to watch South Africa play Wales in the RWC!

There has been a huge amount of hype and preparation going on in the build up to the whole event. Even the children's half term holiday was rescheduled to work around the tournament! A few days before the opening ceremony, preparations started on the Wellington waterfront for the official Fan Zone. Big screens and marquees were erected, artwork from the history of rugby were laid along the waterfront, the streets were given a face lift and flags from the twenty countries involved can be seen the length and breadth of the city.

We had a group of people over for the opening ceremony which I have to say was amazing. For our "small"country to pull off something so fabulous it made me very proud to be an NZ resident. Daisy and Kyra joined in (sort of) with the National Anthem of New Zealand.

That same weekend we headed to Wellywood for the big game. We caught the train from home with our Welsh coloured glasses and we arrived at the station with thousands of other people. The atmosphere was electric as soon as we got off the train. There was a sea of red, green, white, and yellow from all of the Welsh and SA fans. At one point the whole crowd started chanting ole, ole, ole, ole! It was buzzing!

We made our way to the stadium and took our seats for the game.

Click to enlarge

This was the queue for hot donuts!!

I never thought that I would hear myself say this but I actually think that I am a rugby fan!! It has absolutely nothing to do with this though!

Click to enlarge (print out and enjoy!)

We are now about half way through the tournament and our little city is still buzzing. Rich is off to watch USA and Australia this weekend and then we will watch England and the ABs back to back at a friends place.

Let the games begin!

The Folly folly (n.) 1 foolishness; a foolish act. 2 an ornamental building serving no practical purpose

2011-09-20T21:35:00.001+12:00

For three years now Rich has worked his little behind off for us so I decided that he more than anyone deserved a break. The weekends would ideally be our family time but due to the nature of his business being a 24hour operation the phone calls and emails do not stop. So what was the answer?

A house on the beach 40km from civilisation with no cellphone coverage and no TV! It was a little sneaky I know but I did not realise about the cellphone coverage until the week before we were due to go. It certainly did the trick!

The Folly is a beach house in a place called Tora which is 40km south of Martinborough. Martinborough is a town in the beautiful Wairarapa region. We did have another reason for going "over the hill" and that was to visit another stunning little town called Greytown. I visited Greytown a few weeks ago with my girlfriends and we had a "planking" good time. Whilst I was there I knew that Rich would love it so decided to arrange a trip for the three of us.

We left Whitby on the Friday afternoon with the car packed full of our sleeping gear and some supplies for the weekend. We were given quite thorough instructions about the house when we booked - bring a torch in case you arrive after dark and don't forget to stop at the super market it Martinborough - it is the last stop before the 40km decent to the beach!

When we left Martinborough we were told to trip our pedometer on the car and follow the directions they supplied. The road is sealed for about 20km but from thereon it is unsealed which made the ride bumpy and dusty and a bit slower than we would have liked. This was not a bad thing though because of the cows and lambs we came across! We came across a few houses and farms, a wind farm and surprisingly a school. We lost our phone signal at about 13kms in so we knew there was no going back and hopefully no breaking down or getting lost!

We thought the journey was never going to end but after about 50 minutes of driving we could see the sea! The sun had set by this time so we were starting to lose daylight but what we could see and hear was utterly breathtaking.

We unpacked the car and had some dinner and then sat around the fire before heading off to bed nice and early.

The next morning we were all awake with the birds! This is very unlike us and in particular Daisy. Even at the weekends she is usually still in bed at 8am. We laid in bed with the sun rising just outside our curtains and we could hear the ocean. We were all very excited so at 6am (!!!!) Daisy came into us we had a cup of tea in bed and watched the sun rise. I am glad we did because it was just stunning.

The owners of the house had supplied a pair of binoculars which did not leave our eyes most of the weekend. There were tales of whales, dolphins, shipwrecks and seals in the visitors book so we were on the lookout. Whilst we were sat drinking our tea in bed we soon realised that the rocks that were about 800m away were camouflaging a seal colony! After a lazy breakfast we walked to the rocks to have a closer look and collect some paua shells.

Seeing the seals was amazing, we have visited a seal colony before but there was something special about these ones being so close to where we were staying. The younger ones made a dash for the water once they had spotted us but the big wise old ones just lifted their heads and carried on basking in the sun probably thinking to their selves "more of those daft humans interrupting my snooze!"

By mid-morning we decided to head to Greytown for some shopping and lunch. We did not realise how long it would take us to drive there. It is only about a 15 minute drive from Martinborough but again it took us 50 minutes to get to Martinborough.

It was worth the drive though. We had stunning weather and 17 degrees of warmth on our skin. We had a gorgeous lunch at The Main Street Cafe. We sat out the back of their building in the court yard and it was a real sun trap.

After lunch we had a leisurely stroll into the boutique shops that line the Main Street and bought a few gifts. We then headed back to the beach house for dinner.

After Daisy was in bed we sat listening to the roar of the sea in front of the fire. I am not quite sure if it was sheer exhaustion, the heat from the fire (or pure boredom) but Rich was asleep on the sofa by 9pm!

Sunday morning we woke with the birds again and enjoyed a leisurely lie in. Sunday was also Father's Day in New Zealand so Daisy was excited to give Rich her hand made card and the presents we bought for him.

You may (or may not) notice that Daisy did a typo on the card missing the h out in fathers but also including an r - bloody hilarious and very apt too!

We treated Rich to a breakfast of his choice which was croissants with ham and tomatoes for him and Daisy and some fresh fruit and cereal for me. We then spent the rest of the morning packing the car up before heading off to Masterton for lunch.

We drove around the bay of the beach before we left and came across a shipwreck and some cute lambs.

After lunch we headed home stopping off at a local fruit and veg shop for the following weeks supply of goodies and we also indulged in an ice cream (made with fresh fruit and frozen yogurt YUMMY!)

Mission accomplished :0)

(If you click on the first photo at the top of this post you should be able to view them all in a slide show)

Bad Little Fairy!

2011-09-06T17:49:00.000+12:00

Whilst the grown ups in our house have been busy celebrating birthdays Daisy has also been busy with her own social life.

She recently went to the birthday party of her friend Lily who turned 7. Daisy and Lily have been great friends since kindy, I am certain that she has been mentioned on here before now. She lives down the road from us on the same side of the road so the girls are quite often going to and fro from each others house at the weekends. Lily's party was held at Capital E in Wellington City. Whilst we have been to a couple of shows there before we have never been to a birthday party. The theme on the invite was a spooky party!

Daisy was quite excited about the party and she decided that she wanted to go as a vampire! I explained to her what her outfit would be like but she changed her mind. In Porirua there is a shop called Pete's Emporium which is exactly what it's name suggests. A store that sells a wide variety of goods and at great value prices too. About a week before the party we went to the shop and had a look at the outfits so Daisy could get some ideas of what she wanted to dress up in. She finally decided that she wanted to go as a bad fairy. I told her that after "pay day" we would come back and buy the things to make up her costume.

At home she already has a beautiful black dress that my sister sent her for Christmas last year and I have a black and red wand (from my hen doo!) so all we needed to buy were some black wings, some face paint and a bat that she wanted to wear as a bracelet!

The day of the party came and she was very excited. I did wonder for a short time if she might change her mind about dressing up. Once she makes a decision about something like that then there can be no talking her round - she is very head strong (she must get that from her Dad!!!). I helped her with her face paints and her spooky black lipstick and then we took some photos.

Daisy went all Next Top Model on me when I got the camera out - I did not ask her to pose these are all her own shots!!

After the "photo shoot" we headed off the Welly for the party.

We were greeted by a great looking witch in a rather spooky looking room. The party started with her reading a story and so we decided to leave her and go for a cuppa and a french pastry at La Cloche Cafe in Thorndon.

2 hours later when we returned the kids were all dancing and eager to watch Lily open her presents. By the sounds of it Daisy had a great time and she came away with some lovely "coffin" cake and some hand made spiders.

I decided to call this blog "Bad Little Fairy" but as you can see she is no longer our "little" girl, she is growing into an independent young lady and we are sitting back and watching her develop and making the most of every moment.

A taste of things to come

2011-09-05T12:12:00.000+12:00

Wait until you see the weekend away we had for Fathers Day NZ :0)

40km from civilisation, a beach house, a seal colony, amazing sunrises, a ship wreck and enough paua shells to embellish our front garden.

Watch this space to see it all......

Music we are loving right now!

2011-08-30T11:48:00.000+12:00

This is a family hit in our house! Try and keep any one of us still when this comes on! (nothing to do with the hot guy in the video :0)

I bet by the end you will be bopping along.

The next video is a from a kiwi band called Six60. This song is 'Don't forget your roots'. The band are amazingly diverse and unbelievable live.

Not only do they portray kiwi (student) life brilliantly but it makes us miss home like mad! The ones who made us, the ones who brought us here - always on our mind and in our hearts :0)

Just a couple of things we are loving right now!

Mother Nature Joins in too

2011-08-26T09:29:00.000+12:00

As you may have read Rich and I are making this a year of firsts. We have ticked a few things off our list so far including watching a live rugby match, rock climbing, eating sashimi etc etc.

Anyway on Sunday afternoon good old Mother Nature decided to join in on the game!

We were at home just preparing our dinner and all day there had been a southerly cold snap battering our little suburb. The rain started to fall which is nothing unusual but we looked out the window and what did we see............SNOW!!

Nothing unusual I might here you say and you are quite right. New Zealand has some amazing ski fields and they are packed from the beginning to the end of the season every year but they are about 2,000m above sea level! Wellington has not seen snow for 40 years!!

Some of the people we know have never experienced snow at home before - and their children have never even seen or touched it. The snow continued to fall and started laying very lightly. Within about 15 minutes there were people outside taking photos and playing around looking up in awe at the beautiful sky above. Daisy was quick to get out there too but Rich and I decided to stay in the warmth and comfort of our lounge and watch out of the window.

Living in Dover we have seen snow many times and have some great memories from our childhoods. I also have a not so great snow memory from 2 months before we left the UK. Daisy and I were playing in the snow in our front garden at home and I slipped down a small bank and broke my arm!! Not what you want 2 months before you are due to emigrate and with a house full of packing to do!

I am glad to say that this time there were no broken bones just lots of gasps and happy faces at the once in a lifetime experience Wellington had.

For the next week we continued to see snow on and off and we even had it in Wellington City which is at sea level. For some people it caused huge problems with getting to work and school, loss of power and people down in the South Island had a huge amount in comparison to us (which is nothing unusual).

Below is a lovely video of "That time it snowed in Wellington" taken on Cuba Street right in the heart of the city.

It's All About Me!

2011-08-09T21:04:00.003+12:00

July is a very busy month for us. We have both of our birthdays and also my niece Misty's birthday. You may recall that last year was my 30th birthday and I had the most amazing 80's themed party that was organised by Rich and my friends. It was hard to believe that a year had passed already.

We had a birthday meal in Wellington in between our birthdays which started with a group of friends having drinks and nibbles at our house. Then we headed into town for a meal at Wagamamas.

Wagamamas is not really a fancy place for a sit down meal but as there was a big group of us (and we were quite noisy) it was a perfect choice for some great food and drinks without the worry of annoying any of the other diners.

After the meal we headed to a couple of bars for a few more drinks which was followed by a very noisy, rather hilarious car ride home courtesy of Matt (thanks Matt!)

The day of my actual birthday fell on a Saturday. It started with Skype chats to my family back in the UK and opening of my presents. My Mum asked me some time ago what I would like for my birthday and I asked her to send me presents please!! I know my Mum loves to go bargain hunting for things that I would love and of course I love to receive these presents. I would say that I am pretty easy to buy for but also that she is great at finding me the best presents. This birthday was no exception! It was like Christmas day all for me!! Thank you Mum, I love you xxxxxx

I also got some great presents from Daisy and Rich, things that I wanted which included perfume, a new book and a tea pot to enjoy my favourite loose leaf tea!

Once all the cards and presents were open Rich and Daisy made me a gorgeous breakfast and then Rich headed off the the gym for a boxing lesson. This left Daisy and I to get ready for our day out.

Sadly the weather fairies were not being very nice and the weather was pants!! Driving rain and gale force winds did not make our original plans for the day possible. However, we were determined to enjoy ourselves which is just what we did.

We headed to a new bar and restaurant in Wellington called Ancestral which have cuisine from all over East Asia.

We were eating an early dinner so the restaurant was quiet which meant for great service as well as amazing food!!

Daisy had a simple dish of egg fried rice with bok choy and Rich and I had duck and fish with a side of bok choy and noodles (all eaten with chopsticks too!)

We eat Asian food quite a lot but this was something else. It was fine dining and the best Asian we have ever eaten. We will definitely be recommending this place!

After our meal we had a couple of games of bowling and then went home to get ready for our evening in with friends.

We were joined by Trina and Steve and their girls, Jodie and Paul and their boys and Erana who's son is Harrison a friend of Daisy's.

Trina made the most delicious carrot cake for me and I got to blow out the candles (after Daisy had done it the first time and we had to relight them ha ha!)

Thank you TT it was delicious xx

After we put the children to bed we had some drinks and lots of laughs until the small hours.

There is a reason that we are all standing in a line which is a long story but it involves 3 pencil marks that are now on my door frame with mine, Trina's and Jodie's height marked out lol!!

There is no easy time to be away from your family and birthdays can be really tough. I miss them all so much everyday but our surrogate family here in NZ and my amazing friends help fill the gap just nicely.

Thank you to everybody that made it very special xx

Mid Winter School Holidays

2011-08-02T15:50:00.000+12:00

Another term has ended for our schools here in NZ and so the children were given a two week break. When we came to NZ I did not work partly because I couldn't due to the fact that I was on a visitor's visa but also because Daisy was only 3. When she started school it was never my intention to return to work 4 days a week (and definitely not in the City) however, we want to buy a house and in NZ you need at least a 10% deposit to be able to get a mortgage. Living in Whitby and wanting to stay here means that you are looking in the region of about $40,000 (approx. £20,000). I hear you gasp! Yep, it's a lot of money so this means that I HAD to work to enable us to save the money as fast as possible. I am happy to say that by Christmas we will finally be able to start looking :0)

Anyway, because I do have to work when the school holidays come along I get a mixture of worry and happiness but with some careful planning we always manage to sort something out. I decided to take a couple of days off in the first week which with my usual day off meant that I got to spend 3 whole days with Daisy!! A couple of the days we had her friends over for the day but one of the days we decided to keep to ourselves for a girls day out. Daisy knows that I am studying law at the moment which has included politics and she has been quite inquisitive about Parliament and our Prime Minister John Key (who in my opinion is awesome by the way).

I have managed to answer a few of her questions (more than I could have done 6 months ago) but some she wanted to decide for herself. I recently went on a guided tour of Parliament so Daisy decided that she wanted to do the same on our girls day out.

We got up early and caught the train into Wellington. Being in the middle of winter we have had some pretty awful cold weather but the day we went into town was glorious!! Everybody knows that you can't beat Wellington on a good day!

We had a walk down the waterfront and went to see a show at Kidzstuff Theatre which has become a half term tradition for us. This time we watched the story of Rumpelstiltskin. The cast was not the usual one that perform the show but it was still great and there were lots of laughs for the children and the adults too.

After the show we headed back in the main city to meet Rich for some lunch. We went to a sushi bar called Catch Sushi Bar which has become a favourite of ours. It has a revolving table with freshly made small dishes of sashimi and sushi and you help yourself as it goes past.

After lunch Daisy and I caught the bus up to the other end of the city to Parliament. When we got into the grounds we saw all of the Parliament buildings and Daisy was very excited about the prospect of seeing John Key! She asked me if we saw him could she go up to him and touch him ha ha! I chose not to tell her that we was in LA but instead just replied yes of course! My boss's wife is an MP for the Green Party (Sue Kedgley) so I knew in advance that the House was not sitting when we intended to visit.

We headed inside through the security doors which Daisy found highly entertaining. Although there are guards with scanners and metal detectors at the entry to get inside, security around the Parliament Buildings is quite relaxed. Anyone can wander around and in the summer the grass area outside will often be full of people enjoying lunch and relaxing.

I had already done this tour on my previous visit and I also happened to have the same tour guide Bill. The tour lasted about an hour and even on my second turn it was still entertaining and informative. Daisy got bored on a couple of occasions but she got through it OK. Daisy and I (being the only ladies born in the UK on the tour) got to stand in the spot where the Queen's throne sits when she visits. This also earned us the name Queen Stefanie and Princess Daisy which she was delighted about :0)

After the tour we went for an ice cream and a well deserved sit down after our busy day.

So much fun to be had on a girls day out!

Big Birthday Boy!

2011-07-17T17:34:00.000+12:00

The man of the house has recently had a birthday!

Some people choose to let their birthdays pass without any knowledge to most but not in our house. Friday night Daisy and I prepared the house for Rich's birthday. He had balloons and banners, presents and cards and a victoria sponge that Daisy decorated all by herself.

Saturday morning started with the song, opening of presents and batting of balloons around the lounge!

Then it was business as usual because Daisy had her swimming lesson, I went for a run and then Rich went off to a boxing class.

After lunch we headed into town with Jodie and Paul and had a grown-ups afternoon. Rich decided he wanted to go rock climbing (another something new) so that is exactly what we did. We went to Fergs Kayaks on the waterfront. It was a crisp bright winters day - perfect for indoor activities!

We spent a couple of hours here testing ourselves in between laughing at one another and then headed off to a bar called Leuven http://www.leuven.co.nz/ which is a Belgian cafe bar where we had the most gorgeous mussel platter and watched Paul enjoy a giant sized Hoegaarden! Rich and I stuck a glass of wine each which went with our mussles perfectly.

Once we had our little stop-gap we headed off for a game of bowling.

It was tea time by the time we finished so we headed off home and picked the children up. Then it was time for cake - yummy!!

We had a lovely takeaway and once the children were tucked up in bed the adults carried on partying into the small hours.

We all had a great day and night. Sometimes its the simplest of things that bring us the most pleasure.

Thanks to Jodie and Paul - lots of funny memories - especially of Paul flat on his back lol!! xx

Run Forrest Run

2011-07-11T15:29:00.000+12:00

Daisy has been a busy girl at school these last few weeks. All of the children have been busy practising for the school cross country. Everyone gets to participate in the run but the smaller ones do a shorter course.

She has been coming home with stories of the practise runs and how she has been doing compared to the other children in her class. Bearing in mind we are into winter now we have had some beautiful clear, crisp sunny days. Sadly the day that she was supposed to do her run (which just happened to be my day off) the weather fairies were not so kind.

This meant that I had to sit in my dining room listening to the older children doing their run in the rain knowing that on Thursday when it was year 1 and 2's turn I would be at work. :0(

Not only was Thursday going to be cross country day but was also a dress up day for Daisy's class too. They have had a teacher in training in their class for a few weeks and Friday was going to be her last day so they wanted to have a shared lunch and a dress up. She came home on Monday telling me all about it. With only a couple of days notice to arrange an outfit we had to get our thinking caps on! The theme was a letter of the alphabet. Daisy decided that she wanted to dress up as a dog!! Thankfully I managed to persuade her that it would great to dress up as an R for rainbow! This meant that we could dress her up in as many colours as we could find, give her different coloured pigtails and sparkles on her cheeks!

The outfit also had to bee durable enough for her to do her cross country in too!

She was happy when she left for school that morning so that was all that mattered.

I was at work when the race was on and thankfully my friend Karen was there to keep me updated by text on how she was doing - the wonders of technology!

I was pleased to hear that she came 9th out of the year 2 girls which was great :0)

Unbeknown to me Karen had also taken some photos of Daisy during the run so thank you very much!!! We love them :0)

(Daisy is dressed all in red)

Well done Daisy! You are our star!

Something New

2011-06-23T19:40:00.000+12:00

This year we are on a mission to try new things. So far we have eaten sashimi, been to watch Stravinsky ballet and a couple of weeks ago we went to watch a game of rugby! In Wellington we have the Westpac Stadium which hosts the infamous Rugby 7's each year. We got tickets for a saturday game which was the Hurricanes (Wellingtons local team) -v- the South African Lions.

We caught the train into the stadium and went for dinner at Wagamamas which is a gorgeous noodle restaurant on the waterfront. We have been here once before about 2 years ago and loved it so decided it was time to go back.

After some gorgeous dinner a nice glass of wine we headed off to the stadium. We chose seats in the family area which were covered - we were forecast severe weather for the weekend although it had been gorgeous all week. We got settled into our seats and waited for the game to start. We were entertained by the cheerleaders which Daisy loved.

The stadium was pretty quiet but that wasn't a bad thing seeing as we had Daisy with us and we weren't sure what to expect.

We had invited our South African friends Ian and Annalie along but they couldn't make it. However, whilst waiting for the game to begin we got a call from Ian saying he was in the stadium! After 5 minutes of him and Rich trying to work out (in a very drawn out process!) where they were sitting in relation to one another we realised that he was sat with the noisiest bunch of SA fans in the stadium! A friend of Ian's used to play with a few of the Lions' team so he was given free tickets. We spent the first half of the game in the family area which was fairly quiet but then decided that we would head over to Ian and his friends. We were highly entertained by the cheering and singing that was coming from their end of the stadium. We were surprised at the lack of enthuisasm from the rest of the crowd but maybe thats because were are used to seeing football fans in the UK!

We watched the second half of the game and thoroughly enjoyed it. We were able to support either team too which was great. The Hurricanes were victorious in the end but it was a very tight game.

After the game we made our way back to the train station in the rain with a sea of yellow and black supporters. This was a first for us and I have to say that we had a great family outing and will definitely be going again one day in the future. :0)

I wonder what will be next???

SSHH..... Don't Tell Daisy!

2011-06-02T12:24:00.001+12:00

Rich and I have been keeping a secret since Christmas - nothing to do with the man in the big red suit! I bought 2 tickets to see Katy Perry! At the time of booking Daisy was just starting to become interested in her songs and videos. Over the last 6 months it had turned into an obsession!

I know for a 6 year old some of Katy's songs and videos may be a bit risque but she does not know the meaning of what she is singing so we are happy for her to listen to them. She is more than keen to put on a show for us and she also writes her own songs with Katy's lyrics in them.

We managed to keep the tickets a secret - only slipping up on a few occasions but thankfully she wasn't paying much attention. Our friends also did a good job of keeping the secret too. In the weeks leading up to the concert there were competitions on the radio to win tickets which she heard and she was begging me to ring and try and win some! The excitement and look on her face just at the thought of going was enough to send us both in to a major surge of guilt. We discussed taking her but the tickets that we had were standing tickets for the main floor area. I even rang the ticket office to ask if there were any other tickets available that we could swap ours for but there was only restricted viewing left :0(

We decided to tell Daisy that one of Rich's colleagues was going to the concert and that we would give her some money to buy some souvenirs - which she was very very ecstatic about!

The day of the concert came and my friend Trina very kindly had Daisy for us. I met Rich in town and when I arrived her was already near the front of the queue amongst hundreds of other excited teenagers lol!

After waiting in line for about half an hour the doors were finally opened. We got a space in the middle about 10 rows back. We got to watch an artist called Zowie, a girl whose songs I have heard before but never seen and then there was a DJ getting the crowd ready.

Then it was time for the the California Girl to come on stage!

The stage was amazing - a replica of the California Girls video and the arena smelt of candy floss!

Katy put on a great show. She has a great voice for sining live and the choreography was pretty amazing too!

After about an hour of being pushed and shoved in the huge crowd and seeing people fainting with the heat we decided to venture to the back to get some air. I had to run for a medic half way there as a guy had passed out right in front of us!

We then got to enjoy the last bit of the show from the back of the room with lots of fresh air and there was room for dancing! She saved her best songs till last and the final song (California)was amazing.

We are definitely a family of Katy Perry fans - even more so now that we have seen what a great show she puts on :)

Here is the vedieo of Daisy receiving her souvenirs. The reaction is completely genuine and she actually had tears in her eyes! Can you imagine how she would have reacted if she was really there???

Apologies for the darkness, not quite sure what happened!

Our Little Mermaid

2011-05-24T10:56:00.000+12:00

In the weeks since Natalie and Misty have left we have been getting back into our usual routines of work and school. Daisy is now in term 2 of her second year at school. Daisy attends Discovery School which is so close to our house you can see it from our deck! She is in Mrs. Lough's class and she is doing extremely well. At the end of last term we had a parent teacher meeting and her teacher had absolutely no concerns whatsoever. Daisy also attends an after school club twice a week as I work in town and am not able to make it back in time for school finish. She loves going to "Kelly Club". I think that she loves having the responsibility of making her way to the school hall on her own and then just hanging out with the minders there and of course all of the other children.

Daisy's school is a primary and intermediate school which means there are children aged 5 to 12 years old. Daisy sometimes gets to spend time with the older children at Kelly Club so she is getting to make a huge group of friends right through the school.

The school has a website and her class have their own blog. Click on the link to see it here. http://www.discovery-blclass.blogspot.com/. There is a post for when Misty spent a few days at the school too!

Also at Daisy's school is her swimming club. She attends lessons at the Ally Toddy Swimming. http://allytoddswimming.co.nz/ The pool at the school was refurbished last year and Daisy attends lessons with Ally on a Saturday morning.

She have never been afraid of the water at all, quite the opposite in fact. Since starting with Ally her confidence has grown very much and since the start of this year her technique has improved massively. She is now more than capable of swimming a length of the pool in front crawl and backstroke and this last week she is now learning butterfly stroke.

Daisy has great strength and stamina in her little body and this is beginning to show in her swimming. We are so glad that she has these skills, I can safely say they come from her Dad! I took swimming lessons about a year ago and my confidence has improved lots too. I even had my first proper swim in the ocean earlier this year :0)

We hope that Daisy will continue to grow and excel in this essential life skill. Maybe one day we will be cheering her on from the pool side in her first competition!

All good things have to come to an end :0(

2011-05-10T15:22:00.002+12:00

After our visit to the zoo we had my friend Trina and her 2 daughters and her friend Mark over for dinner. Fridays have gained a new found meaning for us. It is quite the kiwi tradition here that at the end of the working week you have "Friday Drinks" with your colleagues. Although Trina and I both work on Friday's in Wellington we of course do not have the luxury of heading out after work for a few wines because we have to get back to Whitby for our girls. We decided then that we would make our own version of Friday Night Drinks. We take it in turns to go to eachothers house, get the girls settled in bed then crack open a bottle of bubbles or wine or basically anything alcoholic that we have in the cupboard!

Good Friday was no exception so once we had all finished dinner and the girls were tucked up in bed so commenced the Friday Night Drinks. Usually Rich is at the gym on a Friday evening but this week he was able to join in too. So Natalie, Rich, Trina, Mark and I sat at my dining room table putting the world to rights and debating over various subjects.

Jessyka, Daisy, Ellarhys and Misty

After the bubbles and beers were finished we went onto the banana daiquiris. The recipe goes like this:

1 1/2oz light rum

1 tbsp Triple sec (orange liquor)

1 banana

1 1/2oz lime juice

1 tsp sugar

Combine all ingredients with 1 cup crushed ice in a blender. Blend at low speed for 5 seconds then at high speed until firm. Pour into a glass and top with a cherry.

Trina and I have had this cocktail a few times already, so much so that Trina came armed with the lime juice and banana on this occassion! It is a lovely drink, very light and refreshing. The combination of this lovely drink and the vodka and coke that Natalie and Rich had been drinking beforehand unfortunately ended with my sister and I swapping roles. I became the big responsible one looking after the "I can drink all this easily" one. I will allow my sisters dignity to remain and will not reveal the details of exactly what happened but to say Natalie you made us laugh and Friday Night Drinks will not be the same without you!! You certainly gave it your own unique twist!

Sleepy Sis

Another reason that I wanted to stay fairly sober was because I had planned a girls night out on the Saturday with my friends. I wanted them to meet my gorgeous big sis and I wanted to show her the sights and sounds of Wellington.

Sadly, my plan did not quite come together as I had hoped. I still had a great night out with my girls but Natalie was not able to join us :0(

The little girls stayed home with Rich and made pizzas and watched films.

Easter Sunday started with an easter egg hunt. The day before I had boiled some eggs for the girls to paint and decorate. We then hid them around the garden and they were given a chocolate bunny as a reward afterwards yummy!!

Sunday afternoon we decided to take the girls to the pool in Porirua. We let them go in by themselves which they absolutely loved!! They had a great time in the waves and going down the water slide.

On Monday we had a day at home and were joined by a house full of our friends and their children. We put on some afternoon tea and played host. I wanted as many of our friends to meet Natalie and Misty as possible.

The next couple of days I had to work and then all of a sudden Thursday was here. Time to say goodbye :0(

They were not flying out until the afternoon so we spent the morning at home and then went into the city for some sushi lunch and then took the girls for an ice cream.

Wellington airport is so laid back and relaxed. It is not like a lot of the other bigger airports in that once you have checked in you can hang around in departures until you board your flight. This meant we had time for a bit of a look around the shops and a nice hot chocolate before Natalie and Misty needed to go to the gate. As much as we wanted it to go on forever the time had to come. I will never forget the spot at the bottom of the stairs where we said our goodbyes. As soon as my arms went around Misty I cried, the harsh reality of knowing that next time we physically see each other again she will nearly be a teenager suddenly present. The girls had a cuddle too and I got to cuddle my beautiful big sister for the last time for a very long time. I love my sister so much and she is so special to me. We only have a small family but no matter what happens to either of us she will always be the most special person in my life. She has been by my side all the way through my life, from holding my hand as a baby, taking me to school each day, congratulating me on my wedding day and then at the birth of Daisy. I have to say though that it was not as heart wrenching as the day in Heathrow airport where we said goodbye nearly three years ago. We both admitted that you get used to living without one another so close by but of course we are always in each others hearts.

I told her how thankful I was for them both to have come here. I know it is a huge journey not only in distance but also in monetary value too. I hope that now she has seen our life here, a new life that we love, she will understand the reasons why we choose to stay.

Until next time big sis...............xxxxxxx

2011-05-02T19:27:00.000+12:00

Following our weekend away up the coast I had a couple of days at work and Natalie stayed home with the girls. On Thursday though it was Natalies turn to go off to work and she spent the day with the Wellington Ambulance Service. For those of you who do not know she is a paramedic and has been for most of her working life. Our friend Steve is a paradmedic here in NZ so he suggested that she might like to see how they do it down under! Natalie went off before we were all awake for her day on the road. They had a busy day going up and down the highway all over Wellington. She reported that it is just the same as in the UK.

Seeing as Natalie was at work I decided to take the girls off rollerskating to the Upper Hutt Roller Skating Club. You will recall last year that Daisy and I spent a few Saturday afternoons here with lots of patience and determination. My Dad sent us some money for a Christmas present and we decided to buy ourselves some roller skates. They are adjustable in size so Misty was able to borrow my pair.

Daisy's confidence has grown so much and she I think we can declare her as a fully fledged skater girl!!

One evening during the week we also decided to head out for a meal to our local Monteiths bar. It just so happened to be quiz night too so the place was very busy.

The first few days that Natalie and Misty were here we had some gorgeous weather but then we had a cold Southerly spell. Thankfully though there was a few days in between when we were treated to some great days again. We decided to make the most of the weather and head down to the waterfront to Frank Kitts Park for some lunch and then we spent the afternoon at the National Museum called Te Papa.

We never tire of visiting Te Papa. Every time we visit there is something new to explore. The girls had great fun wondering around and discovering all about New Zealand.

We finished the week off with a visit to Wellington Zoo. Last time we visited was when Jacob was here at Christmas. Since we came then there have been lots of developments and things going on. We saw plenty of animals on this visit too and despite being a bit fresh outside by the time we had completed the track we were all nice and warm!

Otaki Weekend

2011-04-24T21:17:00.005+12:00

Last weekend we decided to head off up the coast for the weekend. A friend from work kindly let us use their batch which is located one street back from Otaki Beach. We arrived on Friday afternoon and stayed until Sunday.

Once the girls had gone to bed on Friday evening we had a few drinks and some laughs.

It was all going great until Rich suggested that him and Nat do a shot of vodka and bacardi mixed and Nat managed to put hers down the wrong hole!

Saturday morning we headed off to a local garage sale and then to the outlet shops on the High Street.

That night we had a few more drinks and played Scrabble and I was victorious!!! The girls also decided to put on a show - see the video below!

Sunday morning we headed off to the beach which was quite wild and windy but still beautiful.

Otaki is located an hour away from our house in Whitby and it is half way between home and Palmerston North. Seeing as we were already an hour up to coast we decided to take the girls to see High School Musical 2 on stage in Palmerston.

Daisy is a huge fan of HSM and so she was very pleased when we told her that we were going. She sang and danced her way through the whole show and loved every minute. Misty being a bit older has grown out of it a little bit but she still enjoyed watching it.

Big Sis Little Sis Cardboard Box!

2011-04-15T14:07:00.000+12:00

So finally, after what felt like the longest wait ever (1028 days to be precise!) my beautiful big sister Natalie and her daughter Misty arrived from the UK.

The build up to the big day has been huge for all of us. Daisy was 3 the last time she saw them both and Misty was only 4! I regularly talk to my sister on the phone and Skype but it really is not the same. We all miss them both so very much and I know that they feel exactly the same about us.

The morning of their arrival Rich and I were both awake with the birds and watching the clock tick by until it was time to leave for the airport.

Having been here before with the arrival last year of my Mum and both times when Jacob has been to see us we are very familiar with the nausea and sweaty palms as you wait for the magic sliding door to open and for your loved ones to walk through.

We arrived in good time as Jacob's last flight here arrived early and although we didn't miss his arrival I did not want to take any chances this time. We were kept waiting though. The flight was slightly late and then it felt like they were one of the last ones through. But finally after much anticipation and moaning from Daisy they came through :0)

To see them and be able to cuddle them after all this time was just amazing. Misty has grown so much and matured into a beautiful little girl. From the moment Daisy and Misty first cuddled they were holding hands. It was like they had never been apart.

Wellington definitely put on a good day for them. The sun was shining in a clear blue sky and it was a toasty 20 degrees.

We drove back home with big smiling faces and lots to say.

The next few days were spent talking and catching up with each other.

We visited Lindale Farm where the girls got to milk the calves and stroke a litter of piglets!

Then we headed up the coast to Parparaumu beach.

Misty got to go to school with Daisy for the week and be one of her class mates which the two of them thought was just fab.

One day after school we went to Plimmerton beach and the girls played and ate fish and chips. Ellarhys joined us too!

The weather has been kind so far but I am not so sure about the forecast for the rest of the week!

Watch this space for the next instalment.

MJ Forever

2011-04-03T14:40:00.000+12:00

Anyone that knows me will know what a huge fan of the legend Michael Jackson I am. Of course I was sad when I heard the news of his death but as far as we are concerned in our house MJ will always live on.

Daisy has been brought up listening to his music - some of it from the very tapes that I listened to when I was a few years older than her. I was never lucky enough to see MJ in concert when I was growing up and then of course when he tragically died I realised that my chance was lost forever.

When I saw the MJ History Tribute show was coming to Wellington I had tickets the very morning they went on sale.

The show was at the Opera House in Wellington so it was local to us. We went for food before the show - sashimi; something we have never tried before but it was on our lists of things to try this year. We love it by the way!

I debated for some time as to whether to take Daisy to the show or not. There were other children there, some younger than Daisy but as soon as we arrived and realised how loud it was I was glad she was not there. Plus the fact that it was a school night.

Being such a huge fan I was sceptical as to the quality of the show so I decided to google it. The impersonator is as an American called Kenny Wizz. Obviously anyone who attempts to create the amazing work of MJ (and to be on the receiving end of such a big critic) was going to have to deliver something pretty special.

Of course there were times when you just knew it was not him but he did an amazing job and I was very impressed. It is the closest I will ever come to the best musician and dancer ever to have lived.

I think looking at the pics sometimes it is hard to tell it is not him. He put on a an amazing show. Here is the video for all you die hard fans. Enjoy!

(Sorry about the sounds quality (and my singing along!) The recording was made in my camera and we were sat right next to the speaker.)

The next time I blog will be my sisters arrival in Wellington next Saturday. She is coming here for nearly 3 weeks with her daughter Misty. We cannot wait!!

Move over Kate and William!

2011-03-27T20:26:00.000+13:00

After months of planning and anticipation the day was finally here.

After many years together with a life that started in the UK and 2 children later the day finally arrived for our friends Jodie and Paul to tie the knot!

The ceremony was held at The Lodge at the Inlet in Pauatahanui.

The scene was set, the location was perfect as was the weather. All that was needed was for the fairytale to unfold......

In the week leading up to the big day Jodie and Paul were joined by many of their close family members, Mums, Dads, sisters, brothers, nans they all made it for the big day. The morning of the wedding was spent at their home with their family who enjoyed the most amazing breakfast.

The wedding was not due to start until 4:30pm so everybody had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the day.

Jodie had her make-up done by a lady called Hil Cook who did an amazing job and her hair was done by her own hairdresser Pip.

With her stunning dress and beautiful bespoke mask the end result was like something out of a high fashion bridal magazine.

The reason that Jodie was wearing a mask is because it was a masquerade wedding! It was such an amazing and novel idea and one that we were going to relish in!

Unbeknown to anyone else we had made arrangements for something very special with regards to our masks. We had spent months trying to decide what kinds of masks to where and then one day I had a light bulb moment. We decided that we would have our masks painted on!

I found a make-up artist based in Wellington called Hayley Ness. After making initial contact with her and viewing her amazing talent on her Facebook page we decided she was the lady for the job!

Not only was Hayley an amazing artist but she was such a lovely person and filled us with confidence the minute she arrived.

You can view the wonderful work that she does on her Facebook page by clicking here. We gave her a very vague brief of what we wanted and then she worked her magic on us. All of our work was done freehand and completely off the cuff!

All in she was with us for about 3.5 hours and what she achieved was stunning! Thank you so much Hayley for making our day even more special with your beautiful work.

At 4pm we headed off to the Lodge at the Inlet at Pauatahanui.

From the moment we arrived we were wowed! Paul and boys looked so handsome and every one who attended looked fabulous too in their masks and gorgeous outfits.

After some bubbles and chit chat the bride finally arrived!

I had seen Jodie's dress, shoes and mask before the big day but when I saw it all come together with her make-up and hair she was breathtaking.

Paul and Jodie chose a celebrant called Victoria who is a friend of mine to marry them. The ceremony was lovely and the words they chose were perfect too.

After all the important parts and speeches etc it was time for an evening of partying and fun! It was truly a day to remember. Not only for the bride and groom but also for us to be part of something so special.

Congratulation Mr. and Mrs. Rennie

Much love to you both

xxx

Here is the slideshow of all the pics

2011-03-10T21:37:00.012+13:00

During the summer outdoor concerts are huge here, especially the ones held at the wineries. Alana Estate in Martinborough host "A Day on the Green" each year and this year Crowded House were the headliners.

We have only been to one outdoor concert before and that was Jools Holland about 3 years ago. We decided that it was time for another. When we saw that Crowded House were going to be there we were straight on the phone buying tickets!

The concert started at 4pm so we decided to take Daisy with us. Our friends Trina and Steve also came along with their daughter Ellarhys.

We left home that afternoon with Trina as designated driver, in the tank that our friend Jill kindly let us borrow.

The girls were excited really!!

As soon as we were on the road the boys were on the booze. By the time we reached Martinborough we already had one empty bottle of wine and an empty 6 pack of beer!

Before the gates opened we had a few sneaky glasses of bubbles then we were off armed with our picnics, chairs and blankets.

We were one of the first few people into the grounds so we got a great spot right at the front and set up our camp for the evening. Then if was off to the bar for the boys for more booze!

Before Crowded House came on we were entertained by Seth Haapu and Supergroove who were great to watch. It wasn't until both of the bands started playing that we realised we knew a lot of their songs too!

At about 8pm the main act took to the stage. They played all of their well loved classics and everyone was dancing and singing along

The evening was beautiful. As the sun went down the temperature didn't drop at all.

The band stayed on for a couple of hours and they were amazing! At one point I did have a moment when I had a lump in my throat. I was thinking of my sister (who will be here in 4 weeks btw!!) she loves Crowded House and I wished so much that she could have been there. Thankfully the moment passed and we all carried on enjoying ourselves and had such a great time.

The girls started to flake a bit but they just tucked theirselves up with their sleeping bags and took 5 minutes out. They were soon up dancing and singing again.

The whole evening was so amazing and something that we won't forget in a hurry!

We all made our way back to the car and the girls were asleep within minutes. Rich sat there munching away and Steve decided to inspect the outside of the car from his seat lol!

Hen Do, Hen Party, Bachelorette Party - or just a bloody good time!

2011-03-03T11:37:00.023+13:00

The men had recovered just in time to care for the children whilst the girls had their weekend of fun!

I helped Paul's cousin Lynda with the organisation of the hen doo - something that Jodie knew nothing about and that we had been planning for months. As the big day drew nearer so did the anticipation and the excitement of what lay ahead.

On the Friday evening I decorated our car for the big day:

9am Saturday morning arrived and so did 2 very excited ladies at Jodie's house! The poor girl did not have a clue what we had in store for her, watch it unfold below:

First stop was Aotea Lagoon - this was to collect a clue for Jodie as to where we might go next

Then off to Porirua pools to completely throw her off the scent

Then it was off to meet the rest of the gang at Saddleback Cafe for a quick refreshment break before a 1 hour horse trek

After about half an hour I managed to relax and start to enjoy it! I have not been on a horse for about 15 years so I was a little nervous. Jodie on the other hand is a keen rider and had horses in the UK so she was loving it!

The views that we took in during the ride were stunning and we had the weather to match too.

After the ride it was back into the car for another trip. We went back up the motorway towards Porirua and off at Adrenalin Forest! This is a new attraction that has just been built and just so happens to be about 5 minutes drive from home!

After getting kitted out with our safety harnesses and being given a demo we sat down for some long awaited high tea! We were all ravenous by this point so it went down a treat.

Once the picnic was over there was no stopping us! The Adrenalin Forest is basically a giant size playground set amongst the trees - some as high as 25 metres! We started off low and built our way up, taking our time and encouraging each other on when necessary.

After level 3 Jodie was knackered so took a well earned rest whilst a handful of us went up onto level 4. I went off ahead and so tackled the beginning of the course by myself. Immediately I started to feel the difference in the height - the wind had picked up too which resulted in the trees gently swaying - not what you want when you are 20 meters off the ground and standing on a small ledge!

Levels 1, 2 and 3 had been quite fun and challenging at times but level 4 was in a league of its own. Not far into the course I came across a couple of people who were rescued by the staff and the thought did enter my mind. However, there was a young couple in front of me and I was determined that if they could do it so could I!

about ¾ of the way round I started to feel exhausted and any description I give of the challenges would not be worthy of their might! Thankfully after 1 big giant flying fox right at the end I was finished and very glad to be on solid ground! Shortly after the rest of the girls joined me!

Hurrah for girl power!!

There is still of course level 5 to conquer but I was happy to leave that for another day.

After leaving the forest we headed into town. We had booked a suite at the James Cook Hotel right in the heart of the CBD. We arrived in our room which had the most amazing view over the harbour and it was time to kick back and chillax!

Along came 7:30 and so did the group of hens for the night time activities.

Of course what happened next is for our eyes only be here are a few select photos just to tease you all!

The whole weekend was so much fun - the best hen doo I have ever been on! Jodie was very pleased with it too which of course was the whole point ;0)

F is for February, Fun and Frolics!

2011-02-18T15:09:00.012+13:00

So far February has been jam packed with fun and frolics!

The first weekend of the month was the NZI Rugby 7's weekend. The events start on the Thursday before with the parade through Wellington City. The parade consists of the 16 teams from the tournament making their way through the City with dancers and cheerleaders onlooked by thousands of people.

Last year I went to this event with my Mum and we stood in Civic Square wondering how good at rugby all the men were and what good conversationalists they would make!!! Honestly!

The fun and games really began on Friday. I was at work during the day and from about 11am there were hundreds of people making their way across the city dressed up in the most amazing costumes you will ever see! When I sat eating my lunch in the sun I saw three minnie mouses make their way in one direction whilst the 4th one of the group went completely in the other direction looking for her friends! It was all very surreal. For the entire afternoon we could hear people on the street below and enjoyed marvelling at the costumes.

When I was on my way to the train station at 4:30pm I saw the first casualty of the weekend - a young girl passed out in a flower bed surrounded by her own vomit and paramedics - that will be the whole weekend ruined then! These young people, they just don't know how to pace their selves. Tsk!

Anyway, now that I have set the scene there was something else happening that weekend to - something far more important.

Our friends Jodie and Paul (who we spent xmas with) are getting married on 26th Feb and it was Paul's stag doo!! He just happened to accidently arrange it for the same day as the 7's!

The plan was for the "cowboys" to meet in town at 11am for breakfast and then the trouble would commence. Rich left home at 10:30am all dressed up and I didn't expect to see him until Sunday morning at the earliest!

Here are a few pics of how Paul the poor stag went from being a cowboy to a cowboy with pink lapels and breasts to a wet cowboy with a blonde wig and makeup and finally crawling in his front door dressed as Marilyn Monroe!!!

As the rules of the stag states, what went on is a mystery to us girls but the pictures speak for themselves. The fact that Rich and the stag were both home by 9:30pm speaks volumes too! So its not just the young ones who don't know how to pace their selves!

Next of course it was the Hen's turn so watch this space.........

CAMPing ROCKs

2011-02-11T10:02:00.009+13:00

Camping was something we never did in the UK but since coming here we have the full kit and are more than willing to use it. We went a couple of times during the first summer we were here but we have not been since. At a dinner party at our place back in December we decided after a few bottles of vino and black sambucca that it would be a laugh for all of the five families to go camping!

So a couple of weeks ago we packed the cars up and headed off to Queen Elizabeth Park in Paekakariki. the camp ground is only about a 15 minute drive from our house but it felt like we were a million miles away for the whole weekend.

Daisy and I headed up on the Thursday evening and then Rich joined us on the Friday after work.

As there were five families we were given a great spot all to ourselves which backed onto a creek which the kids turned into their own pool for the weekend.

Even knowing that there were eels in there didn't put them off! By the second day there were a few less eels after Steve had been in there with his net!

The whole weekend was spent lazily watching the kids play and wondering if it was too early for the first drink of the day. The park is situated right opposite the beach so we headed over there in the mornings when the sun was out.

We were so lucky with the weather all weekend because the forecast was not looking good. We had rain during one of the nights but other than that we had it just right.

We had an army tent which was the communal living area and then turned into a disco on the Friday night for the kids.

On the Saturday night it was transformed into an adults room where there was lots of ridiculous games being played and ridiculous amounts of alcohol being "necked" if you lost said game! This led to me watching Rich from across the room sink deeper into his chair and his words becoming more muffled by the minute. The more he drank the worse he got at the games - poor thing! It was great to see him relax and enjoy himself and laugh like he has not laughed in a very long time.

The Sunday morning after a lovely cooked breakfast we packed up and all evidence of our great weekend were gone. We headed back down the coast but stopped off at Plimmerton beach for some lunch and a play in the sand am I swam in the ocean for the very first time!! Sadly Rich was too hungover to get the evidence on camera :0(

A fabulous weekend spent with our great friends - happy days!

09.01.2005

2011-01-23T08:55:00.012+13:00

From this.......

To this.......

Our Princess is 6!

She got to celebrate her birthday twice. Once when her brother was here, we headed down to Aotea Lagoon with 2 car loads of children. We spent a couple of hours there having a picnic and playing games but we soon had to retreat to the back garden with the hose. It was so hot. Once the temporary relief from the hose passed the girls headed inside to watch a movie and cool down.

The second celebration was on the day of her actual birthday. Rich and I spent the evening before decorating the house with streamers and banners and balloons and so when Daisy woke the next morning she had a BIG smile on her face!

She had lots of presents from us and our friends and families including:

A Smiggle bag and lunch box

Some new earrings

Lots of gorgeous clothes

Notice board for her room

Notebooks

Hello Kitty purse

Framed photos of her and her friends

Games

CDs

Her biggest and probably best present has to be her mountain bike! Most of my family put money towards it and we were able to buy her a really decent bike and new helmet. Her old pink bike was a present for her 4th birthday and it has lasted well and she has got lots of use out of it. I have no doubt that her new one will be just as loved and used even more. So thank you to everyone who contributed.

To celebrate Daisy's birthday we decided to have an open house for the day. We made arrangements with lots of friends to come visit us. The weather was perfect, we laid on some food and drinks, the kids had a great time playing in the garden so all in all it was a perfect day. I always worry that Daisy may feel lonely on her birthday not having her extended family around but it is quite the opposite. We have built up a big network of very special friends who care about Daisy and treat us all like their own family.

___________________________________________________________________

Have to say it is only about 10 weeks until my sister and niece arrive from the UK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love is all around

2011-01-14T16:07:00.004+13:00

Love Actually has to be one our mine Rich's favourite films. It was first released not long after we got together and I remember going to the cinema in Dover with Rich and laughing and crying all the way through. We have watched it many times and quite often refer to it in things that we do.

From the moment the film started the first time I watched it I had a lump in my throat. Even then though I did not know that a few years later it would give me even bigger goose bumps and have a deeper meaning. The opening sequence is a scene from Heathrow Airport - (to my knowledge) a real scene that was filmed with the permission of the public who were there on that day.

You can watch the clip here by clicking on the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMScPVO4rLw&feature=related

I now have first hand experience of this. I have seen our friend Dale arrive, my Mum arrive this time last year and now of course Jacob has come through the magic sliding door at Wellington Airport on two occasions. No words can describe the feeling of excitement and nerves we have waiting at that gate knowing that the loved ones coming through it have travelled half way around the world and are only moments away.

The flip side of this of course is something that we experienced on the 7th January and is still aching our hearts right now. It really never does get any easier, utter devastation comes to mind and absolute sadness.

We knew that it would be awful as we have experienced it previously but when it is your child (for the second time) it feels a million times worse. Add to that of course your other child asking why her brother is leaving and why can't he stay in NZ.

We start to question the decisions we have made once again and ask each other outright - are we happy, is this really what we want and the biggest question of all is do we want to go back?

For the next few days we battled with our emotions until our heads started to feel clear again and we could answer the above questions with confidence.

I am pleased to say that Jacob arrived home safely and on time. He got to travel Business Class again and even visit the cockpit!

Jacob,

As hard as it is to expose our hearts to this much pain, we just hope that when you are an adult and have had some life experience you can start to understand the reasons why we made the decision to leave the UK. It is not an easy decision Son and we live with the pain and grief everyday but we love you and that will never, ever stop. Thank you for being so brave and making the huge journey to come and see us.

Even 12,000 miles away our love for you is all around.

New Year in Rotorua!

2011-01-05T17:32:00.020+13:00

New Year was amazing!! We spent it in Rotorua which is about 5 hours North from here. We drove past the stunning Lake Taupo on the way.

When we got to Taupo we made a short diversion to the Waikato River and Rich and Jake went on the Huka Falls Jet Boat.

We stayed in a motel called Cleveland Park Motel on Lake Road which was about 5 minutes walk from the town centre. We only booked it last minute and the reason that we booked it was because it had a heated outdoor pool. The weather this time of year can be very temperamental so we did not know what to expect but we were certainly not disappointed.

The temperature was consistently 29 degrees during the day and only down to about 18 at night.

The main reason we wanted to visit Rotorua was to visit the Luge. We have been there 3 times now, once when we came here on holiday, once when my Mum came to visit and this time with Jacob.

Jacob and I also decided to ride on the Sky Swing whilst at the Luge which was hilarious. We were both petrified before we went on and afterwards I was laughing hysterically. Check out the videos below:

And this was the view from the ground!

We also visited the mud baths and sulphur pools.

We visited Paradise Valley Springs park where amongst seeing some other animals we got to stroke a lion cub!

New Years Eve we went to the mardi gras which was a family event at the lake front. There was a fun fair and entertainment and at the stroke of midnight a pretty cool fireworks display.

New Years day was spent chilling at the Motel and playing in the pool. We then ventured into town for some shopping and dinner.

We had such an amazing time away, the weather was perfect and we felt so relaxed and refreshed when we got home. It was worth every penny and we have some amazing memories.

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO SEE THE WHOLE ALBUM OF PHOTOS

New Year in Rotorua

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T09:07:00.015+13:00

Jacob's first week in New Zealand was a mixture of 12 hour sleeps at night to get over his jet lag, attempting to make up for lost time with his Dad and his sister and getting ready for the big day.

I had completed most of our xmas shopping a few weeks ago with the intention that we would not have to worry about it when he was here. I had to work for the first few days since he arrived so Rich, Jacob and Daisy did all the food shopping for the big day (armed with a well detailed list) and they made a fantastic job of it. This meant that once it was all complete we were able to spend xmas eve go karting and playing crazy golf. We visited a go kart track in Kaiwharawhara which none of us have been to before. Rich booked for the the Friday morning which meant they had the track to themselves.

Daisy and I watched from the side line and cheered them on and played a game of air hockey. The boys had great fun competing against one another.

I was so glad that we were able to have a leisurely xmas eve instead of dashing around the shops like all the other lunatics. The only thing that we had to worry about buying was some brussell sprouts. They are not in season here at this time of year so we were on the hunt for some frozen ones. We managed to find them at Countdown in Johnsonville - thanks goodness as you cannot have xmas dinner without them - it's the law!

Christmas Eve was a lovely evening. The weather seemed to get better and better as the day went on and after dinner we played some games in the sunshine.

Once Daisy was tucked up in bed the boys wanted to watch a Harry Potter film so I went for a walk. Since being ill about 10 days ago I have not been for a run at all. I was quite sick and did not want to risk relapsing so I took it very easy. The evening was so hot, the sun was still out and it was an absolutely perfect way to spend the Christmas Eve.

Once I got home we did our obligatory duties for the night and then took ourselves off to bed for an early rise in the morning.

The kids woke up about 7am which was great, I think that we may have been awake slightly earlier than that. It is funny how when you are older you lose the excitement for yourself and then you gain it for your children.

As usual the kids got so many presents and everything they asked for. Thank you so much for all those people who sent gifts from the UK. I know it can be a little bit of a hassle getting things here but it really does make them extra special.

Our last two Christmases in NZ have been quite strange. It takes a lot of getting used to being out shopping for gifts when the sun is blaring and knowing that xmas morning there is absolutely no chance of waking up to temperatures below 15 let alone snow. This year has felt completely different though. I am not sure whether it was having the 4 of us together again or the fact that we were having a full on English dinner or just that we have settled so well into our new life that it feels completely normal now.

We were also joined by our friends Jodie and Paul and their 2 boys Joshua and Morgan and an English man from Rich's work, Jason, who has not been here very long.

The weather was perfect!!! The kids spent the whole day in and out of the pool and the roast with the gorgeous glazed ham and turkey went down a treat!

We have really enjoyed the last 2 years in NZ but this Christmas was definitely the best by far. Here's to many more!

Boxing day was spent in Campbell Park in Paekakariki. We headed off at 10am with the Tautau family and had such an amazing day. It was very relaxing. We were in a perfect spot sheltered from the wind and enjoyed the sunshine.

We had a picnic of leftovers (of course) and played games until we were too knackered to play any more.

Our boxing days in the UK were usually spent in the pub with friends and family and then suffering for the next 3 days. Although sometimes I would love nothing more than to be doing that I am glad we are here and making all these great memories of our own.

And then there were four!

2010-12-20T18:47:00.006+13:00

March 2009 seems like a lifetime away now - that is the last time that we saw Rich's son Jacob. Having booked his ticket 6 months in advance we have had a long wait on our hands to finally have our boy here with us again. Not only for a visit but to spend his first Christmas in NZ with us.

Last time he came we kept it a secret from Daisy but this time we told her from the day the tickets were booked and she has not stopped talking about it since. Jacob has become somewhat of a celebrity amongst our friends and neighbours with us counting down the days to his arrival.

As those of you in the UK and pretty anywhere else in world will know he was lucky to get out when he did! We are just so glad that he left when he did and not a few days later because he could still be on UK soil (or snow!) now.

Saturday morning arrived and Rich was awake at the crack of dawn. He was hopping around the house like a kid on Christmas morning. We were both feeling emotional and Daisy was just so happy that the day had finally arrived. We set off for the airport nice and early and stopped off at a local craft market on the way - not to really shop but to just make 2pm come quicker.

Daisy had been busy making her "Welcome back to NZ Jacob" sign all morning and was proudly showing it off at the arrivals lounge.

Luckily for us the flight from Sydney was early which meant less time for sweaty palms, pounding hearts and nausea. After just 10 deep breaths of anticipation as the other passengers filed through the door he was here:-

Listen for Daisy saying OMG!!

Although the weather has been hot here for some time now (which Jake noticed as soon as we were in the car park) it has not been sunny these last few days. However, Saturday afternoon we had a couple of hours of gorgeous sun and an amazing summers' evening.

Saturday night I had a sneaky night out for a nice meal and some cocktails for my friend Tehzeen's 30th birthday. When I drove home at 2am it was 19 degrees.

We are lucky, lucky people. Summer is here and so is our boy x

November who?

2010-12-09T15:03:00.012+13:00

The last month has totally flown by! With summer in full swing we have been busy little bees.

November started with the Pelorus Trust fireworks display in Wellington City. For the last 2 years we have watched the fireworks from Tony and Denyse's house in Brooklyn. Their deck overlooks the harbour and you get a perfect view of the whole show. The display was on a Friday this year so we decided to head into town. After work Daisy and I caught the train back into Wellington to meet Rich. There had reports during the day that we were in for a nasty Southerly (renowned for howling winds and freezing temperatures). The weather during the day had been lovely and sunny but during the train ride the sky got darker and darker the closer we got to the City. By the time we met Rich at the station it was raining. We weren't deterred though, we headed to the waterfront to the fair and then off to a Chinese restaurant for some dinner before the fireworks at 9pm. We timed the meal perfectly as whilst we were eating my friend text me to say that it was chucking it down! Thankfully the rain stopped just in time for the spectacular show and it we were not disappointed at all!

The show lasted for about 12 minutes in all and the atmosphere was fantastic.

Daisy was asleep within minutes once we were in the car and sitting in traffic. By the time we got home the Southerly had well and truly kicked in!

Another major event in November was the Santa Parade. We attended this parade the first year we were in NZ and watched happily from the street but this year was slightly different. Our friend Tony (pepperoni) works for Rutherford and Bond Toyota and they supply all of the cars and trucks for the parade. He asked Rich if he would like to drive one of the cars and so he did just that. Dressed in his Santa hat and a rather festive t-shirt he drove with a pikachu in the back of his Toyota pick-up.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous and even a little too hot at times (note to self - stand on the other side of the street next time!) We took Ellarhys with us and stopped off at Frank Kitts Park for a short play before the parade.

The parade was great to watch and everyone did an amazing job. I especially enjoyed the brass bands that went past - it reminded me of watching the Deal carnival with my Grandma when I was a wee girl!

We have also been lucky enough to have a visitor staying with us. My cousin Kirsty has been travelling all over the world for the last 18 months and after quite a long stay in Oz she decided to fly over the ditch and drop in to see us for a few days before she heads back home on 12th December. She spent a few days up north exploring the top of the North Island before coming to Welly. The day she arrived was an absolute stunner and it stayed with us for most of her visit. The afternoon she arrived we had a very impromptu bbq and invited our friends (and old neighbours) Helen and Barry and ended up sitting the garden until 10pm that night around the wood burner. I ended up with some quite nasty bites on my legs- I think the medication I was taking gave me a severe reaction because Rich is usually the one that gets eaten alive. I had 3 huge bites on one leg which were all red and swollen for about 4 days afterwards. They eventually went down after I raided the medicine box and applied everything and anything I could to relive the itching!

The following day we headed down to Wellington City. We stopped off at the lookout over Kapiti Island:

Then we made a brief hop on the very hot sand at Pukerua Bay Beach:

We then headed to Oriental Parade and spent an amazing afternoon lazily walking along the waterfront, watching Daisy playing in the park and even going for a dip in the sea.

At the end of the day we went to a restaurant along the waterfront and had some dinner. We had such an amazing day, it was so lovely and relaxing.

Come Monday both Rich and I felt so relaxed and rejuvenated that we felt like we had been on holiday!

The next week was spent visiting Te Papa and spending evenings eating dinner on the deck in the most amazing weather and having a good old catch up with my little cousin. We even had a night out during the week too. We visited a few bars and played some pool. I was refused entry into a bar as I didn't have any ID (hahahaha!) We finished the evening with a nightcap at a cool cafe called Enigma on Courtney Place.

Daisy absolutely loved having Kirsty to stay and she even made an appearance in Daisy's class as her news of the day!

Sadly Friday morning came very quickly and Kirsty sailed off on the ferry down South. The day was perfect weather wise so I hope she took in every moment of the breathtaking journey.

We hope that she enjoyed her stay with us as much as we loved having here here - come back soon little cuz!