Visitors!!

We were thrilled to welcome Mimi and Big Daddy to Wellington at the beginning of January - our first official American visitors! We hope they will tell everyone what a fabulous time they had so others will come too. . .

Wellington greeted them with an absolutely stunning day - no wind even so their landing wasn't scary at all. The girls more than made up for any lack of excitement during landing - they could hardly contain themselves!

We stopped for morning tea at a cafe on Oriental Bay.

After our refreshments we went over to Lambton Quay to see Dugald at work. The girls had fun dancing in front of his office while we waited for him to come downstairs.

Then finally we took Mimi and Big Daddy to Karori Cottage where they would be staying. They unpacked their duffel bag and generously delivered four scooters to four very happy little girls!!

They also delivered very special packages from Lilly and Anna - cool t-shirts from Abercrombie and Fitch and bows that Lilly made and friendship bracelets from Anna. The girls put them all on immediately, then we scootered and walked over to our house on Beauchamp Street.

After lunch we did the walking tour of Karori - including of course Marsden and Karori Normal. While both schools were closed for summer, Mimi got to meet the principal of Marsden, Jenny Williams, at the grocery store later in the week.

After our stroll around town the girls had swim practice. I expected Mimi and Big Daddy to go home and have naps but they stayed and watched the whole thing. After that we had a quiet dinner at home to end the first day of their visit.

(Thank you Mimi for all the photos)

Christmas 2011

This has been the craziest, busiest season ever!! It's been good busy, but busy is not my favorite state of being and I'm glad things look to be slowing down a little for a week or two before school starts again.

First - Christmas. We went caroling at the hospital again on Christmas Eve after attending the family church service at St. Mary's. This year was a bit different at the hospital - there were a group of special needs adults caroling with us, and there were some people in our group that could REALLY sing beautifully. We sounded amazing walking the halls - the acoustics there are terrific, unless of course you are a patient trying to get sleep late at night and hear the constant shutting of doors, nurses chatting at the nurses station, machines bleeping, etc. However this night the patients all seemed very glad for the noise we were making - only the most ill were still in the hospital over the holidays and it was great to be a part of something that let them know they weren't forgotten this season.

We woke up to our last Christmas at Beauchamp Street - next year we'll get a real tree!! Our lease specified no potted plants at all so we abided by the rules right down to getting a fake tree, but I do look forward to a real one next year. The girls were thrilled with all their gifts - the big one from us was that they get to go to the Taylor Swift concert in Auckland in March and they were very excited. I'm excited too!

After opening presents we left for Tablelands and another beautiful Christmas at Rob and Liz's. 

Rob, David Stringer and Dugs

Shelling fresh peas from the garden for lunch, yum!

Dugs with his new Phoenix shirt from Rob - perfect!

The girls with their swanky new perfume from their cousins. 

We always eat so well at Tablelands and this year was no different as the amazing chefs from Cafe Polo treated us to a delightful spread.

Alex and Hettie help Ellie with her new bubble machine from them. 

Josie took lots of photos with her new camera from Mama and Papa.

Boxing day means cricket at Tablelands and is something Dugs looks forward to all year long. He played really well and I cheered for him, American-style, from the side but was mocked a bit by the other ladies who said "we don't do that" - meaning they don't woot loudly when their partner plays well, instead they clap politely. By the end of the match I heard a few of them hollering though - especially when their kids were out there :).

It was a match of parents against kids - here the kids head out.

Dugs at bat.

Our kids were happy to watch this year.

Waka, Ridd's labrador, has sure grown a lot in a year!! Ridd calls our girls "Waka's Angels". I love it.

Mary and Barry Stringer, Liz's lovely parents.

Our Boxing Day feast of plenty.

Wills and Ant drove over from Palmerston North for the cricket. The girls were of course all over him.

The chefs brought out a cupcake bar for the girls after lunch.

We returned from the Wairarapa via Palmerston North to visit Hugh and Margaret and Kate, Ant and Wills. They had a quiet Christmas this year as Margaret is recovering from a knee replacement. Kate was in Palmerston for a few weeks to help out and kept herself busy making origami cranes which were beautifully hung all around the house and garden. The idea comes from Japan where " An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury. The crane in Japan is one of the mystical or holy creatures (others include the dragon and the tortoise), and is said to live for a thousand years. In Japan, it is commonly said that folding 1000 paper origami cranes makes a person's wish come true. " From Wikipedia. 

Ellie watching cricket with Daddy and Grandpa.

Josie collecting plums.

Some of the cranes in the garden.

Auntie Kate and the girls.

The cranes are of course folded in honor of Lloyd who is fighting a hard battle at the moment and he and his family were very much missed this Christmas as they were in Seattle where he is receiving treatment.

Lots of love from all of us - I hope to do quite a few catch up posts over the next few days! Dx