Josie's WOW Dress

Every year Wellington hosts the World of Wearable Art (WOW) show. It's a huge event and never disappoints as creative people turn all sorts of things into wearable art for an amazing show and exhibition. I went last year and was very impressed.

Anyway, Josie and her friends Stacy and Tessa participated in a Karori Normal Wearable Arts show and here are a few pictures of their creation with Josie modeling.

This was the work in progress - they went to Tessa's the week after these photos and finished it off with more colorful paperclips but no photos from that, sorry.

In other news every month that has a 5th Sunday our church has an earlier service than usual and then goes out into the community to do a service project. This past weekend the girls and I, along with Rachel from our Sunday School class, came back to our house to cook for Manna Ministries. Manna provides food throughout the week to those in need - whether harried mothers picking up their kiddos from our church's after-school program, or widows, or people struggling financially, whatever. We had a great time cooking together and managed to put together quite a few meals.

And finally, we sadly said goodbye to Summer. We all loved having her here and are happy to have a new friend in the world.

Josie and Ellie's Birthdays

This time last month it was Josie's birthday!! My little April 2nd baby turned 9-years-old without too much fanfare. I arrived back from the Tora Walk on her actual birthday so we celebrated with presents that evening and dinner out at one of her favorite restaurants in town. We also welcomed our house guest Summer on Josie's birthday. Summer is originally from Texas but she now lives and works in Cambodia where she helps counsel and rehabilitate girls that have been rescued from the sex-trade.

Not too many pics as we were rushing to get to dinner. Jo happily took several of her presents with us to the restaurant.

We got to know Summer because she is dating our youth minister, Guy. Guy asked her to marry him on Josie's birthday so when we went out to dinner that night we had a LOT to celebrate!!

Our beautiful birthday girl.

Enjoying her double-scoop gelato for dessert - a special birthday treat.

Of course almost two-weeks later we then celebrated Ellie-belly turning 7-years-old! Because her birthday fell during school holidays we haven't organized a party yet, too many people go away when school is out and we wanted all her new friends to be there. I still haven't organized a party. . .

Ellie loves her birthday more than just about any kid I know - she just revels in the day being all about her! She looks forward to it for days on end and when the day actually arrives it almost is like it goes in slow motion as she savors each and every second.

She requested monkey bread for breakfast. No canned biscuits here so it involves homemade dough which meant we had it for morning tea instead - momma couldn't quite get up early enough to have the dough risen and ready in time for breakfast. I've heard you can do it the night before and leave it in the fridge so next time I'll try that. Ellie was quite happy to have it for morning tea instead though.

Daddy met us for lunch at her favorite sushi restaurant, then we had her requested lamb roast dinner followed by birthday cake.

Just this week we celebrated Dugald's birthday as well - another yummy cake, chocolate this time, and a roast lamb dinner. Sadly he's fighting off a cold and very busy at work so on his birthday he had been in Auckland all day and was heading back the next morning. We will have to celebrate again later in the month when he is well and things settle down a bit. Lots of love from all of us!!

Tora Walk

Several weekends back I went away with my girlfriends to the Wairarapa to do the Tora Coastal Walk. We left on a Friday afternoon to arrive in time for dinner which was lovely. We drank wine, ate a fabulous meal, laughed and just enjoyed the fact that we were getting away for a weekend. 

Saturday morning we were up bright and early to begin our first, and longest, day of walking. We did about 16 kilometers up hill and down dale, but the views were stunning and it wasn't too taxing. Dugald says we were on a "glamp" rather than a "tramp" (the term the Kiwi's use for a hike) because we had our luggage moved for us and meals provided as well as indoor accommodation - no tenting. 

We arrived at our next location mid-afternoon and after very refreshing, and needed, showers we settled in to read magazines, drink wine, play cards and just hang out until dinner magically appeared on the table.

The next day's walk was lovely and easy - right along the beachfront.

For that night's accommodation we stayed in a former shearing cottage with these two lovelies right outside.

We amused ourselves by trying to teach Anne-Marie and Rose how to shuffle cards.

Our last morning came quickly - I could get used to the delicious meals and having all the food laid out for me every day!

The New Zealand landscape never ceases to impress and it was so much fun hanging out with these fun women - here's to next year's girls trip!!

Meggie Singing

Marsden hosted a music concert for the families and friends of girls taking private lessons from the itinerant music teachers. This year Meggie has started private voice lessons with Annabelle Cheatham, an excellent teacher and long-time friend of the family. Meggie did an outstanding job - enjoy!!

With her very good friend Claudia before the concert.

My Grandmother

Mattie Lou Oliver

December 1st, 1922 - April 4, 2012

One of my favorite pictures of Grandmother - love that she's laughing.

My sweet Grandmother went to be with the Lord today. She died peacefully with family at her side and knowing that she was loved. I will miss her and I was sad to not be with her in the end, but I'm so grateful for all the good memories I have of her, and I'm so glad that my husband and my children got to know her too. The girls are old enough that they will remember their G.G. (for Great-Grandmother) and that makes me happy.

 It's hard to feel too sad when I know that Grandmother is going to have her best Easter ever in the arms of her Savior, but I can't help but mourn the loss of both her presence in my life and her prayers for me and my family. I know she prayed for me every day - she told me, but I could also feel it and it gave me comfort to always know that whatever was happening in my life, whatever challenge I was facing, Grandmother was praying about it.

Grandmother loved people and she loved to always know what was going on with everyone. I would guess in her day she would have known all the gossip that there was to know - but she was never malicious and she truly cared about others. Growing up in a family of four girls there was probably never a lack of things to chat about and she just kept right on chatting til the end. 

Grandmother was definitely a southern belle - she grew up in Alabama and I always loved her southern cooking. She was the queen of boiled peanuts, banana cream pie, fried ocra and collard greens to name some of my favorites. She didn't leave the house without her hair done and her makeup on, even if it took half the day to get that way in her later years, and one of my favorite childhood memories is watching the Miss America pageant with her every year. She also taught me all sorts of card games like gin rummy and I can still impress my Kiwi friends with how I shuffle cards and she taught me that too.

Grandmother we love you and we will miss you but we're so glad that your journey here on earth ended well.

"A human life is a story told by God."

Hans Christian Andersen