It's Christmas Time!!

Chloe, Josie and Ellie enjoy the summer sunshine and the freedom of no school.

Meanwhile Lottie, Isabella and Katie spend a day in town renting crocodile bikes and shopping.

We woke up at home Christmas morning and Daddy read us the Christmas Story as is our tradition. After presents and a very quick breakfast we hit the road to head up to Palmerston North for Christmas lunch with Grandma and Grandpa and Hamish and Mike.

On the road.

"Please drop something for me"

 On Boxing Day I braved the mall with the girls as promised and Josie looked like this:

The girls with Uncle Hamish and Mike.

Ellie was the only one brave enough (or foolish enough) to swim in the chilly pool.

Fun new ipad game where Meggie tries to guess the word she is holding up while they give her clues.

After leaving Palmerston North we headed over to the Wairarapa to see Rob and Liz and family at Tablelands. When we arrived Liz turned on her new bubble making machine! Katie wasn't with us because in between Palmerston North and the Wairarapa we had dropped her with her friend Lottie to go to Lake Taupo with them for a week.

Ellie dancing in the bubbles.

The food was divine as always - most of it fresh from the organic garden outside!

Sunset at Tablelands.

The girls joined me for my morning workout.

Then they had a swim to cool off.

Uncle Rob took them on a crayfish hunt.

Chloe annoyed him by scaring them all away.

Farm Dogs! Gus and Chloe. Ollie was with Liz.

Here are some photos from Katie's time on Lake Taupo with Lottie:

Saying Goodbye to Ricky and Rowing Camp

The second court date for sweet Ricky did go to plan, so one week after we expected him to leave Christy and Michael picked him up. It was terribly bittersweet - we are so happy for them, but we do love him and miss him terribly! We made a photo album for him and everyone wrote him a note so that hopefully he will know how much we loved having him with us. 

Beautiful flowers from Rob and Liz arrived the day Ricky left.

Meanwhile down south Meggie was in beautiful Nelson getting in lots of time on the water.

Meggie is the first rower in this picture, at Stroke position. 

Doing the dreaded erg test with the coach, David, watching intently.

The Novices