Weekend in the Wine Country

We had a great weekend in the Wairarapa celebrating Margaret's birthday - the weather was perfect and the setting was just beautiful. The girls got to meet more cousins - Alex, Hettie and Hugh who have just moved back to Wellington from Hong Kong a week before we arrived. We joked that there must be some magnetic force pulling us all this way because another of Dugald's cousins, Jo, and her son are also moving back from Canada.








These are pictures of Rob and Liz's "farm" in Martinborough.





The girls coloring the eggs to be used in the "Egg and Spoon" race with Hettie and Liz.






Liz and her family gave us a lovely little kitten named "Willow" as a housewarming gift - Liz did ask me first if that was alright. The girls are smitten and Willow seems to have taken to them as well, she has slept with Meggie and Katie every night.







Margaret's birthday celebration was joyous. Of course being in the wine country we had excellent wine and delicious fresh food and the children all played together beautifully. We had spoon and egg races and three-legged races with great prizes and the children could also swim or play ping-pong or take a walk along the creek or sit in the enormous cinema above the garage and watch movies. We were very well looked after the entire weekend - Dugald and I stayed in the pool house, the girls and Sarah were in the big house and Margaret and Hugh were in the cottage so there was plenty of room for everyone. Davina came and did laundry and took care of all the dishes so we just got to enjoy one another's company which was the perfect way to spend our first weekend reunited with Daddy.



Hugh and Margaret's cottage at the back of the property.






The family just visiting on the back porch






Dugald and his mother





Margaret and Hugh and some of their grandchildren -Hugh, Hettie and Alex are in the middle row, Hamish Howard (Kate and Ant's son) is in the back.



Meggie has a shower in the pool house after a swim. The girls are glad this pool is heated, most of the ones we've been in have been quite cold (at least to us).




I drove into Wellington with Dugald and we stayed in a hotel for a night while the children were at the farm so that we could get me a cell phone and put my name on the bank accounts and order new cards and other various bits of whatnot. I think I am going to enjoy Wellington once I know my way around but it was a bit overwhelming at first, the streets seem SO narrow and our van suddenly feels extremely big! I also noticed that there is a culture difference in the way we get things done - here everyone talks to everyone and for quite a long time. I am from the south and I know about being chatty and polite but this is the deep, deep south and they take it to a whole new level. I had noticed it a bit in the shops, and buying the car, but yesterday at the bank I finally asked Dugald about it. It made me crazy that every time he would talk to the girl who was helping us she would completely stop what she was doing and have a long conversation - so that we were in the bank for over an hour adding my name to the already established account. I gather I am going to have to allow a lot more time for errands than I am used to - but the good thing is you do get to know people.



I got to see Dugald's office which is fantastic, he has a great view of the city from his desk and more importantly his office is in the same building as the number one department store Kirkcaldie and Stains, mostly known as Kirks. It was great to see where he will be spending his days and he is really enjoying his job, he's been very busy these last few weeks. It will be so nice for him to be working with others as well after being self-employed for the past 10 years.



Tomorrow we all leave the farm for Wellington. I saw the house we will be living in when Dugald and I were in town for the day, my, my it is small. It is a lovely home and we will be fine but I am going to have to sort out where to store our things. I really felt I had down-sized in a big way leaving Texas but alas, there is more to be done. I went and bought two sets of bunk beds for the girls who will all share one room, but I do hope they will fit!



We miss our sweet friends and family very much but life here is exciting and new and keeping us busy so that we don't get too homesick. We love email though so write when you can!!