Brrr, it's cold here!

I'm so glad the winter solstice is past, every extra minute of daylight makes me happy! We've actually had a rather mild winter, until this week it hasn't been too cold, but now we're into the weather everyone complains about - cold, wet, windy, dark. Bleh. I'm so grateful to be heading to the sunshine in a few weeks and so are the girls.

The girls all had their gymnastics testing last week and Meggie got the highest score in her group - yay Meg! They all did really well though - it's just recreational stuff rather than competitive but they are certainly getting stronger and more flexible. It was Science Fair week in the primary school at Marsden so I went and saw Katie's project. She and her friends tested raincoat material to see which kind keeps you driest. 

Their display looked great and they did a good job - the best part was I didn't do any of it, it was 100% done at school.

I think I've mentioned on here one or a hundred times that my refrigerator here is teeny and therefore we venture out on the short walk to the store every day rather than stocking up on the groceries. It's actually a nice walk - and the best part is this guy:

His name is Oscar and he is the friendliest cat ever. He jogs up his driveway to see us, comes when called and lets the girls pet him as much as they want. I thought I'd snap a pic with my phone for posterity.

Counting the days until we see the sun. . . .

Dx

A Little Bit of This and That

I have various bits of whatnot to share here - I've kind of been in catch-up mode since Katie's big bash. In fact we are still working on thank you notes, and the presents are not yet all put away.

Anyway, Josie made dinner for us the other night and I wanted to include some photos - she chose spaghetti bolognese and it was very nice. I love that my girls want to help in the kitchen - I picture myself one day retiring from the cooking altogether as they take over. Maybe.

Today the girls have a new friend over for a play - there is a family up the street with three children and a fourth on the way and they've just decided to start homeschooling. It's been fun to share a little bit of our journey, and the joy we got out of teaching the girls at home, with them. I have to say though, as I see this mama in such a busy season of life I'm amazed that we managed it (and actually remember it with a smile). God's grace. I wouldn't trade the time I had my girls home for anything.

The big three girls swim for the Pirates swim team twice a week and Ellie takes semi-private lessons with their coach (and mine) once a week. Our Thursday mornings are crazy as the big three swim at 7 am and Ellie is at 7:30 - we stumble over to the pool laden with bookbags, uniforms, breakfast, lunch, towels, shampoo, conditioner, goggles. . . lots of stuff! But, they love the camaraderie of their early morning swims and it is a great way to start the day. Last week I took a short video of Ellie with my phone and thought I'd share it here. She is a very confident swimmer but she has a long way to go as far as technique goes.



Meggie had a big day this past weekend - she went into town with several of her friends and they had lunch together and shopped for dresses for their upcoming school dance - all sans adults. I love that she is gaining independence and making sweet friends, my baby is growing up.

I'm still house-hunting but so far not finding much in our area that is anywhere near our price range. I am holding out hope that perhaps we can buy this house that we are in for a reasonable price and then make some improvements, but we'll see. I mean I LOVE this one, but we don't have an extra 2 million lying around at the moment. For slightly less money - because really I don't have to have a 6-car garage - there is this one, but it's quite modern, has no garden and is on a subdivided lot. Finally, this one is for sale too - but at over a million and only 2200 square feet it's not quite suitable.

Dugald's work is going really well and he is still enjoying it - that's all I can tell you though as it's all very hush-hush when he's doing a deal.

Hope everyone in America had a great Father's Day!! xx

Katie's Surprise Party!

Well it wasn't easy but we pulled it off  - we managed to surprise Katie with a fantastic "American-Style Hoe Down" for her 10th birthday. There were some glitches early on as apparently some girls didn't understand that by "surprise" I meant don't tell Katie that you will be coming to her party - but thanks to consistent denials and lack of supporting evidence Katie was left in the dark.

We held the festivities at a church down the street from us that graciously rents out their hall, so we had a dance hall, a kitchen and an area in which to eat our American dinner. I made brisket, baked beans (my friend Deyon's fancy "Family Reunion Beans" which are to die for and include bacon and hamburger as well as lots of yummy spices), coleslaw, chips and bread rolls. Just because this is New Zealand and I was concerned that the barrage of unfamiliar food might scare some kids I also included these little red sausages they eat here called cheerios and they were by far the most popular item. Oh and to drink we had sweet iced tea and cherry limeade. And beer and wine for the adults of course.

My amazing friends helped so much with the party preparation and with cleaning up afterwards - we invited four other families that are very close friends of ours and have a child that is friends with Katie. It was so tough making a guest list, I told Dugald I am not going to survive four weddings. I also had my two lovely babysitters, Hannah and Sophie, come help with running a few games, handing out bandanas, serving drinks, corralling kids and whatnot. They did that, and did it well, but they also helped me prior to the party by making the bunting and then blowing up and putting up the balloons. I am truly blessed - and so is Katie - by all the generous people in our lives that worked hard to make this special for her!!

Matt Sheppard was our photographer for the evening and he got some great pictures, so many that I've put them together into a slideshow here. As the guests arrived we had snacks and a few games while we waited for Katie. The picture of me with my arms up is me trying to herd the kids over to where Katie wouldn't see them right away so they could holler "Surprise!". The mob of girls in a huddle is them all surrounding Katie and hugging her - both Matt and I tried to get her picture as they yelled but sadly we both missed it things happened so fast. Ottilie and Hettie came by which was very special to Katie so there is a picture of all of us together, then we ate dinner, had a few more games and then our main entertainment as the dancers arrived to teach us how to line dance. After the dancing we finished the party with cake and presents.

I think Katie had one of the best nights of her life, and in fact we all had a great time. Thanks to all our sweet friends who came and celebrated with us!!! After the video I'll include some of the best pictures of the family since I know sometimes the grandparents like to print them off the computer and I will also eventually upload to Picasa and send the link to friends and family who might want prints. Lots of love!! xx

Ellie

Ellie dresses herself these days, as mentioned in an earlier post, and I love her "style". Plus, she's our baby and we all think she's super cute. Enjoy these pictures of her doing her schoolwork, reading with her daddy and eating an absolute ton of the feijoas that Grandma and Grandpa sent. 

Meggie's Cross-Country

Here are some pictures from Meggie's first cross-country running experience. Unlike the day we watched Katie (which was drizzly and cold), the day of Meggie's run was absolutely beautiful! I was so proud of Meggie - they had to run 2.6 or so kilometers up hills and down dale and she gave it her very best. Meggie really likes her P.E. teacher, Miss Kawai, and that has motivated her even though running really isn't her thing. Enjoy!