Last day of the Crown visit

Our two weeks together ended in a flurry of activity as we moved out of the house on Beauchamp Street and into the house on Duthie Street. It was a crazy busy time and so it was a great blessing to have Mimi and Big Daddy here to look after the girls so I could focus on the move and so Dugald could go to work. They also helped out at the new house hanging things, cleaning windows and organizing the girls' rooms. Amazingly after the weekend we were fairly settled, though there are still boxes to unpack. 

To celebrate our progress we took the day off and went down to the waterfront to check out the market at Te Papa. Of course it was windy. Very windy. We didn't tarry at the market too long - I had thought we might eat out there but the wind made that an unappealing proposition so we headed to Sweet Mother's Kitchen instead. After a very filling lunch we went to the Botanic Gardens to try and walk some of it off before heading home. That evening we ate at a restaurant Katie has been dying for us to go to as a family - one of those Japanese places where they cook the food right in front of you. We were a little concerned as we were the only patrons, but the food was great, and we had a fun time with our cook so it was all good in the end.

The gardens after lunch.

Dinner at the Japanese restaurant.

Look closely - Ellie is trying to catch a piece of egg in her mouth that the chef has thrown to her. We all got a go.

Missed it!

Now Katie is trying to catch her bowl of rice with another bowl.

Ellie catches hers.

Mimi managed to catch it as well.

Then the chef backed WAAAYYYY up to throw Big Daddy his - look at Josie and Meggie's faces.

He caught it!

The show at home consisted of performances by each girl and then they each gave a speech thanking Mimi and Big Daddy for coming - it was very sweet.

The two weeks flew by and we were so glad to show some American family a glimpse of our life here.

I have lots more photos to catch up with here to show some of our summer fun - but the big girls actually start school tomorrow and Ellie wishes she did!! She and Josie start next week.

Lots of love from all of us!! Dxx

Tablelands

Rob and Liz graciously invited us to spend some time at Tablelands while Mimi and Big Daddy were here, so we headed to the Wairarapa for a few days. Dugald flew up to Palmerston and the rest of us drove up for afternoon tea with Margaret and Hugh, then we borrowed Hugh's car (our van is one seat short of what we needed) and traveled to Tablelands for a lovely few days of fun and family.

Lunch at the Brown Sugar Cafe on the way to Palmerston North.

Meggie is very into her Harry Potter book.

It's always a treat to visit Hugh and Margaret.

Mimi and Big Daddy's cottage at Tablelands.

Alex and Liz carving the meat like champions.

Ellie helped out by washing dishes.

Nothing like a full moon out in the country - it was incredibly bright and beautiful.

The main house.

The bathtub at the cottage.

Waka's Angels.

Hugh made mom a flat white and delivered it poolside.

Hetty and Alex finalizing the lunch preparations before Hettie's friends arrive.

Touring the wine cellar.

Shelling(and eating - see Katie) peas straight from the garden.

Afternoon tea.

Dinner prep - Alex and Big Daddy busy chopping veggies for American-style potato salad.

Mimi teaching Alex how we make it back home.

The girls enjoying their dinners.

Hettie and Friends.

The rest of us - Rob was in Seattle.

Picking apricots.

Playing with Gus.

A lovely lunch before we headed back to Wellington.

Gelato in Martinborough.