December is here!! Last days of school. . .

Josie and Ellie have a crazy hair and mufti day at school.

Willow is enjoying the summer sun.

Christmas Baking with Josie

Primary Prize Giving - Josie sang the solo and did a great job!!

So proud of Josie, she won two awards!! 

Meg ready to sing at Carol Service.

Mom sent flowers for our party after the Carol Service.

Dugs, Andrew and Glenn.

Jennie and Catherine

Nicki and me. I didn't get photos of the table, the bubble bar or the kids - too busy I guess!! Dugald took these.

This is our party trick, all the Morrison girls can do the splits.

Floors finally polished!! What a difference. Next up is to return the floorboards, paint the cabinets and get new handles and figure out where I'm going to put my pantry and have one built to fit the space. Oh and add some sort of shelves to either side of the window above the sink and get subway tiles put in. . . all in good time.

My new fridge and oven have changed my life!! For the first time in New Zealand I feel like I have room in the fridge and enough oven space to cook for our whole family. So grateful!! 

The big girls had their Prize Giving a few nights later and Meggie was Highly Commended in Science, Music, German, Geography and History so she got an award. Katie received an award the next day at assembly - she was Commended in English, Design Technology (1st equal) and Mathematics. We are so proud of all the girls!!

Josie and Daddy were in the Christmas Parade so Ellie, her bestie, Alex, and I went to watch.

Ready to leave the studio.

Daddy was a miner.

To finish off November...

So I didn't take a lot of pictures in November, the good news is it will make it easier for me to catch up on the blog! Here's what we got up to for the rest of the month. 

Rob was nominated for a Welly Award and invited us to the ceremony at Te Papa. This picture was actually taken as we were leaving and we are all carrying our loot bags, we won the table trivia competition!!

Rob was up for the award in the business category and we were all very proud of him. He was beat out by Rod Drury of Xero, pretty stiff competition!

Some of our prize loot.

Katie and Lottie during assembly with Chinese dancers.

Some of the girls got to participate - and you can see Ellie behind the lady in pink.

Meggie headed off for her three day, two night Duke of Ed tramp. She didn't want photos though.

Here she is with her tramping group, a little bit happier!

We hardly see this social butterfly, but I stole these pics off her phone!

I helped organize another Primary School Teacher's Appreciation Tea. 

Meggie and friends hit the town.

Meggie, Pippa and Ellie cleaning out my herb garden so we can start again.

Grandpa's Birthday!

Katie goes to Scout camp.

Meg playing with her friend's camera.

Meggie does a photo shoot with Ellie.

The photographer.

Time to decorate the tree!

These two were thrilled with the one in their room.

November begins

I was thrilled to receive all the boxes I mailed myself from Florida containing my good china and crystal that has been stored in Ali and Stacy's garage for 6 years. They were the only ones more thrilled than I was, thank you again Martins!! Josie helped me unpack it all and it felt a little like Christmas came early. 

As you can see the kitchen remains a work in progress, still waiting on the new fridge and oven to be installed, then the floors to be polished, then the whole thing to be painted.

Pantry in temporary position, need to build a smaller one.

I ended up completely removing this pocket door.

New fridge - still waiting on joinery.

Door is gone!! Floor is laid.

Josie so loves it when we have the babies.

Chloe gets a little jealous, but she's pretty good about it.

Josie had a go at playing "bubble soccer" with friends from her netball team.

The Year 5/6 Disco was fantastic and Dugald was able to surprise the girls by being in the Dance of the Dads. He was meant to be on a business trip, but it got changed at the last minute to a business call and he was able to just make it.

Ellie with Lilly, Tilly, Ava, Laura and India

Alex and Ellie

Lucy and Josie

Tamina, Grace, Josie and Maddie.

Cuties!!

We went to the pub after the disco and hung out with a few of the other dads. 

Emily and Katie with their friend and inspiration Grace at a rehearsal for The Lion Queen.

Katie and Emily in their production.