Bridle path pictures

View from the top...and the boys almost there
A typical Nicholas photos...he just wont pose for a photo!
Part way up...an excuse to stop for a moment

bits and pieces

We have been super busy lately and a bit sick so no proper entries for a week or so. So this is just a catch up of all the stuff that has been happening - not beautifully described as all the emotions and feelings that are normally attached to the events of life are but a memory, so it is bullet points and a few pictures.

Bike ride - yesterday we went for a ride with Ruth and Simon and the kids. They were on their tandem...all four of them and we were on two bikes between us. Everyone looked and pointed and talked about them so it was quite fun watching from behind. The weather was perfect so the experience was extremely pleasant. We ended up at Sumner and the kids played on the stuff before we headed back to WAC for lunch. Ran in to some people we knew along the way which is so Christchurch. Spent the evening at Anne and Tim's for a shared meal. The kids were great fun and Nic just loved rough housing with Finn and Lydia.

My best friend has gone to live in Auckland. It has been a very hard adjustment to make for me. There is a gap. Although a wrench for Karen, I think it is probably more of an adventure for them as you would expect. Having a gorgeous house on the beach in a warm climate is probably a pretty good silver lining. We have booked some flights to go and visit. So that is our silver lining, getting to travel a bit more and discover a new part of the country. You have to look for the silver linings.

Every Sunday we try and go an adventure of the physical kind. The previous two weekends we have walked the Bridle Path. Nicholas being the star that he is, walked every step both weekends. No complaints from him on the whole. And we get to walk slowly so there is a bonus fo us too. Good fun though. Noticed after the first climb and descent, my legs were in agony. A week later, nothing. It is amazing how fast your body can get fit (ish) . This is a wee photo of the Pioneer Womens' shelter at the top of the path.

I am trying to publish some photos but am having trouble doing that which is par for the coarse wiht Blogger. Very frustrating. Will do a separate post with them.

broadband

Thank GOD! Broadband has come to our house to stay. Need I say more, the light has come on and I love being on the computer. Haven't done an entry for a while. I seem to have been in a funk for some reason. We are still doing interesting fun things in the weekend to try and make the most of the small amount of time we have together. Just stepped away from the keyboard to make a couple of cakes for morning tea tomorrow so got distracted and will return tomorrow for another update. Off to bed to read my book and snuckle my husband. Catch up tomorrow.

more snow photos

Justy and Anna

Jonty and Nic on Lake Lyndon

Karen on the saucer

Morning tea - (small) Jonty, Paulette and Nicholas

snow

Lake Lyndon

Last weekend we ventured up to the snow in Porters Pass. Paulette and Jonty came with us and Karen, Justy and Anna joined us later in the morning. What a fantastic day. The snow was lovely dry powder which is perfect for children because they don't get so wet. Here are a series of pictures from our day. It was fantastic getting out in to the country, seeing the sun and laughing our heads off for the day.

Nic and the dalmation

random pics from qbw

St Clair
Karitane
Brighton Beach (Dunedin)
Jonty
Saltwater pools St Clair

the photos to go with the story qbw

St Clair with St Kilda in the background...man it was cold
















The Otago Harbour looking back towards the city

queen's birthday weekend

We had a fabulous weekend in Dunedin with Jasmine and our friend Marie-Anne. It was cold and a bit snowy but we had such a lovely time shopping, walking about the lovely town of Dunedin and also discovering some new parts of the area.

We stopped at Fleurs Place in Moeraki on the way down the country and discovered what all the fuss was about. It was a fabulous place to visit on a cold wintery day. We had delicious fishy food and divine desserts. Both Marie-Anne and I ran in to people we knew which is so South Island. Nicholas loved the staircase and spent a lot of time going up and down. We played outside climbing the tree and make believe in the old boat. Check out the weblink for a look.

Jasmine had sorted out some accomodation for us. It was pretty nice and we got a good price. It was a little challenging with no kitchen and one room but we ended up having a lovely time at her flat with the pierced, dreaded and tattood friends. Great conversation around the table over soup, bread and wine. Dave the boyfriend has bought the house and is doing a fab job of doing it up and excavating a room under the house. Very impressive. Nic spent the majority of his time playing with the cat flap and shrieking with excitement everytime the poor cat ventured in to the room.

We also visited the 'mushrooms'. Dave and his mate Sam run Shadow Gourmet - an oyster mushroom growing concern. Again, very impressive. Both guys put heaps of time and effort in to the business and are clearly passionate about their product. Really inspiring.

One afternoon J and N and J and I headed south to see what was happening along the coast. The weather was crap but we loved it and the Tairei Mouth was gorgeous. We headed down to Lake Waihola and back up to Dunedin. Marie-Anne had gone home by then as she was only staying one night.

On our last day we headed to the beach - of course and had a coffee at St Clair. We dropped Jasmine off at the hairdressers as we headed out of town and by the time we got home she had sent us some picks of her very short hair. Looked great. It had snowed the night before so we decided to come home through Port Chalmers instead of the Northern Motorway which is not flash in the snow. What a fantastic discovery that was. We went to Aramoana too and just loved it. Over the hill through the snow and to Karitane for lunch. Beautiful doesn't begin to describe it. Up to Timaru and a cuppa with Marie-Anne and home. A fantastic weekend with our girl and Marie-Anne.

See above for some more photos

life is unpredictable

Well it is snowing today but I don't have any photos of it. After a sublime day yesterday where we went on an urban adventure and then spent hours in the garden like a summers day, it is a bit of a shock to be freezing cold today. I love the idea that it can be summer and winter all in one 24 hour period. Yay Christchurch.

Some pics from our day yesterday

Lunch

Nicholas took this photo with only a little help from his mother
Trike crazy

random

I seem to be getting a backlog of pictures and things so am miles behind now. Sorry to any family who regularly log on to find nothing new of interest.
Nic was desperate to get up in the tree but his mean old mother wouldn't let him because he had his good clothes on. I don't think Frances was too keen to share her posi anyway. Next time Nic.

trike adventures

Nic, Granny Rosemary and I took a Sunday morning stroll through the lovely Chistchurch Botanic Gardens and Arts Centre. Nic was great biking all that way with no complaints or trike abandonment. It was cold but not nasty. Fog dial

Round and round the fountain

Sculpture - one of many

Busy weekend

We started off chatting about the weekend on Thursday night and decided it would be a quiet one based on what we had planned. Somehow it turned out to be just the opposite which was great. What fun we have had.

Firstly we went to the Lyttelton Farmers Market and it was freezing cold with a southerly wind roaring around the area. We did a frantic round of grabbing and tasting and buying the then got out of there. Nicholas was lightening fingered tasting all there was to taste. I had to buy something he fingered. Here are some snaps from our visit.

But first here is our list of goodies

• one piece of feijoa crumble (the one Nicholas put his finger on)
• one jar of dukkah
• three delicious cheese straws
• one very large container of coriander - growing
• six pieces of bright green lime and pistachio fudge

On the way to the car we ran in to an on photography class friend of mine which was great.

Nic was cold. The market is in the grounds of the school so there are some lovely murals and things

Delicious!!

...and that was before lunch. Lunch and the afternoon was spent with our friends Steph and Andy and their family. We had yummy artichoke soup fresh crusty bread and lots of laughs. Frances climbed the tree but mean mummy wouldn't let Nic get up there too as he had his good clothes on. They still had a blast riding bikes. We spent the evening at home lounging on our new sofas watching 'The motorcycle diaries' which was a really good film.

There seems to be a limit to the number of pics you can put on each blog entry so I will start another with a few extra photos.

We delivered our no longer needed sofa to the bach which was a mission. Rob from next door helped us with the last bit. He and his lovely wife had a baby two weeks ago about two houses down as they didn't make it to the car let alone the hospital. Luckily it was at the doctors house. Mind you the doctor hadn't delivered a baby for more than a few years so it was a full on time. I got to hold the little babe. She has no name yet but what a sweetie. Then home to get the trailer loaded, the boys fed and ready for a three year old birthday party. That was fun. Then off to my folks to catch up with uncle David who was in town to attend the 125 year anniversary of ChCh Boys High School with dad. They had a great time. David presented me with my grandmothers wedding ring which was pretty amazing. She died 20 years ago and I never even thought about her jewellery so now I am wearing a lovely gold band on my right hand. It is very special to me as I loved my granny and had lots of lovely times with her. It was a pretty emotional thing.

So Dancing with the Stars in about 4 minutes so I better go. Might do the ironing while I watch it. Have a good week.

photo day

Today I worked at the stunning New Brighton library. I decided to take my camera to work to record the gorgeousness of the place and here is what I saw. How lucky I was to have a perfect day to do this

The view out of my office window in the morning

Looking southeast

Scratch graffitti

Old and new

Smog sunset

...and some more mothers

Couldn't get this software to work for me...not for the first time I must say ...

Anne - the mother of all mothers.

My best friend Karen with her mad daughter Anna and Gill in the background with Anika. We had had a great day at the beach that day.

Lisa proudly watching her lovely boy mastering water skiing.

And my lovely mother Rosemary who is so kind and caring and a super grandmother. Here she is with Olivia a year or two ago.

Now, the fact that I could not find a photo of my dear friend Alex who is a great mother is frightening. I will just have to get out there with my camera and take more photos. Happy Mothers Day!

Mothers Day

Mother's day is an interesting day. I am not sure I feel any more valued as a mother but I am definately part of the 'in crowd' for the day. I had to work all day today so I got to see other mothers with their families. I worked with three other mothers, a father and someone who lost her mother several years ago and whom I imagine doesn't really enjoy the day as much as we do. We went to my sisters for dinner and my parents were there and Simon's too. It was a fun evening. The children had a ball. Nicholas discovered that Olivia has a bed that is a car... a Lamborghini Diablo no less. He told me he 'loves' it.

So here are some photos of some lovely mothers I know...me first


My sister and her darling Olivia. Ria and her sporty go hard mum. Jane and Ella on the swing. Gill my very cool cousin with her angel Anika in the backpack
My lovely friend Steph and Frances.