Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

So, you might remember from this post, that I've always wanted to celebrate thanksgiving.

In September I extended an invitation to two of our friends, to see if they wanted to join us in celebrating it together.  They were most obliging (I think it was knowing they would be partaking of a feast by my hands that won them over).

So we had either Monday 10th October - Canadian Thanksgiving, or Thurs 24 Nov - American Thanksgiving - to choose from.

I googled a traditional menu, and accustomed it a bit to suit us "Kiwi's" -

Menu:

• Stuffed, roasted chicken (instead of turkey)
• Roasted vegetables
• Green salad
• Green veges
• Pecan slice (instead of pie)
• Pumpkin pie
• Iced tea
• Wine

Let's just say, it was a load of cooking, but a most enjoyable evening!

The beautiful thing about it - was that none of us have had a fantastic year this year - but we all had plenty of deep things to be greatful for.  I mean, for each of us, the year has had many wonderful high points - but underlying these have been many difficulties and challenges.

Some of our thankful things.... life, our marriage partners, our children, our extended families, our church families, our friendship, our homes, where we have been taken this year - and so many other things.

I'm pretty sure we've settled that it's a tradition from now on.  Maybe next year I'll kiwi-fy it instead of going with the American feast!  You know, pavalova topped with fresh strawberries & chocolate - and all the rest!

And in the words of my friend as they left - there goes another 4 1/2 hours - just flying past.  Great company.

What things are you thankful for?

Happy Birthday to ME!!

my weekend was jam packed and left me pretty tired -

Saturday morning, one of my besties arrived (after travelling an hour) - with a carrot birthday cake - for "coffee".

The last birthday cake I had was when I was 21.  Before that, maybe when I was 10 or so - unless I made it myself.  This was a very sweet gesture to begin my 'birthday eve' (my actual birthday was Sunday).

We proceeded to eat large slabs of this delicious cake and enjoy each other's company.  I actually ate the cake for lunch too... two days in a row.

Shortly after, one of my other besties arrived - much to my surprise - and then I knew I was in for something!

eeek - I was totally having a bad hair day!

I said goodbye to the first one - expecting her to be going, and then she announced that she was coming with me!

So I got delivered to a local beauty salon, given a brochure and told that I could have "anything you want - it's already been paid for".  My sneaky husband had been plotting for a few weeks and organised all this without my knowledge.  I almost cried.  Then quickly forgot the tears as I proceeded to be spray tanned from head to toe and having a gorgeous facial!!

I got dropped home for an easy afternoon, later to discover that I was being taken out for dinner!  The kids were taken to my parents' place, we picked up our dinner dates - and off we went - to Ocean's Resort Restaurant!

he NEVER smiles nicely for photos!!  my face is still "glowing" from my facial! (and probably aided by the glass of wine - hehe)

The meal was YUM!  I ate WAY too much and felt a bit sick.  We had heaps of bread & spreads to start, then I had pork ribs, and we all got free dessert!!  A great night out.  I was blessed that my hubby and friends just wanted to celebrate me (they even toasted me!!).

our dinner dates ;-)

My actual birthday was a lot less 'busy' - but I was still blessed with lots of lovely messages/phone calls and time with my precious family....

Here are some of my funky pressies :D

new apron!! I've always wanted one!

me - staunching my apron out (HAHAHA)

the other apron - a cute half one -

mugs and cosies - from a certain moustache loving friend ;-)


YUM!

Some well thought out reads.....

Note, I am hiding the picture of the incredibly slim, toned, non-child bearing, great looking woman in a bikini! hehe.  I don't think any diet book could make me like that! ha.

cards that say "I love my mumma because, she loves me" and show off princess Adelaide's new cutting ability.  Equipped with pictures of me, her and giraffes.....

And some vouchers so I can go on a spending spree (because you can never have enough music or clothes)!!

lucky me. 25 and counting...

Ti-GG-er cake....

A certain Princess Adelaide turned 2 last Friday.

My week was manic.  In between hectic schedules - I baked a heap of mini-cupcakes for playcentre on Wednesday, a cake for a coffee group for Friday (jaffa snake cake - orange cake/choc icing and a packet of snake lollies piled on top - easy peasy), and then I had to master the real cake for her party on Saturday (as well as other party foods). 

I also juggled several melt-downs of my own from feeling WAY too overwhelmed.

Here's what came of Mr Tigger....

And this is what he looked like top down....

This was my first real attempt at such a complicated cake - last year she had a butterfly.  I made a guitar cake for my brother's 21st, but this was rather interesting and tricky to make.

I hired  a tin from the local cake tin hire (which is well worth doing).  It came with instructions on which parts to ice first etc - which made it way simpler.  Made a lemon cake - as thought all that icing needed some balancing out!

What I didn't know - was just making the icing and mixing the colours took an hour and a half! 

Icing the cake - well, it took 3 hours.

The lovely lady from the hire shop told me it actually takes her 3 hours to ice one of these sorts of cakes too - so that made me feel a bit better (seeing as she's made a tonne of them).

The party guests were all family members, with the additon of two of our closest friends who are just like her aunty and uncle...

Gotta recommend these - Pam's giant jelly beans!! YUMMO!

We had some of these too....

And these - just for my wee princess who has an obsession with them on each supermarket visit...

I made some other healthy snacks (seeing as several of our guests were dieting).  Once the party started all my stress melted away!!

Miss PA was very spoilt and loves all her new toys etc.  The thing I found the most interesting - was I discovered that she really LOVES cards.  She went straight for them with each present and spent a good deal of time looking at them (just like her mummy).

Happy birthday my beautiful girl.

x

Mother's Day

Hello world of mummies and others...
How was your mother's day...?


My day was a hit on last year.  Last year, I did not get a "happy mother's day" in the morning.  In the lead up - I had gladly spent a great deal of time organising gifts for both our mums, we visited them and paid them lots of love.  That afternoon we came home, and I had a melt-down because I had been completely forgotten.

Special days are quite precious to me - but a lot of effort for the husband.

2011 mothers day was very unplanned.  The week or two leading up to it were hectic for the hubster - acting in several roles at work in their busiest time, and Saturday was spent moving house for friends all day.  So I was not expecting anything really at all.  I decided that if I expected nothing, anything would be better.  I had been trying to think of something I wanted, but totally lost for ideas.

I got to sleep in a little, with no intruder.  I got a "Happy Mummy's Day" from him, and a coffee - when I got up (this gesture actually made my day).  After church, we went out for lunch.  This was however, interrupted with an overtired Princess Adelaide who had a major meltdown and had to sit in my arms being fed french fries and sauce.  She then screamed all the way home.

But I got to snuggle her in my arms for 2 hours while she slept (because she couldn't be prised away to sleep in her bed).  Those kind of snuggles don't happen much anymore, so I lapped it up.

We then had to bustle off to visit my mum and then the hubster's mum for deliveries of fresh flowers, hand made cards (sorry forgot to snap pics) and small well thought out gifts.

After little miss was sound asleep - I even got a back massage! hehe.  The hubby spent a chunk of time cleaning up the house a bit, putting things away, getting dishes into dishwasher, putting away washing etc - to save me my usual Monday mad clean up day.

Not a glamorous day overall, but I still enjoyed it.

Things to ponder:

• 2012 Mother's Day - celebrating it for our mum's a day early - so my day is more restful

I also spent a great deal of yesterday thinking about a few special people I know - some who are doing this incredibly difficult job of mummying - alone. 
For others - their mum is gone now - so it's a bit of a sad day. 
And for others still - the ones who long to be mummies but for whatever reason/s that dream hasn't happened for them. Yet.

Kia kaha you beautiful ladies. You are all very precious <3

Things I'm Loving

Making these from scratch - several batches - some for us, a whole lot to give away



The best part, of course, was smothering them in butter and sharing them with two special friends as our Good Friday tradition....



More makings.....





Turning this space



Into this... (which has been almost 2 years in the making)...



We've had the dishwasher sitting boxed in our lounge since August 09.  Finished the main renovations in the kitchen, so now, it's installed!  Perfect timing if you ask me.

Also loving....

• plenty of chocolate!!


• sleep in's with hubby till 9.30 (because miss 'almost 2' was at Nana & Poppa's for the night)


• late night drive thru mc'ds


• Long weekends which feel like a very much needed mini holiday

 

Don't forget to think about the real reason for Easter.  Jesus gave everything for us.  It is well worth celebrating!

x

Humour me Monday.....

Today, just for fun, I'll humour you a little - here are some pics of Lily -

 with her new "hat"...

[caption id="attachment_244" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="show me your hat!She walks around with it completely covering her face - can't see a thing, and bangs into stuff all the time - but loves it....??walking the lawn..."][/caption]

Holiday adventures....

We went away for a week recently, for a wedding and to catch up with family who live far away. 

[caption id="attachment_220" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="practising for her big day ;-)"][/caption]

Here are some highlights (haha) for all you mums out there......

It was a typical family holiday.... it rained with the remnants of cyclone Wilma the first weekend.  The wedding day it just poured, so it was quickly changed from a beach wedding to indoors.  There was flooding and slips and major roadworks along the road on our way to Hamilton then New Plmouth.  Lily vomited all over herself, her blankey and her carseat.  It was a beautiful day the next day, and she was sick... ALL DAY.  She was better the following day - it RAINED all day.  We left for home on Friday, got stuck in rush hour traffic which took 2 hours to get from South Auckland to Albany.  We left for Whangarei, another cyclone was making its presence well known, so we turned back.  We turned back again on Saturday morning, when thousands of others were trying to make the same trip north and the main part of State Highway 1 north was closed.  We finally got home at 9pm that night after a long detoured drive north.

Thankfully, our animals were all alive and well fed.   Our house was intact and tidy (thanks to my epic cleaning spree the day before we left) and our car made the trip!

We really did have a good time.  A sense of humour on holiday meant that we found most of the above chaotic things funny.  Here are some real highlights....

I got to play/dance/read-to and hang out with this princess....

[caption id="attachment_221" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="my beautiful niece"][/caption]

 

I met for the first time, and got cuddles and loads of grins from this handsome little man...

[caption id="attachment_223" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="gorgeous nephew!"][/caption]

watching cousins play...

[caption id="attachment_222" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="People actually thought they were both mine.... and that I was crazy! (they're 8 months apart)"][/caption]

we killed some time on Saturday at Auckland Zoo...

[caption id="attachment_224" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="the zoo! oh, the Harris' - at the zoo"][/caption]

 

We got a visual treat at New Plymouth's festival of lights...

[caption id="attachment_225" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="waterfall - it changed colours...."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_226" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="ultra-violet lights and 3D balls!"][/caption]

 

That's all for now... stay tuned for highlights of the zoo and the lights over the next couple of days - got some awesome pics!

Hope you're all good out there!

Weekend in the City!

oh the life of a mum!  I've been exhausted lately, no exercise being done here this week.  Miss 1 is running a fever today.

At the moment, I'm surrounded by people with desperate needs - and my heart of compassion longs to reach out and touch them all.  If only I was a super-woman.

On the weekend, we had a much needed trip away - and saw some beautiful things.  Highlights....

[caption id="attachment_175" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="My husband's client built, and owns this marina"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_176" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="a beautiful day for a child-less meander..."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_177" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="I snapped this of the city from a moving vehicle..."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_179" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="a beautiful wedding...."][/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="the simplicity, was breath-taking"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_178" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Istanbul street pizza... Turkey in Auckland City"][/caption]

 

 this very available, handsome man, is my brother! (in law)

[caption id="attachment_181" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="I found these people.... hitch hikers....?? hehe"][/caption]

 

Summary, YUM food, great company, special family, high-rise hotel, adventures - just the two of us... good times.

[caption id="attachment_190" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="he hates it when I snap pics... I do it a lot"][/caption]

I ♥ birthdays....

This man is my hero.  He is creative, loyal, genuine, fun, forever making me laugh, a great daddy, and he's going where I want to go.  He is my best friend.  Today is his birthday.

So some people who know me, know that I love gifts.  Not so much receiving them, but giving them.  In all kinds of ways and measures, for all kinds of reasons.

I usually think for months in advance about someone's gift, and carefully select it, then take hours wrapping it.



One Christmas, I spent an entire day and night wrapping gifts for my family.  I handmade every bow.

On with the story, hubby's 25 today.

This week, has been a week of COOKING, and getting ready to celebrate.



At his office, birthdays = morning tea for your colleagues = wife cook up a storm = wife deliver at morning tea time = other people eat it.

So, I cooked:

• ginger crunch


• lemon syrup cake with butter icing


• sausage rolls


• mini pastry pizzas


• ham, cheese and mayonaise twists

All ready for his work.



Then, tiramisu made. House tidied. Table set. Grape juice chilled.  All ready for an early birthday dinner with his parents.  I COOKED:

• kumara chips with cinnamon and paprika


• mini pizzas with mozzarella and pastrami


• a fresh salad


• lamb chops

I've never made tiramisu - it was delish... if I must say so myself.

[caption id="attachment_34" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="It may as well been her birthday.... he let her open his presents."][/caption]

Love you honey x