Exciting Month ahead

Katie and Sam having fun

On the 12th March we have Geoff, Ruth, Sam and Katie arriving from Glasgow with Ruth's parents,Vincent and Rona from Dublin. It will be wonderful to see them all again and especially my grandchildren who have grown so much since I saw them in September. We are all getting so excited and counting the sleeps to go. Time is passing too slowly for us all.

February comings and goings.

A new month and a few trips had in the last. Firstly I took Mum and Evan up to Taupo for the day, to meetup with Mike,Lou and Belle who brought Ben down for us to take home to Hastings.We had a picnic lunch by the lake and sat and yakked for a couple of hours ,watched the comings and goings of yachts, sea plane and people. Mike got the tripod out and then a hilarious time was had trying to take group photos.It was a beautiful Taupo day while we were there but turned nasty just after we left late afternoon. So good to see them all again. Evan was handed the car keys again and he drove us safely home. We encountered a real downpour of rain as we neared Napier, but he handled it well.


Then last weekend, Liz (workmate) and I had a girl's day out in Palmerston North and did we have a ball. Unfortuneatly I forgot the camera, but might be just as well as it would have told too much!! Left Hastings at 8 in the morning and home by 7 that night. Walked ourselves off around the central city and spent heaps of money. Fabulous. Haven't had such a good day since I was in Glasgow.

A Week In Whangamata

What a fabulous time was had by us all at Whangamata Beach on the Coromandel. Beautiful sunny days and warm temperatures. The sea so clear and blue and surf for those that wanted it. the harbour great for the jetskiing and the estuary saw mussels gathered and lots of swimming and
sunbathing.
I go almost every year away with Mike, my brother,and his family to the beach for 7-10 days and this year we went to Whangamata. I was last there in the 70's, was a real surfie chick back then and chased the surfwaves.A lot of changes since then, but the waves are still the same. It has a population of about 3,ooo, but come the summertime it swells to over 20,000!!!

We had hired a bach for the week and it served our purposes well. A lovely 3 bedroom place with great in/outdoor living with plenty of room for the 9 of us with the old trusty camper and a tent.

Evan,Ben,Isabelle,Lou,Pam,Amy

Nick,Millie and Mike

With Lou (Mike's wife), Amy and her boyfriend Nick , Evan ,Ben , Isabelle and Millie their overseas student boarder from Germany we all found the place very much to our liking.

Bond movie footage or Amy in ski lane

Amy had a couple of girlfriends come and stay a couple of nights as well and they pitched a tent too so there was plenty of room on the front lawn. Even enough space for a badminton net to be slung over the fence and a petanque pitch too!!Then for 6 days we swam, sunbathed, jetskiied,fished(caught 3 big enough to get a taste and 2 for the cat) blokarted, gathered mussells and even got to the shops in both Whangamata and Waihi.Plenty to keep everyone amused.

From 9 pale skinned bodies arriving on the Saturday to suntanned ones the following weekend leaving ,we all had a ball.

Blokarting on the estuary

Isabelle and Ben



Millie's 1st fish

Isabelle(kelp queen)

Amy,Nick and Evan

Evan's 1st catch from the beach
(Onemana)

Me on the beach at Waihi

The last night of our holiday, we had fish and chips on the beach. Couldn't have picked a better night. A slight sea breeze and clear sky made for the perfect end to the best of weeks.

Fish and chips on the beach.........

.............Lou and Mike

Visit to Aunty Ede

On Boxing Day I Took Mum on a whistle stop trip to New Plymouth to see Aunty Ede, my mother's older sister.I hadn't seen her for months and not since my trip to the UK. As she had helped me financially to make the trip away, I wanted to tell her about it and share all the photos I had from it.
We all had a wonderful day catching up with each other and although a tiring day for her I think she enjoyed our visit. The next day she shouted us an early lunch at a relations new Cafe/Restaurant on the waterfront called 'Bach on the Waterfront' and it was lovely.
It wasn't the nicest day to be out on the waterfront,but on a nice day it would be great to sit out on the deck and at high tide have the water all around.
We had a coffee and eats and they were very nice. Must go back there again!

After dropping Aunty Ede back at her little villa apartment at the Rest Home we said goodbye and headed for home once more.

Christmas 2006

This year my Mum and I travelled to the Kapiti coast for Christmas and spent the day with my brother Tony and his wife Pamela and their 2 children Andrea and Carl and their families. Two new babies added to our family this year made for a special day.Pamela's sister,Gina and her family also joined us and it was a super day.

Alysha,Joshua
Jodie and Jemma
Wendy and Jayden with the girls



With Jayden
and Mum

Carl,Chris,Wendy and Andrea

Pamela and Santa Tony

Granddad with grandson