Waitangi Weekend

We've had lovely weather for the whole holiday weekend, but right now I'm wondering how I'll sleep tonight as it is still very warm. We went down to the beach late this afternoon to try & cool off, but the water was warm & the sun still hot, so the cooling off didn't last long.However it was beautiful down there & there was not a soul in sight, & Tama was happy. Click on the photos to see a better view of them

Summer hols at an end

First day back at work today & it was all good. I didn't do much over the holidays, but we had a few special days to celebrate during that time. On Thursday we went to Florence & Winston's house for dinner to catch up with Lisa before she heads off back to Edinburgh. Marg was there as well. It was lovely to see Lisa & to catch up with all her news. Florence & Lisa had prepared a beautiful Greek meal of barbecued lamb & beef, spanakopita, tzatziki, zucchini fritters & stuffed tomatoes. The 'piece de resistance' though was the baklavas made with their own walnuts.

Meeting extended family

Last Saturday we went to Papamoa for Maia's first birthday party. It was great to spend some time with Lee-Ann, Jamie, Steven & Maia. We caught up with Jamie's younger sisters Makayla & Caitlin, who were only toddlers last time we met. We also met Maia's dad, Kingi, & his mum, sister & family. The nicest surprise for us was to meet Shirley & Pete - very special people for Steven, Jamie & Maia. Maia thoroughly enjoyed her day. Obviously a very social girl.

Xmas Dinner

Xmas Dinner
Originally uploaded by Ariadne2007.

After all the stress of Christmas shopping it was so good to kick back & relax at the neighbours' place on Christmas Day. The day started with bubbly & presents, then nibbles, provided by Adrian, & eventually the meal itself. No room for the evening meal, so we lived off leftovers for a few days. Beats meal planning any day. More pics on Flickr.

Youngest member of the Whanau

P1010462Originally uploaded by Ariadne2007.
Today we met Maia Anahera, our great granddaughter, for the first time, & what a bonny baby she is. She looks so much like both Steven & Jamie-Lee did at that age. It was neat to see Steven, Karen, Sarah & Jamie-Lee again. Once again Steven brought over a couple of his famous bacon & egg pies for lunch . They were delicious. He gets his cooking skills from me of course. Check out Flickr for more pics.

Yet another Proud Whanau Moment

Mother & Son
Originally uploaded by Ariadne2007.

Last day at work for me today, & a bonus was having Kerry & Tawhai call in to school just after the staff luncheon. It was great to see them both. Tawhai gets taller by the day. He's had a fantastic year at Hato Paora. The move south has been good for him. Apart from playing rep rugby for Manawatu, he's proud of his school achievements. Most valuable Rugby Player - 1st XV
For his class - 1st English; Transition
Merits - P E; Maths with Statistics
Conscientious Endeavour in the Senior School
Willingness & Generosity in the Senior School
Outstanding Senior Day Student in All Aspects of School Life. What more can proud parents & grandparents ask for.

A Hug from Dad

P1010459
Originally uploaded by Ariadne2007.

These pics from the Junior Prize Giving have been posted via my Flickr site. I haven't worked out how to post more than one picture to one blog entry - hence the two entries.