Miss A turns 7

Thirteen children and the weather turned to custard. Plan B, let them play inside and fish off of the balcony for toys. It worked (barely).

Cruisin'

Looking Home

Pretty in Pink

Miss A's room is redecorated at last!

Masters of Mount Maunganui

Reunited

It was great to see these four together after two years of living in neibouring countries. Two years is a big chunk of their lives but they still remember one another and are the best of friends.

Disco Weary

Disco Queens

WhattaSlide

Just around the corner in our neighbour's paddock is this fabulous water slide. The local kids know about it and politely ask for permission to turn the water on. What a little treasure!

Dancing Princesses

Brenna enjoyed performing tap. Now she is involved in soccer, swimming, and piano. And she sings constantly!

Shirley Temple x 4

A few months ago these girls tapped their toes off to a full house. All for the sake of a lollipop.

HouseGuests...

... are welcome here. If you also enjoy hosting houseguests I
suggest you follow our example and invite professional chefs to stay with you!

YUM!!

Thank-you John and Kim!

Time Flies...

Ooops, I lost track of the time. I have posted a few photos taken this year. I'll fill in more of the gaps soon. Really. I will. No Kidding.

They're off...

We are proud to count ourselves as bona fide members of the local yacht club. The club house is just around two corners from us and provides a lovely setting for parties and yoga classes. Here some of the membership are watching a small regatta and celebrated the start of the race with a champagne breakfast.

Va Va Varooommmm!!

One of our neighbours' owns this lovely bike. Its a Hardy? No, Harley Davidson. (2004 Screaming Eagle). Anyway, he had occasion to treat us to a ride. He gave the girls a ride around the block and took me on a tour up the coast. What a great way to experience the scenery!

Soup's On

The Maori people that manage Hell's Gate have a sense of humor.

Stinky

This is Hell's Gate, just outside Rotarua. Volcanoes have greatly enriched the soil in NZ and contributed to its lushness and beautiful landscape. In some places the thermal activity is evident right under your nose. Bubbling hot pools of sulfurous water and mud decorate an intriguing moonscape. A fascinating walk. We visited last January.

Mt Ruapehu in Summer

This was shocking! We visited North Island's only ski hill last summer (January 2007) The black volcanic rock and zero trees was stark and alien to us. We have yet to try skiing there. It has been quite a warm winter and skiing is poor throughout the country this season.

Brave Bellies

We were introduced as baby belly dancers. Some of the boldest from my beginners belly dance class performed in public for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It has taken me this long to work up the nerve to look at the photos.
Mine was not the biggest belly. It was not the best belly. But it was a brave belly. 

Lost in Space

That's Brenna on the far right. They are doing a space rap they wrote themselves. 

Dawn

Alana was but one of many stars on stage. The school puts on a huge production every other year. We are still being complimented on Miss A's performance. 

Kiwi Ghouls