lucky 13

On Sunday, Phoebe turned 13 years old. She's dealt with alot of stuff in her short life which has forced her to grow up faster than usual so this birthday wasn't so much a right of passage into teenagehood but more a confirmation of it. All I could think of at age 12 was climbing trees and doing cartwheels - I can't imagine how hard its been for her.

When I asked her if she was excited about turning 13 she said she was looking forward to it more than last year because she is happier now. On her 12th birthday she was in a different place and she's had to fight hard to get to the place she is at today.

It made my heart skip a beat and I realised that although I am sometimes blindly parenting, we must be doing something right to have her so happy and comfortable in our home. You can see that she is simply prepared to be a teenager and start worrying about boys and friends rather than "family issues" and that's the way it should be.

I can see the young woman emerging and although I think we are going to have our hands full; I can't wait to meet her. She's going to be glorious! I honestly could not be any more proud of her if she were my own daughter.

leaving on a jet plane

Just a few snaps of our final day in Auckland and as such, New Zealand. Although the window was horribly scratched, I really like the photo out the airplane window. It kind of looks like you can see where the world curves over. Just after we landed. I'm not sure if she's ecstatic or angry. She's a weirdo sometimes :)

tiger lily

Our (other) little girl turned 3 on Australia Day. Lily came to us a week after Lulu did and ever since they first met, they have been inseparable. The photo below was a mere 30 minutes after introducing Lily to Lulu and they have slept together ever since. They couldn't have been closer if they were in the same litter. So in celebration of Lily's 21st birthday, here are a few shots of her as a puppy and the last one was taken on her birthday. So, without further ado Happy Australia Day everybody and Happy Birthday Lilykins! Whose a pretty girl?!

The extreme and not so extreme

On the morning we were leaving Rotorua we had a couple of activities to get done first. First up we headed up to the Skyline Skyrides to go luging. We jumped in the gondolas and headed up the hill balancing precariously over the mountain side bright and early. The luge course offers 3 different tracks - scenic, intermediate and advanced. I just did the scenic but the kids did all 3 (a couple of times I think) and some of the bigger kids did too. Thanks for the recommendation Steven! If only you could hear Ben in these photos. As he was flying down the mountain all you could here was this huge "woo-hoo!!!!". You heard that, before you saw him. First up, a self portrait of myself and Ben on our way up the hill in the gondola. They couldn't have sat any further apart if they tried ;) Afterwards we made our way to the Agrodome for the next extreme sport of the day - The Zorb. It was something that Grant had wanted to do since we decided to come to NZ and Ben was able to do it aswell. Basically they throw you in a big clear ball, chuck in some water and then roll you down a hill. Ben has decided that we are all coming back to Rotorua for a week stay just so we can do all the adventure sports on offer. We have created a dare-devil! Yep - that's Grant in the Zorb. Next up - Taupo!

my little guard dog

I have been spending alot of time on the couch lately. I injured my back at work almost a week ago and have been pretty limited in what I can do. Laying down has been great for my back and on a side note, I managed to watch an entire season of The Gilmore Girls over the weekend ;) Anyway, both of the dogs have kept be company and I caught a few snaps of Lily guarding the window yesterday. This is her favourite place to sleep. On top of the couch back with an eye out the window. I really was quite limited in the angles I could get because I can't crouch, bend, lean or lay properly. I can't wait to get back to 100%. Beware the guard dog. Isn't she cute!

on the road

So on with the trip of NZ, during our last couple of days at Whangamata we went up to the lookout and I got this great panoramic shot of the town. Its a bit hard to see it for what it is in this format, but I love how this shot turned out. Aeteoroa was living up to its name for us on this trip but on our last full day the clouds dispersed a bit for us and the ocean was a clear blue. The island on the left is Clark Island and we actually walked to it at low tide the day before. You can actually see the sandback even from this distance where we walked although I must say we were up to waist deep water so it wasn't just wading. This next photo kind of sums up Phoebe and Ben's trip of New Zealand. While Grant was practically having a beer tasting trip across the country, the kids were having their own "iced/hot chocolate tour of NZ". I can't tell you the difficulties I had getting them to just sit together at this bar. Thank god they had their drinks to keep them occupied. On our "road trip" to Whakatane we stopped off for lunch at Kiwi360. Its basically a kiwi farm/restaurant/tourist centre/souvenier shop but I couldn't let the opportunity pass of getting the kids in front of the big kiwi fruit. Isn't it massive!? We actually climbed inside and came out the top looking over the farm. Sharon will probably laugh when she sees this image. Hi Sharon! We stayed in Whakatane at Sharon's farm before heading to Rotorua the following day. We went for a walk across the property and she kept ripping up these yellow flowers. I forget the name now but I remember thinking how pretty they were and yet they are quite a vigorous weed. Bakas, the staffy, was adorable and this was taken just before she started her sneezing fit after frolicking through the long grass. While staying at Sharons, we found out that there was a mudslide just out of Whakatane that Sharon's daughter, Jules, was working at. Ben's eyes lit up at the thought so the following morning it was the first thing on the agenda. Both Ben and Grant did it and . . . well, the photos kind of speak for themselves. Next up . . . Rotorua!

sneak peek - eban and manon

This was a treat. Introducing Eban and Manon who I met for the first time in NZ. They are the children of my cousin, so essentially they are my second cousins. Manon was adorable and kept this static 'Mona Lisa' smile while I clicked away. She has a complexion that people would die for - me included! Meanwhile Eban was chasing Ben around the house and when he saw the camera he would burst out in a smile realising he was being watched while playing chasy. Thank you Eban and Manon, and a big thanks to Mum and Dad too for letting me take your pictures. I hope you like them!

NZ Part 1

Our first 5 nights in New Zealand were spent in Whangamata, approximately 1.5 hrs south east of Auckland. It is the home that I knew my Grandparents at, spend some of my favourite summers and is where my father spent alot of his youth. I have some great memories that were made here and I was so excited to be able to share new memories with my "extended" family as well as catching up with my immediate family in New Zealand. These are some shots around and about Whangamata over the 4-5 day period. We went hiking, swimming, boogy boarding, musselling, walked to Clarke Island at low tide, did lots of eating and drinking and in general had a great relaxing time before starting the "travel" leg of our holiday. More to come of Whangamata and then onto Rotorua, Whakatane, Taupo and finally Auckland. Lots and lots of photos to come. Oh, by the way. That insanely over-the-top smile that Phoebe is putting on is her "Whangamata Smile". She looks so somber that I asked for a smile and said "How about a Whangamata smile. Show me how much you like the place". That's our Pheebe's. Over the top :)

lulu stinkibelle

My little girl, Lulu, turned 3 years old today. In dog years that makes this her 21st birthday so I thought I would celebrate with a short post and some "so cute its a crime" photos. Lulu came to us from Queensland quite by accident. We initially had our name down with another litter for a blenheim girl but unfortunately the litter were stillborn and it wasn't to be. The breeder was kind enough to pass our name onto another breeder who was expecting a litter very soon and we were lucky there were enough girls to go around and we got Lulu. She came to us on Easter Weekend of 2005 and has been ruling the house ever since. She has become my shadow and one ritual I love is opening the bedroom door each morning to find her sitting there staring at was once the door and is now my feet. Lord knows how long she actually sits there and waits for! At least Lily is sensible enough to lay on the couch while waiting. Lulu quite confidently struts in, jumps on the bed and snuggles up to the cushions while watching Grant and I get ready for our day. I love the little things like this that make up my memories of our pets. Happy birthday Lulu Stinkibelle! My little fluffy girl.

Grant's 40th Birthday

Wow - quickest editing ever! I am pretty pressed for time and not feeling the best so this was a record editing process. Yesterday was Grant's 40th birthday. We celebrated in style at a restaurant/pub/brewery at the Mindarie Marina with lunch and beers. Grant is 11 years older than me so I have taken much delight in rubbing in the fact that he turns 40 before I turn 30 (which is way too close now). The day finally came and he was lavished with gifts, as he should be. These are just some of my favourite shots from the day. Gotta get movin'. We have some serious organising to do still for our holiday to New Zealand which happens TOMORROW NIGHT! This will probably be the last post of the year so I want to wish anyone out there reading a happy new year and all the best for you and your families in 2008. I can't wait to see what the year brings :) See you on the other side.