QUESTION - When the weather is bad where do you go?

Is it
a) stay indoor and read a book or hire a video
or
b) go the beach and paddle in the South Pacific.

Yes the correct answer is b!!!
No I was fed up with the weather and being at home then work then home again. So I said on Saturday (and it was lovely on Sat) "s*d it I am going the beach tomorrow, I don't care what the weather is doing". I really miss being quite close to the water and love to go the beach and summer seems to be taking its time coming.

Well woke up to grey clouds and rain (more blinkin rain! What the f....) Key and Lou thought I was mad and didn't want to go (think Kevin the teenager here) and as the norm a fight was to be won before we ventured out.

The rain wasn't so bad on the Bay of Plenty, and we went to the Mount. Paddy just loved running around with the kids well Key as Lou got a migraine (her first one poor thing). When we got there we saw the saddest thing - a tiny penguin (well smaller then the ones at Chester Zoo) dead in the surf!!! Our first penguin in NZ and it was dead. So sad.

Anyway I rolled up my jeans (POM alert and northern POM at that! were is the knotted hanky the kiwi's were crying) and paddled in the water, sorry Ocean (still love saying that). I have had a rash (long story - don't ask) hence why I was also fed up, and I wanted to bathe in the water to see if that helped any. The water was so blinkin freezin (like being back at Southport!) but it felt good. Key had a good time paddling in the Ocean.

We then headed into the town and had a hot chocolate/coffee at Starbucks. Although now Starbucks coffee/chocolate doesn't taste as nice as other local coffee shops. Starbucks is sentimental for us, as it was Starbucks (within Borders) in Speke where me and Stevie talked about our move to New Zealand and filled in some of the paperwork. So Starbucks has a special meaning for us and that's why we go there especially when at the Mount.

The weather still looked amazing when the cloud was over the Kaimai range (we had to go over those)

These photos were taking on my phone.


We have been watching Austin Powers so that's our 'theme' photo taking now. We have to do Dr Evil photos were ever we go!!!

Thank you Face book!!

Well because of facebook I have gotten in touch with some of my family that I haven't spoken to in ages - some of them I have never spoken too. It been so nice to speak to them all again. I have given them my blog addy so if you guys are reading this Haere Mai (welcome)and hope that you check in now and then to see what we are upto in God's zone. Love ya xoxoxox.

Me the abridged version

I have been busy doing an online course with Big Picture scrapbooking. When I have finished (and I nearly have) then I will have an album about me in A-Z so to speak.
So the layout will be posted soon as.

Farewell dear Rose.

Well one of our ex batts has been sick for a few weeks now. We tried everything we could (yes we even took her the vets) and boy did she fight. I said to the kids that it proves that she had something to live for. But she went down hill again and we could see that the fight was being lost. When I left to go to Orewa I could see she was dying and when I said goodbye I knew it was for the final time. It seems she last till the Saturday morning, when everyone got up (Kieran had a match)and the kids were with her in the bathroom, Stevie had gone into the kitchen, she looked around at the kids(who were stroking her and crying) and gave a big breath and passed.
She was our favourite (I know we shouldn't have them but) as she was so tame and loved being picked up and fussed. It's so sad and unfair but at least she had a couple of months of freedom and although she never saw the summer, she did get to see the sunshine. She was able to be a chicken and was loved for the first time in her life and when she died she was surrounded by love.
So she is buried where she loved to scratch for worms (see entry of spring is here).

Here are a few of my Fav photos of her.
(she is the one on my shoulder)

With Paddy

Key showing her to my mum on web cam.



We will all miss her.


Gone but not forgotten. Free at last xxx

Thelma and Louise does Orewa!!

Well I booked into a scrap retreat with Angie, who I have turned to the dark side!! It was held at Orewa which is further up then Auckland. So I have never driven that far before. 2 1/2 hours later we arrived. I had called it our "Thelma and Louise trip" (from the film which Ange hadn't seen so didn't get it), it was our get away from the family, a well earn rest.
The retreat didn't start till the Sat morning, so the Friday night we went and had a curry (it was yum) and a glass of wine (or two) in the hotel room, and a good gab and laugh.
The retreat was in the hotel, so we popped around with all my stuff, minus my tote - I can't believe that I left my tote with all my tools etc behind!! (Stevie said that there was no way he was going to bring up, when I told him I'd left it behind on the Friday night - spoilt sport!!). There was a class on the Saturday which was designed by Melissa (the organiser) herself. She cut out the scallop frame using her machine, which is like my silhouette but it takes 12" paper (no I do not need one, especially as I don't use my silhouette as much as I should - need to find out how too), she was having probs with it for some of us and mine was all torn. Melissa felt terrible but I saw it as a challenge to work with. The design took me out of my comfort zone, so well done on that one Melissa, and went so well with the piccies from Liz's wedding. I really enjoyed doing it. I took a long time so didn't get too much done in the evening especially as we got kicked out of the room at 10.00pm!!
Next morning, after a shower (or should I say a hose down....you had to be there!!) we started again, another class which was equally fabby and went great with a piccy of me and mum at the wedding. I changed it a bit, well you have to don't you?!? and was so pleased with the result. I managed to start a couple of layouts to finish at home when I have all my stuff (and I don't just mean my tote!!) to hand.
Then after goodbyes and some piccies it was a trip back down to sleepy Cambridge and the families. Seems they missed us both and that last all of 5 mins hey Ange!!
But the retreat was really good and we really enjoyed it. They were a good group of girls and we had a laugh and I good time. I love crops and miss them soooo much.
Oh did I tell you that I forgot my tote!!

The hotel we stayed in

The girls busy working - see we did get stuff done as well as chatting!


The Sunday class




The Saturday Class - Melissa's



See Thelma and Louise (you'll have to wait till the layout)

The big day out!

Well we (the staff and me) fought a battle and won and took the trainees down to the snow, bare in mind that a lot of these guys have never seen snow. My own kids wanted to come too (I know, they wagged school for the day oops!)and CA brought her eldest too (who has adopted Lou as a younger sis!!). So we headed down to the Tongariro National Park with a visit to Taupo first to see Hukka falls which was sooo full, more then any of the other times we'd seen it. For the folks in the UK Mount Ruapehu the mountain we were going on is a live volcano!! It was an (here's that word I don't like but....) awesome day out. The weather was glorious, with some of us going down to vest and tees!! Thank goodness I don't think I could of put up with the moaning from the trainees about the cold! The kids (me included!) had a great time, the trainees were laughing that I was going down the slopes on the boogie boards when I got the chance and I was a pretty mean snow baller thrower (hey I grown up throwing snowballs). Stevie was throwing snowballs at them as they went down the slopes and they all ganged up on him and got him back. CA had arranged a treasure hunt with prizes buried in the snow and a 'coconut shy' thing were they had to throw snowball at the chocolate lollies to win them. But as soon as their snowballs had knocked the choc off, they had to run to get their prize, I made the others turn the snowballs on to the person getting the prize instead!! Good fun.
Then it was a trip back, after a stop for hot chips in Te Kuiti, then home late. A trip of 600K in total!
But worth it.

Hukka falls - the start of the Waikato river, it's not that blue when it gets to us!!(although we did kid a few of the trainees on that they put food colouring in the water!) look at how full it is.


Here is the Motley crew!!


"oh no they didn't" I am shocked by a photo shown by CA.


On our way in our van



Here we all are with Mount Ruapehu in the background


Key trying a bit of 'snowboarding' and not doing too bad!


Me and Lou going down the slopes, YAY!



Key taking the high ground to throw snowballs at those below him (look some of them our in vests it was that warm).


The trainees getting Stevie back - she's behind you!

Too late - bang on target - Ka Pai


Stevie getting Key back


Stunning Mount Ngauruhoe, I just love that! (or otherwise know as Mount Doom on LOTR)


Waiting to start the treasure hunting.


Key and Lou picking on one of my girls when she went to get her choc bars!!

Bad blogger!!

Well I have been a naughty girl and not blogged for A-G-E-S!! (haven't been on Facebook for about the same amount too!) BUT I have been busy and a good girl in other areas (have been scrappin like a good'un), so I best do some post about what has been going on the last month. Here goes..........