What we've been doing

Hey!

On Friday we didn't do much..probably read or something =)
  

Diana

But on Friday night we went ice skating!! lol it was really nice not being the worst person there =) ok, ok, I'm not all that bad...even before the lesson I had at the end of term 2 last year...but anyway, I did feel way more confident, and was able to skate faster - and even a little backwards (yes that's something I still haven't got the hang of even though most of my friends can do it...) but anyway.. Bethany picked up a piece of ice to shove down my back, so I skated faster than her so she couldn't catch me..I felt a bit bad when she badly scraped her knees after sliding about 3 feet on them... =(

 

Danielle

Jarrod



 On Saturday..umm.. oh that's right! We went to Rotorua, while we were driving Bethany and I had our noses buried in two of Lori Wick's books (the best books ever lol!!!)
When we got down there we picked up ham, rolls, etc.. and had a picnic at some park, which we also walked around - taking lots weird pictures around the hot pools of water and stuff (whatever they're called lol). Oh - and Uncle Pete decided to put his hand in a pool of water that was steaming - even in the rain! lol

Then we went to the info centre, then decided to get a tour of the Moari village Whakarewarewa; where they cook in wooden boxes that are shared with 3 or 4 families (I think!), bathe in communal thermal pools..etc.. yes I'm quite happy living in Auckland! There are guizers or something in the middle of the village too...

After that was Fish and Chips, then off to thermal pools (in the rain!).

 As I don't like swimming much I didn't bother taking togs, so I stood in the rain and took pictures of everyone else instead =)

Eventually I convinced them to get out and we drove home - with my nose buried in a book once again =) apparently I should have watched what was happening outside of the car, as Dad drove around a round-about 3 times or something - which, of course, was attributed to the fact that he had picked up a can of Red Bull from a survo...; and the radio going, kinda annoying cos Uncle Pete and Bethany knew a few of the lyrics, but apart from recognising a song that is often on TV, I didn't really know any =(. Ah well, not the end of the world I suppose.. =)

When we eventually got home, Mum put the others to bed and I fed, etc, the seven guinea pigs I was looking after for the weekend.

---Sunday---
was church as usual, then lunch and letting the guinea pigs out for a run (in the 'enclosure's ' I had been given for them), and catching them when they escaped!
church again,
and roast goat when we got home (made by Chef Uncle Pete).
Then Bethany and I talked until late..lol

And I'm going to leave it at that for now since Mum wants me to go to bed =( (never something I enjoy doing lol)

Luv Bee

Thursday

Well, on Wednesday night, Bethany and I talked to 3:45am! So of course we didn't get up until just before midday - and that was the same today!

So...after we eventually got up, we packed a picnic lunch to have at Cornwall Park,

after which we climbed to the top and took a couple more pics...

Then we walked back down, and Mum drove us up, and back down, before coming home for afternoon tea, reading =), and dinner - pancakes!

Then Bethany and I did the dishes while Mum bathed the others, after which we went grocery shopping.

We read till really late on the couch, then Mum sent us to bed lol so we got supper and read in bed for a while =)

----
Tonight we are hoping to go ice skating, and I'm not sure what we are doing this afternoon - maybe shopping.

Luv Bee

Stuff

Hey.

Well, today I finished the skirts I was sewing for Monique, Danielle, and Diana, and made purple net curtains to which are hanging in my room now:

And I was looking forward to athletics since it was a nice day..but that was canceled anyway because the track hadn't been marked =(

But tonight I recieved a couple of packages from one of my favorite companies - Vista Print. One was from Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and the other one was from Singapore! No wonder postage is so expensive on the 'free' products! lol

And later tonight we get to go to the airport to pick up my friend Bethany from Australia. After I've done flute practice and fed the cats, done more tidying up and cleaning....blah blah blah!

I'm thinking of starting an ironing micro-business (idea from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!). Does anyone have any ideas as to what I could call it? Any and all ideas appreciated =)

Well Mum wants me to look up must-do's in Auckland and Rotorua (we are probs going there with Beth on Sat), so I better go.
Cya,
Bee

Hi Again...

Hi again everyone,

Sorry I haven't posted in ages =(

Last Saturday we had a BBQ with our church at Cornwall Park/One Tree Hill.

I have been making skirts (straight elasticated ones) for the girls, and today we bought fabric so I can make purple net curtains, and some of the fabric for purple drapes...I'll be busy...lol

This morning I had my first flute lesson for the year. It was supposed to be 10am, but me being me turned my alarm clock off, and didn't wake again until about 9:25, and of course, Mum being Mum, she had entirely forgotten about it.. so completely freaked when I asked if she had looked at the time recently...lol
So anyway she rung my teacher, and changed the time to 10:30am.. which thankfully we were on time for... =)
Next week's lesson is set for 11am, and hopefully we will be up in time!
We played a few duets - me playing flute (obviously!) and my teacher accompanying me on the piano..oh man, I didn't really need the reminder about how much I want to play piano.....
Yes, my teacher plays more than just flute - piano, oboe, recorder, ...and a few that I can't remember..!

Tonight was also supposed to be the first night (for the second half of the season) for athletics...but it has been raining and windy all day...so that got post-poned to tomorrow night...
Anyway it was fun having our friends the Sonnevelds' come over for an hour and a half to talk instead =)

WOW!!! I can't believe it's already tomorrow night that my friend Bethany arrives from Australia for ten days!!!! =)

Well I'm gonna leave it at that for now,
Luv,
Bee

Tuesday, December 28th

I think we had a quiet day doing washing...etc... and  then late afternoon we took Nana and went to visit Uncle Bill and Aunty Melissa at their new house -its not quite huge, but pretty close =) lol
Anyway we had afternoon tea there, and talked for ages.
Then we got chinese takeaways for dinner and ate it at Nana's.

That night Nana and I watched 'Strictly Ballroom.'

Bee
PS: Sorry about such a short post, but we didn't do much that day lol yes, yes, i know, excuses, excuses, excuses..... =) haha

Blog promts

Ok, here is a list blog promts (that I actually copied from another friends blog..not very original..but oh well...)

Q. Am I a competitive person or not? What helps me refocus and/or work harder when I find myself slacking off?


A. Very. A reminder of what I'm working towards.

Q. What one thing am I often tempted to lie about? When do I think it's okay to lie?

A. Ummm.. can't think of anything =) Not sure. Maybe to save someones life, otherwise never.


Q. If I had to take ten people to the moon to start a new civilization, who would I pick?

A. A pastor, and nine friends...sorry that's not very specific..oh well lol


Q. What's the first thing I do when you wake up?

A. Roll over. See whether its light outside.


Q. What's my most important personal goal for the next year of my life?

A. umm.. not  sure.


Q. Do I like the name I was given? Is there another name I think would suit me better?

A. Yes, No.



Q. What's my favorite place in the whole world?

A. America


Q. Who's my best friend?

A. umm.. no one.


Q. If I could change one thing about my appearance, what would it be? Or would I change anything at all?

A. Probably not.


Q. Name some famous movies I haven't seen. Why not?

A. Lots haha =)

Q.What's my greatest fear?

A. spiders

27th December

On the 27th... we packed up all our stuff and loaded it into the van, and left for Wellington (around 10:30/11am).
We arrived mid-afternoon, and the others got unpacked at Aotea Campground where they were staying. Then we headed up to Nana's, where I unpacked, and we did the washing..blah blah blah...eventually Dad went to get F&C (Fish and Chips).

That night Nana and I watched... umm.. Shall We Dance. I think...!

Bee

26th --Boxing Day--

On Boxing Day, Dad went to the zoo with Uncle Bill, Aunty Melissa, Olivia, Harry, Aunty Sonia and Lucus.
Since it was a Sunday, Mum played a sermon on tape, and we basically did church at 'home' - the lounge in the backpacker hostel.

This isn't a particularly great picture of the lounge, but its
about the best I've got, there are more couches and chairs to
the left.

After lunch Mum decided we should go for a walk through the bush, to which there was an entry about 200m from the windows you can see in the above photo.

The walk turned into a run for some of the children, as they tried to find the best spot for a photo of them.

Just as we were leaving the bush, Dad arrived back.
Dad said we would go to Uncle Mike and Aunty Sonia's for dinner, along with the rest of the extended family.
So Mum organised afternoon tea and we got ready to go.

For dinner and dessert we had a bbq, leftovers from the day before, and someone had made a couple of jellies.
We all talked late that night, and were quite tired when we got back to the campground.

Ok, I can't seem to upload any more photos at the moment, but keep an eye out cos I will put some on when I can.
Bee

December 25 --Christmas Day!--

We got up and organised, then left for my uncle's shop - Eltham 4 Square. He has a massive room, with ajoining kitchen, etc above the shop's storeroom.



The side of another building out the back of Uncle Mike's shop.



A view of the front of the shop

Mum got the vegies cooking, and the rest of us talked a little bit, and waited for the food to be ready =).

Eventually(!) the food was ready and we all sat down to a late lunch of roast pork and chicken, bread rolls, carrots, peas & corn, broccoli, various salads and roast potatoes. Unfortunately some of the little ones' appetites had been kinda ruined from all the snacks they had eaten before lunch!
During lunch wasn't exactly quiet with lots of talking, party poppers and christmas crackers.

A while after lunch we did pressents - the giver wore a pair of 'Santa' pants and hat - this wasn't exactly quiet either, with shouts of delight, etc....!
I recieved

• A necklace with a heart pendant - Uncle Mike and Aunty Sonia
• Gold bracelet with ruby and hankies - Nana
• Cool Charm body spray, handbag and hand cream & mini emery board travel pack - Uncle Marty and Aunty Denise
• Uncle Bill and Aunty Melissa did one pressent for our whole family - a family pass to Wellington Zoo.

And I have a funny feeling I might have missed one or two..so if I remember I'll edit this.



In this photo, Nana is giving out pressents.
Recieving the pressent is Maria, held by Jarrod.
 Behind them is Aunty Sonia with Lucus - her son-  (just turned 2).
Continuing from left to right, Danielle, Dad, Diana, Mitch
 (17), Kurt (15), and at the front - Uncle Mike.



Lucus' new car, Harry (7) with his new boxing gloves



Diana's new stroller



Okay, I'm pretty sure dessert was next, and I got roped into helping prepare it (no, Aunty Melissa, I didn't mind =)).

Pavlova, trifle, chocolate brownies, christmas pudding, custard....dessert was a hit same as usual! 

We sat around talking for a while longer, then most of us went for a walk... Uncle Bill started randomly waving at all the cars that went past! We got lots of weird looks! At one point there was guy sitting in the drivers seat of a car on the opposite side of the road, facing us. Well, we waved at him, but he continued to stare straight ahead with a straight face, like "I  am NOT going to look!" Uncle Bill yelled "Oy!" Still nothing. Unfortunately it is no where near as funny here as it was at the time, we all started laughing!

After the walk we started to clean up, and Uncle Mike gave Christmas stockings to everyone 12 or younger (well, 11 I guess).
After we left there, we drove around Eltham a bit, and as they had filmed a movie or something there, heaps of shops were done up to look really old, etc... here's a photo of one, although I think this one was more for the name:

So then we went back to the backpacker hostel, and everyone played with their new toys, had supper and went to bed.


Bee

Quiz

Ok, one of my friend's has been doing quizzes about herself on her blog, and it looks like fun, so I'm going to try it:

1. When do you feel your best?


(a) In the morning

(b) During the afternoon and early evening

(c) Late at night



2. You usually walk

(a) fairly fast, with long steps

(b) fairly fast, but with short, quick steps

(c) less fast, head up, looking the world in the face

(d) less fast, head down

(e) very slowly



3. When talking to people, you

(a) stand with your arms folded


(b) have one or both your hands on your hips


(c) touch or push the person to whom you are talking


(d) play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair



4. When relaxing, you sit with

(a) your knees bent and your legs neatly side by side

(b) your legs crossed

(c) your legs stretched out or straight

(d) with one leg curled under you



5. When something really amuses you, you react with

(a) a big, appreciative laugh

(b) a laugh, but not a loud one

(c) a quiet chuckle

(d) a sheepish smile



6. When you go to a party or social gathering, you

(a) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you

(b) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know

(c) make quietest possible entrance and try to stay unnoticed



7. You are working hard, concentrating hard. You are interrupted. You:

(a) welcome the break

(b) feel extremely irritated

(c) vary between these two extremes



8. Which of the following colors do you like most?

(a) red or orange

(b) black

(c) yellow or light blue

(d) green

(e) dark blue or purple

(f) white

(g) brown or gray



9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep, you lie:

(a) stretched out on your back

(b) stretched out face down on your stomach

(c) on your side, slightly curled

(d) with your head on one arm

(e) with your head under the covers



10. You often dream that you are

(a) falling

(b) fighting or struggling

(c) searching for something or somebody

(d) flying or floating

(e) You usually have a dreamless sleep

(f) You're dreams are always pleasant


hope thats not too boring to read =)

December 24th

Well, the 24th wasn't anything exciting for us, we drove down to Stratford (near New Plymouth).
As we hadn't been that way before, Dad asked Jarrod to print a map from Google...well, thinking the route wasn't very straight, Jarrod changed it...and we ended up on the 'Forgotten World Highway,' driving through ghost towns and the like...one place we stopped in had the public toilets in a water tank...yes I'm serious..actually they were pretty good considering.. oh, and we had to go over a couple of saddles, which, by the way, are VERY windy, it was fine with me except that the van was a little longer than Dad is used to driving, and one of the back wheels hung over the edge of the road, so Mum was seating in the back saying "slow down, slow down."
We wen't around one corner, and two cars were coming towards us quite fast, Mum completely freeked out, but Dad said, "those cars wanted to play bumper cars with us!"
And we went through a fairly long, one way tunnel.
Some of the road was even shingle (or corrugated as they say in Oz).

We arrived in Stratford between 3:30 - 4pm. First we found our campground, and unloaded most of our stuff into our backpacker hostel with 12 beds, got changed, and ate some of the ham rolls left over from lunch.

Then Dad rung Aunty Sonia to get directions to their place, and we headed over for the evening. A bit later, Uncle Mike came home from work, and Uncle Bill and Aunty Melissa, Olivia and Harry, came over too, and we all had dinner together before most of the others went down to the park.

By the time we got back to where we were staying it was quite late, so we had something to eat and went to bed (where I read my book! =)).

December 23

Hi Again everyone,

Well, I'm going to start posting about our trip to Wellington with the day before we left.

Mum got the packing for most of the other children done before I got up, then some of us (Danielle and Diana went to our cousins house)  went shopping for the last few gifts, and anything else we needed to get before going away.
When we got home, I wrapped my pressents, and Mum and Dad packed their clothing and picked up to Burtons' 12 seater Nissan Caravan which they had offered to loan us for our trip since we no longer fit in our 8-seater!
Eventually, (and with a lot of help =) ) Mum and Dad decided to get Fish and Chips for dinner (well actually I had 2 Big Ben pies..).
After dinner it was already quite late, so Mum put the children to bed, and I started my packing.
Once we had all the bags packed, Mum put them all in the van, and I directed Monique on how to make lunch for the next day (so we can don't have to stop for lunch, and just eat it in the van), and helped get all the extra bits and pieces and put them in the van. Oh, and I 'helped' Mum decide where everyone should sit.
Monique and Jarrod were sent to bed not long after that (although they weren't very impressed about it!) and Mum went to put Maria to bed while I finished getting all the food, cutlery, etc....that we would need both for the trip down, and for staying in a backpacker hostel.
I got to bed quite late in the end, and probably only had about 4 hours sleep.

Bee

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best Wishes for 2011 =)

Luv Bee