Uncle Michael & Aunty Sonia Tie The Knot

Finally the long awaited day, Saturday, March 15th, arrived. Dad and I took Nana to the hair salon and then went to the reception venue to keep an eye out for anything interesting. {smile} We met the DJ and photographer, and helped decorate the car, but sadly no Duggar-style car trashing took place. {Lolz}

After lunch back at the campground and plenty of changing and hair-styling, we headed down to the church for the ceremony. 

: : Groom and groomsmen (Uncle Bill and Uncle Marty) : :
The timing worked out really well . . .  the bride arrived {late} soon after we got the forgotten and rushed-back-for boutonnières!

: : Ceremony : :

: : Bridesmaids: Katrina and Nichole : :
{Gotta love Pagani dresses!}

The reception was held at the Mana Cruising Club, and we enjoyed refreshments and talk while the bridal party had their photos done. No photos of it here, but for the guest book, Uncle Mike and Aunty Sonia had an instant photo booth where you could take all sorts of random photos, then choose a sheet to paste into an album and write a message. Bryce has something of a collection of shots! Such a cool idea for a guest book and too bad there were hardware issues resulting in it shutting down before everyone had a go.

: : Seating plan : :
(Don't you love how we have a table to ourselves? haha)

: :  Family photo : :
(And I was wearing sizeable heels! :P)

: : With cousins: Mitch and Kurt : :

: : Kids' meals : :
A great way to save money and easier for us since we didn't have to take all the little ones up to get food!

: : Their parents' wedding photos : :
His on the left, hers on the right

: : Fondant flowers - amazing! : :

: : Mr & Mrs Jago : :

: : Uncle Bill, Aunty Melissa, Olivia, and Harry : :

This also happened to be the weekend of cyclone Lusi. While I sure wouldn't call the weather cyclonic, we did get rather wet leaving the reception. Glad it held up for the photos earlier in the day!

My Sweet 16th :)

I wanted a memorable celebration for my sixteenth this year, and initially I thought something 'big'. Time slipped away on me though (and I couldn't really think of anything...), so we didn't actually finish organising this until the day before it all took place! 

In the end, the Sonnevelds came to our place around 12:30, and we piled into our people-mover {which I cleaned the night before - go me! :P} to pick up Middy and Becks before heading out to the Hunua Falls/Ranges.

Because we didn't end up having enough time for a long walk, we just went to the falls and then up to the lookout. Afterwards we got the food out of the car and headed for one of the picnic tables. Despite being somewhat gloomy, the weather held up throughout the afternoon, allowing us to enjoy ourselves without getting drenched!

Middy had previously committed to something else later in the afternoon, so dropped her home, then went to Manna Christian Bookstore while we waited for Anne Roos to be ready (she flew back to Auckland that afternoon), at which point we met her at Tenpin Manukau.

Two games later a tired lot of us came back to my place for the rest of the evening. 

While we had been all over town, my mum and siblings had been busy getting the house ready for us to arrive. They made beef casserole for dinner, along with dessert and cake (which we didn't end up icing or eating...oops!). They also pulled out our second dining table and set it up in the lounge for us {since you can't exactly fit five extra people around one!}. 

After dinner and dessert we claimed the lounge suite to watch Saving Sarah Cain. The food leftover from afternoon tea was completely forgotten but near the end we remembered the drinks ;)

By then end of the movie it was 10-ish and time for home and bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was actually from another day;
it's the mud cake I made and decorated myself.
Yep, tough stuff making my own birthday cake! lol

Gifts from my family

Gifts from friends
See, 16 really is sweet!!!! :P :P

 

Monique's Birthday Party

I organised a birthday party (late) for Monique's 11th, on May 22nd; 3 to 6pm. Because it started later than most parties I organise, I left most of the preperations for the day of the party.



In the morning I got straight into the baking - mud cake, double choc chip muffins, scones, chocolate chip biscuits and such. And yes, Bryce and Maria got to help too. :)



: : Cutie : :



Mum took most of my siblings to gymnastics at 1 o'clock; Bryce and Maria stayed home with me. I know that I was busy organising and that sort of thing, but right now I don't recall exactly what that involved! 



: : Giving pressents : :





: : Chocolate game : :



: : Dinner time : :



Anyway, the girls (Rita, Amber, and TeAnawa) arrived sometime that afternoon (2 or 3:30 I think). We gave them afternoon tea first, then I had some games for them to play - truth (basically truth or dare without the dare), the chocolate game and such. We made the pressent-giving a bit of an ordeal too... :)



Yeah, sorry...I love posting pics like this don't I?



For dinner Mum/Jarrod made butter chicken, a vegetable korma or something (we used a jar of sauce and just added a bag of frozen mixed vegies), rice (obviously), and Dad picked up some naan bread from the Indian takeaway shop up the road. (well, nearly. Spice Star on the corner of Great South and Browns Road.)

We decided to have await with dessert (lol) and start the movie straight away. We watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Partway through, we paused it to have dessert: berry tarts and strawberry ice cream.



: : Dessert time : :



I had planned to have popcorn and hot chocolates during the movie. . .but we didn't really need them in the end. . .as it was I don't think any of us particularly felt like the birthday cake we brought out after the movie!! =D







: : Birthday cake : :



: : Cutting the cake : :





To Wellington!!!

Hi!


On Tuesday 21st December, the Sonnevelds (homeshool friends - Suzanne, Ruth, Esther) came to pick up our 2 bird cages, guinea pigs, rabbit, and mice (x 6) with their trailer.
Most of the children went with them.
Mum and I went to the midwife, picked up chook chow, etc, and took Buttercup (rabbit) to the vet for his second Calisi (probably wrong spelling!!) virus vaccination, and have his eye checked at the same time, as it was white in the middle. As it turned out, he had a small ulcer on his eye, which they gave us some ointment for, which had to be applied twice a day.
Then we went out to the Sonneveld's house, and showed them how to clean the animal cages, and had lunch, etc...


Then... I can't remember exactly what we did, but we left their place, and carried on getting stuff ready so we could leave on Thursday.


On Wednesday, we packed everything into our bags, then I think I might have baked. That night we had dinner, then went to athletics training. After the other children were  in bed we packed the van. Then I made rolls, and heaps of other food, and Mum and I packed it.


We went to bed really late that night, and got up at .... maybe...7:30am the next morning.


We organised last - minute things, and then piled into the van.
After dropping a key off to Uncle Paul so he could paint our bathroom while we were away, we were on our way! It was about 8:37 when we left I think.


We stopped in Taupo about 12, and the other children played on the playground, etc. Then we got back in the car and had lunch, and i did some maths, and read, etc.


We had a couple more stops for Petrol etc, then arrived at the campground at 4:47pm.
I was staying with my Nana, so we went up to her house, and unpacked all my stuff. Eventually Dad and Nana went to get Fish and Chips for dinner.
Mum went shopping, then when she got back I made a Mud cake and started 2 cheescakes.


The others went back to the camp about 10:30 - 11pm.


I wrapped the last of my presents while waiting for the mud cake to finish cooking, then went to bed.


I'll post about Xmas day next time,
CYA,
Bee