End-of-Year Homeschool Picnic 2014

Toward the end of each school year, our homeschool group has something of a celebratory picnic. Last year I didn't attend, but thought I'd show you these pics of my siblings enjoying themselves anyway. :)

: : Maria with friend Julia : :

: : As above. Jagos love to climb! : :

: : Danielle + Chloe : :

: : Yep, Jago through-and-through : :

Church Picnic || Cornwall Park

March 1st saw a number of people from church gather at Cornwall Park for the day. Hooray for having too much gear to fit in one vehicle; a good drive by oneself is always good. ;)

We enjoyed a picnic lunch of filled rolls and bacon and egg pie (someone remind me to put curry or something in the pies next time, okay?) and set up volleyball and swingball.

Don't you just love our net? Initially they'd tried slinging blankets over the rope between the trees, but found it was difficult to play when the ball kept disappearing on the other side of the blanket. [smile] Occasionally the ball got caught in the tree but for the most part this was a great makeshift net!

Lunch. And the barbies are ready for dinner :)

Swingball: Amelia, Keith, Megan

During the arvo more sports were played and many of us walked up the hill (some more directly than others lol). While we were walking up we found a really steep patch (the path was next to it but hey . . .) so think: "Run up, slip, slide down." Haha.

People often use these rocks to write things. Here our group made F.P.C. (Free Presbyterian Church)

We finished the day with a barbecue dinner and group worship, by which time it certainly didn't feel like summer any more. :P 

End-of-Year Homeschool Picnic

At the end of each year, our homeschool group has a picnic to celebrate(!!) Sadly attendance seems to fall each year nowadays :/ So next year -- come!

Perhaps blur the background to give a sense of motion?

About the only group-y photo I'm afraid!
Oops I've exposed for the sky so my subjects are dark!

I LOVE this for a portrait!  (Composition and candid, modern look)
Perhaps if I blur the background a little more, more attention would be placed on my subject?

Love the leaves framing this pic!
Could perhaps adjust the exposure though?

Church Picnic at Cornwall Park



Left to right: Maria (2), Mum, Mrs. Smith & Keith,
Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. de Boer

My dad organised a church picnic/BBQ at Cornwall Park for lunch on ANZAC Day.
Only a few of us went - the Smiths, de Bruins, de Boers, Mrs. Campbell, and us.
Personally I found it a bit cold (when isn't NZ cold tho!?) but the sun was nice!! lol

So yeah we had food (hehe the best part!), walked with the little ones to the hill you can see in the center of the photo on the left a few times, talked(!), later Mrs. Campbell, the de Boers, de Bruins, my dad, Monique, and Bryce left. Mr. Smith went to his car to prepare for the service that night, and took Amelia with him because she was really tired! The remainder of us went for a walk around One Tree Hill.

Dieuwe de Boer and his girlfriend Amie,
with my lil' sis Laura



Ok so my hair looks like the wind's been at it,
but otherwise I kinda like this photo!



Anne Roos and me



Anne Roos's dog Teasle



Amelia and Diana



Walking

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