Xmas Day

We had a lovely family Xmas with all the little children and some bigger children too. Lots of fun and good food and of course Santa came and looked after everyone. Great gifts Santa!!! We hope we showed our Finnish daughter Laura a proper N.Z Christmas. We also had a guest with us Carsten from Germany. No snow here folks!!! Lovely time had by old and by young. Merry Christmas 2007!

Xmas Parade December 07

It was a fun time watching the floats go by at the Kamo Xmas Parade earlier in the month. Watching the smiling faces of the children as the different floats and displays went by was truly a joy. The weather stayed fine and it was just a perfect way to get everyone into the spirit of Christmas. Still a kid at heart I guess!!!

More Family From Germany

We were very lucky to Have Dear Claudia from Germany back again for another visit and this time she brought with her her dear brother Carston and her very nice boyfriend Gerold. We had a wonderful time together and enjoyed our swims at the Beach very much. Also a hike up Mt Manaia was very enjoyable for those who made the trek up. We look forward to more good times with Carston as he spends a year on a working holiday in our country.

Family From Finland

During October Laura's Family arrived from Finland for a visit. They had a short tour around New Zealand before arriving in Whangarei for a short time. We enjoyed meeting with them and showing a little of our part of the world.

Taking Friends Up Mt Manaia

During the Summer our dear friends Kay and Doug came up from Hamilton to stay with us. We decided to take them up Mt Manaia to show them the beautiful view of the harbour and wow what a breathtaking view we got on this beautiful sunny day.

Baby Lamb Rescue

In August our lovely Finnish Daughter Laura came home from School to find this little lamb in distress at the back of the house. Wet through in the Pouring rain and no Mother Sheep to take care of her it was Laura to the rescue. Brought the lamb into the house for the night and found it a nice cosy little box to sleep in. Got a bottle of milk from the Farm Manager and it was quite content to have a sleep for the night. Next morning before School it was taken outdoors and right away ran off and found its Mother. Again together and happy to have survived the night of the storm. Good one Laura. Another N.Z experience to share back in Finland next year.

Today we had Claudia, Gerold and Carsten waking up at Our Home but not to a beautiful sunrise like this. We are so disappointed and want to show this scene to them. They have to come back to see this sunrise before they go home to Germany.

In San Francisco

Hello there to all. Yes we have arrived in the good ol USA and having a lovely time in our Hotel in San Francisco. Yesterday arrived in the early afternoon and came to our Hotel. Got all organised and rested up and then called Susanne our Finnish family. Paulina's sister who just got married to Tom last month in Finland. Tom is an American and they have a home together now in the City of San Francisco. They invited us to Dinner and we met up at the Fishermans Wharf and they took us to their home. We had a wonderful BBQ with them and their lovely neighbours who were very interested in N.Z. We had an absolutely wonderful night with them and even looked at some of their Wedding photos. Oh so beautiful and the scenery of Finland was just lovely too. They drove us back to our accommodation and here we have had a lovley lie in and caught up on some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzs before heading off tomorrow for our big adventure in Florida. Really looking forward to that. Leave here at noon tomorrow for the Airport and fly out at 3 o'clock. Arrive there at 11pm their time and straight to our hotel. Certainly will be a busy day but we are all ready for it now. Well hope all is good back home will try and catch up again when I can on this Blog. Love to all, Nina and Peter xxxxxxx

Holiday and Friends

We are off our our holidays on Sunday and really looking forward to having a nice trip to the USA. Going to do some sightseeing and enjoy some quality time together as well as a little relaxing but best of all we are going to catch up with some dear friends from Canada. That will be the highlight of our trip. Mike and Lauri and our newer friends Andy and Lucy will sure be a fun group to be with. We had a marvelous time together in N.Z with them earlier in the year and over in Australia for a short visit as well. The Kiwis and the Canadians will be in fulltime good time mode!!!!! Yes indeed. Let the Good times Roll!!!!!!

Raising the Flag on the Island

On the weekend Jordan and Kesia came to stay and the adventure for the weekend was to erect a flag Pole on the Island. The first attempt on Saturday was not successful as it only stayed up for a short while so back we all went on Sunday for another attempt with all the tools of the trade to make a better effort. Needless to say this attempt was successful and is still flying several days later. Hoorah for Jordan and Kesia with their Pops help. A grand effort and fitting it was erected using the bamboo growing on the Island. A nice afternoon tea picnic of corn chips was enjoyed by all and of course the photographer was there to take the pictures as you can see.

Share some Love

Forever Friends

Guess what this is???????

This is a cool circle picture of
A. Bird
B. Cat
C. Chicken
D. Peacock
Make your choice!!!!!!!

School Holiday Trip

We had a lovely trip away with our daughter from Finland, Laura and her friend also from Finland, Meri. We went to Waihi and stayed a night with friends there. It was a rainy wet day so we enjoyed the home cooked meal and good company and got set for the next 3 days. Next morning visited the wonderful Water falls near Waihi and went to look at the Gold Mine. Awesome sight and to think they are still getting millions of dollars of gold from it too!!! Wow what a big hole it is!!! Next it was off to the Beach and a lovely lookout looking all along the Waihi Beach and out to Matakana Island. Awesome view! Next stop was the murals at Katikati and interesting they were too!!! Great artists to paint such a colourful picture of days gone by and how it was to be living in New Zealand back in the early days. Off on to Tauranga and our Motel for the night. Had our lunch there in our lovely Accommodation and next thing our friends from Whakatane arrive to share the day with us. Off to look at Tauranga shopping area and then later Dinner at Pizza Hut. Yummy Dinner and we all had a big meal. Had to go and work it all off at theTen Pin Bowling Alley. Meri was the champion, followed by our friend from Whakatane Des and then Laura with Myself, Peter and Doris lagging behind. Great game and enjoyed by all. Have to practise more to beat those finnish girls though!!!

Next day it was the Mount and boy what a wonderful sunny Day we had!!! Just like summertime with wonderful blue skies. Walked all around the Mount to the Harbour side and around the shops back to the beach. Lovely exercise in the sunshine and the scenery as always was stunning. Got some lovely photographs of our time there and then set off to show the girls Te Puke and the Big Kiwifruit. Not the season for picking and packing so a look around the gift shop and at the kiwifruit vines before heading back to Tauranga for our last evening.

Next day off across the ranges to Cambridge and Hamilton. Visited the information centre in Hamilton and the shopping Centre. Had Lunch at Subway and then off to drop off the girls at their Finnish friends host family for their 3 days stay. Great 4 days and very enjoyable. Set off for home and had a good drive back to Whangarei. Fun time away and pleased to be able to show Laura a bit more of our country together with her friend Meri.

Winter Wonderland or Optical Illusion???

Other members of the family are
interested in horses so this photo
will be of special interest for them.
Clever isn't it????

Winter time in Switzerland

Terry went for a trip to Europe and spent all of the winter in the winter wonderland of the Swiss Mountains covered in heaps of snow. What a wonderful time he had snowboarding to his hearts content. Now back home here there is no snow on the doorstep and so he has to be content with a skateboard or a sand board. Of course there is always surfing when it is warm enough!!!!!!

Winter Time

Today is the shortest day down under and the longest day up the top of the globe. They are celebrating summertime while we are having to think of things to do in our winter time to have fun. No snow in the North of our country so we will have to do other activities. Lots of sports and tramping and indoor soup parties perhaps????
Reading could be good too???? Any other suggestions????? Passive sport of course watching rugby and netball and our Team Emirates in the Americas Cup Sailing beginnin this Saturday. GO TEAM NEW ZEALAND

Sharing a Smile

Knitting

A Highway Policeman pulled alongside a speeding car on the

freeway. > Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that

the blonde behind the wheel was knitting!!!!

Realising that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren

the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn

and yelled, "PULL>OVER!"

>"NO!" the blonde yelled back, "IT'S A SCARF!"

Now I hope this made you smile.

Enjoy life to the fullest.

Introducing the Boss of the Family

Rambo came to us as a 4 week old kitten in February 1994. Since then has told us when he wants feeding, when he wants to come in and go out, when he wants to be patted and when he has had enough with a left hook from his paw. Yes he indeed is the boss of this house. Meow Meow Meow when we come home until he has had his dinner. We have to wait for ours, Yes indeed CATS RULE !!!!!!!! You do look awfully cute thought Rambo sitting on our front lawn

Thank You

Thankyou for getting me started on this blog Tania. Always learning something new so that is good. Keeps the mind thinking. We enjoyed reading all about Tania, Scott,Jordan and Kesia's trip around the USA and now the continued efffort from Scott still over in USA with his Fire Station role. The photos are great and the notes about their trips were just great. I am at a loss to match this good effort as I am a homemaker and working lady with nothing as exciting to add. I hope I can gain some inspiration to make my blog interesting. Thanks for the comment Gill. Nice to know you are looking at my blog. Still waiting to hear from Kesia and Jordan. Now back to the offfice work.

Joke

No Brainer
A blonde was playing trivial persuit one night. When it was her turn,
she rolled the dice, and landed on "Science & Nature question", "If
you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can you hear it?"
She thought for a time and then asked,"Is it on or off?"

Family Photos

Oh What a fine family we have. Our two children have now expanded to 4 and we have 3 wonderful grandchildren. Jordan is 11years, Kesia is 9 years and Amara is 16months.