Advent Calendar.....

This year we decided to make our own advent calendars, so I bought yummy treats to put in each day's pocket leading up to Chistmas Eve.

Along with the treat I put in a wee message or task, something to prepare ourselves for Christmas and remembering the spirit of the season.

The notes our advent calendar pockets held this year read:

Make a present list for family and friends
Visit a friend we haven't seen in a while
Make a table decoration
Make a welcome wreath
Plan Christmas day menu
Make presents
Write Santa list
Make confectionery and bake for sharing
Deliver baking to retirement home
Take the photo for our Christmas cards
Decorate the house
Select and decorate a tree
Ring Grandparents and ask them what Christmas was like when they were little
Hire and watch a Christmas movie
Go present shopping
Shop for our family Secret Santa
Go on the Christmas light trail
Wrap presents and put under tree
Make Christmas crackers
Deliver homemade baking and confectionery to neighbours
Make Christmas cards and send or deliver them to our friends
Write and send out our annual Christmas photo cards
Read Christmas stories
Make a Christmas cake
Bake for sharing with Christmas visitors
Ice and decorate cake
Organise stockings and sacks
Ring friends and family

Game On.....

We had a bit of a game of softball after dinner tonight, here's H8 helping the girls win - OF COURSE!:

James.....

I forget just how fast a babe can grow, we keep thinking we really need to get over and see our adorable Hamilton bubba more often. It's kinda embarassing when the grandies from Gizzy see him more often than we do - and they have to pass us on the way to his house! Photos courtesy of Nana:

Fledglings.....

No camera (aaarrrggghhh!!!!!!), but I thought I better chronicle it anyway ;o) H7 found three sparrow fledglings in their nest at the bottom of one of the pine trees this morning (well, there was actually four, but one of them was dead). We're taking them with us everywhere we go, feeding them every couple of hours, and hoping they'll stay alive for a few more weeks till they can fend for themselves. Wish us luck.

Big Heads.....

No, not them ;o) The brocolli they brought from their garden for us:


Although, we think L5 had a reaction to it the next morning:

Action Shots.....

A11 showing us his new trick - jump over the power box and up to the tramp in one easy bound:

Visitors to Play.....

Petra and Cathy came today for a whole morning of fun:



L5 showed Petra how to make flash mutant bionicles:

Petunias.....

L10 is so pleased with herself, having turned a pot of soil into a pot of beautiful, colourful, prolifcially flowering petunias - all by herself!:

It's A Bird.....

L5 hooning up and down the hall on the skateboard:

Biscuit Icing, Pass the Parcel, Marshmallow Toasting and Aussie Cuzzies.....

H7's turn to organise the Family Fun Night this time, and so we all got a couple of Christmas Cookies to decorate (she'd made them that afternoon):


Then we had a round of Pass the Parcel, complete with 'real' prizes from the Present Box:


Outside to light a fire, Scout Style, and toast marshmallows to perfection to round the evening off:



I was thinking about Sheryl and her whanau today, and as if by magic, I got an email from them with some photos attached. This is them on their Tasmanian holiday in August:

Schleich.....

The treasured collection is growing rapidly, each with it's own name and story:

L5 loves to snuggle with his friends in bed, and today he inherited the walrus in the middle and so he had to have a trial run, just to make sure everyone could still fit after the re-shuffle:

The First Birth.....

I ever witnessed was the lad in the middle of this photo, all those years ago. It had a profound effect on me, as I imgaine it does on anyone the very first time they are privelleged enough to be present at the miracle that is a babe being born. Thanks Tracey for the photo:


Funny how you don't sort of notice at the time, but when we're lucky enough to have friends we're still hangin' with years and years in a row, you get to share a little in their Growing-Up journey, too:


These pics were taken when these three commandeered the camera to capture forever the essence of being a twit ;o):

Waiting For Nana and Grandad.....

L9 got some baking books out of the library and decided her and I should do some baking for Nana and Grandad to help pass the time till they arrived (she's already started the countdown to Christmas, as you can tell!):

Papamoa Hills.....

Even though it was a bit dreary today ;o) we braved the fog and the drizzle and the slippery underfootedness and hooned up the Papamoa Hills:



Some of us (the younger, fitter, skinnier ones) hooned faster than others of us (me):




They even had time to experiment with different footwear while they were waiting for me to chug on up to them:



Of course, the only reason I was taking my time was that I was so engrossed in the flora and fauna lol!:




And the wierd way there was a world both above and below the fog line:



The bonus of going UP a hill when you're a youngster, is the joy of getting back DOWN:

Horsey Heaven.....

We trotted out to Old Forest School to see Reagan undergo some halter training:


Here's his gorgeous Mum, Kahlua:


She did really well, considering there were a few of us visiting her today:


He did really well also, and we all got a photo opportunity with him:





And how's this for a new baby? Tea Stain (I think that's the name?) was only born this morning:



Here's Suzy Homemaker, showing off some of her many domestic skills:



While we're on the subject of show-off's ;o) have you ever had occasion to see a whippet in action?:


Now that's my idea of a dog - something with some meat on. Bear was a new edition to the family that morning also:


A rose with lunch: