Thursday, May 15, 2008

evita mary

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Now..... I need to state here that I am firmly and utterly in love with Tawhai..... he'll always be my number one man! :)

However.... I may be a little besotted with Evita.

She's now speaking French. They have a good friend who spent 6 months over in France and speaks French very well who talks to Evita in French. She's just a super sponge right now, soaking up everything she hears. Anything you say to her, she repeats..... it's amazing to be around.

So.... she and I have mini conversations in French now. She even has this super cute accent. For a one and a half year old I'm floored, but also in the throws of getting together cd's of french and want to do some Maori too. Got to make the most of this sponge!

Yours, the nutty aunt.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

cutey!


Evita and her new friend.

GG is so proud of her grand daughter, and the fact that she seems to absolutely love horses already, making all the right noises and becoming excited whenever she sees one.

I went and picked the two monkey's up to take them to see GG and Poppa at a foal show on Saturday. This one is our oldest foal and for his first outing he was so very well behaved - walking straight onto the horse float, and not minding any of the show goings on. There were even donkeys there braying away and he didn't batter an eyelid.

Evita walked straight up to him and gave him kisses. Alas, I kept missing the exact moment. My camera seems to have a few issues right now, which I've got to get sorted quick smart.





I love the way she was so trusting....

they just stood there watching the other horses in the ring for ages.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

the story to go with the pictures....


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Tessa and I decided to have a girls only day. We left the cheeky monkeys behind and headed off into the hills.

My aunt and uncle who live out in the middle of nowhere - check out their website
www.nikaucave.co.nz
have just built and opened a cafe on their farm.

They had originally thought of building it for one of my cousins weddings.... this particular cousin just celebrated their 3 year anniversary when the cafe opened.

Yes, it's been a rather long and drawn out process - but it's been worth the wait!

Another one of my cousins and her husband are now running the cafe and doing a FANTASTIC job!!

I'd tried to call before we left - but had no joy, which made our arrival a wonderful surprise. The look on Nicola's face was priceless. Nothing like getting such an excited welcome.

The afternoon was then lazed away. We ate and talked and soaked up the sunbeams.

There was an American couple who were staying in the "white house" for their wedding anniversary. Nicola and Richard were all excited because they had found some new friends. Kindred Spirits. The couple were about the same age, and had come over for a year to work and play. They were Christians and just super lovely to sit and talk to.

I've been invited to go and learn to climb at the climbing wall where they work - something I've always wanted to do, but never actually felt comfortable doing with all my incredibly sporty friends who climb.

It was the kind of day that left me feeling incredibly blessed to have such a great family - especially Tessa, who I'm quite sure I would go insane without!

It also left me rather thoughtful about what next.....


"You cannot always have happiness, but you can always give happiness"

Thursday, May 01, 2008

venting.......

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I'm in the kitchen right now..... bubbling away on the stove is my wonderful preserving pan filled with granny smith apples, which are almost ready to be bottled.

I was standing over them stirring away when I suddenly said out loud:

"what am I doing this for? I'm going to end up with quite a few bottles of stewed apples and only me to eat them! This is the sort of thing someone who was married should do. Someone who has a large family and people to share it all with..... me....... I don't have that!"


And then, the question of why don't I?

This verse from Ecclesiastes 4 popped into my head:

8 There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
"For whom am I toiling," he asked,
"and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?"
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!

9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.


I know that I can do these things, and I can share these things - but it's not quite the same.


Selfish?

I don't know...... right now, just thoughts tumbling around in my head.


who will sing me lullabies.....




Who will sing me lullabies - Kate Rusby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No5FkAmTaJY


Lay me down gently, lay me down low,
I fear I am broken and won't mend, I know.
One thing I ask when the stars light the skies,
Who now will sing me lullabies,
Oh who now will sing me lullabies.

In this big world I'm lonely, for I am but small,
Oh angels in heaven, don't you care for me at all?
You heard my heart breaking for it rang through the skies,
So why don't you sing me lullabies,
Oh why don't you sing me lullabies.

I lay here; I'm weeping for the stars they have come,
I lay here not sleeping; now the long night has begun.
The man in the moon, oh he can't help but cry,
For there's no one to sing me lullabies,
Oh there's no one to sing me lullabies.

So lay me down gently, oh lay me down low,
I fear I am broken and won't mend, I know .
One thing I ask when the stars light the skies,
Who now will sing me lullabies,
Oh who now will sing me lullabies.

Who will sing me to sleep
Who will sing me to sleep
Who will sing me to sleep
Who will sing me to sleep



Kate became one of my favourites years ago.... I think when I first moved back to New Zealand...

Anyway, I was listening to this song last night and thinking about how God wants to sing us lullabies. He wants to love us and comfort us. The idea that he would stand over me and sing me lullabies is such a gorgeous picture.....

sunset.... overlooking the waterfront

crazy... or just strange?


This guy is hanging out on the Museum building.... thought he was kinda cute.

Napier