Happy Christmas to all our family and friends!
2013 has been a wonderful year of growth and love. We are still residing in Auckland New Zealand in a suburb called Glenfield. Joe is currently working for Telecom New Zealand. This year he has been fortunate to switch to working normal 8:30-5:00pm shifts on Monday – Friday. After two years of working Saturdays this is a welcome blessing and we love spending the weekends together.
In February Hinalei celebrated her 4th birthday with a strawberry themed party. She continued to attended Camrose Kids Preschool and this year learned how to recognize words, write letters, words and much more. She is very loved by her preschool teachers and they call her Princess instead of Hinalei. She has lots of friends and loves to paint pictures filled with rainbows, flowers and loved ones. She started taking ballet classes in May. She excels in dance and loves to practice at home with her dad. She wears a purple tutu and pink shoes. During the first week of December she was part of a ballet recital and performed as a pearl (the theme was Under the Sea). She radiates confidence and loves to give things a go.
Joseph (Baby Joe) turned 2 in April. He is an independent little boy who loves and prefers the outdoors. He is often found outside with his Grandpa Chadz digging in the garden, hammering in some nails, riding his motorbike, feeding the cat or chickens and watering the garden (or anyone in the way). He loves to follow behind his dad when it is lawn-mowing time and often races his dad to the edge of the garden. His little temper is hot and fast but mostly he is just trying to get us to understand him – his sentences and speaking has continued to blossom throughout the year. He has finally settled into nursery and is now the big helper of the teacher. He loves his sister and little brother and often is found trying to help them out whether they want it or not. After a year of wearing his ponseti boots to continue to correct his clubfeet he is no longer required
to wear them and it is miracle that he runs and jumps and climbs just as other boys his age do.
Our little Rawiri has been a joy to watch grow and develop this year. He has mastered rolling over, crawling, walking and our favorite – growling! He is a happy boy who doesn’t fuss unless he is hungry. He has a big appetite and can often be found sitting at the table with his dad eating off his plate. He loves to give snuggles, sing songs and climb over furniture. He is very loving and gives wonderful kisses. We celebrated his 1st birthday in October and are so grateful for his spirit in our home.
I continue to be fortunate enough to stay at home with the kids. My days are busy with housework (yeah right), my calling in primary as the Faith in God Leader and raising the kiddies. We have just found out that we are expecting our 4th child who should join us in late July 2014. Hinalei is hoping it is a little sister. We are excited for another addition to our growing family.
Above all we couldn’t be who we are with our Savior Jesus Christ and his gospel. We have been blessed numerous times this year and we know it is only through the tender mercies of God that we have been so. We know that God lives and his son and we grateful for each day as a family that he gives us together.
10 week post - #4 is on their way!
In October I finished breastfeeding Rawiri. I was so so excited to get my body back and was so happy that I could start doing weight watchers again and also pick up on my exercise. I had been going to the park and walking laps and I was keen to kick it up a step. I had heard about a diet called the HCG diet which could be used as a good kickstart into weight loss. I thought I would wait till after Thanksgiving to start. I realized however that I hadn't got my monthly flow in like 6 weeks so I thought I should just take a test to make sure I wasn't pregnant.
Ohhhh my goodness when I saw those two little pink lines I said "OH NO!" Lol. It was like 6am in the morning and everyone else was sleeping. I couldn't believe that just after Rawiri turned one I found out I was expecting. I am due July 20th 2014.
I am really hoping it is a little girl although mostly I just want a healthy baby. My morning sickness has been ruthless and my tiredness is off the charts. I am grateful for this Christmas period so Joe can be home taking care of the family while I mostly sleep. Haha.
So thats the report folks! Another little Savaiinaea is coming to join the whanuau.
Ohhhh my goodness when I saw those two little pink lines I said "OH NO!" Lol. It was like 6am in the morning and everyone else was sleeping. I couldn't believe that just after Rawiri turned one I found out I was expecting. I am due July 20th 2014.
I am really hoping it is a little girl although mostly I just want a healthy baby. My morning sickness has been ruthless and my tiredness is off the charts. I am grateful for this Christmas period so Joe can be home taking care of the family while I mostly sleep. Haha.
So thats the report folks! Another little Savaiinaea is coming to join the whanuau.
Chadderton Family Day 2014
Each year my dads parents (or my grandparents) host a Family day at their home. They are the parents of 8 children and so it is a great time for everyone to catch up with those who we haven't seen in a while. It is a really great time for the kids to spend time with family and cousins. We decided to make a weekend out of it and traveled down Friday night to Hamilton.
We stayed in a hotel which for some reason Hinalei kept calling our "locker" and then we went swimming. Joe and I managed to go to the temple and do an endowment session (a special ceremony for those who have passed) and then we meet the kids outside and walked around the temple lights. We also ran into some great friends of ours the Fuimaonos who we have known since I was small like Hinalei.
The next day we headed out to Kihikihi to the family day. Hinalei was excited to see all her girl cousins and we didn't see much of her once we got their because she was having so much fun. Baby Joe kept himself busy going around the garden and picking flowers and playing with shovels. My grandparents have green thumbs and their land is covered in garden plots and apple bushes and many other types of fruit bushes. We even made a pavlova and decorated it with strawberries and blueberries from their garden.
My granddad setup running races, tug of war, bucket games, cricket and plenty of games to keep all the kids busy. I have been asked the past 3 years to make a pinata and this year I did a Minion from Despicable Me. Luckily I didn't make it too thick and so each kid got to whack it twice before it exploded everywhere.
My granddads birthday is the 1st of Jan and he will 71. He is a great example of hard work and dedication and I am so grateful to have him and my nanny around for advice and memories.
Thanks for a great Chadderton Family Day!
We stayed in a hotel which for some reason Hinalei kept calling our "locker" and then we went swimming. Joe and I managed to go to the temple and do an endowment session (a special ceremony for those who have passed) and then we meet the kids outside and walked around the temple lights. We also ran into some great friends of ours the Fuimaonos who we have known since I was small like Hinalei.
The next day we headed out to Kihikihi to the family day. Hinalei was excited to see all her girl cousins and we didn't see much of her once we got their because she was having so much fun. Baby Joe kept himself busy going around the garden and picking flowers and playing with shovels. My grandparents have green thumbs and their land is covered in garden plots and apple bushes and many other types of fruit bushes. We even made a pavlova and decorated it with strawberries and blueberries from their garden.
My granddad setup running races, tug of war, bucket games, cricket and plenty of games to keep all the kids busy. I have been asked the past 3 years to make a pinata and this year I did a Minion from Despicable Me. Luckily I didn't make it too thick and so each kid got to whack it twice before it exploded everywhere.
My granddads birthday is the 1st of Jan and he will 71. He is a great example of hard work and dedication and I am so grateful to have him and my nanny around for advice and memories.
Thanks for a great Chadderton Family Day!
.JPG)
Hinaleis Last Day of Preschool
Today was Hinaleis final day of preschool. Because her birthday fall very close after school begins next year I figured that she would be okay to finish preschool this year and then start next year out in school instead of going to preschool for like 1 week before starting school. Hinaleis teachers have been telling her it would be her last day and we have been trying to explain to her that she is a big girl and will be moving on but I guess she was just a bit to young to grasp that her time at Camrose kids was finished because she kept saying she was just going on holiday.
Oh well I more than made up for it. I don't usually get to emotional over stuff like finishing school etc but I loved her teachers so much. I had managed to build a very good relationship with them alongside of Hinalei. I would often talk to them when I would drop Hinalei off and pick her up. Her preschool affectionately calls her princess --- I told them it would create an unrealistic standard for her when she started real school but they said she would be fine and to them she was their little princess. She even won two princess movie tickets throughout the year because of kindness and caring she showed to others.
Baby Joe will start their next April when he turns 3 and I know that he will have as much fun as Hinalei did. She is growing up and I don't even understand how the time can be flying by this quickly!
Oh well I more than made up for it. I don't usually get to emotional over stuff like finishing school etc but I loved her teachers so much. I had managed to build a very good relationship with them alongside of Hinalei. I would often talk to them when I would drop Hinalei off and pick her up. Her preschool affectionately calls her princess --- I told them it would create an unrealistic standard for her when she started real school but they said she would be fine and to them she was their little princess. She even won two princess movie tickets throughout the year because of kindness and caring she showed to others.
Baby Joe will start their next April when he turns 3 and I know that he will have as much fun as Hinalei did. She is growing up and I don't even understand how the time can be flying by this quickly!
Hinaleis Preschool Party
Throughout term 4 Hinaleis preschool has been practicing Christmas songs for their end of year concert. Hinalei has learned to sing in Spanish, Chinese and even to sign a song. She learned Silent night (Maori), Jingle Bells (Chinese), I saw Mummy kissing Santa Clause, We wish you a merry Christmas (Sign), Aotearoa Christmas and many more songs. This year she is one of the oldest in the class and you could clearly hear her voice throughout most of the songs.
A couple of days before we went shopping for an outfit for her performance and she chose a Santa top, a pretty denim skirt and polka dot tights. She also was chosen to say at the end of the concert "Thank you for coming to Camrose Kids Christmas Concert!"
.JPG){kind=link}
Hinaleis Ballet Recital
Hinalei has loved taking ballet this year. She started in May and has been going regularly each monday. She has been learning basic ballet skills such as toe pointing, putting her feet into a triangle and dipping down, raising her arms straight, spinning, twirling. She has loved it and it has been so much fun to see her growth and progress with something she has a passion for.
Her ballet studio put on a huge recital at the end of the year. The theme was "Under the Sea" and Hinalei was a little pearl. They practiced and practiced every ballet class and even danced to music from Finding Nemo. She is one of the tallest girls in her class so it was easy to spot her and she has good memorization skills so she didn't need to look at her teacher to much. She loved getting dressed up in her costume and having her hair done and even got to wear a little bit of makeup.
Nanny, Grandpa, Jared, Jenna, Joe and I went and she was so much fun to watch. All the groups did well even though hers was my favorite. It was cool to see what future skills she will pick up if she continues to do ballet.
Well done our little ballerina!
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Her ballet studio put on a huge recital at the end of the year. The theme was "Under the Sea" and Hinalei was a little pearl. They practiced and practiced every ballet class and even danced to music from Finding Nemo. She is one of the tallest girls in her class so it was easy to spot her and she has good memorization skills so she didn't need to look at her teacher to much. She loved getting dressed up in her costume and having her hair done and even got to wear a little bit of makeup.
Nanny, Grandpa, Jared, Jenna, Joe and I went and she was so much fun to watch. All the groups did well even though hers was my favorite. It was cool to see what future skills she will pick up if she continues to do ballet.
Well done our little ballerina!
Thanksgiving in New Zealand
Each year our family celebrates Thanksgiving even though we live in New Zealand. It is a tradition I came to love while living in Hawaii and since Joe is American I also like to do it so he feels we celebrate some of his traditions too. This year my mum and I decided to go big and host a huge Thanksgiving dinner for all our friends and family. We made it a potluck inviting people to bring a long a favorite savory dish to share. We provided the turkey, ham and all the trimmings such as stuffing, rolls, corn, gravy.
We decorated the night before with fall colored tissue pompoms, fairy lights, fall colored table clothes and little grateful trees for people to write down what they were grateful for. We were fortunate to use the church hall for our ward to host the activity. We told our friends and family to bring whoever as long as they brought something to share.
It was such a wonderful night. Everyone brought a long food, we had music playing, we ate and ate and ate and towards the end of the night people took turns giving thanks for different things. Some of my favorites where hearing the old guys talking about how thankful they were for their wives and the things she does each day to make their life better. I truly felt the spirit of thanksgiving and it reminded me so much of when we would have Thanksgiving back in the dorms in our wards.
I have heard that everyone wants us to make it an annual thing. It was huge amount of work but seeing everyone together made it so worth it!!
Thankful list:
* A great marriage
* A loving husband who takes way to much good care of me
* 3 healthy children
* Our home and car
* Our ward and callings
* Our health
* Joes job and that I can stay home and raise my children
* Living close to my parents
* Living in a safe neighborhood
* The gospel and the peace it brings to us
We decorated the night before with fall colored tissue pompoms, fairy lights, fall colored table clothes and little grateful trees for people to write down what they were grateful for. We were fortunate to use the church hall for our ward to host the activity. We told our friends and family to bring whoever as long as they brought something to share.
It was such a wonderful night. Everyone brought a long food, we had music playing, we ate and ate and ate and towards the end of the night people took turns giving thanks for different things. Some of my favorites where hearing the old guys talking about how thankful they were for their wives and the things she does each day to make their life better. I truly felt the spirit of thanksgiving and it reminded me so much of when we would have Thanksgiving back in the dorms in our wards.
I have heard that everyone wants us to make it an annual thing. It was huge amount of work but seeing everyone together made it so worth it!!
Thankful list:
* A great marriage
* A loving husband who takes way to much good care of me
* 3 healthy children
* Our home and car
* Our ward and callings
* Our health
* Joes job and that I can stay home and raise my children
* Living close to my parents
* Living in a safe neighborhood
* The gospel and the peace it brings to us
Going to the Dentist
This year has been a big year of learning about the importance of brushing and maintaining teeth. We are actually really good with the teeth brushing but I learned a lot about the right types of snacks and goodies to give the kids. For me we have not been diligent about watching the lolly in take especially during birthdays or special occasions. I learned this year that actually kids will eat what you give them and if you don't have it in the house they don't notice it. I found out that raisins or dried fruits can actually become stuck in the teeth and can be a big cause of cavities. I learned that cheese and crackers are good snacks for breaking down sugars sitting on the teeth.
Hinalei got several small fillings done. It was a big job to get her to sit in the chair. Some days she was fine and didn't get the dentist a problem and other times she had to be held (bribed) to get work done. All in all it has helped me gain a greater appreciation for taking care of and looking after teeth. Hinalei has been diligent in reminding us to do teeth each morning and night and showing her brothers what to do to.
Hinalei got several small fillings done. It was a big job to get her to sit in the chair. Some days she was fine and didn't get the dentist a problem and other times she had to be held (bribed) to get work done. All in all it has helped me gain a greater appreciation for taking care of and looking after teeth. Hinalei has been diligent in reminding us to do teeth each morning and night and showing her brothers what to do to.
Ward Trunk and Treat
Our ward holds an annual trunk and treat for Halloween. It is a great place for the kiddies to go trick or treating and a good way for the Church to socialize with people in the community and get to know them. This year after seeing the musical WICKED we (I) decided that we would go as the characters from WICKED. Joe worked on our trunk which was Dorthy's house with the ruby slippers and a Emerald city background. I kept myself busy for the better part of 3 weeks sewing costumes for everyone. Hinalei was Glinda the good witch, baby Joe the tin man, Rawiri was precious little lion, I was Elphaba the green witch and Joe was my Fiyero (the scarecrow).
It was a fun night, everyone had brought along a soup or chili to share, the kids got to go trunk to trunk and get candy. My boys didn't feel much like getting the candy which was fine with me. We had fun just sitting as family. Hinalei loved it though and went around several times. We won "Best Family Trunk" so that was cool too. Definitely already thinking up next years idea.
It was a fun night, everyone had brought along a soup or chili to share, the kids got to go trunk to trunk and get candy. My boys didn't feel much like getting the candy which was fine with me. We had fun just sitting as family. Hinalei loved it though and went around several times. We won "Best Family Trunk" so that was cool too. Definitely already thinking up next years idea.
.jpg) |
| Glinda (pronounced: "Gah-Linda") and Tin Boy |
.jpg) |
| Elphaba and the little Lion |
.jpg) |
| Rawr! |
.jpg) | |
| Elphaba and Fiyero |
A Year later for my little Rawiri!
Rawiri will turn one tomorrow. In all honesty I don't know where this year has gone. I have loved every minute of having Rawiri in our family and I am so grateful that he came to join us. When I was pregnant with him I use to shed tears all the time about how could we manage with three children and about how hard it was with two. Since Rawiri has been born I don't really think I have ever felt that it has been super hard. I have come to realize that with time kids get older, more mature, more understanding, more helpful so what might seem impossible when you find out you are pregnant 9 months later is suddenly not so bad. I am sure Heavenly Father designed pregnancy like that with those factors in mind.
Hinalei adores Rawiri and calls him her little darling. She loves to carry him around the house and is so helpful with clothes, socks and diaper changes. She often says to me not to be cranky with Rawiri because he is a baby and doesn't understand.
Baby Joe from day one has been so affectionate to Rawiri. I am sure one day they will wrestle and roll around and fight but right now baby Joe loves to give hugs and kisses. Baby Joe is who gave Rawiri his nickname (Rawi pronounced Raarr-we).
Rawiri is the Maori word for David. David means "beloved" and he is indeed beloved by us and his siblings and everyone who meets him. He is a mummas boy which is something I did not expect but love 100%. Having a child who lights up when they see you, reaches for you no matter who is holding them and just loves to be held by you is a precious precious thing. It makes me feel like someone would seriously miss me if something was to happen to me.
In fact when he was a 2-3 month old he was so clingy that not even Joe could take him at night. From about 6:00pm each night he would only go to me - no one else. Joe had to take care of the other kids single handed because if I went and he held Rawiri he would just scream. He would nurse from 6-10pm. This went on for months. One night we went to the movies and my poor parents were watching him and he just screamed and screamed and screamed. If I had to do shopping I took him with me at night because he just couldn't be away from me. I love it and I am so grateful for the lesson he has taught me this past year about unconditional love and all its forms.
I feel finally after 3 kids that I have found my mothering groove. Oh in no way am I perfect or close to it but I have found what works for me with cleaning, housework, chores, cooking and raising the kids. I can get up and find ways to tidy up while playing hide and seek. I can make breakfast and do hair at the same time. Well it is all a learning process but I feel more confident in it now then I did a year ago.
Rawiri likes:
Walking
Crawling one legged style
Eat real meals not so much fruit
Lion hunt game
Happy and you know it
Roaring like a lion
Clapping hands
Giving sloppy kisses
Drums or any musical instruments
Ice-cream
Bath time
Going on the swing at the park
Rawiri dislikes:
Nappy changes first thing in the morning
Being left alone in a room
Not being carried
Feeding himself
Wearing socks - seriously he just pulls them off
Hinalei adores Rawiri and calls him her little darling. She loves to carry him around the house and is so helpful with clothes, socks and diaper changes. She often says to me not to be cranky with Rawiri because he is a baby and doesn't understand.
Baby Joe from day one has been so affectionate to Rawiri. I am sure one day they will wrestle and roll around and fight but right now baby Joe loves to give hugs and kisses. Baby Joe is who gave Rawiri his nickname (Rawi pronounced Raarr-we).
Rawiri is the Maori word for David. David means "beloved" and he is indeed beloved by us and his siblings and everyone who meets him. He is a mummas boy which is something I did not expect but love 100%. Having a child who lights up when they see you, reaches for you no matter who is holding them and just loves to be held by you is a precious precious thing. It makes me feel like someone would seriously miss me if something was to happen to me.
In fact when he was a 2-3 month old he was so clingy that not even Joe could take him at night. From about 6:00pm each night he would only go to me - no one else. Joe had to take care of the other kids single handed because if I went and he held Rawiri he would just scream. He would nurse from 6-10pm. This went on for months. One night we went to the movies and my poor parents were watching him and he just screamed and screamed and screamed. If I had to do shopping I took him with me at night because he just couldn't be away from me. I love it and I am so grateful for the lesson he has taught me this past year about unconditional love and all its forms.
I feel finally after 3 kids that I have found my mothering groove. Oh in no way am I perfect or close to it but I have found what works for me with cleaning, housework, chores, cooking and raising the kids. I can get up and find ways to tidy up while playing hide and seek. I can make breakfast and do hair at the same time. Well it is all a learning process but I feel more confident in it now then I did a year ago.
Rawiri likes:
Walking
Crawling one legged style
Eat real meals not so much fruit
Lion hunt game
Happy and you know it
Roaring like a lion
Clapping hands
Giving sloppy kisses
Drums or any musical instruments
Ice-cream
Bath time
Going on the swing at the park
Rawiri dislikes:
Nappy changes first thing in the morning
Being left alone in a room
Not being carried
Feeding himself
Wearing socks - seriously he just pulls them off
Pinkalicious Princess Party
Hinalei has been taken by a book series called Pinkalicious. We have been checking them out from the library. In our home we do not do sleepovers or allow Hinalei to do sleepovers except for grandparents. Well one of the books talked about a princess sleepover and how the girls get to do a lot of princess things. One night while reading to Hinalei she asked if she could do what the girls in the story were doing. I told her that we don't do sleepovers but that she could invite some friends over and they could play together and have a princess party.
It was a blast. Hinalei invited 4 little girls over from church and they all came dressed up as princesses. We had a couple of different activities to keep them entertained and they had lunch and watched a princess movie.
The first activity was to create your own princess tiara. They had jewels, stickers, flowers, and lots of things to make their own crowns.
They got to decorate their own cupcakes to eat during the movie with pink icing, chocolate, sprinkles and other goodies.
We played musical chairs, freeze, hide and seek and other games together and we went on a princess walk, took a ton of pictures and laughed alot.
The girls ate lunch and then settled down to watch Barbie Princess and the Popstar and eat their cupcakes.
It was really great fun activity. Hinalei had a blast and already wants to do it again. She is my girly girly and I love that we can do things like this for her that are simple but fun. One of the girls brought her a present thinking it was her birthday!
It was a blast. Hinalei invited 4 little girls over from church and they all came dressed up as princesses. We had a couple of different activities to keep them entertained and they had lunch and watched a princess movie.
The first activity was to create your own princess tiara. They had jewels, stickers, flowers, and lots of things to make their own crowns.
They got to decorate their own cupcakes to eat during the movie with pink icing, chocolate, sprinkles and other goodies.
We played musical chairs, freeze, hide and seek and other games together and we went on a princess walk, took a ton of pictures and laughed alot.
The girls ate lunch and then settled down to watch Barbie Princess and the Popstar and eat their cupcakes.
It was really great fun activity. Hinalei had a blast and already wants to do it again. She is my girly girly and I love that we can do things like this for her that are simple but fun. One of the girls brought her a present thinking it was her birthday!
Rawiri is 10 months!
Mannn. So the last time that I blogged about Rawiri he was 5 months old. Seriously I have to do better with keeping up with all these posts. I have seen my friends consistently keep up with their blogs and I need to better except that I just feel like my days are so full I don't have time.
Weight: 11kg
Loves:
His mum!
Cuddles
Sleeping in mummys bed
Clapping hands
Music
Trucks
Crawling
Laughing with his sister
Any type of one on one game
Books
Eating on anyone's lap
Bath time
Growling
Saying ma - ma -ma
Hates:
Kisses from his brother
Bedtime
Nap time
Darkness
Being rocked to sleep
His mummy leaving the room
Being alone
I never considered that someone being a mummas boy was a real thing but my eyes have been opened because Rawiri is a mummas boy through and through. He literally know exactly who I am and makes me feel so special. If I have gone out and then come home he lights up and gives me a great big smile. He reaches out for me and calls me out by name even if we are not in the same area like at church. People will come find me saying he just keeps saying mama over and over. He is still nursing and honestly I think he still eats as much as from his newborn time. I don't know that next month when he is 1 if I am going to be able to start weaning him. He just loves to nurse. He has 8 teeth and is constantly grinding them which I am worried about. He is such a happy little carefree guy to have in the family!
Weight: 11kg
Loves:
His mum!
Cuddles
Sleeping in mummys bed
Clapping hands
Music
Trucks
Crawling
Laughing with his sister
Any type of one on one game
Books
Eating on anyone's lap
Bath time
Growling
Saying ma - ma -ma
Hates:
Kisses from his brother
Bedtime
Nap time
Darkness
Being rocked to sleep
His mummy leaving the room
Being alone
I never considered that someone being a mummas boy was a real thing but my eyes have been opened because Rawiri is a mummas boy through and through. He literally know exactly who I am and makes me feel so special. If I have gone out and then come home he lights up and gives me a great big smile. He reaches out for me and calls me out by name even if we are not in the same area like at church. People will come find me saying he just keeps saying mama over and over. He is still nursing and honestly I think he still eats as much as from his newborn time. I don't know that next month when he is 1 if I am going to be able to start weaning him. He just loves to nurse. He has 8 teeth and is constantly grinding them which I am worried about. He is such a happy little carefree guy to have in the family!
Returned with Honour
Welcome home to my brother Richard Solomon Chadderton today. He returned with an honorable release from Quezon City Philippines. He gave two years service to The Lord. He has changed from a boy to a man and he has grown in the gospel and has also mastered a second language.
It was with great anticipation that we gathered at the airport and waited for him to past through the gate. When he did mum ran and greeted him first. They embraced and you could see the two years melt away. Nigel Peterson did Tika Tonu and I jumped in too.
It was wonderful to see my brother after two years. He is a good looking guy! He will definitely be the talk among the lady YSA now. Lol. So great to see him!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Rosy the car
Today we purchased a new to us family car. We had been saving towards it since the beginning of the year and with our tax rebate and the WOF on vernal due the 7th of June I was determined to see us get a 7 seater that could accommodate our growing family. I loved and coveted the 2001+ Toyota Ipsum but our savings was at $2600. I very much wanted to avoid taking out a loan to buy a vehicle. Well I had my eye on a 2001 Ipsum for $6990. Way out of my price range but I figured if we could trade in vernal and get a small loan of $3000 we could do it! Not to be - the bank ridiculously wanted to charge as an interest rate of 24.9% and on a 7 year loan. No way was I paying that much interest (ever) for that long. Their reasoning - you guys don't have a credit history so we don't know if you can make payments on time. Never mind we pay our telephone, Internet, power bills and rent on time - Nope! - because we haven't given in to the credit cards of the world we are not dependable.
Well we went to a $5000 car lot after giving up the Ipsum dream. I had prayed that morning that I could have an open heart and mind to whatever car was perfect for us. We saw an older version of the Ipsum which wasn't to bad although it was a terrible green color and seems small for a 7 seater. We told the guy it was outside our price range - it was $5000. He asked what our range was and I told him I wanted to trade in vernal and we had $2500 in the bank. We continued to walk around the yard when he ran up to us and said he had a deal for us. A 1996 Honda Odyssey. It was marked at $4000 but he said with vernal ($500) and our $2500 he would sell it to us no more to pay.
It was such an answer prayers. Sure I feel a bit humbled by it - it is nothing flashy but the interior is in good condition and we all fit in without being squashed. It drives well and seems good mechanically for its age. My favorite thing is that it is maroon (burgundy)! That is my most favorite color and it makes the car look newer.
That is the story of Rosy the car - so named by Hinalei. It may have been ok go borrow money to buy a fancier car but really it wasn't worth being in debt. I didn't want to think about making those weekly payments and worrying about any other expenses which might affect our ability to do so. Now we have a car which fits us all comfortably and runs well and we are debt free. Heavenly Father will provide for your needs not your wants. I have learned this over and over and I know that at the end of it all he knows us best and provides it.
Sky Tower Auckland NZ
Happy ANZAC day New Zealand. I am sorry that we are not more engrossed in going out to support our troops and paying honor to what they did to give us freedom today. I am totally grateful for them and one day when the kids are older we will do things a bit more ANZAC related but for that day this year we decided to go to the Sky Tower. I have this thing about wanting to explore all the things that my own backyard has to offer instead of racing off to do something else. Luckily for now kids under 5 are free (which is great when you have 3 kids!) and because we are Auckland residents it is only $15 for adults. That wasn't to outside our budget so off we went to the Sky Tower.We packed a lunch to have after the tower and made sure all the kiddies had a nap before we went.
It was fantastic. I couldn't get over the view and the height gives you just the right amount of jelly in the legs. Totally recommend it if you can get to go for a good price! The views are great and it makes you appreciate your backyard a bit more!
It was fantastic. I couldn't get over the view and the height gives you just the right amount of jelly in the legs. Totally recommend it if you can get to go for a good price! The views are great and it makes you appreciate your backyard a bit more!
The kids got a free ice-block!
Harbor Bridge View
Further away view
Nanny was scared to walk on the glass so Hinalei helped her Nan
Mummy and Rawiri
Rawiri hovering in the view
Cheese
Cheeses!
Foot pics!
Rocking our cougar shirts!
How can he not be scared! Lol!
Cute little space people
Family Pic missing Rawiri
Happy Birthday Baby Joe
Two years for my little man. Goodness me time certainly does fly especially when they are your second or 3rd child you just cannot seem to keep up. Actually his official birthday is on April 5th but seeing as my parents are leaving for a trip to Utah on the 4th (yes I hate them) we decided to take advantage of the Easter Weekend and have his party early.
We tried to go down the local park and have some BBQ sausages since baby Joe loves the outdoors but the BBQ wasn't working so we just decided to have it at our house.
When: April 1, 2013 ( No joke)
Time: 4pm
Who came: Nanny, Grandpa and Aunty Jenna, Betty and Kolin Broderlow, Siale and Richard and Samatha and RJ Tottie, Aneta Chadderton and our family.
Where: 1 Lancelot Place, Glenfield Auckland New Zealand
Presents:
Mini Basketball
Kids Rugby Ball
Pajamas
Basketball hoop
Heaps of clothes
Sandals
Wheelbarrow
Beach Chair
Shovel and Spade
Food:
Sausages
Brocolli Salad
Coleslaw
Lettuce Salad
Bread
Hot Chips
Punch Drink
Birthday cake was cupcakes decorated with dinosaurs, aeroplanes and smarties
Things I want to remember about this age:
He has a super big smile
He loves to laugh and his laugh is big and infectious
He loves to play games with you, any kind but loves to be outdoors
Loves to play with balls and chase them down
The way he says Thank you Mum and Otayyyy!
His Dislikes:
The stroller
The carseat
Being carried by strangers
Nursery
Sitting down while eating
Being feed
Having his diaper changed
Putting on clothes
The swing at the park
His Likes:
Ice blocks
Icecream
Bath time
Bedtime stories
Singing
Saying prayers
Playing outside
Being allowed to explore
Going on walks
Going in Grandpas car
Playing in the car
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)