Last day at home…

It’s 7:45 and I’m still in bed, but definitely not sleeping or relaxing. I’m thinking about the thousand things I still need to do today. I need to get up! But, I do have a list! I love being able to tick off jobs as they are completed and then knowing I am fully prepared for our holiday…. Hopefully!

Mostly I am excited! Eeeee! I have just finished checking Facebook and Snapchat, and have seen photos of my family and their travel shots as they make their way to Poland. C1, C2 and G3 are driving from London to Leszno and they crossed from the Uk to France via the Euro tunnel early this morning. And they are now in Germany!

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Looking very excited! G3 and her Dad C1 ๐Ÿ™‚

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Visiting ‘The Shard’ in London

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Waiting to board the train at the Euro tunnel.

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On the train!!!

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A stop for refreshments in Brussels ๐Ÿ™‚

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And now they are in Cologne Germany!
Meanwhile C4 and D3 have arrived in London and are staying on for a few days while C4 has some work to do. They fly to Poland later in the week.

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Don’t they look very relaxed! Lovely ๐Ÿ™‚

Now, I have to wash my sheets and remake the bed! Clean the whole house including the bathroom! Print out travel documents! Phone Visa! Fold heaps of washing! Pack my bag! Prepare a meal for us and my two Aunties for tonight! And… The list goes on!

I really wanted to finish my crochet blanket before I left but will have to leave it at this stage until I come back home in January!

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It can wait! But getting up can’t!

I leave New Zealand tomorrow!

Less than a month!

Here I am sitting at my laptop when I have so many other things I should be doing! Time is running out and I am beginning to feel the panic! But I wanted to share all the happenings with you…. my reader ๐Ÿ™‚

On the 19th of August, Robin and I will be flying over to Wroclaw, Poland. My sister, her partner and her daughter are also coming with us. We are all going to my second son C2 and D2’s wedding! Now isn’t that something to get excited about! Checkout their wedding plans…

And even more exciting news…. Eldest son C1 and grand daughter G3 are coming to the wedding as well… from Sydney! G3 is going to be a little flower girl. And wait… there’s more… Youngest son C4 and daughter in law D3 are also coming from Sydney. Nearly a family reunion! I can’t wait!

After the wedding we will be travelling to Prague for three days and then onto Budapest. We are going on another ‘Insight Vacations’ tour! Yay! I am sooooo spoilt…..and don’t I know it! This time it is the tour called ย ‘Treasures of the Balkans’. We travel from Budapest to Bucharest! I will be regularly putting posts on my blog and uploading photos when I can ๐Ÿ™‚ Here is the tour…

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Treasures of the Balkans

and the details a little clearer…

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The Map!

And the day to day travel and sights to see…

Days 1 to 9
Days 1 to 9
Days 10 to 17
Days 10 to 17

Sorry the printing isn’t that easy to read ๐Ÿ™ Butย do you think a wedding and a tour are enough to get excited about? Well there’s more!

At 10.52pm on the 21st of April little 3.3 kg G7 was born. Our third grand child to be born this year. G5 on the 4th of February, G6 on the 18th of March and then G7 on the 21st of April. Look at this gorgeous little girl…

Brand new Baby Sophie
Brand new Baby G7
A very alert little baby girl :-)
A very alert little baby girl ๐Ÿ™‚
I love this photo of Sophie having a tub bath!
I love this photo of G7 having a tub bath!
One of my favourite photos. Sophie and her Daddy asleep together <3
One of my favourite photos. G7 and her Daddy asleep together <3

Now isn’t G7 a wonderful addition to our family! We now have seven grand children. Four girls and three boys! I have had quite a few cuddles with G5 and G6 but have yet to cuddle G7. Roll on August the 19th!

Now after the wedding and the tour, Robin, Judy, Len and Teresa are flying back to New Zealand via Hong Kong. I will be doing something very different. I will be flying to London. Yes London. I am going to be G7’s Nanny until Christmas time, when C2, D2, G7 and myself will be flying to Sydney to celebrate Christmas with family there. Robin and C6 will fly from New Zealand to join us (Joanna has to work).

So I am going to get plenty of G7 cuddles. Will be missing the other grand children cuddles and my other children/adults/husband/friends, but what an opportunity! I feel like I am the luckiest person alive…. and I am very thankful.

Watch out people…ย this blog is going to have so many updates over the next six months.

It’s a Pom Pom making day

Another wet day in the Naki! And another day to entertain the grandsons indoors. I taught grandaughter G3 how to make a Pom Pom the last time I was in Sydney, so thought that it was the perfect opportunity to teach the boys as well.

Pom Poms are really easy to make and are a great way of using up all your old balls of wool. Especially if you only have one ball left of a colour, or a batch, or there isn’t enough to make a whole garment.

If you’ve never made a Pom Pom before, here are the instructions…

Cut out two circles of cardboard with another circle cut out of the centre

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Put the two circles together and start winding the wool around and around.

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Keep adding more and more wool until the centre is full.

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Complete filling it up using a darning needle with a super large hole threated with the wool.

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Now the tricky part! You have to cut the Wool between the two circles just like the photo below

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Wind a piece of wool between the circles and tie it tight so it will hold all the cut wool together

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Rip off the cardboard circles and do a little trimming to neaten it up and voila! You now have a Pom Pom!

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Our Pom Pom was thrown around as a soft inside ball. Great entertainment for two active boys.

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And when the fun of a new Pom Pom had worn off Maisy the dog found it on the lounge floor. She was loving it! Tossing it around like it was made just for her! If I hadn’t rescued it I imagine it would have been destroyed in no time!

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All in all our Pom Pom making experience has been quite fun! G2 wanted to make another one straight away. He loved the idea of using a needle but I was happy with just one big Pom Pom for awhile. Perhaps we can make another the next wet day ๐Ÿ™‚

Home Made Playdough

Well the school holidays are here again!

Yesterday I drove to Palmerston North to pick up our Grandsons G2 and G4. I love having these boys to stay! You only have to look through a few of my previous blog posts and you will see photos of previous holidays and details of our adventures. I have made a few plans for these holidays but today, their first day here, it is a cold, wet and windy day. So it’s inside entertainment! G2 also has a cough cold and is probably better off staying indoors and keeping warm. So first thing was a game of minecraft on the Play Station 3, and then it was break time. The boys know that Nana Pam doesn’t like them spending too long in front of the television or a computer screen! So, out came the saucepan and a batch of playdough was made for the next form of entertainment…..and they loved it ๐Ÿ™‚ If you haven’t made playdough before I suggest you give it a try. It is so easy!

Here is the the recipe….

Stir all together

1 cup of flour

1/2 cup of salt

1 cup water

1 tablespoon of oil

2 teaspoons of cream of tartar

and food colouring (any colour)

Then cook on medium heat, stirring all the time until the dough leaves the side of the pan. Tip it out onto ย tray and when it cools a little, knead it all together. And thenย the fun begins!

Here are some photos of the boys and their playdough creations…

Our lovely new, soft, green playdough
Our lovely new, soft, green playdough
Who would like a slice of pizza?
Who would like a slice of pizza?
Shhhhh it's a bird nest with a bird in it and her eggs
Shhhhh it’s a bird nest with a bird in it and her eggs
Christian cutting up his playdough sausage for Jaydens pizza
G4 cutting up his playdough sausage for G2’s pizza
I can see....a snail!
I can see….a snail!
Our Master Chef!
Our Master Chef!
Preparing and planning the pizza toppings
Preparing and planning the pizza toppings

Lots of fun to be had! Playdough play lasted for about an hour and I think that is a pretty good return for the time invested in making it. And, the best part of all is that if you store your Playdough in an airtight plastic bag or container, it will last for a month or even longer.

The sun has come out to shine this afternoon so maybe we can get out on the trampoline or the bikes! But if it’s wet again in the next few days, I am sure we will be able to get our green playdough out again….even if it’s only for another hour of play ๐Ÿ™‚

More than expected!

I have just had a wonderful elevenย day holiday in Sydney compliments of Son C1 and his wife D1. Talk about being spoilt! It has been one of the best Mother’s day and birthday presents EVER!

But the extra special thing about this trip has been the opportunity of taking my 85 year old Mother with me. Mum has been wanting to come to Sydney and see family for ages and this time everything just worked out nicely.

In the eleven days I had many moments that I will treasure in my heart forever. The cuddles with our two month old little grandson, visitingย eight year old grand daughter G3 at school and being shown all her school work for the year on display and being extra spoilt with gifts from amazing seventeen year old G1 (our eldest grandchild). I also had very special times with D1, and then C1 when he got home from his work trip to Florida. And in this holiday, we also had two precious evenings with Ben and Chloe. My mother/grandmother soul has been satisfied ….ahhhhhh

Mum sitting at Matthew's work desk
Mum sitting at C1’s work desk
Casey showing me one of her creations
G3 showing me one of her creations
Casey showing her baby brother Luke to her School friends
G3 showing her baby brother G6 to her School friends
Casey and me
G3 and me
Sam, Leeara and Casey
Sam, G1 and C3
Rebecca and Matthew
D1 and C1
Matthew and his Nana
C1 and his Nana
Batbaby!
Batbaby!
All attention on the cutest baby boy :-)
All attention on the cutest baby boy ๐Ÿ™‚
Luke at two months old with Great Nana on the chair behind him
G6 at two months old with Great Nana on the chair behind him
Casey, Chloe, Ben Mum and Me
G3, D3, C4 Mum and Me
Out for tea together. Rebecca, Leeara, Luke, Sam and Casey
Out for tea together. D1, G1, G6, Sam and G3
Casey making a Beeswax candle
G3 making a Beeswax candle

I wasn’t sure how Mum was going to cope with the travelling and then all the extra activities we would do while in Sydney, but I was amazed with her. I know she got very tired at times and probably had some pain in her body, but she pushed herself and kept up all the time, determined to not be a bother and to also do everything we were doing. There were a few times that I had to remind her to get her walking stick out for safety reasons. These became cheerful reminders as Mum would say she was waiting for me to ask her where her stick was. But the last thing I wanted was to see Mum hurt herself and one fall could have been very bad!

At the St Ives Showground
At the St Ives Showground
Four Generations
Four Generations
Mum with her 'STICK' walking stick
Mum with her ‘STICK’ walking stick

We did have an extraย  special moment on our flight from Auckland to New Plymouth (home). I will never forget it! We were watching a movie on my galaxy, both sharing one set of earplugs to listen. So we had to sit pretty close and listen carefully with one ear. The movie was a real tear jerker, and when the saddest moment came in the film, here was Mum and I, both moping up our tears. Mum commented about how alike we are at being moved emotionally at movies. During the mop up time I looked very closely at Mums hands. I held herย hands momenterily and looked at how crooked her little fingers had become. I felt so sad! My mother’s hands had suffered from the years of hard work. Herย hands had wrapped around each of her children with love many many times. Oh what stories they could tell. But here they are now all bent and wrinkled. They have served her well but they have aged and they now cause her pain. I realise that this is definitely the winter season of Mum’s life, and also realise that I am now heading into the Autumn season. How quickly life flies by! Am I ready for what happens during this winter season? No I am not! I don’t think I will ever be ready. I love my Mum and Dad so much.

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My Hand wrapped together with Mum’s hand
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Mum’s left hand
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Mum’s right hand. Look at her bent fingers, especially her index finger!

The sweetest thing I ever saw was when we arrived back at New Plymouth. Walking ย to the car to go home I turn around and there is my Mum and Dad walking along each holding a handle of Mum’s carrybag. It was only 2.5kgs (I know because I weighed it), but Dad was helping her carry it. I guess he knows Mum’s crooked little fingers, and how painful they can be, way better than I do, after all they have now been married for 66 years. They are amazing!

I will keep thatย imageย locked in my brain forever. It was so sweet! This cute little old couple still showing their love for each other, sharing the load and both having wonderful smiles on their faces at the joy of being together again.

Celebrating 66 Years
Celebrating 66 Years

Yes I got way more than I expected from theseย eleven days!

A Parent’s Love

Over the years of being a parent I have had so many happy loving moments that they are too numerous to mention, and each moment makes the role of being a parent worth the sacrifice and commitment of being a Mum. I have loved being a Mum (and still do) and I am now enjoying the role of being a grandparent. If you look at my last few posts you will see that we have been blessed with three more lovely grandchildren this year alone….making our grandchildren seven in number. Wow…God is good ๐Ÿ™‚

There has also been those times when parenting brings aย hurt that is almost unbearable. These are the times when you try to share a desire for the very best for your child, when you give the best wisdom you can from your own life experience, or wisdom that comes from God and His word to your child, but they just choose to walk a path that is completely opposite.ย As a parent you wonder why? What did I do wrong? What could I have done better? And yes… I know what you the reader would be saying. ‘You can’t live your child’s life for them’, ‘They have to grow up and make choices and live by the results of those choices..and grow through them’… But there is nothing wrong with wanting the very best for your child!

Seeing your child with wounds of the heart because of their wrong choices is one of the most painful things in life. You see…you love them so much, you don’t want them to be hurt that way. Falling over and skinnng a knee can heal really quickly, painful at the time, but actually has no life long effect. Being rejected, cheated on, disrespected, used and lied to is much more damaging. These hurts can take a lifetime to be healed from, and sadly, unless attended to, ย they can also affect future relationships. These wounds of the heart are that severe! Believe me I know.ย Those of you who know my history will know that I am talking from experience. And…because of my life, I have never wanted my children to suffer those very deep and painful wounds for themselves.

True healing can come from a relationship with God, but it can take years. It is a process. How much better it would be to never have made those wrong choices? I hope you, the reader has faith. God loves you, and His plan is perfect!

While travelling home from Sydney today I watched a movie called ‘Grace Unplugged’ It’s a great movie about a father trying to lead hisย child by example (hopefully we all do that), and to help her make decisions that he felt were the bestย for her to make (yes I could see where he was coming from), but instead the child, Grace, gathered resentment towards her father and his faith, and walked completely in the opposite direction. And sadly, both ended up with huge regrets…. the ending you can probably guess, but the movie is well worth watching to see the end for yourself. Anyway…. I could see some similarity in my life!

Once home and reading through my many emails I came across a link to a ‘You Tube’ clip from a church that I regularly watch messages from. This video/teaching is great! Well I think so anyway ๐Ÿ™‚ And, I wonder just how many parents of young adults that are getting into boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, would like to have access to great teaching on this very subject. Below is the link. Have a listen…and maybe send the link to your young adult to have a listen to as well….then, like me…. pray pray and then do some more praying ๐Ÿ™‚

And Grandbaby number two for 2014 arrives!

I am always amazed at pregnancies and birth. It is such a miraclulous event! ย I always think of Psalm 139:1-16 when I hear of a new pregnancy. Have a look in the Bible at this scripture and see what you think?

Now I have just had the most amazing 20 days in Sydney! I arrived on the 10th of March and left again on the 30th, and in that time I became a Nana again to grandchild number 6. Master G6 arrived at 3:50 am on the 18th of March, weighing in at 8lb 11 oz, and with a thick crop of black hair!

Baby Luke surrounded by his adoring family, Dad Matthew, Mum Rebecca, and sisters Leeara and Casey
Baby G6 surrounded by his adoring family, Dad C1, Mum D1, and sisters G1 and G3

So I spent 8 days in Sydney waiting for labour to start, and helping D1 with the last minute preparations for having a new baby in the home; and then 12 days having lots of Nana cuddles with G6 and getting to know him a little, and also spending quality time with his two big sisters, and Mum and Dad. I also had my camera out ready to capture all the memory making moments! Here’s a sample of those precious moments…

Rebecca is so tiny...and look how big her tummy is. This photo was taken only a few days before the birth.
D1 is so tiny…and look how big her tummy is. This photo was taken only a few days before the birth.
We thought he was going to be born on the 16th...so we were prepared!
We thought he was going to be born on the 16th…so we were prepared!
And we took another photo of the 17th Just in case!
And we took another photo of the 17th Just in case!
But we didn't think Rebecca would last until the 18th....so we didn't take a photo with the number 18! This one will have to do!
But we didn’t think D1 would last until the 18th….so we didn’t take a photo with the number 18! This one will have to do!
Brand new baby Luke with his very proud Daddy :-)
Brand new baby G6 with his very proud Daddy ๐Ÿ™‚
And the first photo of Luke with his Nana Pam....me!!!!
And the first photo of G6 with his Nana Pam….me!!!!

And from that first day of G6’s life after his birth…we managed to take heaps of photos. C1 reckons there are already more photos of G6 than he has of himself in his whole life… haha. But really, how can you not take so many photos of a very cute baby. And….such a good baby as well.

His first change into a night time stretch and grow. His big sisters are amazed by him :-)
His first change into a night time stretch and grow. His big sisters are amazed by him ๐Ÿ™‚
And getting his first hairwash and bath by his Daddy, with help from his sisters Leeara and Casey :-)
And getting his first hairwash and bath by his Daddy, with help from his sisters G1 and G3 ๐Ÿ™‚

Now I tried to be helpful, and not be labeled as an interferring mother-in-law (D1 and I get along really well, so I don’t really fear that label at all….but I treasure our relationship, and certainly want to make sure we remain great friends …always). So I did what I went over to Sydney to do. To be helpful and make life easier for the new Mummy, and the family as a whole. I helped with the cooking, washing and transporting and anything else that needed to be done. I also had many swims and managed to crotchet a whole blanket, and cushion cover and finish a little knitted cardigan….all for G6 ๐Ÿ™‚ I hope that I was a blessing….I know that I was blessed ๐Ÿ™‚

The first time I hung out Lukes clothes....such an emotional moment for me. I even made sure the pegs were all blue! Doesn't that clothes line just melt your heart!
The first time I hung out G6’s clothes….such an emotional moment for me. I even made sure the pegs were all blue! Doesn’t that clothes line just melt your heart!
And here he is laying on his new crocheted blanket that I made for him :-)
And here he is laying on his new crocheted blanket that I made for him ๐Ÿ™‚
The look of satisfaction. Tummy full and sleeping peacefully :-)
The look of satisfaction. Tummy full and sleeping peacefully ๐Ÿ™‚

And on the last full day of my holiday we went to get some family portraits taken. The photographer allowed me to take some photos from beside her. I imagine her photos are going to be spectacular, because even though my backgrounds aren’t perfect, the photos are amazing! I love them all!

A bare body photo of Luke at 11 days old :-)
A bare body photo of G6 at 11 days old ๐Ÿ™‚
A Beautiful family portrait :-)
A Beautiful family portrait ๐Ÿ™‚
A special moment between mother and son.
A special moment between mother and son.
Grand daughters Leeara and Casey with me....Nana Pam. The photographer also took a photo with Luke as well, but I have to wait to see that one!
Grand daughters G1 and G3 with me….Nana Pam. The photographer also took a photo with Luke as well, but I have to wait to see that one!

My son C1 has always been at ‘Star Wars’ fan. He has watched all the movies….many times. He has lots of Star Wars memorabilia. He has many collections of Star Wars collectors cards…and he can now say ‘Luke….I am your father’

Yes...One very happy Daddy to have a son after two beautiful daughters. His family is complete...or is it???
Yes…One very happy Daddy to have a son after two beautiful daughters. His family is complete…or is it???

Yes….2014 has been a great year so far. We have two new grand children to add to the fabulous four we already had. We also have another one due to be born in April. A little girl, and she will be born in London. I am guessing that that event will be my next post! And I can’t wait to meet her and share her with my world ๐Ÿ™‚

So Proud!

I love my Mum and Dad! They are 88 and 85 and still going strong. Strong in health, living and loving ๐Ÿ™‚ What an amazing heritage we have because of them. They deserve to be honoured…and I do honour them ๐Ÿ™‚

We have family tea together every Sunday night, missing out only occasionally. Here are some photos of our gathering last night. G2 and G4 are staying so they entertained themselves with clothes pegs….believe it or not!

me and my Mum...yes we do look alike :-)
me and my Mum…yes we do look alike ๐Ÿ™‚
What a lovely family group photo....love them all xxx
What a lovely family group photo….love them all xxx
Joanna with her Nana and Grandad :-)
C5 with her Nana and Grandad ๐Ÿ™‚
Me and my oldest daughter Joanna who jut turned 22....love her xxx
Me and my oldest daughter C5 who just turned 22….love her xxx
My Mum who is 85! - 86 in September. I come from good genes :-)
My Mum who is 85! – 86 in September. I come from good genes ๐Ÿ™‚
My Dad, he is 88 and a half!....he looks like the grandad in 'UP'
My Dad, he is 88 and a half!….he looks like the grandad in ‘UP’
A lovely photo of Jayden...except for the peg..haha
A lovely photo of G2…except for the peg..haha
Christian entertaining himself with the exercycle
G4 entertaining himself with the exercycle
My Mummy and My Daddy
My Mummy and My Daddy
The peg boys!!!
The peg boys!!!

I should have taken more photos of everyone there, but I am so happy with these photos. They all show the LOVE we have for each other.

The Renovations Continue…

We brought our home on Tate Road in Brixton approx 14 and a half years ago. Back then it was a house that needed major repair, but I saw heaps of potential in it, and it was a huge home. And we needed huge! With six children we needed the space. Space away from close neighbours and space to make noice! The boys were getting older, bigger and louder. They all loved living life loud! Daniel played various musical instruments, and he also loved to get into the garage and do some welding and grinding on his old car at any time of the day or night. Matthew, the eldest, had left home but he added to the family with his beautiful partner Rebecca and our lovely first grandchild Leeara. And they were here often as well, so we definitely needed this house. I saw rooms, plenty of them, and with the attached flat we would have two bathrooms! So very necessary. Robin saw work and tons of it!

The house from the driveway
The house from the driveway
Side view with the fish pond in front of the house
Side view with the fish pond in front of the house
The front of the flat and the kitchen window on the house
The front of the flat and the kitchen window on the house
Looking along the house to the flat
Looking along the house to the flat
The back door on the house
The back door on the house

The whole front lawn had been planted out with conifers. They were the first to go. The very weekend we moved in we had a big bon fire, and a chainsaw cutting down the conifers and any other trees we didn’t want. That fire was relit many times over the next few years.

Looking up the driveway to the gate
Looking up the driveway to the gate

We also had lots to demolish inside! Robin would go to work each day and come home to another pile of rubbish, and bare walls! The poor man never had any down time….but I was loving the challenge! We were lucky enough to have two kitchens, laundries and bathrooms. One could be used while the other was being renovated. And the kitchen in the house was ugly…and needed a complete rebuild. It also needed new french doors and a lovely big deck outside. All fabulous additions which we have been well used for many family gatherings over the years.

A partly demolished kitchen in the house
A partly demolished kitchen in the house
I still made the bare kitchen look like home...sort of!
I still made the bare kitchen look like home…sort of!
We have benches and a sink
We have benches and a sink
The windows come out and the French doors go in
The windows come out and the French doors go in
The new doors are in!
The new doors are in!
The new doors from the outside
The new doors from the outside

I started to paint the house in colours that were commonly used on old villas. The first big job was to clean down the windows so they would open. The whole house had been sprayed with a protective coating which glued the windows closed! Once cleaned off I could then paint the window frames. By the time I had spent hours on a couple of the windows and exposed the rotten timber underneath, we made the decision to replace all the wooden windows with aluminum ones! And by that stage I had gone off the colonial colours and decided to paint in more neutral colours! Thank goodness I hadn’t gone too far! And…we are still trying to remove the spray coating off the walls. Only part of the front wall left to do….thank goodness! Robin’s and my wrists and elbows are getting too old and painful to keep on doing all the scraping that is necessary. What we have done looks great and eventually the flat will be painted the same colour and it WILL look fabulous!

Jo and Jess outside the lounge window. Note the new colours!!!
Jo and Jess outside the lounge window. Note the new colours!!!
The front of the house with the garden still in front of Jessicas bedroom
The front of the house with the garden still in front of Jessicas bedroom
The veranda off the house lounge
The veranda off the house lounge
The start of the deck
The start of the deck
The deck in progress
The deck in progress

The place also had two big fish ponds. One was by the back door which was really unsuitable for little children so that was emptied straight away. Not a fish in sight! It had a dead hedgehog in the pool and it had poisoned all the water. What a smell! And….what a lot of rubbish from it. Emptied….smashed up…and then refilled with dirt…yes, a BIG job! The other fish pond was on the front lawn. I kept this pool for about 10 years as it was loaded with fish. The annual pool clean up was another big job but the reward of seeing the gold fish and lovely water lily flowers was worth the effort. Eventually I decided that the effort put into maintaining it was more than the joys I got from those flowers, so out it came as well. Much easier to mow a flat grass area than go around a pool as well!

I shifted plants and created new gardens, demolishing others. I made footpaths, pulled out hedges and we made garden edgings. My weekends were filled up with weeding and maintaining the beautiful garden areas around the section…and I loved it.

The garage window is seen just behind this overgrown garden
The garage window is seen just behind this overgrown garden
These trees were along the right hand side of the garage
These trees were along the right hand side of the garage
The lawn outside the flats ranch slider
The lawn outside the flats ranch slider
The back lawn
The back lawn
Planted out the back garden
Planted out the back garden
The garden in front of the flat
The garden in front of the flat
Looking across the front lawn
Looking across the front lawn
The back garden grows!
The back garden grows!
The plum tree and house behind
The plum tree and house behind
The new deck
The new deck
The front fish pond and new gardens behind it
The front fish pond and new gardens behind it
Garden looking through to the flats driveway
Garden looking through to the flats driveway
Looking back to the driveway
Looking back to the driveway
walkway from the flat to the front lawn
walkway from the flat to the front lawn
view from the deck when the wisteria is in flower
view from the deck when the wisteria is in flower
Looking across the front rence garden
Looking across the front rence garden
View from the end of the driveway across
View from the end of the driveway across
One of my vege gardens last year 2012. The other one has potatoes in it
One of my vege gardens last year 2012. The other one has potatoes in it
View across thegarden along the back fence
View across thegarden along the back fence
The flats back yard
The flats back yard

Robin was rebuilding the walls inside the house and doing a great job, but we eventually got a builder in to help out, especially in the bathroom and laundry area….of both the house and the flat. I started doing the plastering, but that also got to become too big for me, so a plasterer finished off the walls as well. But, Robin and I did all the painting and wallpapering. We picked all the earthy colours of bright yellow, terracotta, dark blue and green! Yuck….what was I thinking? I did actually love it all at the time though! Hence the reason that ten years later, I have now almost completely redecorated the whole house. I only have the passageway and the office left to go! Phew!

Looking from the back door out to the garden

Looking from the back door out to the garden

Look at the bathroom!
Look at the bathroom!
That was the bath!
That was the bath!
Ahhhhh the flats bathroom
Ahhhhh the flats bathroom
The laundry and toilet on the left
The laundry and toilet on the left
The flat lounge (our bedroom for a few years!)
The flat lounge (our bedroom for a few years!)
Looking from the lounge in the flat to one of the bedrooms
Looking from the lounge in the flat to one of the bedrooms
The flats bath and shower
The flats bath and shower
The flats kitchen
The flats kitchen
Ahhhhh....why did I put apricot coloured wallpaper in the bathroom? That goes!
Ahhhhh….why did I put apricot coloured wallpaper in the bathroom? That goes!
And blue in the laundry, back door area
And blue in the laundry, back door area
The bathroom in the flat gets a reno job
The bathroom in the flat gets a reno job
The bathroom looking through to the flat laundry area
The bathroom looking through to the flat laundry area
And why did I paint the bathroom that colour?
And why did I paint the bathroom that colour?

We lived in the flat as well as the house until there were only five of us left at home. The girls had their own rooms in the flat and Robin and I had always used the lounge in the flat as our master bedroom. It wasn’t until the middle of one night when Ben, our youngest son, had had a bad dream. He came wandering through the house into the flat in tears and said that it was quite scary to have the whole house to himself at night. I hadn’t even thought about him being the only boy left in the house. It was the push we needed to shift into the house which left the flat available for rental. Bonus! We painted over the wallpaper in the flat to give it a quick tidy up and then finally renovated it entirely between tenants only two years ago. The walls were painted in a neutral colour throughout, and now the house is nearly finished being painted in the same colour.

Bathroom in the flat
Bathroom in the flat
Bedroom two
Bedroom two
Bedroom one
Bedroom one
Looking out to the deck
Looking out to the deck
Flat dining area
Flat dining area
Flat lounge
Flat lounge
Kitchen back wall
Kitchen back wall
The updated kitchen
The updated kitchen
Laundry room
Laundry room
heated towel rail added along with new paint work
heated towel rail added along with new paint work

In 2011 we included the outside games room and the house back door area into the renovations. We had put a French door in our bedroom approximately five years earlier with the intention of putting a new deck off it. The project in 2011 incorporated a new deck extending from the back door right to the driveway. The games room was always the room that needed the most fixing, but that didn’t stop Daniel using it as his own little flat….followed by Simon and then Ben. Robin and absolutely love the room now. He has a great computer set up and I have it as a scrapbooking/craft room. The room is also fabulous for a sleepout for visitors. We put a roof and doors on the deck and also now have a conservatory that warms up beautifully all year round.

the deck roof has been removed
the deck roof has been removed
The french doors off our bedroom
The french doors off our bedroom
The side of the garage and games room
The side of the garage and games room
new construction
new construction

SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA

The flat and the house
The flat and the house
New path around the flat. Flat still needs painting!
New path around the flat. Flat still needs painting!
The new craft room nearly finished
The new craft room nearly finished
Back yard
Back yard
View from the deck off our bedroom and conservatory
View from the deck off our bedroom and conservatory

We have had so much enjoyment both living in our home, and renovating it. It is set on a half acre section and we have no immediate neighbours. I can look out the windows and admire the lovely view I get from each window. The gardens are now well developed and there are lovely mature trees. We can eat from our vegetable gardens and have enough fruit trees to both eat and preserve the fruit.

Now - Looking at the garage, porch and back door area
Now – Looking at the garage, porch and back door area
Now - My back garden - along the back fence
Now – My back garden – along the back fence
Back fence garden and vege patch
Back fence garden and vege patch
Now - The front of the house showing the part still to be cleaned up and painted
Now – The front of the house showing the part still to be cleaned up and painted
Now - The french door into the kitchen
Now – The french door into the kitchen
Now - looking at the laundry and toilet door
Now – looking at the laundry and toilet door
Now - looking out one of the dining room french doors
Now – looking out one of the dining room french doors
Now - the fireplace lounge
Now – the fireplace lounge
Now - our bedroom...still have to buy new bedside lamps
Now – our bedroom…still have to buy new bedside lamps
Now - looking down the nearly finished lounge
Now – looking down the nearly finished lounge

Yes…I love my house. It is, and probably always will be, a work in progress. It has never been perfect. It is old and there is a lot of maintenance needed, but to me it’s better than perfect…it’s home!

 

The Final Day Of Our Holiday!!!

No!!!!! The holiday has come to an end…and we had to say goodbye to Daniel and Marysia early in the morning. They had to go to work in London, and we had to leave for the airport at 5pm. With our bags all packed and the beds stripped and towels in the wash, we venture off again in Marysia’s little car. Teresa is beginning to get quite the expert I must say.

We venture to the nearby town of Windsor. After the nerve wracking experience of finding a petrol station, we find a carpark and off we go and explore Windsor on foot. The Windsor Castle dominates the town so it is very easy to find your way around. The gates of Windsor are at the end of the Windsor Great Park. Last year when Judy, Len, Robin and I came over we walked the great walk with Dan, Marysia and Glenda. It was fantastic. The whole grounds are owned by the queen and yet the public can wander through, ride bikes, horses, or just have family picnics and outings there. The deer even roam around in the park. We didn’t have time to do the walk this time but it was great to be able to show Teresa what it was like. I have put a photo up of the gate with a rusty old padlock on it. The story behind it is that when king Albert died, his wife Victoria was so sad she had the gate padlocked and it hasn’t been opened since then. He used to go out that gate every morning on his horse for a ride and Victoria couldn’t bare to be reminded of it…she loved and missed him so much…Awwww Outside Windsor Castle, there is a rather enigmatic Royal Air Force blue post box standing side-by-side with a red pillar box. The blue post boxes were introduced to important sites in England (such as Windsor Castle) between 1930 and 1938 to receive air mail post for Europe. They only lasted eight years because of the rapid expansion of air travel in that period, and also the RAF in the build up to the Second World War, but a few of them can still be seen today. A much wider and longer-lasting legacy of the brief blue boxes can be seen on the airmail stickers used today by Royal Mail, which are still Air Force blue to match their old post boxes. And as you can see by the photos below..we found the blue post box!

Windsor Castle grounds - part of!
Windsor Castle grounds – part of!
Windsor Castle wall with Windsor shops on the left
Windsor Castle wall with Windsor shops on the left
a Sign in Windsor
a Sign in Windsor
Statue and Castle
Statue and Castle
The only blue post box in Windsor
The only blue post box in Windsor
The gates of Windsor Castle
The gates of Windsor Castle
Standing at the Windsor end of the great walk
Standing at the Windsor end of the great walk
IMG_5306
The locked gate with the rusted padlock
IMG_5309
In front of Windsor Castle and at the end of the long walk

Windsor Great Park sign
Windsor Great Park sign
The church at Windsor
The church at Windsor
IMG_5325
Another view of the Castle Buildings
Sign at Windsor
Sign at Windsor

While at Windsor, we did a little shopping, had a nice lunch and just explored the Windsor town. Very soon it was time to get back to Dan and Marysias and get ready for our taxi pick up.

Windsor Royal Shopping Center entrance
Windsor Royal Shopping Center entrance
Standing in front of the old train engine called The Queen
Standing in front of the old train engine called The Queen

All went smoothly and we were at Heathrow airport before we knew it. Our flight was leaving at 10pm. We had a meal shortly after take off and then we all slept until nearly at Singapore. The Singapore stopover was a little easier than on the way over as it wasn’t as long, but the flight from Singapore to Auckland was painfully long! Because we had slept on the first flight we were only able to manage a couple of hours sleep on the second flight. We arrived in Auckland at approximately eleven am. And we had an arrival party. Merv (Teresa’s husband) and the four children were there to meet us. Jessica arrived shortly afterwards and we all enjoyed a fabulous reunion lunch together. Judy and I then had a three hour wait for our flight to New Plymouth. And I couldn’t stay awake! I had to lie down on an available seat, most uncomfortably, and with my backpack as a pillow….and sleep.

For the next three days I was asleep at 7.30 and awake at 5am. I do not cope with jetlag at all. But, I would put up with it anytime to have another amazing holiday like the one I just had. I am happy to say that this time I am home and feeling settled. After my last holiday I just couldn’t settle in to normal life…I fought it every day! But, I have felt strongly about getting this holiday all posted on my blog, and then I can move on to my next venture…more about that in my next blog post. Until then….no more holiday posts for me. The holiday has ended…thanks for reading. I hope you feel encouraged to travel yourself. Insight Vacations do amazing tours to lots of different destinations. I would easily go on another tour….want to join me?