My big boy :)

Today I had a really good day with my big boy Mac. Most days have elements of good parts in them, but I also feel like a bit of a broken record at the end of the day with him at the age he is at the moment because I feel like I have to repeat myself over & over & over again!!! I usually have to say to him at least half a dozen times to hurry up & eat his breakfast, & then maybe a dozen times to come into the bathroom so I can brush his teeth & wash his face & to get him into the car takes another five minutes & so the day goes on....
So today was a really good day because I felt like I didn't have to hit the replay button as much as usual & it was great!!

Here are some recent pics of my precious little monkey...




Cutest missionary I ever did see xoxo



His new telly watching perch while Spence is having his afternoon nap



Snapped!! I caught him putting makeup removal pads under his shirt (that Aunty Jose & Uncle Mattsy brought him back from their honeymoon in Fiji).... If you're a Mum you'll understand what he was pretending they were (just a little confused!!) 



One of Mac's favourite dinners - & one of mine too because it's so quick & easy (p.s I can hear you cracking up Mell & Nat thinking which one of your meals isn't quick & easy lol!! Too true)



Signature Mac facial if things aren't going his way (feel like I see this expression way more than I'd like to!! It's got a really irritating whine that goes along with it as well lol. When I used to whinge my Mum always used to prophesy that I'd get a whiny kid of my own one day so that I'd know what it feels like & sure enough Mac is it!)

I love you to bits my precious! Life wouldn't be the same without you xoxo

31st birthday & 7 year anniversary

Yesterday was my 31st birthday & also our 7 year wedding anniversary. Those two days make me think of two of the most beautiful and special people in my life, my Mum & my husband - my bestie for eternity. It was kind of a strange day though because I didn't get to celebrate it with either of them in person....but I thought about them a whole lot & about just how lucky I am to have the best Mum & husband in the world x

I didn't have children of my own when my mum passed away, but every birthday I've had since Mac was born almost 4 years ago now I've spent alot of the day just thinking about my Mum & wishing I could talk to her & tell her how I feel. I always thought I knew how much she loved me, but now that I have kids of my own I realise that the amount I thought she loved me didn't even come close (& that was a whole darn lot!!)

Now that I'm am mother myself I can imagine her lying in her hospital bed on my "birth" day just staring into my little crib right next to her, watching me sleep, completely overwhelmed with awe & gratitude that a special little angel had just been entrusted to her care. I can imagine her getting up to feed me at night & in the dark & quiet of it all feeling so blessed & honoured to be my Mum - as though it placed her higher than the noblest royalty....I can imagine her watching me sleep & being so overwhelmed with love that she wished she could freeze the moment in time & capture it forever in her mind's eye....I can imagine her pure excitement when I took my first steps & her genuine concern whenever anything ever happened to hurt me...... The list just goes on, but there are soooooo many things that I can imagine now that I never really understood before. I ALWAYS knew she loved me, but I never really had any idea JUST HOW MUCH....And so I wish I could tell her now that I truly understand the depth of her love & hope that she knows JUST HOW MUCH I love her & honour her in return. 

On the same day that I was so overwhelmed with gratitude for my beautiful Mommy, I was also contemplating just how thankful I am for my wonderful husband. I can remember our wedding day 7 years ago like it was just yesterday. Looking back now we seemed so young & naive with no real idea of the responsibilities that come along with marriage & parenthood & yet we've managed to figure SOME of it out along the way... I'm so grateful for him & for all the memories we've made together.

I love that when we look into each other's eyes we don't even have to talk because 7 years down the track we pretty much know each other better than we know ourselves. I love his endless reserves of optimism & motivation. I love that he loves to work & that he believes in his own & other's potential. I especially love that he pulls over to the side of the road & buys burnt cookies or bruised fruit from little kids that are trying to save money for something special. I love that he's an awesome father to our sons & that he loves to hang out with Mac watching or playing transformers or reading books before bed. I think I'm the luckiest girl I know to get to spend forever with my best friend in the whole wide world :)........

2007

2011

But anyway speaking of besties, I'm also grateful that I got to spend my birthday yesterday with a few other of my most special people!! The boys were both sick so we didn't get to go to church, but instead I took them over for a drive to Bastion Point so I could show Mac where his Mum & Dad got married.....so I packed us some lunch.... 

.....but as always Mac wasn't interested in eating when there was other things to explore. He sat down for maybe two seconds...

and then he was off......

And Spence didn't talk or share any of the picnic lunch so he wasn't really the greatest date lol. (Not sure if I'll invite him out again haha)

Anyways, then in the afternoon Dad came round with Mell, Jo & the girlies. Mell had made her delicious rolls & a yummy lasagne for dinner, so we had that... 

And then while we were eating Tui called out of the blue to ask what number we lived at again lol???? I thought it was kinda weird, but then a couple of minutes later she turned up & I realised that Mell had invited her, Nikki & Bex over as well. What a cool surprise!!!

Dad stayed for a little bit longer & stirred up some controversial conversation (as only he does best!!) & then once we'd had the cake he left so it could be just us girlies :)

My favourite girls partying into the wee hours of the morning (the fly spray is for you Dad lol)

 Mac thought the fly spray shot looked cool & wanted to have a go too :)

So to my family & all my special peeps - thankyou so much for making my 31st birthday so special, either by coming over or calling or sending me kind messages :) The best gift of all is having all of you in my life xoxo

Spency's 1st solids :)

So this afternoon Spency's routine got all out of wack as he wanted to go to sleep but was too hot being wrapped. This caused a bit of a dilemma however, as he still hasn't managed to go off to sleep without his wrap yet, so the result was that we ended up flagging the sleep & he got his way & was lifted out of bed!

Anyways it wasn't so bad as Mac & I were just pottering around so we didn't mind :) After about an hour though he was ready to go to bed again but it was still too soon to give him another feed so.....I wasn't planning on starting him on solids yet but I knew that when he went to sleep again that'd probably be it for the night & I just wanted his tummy to be a little bit fuller so I made up a tablespoon of Farex Pear & Banana rice cereal just to see how he'd go :) I have to say my mother's intuition was that he wouldn't be quite ready yet (he was 5 months yesterday) & that we'd have to wait a few more weeks, but I wanted to try it anyway.....

Pretty excited to be about to try this food thing!!!

Yay! I'm about to join the big kids club :)

Boy was I wrong!!! He was in there like a bull at a gate! He was so desperado to get it into his mouth that he was almost wolfing down the spoon & all lol...Man it made me feel like such a bad Mum!! He hasn't seemed like he's been more hungry than what he's been getting... but then from the way he was chowing it down, it looked like he hadn't been fed in weeks!!! He just couldn't get enough!

He finished the first lot I made up & then sat there sucking the life out of the bits that were left on his fingers while I made up another tablespoons worth - & then he inhaled that whole bowl too!!

Mac was so excited that Spence had just had his first try of proper food that he wanted to have his picture taken with him - it kinda just looks like Spency is wondering what Mac might taste like though lol............... Hope this appetite isn't a sign of things to come because otherwise this boy's gonna be eating me out of house and home!

"I wonder what he tastes like??" lol

A weekend of get togethers

So this weekend just past we were at Mell & Joe's again for the usual family get together not once, but twice!!


The Chch Ormsby's had just been down in Tauranga for their annual family holiday & had come back up to Auckland to stay the night before heading home again so we got to catch up with them on Saturday & then Cassie on Sunday. 


On Saturday it was good weather so we got to eat out on the deck & just chill while the kids ran riot. Sarah, Mac & Faith had a great time playing shop out in the little cubby house & everyone wanted turns riding Bronson's scooter (but no-one looked as cool riding it as he did!!)


It was so cool to all be together again cause we hadn't seen Jaus, Steph & the kids since Dad's 60th back in August or Luke & Linda since before Christmas & their trip to Oz. (AJ we had just seen at Nat & Kris's wedding a few weeks before, but it's always good to see AJ. We love that we get to see her so often!!)


Here are some of the pics from our fun afternoon together....

Such a yummy spread - again!!

Mell asked me to bring fruit so I used a cookie cutter to cut star shapes out of the watermelon  (cool idea from my favourite site Pinterest!)

 Aunty Steph & Larielle

 The hostess with the mostess :)
(Is that a saying or did we make that up?? It sounds really weird!!)

Jordy after he was found alone HELPING Mell with her gardening!!! Good one Jordy!

The girls joining in.....

 Mac & Sarah playing shop (Sarah starts school next month!!!)

Ella feeding icecream to her leg - & to the outside of her mouth.....anywhere but actually in her mouth lol :)

Brons was such a pro on this thing. So cute!! 

On your marks, get set, go!!! (Brons smoked Pod on Gloria the Hippo lol...she never had a chance!)

Pod & Gloria the Hippo

Bubby Kyky sitting on the drive in the middle of all the action chewing on his drawstring :)

Cuzzies xxx

Pod & Mac were fighting to stand next to Brons lol

Me & my little bud :) He has grown up sooo much since we last saw him in October & was talking to me heaps. It was so cool!

 Jojo & his new gears....from 2 decades ago!!! (Dad had cleared out his wardrobe & brought some stuff over to see if Jo wanted it lol....Mell said this outfit was definitely a keeper!! :P)

   Sunday 

It rained on Sunday so we had to have our get together with Cass inside, but it was still just as fun & soooo good to see her!! The kids all loved kisses & cuddles with Aunty Cassie & can't wait till she's back at Christmas!! (with the boys & Azza & hopefully for a whole lot longer)...

Spency's first cuddles with Aunty Cassie