Easter - The Long Weekend

I love Easter!  Actually I love any excuse to celebrate with family and friends. There just isn't enough excuses to celebrate in my opinion.  Easter though, is up there with one of my most favourite time of the year.  It holds such scared meaning for us as a family, meaning that goes far beyond the humble Easter Egg.
The old 'EB' doesn't get much on a look in around here, yes the kids still get Easter eggs and greedily eat most of their eggs before the weekend is out. I mean come on that is what I would do! (I mean do - shhhh)

Easter weekend is filled with traditions both old and new, ones that even if we wanted too the kids don't let us forget them.  Again I love traditions, they are so important in a family, they are what holds us to each other, what gives us a sense of belonging to something much bigger than ourselves. In saying that there were a couple of traditions that we missed this year!

The wind and the rain threaten to dampen our Easter spirit this year and it nearly did a good job of it too. Our power went out at lunch time on Thursday and when our power is out we have no water.  Of course when we have no water everyone is extra thirsty aren't they!  We hold a family life group at our house every second week and at the last minute had to change locations for the occasion.  You just cannot have people at your house when you are flushing the toilets with buckets of water out of the pool!!  Family night went off without a hitch and saw the kids hunting around the house for various symbols pertaining to the Easter Story. The great big world of blogging is a treasury of good creative ideas for just about anything!
Check it out here!

Easter Friday - still no power! Groan.  I can cope without the power but no water......not my favourite! So after a quick clean up around the house we packed ourselves off for a Easter visit to Grandmas house armed with HOT CROSS BUNS of course (oh and a basket piled high with a few days worth of washing - Grandmas are good like that aren't they)  After a lovely morning of visiting and indulging on Easter treats we returned to our power back on!! Um Yay!!!  I have to admit I was getting a little grumpy about the whole no water thing.  Here is what our afternoon looked like.

Yip clean up duty!!  Not so sadly we lost an ugly old orange tree in the storm!  

Saturday we braved the town to do some last minute Egg shopping (stupid of us really) and to get a few bits and pieces for a shared lunch on Sunday.  Seriously everyone should stay away from town on a day stuck between two public holidays. Its just crazy dangerous!

Easter Sunday - the highlight of the weekend!  Even when I woke this morning and sat reading my bible, the day felt holy and sacred. I often get overwhelmed while thinking about what Jesus did for me, me who is so undeserving.  Brings tears to my eyes just typing this.

But while it was a super special day it certainly wasn't immuned to 'pre-church-I-just-want-to-get-out-the-door-with-the-house-tidy-and-no-one wearing-their-breakfast-on-their-face-and-still-in-their-pyjamas' stress and other everyday battles incidences.  

After all we are all human aren't we and I certainly don't want to pretend otherwise. 

Church was pretty special this morning.  I think everyone comes with an expectant heart and ready to worship and to thank and praise our Father. I love that.

This morning I had goosebumps.

Maybe I am a little bias but Jamie preached an awesome Easter message (his first one ever!) and together the whole congregation shared not only in the taking of communion together but a celebratory morning tea!  What a blessed morning!

Do I dare say that I do find it a little sad when chunks of the congregation are missing due to it being the long weekend and people take the opportunity to go away.  I get the spending time with family and making the most of the long weekend, we have done that in the past plenty of times but they really did miss out on something special today.

We were blessed this afternoon. Blessed with the company of good friends, AMAZING food and by golly a large quantity of laughter.  And the chocolate oh the chocolate! Eggs upon eggs upon eggs and then we can't forget the chocolate game!

Can one ever have enough chocolate?  Today I am thinking maybe.  

(But ask me tomorrow, my answer no doubt will be different.)

We thought that we could put off the traditional Easter Egg hunt until tomorrow. We tried to sell it to the kids by stating it would draw out the Easter fun even further. But alas it was not to be.

The weather wasn't our friend so we had to hide ALL 72 eggs inside! I hear you gasp!  No worries 66 of them were teeny tiny ones and 6 were big ones AND there are 6 kiddies!!!

It is actually quite hard to think of hiding spots for that many eggs when you are confined to two rooms!

Here in New Zealand where get an added bonus day off tomorrow being Monday, which makes the total weekend a glorious four day weekend!

 Ahhh I wonder who will get to sleep in tomorrow morning? I wonder if it will be me.

(please pick me please pick me pick me please)

Tomorrow will see us (weather permitting) doing another post-storm clean up of a tree down at church but other than that who knows. Its so nice having some free days with no plans.

 They can be very rare at times.

What Easter traditions do you have? 

Birthday Season in Full Swing!

NB: No one has been punched in the face in these pictures, my camera has developed a black smudge on the lens and depending on the direction of the lens or the position of the subject it can look dubious!

Yes its the beginning of birthday season in our house.  Birthdays are a really big deal and we celebrate well.  Traditions have been created within our family and continue year after and year. (as traditions do - duh)  This year Kaitlyn turned 7 and while 7 isn't  generally considered by many as a "wow-you-are-7" number (not like 1, 5 or 10), we felt we needed to make it an "oh-my-goodness-you-are-7-that-is-so-cool".

Our birthdays always starts off the night before when decorations go up, then with present opening first thing in the morning and then progress on to birthday breakfast of choice.

                                         

Because turning 7 is something to be celebrated, this wee little lady got treated to getting her ear-pierced. She had asked me a couple of weeks prior if she could get "holes in her ears" and I thought that would be a pretty special birthday present.

One very excited girl (and one nervous Mama)

Ear-rings in and a celebratory morning tea was in order!

(I was so glad that was over)

Definitely can't have birthdays without cupcakes!!

                                                  

Its been a long standing tradition that the kids can choose their birthday cakes or choose to have me make a surprise one for them.

Kaitlyn's request was a giant chocolate cake!  And really you couldn't get anymore chocolate than this one.  Maybe even bordered on too much chocolate - if that is even possible!

(Did I just say that?)

I found this photo on my camera, I am assuming one of the kids took it.

I actually think it looks quite cool in all its blurry-ness!

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Kaitlyn

Happy Birthday to you!

                                         

Three days later......

The changing of the decor'!

Sophie wanted a Minnie Mouse party for her special birthday!

She was turning 5!

Birthday wishes from big brothers always appear on the windows all ready for the morning festivities!

When you are five you get to have TWO birthdays!  One for a few friends where party games are played and a special table is set!!  No Big Brothers allowed at this table!

They did get fed though!

You also get to decorate/create you own ice cream cake!

This brings out the control freak in me - I want to help!!!

Her creation!!!

Minnie Mouse would be proud!  You know I am not the most creative person around and I am more than willing to admit that I did not come up with any of these ideas myself. Pinterest is a wonderful thing for those of us who are creatively challenged.  Even for those of us on a budget you can still glean ideas and make them your own.

I will say though that the table cloth was my idea, 

one of my rare (very very rare) creative clever moments!!

The table is set, already to enjoy!

Another Pinterest gleaned idea!

When working with ice cream cakes, you have to work fast as they melt really fast and burning candles on top of them doesn't help either!

Party number TWO!! Is a party with family, extended family, good friends and important people in 

Sophie's life!

More Cupcakes!

Sadly I can't take credit for these beauties!

Thanks Aunty Tash!

Presents!!

Presenting opening for little kids always has the potential to be a little embarrassing.

In my observation of many many children opening presents - they ALL just want to open them as fast as they can and most will say at least one inappropriate thing. I don't think they are being rude - its just EXCITING and they are LITTLE!!

I have learnt not expect any child to gush over a present I give them when they open it.

 Life is too short to get offended over it!

Sophie definitely had a Minnie Mouse theme going with her presents this year.

We love Minnie Mouse around here!

This year Sophie's choice of cake was....a unicorn or a volcano!

Random choices and poles apart!

I choose a volcano purely for selfish reasons....1. a volcano is far easier to make and takes less time and 

2. A unicorn really???  Did you not see my last attempt at an animal!!

Sophie was very very blessed with her two special days!  They are so many people that are important and that we appreciate their input into her, ours and other kids lives! 

Celebrating is an important part of our family life. I don't think as a society we do it enough or very well.

That is why we make an effort to create a big deal of even seemingly small things (or seemingly unimportant birthdays like 7) because its those small things that make up the majority of our lives.

"Birthdays give us the opportunities to stop and appreciate all the beautiful things and people that we have been Blessed with." -Author Unknown

Happy Birthdays Girls!!!

 See below the reason why I did not attempt an unicorn!  Jesse's 1st birthday cake was suppose to be a duck but turned out looking like a .....seagull with a broken beak and issues with its feathers perhaps?

Capturing the Spirit of Advent

So Christmas is nearly upon us. (does anyone else think the word 'upon' even sounds Christmassy?)  And ALL of us can testify that it is a busy time.  End of year celebrations here, break-ups there and not to mention the shopping!  I can easily get quite stressed around this time of year especially when I look to far ahead on the calendar.  I have now learnt that my brain can only cope with looking two or three days ahead.  Something that I have learnt this year is the need to quieten down my head (as if that is even possible) and quieten down my family (again as if that is even possible).  Its far too easy to get caught up in the busy-ness and celebration of it all and forget that in amongst all that craziness is a family. A family that needs to be fed, a family that needs to rest and a family that needs to be just that - a family.  

I am a bit late on the up-take of this idea as I just discovered it reading other Christmassy blogs to help get me in the festive mood.  Its a great way to gain some new ideas and be inspired in all things Christmas!  And this is how (what I hope to be our new tradition) of our Advent Countdown came to be.  Traditions are good and I am especially big on traditions, enough to go a little loopy if we break one from time to time.  Traditions are some of what holds us together and connects us to our family and its story.

So a new one is born!

 

Advent traditionally starts  4 Sundays back from the 25th of December - somewhere between the 27 November and the 3rd December (inclusive) - which is why I suppose they start those choc advent calendars on the 1st of Dec.  Also Advent traditionally came with a bunch or do's and don'ts, fasting and special music too - I just learnt that.

But I really want our time of Advent to be a time of reflectiveness  (we all know how I love to do that) and a time for our family to be and do things together, during this crazy time of year.

 

 So I was a little late ( ok a lot late) at discovering it and getting myself and the kids organised to make one. So for this year I made it in time to start on the 11th making it two weeks long instead of four.  In each pocket as we countdown until Christmas Day, I wrote down paper and rolled up, activities that we can do as a family at some point during the day.  Everyone has a turn at picking it out each morning and discovering what it might be. Due to limited funds I had to be creative here as some of the ideas I read about involved spending money.

  Here is what I had/have:-

 

11th - Family Sock wrestling tournament.

12th - Ice Cream Sundaes at McDonaldsd

13th - A dance party in the living room with hot chocolates

14th - The Budd family Christmas celebration day at the lake (extended family)

15th - Red and Green Dinner with good friends

16th - xBOX Kinect sports tournament

17th - Roasting marshmallows on the brazier

18th - Baking treats to give to the mailman

19th - Sleeping in the lounge and watching a Christmas movie

20th - Baking to be a blessing to others

21st - Candy Cane hunt

22nd - The Johnston Family Christmas Day (extended family)

23rd - Driving around into town to see the Christmas lights on display

24th - Listening to the Christmas story (Luke 2) and having sparkling grape juice and nibbly things!

 

Day at the lake!

 

 

 

Red and Green Dinner

 

In all honesty some of the above hasn't panned out how I expected it to but hey its the first year expect bumps along the way.  The dance party consisted of Mum and Dad dancing and the kids drinking hot chocolates and roasting marshmallow hasn't happened yet because its been too windy to safely do that.

Tonight we are sleeping in the lounge and watching a Christmas movie which I think maybe 'The Grinch'.  Past experiences of doing this particular activity tells me that I need to expect the following to happen.

1. ALL 6 kids will bounce on ALL the mattresses. That is a given - even they are told not to.

2. They will NOT go to sleep quietly and straight after the movie - that too is a given!

3. Someone will get angry at someone making a stupid noise too loud, farting or just breathing when they are trying to get to sleep.

4.  Jesse will not go to sleep anytime before the others.

5. Someone will cry because someone will put their foot, hand, body or little finger on their bed - accidentally on purpose.

and

6. We will ALL have a great sleep because we always do when we all sleep in the lounge.

 

So in order to enjoy this evening with the kids I will expect ALL of the above to happen and I won't be disappointed when it does and be most pleasantly surprise if it doesn't.

I am definitely not holding my breath though.

 

Previous lounge sleeping evenings

 

What are some of your family traditions - new or old?

Winter Weekend Get Away

I am choosing not to feel sorry for myself at the present time but to deeply sigh into the peace that surrounds me as my children all sleep and my husband is out at a birthday dinner for his brothers 18th.  Ha that last sentence may imply that my husband is quite noisy - well sometimes perhaps.  Even the TV is off. What a treat!!  All I can hear is the fire crackling, the hum of the computer and me tap tap tapping away on these keys. *sigh*

So how are you?  I mean How are you? Really? I hope that life is treating you kindly and all is well in your neck of the woods or corner of the world.  I have had a sad baby today which as many of you will know, it makes everything you do throughout the day just that much harder.  He is currently growing teeth and has flaming red cheeks. Poor wee boy. Sad boy = snuggly boy so I was blessed with extra snuggles today.

I have so many photos and stories to tell you, I wish I had more time to share them  but I will start with our weekend away.  We were treated to a three nights away down at my Mums house to help celebrate my nephews 5th birthday.  I say treated, it was a treat as due to our current economic status we hadn't been down there for nearly a year.  It was great to get away and see family.

 

Jack Hallgarth

 Handsome nephew!

Aged 5

Loves Transformers, Lightening McQueen and Frank (soda water drink with lime)

 

The kids were SUPER SUPER excited and had even packed there bags three days before we were due to leave. They do not get that from me - I packed the morning we left!

Its times like these that I have no problems getting them into the car, they were waiting for me!

 

Its a tradition in our family to play 'Car Bingo' a game that I constructed after I saw something similar in the toyshop (but way over priced)

 

You each have a laminated sheet with pictures of 16 things you may see along the way. 

On this one we have:-

A pig, plane, seagull, motorbike, rubbish, tractor, café, Suzuki Swift, weather vane, yellow mail box, log truck, school sign, 30km sign, a 'GPU' number plate, a personalised number plate and a boat.

Rules are as follows:-

First person to see item gets a blue dot sticker to put on the corresponding picture.

Someone else has to see it too.

If you find a windsock or a hitch hiker you get a free blue dot.

If someone has found something no one else can use that same thing for a sticker.

Game is paused in a 50km zone or through town.

First to sticker all pictures is the winner.

No fighting or punching or kicking or name calling if someone beats you to something

(that rule is not just for the kids - it get REALLY competitive up the front too)

 

 

It concerns me that Jamie has won this most of the times we have played it - and he is supposed to be watching where he is driving!

 

We are on our way!

 

After a stop to look at a scenic waterfall and a geocache jaunt (which we couldn't find) we stopped off by Lake Taupo for a wee picnic.  God blessed us with a stunning day for it too.

  Lots of locals were eyeing up our lunch.  The kids were most impressed that these Seagulls could catch food in mid-air! 

  Out doing what boys love to do!

(no he is not throwing stones at the duck but skimming them)

 

 Isn't this the weirdest looking duck ever! I am sure its head is misplaced. It looks as if it needs to come forward on its body more either that or it big breasted!!

The Dolly Parton of Ducks perhaps.

 

 This wee pool of water is why this particular place in Taupo is called Hot Water beach.  Off to the left of the photo is a wee spring that is bubbling up from the bottom of a bank. The water is quite hot. Too hot for the kids to leave their fingers in it for too long. People have been know to bathe here, soap and all!

 

 This is a perfect place to stop and have lunch and stretch legs for an hour or so before heading off for another two hour part of the journey.  I should bring a bag of stale bread next time I think, might save half our lunch!

 

 

An early morning walk along Te Awanga beach. This is where I grew up and I would never tire of this view.  Te Awanga is a sleepy wee village. Not at all sandy like most beaches but has some good surf. It makes for an interesting stroll along the beach to see what the tides have washed up.  This particular day the sea was as flat as glass but it can get horrendously huge waves. 

 

Sleepy seaside village.

 Oooo I see some sand - that's a rarity.

  These picture make me smile.  They look so innocent and good paddling away there but unbeknown to you it turned into a full on winter swim after Sophie fell over fully clothed!  After that they were all in.  One day I'll learn to take a towel or two with me.

 

 Cute 'Baby's foot'!

 

 Since Sophie got the wettest we had to strip her off and wrap her up in some one's sweatshirt so she got to ride home in style (in the pushchair). Jesse got treated to a view!

 

All of the cousins and second cousins that attended at Jacks Party.

A party all on its own really.

 

Time with family is always special, especially when a milestone is being celebrated such as a fifth birthday! Celebrating is good. Celebrating is important.

 

Kaitlyn came roaring inside yesterday and announced that her flowers finally had flowers on them. We went out and investigated and had a discussion about Spring Bulbs (in this case Irises) and how they start to flower at the very end of Winter or beginning of Spring. She concluded that we MUST have a Spring Day Party to celebrate!

 

That is a good idea I think, a very good idea.

  I think we just might do that!