Tag Archives: Christmas
Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Tree Time
Christmas in New Zealand
So Christmas has come and gone and I missed posting something about it because it turns out just like costal towns in Australia, the costal towns in New Zealand don’t always have the best Internet reception… So here it is a little late, but here all the same!
Christmas is a time to celebrate joy and love with those you love, and while for Dave and I it has steadily gotten harder for us to see all the people we love on Christmas Day, for the last 10years, while we have been together, I have been pretty blessed in that at Christmas. I have been able to see and spend time with my family, if not on Christmas Day then on the surrounding days. But this year it’s a little different, this year I am away for Christmas, still with family, but with different family than the last 10 Christmases… In fact different from the last 27 Christmases… This year it’s Christmas with the George’s… Well the extended Georges… Kind of, and its been really nice.
I have to admit there were lots of things I missed from home, the biggest ones being seeing my brothers, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles on Christmas morning… And carols by candlelight… I really struggled not being able to enjoy the carols of Dennis Walter and Sylvie or being able to laugh at David Hobson, while secretly enjoying they fact that someone has sung Holy City! But thanks to the marvel that is the mobile phone (after a wrong number to some poor random in New Zealand) I was able to speak to home, and then celebrate in a slightly different fashion.
It is an odd feeling being a random at Christmas, but it was actually a great day. Dave and I were warmly welcomed and included in a delicious summer Christmas feast. We also walked on the black sand of the Otaki beach and enjoyed the surprisingly good New Zealand weather.
It turns out that even with family that we don’t spend a whole lot of time with, Christmas is still the same! Love and joy are celebrated and embraced and shared and it is still wonderful! It’s a day, I know not for all, but at least for me, I get to experience heaven on earth in the love that Christ came to bring. I can witness joy on the face of Dave’s grandma as she laughs at a corny Christmas joke. I get to be part of the excitement as Dave’s Dad creates the wonder of Santa with a $5 warehouse scavenger hunt. And I get to be thankful for all that I have… I am truly blessed.
Wordless Wednesday: Feeling Proud
Wordless Wednesday: Ladies Night Out
Wordless Wednesday: No. 55 Make My Own Advent Calendar
2013 – Through the eyes of my iPhone
Another year done and dusted… and once again it’s time to reminisce on what the year has brought. It’s kind of overwhelming to look at the year in one go like this. In many ways it feels like 2013 just started, but when I look at all the things i’ve done this year, it feels like a long time.
2013 has been another busy busy years, with lots of excitement, fun and laughter, some tears and sadness but it has all played an important part in the year that was… and without it.. it would have been pretty boring. There are still things I wish I had have achieved this year, but there is lots of things that I have done which have been bigger and better than I could have imagined. And just like the last couple of years I have taken a photo everyday, some good ones, some boring ones, and some in-between, but it gives me a good recap of all that happened in 2013… so here is 2013 through the eyes of my iPhone…
JANUARY…
Highlight: January was fun month full of all good things about summer… sun, friends, family and the beach. There was a lowlight of my computer dying, but that was outweighed by weddings, new puppies, dinner with family and some time at the beach with rellies from overseas… well played january.
FEBRUARY…
Highlight: All things outdoors – my new herb garden, a new sleeping bag, moonlight cinema, young adults camp, oh and an indoor night with Keith Urban…
MARCH…
Highlight: New apple products – a new laptop and my iPad mini… Fun weekends in Inverloch where Dex met Abe oh and Kate got married… March was a winner month.
APRIL…
Highlight: My Birthday and everything that went with it… crossing things off my list… although I am not sure if bikram yoga is a highlight or lowlight… but the most exciting moment of all is getting the call that said my best friend was engaged! So much love and joy in one call.
MAY…
Highlight: Dave’s school production of Les Mis… hands down… it was simply the best, such a wonderful bunch of talented kids and teachers… well done WCC…. Also Jake got enrolled as an adherent and that was pretty awesome.
JUNE…
Highlight: Camping… I have decided I love it… I love the tent, I love the adventure and I love our new tradition of timer photos.
JULY…
Highlight: Jake turned 21… and it was fun! Oh and there was more camping which was also fun.
AUGUST…
Highlight: Well actually it’s a lowlight, in August we said goodbye to Dave’s Nanny, which was sad, but it did mean I was able to learn a whole heap about Dave and his family, look through lots of pictures and reminisce which I love.
SEPTEMBER…
Highlight: September was a big month, we went on another road trip, I got an awesome Tupperware haul, the Hawks won the flag and I finished my teaching rounds. Overall a pretty impressive month.
OCTOBER…
Highlight: The highlight for October definitely has to be upping the anti on 2012 and completing my 21.1km half marathon at the Melbourne Marathon Series with my Dad and Davo.
NOVEMBER…
Highlight: Kempy got married, I got a veggie garden and we crammed in a whole lotta date days…
DECEMBER…
Highlight: Another December, another year of Christmas being the highlight… In particular this year a special mention goes to Carols by Candlelight, the fireworks and Bruce, my penguin snow globe. Man I love Christmas.
So that’s it… another year condensed into pictures and a highlight or two… so much madness compacted…
Here’s to 2014… I’m hoping its even better…
Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Blessings
Wordless Wednesday: 3 Trees in 3 Days
2012 – Through the eyes of my iPhone
Once again I find myself reminiscing on the year gone by, still finding it hard to believe that another year is over… This year, just like all those gone by has been busy, filled with all things that tell me I am alive, highs, lows, fun, laughter, tears and sadness. I find this time of year really both happy and sad, I love looking back on what I have achieved, as well as planning some adventures for next year. Yet I also feel sad about the things I couldn’t or didn’t do, or perhaps the time that I wasted on things that I shouldn’t have, but I know that really this is what makes up a year, it’s all just part of it.
Anyway, I really enjoyed using my project365 photos to help me capture all that happened in 2012… both the good and bad… so here is 2012 through the eyes of my iPhone, with a highlight for each month some big, some small but all highlights… oh and maybe some special mentions…
JANUARY…
Highlight: January was a list frenzy, everything from cleaning, baking, getting fit and eating… and all of it was heaps of fun, especially because it most of them were crossed off with friends and family. Time well spent.
FEBRUARY…
Highlight: Weekend’s away at the beach.
MARCH…
Highlight: Taylor Swift with some very excited young girls… oh and great food…. Steak Sandwiches… yum yum.
APRIL…
Highlight: My Birthday and everything that went with it… including my kindle… man I love that thing. Special Mention goes to the Inverloch house which we said goodbye to in April, I have lots of fond memories and while it may not have been a highlight of this month, that house certainly has played a big part in summer and holiday highlights of years gone by.
MAY…
Highlight: Our trip to New Zealand, and being able to celebrate Brian and Jean’s 60th Wedding anniversary… oh and our first one. Oh and a special mention to my first classroom teaching placement.
JUNE…
Highlight: A few bonus trips to Bendigo and all the fun that that brings… it’s a fun place to be especially when you have friends like mine.
JULY…
Highlight: Getting my Donna Hay on, not once, but thrice. July also has a few important birthday’s in it which always deserve a special mention.
AUGUST…
Highlight: Dave’s Secondary Performance Dinner (SPD) with Jake.
SEPTEMBER…
Highlight: Getting stuck into my exercise and loving it… no sarcasm, actually loving it. Oh and finishing placement is worth a special mention.
OCTOBER…
Highlight: Completing my 10km run at the Melbourne Marathon Series.
NOVEMBER…
Highlight: Dust and Jess got married… doesn’t get much more exciting than that… although the colour run does get a special mention.
DECEMBER…
Highlight: Christmas… the food, the gifts, the carols and the fun… always a winner especially the town hall lights… that was very cool.
So there you go… my year… it seems simple when you put it all together like that, but it wasn’t, it was good though and I am hoping that 2013 is just as good… maybe even better.
The Most Curious George 