Family Eggstravaganza!

What a great weekend. My extended family got together in Taupo for the Easter break. Eighteen of us in two holiday houses next door to each other. It was also the first time that my boyfriend was subject to four days straight of my family...and guess what...he had an awesome time!

It was lovely having him meet my extended family and see how well he fitted in to our mad clan. And they adored him too.

So we had big family lunches and dinners, went on walks, kayaked and of course had a huge Easter egg hunt on Sunday morning. My idea of the perfect weekend, surrounded by people I love and with wine and chocolate!

On the way home, Chad and I stopped at Hobbiton in Matamata to see the movie set where Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit was filmed. It was such a beautiful setting, and while I am not a big fan of the books or the movie, I really did enjoy our afternoon there. Perhaps it was the company.

So I start my short week with a happy heart. Life is good.

The great egg hunt!

My young cousin trusted me to hold her egg basket for her.....silly girl....

Happy at Hobbiton

One of the 47 Hobbit holes, and yes I do have pictures of all 47

My favourite Hobbit

Picture of an 11 year olds desk

Grace has her desk in the family room, mainly due to space in her room but also to help her not lock herself away. She just finished tidying it and I love how it represents where she is at. Lots of art, Lego still displayed proudly, pillow on chair covering her phone ( she is still adhering to the no phone in her room rule, yay!), pottery on display. A beautiful blend of child and teenager!

Everyone is growing up

Turning 50 is a weird milestone - I dont feel 50, and I dont really put a lot of weight behind milestone numbers. But I do like reflecting on life, and I feel I have grown, learnt from many of my mistakes, and lived a pretty great life. The biggest change is watching just how much Grace has grown this year. Today I washed some of her baby clothes that I found so I can store them and it took me right back to when my whole clothes line had tiny little outfits on it. This year, she everything has changed and I am in so much grief for the loss of some of the old routines, it hurts!! She is still my little button and I see that side of her when she is unsure or overwhelmed. I need to manage my patience through these growing phases, as my sister said "give her space and grace". She is the kindest, funniest and sweetest girl and I love her so much that it honestly hurts. I hope she knows that. She seems to have all my worst moments front of mind that I wonder at times if she sees ...

Updates

Spot Update: Day Three days since we found out Grace's best friend has chicken pox. So far, no spots on my cheurb. Puppy Countdown Update: Dog sitting confirmed for 16th Sept to 10th Oct. How hard can it be? Italian Student Update: One week left. I will miss his critic of my pasta cooking, but grateful my lasagna passed the "Italian test"

A Work In Progress

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