A new favourite song.

I just heard this on MTV and had to share it.

Had yourself a Merry Christmas?

I hope your Christmas was as merry as mine.

We started with a pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Jenna and Mike came around with Tyler who went down for a sleep just before breakfast, so we got to have some adult time. After breakfast we swapped presents, and I was very happy (and thankful) for the gifts I got. After breakfast we sat on the deck in the sun for a bit and I got to play with my fave little man, then Jenna, Mike and Tyler left for Jenna’s parents.

Mum and I relaxed for a little while, then we headed up to Jenna’s parents for lunch. Which was very very yummy. Ham, Turkey, Salads, Potatoes, Chocolate, Deserts, conversations, Tyler, and general merriness.

After lunch Mum and I went to Gran and Granddad's to give them everyone's presents, so they wouldn’t have to hull them home from the farm. They loved their presents. Lots of pictures of all their great grandchildren.

Once we had been able to relax, and I’d had a nap, we left Gran and Granddads and went to the farm. Sat in the sun, enjoyed everyone’s company, and then had Christmas dinner. Ham, Chicken, Roast Veges, Salads, Bread, and so much more yummy food.

I love Christmas in general, but I really loved this Christmas.

It was our first Christmas with Tyler and he is just growing up so fast.

I put up…

This little beauty this evening.

Absolute Addiction

Since I found it, I have been in love with www.designsponge.com. I had to stop going onto it for a while, my ideas list was getting overly full and there was nothing I could cut off the list or save for later cause they were all equally amazing. Today, I went onto Design Sponge for the first time in a very long time and I relived the feeling of falling in love with it. The ideas running through my head right now are insane. I can not wait to start some new projects… Maybe one day soon I'll finish the ones I've started.
Yip, I believe this is love.

Awesome Cup

This is me last night. When I felt ten times better than I do tonight. But the cup is awesome. Wickedly awesome. The Lemsip Cold and Flu drink that is in the cup is what is really killing my week about now. Not to mention it’s only Monday. Thanks cold/flu (I haven’t haven’t yet decided which one my symptoms are leaning towards).

PS. Still loving the cup!

Can you feel it to?

Cause I certainly can.

Christmas is in the air!

It is on it’s way!

It’ll be here sooner than we know!

So…

You better watch out,
You better not cry,
Better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He's making a list,
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out
Who's naughty and nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town.

As much as Christmas is my second favourite time of year (selfishly, my birthday is my first) I am super slack when it comes to present buying. So far, I only have a tiny gift for my mum, a tiny joint gift for my brother and his partner, and books I bought for Tyler yonks ago. Luckily, I only have four people to arrange presents for. And, I am super proud because one of the presents I do have I made myself – off an idea I found online!!!

Christmas PARTY!

I am going to start by explaining that there is no way I could explain the absolute love I have for my job, and in order to love your job you have to love your work place. Yes, we have our problems, like any work place. However, these problems compare in utterly no way to the pure agony I used to go through every day as I dragged myself to my place of work.

Our Christmas party way a blast. We drove to Puhoi on Saturday afternoon to kayak from Puhoi to Wenderholm. After we drove up to Leigh, where work had hired a house for us to stay in for the night, and we had dinner at the Sawmill Cafe, followed by a small party back at the house.

The kayaking was fantastic. Relaxing. Fun. Enjoyable. Entertaining. It took us around two hours to kayak eight kilometres. We spent the time singing, talking, enjoying the scenery, and running into trees.

The house in Leigh looked out over the ocean and was the perfect size. There was even a fish pond built next to to back yard deck.

Dinner was nice, nothing like the reviews we had received, but still nice. We all got along very well and laughed so much. We were meant to be staying for the live bands that were playing from 9pm. But, they didn’t start till 9.45pm and they weren’t up beat enough for our party, so we ventured back to the house and the ones going back to Auckland went on their way.

We stayed up until around 2am standing on chairs singing and dancing, watching everyone do the most hilarious acts, sharing our deepest and darkest’s, talking smack, and giggling about but all.

This tops the fun we had at conference by a huge million. I can not wait for the rest of the fun that is going to come to this job. From doing something I am extremely passionate about, to enjoying every aspect of it fully; this is something I truly love.

To the Lighthouse

I have finished my second book off my big long list, “To the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf. And, once again, it is very much the same as the first. In my opinion: “The book in a whole is actually a rather good read. That is after you get past the first two or so chapters.” In the lighthouses case, its good once you get to the Part III (otherwise known as the last part) of the book.

The book is about a painting, a lighthouse, a family, a holiday home, and the guests the family invite to their holiday home. But really it’s not about those in any particular order, they just intertwine (oddly) to make the book: sad, happy, exciting.

Fairly nervous is the emotion I am feeling about contemplating buying another book off my list and read it. It only took me over four months to get through this tiny one hundred and sixty paged book. However, it was a very good sleep-aid. I knew if I read it for at least five minutes I'd be asleep five minutes later.

Really, I have to stop bagging on this book. The story is a very good story. It is just written in a time of patience and extremely great literature.

Conference

On Thursday night our over two’s team flew to Wellington for the 2011 Childspace Institute Peace Conference based on the slogan “Teach Peace.”

It was exactly what we needed as a team. We have grown so much closer and are gelling ten times better than we have before.

There were a few speakers at the conference who were not very interesting. However, every topic that all the speakers spoke about were interesting and relevant.

My favourite was one by Dr Stuart Shanker. He spoke about the development of Self Regulation – google this. It is amazing and has changed my views on so many things, from children sleeping to children with neurological disorders to calming children down and teaching them how to calm themselves down.

Dr Rangimarie Turuki Rose Pere gave the closing speech for the conference and she was awesome. She is all about love and loving oneself and loving every single thing in the world from the grass to the salt the salt in the sea, to the people who don’t like you. And, she is also very if you have a problem with me that is your problem, not mine.

On Friday afternoon after all the speakers and work shops, our team went and sat in on of our hotel rooms and we came up with so many planning ideas, it was the best planning session we have had since I have been at CK. We spent two hours sharing our ideas, extending on each others ideas and making plans of how to put in place all our ideas. We also discussed ideas that have been tried before and that we will try again, as just because something hasn’t worked when it has been tried before does not mean that it can not work now.

We had two days of conference and then flew home last night.

I can not wait till conference next year. It is going to be in Rotorua and be based on the slogan of “The nature of nurture.”

You Bloody Beauts!

And we won the 2011 Rugby World Cup!

Let’s just say, I am especially proud to be a Kiwi today!

Bargarra, QLD

Our trip to Australia was fantastic. Ten days was the perfect amount of time, not too little; not to long. We went to Melbourne first for four nights, and for my cousins wedding. Then we flew up to Queensland and drove up the coast from Brisbane to Bargarra: A beach side resort community, very beautiful, just outside of Bundaberg.

The soil in Bargarra was very red.

Our first day in Bargarra we drove into Bundaberg for a little drive around the city, a visit to a nature park, and a tour of the Bundaberg Rum Factory. After we headed back to Bargarra for a late lunch and a nap.

There is a train line running through the nature park.

Turtles were sunbathing on the edges of the ponds.

These funny looking birds were everywhere.

On the Tuesday we woke up super early and drove ninety minutes north to a town called, "The Town of 1770." There we went on a tour along the coast, up to one of the oldest lighthouses in the region, on a U.S. Army LARC. A boat-sort-of-thing, that can drive on land and sail in water. It was an awesome day, the weather was mint and it was fun seeing heaps of sea animals and birds. Also, we went for the first time.

Some of the view from the beginning of the journey.

The Sand dunnes we rode down.

Looking back at what we have come along…

While driving up a hill, with roads like this…

In this…

To see this Lighthouse…

And beauty like this.

We spent the Wednesday relaxing in Bargarra and on the Thursday we went to an art gallery in Bundaberg. We woke up Friday morning to take the five hour drive back down to Brisbane and fly home.

Any words I use to describe how much of an awesome trip it was would all be understatements, so just think of it as a bit of family time, a bit of partying, a bit of relaxing with some adventures thrown in.

I can not wait for the next trip!

Feeling like a stranger.

It has been so long since I have come on here to blog, or read blogs, that I feel like a stranger.

Here is an update on everything that has happened since I last blogged:

• My birthday day was very nice. I worked and then came home and had a few friends around for dinner, with my family also, which meant cuddles with Mr Tyler. 
• My birthday party was awesome! I had so much fun and partied the night away.
• Work is as amazing as it was on the first day I started. It is great working and studying at the same time. It makes it easier to put the theory into practice.
• I got a Distinction (highest grade possible) for my first assignment at university, so I am super stoked with that - hopefully I can keep the distinctions rolling in!
• On Wednesday, mum and I are going to Australia for ten days. We are going to Melbourne first for four days to attend my cousins wedding, and then we are going to Bundaberg, near Brisbane, for six days - I promise to take plenty of photos, and write a proper post about it when we get back.

Now I shall get back to catching up on all the blogs I have missed over the past month!

Twenty One

Turning Twenty One on Wednesday is slightly daunting. Age is always coming, but twenty one is the age when you are no longer a child anymore, you are now an adult. Strange how even one day can make a change, all due to a number.

Since I am leaving my twentieth year behind, I had best reflect on twenty new things I did in the past year:

1. Became an aunty
2. Went to Paihia, Russell, Keri-Keri and several other places in the Far North
3. Went to Palmerston North, my mums city of birth
4. Got my first car loan
5. Started a Nanny Course
6. Finished a Nanny Course
7. Lasted in a job three years
8. Quit my first real job
9. Enrolled in University
10. Handed in my first university assignment early
11. Started teaching Early Childhood Education (LOVE IT)
12. Learnt how to put on wiper blades
13. Climbed Rangitoto
14. I made my first piece of useable craft (coat hanger)
15. I went to a golf driving range
16. I started making a quilt (this list just reminded me about it)
17. Watched the last Harry Potter movie
18. Started a canvas craft for another person
19. Felt snow on my hand in Auckland
20. Saw Tana Mahuta

This past year has been full of many fun times. My twenty first year, I have a feeling, is going to be just as awesome, with a cherry on top!

How Far Did I Run?

I made a goal, I didn’t complete it.

I did not run one thousand kilometres in one hundred days. I did, however, run over seven hundred more kilometres over the last three months than, than I have (basically, ever). I feel good. So good! Exercise really is a grand thing. I am going to continue to exercise, more than I was previously.

On Wednesday, I walked to work for the first time. The walk was around fifteen minutes each way and was a fabulous way to start and end the day. One of my work mates is moving into my brothers old room soon, so we will be able to walk to work together on the days we start at the same times.

So, how far did I run? I am not to sure. I started losing count, when I forgot to fill out the exercise journal I had started. Before losing count I was up to near six hundred kilometres.

What I did: 15-17 July

From the evening of Friday 15th July until the evening on Sunday 17th July, I spent the weekend in Paihia with my oldest friend and her mum. We arrived in Paihia around 7.30pm on the Friday and spent the evening catching up and having some girl time in the hotel room.

On Saturday we drove to Kerikeri and went to the Stone store, and then we went to the Parrot Zoo. (please excuse the photos, I forgot to take my camera so they were all taken on my iPhone)

Where we met this guy, he was amazing in person!

 

I held a bird for the first time. He pooped on my shoulder.

At the Parrot Zoo not only did I get to hold one bird, a second one climbed onto me when we where in the caged area feeding them. I was extremely nervous, now all I can think about is how awesome it was.

Next, we drove over to the Rainbow falls and on the way to get the car ferry over to Russell we went to Hururu falls.

Rainbow Falls

Hururu Falls

The car ferry to Russell was super quick which was disappointing as the area is so beautiful I would have loved to have gotten out and taken a load of pictures. Once at Russell we drove to the Flagstaff hill, which is where the flagstaff was chopped down by Hone Heke four times in protest to British Rule (Hone Heke was also the first Maori Chief to sign the Treaty of Wiatangi). Seeing a part of my countries history and the views were highlights of a highlight filled day.

Looking out towards Paihia

More view, I really like the cloud

The fifth flagstaff

After our fun filled day we went back to Paihia. On the Sunday we started by packing our stuff and packing the car and then we headed across the road for breakfast.

View from breakfast

View from breakfast

Instead of coming directly back to Auckland, we drove across to the west coast and did a scenic detour. We stopped at the most amazing bathrooms in Kawakawa, stopped for the views from the peninsula in Omapere and went to see one of the most ancient trees in New Zealand in the Waipoua Forest.

Kawakawa Bathrooms

Kawakawa Bathrooms

Kawakawa Bathrooms

Kawakawa Bathrooms

Kawakawa Bathrooms

Kawakawa Bathrooms

Omapere - looking across to the sand dunes

Omapere

Omapere - looking out to the Tasman Sea

Omapere

Waipoua Forest

Waipoua Forest - Tane Mahuta

Waipoua Forest - Tane Mahuta

Waipoua Forest - Tane Mahuta

Following our look at New Zealands most ancient Kauri we went to the Kauri Museum in Dargaville, a very cool place to visit.

After Dargaville we headed home and eventually arrived back at around 7.30pm. It was a fun packed 48 hours and I loved every second of it.

It is all play and dirty nappies

I am in love with my job. I spend my day reading to children, playing with children, cleaning up after children and telling children off (only when they need to be). I am having an absolute blast, I am so happy at this very moment. I am getting used to using phrase such as "do we say mean words to our friends?" or "do we use mean hands on our friends". Those times are ones I wish there were less of, but the good fun times make up for them.

This morning I has a little boy bring me in a daffodil from his garden! How could I not love my new path?

Last Thursday I also got into my University course and found out that I passed my Nanny course (oh yea, that's right I finished it and well before my personal deadline. I start university next week (if they get all the papers from all the right departments on time, so fingers crossed.)

More updates about life later in the week!

Introducing...

My beautiful nephew. Born at 4.50am on July 7th 2011. He weighed 8.4 pounds and was 57cm long.

I am going to the hospital after work to meet him and am so excited.

Good Morning!

And what a good morning it is! Today I start my new job and I am over the moon excited. I am a little nervous that the clothes I am wearing will not fit in but oh-well I guess I will just have to wait to find out!

Happy fourth of July! It really is independence day!

21st Birthday - The Invitations

In New Zealand, and probably other parts of the world, the 21st birthday is somewhat of a big deal. Most people have a gathering/party of some sort. I have so many ideas running through my head about what I want. We already have the venue and I have my dress.

Last week I finally finished my invitations and got them printed. I love when I receive an actual paper invite, I think it is the coolest and it's such a personal touch. So I thought I would share the invite with you.

Designed by Me

Sorry I can't share all the details on the invite with you. This interweb is a big scary place and I can't be giving all that information out.

I was so happy with how they turned out printed. The baby photos were scanned and a bit blurry so I was worried that the printed file would be even worse. They turned out a bit blurry, but not as much as I was expecting. And the colours turned out perfect as well.

The next step is the decorations and the cake. Mum and I have already looked at some ideas for the cake. Lets just say it is going to be nearly as fabulous as my oldest friends super awesome cake.

Bring on August!!!



The Hardest Thing: Finishing

I find one of the hardest things to do is go through with tasks and finish them. I don't mean at work. I mean at home and I mean the big tasks, ie. My Nanny Course. Currently I have one task left to complete in the Nanny Course portion of the course. I still have the whole maternity side to do, and I plan to finish this - eventually.

My last task to complete in the nanny course is one I have left till last. The task is from the Food and Nutrition for under fives section. I have to create a week long meal plan for an infant (6-12 months), a toddler, a vegan toddler and a vegan child. It is the most time consuming task I have done in the nanny course. I don't want to be to repetitive and boring, but I don't want to go to far off the track. All the tasks have been done to the best of my ability and if they do send any back to be re-done, I really hope this task is not one of them. I will probably never finish the course if it is the case.

"Oh, Cheryl you really have work hard on doing all this when you first got the course work," this is what I bet everyone is thinking when I talk about the course. It is also what I think every time I sit down to do the course work. I am going to have to work really hard when I start my Early Childhood Education course. No more messing about or leaving things for later.

My goal for being organized this year will be fulfilled because I will have no other choice. It is time to turn the hardest thing to do into the easiest.

On a lighter note: only two more days and four and a half hours of work left. Bring on Monday and my future!

An Era is Coming to an End

It is the end of an era. It is also the start of a new era!

On Friday I will be completing my last day in my current job. When I leave on Friday night I will have worked here for three years and eight days. Seven hundred and ninety one work days. Six thousand three hundred and twenty eight hours. Three hundred and seventy nine thousand, six hundred and eighty minutes. (These calculations to not take into account public holidays, holidays, sick days or lunch breaks - way too hard!).

I am over the flipping moon! Literally so excited to finally be leaving this desk job. No more invoices, no more statements, no more contract renewals, no more ordering, no more sitting behind a computer all day. There are so many things that I will do no longer and I am going to miss it. Just miss it, not want it back. Memories and friendships have been gained over the last three years. I have been through so much with this company and it is starting to become hard to realise that I won't be waking up everyday and going to work where I will have to sit in traffic on the way to work and the way home from work.

In all truthfulness, I am scared. Scared to death about the whats and the ifs. I find myself in trances, day dreaming about these whats and ifs. I catch myself wondering if I have made the right decision. I know I have but you always wonder, right?

Well it is done now! No turning back, only moving forward. This time next week I will be playing and interacting with people nearly twenty years my junior. I will be smiling at there characteristics. I will be laughing at the cute things they will do. I will probably shed a little tear when they move onto primary school. And at the very back of my mind I know I am going to have an amazing time.



Source

 I came across the above picture a few weeks ago and it sums up so much. It is how I have felt for weeks. And I am also glad this feeling will be coming to an end. No more confusion (ha! who am i kidding?) and no more whats and ifs.

It has been time for a change for so long. I am so glad my change has finally come. I hope everyone gets to have their change happen when they need it!

It's official

Now that everything is official, I can inform you of what the changes are!

Everything happened so fast and I am over the moon! In fact I'm over the moon and down the road dancing like a billy goat with excitement. Three weeks ago, I relieved at the daycare centre my friend Jaime works at. Jaime has been telling her bosses for months about me, about how I want to work with children and that I would be perfect. Had I not gone and relieved three weeks ago, my life would not be changing right now.

Relieving that day was one of the best days I have spent at a job ever! There is nothing that can compete with it. After I left that day I get a text from Jaime telling me that I did a good job and her boss saying that there would be a position open for me when the pregnant teachers leave on maternity leave. I'm ecstatic, I also think I have another four to six months left at my job.

Two weeks ago, Jaime texts me again. This time she tell me that once I am accepted into the Early Childhood Education course I will have a job ready and waiting for me. With-in two hours of receiving the text I had printed off and filled out the enrolment forms for NZTC. I arranged to take the Centre Statement and a Referee report to Jaime and arranged for a family friend, who teaches, and taught me, primary school (equivalent to Elementary), to fill one out.

One week ago, Jaime calls me. She asked me if I could start working at the end of June/start of July. I was at lunch with my good friend Nic at the time. According to Nic, I sat there looking dumb-founded and went "ah, yea, um, ah, bahhh" blabbing through sentences. I told Jaime I would need to call back, I just wanted to check with my immediate boss to make sure she would be ok with me leaving in the middle of month end. My boss with extremely happy for me and said not to worry.

Yesterday, I went and picked my contract up. I was worried they wouldn't want to give me the amount of money I needed. No need to worry, I got the amount I wanted straight off the bat. I asked Mum to go over the contract, just to double check there was nothing off or wrong. I signed it all and will take it back later this week.

This morning, I handed my resignation into my big boss. She was happy for me, happy that I am going to start on my career but sad to be losing me.

I start my new job. I start on the pathway to the career I want on July 4th. I will predominantly be working with the over two's, but may be starting upstairs with the under two's to cover for Jaime while she is in Spain. I am hoping to hear from NZTC within a week or two, in the mean time I have the nanny course to finish - and it is nearly finished!

Everything happens for a reason and it happens when the time is appropriate and proper. I will always be so thankful to Jaime for this, she pushed and shoved for me.

Queen's Birthday Weekend!

What a lovely weekend it was indeed!

On Saturday, ten of us went to the Langham Hotel for a High Tea. Both were beautiful.

This was the caption I had instead of a photo when Blogger decided to not let me upload it:
Insert photo of me, sitting in a majestic chair, with a three tier cake stand in front of me, which is covered in sandwich's, scones, sweeties. Oh, and lets not forget my tea pot. Or, my new fringe which I cut myself on Saturday morning, I'm not going to pay someone to do what I can do - tsk at your silliness. PS, when blogger gets it A into G, I will upload this photo!

We sat around for about two hours, eating, drinking and talking. The food was delicious, some of the food was not my sort of thing and I am never eating goats cheese again, feet DO NOT belong in my mouth.

After the High Tea I went to a friends house where I stayed until Monday morning. I spent the whole time relaxing. Literally, the most unproductive 40 hours of my year so far. We moved to go out a get brunch and dinner, the rest of the time we sat in the lounge with our feet up. My list of things for the week went out the window.

Oh, yea! I cut my hair. I trimmed my fringe, all by myself. If you look closely you could tell that it wasn't done by a trained professional. I think it looks nice, it's a bit different to how I normally have it, but not much.

I also, finished my first TIME magazine. Not realising they would arrive weekly I procrastinated reading it. Now I have two to read by Saturday, I am doubtful of this happening. I have far too much study to complete.

Clearly, I need another three day weekend. In which I would spend the time reading and studying, promise!

Can you feel that?

Can you feel that? The change in the air? Change is a coming!

Not only is it today the first day of winter but there is a massive change coming.

I am extremly excited.

I shall fill you in when it is definate.

Until then...

Bits & Pieces

I should not have written the world pieces just then. It make me wanted Reese's Pieces. ARGH!!! My friend sent me a lovely picture of Reese's Ice Cream the other day, oh man! It looked like love in a tub.

My DSLR camera is a Canon EOS 1000D. I'm currently reading through the manual and then maybe one day I will take a course or something. But I just want to have fun at the moment.

My Camera

This weekend it was one of my oldest friends birthdays. She turned 21 on Friday so we had planned to go up to hers and then go out for a dinner. We had dinner, but instead of going out we stayed at hers and helped with the set up for her party on Saturday.

We spent a good few hours blowing balloons (thank goodness for electric blowers), joining balloons and helping with the beginning of putting the balloons together.

Helping with the set up

Her party was the coolest I have ever been to. There were balloons filled the helium floating up to the ceiling. There were arches made of balloons and then daisies made from balloons. It reminded me of a prom from the 70's like you see in the movies.

The cake was fantastic. It was a normal cake on top of a stand and then ice cream cones filled with cake and then topped with icing all around down the stand.


The YUMMY Cake

Note: Those crackers positioned around the cake were made by my friends mum. She put things like toy soldiers with parachutes, rattles, whistles, moustaches and facts about Kelly in them.


My running is going good. I am a bit behind on the total for 20 days but will get back on track. There have been a few days where I have had no time to run, and it is far to cold in the morning. At work my team is also doing a challenge. We are seeing who does the most hours of exercise and who walks down and up the five flights of stairs at work the most over the next 20 weeks. I'm already starting to feel a bit better and I can definitely see the differences and changes.


A joke from a email I received a long time ago



I have subscribed to TIME magazine. I find it holds so many great and interesting articles. I didn't realise how fast they would arrive. I am part way through my first issue received about two weeks ago and now a new one has arrived. Maybe I will have to include the TIME magazines in my reading goal for the year. For every six issue I read I think I will make it one book!

The first issue I got was the one related to the recent sexual mis-conduct of head of the IMF and then it went onto historical and recent trysts by some very historical people. It was quite funny and very eye-opening at the same time.

My first issue

This coming weekend I am going to a High Tea with Mum, some of her friends and a few of my friends. I will have to take my camera along and keep those memories forever!

Happy Geek Day!

To help celebrate I got some...

Nerds... Yummy!

 

I have a feeling there is going to be a over-active Cheryl at work this afternoon. Sugar High!

This weekend...

I did very few things this weekend, but I did do some things.

I continued building a new friendship with an old friend.
I got part way through the manual of the new camera I bought. It's only an entry level DSLR, but it is my baby.
I did some course work, and realised I need to get my butt into gear.
I kicked the butt of the cold I had.
I got further into what seems to be a really good book.

I had a lovely weekend. Next weekend is already looking crazy, I plan to enjoy every moment of it!

Day 30 - A letter to yourself, tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself

Cheryl,

You are amazing. Awesome, in fact! You have beautiful blue/grey/green eyes. You have hair that girls would pay for.

I love how patient you are.
I love how caring you are.
I love how you get scared of things but try your hardest to overcome the fears.
I love how you can get something done, even if you do procrastinate.
I love how you know something is good and I love how you know when something is not good.
I love how you know the difference between right and wrong.
I love how you learn from your experiences, mistakes and trials.
I love how you only have a dimple on one of your cheeks.
I love how you are so particular in the foods you won't eat, even if you haven't tried them.
I love how when you are determined, you are determined.
I love how when something doesn't go the way it should you get upset, then cry, then you work out a way to fix it.
I love how you love to try new things.
I love how you aren't scared of heights, just of falling from great heights.
I love how you still sleep with the same soft toy you have since you were given it when you were two.
I love how you named this soft toy dog, because it is a dog.
I love how you are unorganized, but extremely organized when you want to be and always on time.
I love how your nails grow fast.
I love how you don't tan, and then the one summer you had given up on even trying you kind of tanned.
I love how you love to learn new things.
I love how you set yourself goals every year.
I love how you sign your lungs out every time you are driving in the car.
I love how sometimes when you stop at traffic lights you don't stop singing.
I love that you pretty much have no nail on your little toe.
I love how you have a scar on every finger.
I love the way you love your family.
I love the way you love your friends.
I love how easily you can forget things.
I love that you love to be artistic.
I love that you love movies.
I love that you would prefer a quiet night out with a few friends to a night out on the town with the rest of the people in the city.

I love so many other things about you, you are as perfect as can be.

I love you!

Love from,

Your biggest fan,

Cheryl

Easter Twenty-Eleven Road Trip

Mum and I left around 10am on Tuesday 26th April and headed north to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. Four hours and 300km's later we were in beautiful Paihia.
The drive up wasn't to bad. We were driving along listening to the weather report and it was telling us how very bad weather was hitting the North Island, we were both looking out the windows going "typical weather reports, always wrong." We had beautiful weather for the two days we were in Paihia.

On Tuesday afternoon we walked around Paihia and had some afternoon tea at a bar on the beach front. It was so stunning sitting there eating your food and you look out at the ocean.


Afternoon Tea View

We went back to our Hotel room for a nap and then about 7pm headed out for dinner. We went to a lovely restaurant down the road. We had a cheese platter to start and then a meal each. I had a yummy steak on mash, yum yum yum!

Wednesday, we drove up to Mangonui to go to the Mangonui Fish Shop. It is marketed as the best fish and chips in the world. There seafood is amazing. It is a must do!

On our way to Mangonui stopped in Keri-Keri and went to the Stone Store, NZ's earliest 'trading post', since 1819. Kerikeri Mission Station includes the oldest wooden house to survive. It was very cool to see. While we were there we also popped up the hill to an old church.

Stone Store

We ate our lunch at the Fish Shop and then headed back to Paihia, stopping at Hururu Falls and Waitangi on the way. Hururu falls wasn't a spectacular huge waterfall, but it was nice.

Waitangi is NZ's most famous historic site. It is where the Treaty of Waitangi, a treaty trading the land of New Zealand from the Maori tribes to the British Empire for supplies such as blankets, muskets and others. It is a very beautiful piece of land, and the views of the ocean are amazing. There is a war Waka there that is huge, it was also carved from Kauri trees and was built for the 1940 centennial. I was a bit bored, it isn't as exciting as some other countries history as it is really our only history. But at least now I can say I have been.

View from the beach, just below the Waitangi Meeting House

After Waitangi we decided to head over to Russel that afternoon, instead of doing it in the morning. So we got our walking shoes on and got the Ferry to Russel. Very pretty. Not much to do. There is a museum there, it is two rooms. One room is solely about the history of the Freemasons in New Zealand. We sat at the Duke of Cambridge Hotel Bar and had a drink while looking out at the little beach and the ocean. The ferry back was amazing as the sun was setting and the view was breathtaking.

Sun set from the wharf at Russell

Luckily we had gone to Russel that evening instead of waiting until the morning. When we woke to get ready to head home it was raining and glum outside. We headed home on Thursday morning and then off again on Friday to Palmerston North.

In Palmerston North we went to the wedding of a good friend of mine. It was such a lovely day. They got married in the afternoon in a garden at a farm estate. It was a bit chilly, but both the bride and groom looked smashing. The Wedding was followed by a reception at the local Race Track. The food was YUMMY! The music was fantastic. It was just a lovely day.

We said good bye to Palmerston North on Sunday morning and took the six hour drive home.

I had a blast that week. Mum and I did so many fun things, it was very enjoyable and driving around is so spectacular as you get to see so many amazing parts of the country.