Long time coming

Well it has been ages since I have had the time to get onto this and update it. We have had so many Christmas party's and I have been working alot. So any extra time I have had has been taken up with sleeping and getting ready for Christmas.

Actual photos of Christmas and our holiday will come sometime in January, once I copy the pics from mums camera, as the one we were borrowing is now playing up.


Caleb on a swing

Nikki and Hayley
Caleb being a Christmas star is his Kindy Christmas play

Hayley feeding a deer at the animal park (another Christmas party function)
Jeff being his goofy self feeding a Texas Longhorn
Hayley on the swing

Hayleys 2nd Birthday Bash

We had a huge day, it started with friends gathering at the park for a combined birthday, which was great as there was no clean up required and no messy house to deal with. Then the kiddies had a huge sleep so we could continue the celebrations with a birthday dinner at a local restaurant. Hayley turned 2, Jase 26 and Jeff a grand 30. Followed by some bowling. All in all a wonderful and fun filled day, here are some pictures for you


Jason and Ashley
My handsome son
Uncle Jase and Caleb
Caleb and Pop
Jeff and I
Me, Jase, Leanna and Aimee
Hayley at the park
Hayley and Sebastian with their Blues Clues cake
Hayley with her Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Cake up close

Nan and Hayley

The kiddies bathed in PJ's, milo in hand and relaxing before bed. What a life.
Hayley posing for the Camera, she has changed so much lately, maybe because her hair is finally starting to grow.
Jeff and the Munchkins, big grins all round.
Our Pirate, he has got the actions down pat.
Caleb with the Brachiosaurus he made at Kindy. He was so proud and he could actually say the word.


Well hello to you loyal observers. Life is going great, the sun is starting to come off and along with it the kids clothing are doing the same. They think that because it has warmed up slightly they shouldn't have to wear much clothing. Thankfully we are only having issues with this at home.
The kids have started swimming lessons today, and Hayley being Hayley, she can apparently do it all on her own. So she ended up having a floating device put around her waist and she continued the lesson with me at her side, as long as I wasn't holding her she was fine.
Caleb is completely different he was clinging to me for dear life, and wasn't prepared to release his grip, so his lessons are going to be interesting.

My job is going great, the kids are fitting well into the new schedule are are behaving great for the lady that is looking after them, and Jeff is getting the hang of things at night, but the house is still a mess when i get home so we will have to work on that one a bit more.

Jeff is currently trialing a new position at his current job, to see if he likes it and if I guess his boss likes him in this position. It means he is out and about alot, going to peolpes homes and quoting on heat and air conditioning units. He is very pleased to be out of the office.

Fun Times

Caleb has been loving spring. Nan and Pops place has so many animals. So it is very exciting to go up and feed the calves , pigs and lambs. Hayley is not so excited and screams at the top of her lungs if an animal even looks like it might walk up to her
We were very suprised to see Caleb get into the pig pen. He was feeding them Kiwifruit and got quite mad when the pigs decided to all fight over one instead of having one each like he had given them. It was quite entertaining to listen to him reasoning with the pigs and how they needed to share and be patient. If only he was as good at these things
Before I started my new Job, we went on a short holiday to the Hawkes Bay. Caleb wanted to to see Seals and Dolphins. It was a fun weekend but in no means relaxing.
Hayley and her signature grin, but so adorable.
Me and the kids, hayley looks a bit zoned out.

Life is very busy . I have started my new Job in Kidsplace ( Childrens Emergency). I love it, it is quite a challenge at times. Im working 10.5 hours shifts 2 day a week. My second day I had a 3 month old stop breathing and turn blue very quick on me. I got it going again, but very scary. The baby had been born at 24 weeks, and had been home for 2 weeks, then it got a cold, so its breathing problems came back. I had about 2 hours of it stoping breathing every 20 min, before we were able to tranfer it to a specialist childrens hospital in Auckland. I have heard that the baby is recovering well now.

The kids are going to Home based Childcare while I'm at work, with my friends kids, and they are loving it. Jeff is doing well with the kids on his own. he drops them off at care and collects them again after work, and I make sure that their dinner is ready and pjs layed out, when they get home. So far so good.

The kid are about to start swimming lessons again, making life a bit more hectic. Hayley needs to have her life full of activities otherwise she creates alot of trouble. I think Saturdays is usually our only full day at home.

Job News

Well after waiting a little over 8 Months for the right postion to come about I am finally empolyed at the local hospital. I will be working in the childrens emergency department 2 afternoon/evenings a week with the possibility of working one weekend a month starting August 2nd. Im really excited about this new venture. Caleb can't wait for me to start so he can play with his friends Josh.

Caleb decided to try shaving this morning with mummys razor with not a good result. He sliced his top lip. He has been very brave, but man did it bleed.

Other than these things, life is moving along as normal.

What's been Happening?

The Kids and I have been doing some paintings for Grandma and Grandpa. As you can see Caleb is very particular. Hayley's all about getting the paint on anything including her face.

Smile for the Camera. This seems to bee Hayleys signature grin


Well my nose has healed nicely no funny looking bump or strange shape. It still hurts a bit when the kids give it a good whack.
I have a job interview on Monday at the Local Hospital as a Nurse Aid. So hopefully that goes well, a lot depends on hours and daycare for the kids as I don’t want to change there routine if possible. This will be a job to see if I do want to study nursing or if I look into something else.

The Kids are doing well. Caleb is very excited about Grandma and Grandpa Gene, along with Mark and Kristy coming to visit in March 08. Which really is not that far away?
Caleb thinks every time I bake a cake it will be for his birthday which he then asks when are they arriving.
Hayley has learnt to stand her ground and is defending what is hers, much to Caleb’s horror. So this is bringing up some interesting squabbles between them. 9 out of 10 times Hayley comes out on top.

Jeff is working a lot, as its getting quite cold so everybody wants heating put into there house yesterday. So its been nice to have a relaxing weekend and actually spend some time together as a family.

Beware of your children

We had a party for Caleb and his 3 friends that all turned 3 around the same time. It was a month late but we had heaps of fun all the same and the kids didn't mind getting more presents

Caleb was the only one to finish the egg and spoon race without cheating

The Piñata that just would not break, but the kids had a blast hitting the clown.

Well its been a while since I have updated this thing. To be honest not much has changed.
Last weekend we took the kids up to Auckland to the Zoo they had an absolute blast. Caleb and Hayley were totally mesmerized by the underwater viewing of the seals. And of course seeing the lions and tigers as many children seem to be obsessed with seeing at the zoo. But we had a wonderful day.

Last week Hayley managed to break my nose. Yes I was shocked as well, so beware of wrestling with your children even though they are little they can inflict alot of pain. Hayley thru herself backwards banging her head on my nose not once but twice, the second time causing a wonderful loud crunch sound then followed but a blood nose. Poor Caleb was beside himself, thus setting off Hayley as well. All is good now, its still quite painful and as always when your hurt the kids always nock it more.

Yeah so I think that’s all there is to tell you about, till another time.

Good Times

Jeff had a blast on his fishing trip. They went somewhere up the Coromandel Coast. He was able to go out twice over the weekend with a early start of about 6:30. Jeff must have been excited because any other day trying to get Jeff up by 6:30 just doesn’t happen. His efforts were very successful and we were blessed with a large amount of fresh Snapper. Jeff brought the fish home with him and filleted them so that Caleb could see what he had caught. Caleb thought it was great until the next morning when he couldn’t find the fish, he thought they should be swimming in his fish tank.

Calebs Kindy went on trip to the Zoo last week. The day pervious to the trip Caleb woke at 6am all ready to go to the zoo, only to be told not today. The poor child was devastaed. The day of the Zoo trip he woke at a wonderful 3am asking if it was time to go yet. We kidnly told him to go back to bed but he was so excited and had so mnay questions it was a waste of time thinking any of us would get back to sleep. Eventually it was time for the big expedition, and the jounrney started with a bus ride, oh wow. Just think 30, 3 years old excited about going to the zoo, but now they get to go on a bus as well. Lets just say it definitely was not a quite ride. Friends and family were also able to join the zoo trip so my parents ( Nan and Pop) joined us along with my sister Aimee and her son Kyuss. Thankfully we were allowed to go where we wanted and didn't have to stay in a group. So yeah we have an awesome day, Caleb got to see the tiger he had so eagarly waited to see. Now we just have the continual question of when are we going to the zoo again.

Just a funny pic of the kids playing in our bed. Oh to be that flexible.

Whats Happening

Hey well I guess its about time to update you on all thats happening with Jeff and I. We can't let the kids take all the limelight.
Well Jeff is enjoying his job, it is starting to become very busy as we are leaving summer behind us. This weekend he has left me to join 15 other men, to embrace freedom and enjoy some time away fishing. Something Jeff has never done in an Ocean or maybe even on a boat. So he is quite excited, they headed somewhere up the coromandel coast and to be honest I have no idea when they are returning.
I'm left at home to experience being a single mum, and so far so good. Jeff couldn't have picked a better weekend to go away as Hayley is cutting her eye teeth and is unconsoluable. Thank goodness for pain relief.

I was a bridesmaid for a friends wedding a couple of weeks back which was fun, and the duathlon didn't fall on the same weekend. I was unable to do the duathlon as it was kinda expensive to enter and I also got a wonderful virus thing from my adorable children.
But I am still going to the gym and biking alot which I really enjoy.
I am still undecided what this year will hold for me. I have applied for a job at the local hospital as a Nurse aid in the paediatric ward, and have been shortlisted for the position. If I got the job then I would look at studying to be a nurse also.
At this point I don't know if I'm ready to go back to work, or if I actually want to. We are undecided if we are going to have another child. And then there is the fact I have Gall stones which requires surgery. I am on the urgent list but I could be waiting up till 8 months for this to be done. So at the moment its just one day at a time and seeing what it brings forth.
So yeah pray that God will give us clear direction in the road he wants us to pursue.

The birthday continues

Caleb seems to think that every day should be his birthday. He was greatly dissapointed when he couldn't find anymore Happy to you cake. And even more so when I said he only gets one cake and I would not be making him another one till his next birthday.



The dissapointment was soon gone as we presented him with his new playground. Caleb and hayley are getting loads of enjoyment out of it, but it has become something that needs constant supervision. Hayley is quite the climber, while I was making dinner, I could hear Hayley squealing with excitement and Caleb laughing. I looked out the window to see Hayley standing quite proudly at the top of the slide about to go down. She has no fear of anything, reminding me constanlty that she cannot be let out of my sight for even a second.

Birthday Boy - March 15th

Caleb blowing out his candles

The very elated birthday boy

The Thomas Quilt I made him

And the Cake.

Calebs birthday is celebrated at Mainly music

My little boy has turned 3, wow its crazy how time flys. It was so cool to see Caleb understand all that was happening and that he was going to have a day that was all about him. And of upmost importance to a 3 year old he was going to have a Happy to you cake ( as he called it).
We celebrated with a family dinner and of course his birthday cake which he made sure everyone knew about and admired the minute they arrived.

Crazy week

A week has flown by so quick and so much seemed to happen.

The offical summer holidays are over and life is back to its busy pace. Caleb is loving Kindy and asks every morning when he can go. Hayley doesn't like going to the gym creche without Caleb but she is getting better about it. The church mums bible study and childrens play group has started up again and the children music programme. So going between, bible study, kindy, the gym, swimming and music we are very busy and not home much. The best thing about all these activities for the children is I don't have to pay a thing.

My training is going well, and I sure will get better once i get myself back on track, I had quite a set back last over the last 1 1/2 weeks. I started having alot of pain on Friday night and come Sunday it wasn't a whole lot better so I ventured to the emergency room where I was informed I had Gall Stones. I was told that a sudden change in diet and increased fatty food can cause them to start building up. After much discussion it was determined that it proberly started when I went to Colorado and was living at camp. I ate cereal for most meals to begin with but you can only keep that up for so long. So I gave in to the delights of Pancakes, Waffels and French Toast for Breakfast. Come to think of it, before camp I don't think I have ever had French Toast or Waffells before. So yeah upon returning to NZ the sudden change in diet again. Back to normal food it was all a bit much for my body to handle. I think I have had pancakes once or twice since being back in NZ. Its a dessert over here.

So after tests, a Ultrasound and some wonderful pain relief, it was decieded that I would require surgery to remove my Gall Bladder, so that will be taking place later in the year. In the meantime I am armed with loads of pain killers, and I am supossed to sleep when I start getting any pain. Good luck with that one I say.