Its Jacinta's Birthday today - Happy Birthday Jacinta

Happy birthday love. This is such a lovely photo of you being a mum. Just remember you will always be our baby as well. We are proud of the wonderful person you have become sweetie and such a fantastic mother. Lots of love from Mum and Dad and everyone in Auckland.

The joys of another Uncle - just starting out

And another Uncle update. I found these lovely photos of Uncle Joseph with our little munchkins. Aren't they just so cute.

Uncle Joseph cuddling Xanthe when she was upset, and so cute with her. Shes clearly really relaxed with him.

And Uncle Joseph with Xavier when he was so little, I think Xavier had just been given a drink as he had "coverage" to stop "spillage" and his wee eyes are wide, wide open.

Just beautiful really, I thought it quite appropriate because when Uncle Joseph has his 50th it will be the munckins celebrating with him like Joseph did with Uncle Paul. Joseph didnt get home till 5.00am in the morning, lucky he walked home and it was really close. Bet it finds that harder to do when he is 50.

lots of love to all

mum

The Joys of Family - Pauls 50th

Here we all are at Uncle Pauls 50th birthday party, Saturday night.

Love to you all.

The Joys of children - Its Desarei's Birthday.

The joys of Grandchildren waking early in the morning.

My computer is now trolling through all of our photos and displaying them on the side of the screen. Which is resulting in me seeing photos I had either forgotten we had or didnt know we had.

Here is one of the gorgous photos taken during one of our visits to Dunedin. The grandchildren had waken early and hopped into bed for early, and I mean early,morning storys. Its so lovely to be woken that way.

I have learnt how to quilt now and decided I am going to do a memory quilt as I have so many lovely photos that don't get seen, this way they can hang in a beautiful quilt on the wall.

That will be the next big project.

love to all

Mum

the joys of gorgeous grandchildren (yeah and hubby)

This is THE cutest photo, I found this weekend for the first time.

Popsey with our little munckins, at Westgate during one of Aucklands hot, muggy and humid tropical summers.

I just love this and couldnt resist.

love mum

The joys of quilting

Here is my quilting I did the mermaid class but missed one as I was so sick, and sick duirng one so I still have a bit to do n that one. I hve to sew the fabric down, put on the embelishing, add the wadding and the backing. Then line the end. whew.

And then I am doing a reversible jacket, had one class this saturday. Love this. Its not piecing, you cut odd shapes, straight lines and make up squares.

You sort out your pattern, then work out how many squares you need to make the jacket.

Then cut your iron on vilene to match the number of squares you need.

I have cut out the pattern of the fabric, by laying 5 sheets of the 11 fat quarters I needed one on top of the other, then uses my rule and cut out odd shapes, but straight lines.

You then iron on the first piece of fabric.

Work out which piece you want next by laying it beside the other face up.

Flip it over and put it on top of the other.

Sew it on, close to the edges do you dont get a large seam.

Then flip it over and lay it the correct way, then iron down on the vilene. (I did take a photo of that but must have over written it.

Do this for all the pieces till you fill the square.

NOTE if you have an odd piece, you may have to add a partial piece to make sure that the next piece you add goes across the two that have been melded together to match. I have tried to show that in the photos.

Once you have all the square covered, you flip it over so you can see the vilene, then trim it off.

I have shown you all the squares I made Saturday, about 16 in total, another 50 to go as I am making mine longer.

Do this for as many squares as you need. I will tell you the next piece after Saturdays class.

lots of love to all mum.

The joys of Family

We got to see the Dunedin family by internet video a couple of days ago and it was wonderful to see them so clearly. Such joy they bring to us.

I wrote my weekly (I try to write weekly) letter to the grandkids after that and found some really cute photos which I printed out and sent them, but I just have to share.

Theres Aunty Chantelle with her beloved "munchkins" and her other half Noel reading Xavier's favourite book "Dig, Dig, Digging" during their visit south.

There is a photo of Aunty Desarei, which we took during our last visit south, which was only a couple of months ago, but feels like years.

Theres a lovely photo taken of Joseph and Rachel, which is just oozing with with love and affection, so nice to see.

Theres Aaron and Jacinta with Xavier on their visit North.

There 's Nana (me) reading to my special wee grandchildren on their visit North to see us, I love that photo.

And there is THE most cute photo of Xavier sitting on his Popseys knee in the computer room with the most gorgeous smirk on his face. That the cutest photo, all that attitude shines through.

We are so lucky to have such a lovely family and lucky for the joy they bring, our big and little treasures.