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Monday, June 30, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 181

Day 181 - Today I was very grateful to come home to find the house had been cleaned from top to bottom in time for the carpets to all be hot steam cleaned. The last bit of painting was finished today and the electrician re-installed the electrics. Only the heat pump to go now and everything is completed for sign off tomorrow. I was also grateful to catch up with my friend Gudrun who was quite unwell earlier this year but is looking much better now :)

Sunday, June 29, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 180

Day 180 - Today I gratefully said goodbye to our two caravans that housed us while our home was being repaired. We are so thrilled to be back in our home but eternally grateful to Danielle and Andy, and Maria and Peter for giving us somewhere to live for 8 weeks. Thank you all so much from the bottom of our hearts :)

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 179

Day 179 - Today I was very grateful to be invited to Lochiel's 21st!
We have known Lochiel since she was 9 when she moved back home from overseas with her family and started at Wairakei School. She and Kirsten became great friends and a year later we moved in 3 doors away from them. 
Lochiel and Kirsten are still best friends! And Kirsten made Lochiel's 21st cake that you can see in the photo as well as singing her a song she wrote especially for her birthday.
Tonight was an fabulous night catching up with old neighbours, school parents, previous churchgoers and celebrating the first 21 years of an amazing girl! Happy Birthday Lochiel :) x

Friday, June 27, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 178

Day 178 - Today I am SO SO grateful to be living back in our home again. The repairers are not quite finished but there's not much to go. The younger children were very pleased to see their toys!
And the rest of us are pleased to have room to move about and spread out in a warm home! 
As you can see we have a lot to do. But we have all the time in the world :)

Thursday, June 26, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 177

Day 177 - Today I was very grateful not to completely lose my rag when the carpet layer came and then left again 10 minutes later without putting the carpet back down! He's coming now at 8am tomorrow. We are hoping so because our movers are arriving about 2pm to move our heavy furniture from the container into the house. If he doesn't then the tantrum you hear about 8.30am will probably be me!

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 176

Day 176 - Today I was very grateful to come home to find the washing machine re-installed. Thank you so much to all who did washing for us over the last two weeks and those who offered to. Much appreciated :)

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 175

Day 175 - Today I was very grateful to find painters, builders and a plumber working away at our home. Tomorrow the painters will finish all the painting downstairs and there only the walls in the two bedrooms and stairwell upstairs to be painted now!

Monday, June 23, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 174

Day 174 - Today I was grateful to have a chance for some very special catchups with friends over coffee and later over wine. I'm also grateful that there were painters and builders here at home working away today. The painters are going (as my Mother would have said) "like the clappers!" And it looks like they are doing a great job of it too. Ceilings all finished and walls started. Looking fabulous already!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 173

Day 173 - Today I was very grateful to be able to do a couple of loads of washing at Liz's place, where the older girls have being staying. Thanks so much Liz :)

Saturday, June 21, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 172

Day 172 - Today I am extremely grateful that the painters have started work inside our home. They made great ground today. The house already looks lighter and brighter and I just love the smell of new paint!
We have told the repairers that we are moving in on Friday whether they have finished or not and it's interesting to see how they have responded with a great burst of action. Go figure!

Friday, June 20, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 171

Day 171 - Today I was very grateful to be able to go to Carols after school to wash the school uniforms ready for next week. The children were very grateful to meet Carol and Andrews puppies!
And we also had an absolutely marvellous afternoon tea! Thanks for your hospitality Carol. Bagel had a great time too meeting your new babies :) 

Thursday, June 19, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 170

Day 170 - Today I am very grateful that the children got really good reports at their learning conferences today. It is a real joy to see that Briana's achievement is increasing again. Josh is still very shy at school but his schoolwork is going well. They both have great, enthusiastic teachers who are focused on helping them to achieve to the best of their ability :)

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 169

Day 169 - Today I am grateful to be able to go to work and take my washing! Thanks Judy and Eric :)
I am also grateful to Livvy for babysitting while Glenn and I went to a function tonight and to Jillian for lending me a beautiful cocktail dress to wear to it since most of my dresses are in storage :)

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 168

Day 168 - Today I was very grateful to be able to give the two youngest children a bath in a VERY warm bathroom. The plasterers left their blowing heater on in there tonight and the room was quite tropical! Made a lovely change from the icebox the bathroom has been lately!

Monday, June 16, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 167

Day 167 - Today I was very grateful to have a fantastic night out with the girls celebrating Denise's birthday in style! We were chauffeured around town in a pink limo and then out for dinner.

I was also grateful to Livvy for coming home from her temporary abode to babysit for me :)

Sunday, June 15, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 166

Day 166 - Today I am very grateful for a beautiful sunny day, a visit to see my brother Simon (and his washing machine)  and for Matt cooking a delicious dinner tonight :)

Saturday, June 14, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 165

Day 165 - Today I was very grateful to be able to go to scrapbooking at Anna's place. I got a lot of photos sorted and scanned as well as page in the album I'm working on. Sometimes the preparation takes a bit of doing, but it clears the way for a marathon scrapbooking effort. I was also grateful that we were invited to go out for dinner! Isn't it always lovely when someone else cooks :)

Friday, June 13, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 164

Day 164 - Today I am very grateful that we have received many offers to come over to use people's washing machines now that ours is packed up for a week. We are still also being invited out quite a bit for dinner, which is so kind since we have limited cooking facilities. We are very lucky to have such amazing friends :)

Thursday, June 12, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 163

Day 163 - Today I am grateful that the floors are pretty much down in the house and the plasterers are working like lightning! Tomorrow they will have the run of the house as the builders aren't coming so should be able to work even faster :) I was also grateful to catch up with my older daughters for lunch today. It's strange having them not living at home at the moment!

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 162

Day 162 - Today I am SO SO SO grateful that the plasterers have turned up at our home today. The floor has taken so long and we kept being told that the plastering would have to wait and everything was being held up. The dining floor is proving to be a little more difficult to put back the floorboards down than was expected but the plasterers have arrived anyway! Yay! Great progress :)

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 161

Day 161 - Today I was very grateful to have a very productive meeting with Ben to organise my new website! I was also extremely grateful that one of Josh's friends at Marshland School was looking out for him when someone wasn't being very kind.

Monday, June 9, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 160

Day 160 - Today I am extremely grateful that the repairers were here working all day and that the piling is finished and the floors are going back down :)   
I am also very grateful that Liz picked Briana up from school with the older girls so I could stay home with Josh who was home sick from school! 

Sunday, June 8, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 159

Day 159 - Today I was grateful to have time to do a big cook up ready for losing the use of our kitchen this week. My only problem is that I am so stocked up there's not a lot of room in the freezer for all the meals I've made! So may need to quickly make jam in the crockpot to empty out the plums to make room for chilli con Carne and bacon and egg pie!

Saturday, June 7, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 158

Day 158 - Today I am very grateful to have had a visit from our friends Joanne and Dale Springer from Nelson. It's always very special to catch up with old friends :)  

Friday, June 6, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 157

Day 157 - Today I am grateful for many things! For having the time to crawl around putting polythene under our house with Glenn this morning to make our home drier and warmer and for the chance to have lunch after that with my husband today. For the time to look around for other insulation for the lounge in our home. For bargains at Pak and Save on Frugal Friday. For a commitment free time after school to spend time with the children. For being able to turn off the alarm and no time pressures tomorrow morning. And for the sounds of the rain on the roof of our caravan. Even though we are still here longer than we were meant to be, we are warm and cosy tonight :)

Thursday, June 5, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 156

Day 156 - Today I am grateful that our repairer has given us a sign off date. We have a meeting with EQC, EQR, and the repair company set for 17th June. There's quite a bit still to do, so they are going to have to be working hard to achieve it!

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 155

Day 155 - Today I am grateful that my husband put pink 'snugfloor' batts in our bedroom floor before the builders replace the timber!
I feel warmer just looking at it :)

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 154

Day 154 - Today I am grateful for a great business networking lunch and the time this afternoon to find the best deal for underfloor insulation! The best deal ended up being one of the closest at Placemakers in Cranford St. The guys there were really helpful too so was very pleased :)

Monday, June 2, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 153

Day 153 - Today I am especially grateful for an extra weekend day! Love 3 day weekends :)
It was bliss to be able to sleep in and I was treated to breakfast in bed! It was also great to have the time to spend stripping paint from around the kitchen windows.
I'm certainly not known for DIY but think I did okay using the heat gun. It's a work in progress and I'm pleased with the results so far :)

Sunday, June 1, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 152

Day 152 - Today I was very grateful to be invited with Glenn and our two youngest to Allison and Graham Alexander's for a roast dinner tonight. The meal was superb, the company great and the house was sooo warm! It was also exciting to go to the toilet with the light on!! (It's the small things!)
I was also grateful that Graham lent us a special tool to strip paint off the windows. Even after only a few hours today I can see the difference and it looks great :)