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Sunday, August 31, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 243

Day 243 - Today I am grateful for a lovely invitation out to morning tea after church with my older children and a lazy day enjoying the leftovers from dinner last night :) 

Saturday, August 30, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 242

Day 242 - Today I was very grateful to have a relaxed start followed a whole day at home to get ready for a dinner party tonight. We hosted a fundraising dinner for the local candidate and enjoyed some great conversation and fabulous food! 

Friday, August 29, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 241

Day 241 - I am forever grateful that on this day 19 years ago, at 8.42pm, Miss Olivia was born!
Here she is with my Dad

I am so proud of the determined, fun, family minded, fiercely loyal young woman she has grown into.
And today was made extra special by Olivia passing her restricted driving test! Woohoo  
Love you Livvy xx

Thursday, August 28, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 240

Day 240 - Today I am so grateful for the safe arrival of two babies I have been waiting to hear news about, on the same day! 

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 239

Day 239 - Today I was very grateful that Olivia babysat tonight so I could attend my first Parish Council meeting :)

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 238

Day 238 - Today I was very grateful that our first day of Preschool Music without Annette went really well thanks to the lovely Mel bringing amazing baking, and no thanks to me forgetting to bring milk! It wasn't the same but it was good. Mel made peanut chocolate brownies! Divine :)

Monday, August 25, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 237

Day 237 - Today I was very grateful to have a very productive day of work and some productive conversations about our Sleepout foundations! A very productive day all round :) 

Sunday, August 24, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 236

Day 236 - Today I am grateful for our new church family, our old church family, and our extended church family. Today was a day of church! First of all it was the AGM at our new church St Albans United and I was nominated and elected on to Parish Council. Then we went to our previous church St Andrews for a farewell for Annette. It was wonderful to catch up with some very dear people. And tonight Livvy went to youth group and Liz brought her home and we were able to catch up on wider church news :)

Saturday, August 23, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 235

Day 235 - Today I was extremely grateful to have a slow start to the day then spend the afternoon scrapbooking at Anna's place. I was also very grateful to watch a wonderful game of rugby this evening! Well done the All Blacks :)

Friday, August 22, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 234

Day 234 - Today I was very grateful to have a coffee and strategy meeting with my friend Wendy Cross. When you are launching into something new it's great to have someone to bounce ideas off. Wendy and I have been meeting once a month to work through a goal setting strategy in a fun and motivating way :)

Thursday, August 21, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 232

Day 232 - Today I was grateful to be invited for afternoon tea, to the home that my friend Bonny and her family are living in while their home is being repaired. I was also grateful for a visit from a woman who lived in our house when she was 7, 78 years ago. She was able to give me names and sketches of the house at that time! Fascinating :)

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 231

Day 231 - Today I am very grateful that Kirsten has landed safely in Indianapolis on the last leg of her journey to Purdue University. Just a short trip on a bus now and she will be there! How exciting :)

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 230

Day 230 - Today I was very grateful to be able to launch my new business website thanks to the cleverness and creativity of Ben Young 
http://www.smme.co.nz/ 
I was also grateful to have a lovely morning at Pre-School Music for Annette's last day. It's going to be very strange without her!  

Monday, August 18, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 229

Day 229 - Today I was very grateful to get home again after a whirlwind visit to Auckland including a spectacular plane ride home with stunning views of the South Island.

It's always exciting to see the Mainland come into view - it's home :)
We ended up flying lower than expected due to some strong winds to the west of the North Island. I had a view only of the sea until suddenly I saw Farewell Spit! (as above)

Flying lower meant that the Southern Alps seemed to be a bit closer too


Aren't we lucky to live in such a beautiful country :)

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 228

Day 228 - Today I have been most grateful to be able to fly to Auckland to see Hanson in Concert with Olivia! 
They were absolutely AMAZING and played songs across all their albums. MmmBop almost brought the house down but for me, I was thrilled that Isaac sat down at the piano and played my favourite Hanson song "More than Anything". It's not so well known but I love it and obviously it's special to him too! Such incredible young men with amazing energy and talent. 
Jamie McDell opened for Hanson which was such a thrill for Olivia. But the biggest thrill was that Livvy got to meet Jamie! So exciting 
What an exciting night! 


Saturday, August 16, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 227

Day 227 - Today I was very grateful to go to a Film Festival movie with Matthew. He used to often go to film festival movies with his Gran so I am a bit of a substitute for her! We went to Boyhood - a movie that was shot over 12 years. It was amazing and on again tomorrow if anyone is keen to go :)

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 226

Day 226 - Today I was very grateful that Annette arrived over with buckets full of plants from her garden at the house she is moving from in 2 weeks. Annette is a parishioner and friend from St Andrews, who has been my right hand woman at my Twinklestarrs preschool music group for almost 8 years! But after her husband passing away last year and her insurance company finally settling her claim she is moving north to be near family. We will miss her terribly :( 

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 225

Day 225 - This day I was very grateful to start the day with a coffee catchup with my friend Anita. In 90 mins we solved all the country's problems! I think we had some pretty good ideas and the NZ public should vote for us ;)

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 224

Day 224 - Today I am very grateful that Kelly and Garth Patrick have picked Kirsten up from the airport in Vancouver and that she is staying with them for a few days :)

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 223

Day 223 - Today I am forever grateful for the amazing acting talents and the heart for people that embodied actor Robin Williams.
Right the first moment I saw him as Mork from Ork, I was capitivated by his extraordinary uniqueness. Throughout the years I have laughed till my sides ached and been moved to tears but tonight my heart cries for him and his family. My favourite Robin Williams film was undoubtedly Good Morning Vietnam. The first 20 mins were mesmerising, even more so for me later when I learned most of it was ad libbed. He was a genius, and sadly a tortured one. I feel so sad that he was so desperate in his depression that he felt he had to end his life. The next time I watch one of his movies will no doubt be bittersweet.
God Bless you Robin, may you rest in peace xx

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 222

Day 222 - Today I was so super grateful that my wee business is starting to take off and I was super busy working from home! I realised how much I had missed working at home, it seems to really suit me. It was such a busy day that I was extremely tired last night and didn't do my journal before I went to bed.
I was also very grateful to have a videocall with Kirsten in San Francisco (Thanks Facebook). It was so nice to talk and hear what she has been up to :)

Sunday, August 10, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 221

Day 221 - Today I am super grateful to Matthew for taking his two youngest siblings to the movies today! They went to Guardians of the Galaxy. Briana was a little scared at the start but Matthew said she laughed a lot during the movie. Josh and Bri are very lucky to have a big brother who loves taking them to the movies :)

Saturday, August 9, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 220

Day 220 - Today I am so very grateful to Raewyn and Hugh for letting us stay over at their home again last night while the final coat of polyurethane was put on our floor! 


I think the floor looks like someone has poured liquid toffee all over it :)

We all enjoyed our night away including having a hot spa on a very chilly night. I also love how Hugh and Raewyns home has the living rooms upstairs. The views are amazing and last night the sunset in the west made the sky look like it was on fire. To the south though, the storm clouds were fast approaching! 

Friday, August 8, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 219

Day 219 - Today I am very grateful that Andrew is making great progress on our new walk in pantry :)

Thursday, August 7, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 218

Day 218 - Today I am supremely grateful today that Kirsten is safe and happy in Los Angeles after her plane was flying directly into the path of Tropical Hurricane Isella!


As you can see in the photo on the left, Isella is the green swirls closest to Hawaii. You can see by the flight path record on the right that the pilots have made a great decision to veer right to pass between Isella and the storm following it!
Was a bit worrying for an already nervous Mother! All good now :)

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 217

Day 217 - Today I was very grateful to have a full day at work and a fabulous dinner out with the Dinner Club girls to take my mind off the fact my second born child has been 31,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean today :)

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 216

Day 216 - Today I am very grateful we've all been able to do a few things to help Kirsten get ready tonight. She's pretty independent and wants to do things herself but I think we have all been able to contribute a little to her preparations :) 

Monday, August 4, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 215

Day 215 - Today I was very grateful to have the time to have lunch with my two elder daughters up at The Cup cafe
(Thanks for winning player of the day Livvy) 
Then we followed Kirsten around the mall  while she ticked things off her to do list offering words of encouragement and giving our opinion when needed! 
I am also very grateful that Simone has arrived safely in Orlando to start her new job :)

Sunday, August 3, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 214

Day 214 - Today I was grateful for a slow day at home after a busy night last night. I set the alarm to get to church on time and turned it off this morning only to go back to sleep waking up with only 25 mins to get to church! Oops! So we stayed home.
It was also lovely to have Yani and Katya visit with their dogs! Was a busy afternoon for Bagel and he put himself to bed very early tonight :)

Saturday, August 2, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal - Day 213

Day 213 - Today I am grateful for a beautiful evening for Kirsten to have her friends over to her leaving party :)

Friday, August 1, 2014

2014 Gratitude Journal -Day 212

Day 212 - Today I am extremely grateful that my children live in a country where there is no war. Watching the late news last night broke my heart when I saw babies injured in Gaza. So sad :(