Soaking up the sunshine

2024 has started with warmth and sunshine, for the first time in 12 months watering the garden has become a daily activity!

Christmas Day was wet, like torrential wet, and the last week of 2023 was a mixed bag of four seasons in one day….this being my 3 days annual leave in a row (even when I was travelling in 2023 I only had 3 full days off)!

Twas a busy Gran’baby time – Jack and Tyler bacheloring at my cottage for this week…and Gran’ma being the main distraction (I like to think attraction)

There was lots of swimming – in the sea, trampoline jumping and Walks to Gran’mas house….

Beach time and a couple of firsts – Tyler’s first ride in (drive of) Gran’mas boat…we picked our day…

The sea was calm, the sun was out with some welcome cloud cover and the fish were biting…

Tyler reeled in his first fish, a little overwhelming as it flapped on the end of the line…then he curled up in the cabin and had a two hour nap! Aah…what the sea air does to us humans!

And Mr Two, (nearly three) year old was the captain! For his first time.

It was a lovely week of precious time spent with this determined young man and my middle son….who is a great (tired) dad!

Dan and I took the tinny out for the annual fishing contest and I caught a couple of Kawhai(which if I hadn’t already smoked for dinner would have won the best other women’s fish) this was won with a 41 cm Kawhai and mine were 45cm!

New Year’s Eve, in true Kiwi style, threw us torrential rain and possibly dampened some spirits! However bach 10, once again came to life (awning at full extension) with a gathering on young people, and ME! I cooked a roast lamb for the crew, and we migrated to the pub for some dancing, heralding in 2024 at the hall….after which Gran’ma called it quits! The younger generation partying on until 3am!

1sr January 2024, broke with sunshine and summer! And (fingers crossed) we haven’t looked back!

One last Gran’ma excursion before they headed off back down the line….a bus trip from the beach to the supermarket!

Another first – a bus ride, after explaining the lack of seatbelts, the hold on tight and don’t press the yellow button until we are ready to get off rules, we then migrated to the back seat….middle! What is it with boys and back seats of buses! On the way back, with our shopping and treats, there was no hesitation – straight to the back seat!

First week of January, back to work…for the short week of catch up! By this time I could no longer ignore the toothache that had been creeping up on me! So a week of dentists, doctors and various antibiotics followed with a very miserable yours truly sporting a swollen fat face! Trying to work and get well for yesterday where George and I had tickets to the men’s ASB tennis semifinals!

Alls well that ends well and a great afternoon was had by both – mother and son date, watching these athletes, and dinner in Newmarket on a glorious sunny afternoon, as George clicks over another year around the sun!