Tis the season to be Jolly!

Where did the last two months go?

At the end of October we were saying goodbye to Fiji, our family holiday to celebrate my retirement birthday!

Then it was back to work and kindy for the younger members of the family! Yours truly put on her yoga pants and walking shoes and sweated it out in the yoga studio…wobbling my way through 4-5 classes a week and taking to the hills, beaches and parks to get in some steps….

View from the top of the wenderholm hill…

A couple of weeks later, my BFF hit her golden birthday….and we celebrated in style…as we do with bubbles of course!

A few days after this, she zoomed off to be with her family in Australia! So my party buddy has been absent since the middle of November and things have been quiet on the social front!

I took a trip to Waiheke Island with Daniel… to measure up a job there, for friends, that he is now doing!

Not a bad workplace….with views to die for! It was about this time that I managed to get a spring Flu!

As the sun came out and we had unseasonal spring weather with a two week run of bright sunshine and very warm days!

My sunflowers grew to 7foot and bloomed golden in the sunshine with heads the size of dinner plates…

While sofa bound (yoga and walking on hold) I scrolled the marketplace sites and found this fabulous addition to the family collection – inspired by my Brother in law (Roland) who has an extensive collection on the other side of the world!

Interspersed with my exercise plan I have had lots of grandbaby time …. When they have off days and cannot go to kindy!

Henry playing with Russell’s trucks (his dad made them for him when he was a little boy!) they don’t make them like they used to….standing the test of time!

Luka and his dog….a boys best friend! Floyd is now 9 and would prefer not to have a playful toddler…but enjoys the snacks he can share (or sneak) from his brother!

Tyler…who is 5 in February and off to school, helped me decorate the Christmas vase….he found the Texas Christmas train (what was left of it) and we managed to add this to the creation this year!!

I joined Jax and Steph and their boys for the Orewa Santa parade on yet another summers day…the super hero’s and the grinch featuring largely in the event!

We also took a family outing to Sheepworld in Warkworth….

Feeding the (already) fat sheep, goats, alpacas and ponies – ducks and rabbits also getting in on the act!!

Due to the early summer my sunflowers have been and gone, however my green fingers grandson Luka still insists they need a water when he returns from kindy every day!

And finally Tyler graduated from Kindy this week, in true Tyler Fashion with his back to the crowd…and hanging onto his mother…

He looks like a big owl sitting on Steph’s knee!

And that’s about a wrap as we countdown the 6 sleeps to Christmas Day, December rain and wind returning for the festive week, and for my offspring a much looked forward to holiday! Dan returns from Waiheke today for a couple of weeks break with his Fanily, Jax and Steph have two weeks of coming and going from the cottage, and George and Jess are taking a mini break up north between Christmas and New Year….while Gran’ma babysits the cat!!