Happy Birthday Katya

Miss Katya turned 7 on Thursday...casual day with overnight visit from Granny, Aunty Anna, Hunter & Isla!

Had some of the new 3 bugs papers to play with from Scrapbook Outlet...and a 'seasons' card for the slice which Andrea sent until mine arrives (it's one that people who buy the slice from VIP stores like Scrapbook Outlet get to send away for)...and 250 ish photos from snapfish. Enjoyed using the 3 bugs papers, good colours, nice thick papers and enjoyed the simplicity and minimal space used by the slice for cutting out titles and some die cuts. Loving the use of dimension dots/squares to lift some of the cuts off the page a little.

yep, I got in too...remember that this is a lower South Island beach, so not the warmest, but the day was sooo hot it was almost a necessity. Girls enjoyed us getting in...a little too cold for Ethan still!

a little more beach...

we had up to 4 different Kereru flying over or settling on the treas around the beach huts, often as it was getting darker so the photo's weren't so good, this one shows some of their gorgeous colouring.

was a full moon...the pic here isn't as clear as the high res one...kind of spooky with the leaves shadowing the moon...

I think this is a molly hawk chick? need to check that out, but they were scuttling around the track on Moturata island...saw some blue penguins and their chicks while there too, not ok to get too close so don't have great shots of them unfortunately.

at Moturata island there were some stunning crabs tucked under the rocks...you can only get to the island at low tide and you have up till an hour after the low tide mark to get back to Taieri Mouth or you have to swim! We went over twice, got some paua the first time and just explored the second.

more summer holiday snippets

this scene is usual on most trips, Miss Ali has always had an easily disturbed puku to the point that she feels sick just thinking about car trips as a result we collect air sickness bags...they are fantastic, keep it contained, she uses it, rolls up the top and holds it till we get to the next rubbish bin.

mum & dad picked up this deck chair from the Naeseby charity auction... stunning! It seemed to draw the boys...even the 2 & 4 year old ones!

Tui.
The gardens at the beach house attract quite a few native birds and the Tui & Bell Birds seem to love the flax flowers that are between the two units so we are sitting at the table and hear the flutter of wings, look up and there they are - about 2.5 metres from where we are sitting.

I think we are back home now...till school starts...swimming lessons this coming week with the Arrowtown Swimming Club.

Summer Holiday pt 1

a little creating at the beach house...easy with the slice (used basics 1 and animal crackers design cards) and dh would hardly know it was there, except I had a 'few' other supplies there...but alas I forgot my photos to scrap! I'm interested to see what new design cards Making Memories have up their sleeves for release shortly...

board games...good family times...maybe not LOL Jase gets a bit competitive and I'm not sure he enjoys us laughing at him... We learned a few new games Cam taught us how to play squatter, Jase & I were given Settlers of Catan for Christmas - love that game & Dad had 'ticket to ride' given for his birthday last year so we worked out how to play that one - it became a fave, even Anna would join in. We also played a Rumi game mum had...I don't think number games are my strong point though...I like ones where you have a strategy to work out.

Lenny who lives next door to mum & dad's beach huts brought this treat over, it was huge, filled the chillibin...mum & jase made it into Crayfish mornay (is that how you spell it?)