Signs of Spring

I really like this picture (click on it to see Kate's reflection more clearly)

Beach today

Another bus ride

View from the top - they got to sit in the front upstairs.

The kids got to ride the Double Decker bus yesterday with Nana.

Yesterday's walk

Random scenery

In town today,

and from the bus ride home.....

Queen's Gardens

Rainy day fun

It was a rainy day yesterday - good to stay in the pyjamas all morning and make gingerbread men with Nana!

Visiting some historic houses

Isel House - built in the mid 1800s - this is in a park about 10 mins walk from my parents' house.

I don't think they have these in the US - the common name here is "red hot pokers"

this tree was planted in 1850 (click on picture to see bigger)

Broadgreen house, built 1855 - this is across the road from my parents' house - their house was built in 1905

Sunny day in town

Kate liked these light poles because they look like the one in "Narnia".

This is the Christ Church cathedral and the "church steps" in Nelson.

German sausage in New Zealand (the kids are eating a gingerbread man from the bakery next door).

are we acting like tourists or what? - picture in the phone booth.....

Stylin' winter fashion

the best thing about it being winter here in NZ, all the new clothes....

trip update

the kids and I are at my parent's house in New Zealand now.

We had a great weekend in California and our first "Disney" experience.

The internet connection here is super slow and this one picture was all I could load for now. I'll have to try my brother's laptop later to see if that is any better.

Ready for vacation

eating a cookie by the fire (yes it is 100 degrees outside) - this fireplace burns year round, and is by the ice skating rink in the Memorial city mall in Houston.

They look too grown up in this picture.
We are off on our trip tomorrow - to Disneyland for a few days and then on to New Zealand next week. I should be able to blog some pictures later next week!

Now back to packing - it is not easy - we need some summer clothes for Disney and winter clothes for NZ. And now you have to pay to check luggage so I am trying my best to not have more than 1 bag for each of us.

another cheap fix for the kitchen

I got some scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby to put in the back of the glass front cabinets. The pattern is cream and beige. (click on a picture to see the detail of the pattern)
I like the subtle change and I can change out the paper if I get tired of that one. Eventually I will paint the insides of those cabinets and the shelves too.
I also started decorating the top of the cabinets with a few things I had around the house.

Summertime smiles

This summer is going by way too fast. It is already July, and we leave for our Disneyland then on to New Zealand trip on the 10th.

There have been a few moments this summer where K & T actually get along and play together. Usually Thomas is happy to do his own thing and play with his Spiderman toys and Kate and her neighborhood friend have been playing together every day. We have been swimming at our neighborhood pool a lot too.

I was happy to get these pictures of the kids at least looking happy to be siblings (I took these for Chris for father's day).

and Thomas lost his first tooth!