Christmas Eve

Every year we have been here this kind of image sums up Christmas. Millie happy and free in the sun, just enjoying being. I have always had a saying, "Just Be" it is very personal and about contentment, the confidence to Just Be where you are at. Not looking for the next thing, not wanting to buy the next gadget, looking for the next challenge but Just be. I think here in New Zeland that just being is far more achievable!

This is, once again Takapuna beech, slightly more people than usual, Auckland will start to empty over the next few days. It is a time I love. I hope you all have a great Christmas day.

So This is Christmas 2007

So this is Christmas, a shot of Millie at Mission Bay, taken today Sunday 23 of December, it was windy but very hot! And it was New Zealand Natural Ice Cream and very delicious. And the Twins had their very first taste of the down fall of many a diet! Typically Jessica dove straight in and Lucy wasn't sure the opposite of their timidity when it comes to the world in general.

Auckland is starting to empty, the shops are open every day apart from Christmas Day. We are having Beef for our main course but all the trimmings in terms of Pudding, cake and mince pies! Strawberries are big at Christmas. People do a lot of visiting but staying at the Bach (Holiday Home) is the main way of spending the festive season. The TV is shockingly bad yes even worse than in the UK. I love this next photo of Millie. It sums up her excitement and defines the season with the bright sunshine wind and the red and green of the pohutukawa.

3 Sleeps to Christmas

This is Millie with Santa in Takapuna Mall. There wasn't even a queue, I have rather different memories of Bluewater this time of year. The weather is lovely today, not too hot. Last night we went to the nativity drive through at Northcross. It's a nativity scene where the congregation play all the parts. You tune your car radio to listen to the carols and it is just too cute, Millie just adores it. We also went to the Santa Show at The Pump House Theater. It is a very low key production playing to an audience of about 100. It is right by the lake and you can feed the ducks before you go in! Produced By Tim Bray it is a very sweet morality tale about greed, quite charming. the performance is only one small step from a village hall production but honestly all the more charming for it. This Morning we went to the Museum it is fantastically uncrowded at this time of year eclectic, yes but very enjoyable.
To say that Millie is excited is an understatement reminiscent of "Peace in Our Time!"

Kiwi Christmas

So its another southern hemisphere hot Christmas! This is the contrast, English Christmas wreaths against palms and blue sky! I like it! I took this at the Takapuna Santa parade which happened a few weeks ago but I'm afraid you are going to get he full account of a Kiwi Christmas! With one very exited little girl.



Waiting for this gentleman to arrive...


It is a magical time and I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to Christmas in the 70's but it is great for the kids. We have a tree, they are very different to the UK tree and much harder to decorate but smell divine! Our house has the sweet fragrance og the best Scottish forest. It's raining today but very warm. Most businesses are off for the next two weeks. Thanks to New Zealand employment law, as long as they give you notice, it is a compulsory holiday as all but 3 days are taken off the meager 3 week annual allowance! Happy Christmas, scrooge lives on!