The story of our lives now is guys out hunting and chasing dogs!!

For those of you who knew Tim in years gone by will know this is sort of déjà vu for me

Anson & Sebastian head out hunting whenever they get a spare hour or three.

And sometimes they come home with a pig or two

and other times they spend hours & hours tracking dogs!!

Cheaper way to keep fit than at the gym I guess

Mahalia & Graham are building a harp.

Mahalia has to do a lot of sanding on the soundboard.

So Tim set it up on the verandah so she can do some every now and then throughout the day.

She had some passive helpers today!

 

I decided to have a clean out in the freezers to make room for the new seasons vegetables.

I made 4 batches of tomato & corn relish.

 

Tim, Taeyong & Sebastian worked on the Tardis with Noel & Mandy doing spat seeding during the day and then again late in the evening.

 

The children are enjoying their summers days.

There are loads of photos being taken by Shoshannah & Maria - I have borrowed some to add in here.

Can you see the sting ray swimming underneath them?

Love this photo of Azzan.

Best thing ever getting Shoshannah an underwater camera.

Maria has one too so they have been getting some great shots.

 

I have been just trundling along doing what I need to get through the days.

Resting and knitting and watching dvds when not needed to be cooking and doing office stuff.

Gradually getting more energy and impetus for life again.

Takes a while somedays!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anson and all kids went out early mustering sheep & cattle - big muster, took most of morning.

Left at 6:30 back around 11.

These are photos Taeyong took.

Tim and I actually didn't have to get out of bed for anyone or anything so we didn't.

Really weird having all the kids head off to work and leaving us behind!

I made date scones cuz I figured when they didn't get back in the hour or so that Anson predicted, that they would be hungry.

They sure were and all the scones disappeared very quickly.

 

After lunch they all had a rest.

Mahalia was rather annoyed with Olly as he invaded the back yard - again!

And he was not at all keen to leave!

 

Then later in the arvo Anson took them up the hill.

Anson did stock work

Taeyong & kids went grubbing in Boundary paddock

 

Anso called me up very excited because a cow was dropping twins.

I asked him if the kids were there.

He said no, do you think they'd want to be?

I'm like - 'go get the kids'!!!

So he did and they were rapt to see the two wee baby calves just been born.

Anson carried on with his stock work,

and the others went back to their weeding.

The enthusiasm is overwhelming

 

Tim had the '88 South' tied to the wharf for several days while it was calm and has been doing a lot of maintenance on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I woke to the sound of waves pounding on the beach.

A southerly had blown through during the night.

There is reports of snow down on the hills near Nelson and further south.

Crazy!
This is February.

 

Anson and Taeyong went out at 5am for a hunt.

They arrived back midmorning wet, cold, hungry and with no game.

Anson towed our Cottage guests out - they had gotten stuck cuz of the rain.

Then after he had changed into some dry clothes he took the troops over to Waterfall Bay to help with the clean up.

The fishing party left after breakfast.

 

 

And once the cleaning is done a game of pool is in order!

And a walk up to the waterfall.

I had a fairly relaxing day.

Hopped in the spa at 11:30am.

Did some banking and updated my blog.

Watched dvd and ate breakfast.

 

The others all arrived back mid arvo.

After they had eaten Anson took Shoshannah, Maria & Taeyong out grubbing weeds.

There was obviously plenty of time for the girls to have fun.

 

 

I totally lost it with Azzan and told him exactly what I thought of him re his room.

He then got into gear.

Mahalia decided to give him a hand and they eventually got the room into a very tidy state.

I am not going to hold my breath as to how long it will stay that way!!

 

I sorted accounts, talked with Tim, made phone calls and then we did dinner.

Fried up leftovers, salad and sausages.

Ice cream and fruit sorta made it feel a bit better.

Tomorrow I promise we will not have sausages!!

I am thinking about the school year.

Trying to get things sorted in my mind so it will eventually kick into being.

I am so not enthusiastic but I am sure once we get going it will be all good.

I have been teaching my children for over 30 years now and I am really tired.

Only 5 years to go!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The weather has changed.

It was wet all day.

The rain came in during the night and poured down all day.

Wonderful for the farm and garden.

Tim & Mahalia came home in the boat after they had finished and cleaned up from breakfast.

He got the meat on for tonight.

 

Tim got fed up with Azzan's room cleaning or non cleaning is more like it!
So he went down and 'helped' him.

Just made Azzan angry and mad and whatever but Tim stuck to his guns and got some more action.

Not really finished by any means but I guess it was a start.

I got stuck in mid avro and made dinner for the catered party.

Taeyong helped cutting carrots and peeling potatoes.

No matter what he does he is always smiling.

I love his smile

They had roast, with gravy, cheesey potato bake, creamed corn, carrots & beans and a self saucing butterscotch pudding.

It was full on for a couple of hours but I managed to get it all done and loaded into the Terrano so Tim & Mahalia could get back over to Waterfall Bay before the fishermen arrived back.

I was too tired to cook any more so the rest of us had chicken sausages, creamed corn left over from above and the girls made salad and Azzan made oily chips.

We had to drain and grill them and then they were fine to eat!

 

 

 

 

 

I woke at 2am.

It was hot and muggy.

I tossed and turned but couldn't get back to sleep.

Then about 3am I got a text from a friend in need.

I gave up trying to sleep and crept out to the living room and worked on the laptop for a few hours.

This was the view from the kitchen window at just after 6am.

 

Nicky & Seb were up around 8am.

I then did some phone calls.

More drama in the camp - I am so over drama

There just seems to be so much negative stuff happening all round us at the moment.

So many friends to support.

But, it's okay, it will get sorted.

 

We just chilled out for a while until Phoebe woke later in the morning.

The day was becoming hotter and hotter.

And I was getting hungrier and hungrier.

And so was Sebastian.

Phoebe decided she could come out with us.

So finally we all were ready and I drove the four of us to Crusoe's for a late brunch.

It actually turned into lunch.

We sat outdoors under an umbrella - such a great secluded spot to just kick back and relax.

We started off by sharing a plate of wedges cuz we were all so hungry.

Nathan finished work and came out to join us which was lovely.

Nicky, Phoebe & I all ordered the salmon salad - it is so good!

The salmon is smoked on the premises and there is so much in the salad.

It is very filling and feels sorta healthy at the same time

Seb & Nathan ordered hamburger.

It is a mission to finish it and as well as this Seb helped Phoebe eat hers and they ate wedges and some extra onion rings.

But they were determined to get 'The Bow' from the staff so they persevered and totally cleaned their plates!

The got 'The Bow'

 

 

We eventually said goodbye to Anat & Rami and headed back to the motel.

Nathan followed us so I could help him sort some things.

He crashed out in a chair and went to sleep for a while.

The others rested up in the cool of their room.

I booked Nicky's flight home for Tuesday and chatted with Sally.

Then packed up my gear and around 4:30pm headed into town to get a few groceries, fuel up and head home.

It was really hard to leave but I was more needed at home now.

Seb & Phoebe had Nicky for a couple more days before they plan to come back.

I felt really sad and empty.

Thankfully I had Leonard Cohen to keep me company.

I was so incredibly tired that I was endangering myself so I pulled over at the SHW6 turnoff and had a sleep.

That invigorated me enough to get myself back home.

It was 9pm when I arrived.

Shoshannah, Maria & Azzan helped me unload and then went off to bed.

Tim & Mahalia were over at Waterfall busy with the catered party so I called them to say goodnight.

I had a spa and then watched a dvd and fell asleep.

That really was too long a day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a real sense of calm & peacefulness this morning.

Seb & Phoebe left for the hospital just before 8am.

Nicky and I chatted for a while and then headed off into town.

I took her over the hill via the scenic route.

Nelson is such a pretty city - I love to show it off

We called in to Fairfield House to have a wee look around.

I love this shot of the morning sun shining on the meadow.

Then we went across the road to explore Fairfield Park.

I was totally surprised and immediately in love with the place.

I have driven around here so many times but never stopped to explore so never knew the hidden delights that are tucked away in this beautiful central city park.

Here's a selection of photos I took - it is so lovely.

There are many old graves scattered throughout the park - I had no idea this was an early cemetery!

 

After our exploration we carried on into the city centre.

Parked up and walked.

Got ourselves a frappacino - it was getting rather hot so the cold drink went down rather well.

We whizzed across to Rollo's to get some keys cut.

Took Nicky through the market to get a salmon & avocado wrap from the Wrap Shack for an early lunch.

We chatted with Fumio and admired his bone carvings while we waited for the wraps to be made.

We munched as we walked.

I had a couple of things to do but we got a phone call saying Phoebe needed her Mum so we took off back to the car and I drove Nicky to the hospital.

I dropped her off and whizzed back to the motel to pick up some stuff.

On the way back I got a text saying the baby had been born.

Through blinding tears I flew back to the hospital as fast as I could.

The maternity wing is a bit of a maze and because I was so agitated it took me a wee while to find them.

We spent a special time together treasuring & admiring our precious wee boy - Cypress Finnley.

When I saw him I truly understood what it meant when David said in Psalm 139

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.'

 

He was so incredibly perfect and each part of him so wonderfully made.

The staff were wonderful.

They were very blessed to have had a lovely Christian midwife with them through the birth.

Esther came to visit with Phoebe.

Our midwife arrived a bit later, she'd been out of town - it was good to get her take on everything.

I had found a perfect wee box for the baby at the Christian bookshop.

I had seen it the previous day and when Seb asked us to find something I just knew that was the right thing to get.

Phoebe's sister Damaris had made and couriered up a beautiful wee shawl which arrived just in time for us to take to hospital.

When Phoebe was ready we packed up, she carried her wee babe carefully wrapped in his shawl and placed in the box and they headed back to the motel with Nicky.

I was feeling very overwhelmed and needed time alone so I went off into town.

Got myself a drink and wandered for a wee while before going back to the motel.

Everything hit me and I couldn't stop the tears.

Seb comforted me with his big huggy arms

 

After a wee while Jesika skyped so we all chatted.

It was good for her and her bro to talk - it is hard to be so far from family at times like this.

Then David & Sasha arrived -

with the kayak Tim & I have just bought!

Guess what we are going to be doing in our retirement years

They also bought dinner for us all.

Home made pizza & salads - it was delicious.

Company was pretty good too

Really good to have family to be with.

The evening disappeared all too soon and they had to leave and we all headed to bed.

 

I feel very privileged to have been part of the support team and to have been able to welcome and farewell our first precious grandson into this world.

A very special day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nicky & I were woken at 5:30am to the sound of inconsolable sobbing.

It is so hard to watch your children go through this and not be able to take their pain away.

Eventually we all went back to sleep.

I got up around 7am thinking I would go take Ella to the bus for Seb but he got up soon after and went off to get her and do a few other jobs.

 

Nicky and I just hung out quietly and then spent time with Phoebe when she woke.

Seb arrived back a few hours later with Nathan.

Nathan bought a bottle containing a bunch of flowers from Phoebe's garden - so thoughtful of him.

We just hung out together and talked, and cried, and shared and supported and loved.

 

I went off around lunch time to find some food.

Went to Crusoe's and raided Anat & Rami's lunch food cabinet.

Brought back delicious savouries.

No-one thought they were hungry when I got back but I heated everything up anyway and it soon all disappeared

 

Seb & Phoebe had a good long sleep after lunch.

We just chilled.

A florist van pulled up and the driver jumped out and asked Nathan if he was Mr Shand?

Of course he said yes - so was given these beautiful flowers.

Bri & Nick had sent them up to Seb & Phoebe - I just love the pink hydrangea tucked in amongst the gerberas.

So bright and pretty.

Mid arvo Nathan went to pick up a homeopathic remedy Anat had prepared for dealing with our grief.

Phillipa arrived and had a cuppa with Nicky & I.

She brought this beautiful posy - love the colours, and the rose actually is perfumed!!

Then at 4pm I had to take Nathan home so he could get ready for work.

Seb & Phoebe went off for a walk on the beach.

It was a good thing to do - time alone to process in the fresh air & sunshine.

Another florist's van arrived with these beautiful flowers sent from Jesika & Evan in Melbourne.

Our rooms here are looking so bright and cheery with all this added colour

 

 

Nicky & I went back to Crusoe's for dinner and enjoyed Rami's extremely delicious new dinner dish - 'Cannelloni with aurora sauce' - roast veges, cream cheese & cheddar stuffed in creamy Aurora sauce and gratinated cheese served with green beans and chips.

It was to-die-for delicious

While we waited for Rami to make a take away dinner for Seb & Phoebe we chatted with Anat & her daughter Ellie and admired her lollie kebabs.

She gave us one to take back

 

It was good to see Phoebe & Seb's appetite had returned as they both devoured the best takeaway dinners ever - well Seb did say that it was comparable to better than Maccas