Monday, December 23, 2013

One more sleep!

Well only one more sleep til Santa arrives here in New Zealand.
Pohutakawa - NZ Christmas flower

It is Tuesday night and I have been a bit slack on the blogging!
Saturday I left Sullivan's Bay and once I hit cell phone coverage, I got a call from my sister asking whether the 90th party was Saturday or Sunday, so as I was not too far from Mangawhai I said I would head directly there and find out.
On arrival in Mangawhai, I found another of my many sisters there one day early as well. Aunty Dorothy thought it was great that we were there early. So I had a couple of hours with my eldest sister Joy and her husband Noel.
My cousin Ruth was there from Melbourne and it was great to catch up with her for the rest of the afternoon. We had some great hours reminiscing and realised that it had been around 20 years since we had seen each other. There had been a family reunion around 20 years ago and that was the last time we had been together. The cousins children were around 8-12 years old now their children are the same age!  How time flow when you are having fun.
On Sunday it was great to catch up with so many cousins from my Uncle Don's side of the family as well as Aunty Dorothy's side as well.
There were only the three children on that side of the family, Dorothy, Donald and Lorna (my mum) but there are loads of cousins! Aunty Dorothy had 4, Uncle Don had 9 and mum had the 7 of us. So just on that side there are 20 cousins, with all their children..........
Now that we are all reconnected the age of electronics will enable us to keep in contact again.
Sunday night I stayed with my second cousin Ben and his wife and new baby at their lovely property just out of Mangawhai and had a great evening.
I left early and headed through to Waipu Cove via Langs Beach, wow that area has changes soooo much! So much new development right through there.
So from there went through to Ruakaka and wandered past where mum and dad used to live and had a bit of a wander along the beach by the racecourse. Little thinking time about my dad....
From there I headed across towards One Tree Point and had a look a the new Marsden Cove Development, which looks quite nice.
Headed from there into Whangarei and caught up with my cousin Margaret and her husband Bill from Dad's side. Bill is actually the local containment officer for the NZMCA and have just returned from a 3 month stint in the USA touring around in their new motorhome that they bought there. It's a beauty and it stays there with their son.
Caught up with another cousin Patricia from the same side as well as my 91 year old Aunty Mary. We chatted and reminisced about my dad and his family for quite a while, looking at some awesome old photos. I need to upload some and will when I get a moment.
I then headed up to my niece Tracy and her lovely kids as well my nephew Tony, his wife Nat with their two kids, who are staying there for a while, having just returned from Australia.
I managed to get into the driveway at my sister Lorna's place and have been relaxing here and getting organised for tomorrow, making coleslaw.
We are off to see the Christmas lights as soon as it gets dark enough....probably around 9.00pm!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my friends, family and blog followers an awesome Christmas and a fantastic New Year. Safe traveling and may 2014 bring you all you strive towards.
(((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))) to those that like them.
Regards
Frederick

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