Finally a few more photos

Not sure how many of you actually look at this site - to date no-one has complained about lack of updates so maybe not too many of you look at it?

Anyway - finally got some more work done in the garden over the weekend and almost finished out planter boxes (haven't started on the ones round the front of the house yet though!) Also bought a spa pool so have a little work there to fit this in alongside the new deck we built last summer. Have it in the garage at the moment so that we can use it - so nice being able to soak and relax at night once Josh has gone to bed. Josh hasn't been in it yet though I'm sure he'd love to - will need to turn the temp down as it would be too hot for him at the moment.

Josh has been to a homeopath as we are trying to get him to stay off the antibiotics for his tonsils. They'll probably still have to come out but at least if we can keep them under control and keep his immune system up so that he doesn't get sick all the time then he won't need to be on antibiotics constantly! Time will tell if the sulphur tablets he's been given help or not. Will see the homeopath again in a couple of weeks - would be nice if he didn't get sick again over that time.

Other than that he is doind great - he loves being outside and helping daddy. And he's quite happy to do his own thing while daddy does his and doesn't really get in my way often. Will need to put up our trellis gates to close in the garden round the back of the house so he can run around without disappearing out to the garage or the cars. He hasn't gone down the drive but is pretty quick at making a dash for the cars parked round the front or to go and knock on the garage door!

Planning to go up to my parents this weekend (just Josh and me as Beck is going to Hamilton), since they havn't seen him for almost 2 months now as they've been in Germany.

A quick update

Must be time for some more photos (especially for his Oma and Opa who are overseas at the moment!). Weather hasn't been that good so haven't spent much time with Josh outside, though he loves to be outside when we/the weather let him.




I've spent a bit of time in the garage over the last couple of weekends (with that weather what else can one do!) and last weekend Josh came out for a little bit too. Mum came out too as 'supervisor'! Josh loved it - he was checking out the car and was quite keen to get his hands on my tools. He was pretty good and didn't really touch stuff without giving me a look as to say 'is this ok to touch dad?'. I was sitting there unscrewing something off the car and he came over and sat down next to me - beck and I cracked up laughing - it was so cute!


So here some photos of that. Will have to see if I can figure out how to put some video up on this website too - he's hilarious in the bath at the moment (water gets everywhere!) and does lots of dancing (thanks maz - next thing he'll be wearing pink shirts and ...)

Working in the garden

We're building some planter boxes in the garden and Josh came out to give me a hand - by choice! I didn't force him to honestly!

Josh's first trip to the Zoo!

We went to the Zoo with Josh over the weekend. He enjoyed the giraffes and zebras, possibly the elephants and definately the seagulls and chickens/roosters running around! Most of the other animals were too slow or blended into their habitat too much and so weren't of much interest!

(Click on the pictures to make them bigger!)

Josh's 1st birthday party

It's Josh's first birthday on the 8th and so he had his first party this saturday (5th). Lots of family and friends but unfortunately not many of his friends were there - several have now moved to Australia and one of the others for some reason never received the invitation which was a bit sad.

He got lots of presents and some nice clothes (which was lucky as he was starting to run out of clothes big enough to fit him!). My grandparents are also over from Germany at the moment and so it was nice to have them there too. On sunday we then showed them (and Josh!) where we got married and had our reception. We still had our fruitcake from the wedding in the freezer (as we know we should have eaten that for our 1 year anniversary or the birth of our first child) and so we defrosted that and took it with us to the rose gardens and had a picnic there with the my family (incl dad's parents). Almost took the beetle for drive too but we would have had to take both cars as Josh can't really go in the back of the convertible and so we decided against it - just proof that we really should sell it as we're not using it!

VW nationals 2008 - Cambridge

Took our beetle down to Cambridge for the VW Nationals over the easter weekend. The weather was perfect for driving round in a convertible and the beetle finally got a bit of time out of the garage and on the road! The tyres had actually developed a little bit of a flat spot from sitting around for so long without being moved - but the tyres stretched themselves back to almost normal now. Our beetle won 3rd place in the convertible section which was pretty cool!

It was a nice weekend camping and Josh again enjoyed sleeping in his own tent - it convinced us that we should really get rid of the kombi too as it's easier in the tent at the moment anyway and I can then spend more time on our stretched one (which I haven't worked on for over a year now!).

Below are some pics from the nationals and Josh having a bath at the campsite (thanks Rob and Cass for providing the 'bathtub'!).

Josh's first camping trip

We took Josh camping last weekend at Opito Bay. Had to take the tents as Felix wanted to use the kombi and we'd already told him months ago that he could have it - as it turned out it didn't get the last minute warrant of fitness and so didn't actually get used at all that weekend.





It probably worked better with tents anyway as Josh had his own tent and so couldn't hear us get into bed or move around during the night. He didn't even have a nightlight which he normally has in his room.





We were so happy with him; he went to bed without fuss and only woke once during each night at about 2am - didn't even have to get him out of bed though. We just went into his tent to let him know we were still there and he went back to sleep. I think he actually quite liked his own little tent and he was quite the happy little camper.









Unfortunately sunday brought a few showers and so the tents got packed wet and had to be dried out when we got home - that's where the kombi is just so much easier!

A couple of photos of Josh

Mehreen took these at the going away party at Chris and Sandy's. And no he did not drink the whole bottle! And yes he did ruin my sunglasses (bent them open too far) so I had to get some new ones after that weekend!

Christmas and summer holidays

Must be time for an update - sorry to all those that have checked and waited for this; I know we're hopeless at updating this site! :-)

We had a nice couple of weeks off and spent most of that time with my parents up north rather than taking the kombi out for its summer drive. Maybe next year when Josh is a little older!

Spent christmas eve at my parents though Josh didn't stay up late to open his presents so we let him open his straight after dinner before he went to bed. He got a cool trolley with wooden blocks that mum and dad had made for him. The blocks passed Josh's taste test and the trolley after close inspection of the wheels were also deemed satisfactory I think - he does keep checking them though!










Christmas day we headed back home to have christmas with Becks family at our house on boxing day. There were 13 of us and though the weather wasn't too bad - there was the odd shower and a cold stiff breeze - we opted to stay inside. Luckily the dining/kitchen was big enough for all of us AND all of Josh's present (which took up a large portion of the floor area!).

Obviously he got spoilt but mum and dad did get a couple of presents too.








We then headed back up north after a couple of days at home and spent new years at my parents as well. Josh went on his first boat trip as well as a couple of dips in the water - both of which he wasn't entirely sure of but didn't complain about either! Will have to go back up a few more times and get him out on the water and in the water so he gets used to it early. he loves bath time so I'm sure he'll like the sea too so long as it's not too cold.









A brief update I know but at least some more pics!

Update number 2

Also have promised some photos of the garage on one of the earlier blogs and a couple of people have asked why progress photos aren't on the website! So here are some photos - it's not finished but at a stage now where it is water tight and lockable. Therefor useable!

Need to paint the outside still, and put some vertical battens on it. Interior needs the wiring for lights and powerpoints finished (it's alsmot done) and then we need to tidy up a little around the outside. We've also sprayed all our lawn to kill it so that we can level it properly and then re-sow grass. Plans are to also extend the deck and eventually plant some trees/shrubs/hedge/flowers. But all in good time!

This is how it all started - a big mess everywhere!

Building in winter is never a good idea - especially when you're building below ground level! Luckily it didn't take too long for water to drain out again (about 1/2 day). but it was constantly muddy and not much fun!

Getting concrete down was a big step and finally no more mud! Which also meant that the whole driveway area was a lot cleaner and we had more space again for the cars.

Mum and dad came down a couple of times too to help with the framing and putting the roof on - was much easier than doing it by myself - especially standing up the frames!

And this is what it looks like now basically.

Last but not least - our nice lawn at the moment! :-)