Farewell to a Wonderful Nana

I know it's been a while but life has been insanely busy the past 3 weeks. During the last week in May Nana was admitted into the hospital and we were told she only a few weeks left. I made plans to fly home first week in June with the kids. On Saturday I spoke to my Nana and she said she couldn't hold on much longer and could we come as soon as possible. So with that I rebooked our tickets along with Aarahi to fly the next morning.
We arrived back into Palmerston North around 6pm and I went right up to the hospital. Nana was laying there just looking at the door. As soon as we rounded the corner he face lit and and her eyes swelled with tears as she told me she had been waiting for me all day just watching the door. I was able to spend a few hours that night with her as we talked about all sorts of things. The next day they moved her into the hospice just down the road.
The following few days we spent coming and going visiting her. One night Aarahi spent a few hours singing for her. By the next morning she was no longer responding. She passed away peacefully at 11pm on the 4th of June. Which also happened to be my birthday, sonot a day I am likely to forget.
I felt so blessed to be able to spend those final few days with her. I was especailly thankful to be able to make it over while she was still able to talk and knew I was there. We were able to say good bye to each other with surprisingly few tears. We both knew the time had come, and were ready.
Nana and I have always had such a close relationship, and my heart aches to be able to call her and to send each other packages I know she is in a better place. I was concerned that I wasn't as upset as I expected I would be. Aarahi was quick to remind me that I had probably done a lot of my grieving through the past year since getting her cancer diagnosis. I had already done my ugly crying mkonths before.
I am so thankful for Teina, Georgia and Zirsha who were able to share my kids around so that I didn't need to worry about them and was able to focus on what I needed to do. I am especially thankful for my wonderful husband who knew just what I needed and just did it.
Aarahi went home last Sunday, the kids and I are here until July while we wait for Aunty Arpege's wedding! It will have been a long 5 weeks by the time we make it home again.

Hopefully I can catch up on everything else over the next week. We started cleaning out Nana's house and trust me there are some pretty awesome stories to go with that one, not to mention the photos we uncovered!

Nana and her calf for school

On the Esplanade train...yep that's me with the blonde hair

My graduation in 2010

5 YEARS!

This past week marked 5 years since we moved to Australia. It feels like a lifetime ago. While Aarahi and I talked about it throughout the week we both agreed that it was hands down the most difficult time in either of our lives and not something that we would ever like to have to do again. To be honest Aarahi and I barely knew each other. We were engaged after only a week of dating and married 3 months later. So within 8 months we managed to meet, get married, move countries and get pregnant. While it was the hardest periods of our lives so far it was also one that strengthened our marriage and relationship with each other like nothing else.

I contemplated about when we first moved into this house 4 1/2 years ago. We had nothing. An airbed, blanket, a cup, plate, and utensils each. Now I look at our house as i prepare to start packing up stuff to move (yes it really is going to take me months and months) and I am overwhelmed by the amount we have accumulated. I guess we all have to start somewhere right. We have been so blessed being here. Aarahi has a good stable job which he enjoys and I get to be the wife and mother I want to be without having to work outside the home. Whilst we miss our family and friends back in New Zealand, we know we are in the right place for our family. There are things we are able to accomplish here and live the life that we want for our family that we simply wouldn't be able to do back in NZ.

In other news...we are really pretty boring. I did score some fabulous tickets to Sydney for next year. When we go on our cruise we depart out of Sydney so I needed to get flights there. Jetstar was having a take a friend for free sale so I snapped up some tickets, only paying for the kids! that saved me about $400-500. I suggested to Aarahi that maybe we should drive and enjoy a road trip, he looked at me like I was crazy. Now I just have to keep an eye out for some good hotel deals as we are going to stay in Sydney for a few extra days.

Al our passports arrived so we are good to leave the country. It is such a relief knowing that we aren't stuck here. Nana is back in hospital so who knows when we might be over. Aarahi has told his work that he may have to take a few weeks off soon. But I may head over with the kids earlier.

Lili Goes Commando!

Woohoo on Saturday we signed our Land Contract. It was extremely quick compared to the house contract when my signature was completely different by the end of the whole process.

My new passport arrived today, but still waiting on Ammon's. I was a bit sad to retire my old one, it has so many stamps and memories to go a long with it. Plus I had the number memorised! I am sure with the plans we have for the next 5 years this passport will get a good work out too.

The kids are still enjoying their Space theme. Auron has several of the Planets memorised and knows a few facts about them. Even Aarahi and I are learning new things! One day last week Auron asked "If we live on Earth, where does Nana and Nanny Kaye live?" He thinks maybe Neptune. Today we learnt about Rockets and all the different parts. The kids have just finished painting the body tube for their rockets we are making

On Friday Aarahi and I have date night where we get the kids into bed extra early and have a special dinner by ourselves. This week I made pork ribs....they were SO GOOD. I also made this delicious cake. Mud cake on the bottom and chocolate mousse on the top. The next day Lili came out of the kitchen with chocolate all over her face. I knew exactly where she had been! She says to me "oh my goodness, silly me I ate the cake" Aarahi and I have be bought to tears of laughter each time we bring it up. LAter that evening I see Lili sneaking into the fridge again, she had no idea I was watching her and I hear her talking to herself while digging chocolate mouse off the cake "whoops there I go again, I ate the cake". Life is never dull around here.

Oh wait, more of Lili's antics! Yesterday at church I was busy talking with someone after church about primary stuff when Lili needed to go toilet. I asked Auron to take her. All was well she came back all happy. Later on we get home and she is hanging upside down on the couch with her dress over her head BUTT NAKED! Aarahi asked her where her underwear was "oh my goodness silly me, left it at church"

Well that's it for now. Hopefully I gave yo a few laughs for the week.

Making space ships out of our "space playdoh"

Oh my goodness Ammon needs to stop growing up so fast!

School work is a family thing around here!

Signed sealed delivered...all four copies!

The Day I Took the Kids Toys Away

Its been an interesting week here. 'The kids have been fighting a lot between each other, in particular about their toys. I told them if they didn't start being respectful to each other and their toys I would take them away. Not a lot changed other than telling each other they weren't choosing the right so Aarahi and I, along with the kids packed all the toys up and put them away in the cupboard. There was only a little crying from Lili when I put her baby away other than that they haven't really cared. Oh what a difference it has made in their attitudes and behaviour. They have spent time making up games to play together, minus the fighting, they have read countless books, cleaned the bathroom for me, done baking and made tents. I will eventually give them back their toys but its been a good lesson for all of us to learn. It's good for them to know that mum and dad will follow through with what they say even if it seems horrible and  mean.

Auron came home with a Book of Mormon from church on Sunday. Just one of those blue ones. It has been stuck to him like glue ever since. We have had many talks about how to treat our scriptures and how they aren't just like any other book. He was quite keen to colour them in with permanent markers but we convinced him maybe some directed highlighting with a crayon was best. Now he wants to "remember" all the things he has highlighted. We love seeing him so enthusiastic about his scriptures.

Lili wet her bed the other night. It was quite hilarious teh way she told us about it. At 3am she comes bursting into our room saying "Hey! I'm wet, ew it's gross. This is disgusting!" Poor kid.

Mother's Day was bitter sweet. Aarahi looked after Ammon during the night when he woke up, but being a Mum I still woke up each time and didn't fall back to sleep until I knew he was happy. I had pancakes for breakfast which were delicious. Once we got to church the kids sung the prelude and that's when I just lost it. Nana hasn't been doing well the last couple of weeks and the end it most likely sooner rather than later. I thought I was doing ok with it all but obviously not doing as well as I thought. Aarahi took me home after sacrament, because I didn't want to have to deal with talkign to people right then. Oh for Mother's Day I got a subscription to Jamie Oliver's Magazine and an awesome stone elephant candle holder thing from a lady in my Mothers Group. We did a secret santa kind of thing and sent each other gifts. We are from all over the country and most of us have never met so it was really special knowing that someone who doesn't even know you outside of cyberspace took time to make your mothers day a little bit more special. All the gifts were so well thought out and special.

Aarahi has been off work the last two days. He is feeling better today and has been helping me tackle my long to do list. Today he took Ammon to the Doctor. First time any of my kids have been to the doctor for being sick. He, isn't really that sick but it's a cold that has been lingering and preventing him form getting his immunisations. While they were out they took all my wet laumdry to the laundry mat to dry HUGE BLESSING! Now he is doing school with the kids. This month we are doing things all about Space. We have lots of fun things planned topped of with a special trip next month.

This morning we made kites:

His Daddy's Child without a doubt

The Up's and Downs

Late again this week. I'm just tired, tired tired tired. Ammon's sleeping has been less than desirable (guess he really is one of my kids!) the past 2 weeks. We have turned a corner and he is back to sleeping better but my body hasn't adjusted and I end up laying awake half the night anticipating him waking up. This morning I was still awake at 430 when Aarahi left for work!

Something has really changed in Lili this week. She has been an absolute angel. Lili is the one that pushes me right to my limits, but this past week we have been working really really hard with her to changing her behaviour. It seems to have paid off. Her and I are enjoying doing many more fun things together now that we have figured each other out. She has been my little kitchen helper every day, we are both loving it.

Aarahi has taken it upon himself to do school work with the kids one day each week when he gets home. Today was the first day. It was so wonderful to watch them together. Auron and Lili LOVE school work time. I am so blessed to have a lovely husband who takes such and interest in teach his children and makes his family a priority.

Auron hasn't had the best week. Everything seems to be going wrong for him every 2 seconds. From stubbing his toe, spilling his drink, and not being able to find something to crying about the bath water (must take after Aunty Arpege on that one). Hopefully a few early nights might fix him right up. On a good note though, Auron has started memorising scripture. So far he has the first Article of Faith down to a fine art. We have a few other in the works too.

Ammon is still growing like a weed. Size one now! I hope he slows down soon, or I'm going to have a very sad bank account trying to keep up!! He is mostly sitting up by himself, and graduated to a big boy cot. It's always sad for me when they move into a cot. It means my baby is not longer a little baby any more. It makes my mummy heart ache.

Aarahi and I always talking and re-evaluating how we are raising our children. We had very different upbringings to each other so figuring out how we will parent our children is always a work in progress. Trying to take the best from both worlds so to speak then mixing it in with the ideals and goals we have developed as parents. Many of these things we had talked about in depth before we were married and before we had children.  Raising children in this day and age is HARD, have you seen the world out there?! When I came across this presentation from the BYU Women's Conference:
http://purposedrivenmotherhood.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/oh-be-wise-using-social-media-talk-i.html
it really struck a chord with Aarahi and I. Even though our children are still young, it is the perfect time to start teaching them and protecting them from the evils presented in social media. I highly recommend having a read through it.

Family History, Choosing the Right and a "cheap" Car Service

So Nanny Kaye has gone home, Aarahi is back at work and the kids and I are tying to find our normal again. We are hoping to keep things a bit quiet for a few weeks, lately it feels like we have been haemorrhaging money. Nothing unexpected and all planned for but it's still annoying. We had our car serviced last week. Aarahi had prepared me for the worst so I was pleasantly surprised with only a $600 bill. Apparently it drives a lot better but I can't tell the difference so that shows how much I know.

Yesterday we had a lesson on "Choosing the Right" for Family Home Evening. All day today Auron and Lili have been telling each other off for not "choosing the right" It was a horrible day yesterday so I am a little amused and surprised that they even remembered anything from our lesson. Just goes to show that even when they are hanging upside down on the couches and being unbearably irreverent, that they really are taking it all in.

I caught the Family History bug and started to look into my Family History yesterday. My Mum and I had done a bit when I was younger but nothing since. Turns out someone else had done a lot of it for me and I just a few puzzle pieces to put together which I could easily do from the knowledge I already had written down. What was the most fascinating discovery was that my Mum and I weren't the first members in our family. Way back in the 1800's and many great great grandparents ago some long lost grandma joined the church a long with several of her children. One of which crossed the plains with the pioneers. Who would have guessed?! I thought it was all a bit too good to be true but they more I looked into it the more legitimate it looked. The person who had done all the research had added photos and birth/death/marriage certificates and other really neat journal pages etc. One of the uncles looks just like my cousin Dylan, guess those genes are strong!

The kids have been begging me for more school work. I try to do at least an hour of focused time each day with them but apparently that isn't enough for them. Today we have done two hours and they are already asking to do more after lunch. Maybe I will just rotate the books in the book box so they have something new to read. That should keep them happy for awhile anyway!

Look how much my chunky monkey has grown!

Post-church shenanigans 

This is Auron's favourite part of school time. He tries to race Lili to finish. Lili is more interested in just tracing her hands though

Making graphs. This new activity was a hit, we will probably do it again today and see if we get a different result

Rachel Collard and her Brother Conelius. Does't he look just like Dylan?!

Nanny Kaye is Here!

On Saturday morning we went to pick Nanny Kaye up from the airport. The kids were so excited all week asking if it was the day for Nanny Kaye to come yet. I'm glad she arrived in teh morning so I didn't have to survive them asking all day if it was time for the airport yet. Aarahi also picked  up our hire car, it's a monster of a thing (I really want to buy one!)

After we came home and had breakfast we went out to look at where our house is being built and look at
the display home. There has been so much progress on the houses in our estate since we were there a few weeks ago. We are in the second land release so we haven't started building yet, they're still building the road and sidewalk.

Later on Saturday night we surprised Nanny Kaye with a night on the town. We went into the city for dinner and a show. We were lucky enough to get tickets to the Lion King. Aarahi really wanted to take his mum out somewhere a bit special and the show really fit the bill. It was AMAZING! if you ever get the chance to go, DO IT!!!!

The night however ended on a bit of a low as we parked our car in the only parking building that closed at 7pm! so we had to catch the train home at midnight. That was an experience in itself. Aarahi went back and got the car in the morning and all was well again.

Yesterday we went into the city to take the kids to an indoor play centre. It was a bit underwhelming, but I think they had fun. Nanny Kaye got in with them and went down the crazy slides. I assure you those play grounds are not made for adults!

Today was IKEA for breakfast and to pick up a few things for the new house...tea towels and salt n pepper shakers because it's the small things that really matter! We stopped at a new park on our way home which was amazing. It has so many fun activities for the kids. What I liked most about it was that it wasn't super kid proof like most of the parks you see around these days. There were plenty of opportunities for the kids to climb up high and be adventurous. There was also a wonderful water play area with pumping stations and squirting water fountains. It was a bit cold today (not that, that stopped the kids) but in summer I can imagine it being really spectacular. It's located right next to the children's hospital so if your kid happens to fall from the towering ropes course it's a hop skip and jump away for them to get fixed up.