Our Earthquake Break-away

We have been meaning to have a long weekend at Mt Cook ever since a very cold show weekend when Eli was 1. Well Jess, Stephen and Mieke were leaving our house after nearly four weeks and we decided to have a family time away.
Mt Cook on Friday driving there was shrouded in mist and so we walked into the Tasman Glacier and viewed all the icebergs which dropped off the glacier face on the September earthquake.

picking mushrooms at Fairlie

Tasman Glacier and lots of adventuring

Panorama of Tasman Glacier lake and the icebergs

Taking a break near the top

The view from the motel window first thing in the morning

 That night we stayed at a motel at the Hermitage and it was amazing. We woke in the morning, opened the curtains and were stunned. Even the boys got really excited. All we saw was glaciers, snow and ice. Had a fantastic breakfast with a view of Mt Cook and then walked into the Glacier. It was hot, which we had not expected, and we were sunburnt and tired by the time we got back - 5 hours later.

The Panorama of the view

An awesome breakfast and spectacular scenery

On our way again

More climbing for the boys

And yet more adventuring. No sticking to the paths for them

Mt Cook in all it's glory

And the full Panorama

The gorgeous men in our family.

Busy baking day

I bought a cheap box of tomatoes and so made a pile of Jamie Olivers pasta sauce. Yummy just on pasta or great as a sauce for cannelloni. Then iced the yoyo's made yesterday and threw together a batch of Afgans. I still haven't attended to the blackboy peaches that have fallen off the tree. Maybe tonight.

My sister had both hands operated on this week.

The goodies for the invalid. Blackboy peaches, pears and dahlias all from the garden. Some bok choy and lettuce seedlings.

It was a hair dying and drying day. Forgot to take a photo of the finished product.

Silly Mark needs to learn that if he takes self portraits on my camera then I will use them.

Mother - being the main helper for the invalid and doing a fantastic job.

Homework time

Well in our house we have homework time, normally before dinner. As Mieke is also staying she is participating fully and will be the brainiest 8 month old ever. (or so doting uncle aaron says)

Keeping the boys occupied

Eli walked home from church today and arrived with an armload of twigs etc. He wanted to make a fire like Bear Griles does on "Man vs Wild".

He wanted to use a flint to start the fire. So first we built an oven. 

then we made the pikelet mix

then the fire needed to start.

Start the cooking!!! Very pleased with the result

Yum Yum

All the better for the eating.

A chook house for a chocolate cake.

the said cake

 I made a deal with my wonderful brother in law. I made a gorgeous dense chocolate cake (real chocolate, ground almonds - Kris Parkinson's recipe) and he was to help me make a chook house. In reality he made the chook house and I did labouring. The only bit I had to make and measure by myself (the door) I completely stuffed up. So much for girl power! But in four hinges and a bit of plywoods time, I will have a fantastic new house and my chooks wont know where to turn.

being clamped in with no escape!

this is where it got finished to.

Looking almost finished and gorgeous.

a lovely entrance for the chooky girls.

Mieke is with us again



Yes it has been horrendous and we did not expect to have to live through a second event like this. But the earthquake does have it's upsides. We have Jess, Stephen and Mieke living with us again. The boys are estatic and fantastic baby entertaining machines, Morris is thrilled and has managed to stop licking her every time he sees her and we are lucky to have this time with her.



The boys snuggling up together in one room. Eli having moved for Mieke.