Fishing on the Boat


Visiting Puhoi


Emily's Birthday

It is now six years since Sonia passed away and we are all doing great. Lydia is now 11, and Emily is now 9. But at this time of year Sonia is still with us in our hearts and minds.

Over the summer holidays we spent time on the Boat and at the Bach, enjoying the fabulous weather, spending time on the beach and in the sea. Lydia and Emily enjoy snorkling, and they both love swimming.

This was Lydia's first year at Northcote Intermediate School, with lots of new challenges for her. First we had to get a school uniform, then there was only a couple of friends from primary in her class, but she quickly made some new best friends.

As a Year 5 Emily went on her first school camp. Emily enjoyed her time at school camp, except for the challenging part with meals.

This year the girls had separate birthday parties. Although it turned out they wanted the same. I took them and a group of their friends to the Wave Pools in Mt Albert and then they had a sleep over.

On the sunday before Lydia's birthday we went to Taylor Swift's concert, which the girls loved. I had organised them T-Shirts and special ticket holders. It was an amazing production, especially with the video effects and stage show.

Book parade was in the April this year, so I made Emily and outfit from the book she was reading. I ended up making the cape, shirt, cross over holster and axes. I was pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Before our trip away, Mum and Dad called Donna and I around for a family meeting. After thinking that one of them might be seriously sick, Dad annouced that we had an older brother, Harry. While Dad and Mum were first going out Mum became pregnant, she went away to live with a family down south to have the baby and gave him up for adoption. They had managed to kept this secret from their friends and family.

At the Beach


Ready to Snorkle


First day Intermediate

Emily's Birthday Dinner

Lydia's Birthday

Lydia's Birthday Dinner

Emily and Danika

Book Parade Costume

Emily's New Bike

Second Concert...

Taylor Swift Tour 2012

A New Brother

New Family Members

LA First Day Shopping


Woody Wood Pecker


Watch out for the dinosaurs...

Harry now 52 obtained his birth certificate and located Mum by her maiden name through Sonia's website. After meeting Harry a few times, Mum and Dad decided they wanted to introduce Harry and his family to ours. I was like living in a Womans Weekly story. Not only had we gained a new brother. We gained a sister in-law, a neice and nephew too. But we would have to wait to meet them as our USA trip was upon us.

All year the girls were looking forward to their month away in the USA, and on the 22nd June we were all away. Our family, Donna's, Nanna and Grandad. First stop over was Los Angeles. After checking in, it was straight out on a Big Blue Bus to Santa Monica to hit the shops.

After quite a few purchases it was back to the hotel to ready for our early flight to Orlando. When we arrived in Orlando, so to was tropical storm Debby. Our first few days in Orland were quite wet, so it was off to the malls again for more shopping.

We went out to Cape Canaveral to visit the Kennedy Space Center, and went inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, where all the rockets and space shuttles were readied for their missions. It was amazing to believe we were standing in the very place that all this history took place.

We went to Universal Studios and brought express passes so that we could get as many rides in as possible while avoiding the queues. Lydia and I went on the rollercoasters. We didn't go on the Harry Potter rides as there was over a 90 minute queue. But it was great fun and our feet were quite tired by the end of the day.

While in Orlando we also went to SeaWorld and the Aquatica waterpark. As this was the main summer holidays for the USA, these parks were quite busy. After Orlando we drove 116 miles down to St Port Lucie Club Med.

Club Med was very relaxing and all the food and drinks were free, so it had to pace ourselves. There was kids clubs for the kids with plenty of activities. Lydia and Emily even tried aerial acrobatics.

After a week in Club Med, it was off to the big apple, New York City. Our hotel was right in Time Square.

SeaWorld Orlando


Kenedy Space Center


Meeting Astronaut Croker

4th of July at Club Med

Emily the Acrobat

Anything you can do...

New York 1, 2, 3, 4 Things

View of the Empire State Building

Time Square

Cube Sculpture

With our guide Jonah

No Wizards at Waverly Place

Inside The Met

Central Park Zoo

We left our heart...

A Bit Chilly

Is this art?

Golden Gate Bridge

Emily Starts Interclub


Emily's Inspiration


50th Wedding Anniversary

To help us familise ourselves with the big city we had a guide for the first couple of days. Our guide was Jonah from Levy's tours. He was great and showed us all over Manhattan. It was amazing how many locations we had seen in movies or on TV.

We went to The Museum of National History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park Zoo. Even watched the Yankees play at the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. By the end of our stay we were pros with the subways and the streets & avenues.

After a week in New York, our families headed off in different directions. Mum and Dad off to London, Donna and family off to Santa Monica, while the girls and I headed off to San Francisco.

San Francisco was a lot colder than the East Coast, which was a bit of a shock. We had a great time on the cable cars. Saw Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. We went to the Museums and the California Academy of Sciences, Fishermans Wharf and all over. After a month away we were looking forward to getting home.

The girls are still quite busy after school with activities. Emily does Gymnastics, and received a few gymnast of the day awards. They are still busy dancing with Emily doing Jazz, Ballet and Contemporary and Lydia, Jazz and Contemporary. They are beautiful little dancers. Over winter Lydia played Netball. This summer they both played tennis. This was Emily's first year of interclub, much to her Nanna's delight.

The girls are still doing well at school, and continue to excel with reading. Lydia received a Certificate for Sewing at the school prize giving.

In December it was the dance schools show. Lydia was in five shows and Emily four. Another incredible show put on by the school.

Well I hope that gives you a bit of an insight into our busy year.

Lydia's Science Entry


School Prize Giving


By the Christmas Tree