Planes,house warming, a christening and a wedding!

It was initially thought that this weekend was going to be reasonably quiet, however many things happened, including some great weather as well - I'm sun burnt (ouch!)

PLANES

After deciding to flag the races this year, Brad (Ant's nephew) came around and somehow I got to help him make, paint and build up a plane. This came from a kit Ant gave Brad for Christmas, which consisted of a mini sander, drill, saw and lave all in good working order. A lot of fun actually and together we did a pretty good job. Jess (Ant's niece) came around later, and I have to say I was impressed with their behaviour, I have never seen Brad concentrate so much! Here is the result!

Butter wouldn't melt in their mouth as my mum used to say...hmmm

HOUSE WARMING

Thanks Fish and Sam for the lovely house warming on Saturday night. Awesome house, good food, interesting conversation and people - my favourite conversation being about the many sides to Internet Dating, and key words to watch for that really meant sex - "coffee", "good time", "drive", "casual", "fun" etc....And there was one person who manage to insult most groups of people in the world....except middle aged single South African women ;) Oh and I finally saw the comet everyone has gone on about...cooooool!

CHRISTENING

Sunday morning brought the baptism of Emily Suzanne, Aaron and Fran's second daughter (10 weeks). Lovely occasion at the church where Emily was fast asleep for most of the ceremony, and Caitlyn (18 months) the oldest stole the show with her sprints and giggles around the church. After the ceremony, the guests returned to Aaron and Fran's house for the naming ceremony and planting of a cherry tree for Emily - a lovely idea. Just when one thought it was time for refreshments and toasts - Aaron announced one more ceremony was to be held - Aaron and Fran were getting married RIGHT THEN!

WEDDING

A celebrant appeared out of no where, the couple assembled, my fiance and Fran's best friend took their places as Best man (which saw his matching outfit with Aaron finally making sense) and Matron of Honour, and the wedding commenced - everyone was very surprised! I congratulate Ant for managing to keep the secret from me - Well done! Ceremony was beautiful and brought a tear to my eye.....YAY! I like weddings! A casual affair with everyone they considered important there, later served with lunch, wedding cupcakes, desert, and many glasses of bubbles. A beautiful day as well. Congrats Aaron and Fran :)

Summary of Dunners - Summer '07

As Team America says - Everyone loves a montage, so here is a brief pictorial show of the rest of my trip to Dunners

New Years Eve - Fireworks in the Octagon

Catching up with Julie, Charlotte, Madeline, Frances and Fionas daughter (now 5) Natasha

Spending time with the family (Bro - Scott, and Ma and Pa)

Finally getting my engagement ring sized (YAY!)

Going for a drive and discovering a cruise ship at Port Chalmers - immediately thinking of the Love Boat- they always seem to have so much fun!

As said just bits and pieces, more went on but no pics for it. Nice to visit but glad to be back in Welly :)

The Scooby Doo Gang????

Which scooby doo character are you???? not-kate and I recently had a conversation about which of our friends fitted the profiles of the scooby doo gang, realising that the posse is really the scooby doo gang in diguise!! We wondered why we hadn't realised this before!!!! After doing a Scooby test it was confirmed that I was Scooby!

You scored as SCOOBY DOO - Loyal, playful, and just plain awesome!

Shaggy (Norville Rogers)- Laid back, goody buddy, loves to eat - who else but Ken????

Velma Dinkley - Someone analytical and solves mysteries - Kate

Daphne Blake - Red head, likes shopping - Ange

Scooby Dum - Makes regular appearances, loveable and always
amusing :) - Ryan

Fred Jones - Can be a little serious, goes into spooky places, good historian solves mysetries - Ed.

Scrappy Doo - Like a bull at the gate usually insist on trying to directly fight the various monsters Scooby and his associates encountered - "Let me at 'em" - Anthony. (Sorry Kate, but after reading the biography - Simon just didn't fit the description.

Yabba Doo - Scooby Doo's cousin - Brave and solved mysteries out west -
The west is like the Hutt in this case - Sam

Ruby Doo - Scoobys Sister - has motherly qualities, lovely (Scrappy's Mum - nothing implied here though) - Fish.

Rules are made to be broken....

That's the tag line from Saw 3, from which I just returned from viewing.

"I want to play a game" - that line you may be more familiar with if you saw seen Saw and Saw II. I was to be honest a little apprehensive to see the movie, after it being heard that people ran out of the theatre and threw up, couldn't watch it and how it was so much more horrific than the first two. Okay, so it was horrific - the pureed maggoty pigs did get me a little sweaty (more from pure grossness), but even after some of the more visual scenes, I was still able to go back and eat my popcorn. My brother Scott (seen below)

will verify this, and commented that while I stopped when torture was going on, once it had finished, I was all good. If you have seen the first two and appreciate the twists and turns that go with them, I do recommend the third. The extremely visual and ewwww scenes are just part of the package. I will not go into the story but I would say it is maybe not for those with a weak stomach.

One thing the movie did do for me was reinforce my dislike for clowns. I have never liked them, they are not funny and I do now link them to mass killings - IT, John Wayne Gacy, Killer Clowns from Outer Space. Yes I do realise only one is real, but I still make the link.


On my retreat to Dunedin I have viewed a few movies, mainly on DVD. I do like the escapism of it. My parents have a vast DVD collection which is better than hiring any day. So far I have watched:

The Lake House - Although it has Keanu Reeves in it, I did think it was a lovely chick flick, and brought a tear to my eye at certain times.

Father of the Bride - I'm in the wedding mood, so why not. Classic comedy. Sneakers with lace laces are not such a bad idea for bridal shoes. I'm still maintaining I will be wearing flat shoes - pretty but also comfortable!

You, Me and Dupree - Predictable, was okay, funny in parts. Not the biggest Owen Wilson fan but filled up an hour and a half of my life.

Garfield 2 - Tale of Two Kitties - Yes, it's kids film, but funny! I like animal movies. Garfield takes me back to my childhood, all good, clean fun!

Hoodwinked - Funny cartoon interogation of Little Red Riding Hood, and what really went on.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Seen it before, read the book but still a great movie, bring on the release of Flight of the Phoenix!

I've also managed to watch a few Seinfeld episodes with Scott - who can forget the Soup Nazi, the Hot Tub, and the Calzone. Anthony gave me a series of Seinfeld for Christmas, can't wait to watch it!

Movies aside I was sad to see the ending of an 8 year flatting situation of two friends Phil and Bronagh. I flatted with both of them for a year when at Uni, and while some relationships and marriages don't last that long, they manage to put up with each other for 8 years. Well done!! Phil is off the the UK next month, while Bronagh has gone to Queenstown.

A final note, compulsary doggy photo. Below is Sooty now almost 11. Basically the third child in the house. Awwwww ( I know, she is just so cute!)

Good ol' Dunners

There's no place like home - Dorothy (Wizard of Oz)


Back in my home town of Dunedin (and damn proud of being from here), one of the things I most enjoy doing is catching up with friends and family. During my first few days here, I have done a bit, and thought would put updates of my friends from Dunners so those of you who know them around the world can keep updated too :) And those of you that don't know them, well you can get a picture of who I go on about!

First up..... Frances

Now last time I went to Dunedin, Frances had just bought her new house. Now she has settled in and Fiona and her gorgeous (and very well mannered) daughter Natasha (5) are staying with her at the moment (Note: Will need to get photo of Fiona and Natasha). Frances is continuing to show how weight watchers does work, and still looks awesome! She has a new man who she is seeing, Shane (another photo needed)who is a draughtsman, who I met on New Years Eve who is just lovely and they seem very happy. He should be moving in with her in the next few months, and all going well, an engagement will loom - Fran has found the perfect ring too :). Fran is still nursing and seems to be enjoying it still. Good to see her happy. Go you good thing!

Secondly......Juanita

Now Juanita and I worked out we have known each other since Form 1, and that was approx 18 years ago....more than half our lives....awesome! Great to see her before she moves over to Sydney joining her fiance (yes...another engagement) Scott on Saturday. Apparently I can go visit and stay with them but as long as I have Anthony in tow....I don't see that being a problem! Again looks awesome and happy and told the story of her proposal at Port Douglas where she almost pushed Scott off the rocks when saying yes. When Juanita and I get together we are really like old women gossiping and time always flies. We alway said we should end up in the same rest home..makes sense really. Filled each other in on the goss. Another classmate Kirsty Moss is engaged for the second time, her brother who we thought was cool when at school, is not doing the best for himself these days, along with a lot of guys we thought were cool back then. Rachael Gardiner got married in 2006, still living in Hamilton and teaching. Her Dad got remarried just before Christmas. A few pregnancies, a thai girlfriend, some going back to study, high school friends are now more, and others now working for parents. The list goes on....but great to see her and hope all goes well in Aussie.

Thirdly.....Davanea

We seem to catch up every two years or so. Davanea brought her fiance (yes...another engagement) Nick down to Dunners for the first time. They live in Auckland, so apart from the Speights Brewery, Im not so sure he was overly excited about the place, but had developed the same feeling for Davanea's Mum's cats that we all share...he he. Great to see her too, in one of Dunedins summer days (I got slightly burnt too). All seems to be well with her, working at Hort Research, living in Mount Albert and they are hoping to buy a house by Easter....then work on the wedding plans. Thanks also for the awesome pressie!

Another chapter will come - still more catch ups!!!!