The last day of Summer.....

And it has got very cool.  Slept really well last two nights - haven't even thought to take the blanket off!
Dave was mowing his lawn on the ride on the other night I was there.  It was a wonder Oscars tail wasn't caught in the blades... he seems to ride on whatever is moving around the farm!  It didn't take Dave long to do ALL his lawn!

Isaac wasn't really fussed to sit in the same seat, and prefers something more his own size at this stage :)

 Mum can still smile alright.  Isaac was starting to feel the cold.  Won't be long before the dungarees need to come out again :)

A lady drove in to work in this - 1930's Model A - today!  Uses it like a truck. Heaps of stuff in the back. Apparently her grandfather used to sell Rawleighs products out of the back of it in Wairarapa in his day.  She works on a research boat with blokes and is wanting to build a big shed.

Things that go bump... Grandad stumbled and hit the carpet and his glasses did some damage.  Mr Bloat finally stopped swimming in the right direction and ended up nose down on the bottom, so he had a flushing experience on sunday afternoon.

Reno #4

 Not so much got done this week as it rained a couple days, Steel in Monday, then it rained, and Friday when the Blocklayers finally arrived, decided they needed to have early knock off .. Anyway, they're started, and hopefully get the blocks finished tomorrow.
 Steel in..

Then Site Concrete ..

Then the Blocklayer starts

And this is how far they got. 

The middle blocks above are where the fireplace goes in new Living Space (Smoke Room!) with a small deck around it. This end is the new kitchen area.

Last weekend my French Renaissance Stools arrived, and on Thursday the Dining chairs we bought off TradeMe arrived.  So we have some furniture, but nowhere to put them yet!!  Dyslexia maybe?

Reno #3

The digger has been after cutting the asphalt and made large trenches all around the house.  Blue surveys it all.

So our first meeting around at Graham & Margs today.  Don't think these trenches are friendly for young children, old ladies or car tyres!
Stuart also decided to modify the front of the Landcruiser on the fence...... as having all this equipment around the house means there is no place to turn around.  Maybe he is related to Rex (Wrecks)!

Stunning new front design grrrr.  Had just picked up Andy from home and thought he'd turn around in the neighbours driveway... the fence juts out a wee bit further just there.

Open to the weather hole from heat pump removal.

Reno #2

Digger in last Saturday and removed all the plants from alongside the house and demolished my roses in front of the house.  I thought I was going to replant them :(  Took the plants out to Swamp Rd farm, and digger made a big trench down alongside the barn.  Hopefully some of them will survive!

From there, the builder has mostly had other jobs to do, but managed to just make a bit of a mess, expose a few things and drop pegs all over my lavender hedge.

And its still as solid as a rock from the day it was built - yeah right !

With some luck the profiles may be done tomorrow.....

Reno #1

Well I guess you can say we have started.  We arrived home one night to find David extracting screws.  I think he and Stacey thought it was time they had a deck?!

Grandad helped pick up a few screws the next day, he'd found a sunhat out in the Sleepout!!  Then he was quite happy to sit and watch the boys work.

So this is what the back deck is looking like now ...

Then we start on the front steps .. just a few boards at a time

And then tonight, its all gone !

Hard to remember the old deck so long ago - still underneath the new one!  And, one wee reminder that I used to have young girls around...

So, this weekend it is shifting all the plants around the house, and now that we're re-drawing plans and pushing the lounge out further along with Marks bedroom, most of those roses have to go also :(

People and Places in February ...

Its lovely having Jos home, and we've spent a few good days together.  Saturday afternoon visit to the Rose family who were renting a place down by the airport.  They are here from Perth - Jos's home while she lived there.  Mr & Mrs Rose Senior are the grandparents of Olivia Jorgensen's new husband Brendan.  Brett had just caught up with John to start the mission year.

 Then a visit to Willy Lammas in hospital on Sunday afternoon, he had just had his rather large hernia repair done, and not feeling so good.  And Waitangi day .... he underwent emergency surgery because a bowel was twisted and blocked.  No wonder he was in pain and nauseous...So a setback for him, and a few additional days in hospital before he is able to come home.

We celebrated Waitangi Day by driving to Motueka, finding not too many places open, and having lunch down by the boat ramp. Then a real fruit ice cream down by the Mapua wharf.  Grandads sugar levels were a bit high before tea that night!

Crocs are going well.  They're worn in the garden and out as well...
And Isaac is growing fast.. and getting around quite a few different places! 

Standing up on my desk and at times not hanging on - just balancing with wee toes grabbing.  But pleased to say he is crawling very well now !  A few white pearly teeth bottom and top just showing, and a love for Strawberries !!