G is for grill.....

..... Stone Grill to be exact.

We headed up to Auckland for a day out on Sunday, don't really know why, 'cause there are movies in Hamilton, (and Tauranga, Rotorua, several places closer than Auckland). We saw Evan Almighty, took the kids, it was a good fun family movie.

By the time we got out from there it was 4pm (we didn't leave home till 11.30am), so we had a wander around Botany Downs. We had to buy the boys new shirts at Farmers, 'cause Braden had had M&M's at the movies, and had a lovely rainbow coloured t-shirt.

Then Jon said we were going somewhere special for dinner. We went here, which was something different.

I was very unsure, but pleasantly surprised how effective the stone grill was for cooking. The basalt grill is heated to 400 degree farenheit and is slow to cool so don’t think cooking time is against you. Either deftly turn the quicker cooking items onto a side place while you attend to longer cooking items or vice versa – deal with the quick cook items first then take time to slice away pieces from longer cooking cuts and cook them one or two at a time. (Not my words, from the review I found)

The kids weren't too keen to try it, but chicken kebabs were an option, so next time we are just going to get them for the kids, give them an experience.

I'm in love....

.... OK, I'm not a materialistic person, but I am so in love with this, our very own DVD recorder.




When the other staff were leaving at Jons work, they received luggage. We went to them and said "we seriously do not need luggage, if you want ideas then........." so we were very fortunate to receive a voucher towards this baby. The best part, the chase and play feature. Let's say you're going to miss the start of a movie/programme by a little bit, you can start recording it at the start time, and when you get in from 'work/shopping' 10 minutes later, you can start watching the movie from the start, while it continues to record, isn't that just the greatest.

Anyway, while I'm on the topic of tv, etc, who has been watching America's Got Talent? We only started watching it about 5 weeks ago, so missed a few of the previous talents, but wow, what a variety. Tonight is the finale, and seriously they could all win (although I have reservations about the rapping granny, LOL.)

(By the way, I will be back with my ABC's, just need to find some photos to do the E post!)

F is for ........

........ family.

Yes, I know, I've skipped E, but I'll have to come back to that, partly 'cause I can't think of anything else, and I want to share our family photo.

This is my immediate family, my husband and I, (together for 15 years at the end of this month), my eldest who, as you know if you are following this, is 9 at the end of the year, and my youngest just turned 7, (aha, I just had a lightbulb moment for E, will do that tomorrow),

These were the fundraising photos you get done, you know, pay $10, get the photo, go back and look, and get sucked into buying more. Cameron was not in a good mood, and refused to co-operate, although the pose after this one he did give a little smirk, but unfortunately this was the one for the freebie. I hope we can laugh about it in 10 years time.

D is for.......

...Dad

This is my Dad, the first was taken at what used to be called the Hilldale Zoo, now Hamilton Zoo, and I was 15 months old.

The second photo is taken at a place called Bulmers Landing, (out the back of Arapuni way) somewhere we used to spend quite a bit of time as a family, and with extended family. I was 23 months in that photo.

Growing up my Dad used to work at a timber yard, and would do shift work, starting early in the morning, one week, finishing at 2, (and the alternate week he would start at 2 and work through to 11ish) and then would go mow lawns. When we got old enough we were allowed to go help him, often the little old ladies whose lawn we mowed would have little treats for us.

(PS, I wanted to add more to this, and probably come back to it, but felt it appropriate to post it today, and not that my father would see it, he doesn't even know how to turn a computer on, but Happy Fathers Day Dad!)