Click here for information about Waitangi Day.
Deon's American friend, Ted, who working in Iraq at the moment, arrived on Friday morning to stay for a week so we decided to introduce him to all our friends here (and we owed everybody & ourselves a good party). We also got another visitor from Auckland, Sean Mayock, who is "my brother and sister's brother but not my brother" - for those who can't work it out, don't worry about it.... Sean and I have not really seen each for nearly 20 years after growing up together in PE, so i was really looking forward to connecting with him again after all this time.
So Deon marinated 4.5kgs of ribs, borrowed the big braai from Duane, Ted went booze shopping and the party was on !!
Our guests were Ted, Sean, Duane & Karyn with 6 year old Brent and 18month old Casey, Pieter & Renette with 1 year old Ryan (Jordan was with his grandparents for the night), Stephen & Lisa with 9 year old Sara-Lee & 6 year old Amber, and our Kiwi friends Dave & Katherine with 9 year old Ashleigh and 6 year old Logan !!! Yup - lots of kids which of course David loved, especially all the girls !
some of the girls hanging out in David's room
Katherine & Renette & the Men - early evening at the braai
Everybody brought a salad and lots more meat and as usual Deon did a brilliant braai so the food was superb, the drinks flowed steadily and we had the most wonderful party !
me & sean
The welcome but very short-lived rain sent some indoors (around midnight) and because of the stupid layout of our house, the deck is off the main bedroom, the festivities carried on in there for a bit but it did not stop some of us (no names mentioned, ok - me) from sliding on the kids' slippy slide at 1am - yes, i hang my head in shame and ache in places i did not know i had muscles but hell, it was fun !! and, thank goodness, there are no foto's...
the men the bedroom
yes, i know the focus is soft but I didn't actually take the pics and there was a smudge on the lens.....
i think everybody left around 2am but we are not really sure - IT WAS A GREAT PARTY !
anyway, david and saturday dawned bright and too early for us with hangovers but we managed to pull ourselves out of bed and spent the morning chatting and catching up - it was super hot !a we had an early lunch on the deck of leftovers - sean then spent the afternoon educating ted on the nuances of 7's rugby while me, deon & the noodle took a much needed nap !
Deon never re-surfaced so me and the noodle, Sean & Ted spent the evening in front of the telly watching the rugby 7's tournament that was being played in Wellington and yes, Sean of course was overjoyed with England's final seconds' victory !!
Sunday morning, Deon & Ted went fishing with Dave on his boat - very early - 6am and were home by 11am with 4 big snappers
it was another magnificent day here in Whangarei - hot & humid ! Sean left soon after the guys got back as he had a long drive back to auckland and then Deon took Ted to town to do some shopping.
the day just got hotter and hotter and after lunch and a sleep, we all went down to the beach for a swim - it was after 4pm and still stinking hot !! but the pacific ocean did it's job and we cooled down - Thank Goodness !
we got home and deon made a fire to cook the fish which were magnificent - nothing better than fresh fish on the braai ! While sitting on the deck as the air eventually cooled ted could not stop telling us what a wonderful life we have here and yes, we do !
It is a priviledge for us to be here, in this beautiful country, where our lives have changed beyond imagination and expectation, where our child is happy and safe and his future is limitless, where we can spend weekends like this one with good friends and family, where deon can go fishing whenever the urge takes him, where i have time for myself and my family and where we now call home.
