tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329731822011-04-22T06:18:53.563+12:00The Eelsnoreply@blogger.comBlogger841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-39860428024790457172009-01-11T16:35:00.002+13:002009-01-18T16:41:31.511+13:00

Back to Napier (again!) for a cricket tournament - which saw some very good cricket from these under 10 year old teams. J's team had two narrow losses, one hiding and one narrow win. There were three boys from J's usual team in his tournament team - so it was a good opportunity to play and mix with some other people. The teams all stayed onsite in a camp - 13 to a cabin made for some late nights

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-42064639326534499742009-01-04T16:33:00.001+13:002009-01-18T16:43:16.286+13:00

We hired a bach again in Waikanae for a week - very handy to Wgtn and with a great long sandy beach that is excellent for swimming, beach cricket and boogie boarding. Had heaps of friends also staying nearby which made for a very social time. Had a great New Years party and even managed to stay up to midnight this year ....

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-5873867202511890892008-12-26T16:26:00.000+13:002009-01-18T16:33:05.562+13:00

Back to Napier for a few days of sun and relaxing with family for Christmas 2008. J is shown with his fave presents - a Phoenix soccer top that he has hardly taken off with matching mini ball - and T with her giant alien mushy belly - which has had to travel with us on these holidays! It was lovely to spend time by the beach and enjoy some famous Bay weather and a few vinos.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-26703760213147800752008-11-23T18:57:00.002+13:002008-11-23T19:00:38.586+13:00

T has an oral language project on inventions. She originally was going to do the toilet but someone else chose that - so she decided to chose the clock. Thanks to Google we now know all about the origins of the clock ... and so will her class.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-75673246587931774832008-11-23T18:55:00.002+13:002008-11-23T18:57:52.512+13:00

The front garden has taken off - with our mini toi tois doing really well - amazing how much it has grown over the past year. We even have a few tuis visiting us for the flax flowers.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-3079153597311392002008-11-23T18:47:00.002+13:002008-11-23T18:55:06.388+13:00

Halloween was a Friday this year so we decided to have a themed party for friends (rather than try the neighbouring door knocking thing - which did not work so well last year). Both the kids and adults got into the occasion and there were some fantastic outfits. The kids loved bashing the scary clown pinata that we made up .... it was a late night for all of us

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-80398885701531644252008-09-28T20:16:00.006+13:002008-09-28T20:26:09.261+13:00

Just back from a work trip to Beijing - was over for an asianpacific lotteries conference. The place is just amazing - wish I could have stayed much longer to fully appreciate the sights, food, people and the shopping. Managed to see some key sights including the Great Wall. I am now a 'real man' as apparently in China you are only a true man after you have completed a climb on the wall. Food

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-29351373287018071732008-09-14T10:44:00.006+12:002008-09-14T10:50:33.172+12:00

We had a great weekend up the mountain in early September. Only the kids second time on the slopes and they got right back into the groove (or glide?) after a reminder lesson. We stayed at our friend's great little ski lodge that they had built themselves after relocating an old dairy from Wellington - their place had a fabulous view of the moutain from their front door.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-24301861160252291062008-08-31T10:41:00.000+12:002008-09-14T10:44:36.086+12:00

It was the day of the first ever jazz ballet exam - all the girls were very excited, especially about having their hair braided by a hairdresser for the occasion. Parents were unable to watch (we would put them off!) but T did really well - and got a highly commended for her efforts which she is very proud of.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-9103882771662953862008-08-14T19:08:00.000+12:002008-08-14T19:09:38.504+12:00

Time again for the annual school crazy hair fundraising competition - the competition was fierce this year - but J took out the best in his year for this spotty effort - his own creation.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-60476823953826831722008-08-14T16:20:00.003+12:002008-08-14T16:27:44.010+12:00

We are just back from a quick weekend in Napier - surprising Gran for her 65th birthday. We had a good (if freezing) night out in a local restaurant to celebrate the 'superannuation' milestone. Uncle Reece made the most of kids being up for a visit by dressing them up in his branded shirts and taking photos to promote his business - good to sign them up young ...

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-87630145049672086302008-08-09T20:12:00.001+12:002008-09-28T20:16:09.232+13:00

Mum celebrating the big '65' in Napier - even the brother got a nice photo taken on the night.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-10712907470783587932008-04-08T19:10:00.001+12:002008-08-14T19:13:05.501+12:00

We had T's 7th birthday at home on a lovely day - it was a beading party - so lots of lovely creations were taken home. Plus we had the world's toughest pinata - which had to be taken to by the big boys with a stick in order to deliver its treats!

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-56996824029283042532008-03-17T18:59:00.005+13:002008-03-17T19:03:52.102+13:00

We headed to Napier for a fabulous sunny weekend in order to celebrate Pop's 70th birthday. We had a lovely long lunch at a beautiful vineyard, followed by an evening at home with even more food. A great way to mark this event and great to see all the family and friends again.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-19325116853125554912008-03-13T16:48:00.001+13:002008-03-13T16:50:42.321+13:00

Rob recently completed the Karapoti mountain bike challenge - known as one of the toughest courses in New Zealand. He wanted to beat three and a half hours - and as you can see he managed it with five minutes to spare! Now the training for the next event begins ...

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-69002597516721035092008-02-28T12:20:00.003+13:002008-02-28T12:23:07.131+13:00

Back after a long absence - and with a vow to post more regularly! We had J's big ninth party last weekend - and after declaring it was going to be smaller in scale ended up taking the usual crowd of 10 excited kids out for a big bowling adventure at the Lanes. Was heaps of fun - even if the dynamic combo team of Dad and daughter ended up winning the games.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-11015289253236604522008-01-05T19:17:00.000+13:002008-08-14T19:20:14.940+12:00

Had a lovely week in January in our bach rental in Waikanae - lots of boogie boarding, beach cricket and BBQs with friends - bliss.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-36334046993137787902007-12-25T19:21:00.000+13:002008-08-14T19:33:00.752+12:00

The Jones and Lee clans came to Wellington this year for Christmas for a change (thanks guys) - so we had heaps for lunch on Christmas day - the kids loved playing santa and giving out the pressies. The new house coped well with the crowd - and we needed to eat indoors due to Wellington weather misbehaving on the day!

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-31048356976332765112007-11-01T19:40:00.001+13:002008-08-14T19:43:37.232+12:00

We tried going around the new neighbourhood on Halloween night - can't say it was a great success with lots of people not home but the kids had heaps of fun dressing up and scoffing lollies.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-17798391149537152712007-09-15T19:33:00.001+12:002008-08-14T19:38:24.695+12:00

We took the kids up the mountain to try skiing - here are pics of them practicing the pizza and chips positions ... they picked it up really well. Rob took off on his snowboard and I watched - tried to learn to ski a few years ago and all I learnt to do was fall on my butt ... so not keen to try again. But happy to soak in the atmosphere - lovely time at Ruapehu.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-15331947880791184422007-08-01T15:54:00.000+12:002007-08-01T16:12:31.109+12:00

We had a Kiwiana theme for the housewarming/40ths - or the 'three parties in one' as our friends called it! It was a fantastic night and there some great costumes (a sheep, leaky home, lolly necklaces galore, freezing work, buzzy bees) as well as All blacks and Tui-branded merchandise galore. Thanks to all for coming.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-89565654326907661652007-07-21T14:59:00.000+12:002007-07-21T15:02:18.603+12:00

We had to go to the Warehouse today to pick up the long awaited final book. Thought that there might be queues of people - but surprisingly quiet at Lyall Bay shop. J is now happy on the couch reading away - he is doing really well with his reading this year - seems to have taken off. So much so that we catch him reading under his covers when he is supposed to be asleep.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-16445219100625650202007-07-21T14:54:00.000+12:002007-07-21T14:59:54.139+12:00

As you can see the courtyard grass is coming along okay - although it is a bit sparse around the edges. The back feature garden was also done last weekend and we got some great feature pots to liven it up. T loves scooting around the paths - though she wears some strange outfits at times - must be the influence of Project Runway - which we watched last night.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-14521288653624712992007-07-08T14:27:00.000+12:002007-07-08T14:49:11.927+12:00

Spent today planting out lots of little natives along the fence line. Will look great when a bit bigger.Also the kitchen and other joinery is nearly finished - the slowest joiner in Wgtn promises that he will be all done within the next two weeks (yeah right). Above is a pic from our lovely kitchen - with Nancy's old biscuit barrels on display.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-3485513907587188612007-07-08T14:24:00.000+12:002007-07-08T14:47:56.617+12:00

I know it has been ages since we last posted! But seems like the weeks have flown by - so much to do with heaps of work on, lots of visitors to check out the new house and lots and lots of unpacking and sorting stuff from storage. Anyway, here is J in his Egyptian parade at school - doing his moves on the catwalk. They had to research what young Egyptian children wore and re-create the

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-32035273678968646592007-05-21T16:38:00.001+12:002007-05-21T16:44:18.492+12:00

Over the weekend we finally moved into 128. Nearly two years to the day since we started on this house building journey. It is still not quite finished (the kitchen joinery is only half done and we are still lacking bathroom cabinets and shelving units) but it is looking fantastic. And the yellow front door was worth the wait. Thanks to Gran who came to help us shift (again) and the friends

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-30898954270261410122007-05-21T16:35:00.000+12:002007-05-21T16:38:24.379+12:00

T's special friend from across the back fence came to say farewell during our pack up at the beige box. Basil (aka Chub Chub) will be greatly missed by us when we shift down the road. Unfortunately this means the rest of the family is now lobbying hard for a cat of our own!

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-83176301878587278202007-05-06T20:10:00.000+12:002007-05-06T20:18:27.000+12:00

We have had a our first house-related 'incident'. The driveway was just poured and was looking fantastic when a dog decided to jump the bank and check it out for himself. One builder was still on site but was unable to stop him from having a wander around the wet concrete. He did however chase the dog home to find out where he lived. Apparently the owners have been meaning to put up a

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-27363744561803334262007-05-06T20:07:00.000+12:002007-05-06T20:10:03.801+12:00

The bathrooms are finally taking shape. And we have one working toilet! The kids were very excited to see this installed and so were we ... The tile mosaic in the kids bathroom is looking very good.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-54821486923694417442007-04-29T19:37:00.000+12:002007-04-29T19:41:55.224+12:00

The paths around the house are now poured and looking good. The front door arrived (for the third time) and was sent back again for being faulty. Apparently our yellow door is the talk of the factory. They are now going to try a new technique to get the paint right. In the meantime we have a temporary glass door - which we quite like! The dirt area in the foreground will be a grass courtyard

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-21677869381364079932007-04-26T15:52:00.000+12:002007-04-26T15:56:02.173+12:00

All of the boxing has been done for the big concrete pour for the wide terraces and paths around the house and the walkway - these pictures were taken yesterday and the concrete trucks were onsite today doing the job. The driveway is the last to be laid - that won't happen until next week. Still aiming for a mid-May move in date ... however a front door would be nice! It has been ... and gone

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-44379658545409597662007-04-26T15:50:00.000+12:002007-04-26T15:52:19.326+12:00

We had a pool party for the 6th birthday celebration. 12 small girls and 2 boys (J had a friend to help balance the numbers) made for a hectic couple of hours but they had a great time.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-79364055987205882492007-04-17T19:28:00.000+12:002007-04-17T19:33:43.236+12:00

The painters are doing a great job with upstairs (apart from the bathrooms) all done now and a good part of downstairs underway. The kids are very happy with their feature walls. Our yellow front door has been on site and has been sent back twice now due to a faulty paint job ... hopefully it will be installed before our move in date in mid-May. The builders have moved outside to do the

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-81704549997785781502007-04-09T18:01:00.000+12:002007-04-09T18:04:11.092+12:00

Unusually we spent Easter weekend home in Wgtn. It was a lovely long weekend and we made the most of the good weather. We took the kids up to the Mt Victoria lookout to check out the stunning view. The kids were very happy with their 101 Easter egg haul which will be rationed out over coming weeks (many of those were wee ones though). The house is making good progress - the painters have

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-36915717587665791292007-04-09T17:59:00.000+12:002007-04-09T18:01:36.528+12:00

Last week was Crazy Hair Day at school - a fundraiser for a charity. As you can see, the kids really get into the spirit of the day ... the red is still on the scalp there despite several washes.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-23961513831035091892007-03-31T11:52:00.000+12:002007-03-31T12:00:59.028+12:00

Well the resene colour 'red, red, red' did not last long on this exterior wall. It is now undercoat to the final colour we have chosen - which is dynamite. It looks much better, and we have contrasted it with a white wall. This red weatherboard wall will extend inside to a feature wall in the living room - it will add a bit of colour to the mainly neutral/brown inside colour scheme. The

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-35290677425255693622007-03-19T07:41:00.000+12:002007-03-19T07:43:48.533+12:00

The house finally looks like a house now that the scaffold has been dropped. The gib is nearly all on now (which makes the rooms look smaller) and the plasterer starts this week. The sun streams in during the day - will be great for winter.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-89395160644087768752007-03-19T07:38:00.000+12:002007-03-19T07:41:02.537+12:00

Had the Kiwi Tri this weekend - started in pouring rain and gales but came right later in the day. Kids did really well after a few nerves at the start. Dad also won his parent's leg of the race! Can see where they get their competitive spirit from.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-6613689103552753062007-03-07T19:42:00.000+13:002007-03-07T19:46:40.792+13:00

Today got a shock to see the feature outside east facing weatherboards had been painted - it is supposed to be a colour called red red red but looks a little orange red red! We shall see if it grows on us or else it will be frantic search for a better colour.The below image shows the inside looking out to the back of the garage - all the windows and the big sliding doors are now in. Gib is

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-63761971061354212362007-02-26T19:23:00.000+13:002007-02-26T19:26:19.303+13:00

The windows are now nearly all in. And the big downstairs doors and windows are on site and waiting to be installed. Completion now is apparently late April. The weather has been fantastic all month - not that it matters so much now the roof is all on.-

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-30412991218182337592007-02-26T19:21:00.000+13:002007-02-26T19:28:47.320+13:00

J turned eight last week. We had a great party for him in the weekend at the Indoor Sports Arena. A great place for 10 eight year olds to wear themselves out. And avoided trying to cram them all into our tiny rental. The graze on his nose is due to J playing wicket keeper a little too close to the batter. It looked a lot worse a week ago.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1171165418588030372007-02-11T16:42:00.000+13:002007-02-11T16:43:38.586+13:00

We visited Napier for a 21st last weekend. T was very happy to catch up with her beautiful baby cousin.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1171165052628571712007-02-11T16:35:00.000+13:002007-02-11T16:39:53.676+13:00

The cedar weatherboard cladding is nearly all done on the second storey. Then the windows and doors will go in - and it will all be closed in and weather tight. Just in time for the fab weather which has finally arrived this week in Wgtn.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1169959349648034402007-01-28T17:38:00.000+13:002007-01-28T17:42:47.723+13:00

The roof is now on. At last. It took nearly a week to get it all on - and we crossed our fingers for no rain. Just after it was finished it poured down - so we were lucky. The scaffolding is all up now and the cedar cladding starts this week, with the windows being installed in about a fortnight. Have also done our bit for the retail economy through ordering appliances and new furniture.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1169959048519561572007-01-28T17:35:00.000+13:002007-01-28T17:37:28.530+13:00

This is the remnants of the holiday beard ... which was creatively turned into the 'Mo' made famous by Orange County Choppers. It only lasted a day.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1169017142690093422007-01-17T19:52:00.000+13:002007-01-17T19:59:02.706+13:00

The top photo shows the upstairs with the plywood roof base on - the view is looking down the hall to what will be T's room. The roof is booked to go on tomorrow as the sun is forecast to shine. The below image shows our newly polished concrete floor and hearth in the downstairs living room - this has to be all polished before the wall lining etc starts. It has taken eight passes with a big

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1168745101363393542007-01-14T16:21:00.000+13:002007-01-14T16:25:01.373+13:00

Well we are back after three relaxing weeks in Hawkes Bay and at Waikanae Beach. The weather gods smiled about half the time - which was apparently better than staying in Wgtn! We had a great Christmas in the Bay - and the kids did lots of fishing, boogie boarding and enjoyed hanging out with all the family. Not much has happened at the building site - builders were on holiday too. But

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1166322222222797132006-12-17T15:20:00.000+13:002006-12-18T19:24:42.263+13:00

On Saturday was the Musical Stars Christmas show - which was very funny. As you can see from the first shot - all did not go perfectly on the night for the five year olds and their spelling went a bit awry. T looked very angelic in her outfit ... she was very excited about the big end of year show.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1166321996322902662006-12-17T15:16:00.000+13:002006-12-17T15:19:56.333+13:00

The second floor framing has finally arrived (two weeks behind schedule) and has started going up quickly. The first shot shows the east view from the top of the stairs through what will be a square window - a 'sea glimpse' as the real estate agents would term it.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1165725459990870902006-12-10T17:30:00.000+13:002006-12-10T17:37:40.000+13:00

The cedar cladding is now pretty much on the garage. We made a late change to a dark brown stain, had our arms twisted by our architect. We were going for the black stained look that is very in vogue at the moment but are now much happier with this warm colour (called Treehouse). The second storey starts this week, here Dad and J check out the view from what will be our bedroom. The view is

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1165206819874892912006-12-04T17:32:00.000+13:002006-12-04T17:33:39.876+13:00

T in her angel costume for the upcoming Musical Stars Christmas show. Gran was here for the weekend so we got an impromptu performance.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1165206713231354102006-12-04T17:30:00.000+13:002006-12-04T17:35:03.286+13:00

A new addition has arrived on site following a visit from some OSH inspectors. We now have a nice portoloo. We don't want to think what was happening before this arrived, but imagine the back bank is very well fertilised now ...

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1164693582960866972006-11-28T18:56:00.000+13:002006-11-28T18:59:42.960+13:00

The last of the structural steel is now in place so the second storey is getting underway with its flooring being installed this week. Pictured is the internal view from the living room and looking back towards the kitchen (on the right), hall (on left) and second living room (behind the kitchen).

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1164693350334531692006-11-28T18:49:00.000+13:002006-11-28T19:01:56.006+13:00

We headed north for the weekend for the annual round Lake Taupo bike event. Dad was doing the two person relay (they finished in a very respectable 5 hours 3 mins for the 160 km ride) and J did the 15 km kid's ride for the first time. Here is J looking very nervous before the start and then heading off with Dad as his escort. J had a great time but pushed himself so hard that he said he felt

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1163916570300107422006-11-19T19:06:00.000+13:002006-11-19T19:09:30.310+13:00

Finally a fantastic hot day, and just in time for the Santa parade. T has been excited all week about the event, and she had a great time waving at all the kids from the float. Mum had to walk by the float as well, so lucky the dress code involved a Santa hat and dark glasses !

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1163817604711115012006-11-18T15:35:00.000+13:002006-11-18T15:40:04.730+13:00

Another foul wet week here in Welly. Even the die-hard Wgtn fans are upset with the seemingly endless rain and wind. Some progress has been made in framing the house and the garage is getting ready for its roof - but it has been slow work over the past few days. Fingers crossed for the Santa parade tomorrow - as T is starring on a float.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1163304337903508252006-11-12T17:01:00.000+13:002006-11-12T17:05:37.903+13:00

The top image shows the view out from our living room and kitchen. This space will be glass sliding doors. The other photo shows a glimpse (on the left) of the new concrete hearth that has just been poured.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1163304092109762582006-11-12T16:58:00.000+13:002006-11-12T17:01:32.120+13:00

This the 70s formal attire that the Dead Antiques rugby team had to wear for the recent Golden Oldies international competition. Notice how well the brown (beige) suit goes with our beige carpet and curtains ...

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1162535584266671512006-11-03T19:29:00.000+13:002006-11-03T19:34:22.813+13:00

Welcome to the world beautiful new baby girl. J and T are very happy to have a new cousin and T is particularly happy that she is a girl!

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1162535272894555862006-11-03T19:23:00.000+13:002006-11-03T19:27:52.893+13:00

A surprise today to see the garage framing has started. Starting to look like a real building now. This has been a great week for progress, including the pour for the main house floor.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1162534989013545192006-11-03T19:19:00.000+13:002006-11-03T19:23:09.023+13:00

The kids went out into the neighbourhood with friends this week as part of Halloween. They had a great time and loved getting dressed up. This is the first year they have been allowed to visit houses - but we only went to people we know.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1162192596284104692006-10-30T20:09:00.000+13:002006-10-30T20:16:36.296+13:00

The blockwork for the double garage and office is now all done. Here the kids check out the view from Dad's new office window.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1162010021284853862006-10-28T17:27:00.000+13:002006-10-28T17:33:41.296+13:00

The kids and Dad showing how high the walls are now getting. They are standing in an alcove where the TV (or eventually a fireplace) will go in our lounge.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1161577620406122842006-10-23T17:24:00.000+13:002006-10-23T17:33:11.436+13:00

This is part of the house's underfloor insulation before the concrete floor gets poured.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1161577438388008032006-10-23T17:19:00.000+13:002006-10-23T17:32:04.796+13:00

J about to venture out to sea fishing for the first time. He caught the most fish and the only snapper.T with her first herring, caught on the long holiday weekend in Napier. Thanks to the uncles for their expert assistance. A great day out and the kids were buzzing.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1161289158451386212006-10-20T09:16:00.000+13:002006-10-20T09:21:07.900+13:00

We are wearing bandanas to support Canteen week. All the kids have been wearing them to school and J and T chose these ones to wear.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1160543203702029602006-10-11T18:02:00.000+13:002006-10-11T18:06:43.713+13:00

As you can see the blocklayers have now started. Here is the long wall that forms the walkway along our east boundary and then goes into the house itself. A crew of nine guys did all this in pretty much one day.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1160199976672470552006-10-07T18:40:00.000+13:002006-10-07T18:46:16.683+13:00

J went to a party today where the entertainment was trout fishing. Wellington City Council runs a hatchery and enables kids to catch trout a couple of times a year and for special occasions - such as birthdays - in a pond near the local tip. While it's a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, the kids love it. All party-goers caught at least 3 trout. J's biggest was 576 grams. There's actually 3

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1160027135285382932006-10-05T18:41:00.000+13:002006-10-05T18:45:35.296+13:00

After a second concrete pour early this week (the walkway on the left and house foundation at back) some blocks have now been delivered and are all ready to go for next Monday. Another southerly gale has hit this week, apparently this winter was the worst Wgtn has had for 35 years ! This photo was taken at 6.30 pm - so we will get great summer sun.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1159167064155345312006-09-25T18:48:00.000+12:002006-09-25T18:53:57.893+12:00

Several hundred cubic metres have now been poured for the garage slab and the 'ring foundation' for the main house. Also delivered to the site are the first lot of many concrete blocks that will make up the garage, walkway and half the house. Good to get vertical ! We have just been away for a long weekend to Waikanae - great to get away from the beige box and we all enjoyed getting out for

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1158644340590603782006-09-19T17:33:00.000+12:002006-10-10T18:41:14.093+13:00

This is all now set for the concrete pour for the slabs. Got the message today that the builders can't wait to get out of the ground. There has been a lot of muddy preparation work gone on to get to this stage.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1158044570176372002006-09-12T18:58:00.000+12:002006-09-12T19:02:50.183+12:00

This is the house that the kids built (with some parental assistance). Not a bad attempt at the design but colours not representative!

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1158041027948553292006-09-12T17:58:00.000+12:002006-09-12T18:03:47.953+12:00

All going well we are about a week away from pouring concrete. This image shows the garage foundations and steel-mesh. Following the concrete pour the block layer will commence his work. The plastic piping seen here running through the garage foundations will house the electricity wiring.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1157165188835349712006-09-02T14:43:00.000+12:002006-09-02T14:46:28.843+12:00

J in action for the Brooklyn Northern United Cyclones - last game of the year. Not a bad season overall - won six, lost five. 36 goals for, 32 goals against. 10 goals for J.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1156920544659244922006-08-30T18:46:00.000+12:002006-08-30T18:49:43.893+12:00

We managed to hold up the neighbourhood traffic today getting this massive machine on site. It has to drive wooden piles up to six metres into the ground to anchor the house foundations. Notice the rare sunshine - has been a great week so far.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1156920372597004382006-08-30T18:43:00.000+12:002006-08-30T18:46:12.606+12:00

This is Paddy, the builder's dog. J and T are fond of donuts so we took some today for the builder's afternoon snack. Paddy was also keen on the look of them.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1156835751775891912006-08-29T19:09:00.000+12:002006-08-29T19:15:51.783+12:00

There has been a lot of activity on the site in the last few days but not much is visible. Lot of below ground action - our extensive drainage work is now finished and pile driving for the foundations should start any day (but we have heard that before!). There is more visible action at home with J finally losing his two front teeth - both have been threatening to go and have been hanging on by

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1156127369859473142006-08-21T14:24:00.000+12:002006-08-21T14:29:29.866+12:00

This is our current rental. It is very beige - the walls, carpet, kitchen cupboards, curtains etc are all shades of beige. And we don't think it has any insulation. Still it is very handy to our building site, sunny and cheapish. Which is all good.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1156021147550416722006-08-20T08:56:00.000+12:002006-08-20T09:05:12.450+12:00

We bought these funky numbers from Artikel. Which must be a funky shop if they spell its name like that ... now just need the finished concrete wall to put these on.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1155960238404977622006-08-19T16:03:00.000+12:002006-08-19T16:06:43.226+12:00

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1155958666919174912006-08-19T15:29:00.000+12:002006-10-10T18:39:47.663+13:00

The 40m fence, forming the west boundary between 128 and the next door park and play area.The green structure in the background is part of a six-apartment complex. Two have been built and have been on the market for some time.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1155949323654590442006-08-19T12:53:00.000+12:002006-08-19T15:04:52.516+12:00

Taken on a recent trip to Napier. J and T are currently sharing a room in the new rental. This is fine for about 90 percent of the time, with 10 percent turf war. They are looking forward to having their own room again soon.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1155947620244816542006-08-19T12:32:00.000+12:002006-08-19T16:47:21.213+12:00

19 July 2006. This picture shows the site excavation (and the weather) on the first day of real work at 128. Looks much bigger with the grass gone.

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32973182.post-1155945196144655282006-08-19T11:32:00.000+12:002006-10-10T18:39:02.426+13:00

Background - 19/08/06In February 2005 a flat piece of land in Brooklyn, Wellington came on the market - the last piece of an old family farm in the area. We were interested in it so put in a tender along with 11 other people. This was an opportunity to realise a dream of building our own house. Our bluff was called when our tender was successful.So we swung into action - found an architect, got

The Eelsnoreply@blogger.com0