Easter and ANZAC

What a great weekend. The weather has been unsettled, but a great excuse to eat chocolate and watch movies.

We did the normal family things, and the not so normal for us.

Date night for Mr Treacy and I. An early booking so as to avoid crowds, noise and to ensure I didn't fall asleep in my dessert. Thanks to inspration from a Masterchef episode, we chose to dine on Tapas. The restaurant; Bolero, in Albany was quite scrummy and just the fact that we were out in the evening together (despite the early hour), without kids to watch, was fab :-)

See.......it's night time and I'm still awake, (and Mark isn't holding me up either).

Thanks for a nice evening my lovely man!

Long weekends mean swings to be swung...

and enjoying a moment of sun.......

And despite the amount of chocolate consumed over the weekend, there is always time and space for ice-blocks.

ANZAC DAY: Phoebe has a new routine since daylight savings began. The 5.30am starts are a bit painful, but this morning it seemed appropriate. The sun rose outside our kitchen while the last post and pipes were playing on the live television coverage. I will attend a dawn service one day, but today I was glad to be snuggled up in my dressing gown as it was pouring down in the North this morning!! I guess those young lads sitting in trenches on a rainy morning many years earlier were no doubt thinking of their own warm kitchens back home.

Every anzac day we use Grandma's Edmonds cookbook to make the ANZAC biscuits. Two batches this year. Mark's perfectly executed and mine; tasty but without the rolled oats (oops). Silly error, but the taste delicious and both batches are CHEWY!! Love them. Check out last year's post on the ANZC topic here

Yummmmm......

And this..........which is in here cause it makes me giggle like crazy, is Phoebe's view of the world. Funny, happy girl!!

I hope your weekend break was memorable.

Jaz

xx

Thankful Thursday: We rock the holidays

I thought the holidays might be a challenge. I can't really leave the house with the children until the weekend when Mark is home, so we have had to make our own 'house fun'. Even then I need to migrate to the couch more often than not, the girls have coped just fine.

Oh the fun that's been made......

We've been rocking the house!

Thank goodness for music.

I love how sing star brings out the closet groovers....

the enjoyment.....

the moving love songs.

The concentration and attention to detail!!

Good times!!

Embarrassing mums!

A smidge of baking thrown in.

An older photo, but doesn't this just warm your heart. Children completing chores :-)

Oh and Meg (from MnM's)..........thank you. We love your messages of support and love xxx

Peace, love and loads of light for all of you and your families this Easter!

Jaz

xx

Brrrrrrrrrr Winter has arrived in Whangaparaoa!

It is decidedly cold in the winterless North today. Ok..........so I didn't grab a jersey as I left the house, but I actually wish I had.

Yes.

I left the house today.

To attend a hospital appointment to discuss my future. A bright and long future. The discussion was held with a particularly caring and empathetic registrar. I felt cared about and listened to. I really appreciate medical staff who treat us as people, not numbers.

I left the hospital feeling.................hopeful. Very hopeful. It's such a good feeling to have right now, this week, month, year!!

Ok, I'm really not into narcissism, I'm not that happy about having my photo taken BUT.........I have decided my hairdresser is an ANGEL. Who?............can recreate a fringe and hair style......when half of the front has been shaved off. My hairdresser!! A new parting, some cool layers, chuck a straightener through it and nobody would ever know. I am very pleased, and almost feel like me again. THE NEW ME!!!!

But back to the weather. It is COLD here today. I think I may have acclimatised since moving away from the South Island. This year I'm feeling it.

It is great to get out the layers again. I have missed wearing my boots and scarves. Bring it on!!!

See, the sea view was quickly disappearing under rain clouds.

See, the outside balls are sitting idle and some even weathering.........

See, the sand pit, come toybox is catching rainwater.

And the swing is sad and lonely :-(

Even the mint is looking less green and the Pukeko isn't prancing ;-)

Sadly the strawberries are wintering down.

Happily, the blankies and remote are handy.

.........and the girls are enjoying a range of easter crafts.

Welcome to the North, Winter!!

Jaz xx

Thankful Thursday

Sand fun with mum

Buried feet

Visits from our Christchurch Uncle

An image repeated from previous beach visits, but now she looks soooo much older.

Nothing like the baby she used to be.

Thankful for the BEACH!

Jaz xx

Thankful Thursday

I realise I have posted about this stuff before. But I truly believe it has made a significant difference in my recovery and brain fatigue. I read that it actually crosses the brain/blood barrier (unlike other substances) so it actually makes a real difference. A HUGE difference!!

If you haven't tried it, do.

I use it to kick start the day and then another 1/2 teaspoon dissolved in juice just before the kids get home (a demanding part of my day). You can actually buy it in tablet form, so even more convenient for working or busy people. Even your healthy brains would benefit!! (Ok, sales pitch over.....and I'm not even getting commission for this!! ;-)

Thankful for the growing independence of my children, I think :-)

Thankful for homemade purple play-dough. Therapeutic and entertaining.

Thankful that I have enough energy to watch this little girl two days a week now. Thankful that, with encouragement, she will still have an afternoon nap for me, and that Mark returns home early to lighten the load (Thank you Irwin Tools!!) I also sleep especially well by the end of these days. I just need my eyesight to return so it doesn't look like two little girls running around, LOL.

Thankful for silly faces.

Jaz

xx

We love carrot cake.

It seems that I now measure life, quality life, by small, but realistic achievements.

The first post operative cake, another small but achieved task.

It was moist and delicious. Cooked for just the correct length of time and with a hint of double vision thrown in the mix. (In fact, I may be better at making cakes now. Maybe a little more careful and "uped" my game!!)

OR maybe the 'baking' section of my brain has been officially activated. Oh I hope so!! :-)

I have noticed that the high calorie hospital diet and lots of resting has caught up a little. My curvy figure would sure please Renaissance artists, but my jeans are getting trickier to squeeze on LOL.

But, I know, I probably needed some meat on these bones, even before the operation. Pre operative stress was making the kgs just fall off. I am learning to be happy with all the changes.

I have a booking with my hairdresser this weekend. Some serious grooming and pampering is going to occur. Restyling of the partially shaved hairdo (growing back quickly I might add), and taming of eyebrows are on the menu. Sounds a little trivial, but I can't wait.

AND........ after living in hospital gowns and then a suitcase of the same items, week after week. I'm going to order some new clothes! Oh thank goodness.

I even threw out my conditioner a few days back. The smell reminded me of all the struggling, exhausting showers I took while in hospital. It really is time to keep moving forward, into the next chapter. It isn't easy every day. Some days are harder than others. But it's good to know you are still all out there (even when you are busy with your own lives and I don't post for a few days because I can't find anything to write about).

Oh and it's jolly good to have cake :-)

The pic doesn't really do it justice. But we sure did enjoy it!!

Hope your week is ticking along just fine.

Jaz xx

My turn!

Well its been a few weeks since my last blog, Jaz has taken full control which to be fair was a huge relief as I found writing both therapeutic and a burden especially when Jaz was very ill. I remember writing every night to keep you all updated which I really wanted to do but the only problem was that when it came to proof reading before posting I often got quite emotional!!! They were tough times and I think I was almost running on autopilot for most of it!

As I write this entry Molly and Phoebe are in bed happily reading and Caitlin and her friend are watching Glee on TV. Tonight Sophie and Caitlin are having a sleep over for her 11th birthday.

Jaz is having a nap, today has been a big one for her. A walk on the beach with a friend, the creation of a perfect Carrot Cake for Caitlin and the dentist! She is such a trooper. Regardless of her condition that woman always tries to do her bit.

So while all is quiet I thought Id sneak on here and catch up with you all!!!!

Life has been a lot better since Jaz came home, the girls are so happy to have Mum back. Its so nice to see them around their mum. Jaz is a wonderful mother, caring, loving, understanding and always there for each of them. You can imagine with 3 girls demanding her attention she always manages to give them enough of what they need - their Mothers love. When Jaz was in hospital a social worker said to me that I have the perfect opportunity to bond with my girls while she was in hospital. I think we have, and Im thankful for the opportunity but even more thankful that our little family is complete once again.

So the girls are happy Jaz is home but I think I might be even happier!!! I remember when I saw Jaz for the first time almost 16 years ago, my heart skipped a beat then and I still experience that feeling now. There is no other person I would want to spend my life with.

So life seems to be going along nicely, we still have challenges along the way but with each others support and love that tumor doesn't stand a chance.

Well thats it from me!!!

Great talking to you all again

Be safe

Mark