Grandma comes to visit ...

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No matter how exhilirating it is to move to a new place, nothing beats the warmth of family. It was lovely to have Betty (Katie's mum) and Alex visit from Christchurch this weekend - our first real visitors from the city we recently moved from. How wonderful to catch up with them as we gracefully  welcomed them into our new "village" living :)

 They were fortunate enough to come at a time when the village was having their 3-4 weekly AVC (Atamai Village Council) meeting. This is where the villagers gather to discuss the various things happenning around Atamai and to make communal decisions on required items, followed by a shared potluck meal and socialising. Over a glass of wine, an intricate array of interesting subject matters are included as part of the entertainment. Both Betty and Alex enjoyed the experience ...  at least that's what they told us ... ;)

 We also had a nice day at our local beach, KaiTeriTeri, which also happens to be one of New Zealand's premier beach fronts.  Was most certainly a pleasant way to spend the afternoon - it has been some time since we were last at any beach. The kids had a great time there in the golden sand and splashing in the water - not bad for the first day of Autumn-ish.
A sand angel ...

It's not often I get in a shot, in this case there were two camera operators ...
Alysha has finally perfected her levitation skills - not bad for a 4 year old ...

It's an electrifying experience, so she tells me ...
Jordan preferred the usuall assisted levitation. He also practiced much of his digger skills, with nothing more than a cup and spoon.

... Turns out that it was a bad time for our visitors to come without booking accomodation. This was due to the fairly packed out rooms with the filming of the Hobbit in the area. Peter Jackson really should have told us about it ... sheez. At least he has his own blog, so kinda forgivable.

Anyway, Betty and Alex are set to return tomorrow. We wish them a safe return and hope to see them soon again.



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