The best present

This is the best present I got! It came with a lovely letter as well! Keith spent many an hour sorting it out! I was in tears when I read the letter and opened the present!
He did a great job!
Not bad since he told me with great joy that it only cost $13! Such a bargin as it had me in tears!
Enjoy!
Hugs Ruth

Friction Cars

Today the children have had two friction/plasma cars they allow up to 100kgs and that is great at the rate Aiden is growing he will be able to play on them for a few more years!
Well Aiden is amazed as Emily tries really hard to keep up with him! Well on these cars you use your upper body strength and wiggle on them well Emily bets him almost every time until Aiden starts cheating! Emily also bets Daddy too! Bryan when you are home we challenge you to a race around the backyard! Then there is also the idea if you can't bet them join them so add it a sister and then no one wins! :)
Hope your holidays are funfilled!
Hugs Ruth

CHRISTMAS CARD

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Christmas Photos!

Merry Christmas Everyone Everywhere wish we could be with you all!
We certainly are in Spirit!
Hugs Ruth Keith, Aiden and Emily
XXXXXXXXXXXX Enjoy these photos!

What does Christmas mean to us!

Christmas for us is about spending time with family and friends!
And know those who aren't close by physically you are close by in our hearts!

Emily woke this morning wanting to open presents and she is very excited that in 2 days time we will be opening them!
Aiden well he is excited but expectations are high and trying to reign them in is difficult! I did go through his list and say sorry not this year! When he had over $1000 worth of gifts on his list!

What I also know is that our children are truly spoiled and loved!
This year on the advent calender they have had treats such as a date with Mum or Dad you choose dinner etc plus some little gifts! Emily loves opening the gifts and when it is only 2 clips you think she had just received the moon! Gosh innocence is Fantastic!

As I reflect back on past Christmas this is the 28th christmas with Keith and our 24th as Husband and wife I certainly value the fact that most have been in our home and yes the work is great but the joy of everyone sitting down to lunch that we have all helped with is just mind blowing!

I know that when we waited for even our first child the sadness we had!
I remember my dear Father-in-law saying to me that first Christmas we had made a decision to adopt that he believed Christmas was for the children! He had gone through 17 years of infertility to have an only bio child and that every Christmas he wished he could collect all the children around him in England and spoil them with a great time! Sadly his wife didn't have the same feelings! For her is was biological or bust!

This morning as we were planning what else we needed to do DH said but why do we do this! Interestingly enough Aiden now wants Christmas at home to be Christmas at home! With all the trimmings and we were remembering a Christmas before children where we had a sudden death in the family and ended up having Christmas some where else! And how the week after Christmas we had Christmas lunch at our house with all the trimmings! Because it didn't feel like we had had a Christmas at all!

The children today have collected up some old toys and and gifts that have never been played with and are giving them to those less fortunate!It is great to see the spirit of giving in my children!

Now as I was sorting out gifts I saw a book that I bought our soon to be new daughter for Christmas 2006! Which I had written in! The tears certainly flowed freely for both my husband and me! The wait is hard even when there are precious children in the house!

I often remember those ones pre-children because my darling Father-in-law would love seeing this Christmas! And sadly he is not here! This will be our 11th without him! This will probably be the last Christmas my children have with their Nana as well so it is special! She has been so sick and her body is slowly shutting down!
What I want most for us and everyone is to have a fantastic day and enjoy the miracles of the season.
Make the moments we live worth while!
Enjoy each and every day as we never know what is around the corner!
Thanks to all who add value to Our lives!
We truly appreciate it!
Holidays wishes to you all! Spend time making amazing memories!
Arohanui
Ruth, Keith, Aiden and Emily xoxoxoxo

5 Days till Christmas

Well with only 5 days until Christmas we have so much going on!
Schools close here for the Summer so mainly from now until the beginning of February! Life will be chaotic! Trying to juggle work and family can just be a nightmare!
Then to add to the mix we have Ann (Keith's Mum) being unwell for over 8 weeks and that too has taken a toll! Ann normally comes and spends the whole day with us! Not this year! we will pick her up for a couple of hours over lunch and then pop her back home! That will be more than enough for her and us!
Her legs have broken out again and she is constantly picking at them! The District nurse rang yesterday and said she might even end up in hospital! So we will watch this space! In some way in hospital will mean we feel free to have a break! We have both taken 2 weeks off work and then back into it!
I have trips to Queenstown, Central Otago and Invercargill with a few stops on the way! So might end up travelling by myself for a few days just to get the work done!
Well the lists are out we are trying to decide on what is important must dos over the simple traps of Christmas and the Silly season!
I am taking my support people out for coffee tomorrow! So that will be fun!

Emily yesterday had her ears looked again as she has the biggest wax build up I have ever seen and she did OK! The removed almost all of it she has 2 lumps quiet deep in her ear which require suction but the Ear Nurse thought she wouldn't cope with it! she is right! So off to the doctors today to get a check up a for both children as Emily has little movement in her ear drums so there is an issue there they think she has chronic ear infections but she doesn't show it! The issue for us is her speech and the volume of her speech!
So today is my official day off but I still have loose ends to complete then tomorrow I finish for the year!
Yeah two weeks off with the kids! Yes that will be good! Especially once Christmas day is finished! We love the day but then we can relax! Must clean out the fridge and pop some bubbles in! Yum!
Have an excellent day and know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers constantly!
Hugs Ruth

Christmas party!

Well yesterday was just plain busy! We farewelled my Sister her husband and two of her children for a 6 week stint in Europe! Lucky them and my niece who is about to have them arrive in England who hasn't seen them for 2 years! So the excitement is huge! Then we had Keith's Christmas party! It was a lovely evening Dunedin turned on a 25+ day and it was a lovely evening! I have up loaded some photos to show how much fun was had! Sunday is a low key day here lack of sleep ensures that!

Hugs Ruth

PS yes that is DH(Keith in a kilt!)

Our Christmas tree Angel

Hi all, this morning a package arrived with a special treasure inside and Emily was so excited! We had such a bad week! I have had a migraine for almost a week and working through it has been difficult!

Last Thursday our 15 year old tree that we have put up every year did the most amazing swan dive off the table and onto the floor where it smashed some of our favourite christmas decorations. So that day I went out and bought a new Tree! I didn't imagine that an 8ft tree would be that much bigger!

So we have worked all week on the decorations and while I was surfing the net I saw this amazing angel and she arrived this morning along with the very cute stork carrying a special delivery from China!

So I have up loaded photos of the new Angel on our tree and Emily helping decorating the tree!

Hope that you are all having a slow lead up to Christmas! That is the wish I have asked for!

Aiden had prize giving and has finished school for the year! He was one of the top 3 students in his class for German! So well done!

We are now in the lead up for Christmas and we are taking it slowly!

Hugs to you all!

Ruth

Families receive their referrals

Well families with LIDS of up to 14 December have received their referrals all except our friends in Australia they should get theirs today or tomorrow! It is an amazing feeling seeing your babies face for the first time! Then the excitement of sorting packing etc! We can't wait for our turn! That should be in the next few months! The problem we have we don't have a LID date so it is hit and miss a bit! we think it is around 5 January 06 so we will go with that!
Well the kids are waking so time to sort breakfast!
Hugs Ruth