Late July and the month of August

My birthday falls on the last day of July. Birthdays were a big deal in our house, Mum would whip a chocolate cake and we got to pick what we wanted for dinner. She and Dad would make you feel so special and loved! My sweet Mum enjoyed gifting presents so much, she delighted in choosing and wrapping gifts. It was a wonderful feeling to wake up on your birthday morning to feel her and Dad so excited.

This birthday my darling Mr.Fox surprised me with a chocolate hunt, handmade card that was a collaborative work between Mae and himself. Dad got me the Practical Self Sufficiency book that I have been wanting for many months. My sister got me the subscription to the Frankie Magazine. It was a lovely day and I was certainly made to feel loved. Birthdays are chance to celebrate your loved ones and shower them in good vibes. Oh how I enjoyed all those good vibes!

I am so looking forward to making Mae feel extra cherished on her birthdays. It is only a few weeks away, the planning is mostly done. Mr Fox and I have chosen a couple of gifts that are waiting to be wrapped. Her birthday card is yet to be made and written in....it seems so hard to put into words the love and adoration you have for your child. My darling girl has given us so much happiness. The grocery list is growing and am looking forward to making festive food with Mary and Emma; two special women that love our girl fiercely.

The morning after a hail shower

Mud; so much mud!

After returning from Sydney our family spent an afternoon exploring our local neighbourhood and locating our first Geocach. It was a thrill to find the rusty container hidden under a footbridge. It was on a track that would be easily walked past and one that we wouldn't have explored otherwise. We signed our name in the notebook and are hooked on this new hobby. What a fun way to spend a few hours. We are planning our next search soon, there seems to quite a few in the surrounding streets. 

First Geocache discovery!

Mr. Fox has been working long hours and in addition has been training for the Auckland Marathon. He is running to raise money for two charities; RSPCA New Zealand and more dear to my heart Bowel Cancer New Zealand. He is running in memory of my Mum, he loved her. The links to the fundraising pages are here and here if you wish to take a look and perhaps donate. I couldn't be prouder of him and his efforts.

Toby will run in memory of my beautiful Mum.

 We are making the effort to get out and do stuff. It can be hard to walk out the front door and leave behind chores we should be doing or plug away at rennovations but I think the past few years have taught us that life is for living. There will always be washing, dishes, lawns etc but days we have with our Miss Mae Molly Ann living with us are precious and meant to be enjoyed to fullest. So last Monday when Toby had a surprise day off we did just that.....packed up the picnic basket, loaded up the car, pulled shut the front gate and off we went. 

Karekare beach picnic...oh those sweet little feet!

Energised by the novelty of a three day weekend we drove to KareKare Beach, a beach close to us but we had never visited. The road winds it's way down a steep hillside and at one stage you drive right under an ancient fallen Pohutakawa tree that arches from one side of the road to the other. To get to the sea we needed to wade across a little river but we had no towel, instead we climbed a small rise and set up there. Sheer cliffs to our right, craggy boulders to our left and a beautiful view of sand reaching towards the waves ahead. What a perfect spot! Sheltered from the wind we enjoyed our snacks and a cuppa. Feeling like we were on holiday we made a spur of the moment to spends the afternoon at the Zoo.

Karekare beach

It was wonderfully quiet at Auckland Zoo. We spent a wonderful few hours wandering past the exhibits. There is a new Tasmanian Devil exhibit that is so beautifully done. We spent ages there watching the funny wee fellas go about their afternoon. One wee Devil was sprawled out on his tummy soaking up winter sun rays. We were one of the last patrons to leave, all the animals were heading into their cosy homes as dusk approached.

Sunbathing Tasmanian Devil

My loves enjoying looking at the Cheetahs

There are so many things to do in and around Auckland that we wish to do. Often we are recommended or read places we want to visit, only to forget a few weeks later. In an endeavour to remember we created a shared list on our phones which we can both add too. It is fun to see what each other thinks might be an exciting adventure. The list is growing quickly.

To end August we invited friends to join us for a BBQ at Queens Wharf. It was a windy, cloudy and cold evening but it was forecast not to rain. Luckily our friends weren't put off by chilly conditions and joined us for a meal al-fresco. Several coin operated BBQs are located at the end of the wharf with views of the harbour. It was such a cheap and merry way to spend a few hours that we will repeat over the coming Summer.