We're Expecting!!!

but not in the way you think....!!

(sorry mum to give you a heart attack, sorry Kay to disappoint!)

Had to do it ;) Sick of the pressure!

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We're expecting a gorgeous baby girl the weekend of September 15th, similar to Huntress pictured below... (but ours will be cuter). We have just been approved as parents from the breeder and are very very excited (especially spending an hour playing with 12 puppies at the breeders!)

Pedigree *Mistymoor Huntress *

As I sad we pick her up in about 3 weeks and I can't wait! I've missed having a dog around the house...! Oscar is in for a surprise....! Kath when you come and stay you'll get to play with a puppy hehe....

Here is a picture of her mum and dad so you can see what she may look like...

Dad - Pedigree *Arctique Te Horo Running Bear*

Mum ~ Pedigree *Mistymoor The Sweetest Thing*

How exciting! We've been looking at dogs for about a year, and after deciding that we weren't going to get our finances together in time for our holiday in May, we decided the time was right for an addition in the family! We'll I've been chomping at the bit for a dog for the last year!

So all going well we will have our beautiful girl middle of September. Brilliant.

Funny Story....

I'll start this blog of with a funny story...

Was in Levin on Sunday for my Father in law's 60th Birthday, but that's not the funny story. The funny story goes like this..

About a year ago my Mother-in-Law wanted to give either myself or her own daughter some perfume that she had brought but didn't like on herself. Being the good daughter in law I had a good smell but decided I didn't like it. I was told it was very expensive and she had bought it after having someone walk past her with this most amazing smell.... (starting to sound familiar?)... who she proceeded to find out what this person was wearing. After buying it for herself my MIL found she was very disappointed that it wasn't the same when she was wearing it. So as you know she decided to see if I wanted it, which as you know I didn't.

Fast forward a year and envisage my MIL reading this blog where I'm raving on and on and on about this fantastic new fragrance I found while chasing a women down the block for it. What was this fantastic new fragrance her daughter-in-law had found she wondered.... Yep you guessed it. The very fragrance she had tried to give to me a year ago - Michael Kors. Doh.

Mother-in-law 1
Daughter-in-law 0

In my defence it does smell slightly different from the one I have now - although I have no idea why it should. Maybe my mind is making it smell that way so I don't look like a complete idiot! ;)

On the bright side I came back from Levin with a bottle of very expensive perfume that I love...!!

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Netball is nearing the end of the season with only two more weekends of games, and the end of year club function on Sat 1st Sept. Its been a great year but darn has it been a busy one. I am really looking forward to having a full weekend free and enjoy some free time in my new house. Especially looking forward to having a summer in the garden! Although unfortunately its not quite the end of netball for the year as we have all the behind the scene stuff to get started on.... Sigh... At least it won't be as full on.

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Nothing much else worthwile - just gearing up for an immensly busy couple of weeks culminating in a monster weekend 1/2nd Sept.

This weekend starts with a:

* mid winter 80's themed Xmas dinner on the Friday
* last game of netball on the Sat day
* with the EOY function that night
* then travel to Napier immediately after the EOY function for a
* 80th Birthday lunch on the Sunday...

then the travel back to work on the Monday.... sigh

Hey might as well finish with a Bang right... ;)

Calling all travellers....

Right well I think I have this bl**dy holiday sorted... I think... just need to win lotto to finance it but hey gotta start somewhere right.

Anyway to bring you up to speed - I have had over the last few years a very small voice in my head saying "...wouldn't it be great to see in real life what you spent 3 years studying at varsity...." unfortunately this small voice has been getting louder and louder and more nagging and annoying as each year goes by. Now its starting to nag "... you have two houses Tarn, get over before those maternal instincts kick in..."

Fighting this has been the "... you expect me to live like a student again with 30 people in a 4 bedroom house - forget it kid - not likely...." Oh and the whole "...sure Tarn buy two houses and spend 40grand on a wedding.... "

Oops.

So feeling like its been at least 6 months since I managed to spend money we haven't really got it feels like a good time to start looking to spend more. As I haven't done the traditional O.E this is where all of you my darling good well travelled friends come in!

If you feel like something to take your mind of the daily grind - take a look at what I have sorted out and let me know if :

a) I have missed any fantastic, not in the brochure book, off the beaten track type places....

b) looks like I'm going to get ripped off by using a brochure book tour...

c) recommend any tour companies...

d) there is a place to definately avoid!

e) general comments on my itinery

Bearing in mind that we are travelling on NZ dollars and we only have 6 weeks to do it in so have preferred the not so flexible tours to guarantee best use of time there... I did contemplate the hop on hop off independent travel but don't really want to be constantly thinking I have to ensure I get enough time here, or be stuck in middle of Turkey waiting for next bus! Oh the joys of not basing ourselves in the UK... no time, more money and more stress! Oh - and the only way to get my husband to join me was to bribe him with themeparks in LA!

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NZ – LA (fly)
3 nights in LA
~ Universal Studios ~
~ Disneyland ~

LA – San Diego (fly)
1 night in San Diego
~ San Diego Zoo ~
~ Sea World ~
(back to LA)

LA – London or Frankfurt – Santorini (fly)
2 nights in S

Santorini – Mykonos (ferry)
2 nights in M

Mykonos – Athens (ferry)
1 night in A

Athens
~ Land tour with Adventure World (http://www.adventureworld.co.nz) ~
~ 3 nights / 4 days ~
~ Athens, Olympia, Delphi, Meteora, Athens ~

Athens – Istanbul (fly)
~ Land tour (Flying Carpet) with Fez Travel (http://www.feztravel.com/Flying_Carpet.php) ~
~ 14 nights / 15 days ~
~ Istanbul, Galliopoli, Troy, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Saklikent Gorge, Fethye, Myra, Cappadocia, Aknara ~

Instanbul – Venice (fly)

all travel in Italy via Rail Pass
2 nights in V

Venice – Florence (rail)
2 nights in F

Florence – Rome (rail)
4 nights in R

Rome – Sorento (rail)
2 nights in S
~ Day tours to Pompeii, Mt Vesuvius ~

Sorento – Naples – London (rail, fly)
4 nights maybe-ish in L

London – Singapore
2 nights in S

Singapore – NZ

Home

All comments welcome!!!

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PS - $20G later - glad I'm married.

Magpies 8 - Wgtn 6....

I hate to say it but .......

PEOPLE - I DON'T CARE THAT HAWKES BAY RUINED YOUR VIRTUAL PICS

Interesting to note that this weeks time around the water cooler has been, and sounds like will be for a while yet, defending my home town and arguing that surely the boys have proved that the win over Southland wasn’t a fluke by claiming the scalp of an All Black-laden Wellington. The Magpies showed they’ve come a long way from the rude shock they got against Canterbury last year in the ANZC opener (amazing what a year of professionalism can do for the boys).


Something to be said about the ‘The Rolling Maul’ and the ‘Pick and Go’ to break defensive lines eh boys. Remember those tactics Div 1. These boys don't have (well didn't ) the super freaks who could stand wide and blast through tackles with instant speed and acceleration, so they had to rely on some good old rugby skills that have been honed in during Div 2 rugby.

Hawke’s Bay won fair and square (although nestled with controversy following the Tialata/Newland incident).

No need to label the Magpies cheats because they stuffed up your virtual picks.

Go the Bay!

NB: Let us enjoy it while it lasts esp with Newland getting his 10 week ban

M.I.A....

Hi y'all...

yep been missing up north for the last week on our one week mid year break... won't mention the concert that was cancelled one hour before it was due to start, nor will I mention the never-ending rain we experienced every day... or the general scum that are Aucklanders for that matter...

anyway we are still alive, cell died on the monday so went a whole week without a phone... was like a trip back into the dark ages.

will write more later when I have more than a minute of life left on my laptop or a husband waiting for me in a warm bed...

Go Hawkes Bay.