a very lazy, hot new years eve day

it is so weird to have a super hot new years eve day.  i doubt i will ever get used to having summer in december. just seems so wrong. anyway we'd worked hard all weekend and were so tired and sore today. i had to work on the wards but once that was done we rested up with the moo.  then did a few errands and decided on a quiet night in so got some supplies from the store.  a nice relaxing day.

Demo continued

Another long day of demolition. Got down to the foundation of that stupid BBQ thing and couldn't go any further. So our patio may be a bit uneven. Oh well. We have a lot more space anyway. Moved the border line for the garden and did minor touch ups and repairs around the place. Still a mess but starting to take shape. Now just need to level it off, put black plastic down and get some bricks laid. Whewf! Miski is a little confused. Can't wait for it to be done. Then on to more projects. Feels a bit never-ending. many more photos in the albany 2012 part 2.

Demolition & decoration

Finally got the stuff we needed todo some basic house repairs and updates and even rented a jackhammer to demo the ugly barbecue pit thing. We set the fish free and ripped out the pond and are almost done with removing the pit. Then well brick over the area and have a way bigger patio. I did some gardening and bits and pieces while jose was being manly. Also put up our new framed photos around the house ;) hope to finish the demo tomorrow.

Miski and jose in the neighborhood park

Took Miski for a romp in the park with her new orange puma soccer ball. Took her to the one just a block or two away from the house. She had a ball but tuckered out fast because it was really hot! Due to be over 100 (108 on wed) this whole week. Yikes. She also prefers her old tatty deflated ball because that one she can carry around :) very cute. Then I had to work. Boo. And then a friend of Joses dropped by which was really nice. Spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying our excellent air con.

More decorating

Found some great sales after Xmas and got a couple of rugs. Miski's destroyed our carpet so this rug will protect what's left. That's the hope anyway. Also put up some of our nz photos I had printed and framed.

christmas lunch with the neighbors

see all the xmas photos in the albany 2012 part 2 album

we were lucky enough to get an invite to the neighbors house for a traditional christmas lunch. they are the loveliest people. heather served an incredible spread - prawn cocktail for entree, then turkey and pork, potatoes and pumpkin, steamed veggies, cauliflower casserole, and gravy for the lunch. it was delicious and so fun for jose to get to try a traditional christmas lunch from another country.  oh and pork crackling - his favorite!  then we were really spoiled with christmas pudding covered in brandied custard and brandied cream. talk about heavenly. she's going to give me the recipe. it was awesome.  we came home very full and very sleepy :)  i relaxed most of the afternoon, especially since it got very hot today - 96 or so - and jose did lots of gardening, such a good hubby.  then we took miski for a romp at the oval and watched christmas movies until we had to roll ourselves to bed. merry christmas everyone! 

nanna nap after presents

miski and i were tuckered out after all the sugar and excitement so we took a little nanna nap together.  she wasn't happy when i woke her up to reindeer antlers.  they fit a lot better than the last time she wore them in 2010 when she was only 2 1/2 months old!  miski loves christmas, but not that part.

opening presents!

then we opened gifts!  jose got a bunch of photo books...not sure if that was what he was hoping for. a cool present is still in the mail for him.  and he got his belated birthday presents from my mom! awesome hiking pants and a really cool looking dvd all about san diego. can't wait to watch it with him....i think she has an ulterior motive :)  then miski opened her presents.  very cute photos and videos of that in the albany 2012 part 2 album

opening our stockings!

next of course came stocking opening time. jose got a lot of little cute gifts and so did i. miski loved her stocking and ripped open her treats with glee.  lots of photos and several videos in the albany 2012 part 2 album

christmas morning

after having our chocolate breakfast we teased miski with the rawhide candy canes and let her take one finally.  then had family portrait time in front of the tree. miski was not into it at all.  many many more photos here in the albany 2012 part 2 album

hooray for christmas day!

 

yay! it's christmas! we woke up very early and chatted for a bit before dozing off with a very spoiled puppy between us. finally got out of bed around 8 and talked to our families overseas to say merry christmas.  it's going to be a hot one today but in the morning it was nice. started the morning off with panetone and hot chocolate - a tradition jose dearly loves.

Christmas Eve Dinner!

Over on this side of the world it's Xmas eve. I am on ward cover this week and of course got tons of referrals-still ended up working a full day. Boo. Anyway, had a relaxing afternoon with jose and miski. Then we made tacos! Non traditional Xmas feast but seriously yummy. Merry Christmas everyone! See more photos here

enjoying our time at home together

it's so cute to see jose and miski together.  i love how much be obviously loves her :)  i succeeded in turning him into a dog lover! now just a million other animals to go...anyway have been enjoying our time at home as a little family. jose's been playing with moo shoo a lot - wrestling on the living room floor, and letting her butt into his skype conversations. second photo is miski looking pensive for some reason even though she got TWO walks yesterday. bottom photo is our amazing spread from the whale cafe today. talk about yummy.  we were starving!  miski went to bed early - just walked out of the living room and into the bedroom to her beanbag at 7pm. poor thing, she was all tuckered out.  yay xmas tomorrow! well xmas eve day.  many more photos here in the albany 2012 part two album

wind farm walk with my two cuties

was cloudy this morning and we woke very very early because sadly the sun rises extremely early and our blinds do nothing to block the light. anyway lolled in bed for several more hours which was nice, miski wheedled her way between us for a while - very cute. had a pretty lazy morning and then packed up our little family and fishing gear and went to the wind farm. jose had never been so we showed him the cool, huge turbines and then took him down to the rocky shore to attempt to fish. but it was high tide, not idea. we both got rather soaked but miski had a ball.  many more photos here in the albany wind farm walk album it was a lovely day. after our romp we walked up the insanely steep, and seemingly endless steps back to the car. then went to whale world cafe for fish and chips which we took home and then watched a few movies together. jose did some gardening and i mostly was lazy. so was miski :)  it's been lovely