Rotokura Lakes

Last weekend we went for a walk to the Rotokura Lakes, on the lower flanks of Mt Ruapehu, with Sandra and Jack.  We got in some good exercise (Campbell did really well with the long walk!), and I got in some practise with my awesome camera!  Most of my photos didn't turn out that great (I took about 20 photos of some skinny dragonflies that just weren't in focus properly!), but here are a few I did like.

No more hair..

Just a quick post to put up a photo of my son with his first no. 4 buzz cut!  With the hot weather we've been having, his head was getting too hot with so much hair on his poor wee head!  So we got out Danial's hair razor, and chopped all Campbell's hair off!  Now he looks like a very mischievious 3 year old, rather than the "angelic" 21 month old toddler that both sets of his grandparents think he is!

Brand spanking new Canon DSLR camera!

Well, I just got my early birthday/ anniversary/ Christmas present for the next 5 years - an awesome Canon EOS 1000D DSLR camera!!
So here are my very first bumbling attempts at using it...

Our temporary summer garden - since we're renting, and we didn't want to dig up the back yard, we recycled some old tyres hanging out at the DOC workshop!  Some donated broccoli plants are the first to go in, waiting on some seeds and seedlings to go into the rest.  And a few spuds I found sprouting at the bottom of the pantry...

Campbell playing in the empty tyres!

This was taken this morning, I just happened to catch my son in a half grumpy, half contemplative mood.

21 months old today

Oops, I've been a slack blogger, its been over a month since I last posted!
Well, my toddler is growing up so fast, only 3 months before his second birthday!  Got some photos of Campbell yesterday, when we went for a walk with his Grandma on the Waitonga Falls track from the Mountain Rd.  Didn't get to the falls, it was just a bit too far away for little legs, but next time hopefully we'll get there.

The budding photographer...

Playing with the snow beside the track.



Having fun in his new sandpit, getting Daddy, Grandma and Grandad to play with him!

Peeking out from behind the gate!

A couple more pics..

Today I decided to get a couple of touristy photos while we can still get away with acting like a tourist!
Sooo....   here's Campbell, my favourite model, posing for me in front of the main Ohakune sign, driving in from the south.

And the obligatory photo of the famous carrot!  Campbell couldn't quite get over the size of it!

A new life in Ohakune

Well, we've finally moved, and settling in at Ohakune.  Here's a few pics I've taken since we arrived last week. 

Here's Campbell helping with the unpacking...

These are from our "back yard" - a gorgeous stream running through a native bush reserve, the track starts about 50m from our house!

We have our first fine day in nearly a week today - we can finally see Mt Ruapehu!  Here's the view from the deck out our front door....  Danial took the first pic in the very early morning, the 2nd pic I took later in the morning.

Campbell running around in our sloping back yard - not ideal for kicking his soccer ball around, but there are some great native trees around the house, that are host to plenty of fantails, silvereyes, tui and kereru!

Stickers

Yesterday morning I had one little toddler totally engrossed in a single activity, staying in one spot, for probably over half an hour - impossible you say?  With this particular energetic toddler, I would normally agree, but here's the evidence:

STICKERS ARE GREAT!!  Campbell had great fun transferring sticker after sticker from the packet onto his drawing he had already scribbled.  I will have to keep it as a special activity to come out when I really need the little ratbag to entertain himself and stay quiet!

18 months old

My wee man is a whole year and a half old now!  Babyhood seems so far away, time just flies!
I managed to get a few decent pics when we were playing outside in the sun yesterday, so here they are...
The one of him wearing his blue merino hat was to compare with a photo taken of him this time last year (at 6 months old) - this was the best photo I could get as he kept ripping it off his head. Hat hating boy!
Check out my blog entries for August 2009 for the comparison shot.

Bathroom pics

Here's a few pics of our flash bathroom, with tiling and most of the painting done.

Beach and butterflies

We went to Warrington beach, about 20 mins north of Dunedin, last weekend when we had to get out of the house for an open home - Dan had to go find a leopard seal that was meant to be there, while he was on duty.  Got a few okay pics, despite having a slightly grumpy teething toddler and a windy day!

We visited the butterfly exhibition at the Otago Museum today with friends - Campbell seemed to enjoy it despite still suffering from teething issues.  Here he is contemplating his gingerbread butterfly....

...and here looking through the glass wall at the butterflies and rainforest plants.

 

And here's a cool green butterfly that enjoyed hanging out on my leg!

From memory it was 27 degrees, and 73% humidity in there - a nice change from cold Dunedin weather!

Some pics

Here's a couple of pics of the new wallpaper in our bedroom... it's no longer yellow!

And here's a couple of pics of our cute little boy!

We're getting somewhere!

Now that the whole house is carpeted and vinyled, and much of the painting is done, it looks like we're finally getting somewhere with the whole renovation thing!  No doubt once the house is finished and looking awesome, it will get sold and we won't get to enjoy it!  So here are some photos, taken a day after the carpet and vinyl went down.

And a couple of vids

Here's Campbell with his Grandad feeding the goldfish...


And splashing (and falling) in puddles!

Pics from the holiday

Here's a few pics from the week we just spent up in Masterton...

Giving Grandma a hug


Getting a hair cut, first time at the salon!


Playing outside in the leaves...




And feeding the goldfish.