2 month catchup time

Hey there,

Sorry for the big interlude between blogs - there is no real excuse, just out of the routine of doing blogs etc....

Anyhow, we are back in the blogger seat and ready to rumble again...

Whats been happening?? - well here is a quick look....

• Thia has recently had her first birthday - YAY!! - thanks to all who came and celebrated it and gave presents - it was a great day had by all!!!...
• She is now walking with a deliberate purpose of getting from one place to the other instead of crawling (oh yeah - she is crawling)
• We have travelled the length of the North Island to Thia's Great Grand mothers (on Stephs side) funeral in Auckland - a very sad day!!! - RIP Nana!!!
• A hospital trip and one night stay with an unknown viral bug (all OK now) - was a very scary time.... they say being a parent is a roller coaster!!! - We now believe them!!!
• Dad has served in a jury case in the District Court (verdict is as yet unknown)
• Thia completed an on site photo shoot for the new Manawatu Plunket Calendar 2009
• Thia got her first four teeth (two top and two bottom) - two more wont be far!!
• Thia is off the powdered milk and on the cows milk - now dad has to arm wrestle Thia for the milk!!!! - its game on!!!!
• Thia is saying words (not very clear - but very distinct) - 'Mum' 'Dad' 'Oscar' 'hello' 'Alex' 'duck' 'cat'..... a start of things about to explode in vocabulary!!!!

OK picture time - have a look below and also have a look at the Plunket Photos... - Please give us a hand in telling us which one we should use in the calendar **** http://tinyurl.com/37qhdd **** (the pictures aren't going to be there forever - if you like them, suggest you copy them - I mean back them up - hehehehe)



Thia is walking - her first day on the job....







Cheesy as smile with four teeth hanging out











Feeding herself - was a pasta.....








her mess... watered down...







Maghan and Thia having a race down the slide.





Thia woke up on her birthday to balloons... she was very happy....









Thia's first present on her first birthday










Opening up her present from Mum and Dad







At lollipops playing on her b'day - a very noisy parker!!!!






Thia and Dad playing with Thia's keyboard - a begining on of a geek???




Birthday cake number one.... she looks pretty happy with it!!!










Present time for Thia at her party - she got very spoilt with on the wonderful gifts!!!!!





Cake time again.... a very excited one year old!!

Happy Birthday Thia.....

Hey there,

big times for us on Wednesday for us.... Thia is going to turn 1!!!! - wholly cow.... fast times eh....

OK - will post some pics when the day is over..

Thanks - back soon,

Grant

Firsts and Thirds

Hey yo!!! - just a quicky....

This week has been pretty productive in the Mantle household, it has had it's fair share of 'Firsts'

First Tooth (Thia's)
First day at daycare (although these days are numbered)
First time that Dad hasn't seen is girls for 3 weeks

First Fence to be around our house (Thanks to the guys involved...) - wicked stuff!!!!!



First Pet





First time on the vacuum cleaner













And the for the 'Thirds':

• Third Wedding anniversary (today)

Finally - Holiday Pics (Many of them)

Hey as promised here are some photos of our holiday (yeah there is a lot of them...)
Have a look see if you like.... I can arrange a slide night if you are interested in seeing more....






Thia and Dad on the boat on the way to the south....






Thia's first real drink of apple juice.... you can not seperate the two or there would be trouble!!!!!




Milford sounds... photos just don't do it justice...








Anyone would of thought these two where reliving 'Titanic'







A seal - on the way to Kaikoura... Madison loved seeing them....





Thia and Grandad on the other hand didn't see much on the way...




Thia and mum on the Gondola in Christchurch






Wind blown at the top of Christchurch....






The girls on the Tram that goes around the Christchurch City...







Thia is way to busy looking outside for a smile




Madison in front of a crazy mirror




Thia the fire girl... to cute to fight fires just yet!!!





We met up with Thia's friend from anti-natal in Christchurch







A challenge was accepted from




Madison, Kiri, Aaron, Steph and Grant starting at the bottom of the street


Yay Madison made it!!!




The view from the top.. Madison and Aaron are down the middle of the road running...





Madison and here dad even got the tee shirt to prove it..... (the guy behind is a cardboard cut out from the Motel we stayed at)




Cadbury tour was great....




As too was the Speights tour (great beer)



The two 'Tui' boys in the Speights shop....




Thia looking a bit tipsy at the brewery.. (Joke!!!!!)





Madison got in the wars while at the Cadbury toliets.... her fingers got caught in a door (OWWWWCCCCCHHH)

In the Invercargil beach - where the Burt Munro tested his 'Fastest Indian'

The main reason we did this trip.... Dawn and Colins wedding....

Collin (sitting down) and Dawn.... (hehehehe)

They like cake....

Thia having a walk down the isle (yeah right!!!!)

All the flower girls - they are fairies...

Sophie the big poser with her mum...

Dad didn't want to miss out....

Thia giving Dawn a kiss and a good luck charm....

The Wallace's walking into their receiption (Emma is their little girl)

Thia sitting down....

The family photo and dance

Our place names

We got to the end of the road in the south island and found arrows everywhere.... this is Nana and Grandad

The Booker Family in Bluff

On the way to Cromwell we found the Clyde dam.... a huge dam for NZ...

The girls got sick of driving so took another form of transport

At Lake Wanaka - the Girls and the Dads in action...

Madison on her hand in Wanaka

The Cardrona Hotel... A pretty famous pub for NZ.... a great beer... an awesome pub...

Atop the highest State Highway in NZ (looking down towards Arrowtown way).....

Arrowtown was icecream hot.... (first full icecream for Thia)

A new years paddle in the Cromwell lake for Madison and her dad...

Madison in the Kayak in the pond nearby the house we stayed....

and Sophie had a go as well... a wickedly hot day!!

The team ready to race down the luge in Queenstown

A part of the luge run.... Thia was not so sure about the Luge ride....

Thia and her Granddad overlooking the 'Remarkables' in Queenstown...

Mt Cook on the way thru the middle of the South Island.

No map was needed all the trip... this is the view we had all the way - a Green car that we had to keep up with.. or we would be lost (which never happened!!!)

The team on the Christchurch Zoo mobile... ready for a trip around the Zoo...

We found lots of animals (hehehehe)

We found the smallest animals

Animals that where really well trained....

Animals that are found on the farm

Grand-dad was even there.... (Joke Grand-dad)

And even feed the tallest animal.....

We went to the Air Force museum... and found heaps of planes...

Kiri and Aaron went up in a balloon in Christchurch...

Another balloon leaving.....

The view from the sky...

The happy couple