Tuesday, January 15, 2008

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)











Tuesday, January 08, 2008

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