Things I'm Loving: Christmas!

"I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something you can be thankful for..no matter how simple it is."

Linking up with Meghan - check out what others are loving this holiday season! 

Me, Mr Ed and Miss G on Christmas afternoon. (We are all hot!)

I'm loving we spent Christmas with good friends! It was 31 degrees (88F) and 85% humidity here in the Manawatu. Yikes! But, it was an awesome day to spend with friends. The kids spent a good portion of the day in the pool. Even Santa visited! Miss G was definitely NOT keen on him... 

Loving the HOT Christmas with friends! 

The girls! 

Trouble! Miss S and Miss G cruising around the yard! 

Auntie Abbey taught Miss G how to go down head first - she was so INTO that!

I'm loving the fun-filled Saturday we had with my sister and her family just before they went up to Northland for the holidays (lucky!). The cousins love to get together! We even SKYPED with Gma and Gpa in the USA! 

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! 

Look what Santa brought me!?!? 

Boxing Day - what is it?

Today is Boxing Day in New Zealand - what is that? Well, let's find out!

As an expat American, living in New Zealand, this holiday baffled me - what is it really all about?

According to Wikipedia, Boxing Day is traditionally the day following Christmas Day, when servants and tradesmen would receive gifts from their superiors.

Here in New Zealand, Boxing Day means for many people -SALES and Boxing Day races!

So, hopefully that semi-answers my American friends and families questions! :)

Did we do either? Well, no... The Mr went fishing this morning, Miss G had a sleep in, and I enjoyed some yummy coffee while reading my next book...

Then we all enjoyed some time in the much loved pool - Miss G had a BLAST!

And, we are ending this HOT (29C/84F) and HUMID (87%) day with a lovely BBQ. Gotta love summer Christmas! :)

Book Club: The Blind Assassin

For December's MRS READALOT'S BOOK CLUB - I am reviewing The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.

I'm going to be honest, it was super hard for me to get into this book. But, once I was, I could hardly put the book down (much to Mr Ed's annoyance)... I was drawn into Iris' and Laura's lives - the book moving between segments of their lives - and back into 'present day'. It was very exciting and extremely captivating. I would definitely add this to your 'to read list' - and read it now!! ;)

Further description of the book:

The Blind Assassin opens with these simple, resonant words: "Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge." They are spoken by Iris, whose terse account of her sister's death in 1945 is followed by an inquest report proclaiming the death accidental. But just as the reader expects to settle into Laura's story, Atwood introduces a novel-within-a-novel. Entitled The Blind Assassin, it is a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms. When we return to Iris, it is through a 1947 newspaper article announcing the discovery of a sailboat carrying the dead body of her husband, a distinguished industrialist. Brilliantly weaving together such seemingly disparate elements, Atwood creates a world of astonishing vision and unforgettable impact.

Grab the link - and join on in! Review The Blind Assassin - or join in with a book you love! :)



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