Moons and apples!

Our first apple from one of our apple tree

And because everyone seems crazy about the moon at the moment - here is our moon taken last night!

I can't believe its only 5 more sleeps until our girls weekend away! I am meeting 3 friends in Tauranga (5 hour drive) for the weekend. I am so excited that I get to see my dear friends. i miss them so much.
Its a a bit of a weird feeling as even though we have been married 14 years I have never once left Greg to go away by myself. He goes away 3-4 times a year am I am always at home! It seems strange but I so can't wait!

Shoot 2!

Shoot 2 was yesterday.
Another super tall girl! Where was all the height when I was trying to grow!! So on tiptoes plus my 5ft 7 self I had a blast shooting Amy. the purple was amazing in her hair. Again the makeup was to die for.
I have learnt so much about portraits doing this. Fellow photographers that I stalked until they added me to their facebook have helped with editing. I cant stand those freaky photoshopped eyes so I normally leave them but I ran the Coffeeshop Bright eyes free action at about 15% so it just lifted the eyes. Yummy!
I am a happy girl.

Link to Coffeeshop Eye Bright Free Action:
http://www.thecoffeeshopblog.com/p/coffeeshop-actions-and-presets.html

Tuesdays around the world - cleaning out my wallet

So today I was cleaning out my wallet. Now I do this often enough that I was so surprised with what was in there. A little something I had forgotten about. So amongst a receipt for a Wiggles car we no longer own (I know I said I clean it out regularly not sure why I am holding on to that!) A photo of Jenifer Love Hewitt's hairstyle from Garfield that I love, a picture of a tattoo I am sure I will never get but maybe one day I will.... I found this.
A piece of white paper, folded only once.
It reads:

To my dearest baby

The day is drawing closer until we meet. I think about it all the time and I wonder where you are. I pray for you daily and your birthmum. I pray she is taking care of herself, for that takes care of you.
I want her mind to be at ease as she relises that this is the best thing to do for you. I know she loves you and I will never doubt that but we love you too and we need you here with us.
I wonder what you look like? I know you won't have my hair or your daddy's eyes but you will still be very much a part of us. It's exciting to think you will soon be with us. I can't wait to be your Mummy. I love you very much, and we will see each other very soon.

Love always
Mummy

I wish it had a date on it but I am picking it was from around 2001/2.
Oliver came to us December 2002 and then Amalie in September 2006.

What a special find.....

Thrown off guard

Si I was so geared up for this photo shoot. I had waded through thousands off photos online for 1950's and I was ready to go.
Got to Salon and the model was beautiful. Make up was amazing. Did I say the model was beautiful She was stunning!
So off we went to the site we had picked out - lots of different spots and backgrounds.
I started shooting and the stylists goes "Your just getting the back - right?" Ummmm "No" I didnt realise she only wanted photos of the back!!!!
So all my ideas went out the window and I nearly cried the whole way home thinking what on earth have I done! Dark hair and a beautiful up do = very hard to photograph.
Fingers crossed she likes them. I took hundreds but these are my three favs.
Which one do you like?
Wish I was better at photoshop!!! But as its a competition you have to send in your SOOC and your edit so I dint want to edit too much

I think I like the last one for competition but middle one is my favourite over all. Oh to be 17, 6ft and beautiful!

Bike a thon

Amalie had her kindy bike a thon last night!
It was such a beautiful night and so many families bought their tea down for a large picnic. Then the kids all got on their bikes and rode around and around. There were a few crashes but no major injuries!

Heading off to a photo shoot soon - 1950's and a mega blonde! Its for a hair dressing comp and I can't wait to get there!

Balloons

On Friday night we all went to town. It was to raise money for Christchurch and I cant believe they raised $30,000! Well done to our little town.
You made a donation, wore red and black and then when the towns clock tower struck 7pm you let your balloon go!
Thousands of balloons fulled with hope and messages for Christchurch!

Today - its all about the numbers

Day 6 of the Rescue Efforts
147 confirmed dead
50 + people missing 22 of those are in the Cathedrals tower amongst the ruble
80% of homes have power
65% have water
100% Schools closed
755 buildings are RED Stickered - so will be demolished
909 are YELLOW stickered - fixable
1276 are GREEN - so they are fine
20,000 students helping with clean up
30,000 kilos of packed lunches and teas for rescuers and helpers helicoptered in over the past 2 days
700 army
350 Australian Police arrived a few days ago
7 rescue teams from other countries Japan, China,UK,USA Australia
1,000's of heroes who lifted ruble from the injured and went above and beyond to help strangers in need.

Here is an amazing link to before and after photos - just move the slider across

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4705106/Photos-Before-and-after-the-Christchurch-earthquake

We are still waiting for a miracle that someone will be pulled alive from the ruins. Just a miracle......

Black and White Wednesday

The Cathedral in Christchurch as it stood on Monday. If you think of everything from half way up is gone. Its on the ground and has 22 people underneath. :(

It hit on Tuesday at 12.50pm. The earthquake that has put our country for the first time into a National State of emergency.
Its somber here in New Zealand. We are sitting on 71 dead and still hundreds missing. As I type this they have reported that there is a rescue taking place. under all the ruble someone is alive. We pray for more rescues like this.
We pray for the rescuers, for the families of lost loved ones, for those that are missing for our Nation.

Christchurch 6.3 earthquake

A 3 story building "pancaked" with hundreds inside

It wasn't as big as before but it was shallow and they say the noise was deafening and the shaking was violent. Our garden city has been rocked again just 4 hours ago but this time it wasn't so lucky. There are reports of multiple deaths. They made it through first time with no fatalities.
Your prayers are needed....... :(

Are you on the List?

Amalie wrote a list today.
She told me she wrote everyone she loves on the list (remember she is 4 and gets distracted so the list is short!)
She wrote something at the top which we are still trying to work out!
Milly (our sweet little kitten in Heaven)
Nananan (blame that spelling on me for saying Na Na Nana)
AMama (Me)
Allan (thats our last name so she said if she wrote "Allan" that's everyone in our family. That covers all bases!)