The most magical place on earth...

Well after our long flight we arrived late at night in Los Angeles and what a nightmare customs is in this airport. Then after a hour drive in the dark to Anaheim we arrived at Paradise Pier our Disneyland hotel. We walk into room and wow our view was over California Park! How excited were we???
Disneyland was everything I had imagined and more. The biggest factor that impressed me were the staff across the whole empire...hotels...shops...rides...restaurants. They were there to absolutely make your day and nothing was a problem. Every person went above and beyond there call of duty to assist us. I know you tip in the US but I really would tip a million times over to receive the service we got during our stay and play. The whole place was also immaculate! The attention to detail was incredible. So we had a ball! It was a little hard with Corey (I would recommend waiting until your youngest is 5 years) but we managed because we were able to walk back to the hotel in the mid afternoon heat for a nap and swim and then head back to the theme parks for the evening. I don't have photos but the magical water show late at night was breath-taking. Ella and I loved it. Yay for video to relive this. Add this to your bucket list my friends...Disneyland really brings so much joy and happiness. On our final day we took a bus to Manhatten Beach which was stunning. Just like Baywatch! Photos to be added when I find them.

Thank you for returning to read my final posts. Sorry it has been so delayed. Life really does go on and next minute you have been home longer than you were away. Every so often I think 'Did that all really happen?' or I notice something that reminds me of our trip and I will think 'That's right...I had forgotten about that.' I am so grateful for our adventure and even more grateful for what our family has here in New Zealand. I love our home. I love our families. I love my friends. Now I am on a different adventure and I look forward to inviting you to join my ride as I endeavor to change career and become something I have always dreamed of being.

 

 Look what we won!!! Farmer Mickeys for all!

 

 Cars Land was spectacular! The ride was the best ever!!!

 

 Perfect weather every day! Thanks LA!

 

 Corey loved Mickey and friends and guess you came to have breakfast with us!!!

 

 This is exactly what I think of when I think of Disney...a person holding a massive bunch of balloons.

 

We salute you Walt Disney!

 

 The camera girl said, "Pluto you have found your family!'

 

 View from our hotel room.

 

 

 

Manhatten Beach Pier

Keep calm and go to London

Well here I am many months later going back and finishing my blog. We had a busy week in London. Absolutely adored spending time with my cousin Maree. Missed catching up with my cousin Tama. Wonderful to see my cousin David for dinner. We stayed in a lovely apartment created from old school buildings. Very funky and safe. It was in White Chapel which was such a colourful place filled with people from many walks of life. I hated the tube so much. I loved the Camden markets. I felt thrilled with myself for taking my three all by myself from White chapel on the tube to Tower of London. Then on the ferry to Westminster and then on the bus to Buckingham Palace all in time to see (minimally) the changing of the guard!!! YAY us!!! We had the pleasure of spending time with my brother in law David's parents who are so kind and generous. I found my time in London amazing because it was awesome to see all of these very famous landmarks in real life and the weather was so great for us...26 deg most days but also London was very testing...not kid friendly...people were not helpful...so busy...awful air pollution. I think also because I was so ready to come home my head was in a funny space. So here are a selection of my many snaps I took.

Anybody out there???

A big thanks to those of you who have followed my blog. I am glad you have enjoyed it. I have no idea how blog stats work but I have been surprised to see up to 50 views of the blog a day. Some readers coming from as far as Romania, the USA and France. So who are you? I would love it for you to leave your name in the comments part if you are happy to or Facebook me that you have followed. Thank you to those of you who have left comments for me. You don't know how much I appreciated that.

I will have a couple more posts coming up on our week in London and then our time in LA.

I also intend to start a new blog once I have closed this one down. It will be a bit different and not about the kids this time (I hear family members turning off their computers and phones). I won't say any more at this stage.

Cheerio

See you soon.

xxoo

Farewell to Wilmslow

What an adventure this has been. Even just four months ago we had no idea we were to live on the other side of the world for three months. This has been a huge lesson for me. I have made great strides in my own sense of being and with lots of time to breathe to get some clear ground on my purpose and hopes. The kids have bonded on an entirely different level and developed a sense of gratitude for all that they have back home. As have I. Honestly we have not had any contact outside of the five of us pretty much for the entire time we have been here.  This has brought us quite close but it has been a big test too. I am craving adult relationships and cannot wait to not rely on Facebook and Viber and Zoom for any contact. Yes I did sit by my phone a lot here waiting for it to beep at me. I am ready to throw the jolly thing out the window now. We have learnt that New Zealand is an amazing place but there really is a whole world of beauty and wonder out there. Cheshire is a special place now in our hearts. I was thinking I would like to list all the things I love about here but I won't because it will be a long list. I would say though that the National Trust Parks and Country Parks are such a treasure and can be loved by all. We have also discovered our own capabilities and hope to do more exploring and walking through nature back home. What we have really found is that family and friends mean so much to us and we can't wait to be with our favourite people again.

 

Last outing in Cheshire

We decided to get out and enjoy a Cheshire Country Park on our final adventure here. Marbury Country Park is ANOTHER wonderful place for all to enjoy. Beautiful rich green woodlands and trails and lush lawns and playscapes and canals and squirrels...what more could you ask for???

Nature is sooo good for the soul!!!

 

Making our own fun at number 25!

I don't feel I have to say much here except that the friendship that these three have been a part of over the last three months has been beautiful to watch. They have played and played and played. I have been so proud with how they have made much fun with very little. As you can see they have danced, created towns with stones and become animals using clothes pegs. There have been fights and tantrums and tears too but these happy times are the ones I think that will be remembered most by the kids and by me. xxoo