AND SO IT GOES. . .

For a good many people I know, New Years was spent flicking a stiff middle fingered salute to the year that was 2011.

For me, New Years is a mixed bag. As a rule I sever the technological umbilical chord with my cell phone, laptop and (gulp) facebook, and go to ground. To me the festive season is a time for friends, family and Guilian chocolates of the seashell variety. It's also a time for reflection on the year that was, and anticipation for the year to come.

So in the spirit of reflection here are some of my highlights of 2011:

• Watching my baby boy grow from a floor bound inchworm into the weapon of mass-destruction   active toddler he is today
• Heading back to work, realising my own limitations and having the courage (and means) to do something about it
• Making it across the ditch to Australia (miss you guys!) & down to Christchurch (poodle I miss you...not so much your shaky city)
• Continuing to LOVE photography and develop it as a craft
• Hitting some family milestones by celebrating my brothers 21st, my sister-in-law's engagement, my dad's 60th and my Grannykins 90th and the arrival of our good friends wee man...whoar
• FINALLY getting back into my fitness groove...it only took 18 months, and on that note completing both duathlons under an hour & beating my times

And the best for last....

• Puttin' a ring on it & getting MARRIED!!! This one I loved six ways from Saturday

Mix this with plenty of great Monday coffee group laughs, amazing friends & exceptionally understanding family, a spritz of decent wine and a sprinkle of exceptionally mild winter, Shake, Stir and you have 2011...

See. You. Later.

I confess I will NOT miss the numerous bouts of gastro, the will-it-wont-it breakdown in the middle of a motorway car, the unsettled teething phase or my previous addiction to facebook (there...I said it).

I'm a firm believer in New Years resolutions, particularly of the 'pigs may fly' variety. It helps me remember what I'm trying to get out of this life. During one of lifes hiccups a few years back, a good friend of mine leant me a book to read.
He said simply "I think you could do with this". He was right (thanks Mike).
The book was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. One critic likened reading The Alchemist to "waking up every morning at dawn to watch the sunrise". How nice is that?! If you haven't read this book and fancy some Chicken Soup for the Soul I strongly recommend you do.

Around this time every year I haul it from the closet and read it and I always take something different away. What struck me this time was the following. When comparing shepherds and bakers (the later being the more highly regarded trade of the two) the King of Salem says this: "In the long run, what people think about shepherds & bakers becomes more important for them than their own Personal Legend".

I'm not too sure exactly what this means for me yet, but it has started the cogs turning.

So looking forward to the entirely blank sheet that is 2012 my New Years resolutions are:

• Don't. Get. Sunburned
• One date night per week
• At least 30 mins exercise per day - NO exceptions
• Reduce TV time
• Continue to develop & improve in photography by starting a photography group (more soon)
• Be grateful

Yeah, yeah...I know they're hardly revolutionary (except for maybe the part about TV) but I'm looking forward to chasing each and every goal with passion. Particularly the last one. I'm embarrased to admit I'm currently entirely substandard.

So whoever you are reading this, wherever you are in the world thank you for stopping by. I'm freakin' glad to see you here :)

Love

Jacq

AND WITH THIS RING, I THEE WED

24 months of planning (on and off...mostly off)
32 metres of fabric
74 guests
2 gold rings
1 indescribably amazing day

It's official. I am married. MARRIED.

We're just in the middle of packing for my Gran's 90th birthday so I'm afraid it's another short one from me, but here's some snaps from the night to tide you over in the meantime. The first is of my Dad & I walking into the ceremony (I'm laughing because Dad's asked me to stop running down the aisle). The second is of the bridal party, Will's just pointing to Miriam's bouquet and proclaimed (at the top of his voice) "yuck"... kids.

Love

MRS Griffin

x

TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY

These girls...

Just editing some pictures from our annual Xmas shoot. Came across this one and HAD to share it. Check out those eyes. This is a face Tyra would be proud of.

x

THE BABYSITTERS CIRCUS

So you say that everything is gonna be alright but....how do you really know?

If you haven't heard this song already I seriously suggest you plug it into youtube, adjust your volume dial and put on your party pants. It's awesome. AND they're made in NZ!!!

You know who else is awesome? Kody.

Enough said.

TICK, TOCK, TICK, TOCK

I'm going to ask forgiveness not permission for my absence over the coming weeks. I promise I will try and get on here as much as possible but we're now three weeks out from the wedding and between that, work, Christmas & mummy/going-to-be-wifey duties things have been a little full on.

We're off to the registry office this afternoon to submitt our BDM 60 (Notice of Intended Marriage). Yikes!

Thought I would share a few snaps of Will & his grandparents to tide you all over. If Will looks more than a little unimpressed you can forgive him. There was a 40 knot wind that day & the effect was like sand paper...ouch!

Jacq

INTRODUCING BARNACLE

I love, love, LOVE this little man.

Who wouldn't?

More on him soon - Jen, this one's for you.

x

PULL UP YOUR SOCKS

On my dressing table I've got a deck of cards with inspirational quotes written on each. Most days as I'm getting ready I shuffle the deck and see what pearl of wisdom the Universe is prepared to dispense on me for the day ahead.

After my melt down "senior moment" last night (at which point did I think looking at an American wedding blog was going to make me feel better anyway?!?!) I decided a card shuffle was in order. This is what turned up:

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall"

Point taken. Without further ado I pulled up my socks went to the doctor to talk about my skin, my eyes and this weird rash thing I've had on the underside of my arm for longer than I'm prepared to admit. Wow, I just shared a whole lot more about myself than I'm sure you ever cared to know.

Anywho.

When I got home I did some exercise. It felt awful. I cleaned the house. I made an amazing dinner for my Mum & Dad in celebration of my Dad's 60th birthday (more celebrations to follow). We ate outside and drank wine.

Tomorrow is wedding planning day. Bring it!

Jacq

x

PRE WEDDING JITTERS

Aaaahhhhh we're nearly one month out from the wedding. My skins a mess, my gammy eyes are making me look like an extra in "28 Days Later" and tonight I just can NOT bring myself to do any exercise.

I'm going to bed.

Yes I realise it's 7pm.

Try again tomorrow.

SIMPLICITY.

On days like today I retreat to my happy place.

A place of BBQ dinners being eaten outside kissed by the breeze of a summer evening.

I'm a simple creature....promise.

Here's a picture of my happy place on Monday night.

THE WESTERN FRONT

Fact - Yesterday's weather was far from ideal. Think sand tornadoes. No kidding.

Fact - Yesterday's family made it 110% worth it.

Here's why

Sarah - more coming

x

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED

Try again tomorrow.

In the meantime don't let technology get in the way of some gorgeous pictures.

Let me introduce Emily (she's the wee dot with the pig tails about four pictures down wielding a strawberry). Emily and Will met at daycare and on Friday Emily turned two, that's right the big Tee-Double-Yew-Ohhh. The invite arrived at the height of my last gastro bug. To say it was the highlight of my day would be somewhat of an understatement.

It was Will's very first daycare party, and I believe I can speak for the both of us when I say I was 100% more excited about the fun, frivolities & party food than he was. He'll learn.

Check out the amazing Elmo cupcakes Keisha made. They tasted every bit as good as they look. Trust me. I ate about four...

Happy Birthday Emily! Hope you liked the hat

x

PS - It's late. Please ignore the fact I've managed to "crop" some of my logos....bedtime

DO SOMETHING EACH DAY THAT SCARES YOU

Please bear with me while I try to get my head around the awesomeness that is a .gif file.

I may be some time.


PS - If this picture is rotating every 2 seconds I've got it right. If not I'm probably hitting my head against the keyboard...

FRENCHIE

Here's a "moment" I caught on camera yesterday at Emily's birthday party.

Made my heart melt. They just grow up so quickly.

More pictures coming.

HOW AWESOME IS MY SON?

This awesome!

From Scott

Well I know this is Jacqui's blog but hey, since I had to buy the new lens for her Christmas present and it didn't even stay in the box for two days, I thought I'd have a play and see what is soooo cool about this lens.  The results below....

I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

Over at Memoirs of a Mother - I saw my friend Renee was desperately seeking her blo-jo. I confess I've been feeling much the same lately. Perhaps it's the unseasonably warm weather making it impossible to remain indoors? Perhaps it was Rugby World Cup fever that had me glued to the TV screen or perhaps it's been stepping into the role of sole parent due to Scott's deployments lately? Maybe it's a combination of all three. My point is that it hit me this morning that tomorrow is November which means two things. Firstly that in a month and a half I'll be walking down the aisle at my wedding (time for some deep breaths into a paper bag) and Secondly that we're intimidatingly close to the end of another year...(good thing I already have a brown paper bag huh?)

I've got hundreds of pictures to post, they all seem out of order and a little irrelevant now so I thought I would start by a few pictures of Will & his friends over the past few months. Just to ease back into it. Can't believe how much they've all grown. Check out the gorgeous new addition to the Lean family, Cocoa making his debut in what I'm sure will be the first of many photos.

What are your plans for the festive season?

Chilling at home with my mates

Adventures at the Zoo



At Chipmunks - Albany

At Kumeu Best of the West Festival

 

Chilling with Kody at his awesome new place