The Reynoldz

For the Maori and people in New Zealand, the Hei-Matau fish hook represents strength, prosperity,abundance, fertility and a great respect for the sea.

The symbol also is said to provide good luck and safety when traveling over water. Hei-Matau are also symbols of power and authority which are held in great reverence by the Maori people.

Today our friends the Doucettes leave New Zealand for their new adventure back in North America.

We are really happy for them but in the same breath are extremely sad that they are leaving. It sure makes this island seem smaller knowing that they are no longer here.

We wish them safe travels, strength, prosperity, abundance, fertility (in the highly productive non-biological sense; i.e. a "fertile" imagination of course ;) and so much more!

Hei konā rā Andy, Lisa, Ronan and Liam!

We will miss you guys!

Today is the Birthday of 2 fabulous people!

My Mom, "Grandma D" and Athea - Happy Birthday MOM/Grandma!

3 years ago Athea was our b-day gift to my mom.. (hee hee) it is a gift that keeps giving.. =)

Athea woke yesterday to hearing "Happy Birthday" played to her by her daddy on the piano. She stayed in bed and when we went to find her we were greeted by a huge smile. She told us, "I am smiling cause it is Happy Birfday to me"

Happy Birfday Athea!!
In the morning (with a little help from Haidyn) she got to open her gifts from far away!! Before her birthday she got special birthday packages and letters in the mail... Which made the approach of her birthday even more exciting!
She got beautiful cards (some with US Money), a DVD full of cartoons, a really cool floor puzzle of the world map, cute fairies (one for Haidyn too), and the highlight... 6 pairs (yes 6 pairs =) of glittery princess dress up shoes!!.. (what a fun way to start the morning!)


Happy Birthday to me- I look like a monkey and I pell like one too.. (Athea's favorite song - thus the monkey cake =)

Here we are eating cake with our family friends... We had a small dinner party with Marijana, Sinisa, and their beautiful children... Lenka, Dimitrije and Danilo.

I just can not believe my baby is 3 already!

Eric woke up at 6:00 am to go snorkeling/spear fishing with some work mates. This time they actually went into the water across the street from our house so the girls and I could watch and wave to them from our front window. =)

Here he is getting his wet suit gear on..

Here they are in the water in front of our house


He grabbed some crabs and we had a nice crab boil for dinner. Notice the head-lamp?? Eric needed to run to our garage that does not have a light to grab some pliers so he could crack the shell to get the meat in the crab.. he was so eager to eat his catch that he left the light on..

Last night was a BIG night here, Haidyn finally lost her first tooth!

Well this week started off once again with sickness at the Reynolds.. Athea woke "early" Monday morning with the tummy flu.. (yuckoooo) Anyway she missed her big first day of afternoon Kindergarten which was suppose to be Monday afternoon. (she is not a genius or anything.. Kindergarten in NZ is similar to a North American preschool)

Well we nursed a foul cranky girl back to health and yesterday afternoon she was able to really start her first day of "Kindy". She will be going 3 afternoons from 12:45 to 3:00..

I am happy to report that she had a great time... ran around the whole school in a purple "dress up" dress (that she found instantly in the school's "dress up" box..) and did not stop running until I put her in her car seat. It was nice to see her FINALLY happy again and having a good time. (she has been a serious crank this past week)

Athea had such a good time that she crashed in her car seat.. and nothing could wake her... pretty funny.. here she is on our couch with the radio blasting, kitty pouncing and Haidyn begging her to come and play... (nice that is was an exhausted sleep vs. the sick baby sleep that we have been used to seeing)



that was Thursday... now onto Friday.. we have been hit once again with the blasted tummy BUG... This time it is Haidyn. Yep Haidyn, poor girl, she has been sick every other week over the past 6 weeks..
I am starting to blame it on her super wiggly top tooth that she has been working on for about 2 months now... her hands are constantly in that mouth of hers working on that tooth for the tooth fairy. =)

Here is a picture of my newly sick girl.... with her ever so faithful stuffy; "Bunny B"
"Bunny B" is a gift that Haidyn got from our friends Werner and Cyndi when Haidyn was a baby..

Since that time, "Bunny B" has been Haidyn's personal "house doctor stuffy" who has been working overtime with me these past weeks to try to make Haidyn feel better....


Now Eric is complaining of a stomach ache.. that is the way it goes I guess. (but he is blaming it on my cooking not a wiggly tooth.. NICE =)

aRRRRRRRR