Sascha took his very first step today! Very wobbly and shaky and scary – but it counts as his first step:) Also realised that I forgot to upload the photos from his first Birthday party! So there you go, won’t rumble on anymore, here are some shots from his special day:

I do have to tell you what happend today… we went to look at cars today and Luca, totally out of the blue, told the car sales men that he talked too much!!!

What was I supposed to say to that??? !!!! Priceless…

Am Luca si erschti Schneemah!! Het er sich druf gfreut!! Mir si scho in Auckland es Ruebli und Roehselichoel ga choufe und hei extra e alti Chappe mitgno fuer de luschtig Schneemah.

Wo mier d’Schlitte gmietet hei, heisi druf bestande, dass mr muesse e Helm ahlege… we di gwuesst hette wi mier albe d’Ramslouene ache gfreeset si und id Matratze ade Boeim ine kesslet si oder no schlimmer… am Boum verbii grad itz Waeldi ache wemer hei Pech kah…uff, si das no Zyte gsi…

Nach 10 Jahr hani endlich umi einisch mi alt Schuelkolleg, dr Mueller Roele gseh!! Isch super gsi ihn umi einisch z’traeffe und ueber die alte Zyte z’referiere… Danke fuer alles Roele!

Little Luca was a champion on the skies!! He was a little disappointed though as Pingu seemed to find it a lot easier than him, being on skis… Cute…!!

Dr Luca isch ire chline Schiischuel gsi fuer 4 Jaehrigi. Si hei wine Chindergarte ka miteme Gaertli hinder usse mitemne chline Schiiliftli, so haerzig! Er isch e richtige Champion gsi uf de Schii, aber isch leider e chli enttuescht gsi weller gmeint het dr Pingu heigi o nid muesse uebe und eifach eso choenne schiifare, ohni oeppis… und am naechste Tag het Luca du gseit er tuegi lieber afe snowboarde, das sigi sicher eifacher…

Queenstown isch eifach es Troeimli vomne Doerfli! Es isch eso herrlich wis bout isch, vorallem wills amne See isch und eso wunderschoeni Schneebaerge rund um het. Es isch eifach schoen dert…

Das isch mini Fruendin d’Andrea vo Suedafrika vo itze in Queenstown wohnt. Hie mit irem Mah dr Ricky und die beidi Chind dr Kheelan and Ayla – di zwei si beschti Fruende worde mit Luca, es isch herrlich gsi! Thanks for everything!!!

Just wanted to apologise for the Swiss German text – I guess you can gather the main gist of things – I have been getting a lot of slack from friends and family for always writing in English, so now I decided to alternate a little… sorry guys…

Luca had his 4^th Birthday in May! How time flies! We didn’t have a grand party this year but had a weekend away in the Coromandel, where we could use the holiday home of my boss. We had a few friends joining us and had the most wonderful time there!

Our flatmate Christian (a Swiss baker – yummy) (the bread I mean, not the baker…) had never been to a hot water beach and he thoroughly enjoyed lying in the steaming hot water while we were freezing in our wind brakers. He cheated though, he didn’t actually dig his hole but waited until one became available that someone already enjoyed… It was such an amazing day though and we all had a great time!

DAVID’s HOLIDAY TO THE USA

Dave has just spent 3 weeks in the States to attend Ryan’s wedding with Ji-Hyun and then travelled to Orlando to visit his Uncle David, Aunty Doris and his cousins and their families. He had an amazing time catching up with everyone and enjoyed being able to do just “nothing” for a few days… (unlikely this is ever going to happen at home…)

When Dave came home from his trip he told us that Philip, Luca’s 2^nd cousin who is only 10 years old, has an “I-Touch”! Luca wasn’t half as impressed as Dave was and said: “I also have an “I-Patch” – from my pirate party!! (eye patch). We are still laughing now when we remember this…

SASCHA IS 10 MONTHS OLD

And our youngest addition is already 10 months now! I am not sure where the time has gone, but he’s hardly a baby anymore (shame…) but a little toddler now. He just started crawling this week and is now into everything! He figured out though that if he lies flat on the floor and just pushing his legs along like a worm, he is even quicker than crawling! I’ve had really shiny floors this week – I must somehow try to attach a Hoover onto him at the same time…! That would be handy!

HEAT  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big news for us too: We bought a heat pump!!! OH MY GOD what a luxury!!! Winter in New Zealand has just become somewhat more pleasant! It is amazing! We are having the coldest winter Auckland ever had – freezing temperatures twice in June! A couple of weeks ago we had 7 degrees (yes, 7 !!!!!!) downstairs in the morning when we got up – inside the house that is … try to beat that!!!

Anyway, I am just off on our  Girls-Weekend-away (pay back time Dave!) and can’t wait to do NOTHING for the whole weekend (apart from drinking some wine, playing silly games and eat junk food of course…).

I’ll try to keep you updated a bit more regularly in the future so that I don’t have to bore you with a huge essay again, I’m sorry.

Hope you are all well and enjoying whatever you’re up to! Would love to hear from you!

Lots of Love from us all,

TANJA DAVE LUCA SASCHA & SCHNURRLI – and Christian - the best flatmate ever! (He even learnt how to make popcorn in the microwave)!

This is him    No, no, this is NOT Dave, this is actually Christian and No, Christian and Dave are NOT brothers…

Since we never had a white wedding, we always dreamt of having a huge 10th Wedding Anniversary bash – and we did just that! We rented the Swiss Club in Kaukapakapa (1hr. from Auckland) and had a huge turn out (75 adults, 25 kids). We had an absolutely amazing day and enjoyed every second of it! We couldn’t have done it without the help of our great friends who worked their little asses off in the kitchen – thanks guys!

Here are only some of the photos from the great day/night we had:

This last photo is in the morning - 7 of us and 4 kids slept over at the Swiss Club, which was great (meant we had help with the cleaning up…). It was wonderful waking up in the countryside. We enjoyed a lovely bacon and egg breakfast before the big clean up.

When we all woke up at about 8.30am, Luca went over to his little girlfriend Lara (also 3 1/2) and wispered to her: “Lara, today we can’t play, we have to clean up”. Everyone burst out laughing – what a great way to wake up!

Hie es paar Iidrück und Erläbnis vo dänä schöne 3 Wuche:

Spaziergang in Mission Bay mit Vulkan Rangitoto im Hintergrund und Fototermin mitem Grosi bi üs dehiime.

Zum Bsuech bim “andere” Grosi in Warkworth (ca. 1 Std. von Auckland)

Eine vo üsne Lieblingsstränd – Scott’s Landing – es isch e unvergässlich schöne Tag gsi!

 In Rotorua, im aktivschte, Geothermische Gebiet vo Neuseeland. Links dr Geiser “Lady Knox” wo z’Wasser bis zu 20m Höch uechä sprützt (einmal am Tag). Und rechts dr “Champagner-See” wo vom ganze Schwäfel ganz verfärbt isch und zudäm fasch chochet. Es isch hölle iidrücklich gsi, vorallem will z’Mami no nie eso öppis gseh het!

  Guguuseli !! Dert z’oberscht si mr am winkä!! Ir gröschte Kiwi vor Wält!

Uf üsem Spaziergang in Mount Maunganui (Rundgang ume Vulkan)

Am Mami sim Geburtstag u letschtä Tag bi üs. Mir hei e unvergässliche Tag kha. Als Überraschig si mr im Hotel Langham ga “High Tea” ha und am Aabe im Auckland Viadukt (I mim lieblings Restaurant) ga z’Nacht ässe. Dernah simmer no chli ar Marina entlang ga spazierä und hei di grosse Yachte u Sägelschiff bestunet (unter anderem am Bertorelli/Alingi sini!).

Mami, es isch eso herrlich gsi und mir vermisse Dig so fescht!!! Chum gli umi!

Here are some wonderful photos that Daddy took on his “birthday” during our holiday in Mount Maunganui last week.

Sascha is doing very well, he’s just started solid food last week and is loving it! Keep up the good eating is all I can say when I think of Luca who couldn’t be bothered with food for the first couple of years…

I will be posting a few photos next week of the visit from my Mum, she just left again this morning (sniff, sniff…).  We had 3 magical and unforgettable weeks together!

Hope you all have a great weekend!! Take care, Love, TANJA & Family