At arrivals…. Grandma & Granddad touch down in New Zealand!

Such an exciting week! Tuesday morning we woke to sunshine and blue sky. Perfect weather to welcome my dear Mum and Dad to New Zealand. Their three little granddaughters were so excited and wanted to dress in their best clothes straight away (even though the flight wasn’t due in until 2pm!).

I headed out with the girls as soon as possible after breakfast (not wanting the reasonably tidy house to get into chaos again to0 quickly!).

We enjoyed a couple of hours at Te Papa, with lots of references to time and ‘When can we go to the airport?’, ‘What’s the time?’, ‘How long do we have to wait?’…

Dancing outside Te Papa

By midday we couldn’t wait any longer. We drove towards the airport and, with Alice taking a nap in the car, I parked up by a playground near to Breaker Bay and let the older girls out to hang off the monkey bars in their dresses and high heels.

We got to the airport well ahead of schedule and enjoyed a gaze at the Christmas decorations…

Sophie at the airport

Sophie got a sprinkling of fairy dust from a passing ‘Air New Zealand’ fairy (Sophie was sure she was actually growing wings after having fairy dust sprinkled on her eye-lids and could see real fairies).

And Alice had fun trying to catch the decorations.

Alice at the airport

We then parked ourselves by the viewing window to watch the airplanes.

Seeing their plane land

Finally, their flight arrived and we watched them touch down and taxi round to the gate, before joining the crowds in the international arrivals lounge. There was a festive feeling in the air of excitement. Loved ones waiting to be reunited and to share this special time of the year together.

We didn’t have too long to wait. Within half an hour we saw the doors open to reveal their bright, smiling, faces.

Grandma & Granddad arrive!

All the girls cheered out with huge excitement, waving their welcome banner. Alice recognised her grandparents from ‘the computer’ and ‘Skype’ straight away and kicked her legs with tremendous vigor, like a baby lamp waggling its tail. She instantly took to her loving grandparents.

Welcome

And dear Mum and Dad were AMAZING sports on the day of their arrival – getting involved in a number of activities from the moment they touched down in New Zealand till their heads hit the pillow… tennis (Sophie took turns tiring out Grandma and Granddad), Monopoly (Sophie & Grandma), tag at the playground (Sophie & Grandma), bouncing on the trampoline (Granddad & Alice), dancing (Charlotte giving Grandma & Granddad a workout), singing! I don’t know what vitamin pills they are taking, but they are working!

We feel very, very grateful to them for making the very long journey to be with us. This is going to be a very, very special Christmas. We’ve already been blessed with the most wonderful gift and couldn’t wish for anything more (except for maybe polite, courteous, helpful, tidy children who never grumble or argue, hee, hee x).