Catching the Magic

Travels in New Zealand and beyond, going back to 2003!

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Author: BritMumInNZ

Over Breakfast

January 26, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ Leave a comment Charlotte, Sophie

Sophie’s love of face-painting knows no bounds! Over breakfast this morning she was transformed into a butterfly. In the afternoon, after a lunch-time swim, the girls turned into a lion and a tiger and roamed wild in the garden. The sunflowers bring so much happiness. Whilst the girls continued to enjoy the sunshine and play […]

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Late Nights and Lazy Mornings

January 25, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie

Summer nights and the girls are usually asleep around 9 o’clock. Thankfully, they sleep till nearly 9 in the morning, so hubbie’s been having to set the alarm clock for work – for the first time in nearly 5 years! We’re really loving the evenings and the stress free mornings. There’s such a sense of […]

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Visiting Silverstream

January 22, 2008January 22, 2008 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Charlotte, Sarah, Sophie

Good friends, Marrisa, Michael and Bethany moved to Silverstream, in the Hutt Valley, set in beautiful rural surrounds. It’s another stage in their new life in New Zealand and today we visited them. It was so wonderful to see them making their new home their own. All their belongings have arrived from the UK and […]

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Welcome Back Good Friends!

January 21, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie

Our dear friends, Avril (left) and Lucy (right), have both recently returned to Aotearoa after a few year’s working in Australia. We have missed them so much and having them back is the best news. We spent Sunday afternoon catching up and enjoying the stunning sunshine and blissful warmth. After a mammoth BBQ we walked […]

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A Blogging Break: Tons to Report!

January 16, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie

Chez Lee has enjoyed a blogging break due to good weather, no Kindi, the arrival of our beloved pianos (resulting in lots of late night jamming sessions!) and making the most of the light evenings. It’s so brilliant not having to be out the door by a predetermined time and family harmony is so much […]

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Whilst hubbie’s away :(

January 9, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ Leave a comment Charlotte, Dan, Life in action - Videos, Sarah, Sophie

It’s not often Dan’s had to go away on business since the girls were born; but times are a changing and thankfully they don’t give me too much trouble these days. He’s in Sydney for a few nights and so we went for a family breakfast in town before he headed off. The girls went […]

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Jamming all weekend… and for a lifetime!

January 5, 2008November 28, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Charlotte, Life in action - Videos, Sarah, Sophie

We can’t thank my dearly departed Grandmother enough. She’s brought music to our home in a way we could only have dreamed about. Our pianos arrived on Friday – a classical upright to fulfill my love of the traditional; and for Dan a digital piano with all the bizz for him to compose a masterpiece! […]

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Surf girls in the making? Can we keep up?!

January 3, 2008November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Charlotte, Sarah, Sophie

We watch in awe at the youngsters doing their exhausting surf life saver training at Lyall Bay beach. Knees on surf boards, bodies bent over, they paddle out, round the buoys in the distance, back to shore and out again… and again. Their energy is incredible. Watching them makes me feel old – and I’m […]

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Going to regret this in the morning!

January 1, 2008November 28, 2009 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Charlotte, Dan, Sarah, Sophie, Special Days

Happy New Year!!!!!! It is officially 2008 here in New Zealand. Current time is 2:03am and we’ve sunk a bottle of French champagne and a bottle of Kiwi bubbly… the children will, no doubt, wake far too early and we’ll be seriously groucho parents in the morning (oops, tis already the morning). But here’s hopping […]

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The Stunning Kapiti Coast

December 30, 2007November 28, 2009 BritMumInNZ 1 Comment Charlotte, Dan, Holidays, Sarah

On Saturday we drove up the stunning Kapiti Coast to MacKay’s Crossing, Queen Elizabeth Park, Paekakariki for the ‘Anything Vintage Vehicles and Machinery’. It was a stunning day of sunshine and fun at the fair! With pony rides, merry-go-rounds, bouncy castles and wonderful entertainment the stage was set for a perfect day. The beautiful trams […]

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Daddy’s Home for the Holidays!

December 30, 2007November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ Leave a comment Charlotte, Dan, Holidays, Sarah, Sophie

With New Year’s Day and the day after being public holiday’s in New Zealand, Dan has taken off the few days between Christmas and New Year (only three!) and has a good week and a half off work all up! Yah! After the rainy Christmas Day the sun returned and the reason for the lack […]

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Sophie’s 2nd Birthday: Boxing Day 2007!

December 26, 2007November 28, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Life in action - Videos, Sophie, Special Days

Sophie was SO excited that she was finally turning two! She had been waiting for weeks to eat cake and blow out candles. After unwrapping her pressies (in record time!) she kept asking, ‘Sausie rolls ready now?’ – she LOVES sausage rolls and was very keen to have them for her Birthday! The children enjoyed […]

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Christmas Day at Chez Lee

December 25, 2007November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ Leave a comment Charlotte, Life in action - Videos, Sophie, Special Days

6.30am and the day started with a rush as the girls jumped onto our beds with shouts of excitement and stockings loaded with presents. We try to insist on breakfast before opening the pressies under the tree; but Sophie ensured it wasn’t a leisurely one! She couldn’t WAIT to rip into the presents. She wasn’t […]

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Inaugural YouDo Christmas BBQ!

December 23, 2007November 27, 2009 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Dan

Saturday afternoon was the inaugural YouDo Christmas BBQ at the home of Chez Lee. After ten year’s in New Zealand it’s so exciting to be independently involved in your own business – well, Dan’s business, but I can now say I’ve done a bit on the social secretary front! I spent the morning getting the […]

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