These are a few of my favourite things...

Mum and Dad leave for the Phillipines on Thursday!  We are all feeling a bit sad but its exciting to know that Elle and I will see them in 8 weeks time when we meet them for General Conference.  And then they will be home for Christmas.

Last night I decided to cook Dad a few of his favourite things for dinner - no, it wasn't "Crisp Apple Struedal and Schnitzel with Noodles" (Love that movie! - infact we watched it last Sunday - we consider it a church movie for Sundays in this house.  Hey, it has Nuns doesn't it?  I also heard once that when the Von Trapps got to Switzerland they became Mormons? - Mormon Folklore I am sure)

Anyway, I didn't even have to ask Dad what he would want.  Spaghetti and Meatballs and Creme Brulee for dessert!  Ryan and Jonathans favourite too.  The girls passed on the meatballs but the Creme Brulee was perfection even if I say so myself.  It is so easy to make I don't know why I don't make it more often ... oh thats right, because its pretty much PURE CREAM! 


Happy Boys




First bite and the perfect crack of the carmelised sugar - thanks for the blow torch Crystal!

Because Elle, Mum and me aren't fans of meatballs we went out for a lovely girls only lunch today.  It was yum and we all felt excited about the realisation that the next time we would all go out to lunch together would be in America.

Wedding Anniversary

We celebrated our 13th Wedding Anniversary yesterday!  THIRTEEN YEARS!  Crazy how fast time has gone by.  

 Thirteen things that we've done since we got married in 1998! 

1. We've had 2 kids.  Elle was born 9 months after we got married and Ryan 2 years after that. 

2.  Jonathan enrolled in and 4 years later graduated from Waikato University with a BSc and a BTchng

3.  We've gotten older...and hopefully wiser.  One thing's for sure - I wouldn't want to go back to being 19 again!

4.  Jonathan became and high school maths teacher and started earning real money!

5.  We bought a house and became fully fledged mortgage paying adults!

6.  We've taken a trip to the Gold Coast, 2 trips to Fiji and a trip to the U.S of A.

7.  We bought our third child off trademe.  Our maxy boy.  Life wouldn't be the same without him.

8.  We've lived in 4 houses - all within about 200 metres of eachother!  Crazy!

9.  This one's kind of embarrasing but...I learnt to drive!  That's right, when we got married I couldn't drive.  (Crystal and Jonathan would argue that I still can't drive)

10.  We've served in many callings at church - Young Mens President, Primary Counsellor, Family History Library Director and Relief Society President to name a few.  And the latest being Counsellor in the Bishopric and Early Morning Seminary Teacher.

11.  We've owned 5 cars - beginning with the 2 door Toyota Celica which was a pain to put the car seat in.

12.  When we got married we had a film camera, no internet, no computer, no cell phones a 14inch television and a video machine! - things have surely changed in 13 years!  We now have broad band wireless internet, laptops, digital cameras, cell phones, i-pods, dvd players and an xbox.  Technology definitely makes life easier!

13.  Our families have grown.  Since we got married the new additions to the Ardern's are Jessica, Charlotte, Jack, Kate, Sam, Preston & Nakita.  And to the Warwick's: Uki, Sarsha, Connor, Mason, Chris, Maddison & Logan!

Fruit Trees

A couple of years ago we planted two mandarin trees and a lemon tree.  This year we had a bumper crop of fruit which inspired us to plant some more fruit trees.  Apparently July is the best time to plant trees so yesterday we purchased a Tahitian Lime tree, a Louisa Plum tree (my favourite), an Apricot tree and a Granny Smith Apple tree (the best for Apple Crumble).  Right now they just look like big twigs in the ground but the man at the garden centre assured us we'd have our first crop of fruit in the summer time - albeit a small one. 

A typical winters day in Hamilton - rain, hail, thunder and lightening but Jonathan still got out and planted the trees!

Kapa Haka

Elle and Ryan both joined the school Kapa Haka group this year.  They have been practicing hard for a performance at Aberdeen School which was on Friday.

My camera is crappy so I only got one good photo - well, one sort-of good photo.  Ryan needs a haircut.

Good news though, we had a big clean up in the weekend and I found my good camera behind the couch.  I lost it in February!

Brace Face, Metal Mouth, Tin Grin

Elle got her braces on two weeks ago. She now has a mouth full of metal and we have a bank account not so full of money :)  They are pretty expensive - like, $8,000 expensive, but we know it is worth it to have a smile you can be proud of.  I had my braces put on when I was 12 too - my teeth were overcrowded like Elle's but they were also terribly buck; the result of sucking my thumb til the age of seven.  Even though I didn't want braces I'm so glad mum and dad made the sacrifice to get them for me.  I can't imagine what I'd like look now if I still had those bugs bunny teeth!
She had a fair amount of pain 4 weeks ago when she had four teeth removed in order to open up some room for the crowded teeth to move into.  And the first two days of having braces was pretty painful too - a feeling I remember well.  But she is doing great now so that is good.  Two weeks down, 2 years to go.

Cooking up a Storm

Our Stake Ball was on Friday night and I was asked to be the caterer.  It was a big undertaking - finger food for 500 people but I was keen to give it a go!  Without my usual cooking buddies Mum (in America) and Crystal (new baby) I asked my sister in law Kelly to be co-chef with me.  I knew it would all work out when we had our first meeting and both of us had come up with the same list of foods to make!

So, food for 500 hungry mormons.  Needless to say it was a huge job!  To save money we made almost everything from scratch.  Our menu included mini wildberry cheesecakes, fudge brownies, chocolate truffles, lemon meringue tarts, caramel slice, cream puffs, mini carrot cakes, german chocolate cupcakes, savouries, sausage rolls & quiches, spring rolls & samosas, asparagus rolls, salmon and cream cheese crostini, beef crostini, fruit platters and 2 types of cheeseball and crackers.  Yes, we were literally cooking for days!

We had lots of happy eaters and recieved lots of compliments and thanks.  The best compliment we recieved was from the ball organisers who wrote us a card and said "we loved how you all worked together and looked like you were having fun doing it" - Jonathan, Laugharne and the kids were a HUGE help on the night and worked like little soldiers for hours and hours.


The theme of the Ball was 'A Night of Magic' and the colours Red, White & Black.
We made aprons to match and Kelly made the amazing cupcake tower
(built by Warwick Builders/my cousin Carl)

The food

The Warwicks working hard in the cafe kitchen

80's Party

Crystal as an 80's bridesmaid - I even did her hair in a french roll.
 I found my outfit many years ago at an op shop - got the top for 50 cents!

Julie turned the big 3-0 on Saturday and her sister threw a suprise 80's party to celebrate.  Luckily for me, Crystal AND Julie, I just so happen to own three fantastically tragic 80's outfits!  All that was needed was half a can of hair spray, too much blue eyeshadow, some bright red lipstick, a pair of pointy stelittos and we were good to go!  One thing's for sure, I would not have liked to have been a teenager in the 80's - it took forever to tease up my hair like that!  Worth it though, I won the prize for best dressed!  (or should it be worst dressed?)