More Visitors from New Zealand

My cousin Mele, her husband Ete (from Laughing Samoans) and their daughter Sina visited with us this week. Mele is attending a work conference on International Schooling (she is the Executive Director for Fulbright New Zealand) and her husband and daughter tagged along to do some sightseeing.

We caught up with Mele and Ete on Tuesday night and took them out to dinner to a Japanese hibachi cooking restaurant called Benihana. The food was delicious and the company was lovely - it was great to catch up with them both.

Thanks for the latest 'Laughing Samoans' DVD, Chocolates, Paua Shell pin and Music CD for Maddy :). Safe travels home!

Allergies

Matt and Maddy have had a hard time coping with the sunny weather lately. Matt's hayfever has returned and is sneezing up a storm.

Maddy has been home these past two days with Allergic Conjunctivitis - poor lad. A white mucous discharge is seeping from his eyes and he has a runny nose too. He looks like a zombie in the mornings with his eyes closed shut from all the mucous in them :( Not very pleasant at all.

He has been taking allergy eyedrops and a nasal spray to help clear them so hopefully by Monday he is well enough to go back to school.

He also grazed his knees from falling down in the playground at school on Wednesday and is finding it very painful and hard to stand up straight. They are healing very quickly though with Mommy's TLC hehe.

I'm enjoying the sun and loving every minute of it. I am able to sit out on the porch, get a tan, read a book and even listen to music (very refreshing after a cold and wet Spring).

Lake Fairfax Park

Today we spent the day out at Lake Fairfax Park with Matthew's friends Domineco, Rosie and their 3 year old son Neno (short form - name is italian and not sure how to spell it lol). Vai's girls joined us too as they spent the weekend with us.

It was a gorgeous day for playing soccer, flying kites and finding tadpoles lol. We bbq'ed t-bone steak and sausages and had potato salad, coleslaw, bread buns and fruit to go with our meal along with fizzy's and water to drink.

The Park was packed with families and they even had a spanish musical band who went around to each family and played a few songs. Of course it wasn't for free but it was well worth the one song they played for us.

Myra, Melody, Neno and Maddy

Dominico and Neno

The Four Amigos LoL

Welcome Baby Alexander

Vai and Fati's son Alexander

Maddy gets to hold Alexander

Gorgeous!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day Nanna, Grandma, Aunty Sachi, Aunty Jojo, Aunty Ake, Aunty Trisha and Aunty Brady and all our other Aunties out there. Hope you all had a lovely day and got spoiled by your families.

We spent the morning at the airport seeing cousin Peta off and then attended the Samoan Church with Matt's friends Vai and Fati. The Army compound where they have church put on a lovely Mother's Day Lunch, 3 course meal with drinks and beautiful roses for all the mother's. Then the kids gave each mother an ula lollie which didn't last long around our necks because as soon as we sat down, the kids wanted to eat them lol.

Maddy and I spent the afternoon with Vai and her kids swimming and playing game, while the men had an afternoon game of golf in the rain. Didn't last more than 5 holes before they returned home, soaked to the bone. We ended the night with a few card games and then headed home.

As for my mother's day present, I get to buy one thing - whatever I want (within reason) so I'm going to hit the mall later on in the week to buy something/s on sale lol.

Making Ula Lollies for Mother's Day

Myra and Maddy @ Vai and Fati's home

Melody, Nona, Maddy, Myra and Sina

And again

Cousin Peta Visits DC

Peta and I

Saying goodbye @ Dulles Airport

On our way home after a late night out

Playing a friendly game of poker at Matt's friends place

Flip Flop Hop Dance

Annie and Maddy

Maddy dancing with Peta to the Chacha Slide Dance

Doing the Macarena

And again

A Little Under The Weather

Maddy wasn't feeling well after coming home from school yesterday and ended up vomiting in the car (luckily inside a plastic bag) while we were showing a couple of IT Specialists visiting from Vanuatu and Jamaica around Tyson's Mall. Poor thing had a slight headache and then felt whoozy and then his temperature shot up to 100.4. After taking some pamol, his fever finally broke early Wednesday morning and he felt better by the afternoon. I think he might have caught a tummy bug or some kind of food poisoning from our weekend bbq's or something. I'm just glad he's feeling a whole lot better.

The Bride & Groom

The Beautiful Bride

The Beautiful Couple

Caleb and Madison - Page Boys

Faith and Lourdes - Flower Girls

Aunty Lagi and Uncle Tolly's Wedding

The stunning bride and handsome groom

The Mano'o/Taulelei Family

With the Parents

With the Kids

Mulitalo Family

The Bridal Party

Having Fun in Rarotonga Pt 2

Kathys Place

View from the lower level

Matt and Mom at Edgewater for dinner

Senara, Sachi, Baby Micah, Rach and Oilau

Models Inc - Sachi, Lagi and Bex

Mark and Micah

Nanna and Papa

Having Fun in Rarotonga

We had a lovely 7 day vacation in the Cook Islands, attending Lagi and Tolly's wedding. Maddy enjoyed himself immensely, swimming in the pool and at the beach and spending time with his Grandparents who he hasn't seen for over two years.

The place we rented was absolutely gorgeous and the pictures online don't do it justice http://www.rentraro.com/kathys.html it's actually a lot nicer than what the pictures show, has a beautiful decked out patio with swimming pool and bbq, stunning views of the ocean and beautiful landscaping. It is also very well equipped and would definitely recommend it to anyone :)

After spending considerable time in the pool, Maddy has learnt a few skills in swimming and was able to swim around without the use of his arm floaties. He has learnt the basics of free-style swimming and is ready to take on more swimming lessons during the summertime.

We had a great family catchup and many yummy dinners together and enjoyed all the Cook Island foods available. Many pictures of the wedding were taken but I won't post them until Aunty Lagi posts hers on bebo first.

Here are a few we took :)