This Year's Pastorless Picnic

Spent a busy morning at home (up at 6.50 am, did housework including some deep-cleaning of windows until around 1 pm). Pretty tired after that! Played violin for an hour or so, made picnic food, and then Nick dropped us off at the Scenic Reserve for our annual Church Picnic (this is not to say that we don't hold many more picnics at other times of the year - it's just the official year-end sort of thing). Sadly Nick couldn't stay as he was directly on his way to Christchurch to catch a flight to Auckland to preach at Shore Baptist on Sunday morning. The weather was good enough for the time outdoors and although we were a small number, it was a great afternoon.

Too much cuteness!!!  We have two sets of triplets in our church - these are the little ones, who happened to be at the Scenic with their babysitters while their parents were away.  Jaydon seems to be a favourite toy!

Ryno and Marianne, above...below: Olive, L&P and Joan.

By 6 pm we had eaten all our food and run out of conversation and tissues (allergies added to a headcold - oi!) and I was going to catch a lift home with the Phillipses, but the Gregorys invited us to the shop for table-tennis on their brand new Christmas present.  First, it needed to be hauled up the stairs and assembled, but many hands...

...got involved and it was put together in no time, way bouncier than the last table and oh so smooth and clean. 

Yay!

Played a few rounds of Around the World (or Donkey as we still call it), then the kids played some doubles before Graham and Tom eventually chucked them off for a serious singles game.  Thanks, we like Christmas presents that are so shareable!