Family Photo

 

Thanks Eliane for this lovely family photo

Groundbreaking

We've been on a short break from the guesthouse this last two weeks, what with my parents visiting. It's a chance for a well deserved break from the daily grind. So, of course, I've been busy making jams and soaps and Viriamu has launched headlong into our building project. We're going to build a small house for us, just a little way down the road from our guesthouse, it'll give the kids (and me!) a place to kick back and make as much noise as we want! Who knows it might also give granny and grandpa a place to come and stay, when they fancy a break from the Welsh winter.

Anyway, Viriamu's already done a huge amount of work there, and with a little help from Tuati he's dug out the foundation trenches and laid them with stones and rebar..... 

 

A week ago he had a cement party with friends and family, helping to start lay the foundations.  It all seems to be proceeding quite quickly (at least for the moment), very exciting!

Birthdays galore

The most recent picture I have of the birthday girl Aunty Sue, 
with Uncle Dave, way back when at Rob and Louise's wedding

This week in October is our family birthday week. It started yesterday with my big brother, today is my lovely Aunty Sue's birthday, then it's my nephew Oliver on thursday, Mato's on friday and husband Viri's on sunday! A full week of festivities! Break out the champers and get out the balloons!

Father-Son Horse Races

Father and son wait for the start of the final horse race

As usual on july 14th, aside from celebrating liberté, egalité and fraternité, we also celebrate the horse races in Avera. Last year Viriamu missed the birth of his daughter to race, this year it was the first time that Tuati has been allowed to race, as well as Viriamu's would-be champion horse 'Oviri'. The last few days have been pretty tense, there has long been rivalry between Viriamu and his little brother Mani, the reigning champion, but the tension was palpable yesterday. To cut a long story short, Viriamu got fifth and Tuati got third in the final, but Tuati gave Mani (the winner for a 7th time in a row) a good scare, he overtook him and was ahead for part of the race, but Tuati took the wrong line on the final stretch and was overtaken at the last moment......next year, next year! Tuati still dreams of gold!

The final stretch, so close but so far! Tuati (far left), Mani (far right). 
Tuati did a great job in his first race, he's just a slip of a thirteen year old lad!

The Big 4..0h!

Viriamu turned forty on saturday, of course he didn't even remember it was his birthday, but I figured it was a milestone worth celebrating, particularly because of a happy coincidence. Maeva and Marco from Moorea happened to come to visit over the same weekend. Maeva was here back in june for a music festival, she is a great singer and show-woman, so she very kindly put on an informal show for us.

Uschi, one of her friends had made us a beautiful painting of A'a Viriamu's family tiki with things Rurutu (whales and atae the flowers which bloom to announce the arrival of the whales in Rurutu).

It was a beautiful evening, with champers and a very dense chocolate gateau that I made, topped with frozen strawberries - how exotic!

Matotea made her musical debut playing the spoons......