I took my parents to Oamaru last week and we stopped in Moeraki for lunch at Fleur's Place. Such gorgeous food in a really beautiful setting, it was one of those afternoons you want to store away in your memory to last you through a dingy winter's day.

The last time Mum and Dad saw Elmer he was 11 months old, still immobile, and still just a little baby really. They arrived in Dunedin last week, after a mammoth trip across Russia, Siberia and China (yes, my parents are very cool). Good job they had some experience in Siberia too considering the 'summer' we've had down here.

Elmer is now a big boy. He bum-shuffs, he says things, he climbs the stairs, he gets illegal chocolate out of the fridge. He cuddles only those that meet his high expectations. Luckily Mum and Dad made friends with him in the car on the way back from the airport and now Elmer has them in his exclusive cuddle-circle.

It's so amazing having them here. Tomorrow we are up early to head to Queenstown, but I've had a few people on my back about the lack of Elmer photographs on the blog recently so I thought I'd better blog these tonight.



 

The photographs below document an unusual day. Unusual because all of these things happened on one day last week;

a) It was sunny and dry
b) It was not blowing a gale
c) Steven wasn't called away to do electrical work
d) I was at home to look after Elmer
e) Reece from next door was available to help lift beams

A day to rejoice! Some of the roof beams could be lifted up into position! Nobody would get blown off the roof in strong winds!

The house probably looks a little different to the last time I blogged. The roof is slowly being built, and once all the framing is done we will get roofers to come in and do the steel work. Otherwise everything you see has been crafted by Steven. On his own! I wonder when the roof will be finished? Soon I hope. But then today was meant to be a building day and of course the weather is disgusting. Nice to see blue skies now and again.

















I tell you what, those beams are HEAVY. There's also a lot of detail work involved in building a post and beam house. Whole days can be spent chiselling out bits of wood that will dovetail together with precision.

When we watch Grand Designs and see someone whinging that the contractor they hired to build their 'self-build house' in it's entirety has taken 3 weeks longer than suggested, I want to travel over to the stylish cottage they are renting, with one of these large beams, and knock some sense into them. This is one of the most stressful and frustrating things we have ever undertaken, given the circumstances. I am so proud of Steven though, and aware that we are lucky to be here in New Zealand, able to enjoy such an incredible project. 

A typical afternoon (if the weather is fine) involves Steven out building the house, whilst me and Elmer entertain ourselves inside. Even though I have an Elmer-run set up (much like one of those hamster entertainment tunnels), with books, toys, a carpet outside with his cars on.... Elmer prefers to sit with me. I allow him more sesame street youtube clips than I would ideally like, but it means I can just get a few more images edited before we move on to something else.





This is our favourite one by the way. I love the dragon!

I have to admit I didn't feel like blogging yesterday, I spent a lot of the evening glued to the television watching the earthquake rescue efforts. I'm not really a social-commentating blogger, but one thing I was struck by was the incredible sense of community here in New Zealand. Christchurch has so many volunteers offering to help they can't use them all, and more than enough blood has been donated. When a shocking disaster like this happens in such a small country people really depend on that sense of community, family, and pulling together.

Here is my family this week, Elmer having just got up from a nap, but not quite ready to greet the day yet. Amazing how much it takes for him to get to sleep, and how hard he finds it to wake up...