Dear 2011,

I fell off the wagon, but that's ok. There was a lot going on.

So I just wanted to say Cheers 2011.

Thanks for:

• time with my family
• time with Les
• a new son
• time with my friends
• time to create
• a new home
• new friends
• new places to explore
• new stuff
• new opportunities
• reconnecting with old friends
• Starbucks
• delicious food
• appreciation
• space
• money
• laughs
• moments in the sun
• Sassafras
• the RNZAF
• sleep
• warmth in one way and another

Thanks for everything, much appreciated.

Thank-you for having such a cute silhouette in the glow of the computer monitor it makes being up at this hour much nicer.

Thanks Bristow for a decent allowance- I'm not sure what I would have gotten rid of had we not been allowed so much.

Thank-you for getting me the Outrageous Fortune DVD's, the Frap, and the Muffin!

Thank-you Tama for staying asleep for the whole photography mission.

Thank-you for one last day alone in the house me and the babe.

Thanks for getting it finished before we had to go so I could see it done, drive on it, and see the effect it had on Hobsonville Rd.

Thanks S, K, T, and P for being such amazing friends, January just won't be the same without you and Shakespeare.

Thank-you Jackie, for everything.

Thanks for realising I needed you to stay home and take the kids to school.

Thank-you for fitting him in so fast and thank-you nurse Lisa you were super lovely.

Thank you for really caring you are an absolute lovely doctor and we're grateful that you really listened and seemed to go above and beyond.

Thank-you school holidays for finally being over.

Thanks for all your hard work around the house especially after your big night out last night and fitful sleep on the couch.

Thanks for coming home with Caramellow slice without me even asking.

Thank-you for finally getting it.

Thank-you for doing a wee in the potty.

Thank-you Sally for taking the big kids for the day and feeding them dinner- allowing L, W, T, and I the opportunity to go get Starbucks and Hell.

Thank you for agreeing to look after the kids roses it is much appreciated!

Thanks for Taxi-ing the big kids around among all the other stuff you had to do.

Thanks for having a face that makes the hours I spend looking at it very well spent.

Thanks for cooking your own birthday dinner!

Thanks for the homemade Pizza it rocked 5000000x more than the Pizza Hut stuff we had last week.

Thanks slow cooker for doing such a delicious job with the pork!

Thanks Helen for having both the big kids for the day it is totally appreciated!

Thanks Godfreys for being like another family for Kieran you will be sorely missed.

Thank-you for running kids camp- she loves it and we enjoy the break.

Thanks Craft Out West for presenting me with a great gift, yummy vintage and craft inspiration and a chance to catch-up with friends.

Thanks universe for aligning in such a way that we finally got to bath the baby, and thanks for that delicious clean baby smell.

Thanks for time spent crafting- it soothes the soul!

Thanks tree fellers for adding in elements of excitement, shock and near horror to our day- not to forget the chainsaws!

Thanks for taking Will to the game he has just been full on lately and the combination of him and my sleep deprivation it like a match to a fire cracker.

Thanks Stamp Zone for years of good service, yummy stuff, walls of inspiration and friendly people, I will miss you!

Thank-you stuff for being under the 45sqm allowance- what a huge relief.

Thank-you for stopping by it was SO good to see you and the boys, thanks for the pressie for Tama, I could listen to you talk all day- it's not just the accent either- you are just so funny.

Thank you weather front, I love me a good electrical storm!

Thanks for stopping by with the juice and the flowers I appreciated them almost as much as the conversation.

Thanks for doing a little sleeping so I could do a little work.

Thanks for Survivor- a lot of people bag reality tv game shows, but I love the psychology, the blind sides and Boston Rob!

Thanks for taking Will with you so I could sleep in with Tama!

Thank-you for the hat I LOVE it!

Thank-you Brinkmans for the sweet gift you gave our boy and the lovely news of your engagement.

Thank-you for adjusting so well to your new baby brother especially dealing with not coming into our bed and going back to your own bed without any drama and noise.

Thank-you ALL for being a part of our amazing community- and thank-you for the newspaper!

Thank-you for taking him out for a walk it was a cool idea and he would have really enjoyed it.

Thank-you all for so obviously caring about the education and welfare of our son and doing such an amazing job- we will truly be sad to leave you behind.

Thank-you for being so cruisy during the day there's not many things in the world better than just sitting and watching you all day long.

Thank-you for loving your new baby brother instantly you are the sweetest brother a baby could have.

Thank-you for your care of me overnight a good midwife makes all the difference to how you feel when you are recovering after surgery and adjusting to a new baby and all that sleep loss.

Thank-you for visiting us today and the lovely things you brought it was nice to share our boy with you.

Thank-you for coming into our lives- you are truly amazing, our own precious fifth miracle baby.
Thank-you for delivering our baby boy and caring for me during the surgery and after.
Thank-you for taking care of our boy in the SCBU.
Thank-you for caring about us after such a long time.
Thank-you for being the most amazing Dad in the world. 
Thank-you for taking care of our kids while we were having our baby.

Thank-you for basically disregarding your work responsibilities for a change so that we could have a fun adventure yesterday after what was a fairly stressful appointment with not much in the way of answers.

Thank-you for finally seeing us and making us feel like we were really being listened to- especially you Midwife- you rocked reassurance in a situation where there wasn't much to offer.

Thank-you for letting us have the extra half day and for consenting to 'look after' Will for 15 minutes so we could go to the hospital appointment without him.

Thank-you gas leak for not being anything really serious.

Thank-you for cleaning the bathroom, I really hope I get a have a labour at home so I can appreciate it even more!

Thank-you for listening to my Google inspired crazy talk, taking me seriously and acting on it.

Thanks for the supermarket shopping being completed- one less thing to worry about.

Thank-you for realising I really needed you to stay home and doing it.

Thank-you for giving an honest response when I asked you about the school it was an unexpected kindness.

Thanks for a cool morning tea together- it's nice that we can come see you and hang out.

Thank-you for being a short lived illness and for me not coping vomit like I have in past gastro bouts.

Thanks for taking Merenia with you today and well done on the competition!!

Thanks for taking Will to netball and letting me have a big daytime sleep I really needed it.

Thank-you for a cool day hanging with my boy crew.

Thanks for being so happy, cute, and funny over something as simple as a basket of food in your play hut.

Thank-you for everything you taught me over the last 12 years.

Thank-you for restocking the pineapple lumps.

Thanks for coming together nicely and being as close to done as I can get till after the baby gets here.

Thanks for getting the bread maker- what a good idea!

Thank-you for not coming while Daddy was away.

Thank-you for bringing the shopping in. And thank-you fate for letting me discover the flat battery the night before our 5am start.

Thank-you for coming home for the appointment even though you were so busy with all that was going on.

Thank-you for the advice you gave him- it's good to know we can call on you.

Thank-you for smiling for the kindy photo even though it was one of the many things you 'don't like' at the moment.

Thanks for keeping out of my way- Mondays alone are precious to me.

Thank-you for hassling me to take the photos I'm so glad that I finally did it again.

Thank-you for Strawberry Chocolate- Yum!!

Thank-you brain and photoshop for working well together so I could get another couple of things crossed off of my list!

Thank-you for being early, with Netball practice cancelled and everyone stuck inside it was a real relief when it was back down to just the four of us.

Thank-you Adobe Photoshop- you have, and continue to be a learning curve and challenge that I really enjoy and the results I can produce with you are very satisfying.

Thank-you Sassafras. YOU ROCK!

Thanks for the burst of energy- I may be absolutely wrecked right now- but so worth it to get everything done!

Thank-you for coming in under budget- I'm not sure what I would have done had the final total been too high at the check out!

Thanks for being there so I could relax and take it easy when my head was roaring and thanks for hanging out all that tiny washing!

Thanks for spotting the body and arranging it's removal, and then also cleaning up the unidentified cat discharge before you went to work. It was a rough morning for you- I hope you know that we appreciate all you do.

Thanks for being a place where I could offer a good home to my un-needed books and magazines- I hope that they bring some entertainment to your waiting room.

Thanks for talking with me for almost an hour and a half, I always learn so much from you and you have such great work stories!

Thank-you for turning off the hot water tank- the opportunity to experience Dad's work shower was absolutely invaluable- I really hope I go into labour on a day when you are at Kindy so I can take advantage of that awesome hot water with it's strong flow!

Thank for progress made- it wasn't a lot, but it was progress.

Thanks weather for being nice enough that he could get out this morning for some time alone.

Thanks for the loan of the router- it's always good to be able to check on a problem with out spending money... and it meant it got fixed sooner!

Thanks for being a guy that we'd trust to look after the educational needs of our son- and thanks for being a school that makes a decent effort with it's kids- I'm glad we had the courage to chose you over the other place which everyone believes is so good you are just right for us.

Thanks for being so good at your job it's great to have some one with have faith in caring for our family's health.... and I'm so glad that the hole isn't serious!

Thank-you for the walk down some of memories lanes over the sound of your drill- I hope we didn't weird you out with our random conversation about Siamese twins and bullying.

Thanks for the recap on last seasons finale- I had it on DVD but wouldn't have thought to watch it and it made the anticipation of episode one of the new series so much sweeter!

Thank-you BOT meetings- I do like the quiet time at home on my own with the kids all soundly asleep!

Thanks for not telling me that I had the whole day to scrapbook- I would have felt obligated to do some- it was much nicer to know that the day was mine to do with as I pleased. And my little guy thanks for the biscuit and the Mum badge you made me at Kindy- awesome!

Thank-you for your incredible Schnitzel cooking it is one of my favourites of the things that you do!

Thank-you for making my carpet come up looking better than it has in a long, long time- the smell and the emergency vacuum cleaner dash were well worth it.

Thank-you for the Bowie free day I really like the girls but it's been a full-on week so far so the break was a bonus for us all I think.

Thank-you for all the kind friends and family who contacted us to make sure we were safe from yesterdays tornado- thanks also for the fact that we and our friends were safe!

Thank-you for one of the most amazing ultrasounds I have ever had, seeing the baby poke it's tongue out and swallow the amniotic fluid was amazing.

Thank-you for the opportunity to appreciate once more how cool it is to have my wee guy around, I really missed him today on his first full day of Kindy. Thanks also for a full day to get 'stuff' done!

Thank-you rain you relieve a lot of the guilt that comes after the better part of a day curled up in front of the telly.

Thank-you for a full day of crafting, 17 pages completed to be exact, and then an evening free of big kids so we could watch a movie together.

Thank-you for calling back when you said you would the waiting is the hardest part- and while we are still waiting at least you did what you said you would.

Thank-you for your positive thinking my small boy it seems that your belief in the ease of having things no matter how big may just pay off for us soon.

Thank-you for a parenting attitude that allows the use of power tools by 3 year olds- it's so worth any risk involved to watch the delighted face of a boy with a drill.

Thank-you for friends whose presence in our home means our children are completely entertained and engrossed and do not have the usual niggles and fights that can come along with school holidays.

Thank-you for the last 15 years, every second, even the hard parts.

Thank-you to all those that fought for us and especially those that gave their lives so that we may enjoy ours.

Thank-you for enough. Enough to be able to take the wee boy to see the Wiggles- it was worth the tight week to do it.

Thank-you for turning up just in time Easter Banner- I will be sure to place you somewhere sensible when I pack you down this time.

Thank-you for indeed being a 'Good Friday', the jobs got done, the crafting got done and the weather held off for the Rugby leaving me at home for a quiet night in.

Thank-you for a relatively smooth and stress free Super market trip it's anyone's guess as to how it will go with all three kids in tow and with the pre-Easter panic buyers flooding the shops it wasn't looking too good- but I was pleasantly surprised even from start to finish.

Thank-you dental nurse for being short and sweet and not forcing the issue on not getting that last section of teeth counted.

Thank-you 'Life' documentary makers for an interesting night with my crew enjoying your awesome cinema photography and reminding us that the world is indeed an incredible place.

Thank-you health system for free dental for school kids, especially wonderful once they hit high school and can go to a regular dentist- so much better and nicer than that darn condescending and patronising dental nurse.

Thank-you Godfreys for the Lamb Roast so totally 100% appreciated- can't wait!

Thank-you to the many women and men who have done research and compiled it in an easy to understand format on the web to help arm and  reassure people like me that a normal delivery is possible after 2 c-sections.

Thank-you school holidays for a break from the endless too-ing and fro-ing that happens every day and the opportunity to spend long days cosied up at home with just my crew.

Thank-you for a little snot- I like spending the whole day with my boy it's lovely.

Thank-you invented recipe for working- those not-crossed buns were absolutely delicious.

Thank-you working for families, some weeks I am not sure how we'd get through without you.

Thank-you toy world people for letting me swap my unopened mini figure for the one that we needed to hopefully complete the set.

Thank-you for a sleep-in and a chance to read before rising to a relaxed shower in an empty house.

Thank-you Master Chef Australia for a plethora of inspiration and handy tips, even if I waste a whole Saturday morning in your company I don't mind because you truly are eye candy.

Thank-you amazing toyworld people for standing there for ages on end feeling up the mini figures so that people like me can walk in and get exactly the ones I want without having to go through the same process.

Thank-you Tony for your delicious takeaways, your pineapple rings sprinkled in cinnamon sugar make your overall calorific value worth it every so often.

Thank-you Monarchs for a surprising late flush of caterpillars, chrysalids and the anticipation of new butterflies.

Thank-you antibiotics it is truly a joy to have my bladder back to it's full capacity and no longer operating in an apparent state of panic.

Thank-you energy for staying around long enough for me to get the games cupboard sorted out it's so satisfying to look upon it's tidyness.

Thank-you pigs your shoulders taste so good when roasted and I love just a little of your delicious crackling.

Thank-you for a lovely evening together even after almost 15 years I love that we still have so much to talk about and I really enjoy your company.

Thank-you energy and enthusiasm for coming along just in time for me to set us up with a tidy house heading into the weekend ahead.

Thank-you trees for your abundant supply of free feijoas and thank you internet for the muffin recipe and thank-you Will for your assistance all round a great combination.

Thank-you David Tennant, you're funny, smart, talented, and probably the coolest Dr Who ever. To top it off your real life accent is kick arse sexy you are just damn hot.

Thank-you for an entire night of sleep totally uninterrupted by; late coming to bed partners, hyperactive E coli bladders, and small boys, I did wake confused at what was different but was delighted when my sleep addled brain came to the realisation of a successful nights kip.

Thank-you Hercules for breaking down again putting the jumping on hold and therefore allowing Les to come home at the usual time, I really wanted him home.

Thanks for Basil the addition of which really rounds out the super delicious Chicken Pies.

Thank you for the rain which put the kibosh on any plans we might have had meaning we spent the day hanging together.

Thanks for some yummy stuff that I wanted and the ability to be able to afford them.

Thank-you for an afternoon of just our family, it's most relaxing and enjoyable.

Thank you for dropping the boy to the bus stop it's always nice to have one less trip in the car no matter how short.

Thank-you for a plan that ran smoothly and allowed me to get everything done and arrive on time.

Thank-you for great big loaves of fresh white bread, especially when they are still warm!

Thank-you for good friends who take care of your kids and drop them home after.

Thank-you for waking up when I nudged you at 1:30 and indulging me.

Thank-you for taking the half day off it really too the pressure off me in getting the job done.

Thank-you for introducing me to Irish Cream Fraps!

Thanks for a plan coming together nicely with everyone being where they needed to be when they needed to be allowing us to get there just in time.

Thanks for the opportunity to do the blackboard for St Patricks day it was a highlight to my week- and the free drinks were an added bonus.

Thanks for two relatively successful and tasty pies that we enjoyed for tea this Pi Day and thanks for showing Kieran and Merenia that Pumpkin can be tasty.

Thank-you for having the only people we know in Japan be far enough away from the devastation that we can be sure they are safe.

Thanks for friends who are happy to relieve us of the big kids for the day it a lovely novelty to just be a family of three for a change.

Thanks for taking the day off to spend with Kieran on his mid term break, allowing me to do the supermarket shopping without Will and getting to skip the kindy run.

Thank-you for an armful of good books that we managed to find with ease after sneaking out of Kindy at lunch to go to the Library bus.

Thank-you for being home today even if you had to be sick to do it. We seem to see so much less of you now that you are at high school so it was good to have you unexpectedly around for the day.

Thank-you for having a new flavour on just the day I was feeling like a change- the new Espresso Cream is delicious.

Thank-you for an unscheduled break from Emily and Teagan- they add a lot to our days but it's also nice without them.

Thank-you to the women of the Waimea Plains, Southland for the book of Country Cooking especially Mrs S Watson whose recipe for Cinnamon Apple Squares is much loved. I do hope you managed to raise  the funds for your new Parish in Lumsden. And can I just say that your hand drawn and written adverts with their 2-3 digit phone numbers are still delightful to me 30 odd years later.

Thanks for taking the small noisy one out shopping so I could get on with some stuff in relative peace.

Thank-you for my Dad.

Thank-you for warm and excited greetings from lovely friends.

Thank-you for sugar doughnuts, sometimes a little indulgence is necessary.

Thank-you for juicy endings.

Thank-you for "actually" when he says it. "Um actually play dough thanks mum."

Thank-you for being easier than yesterday.

Thank-you for Bed Time the saviour of frazzled parents and children.

Thank-you for around town adventures especially when they involve old haunts and new clothes (and drums).

Thank-you for sick days sometimes it's just good to be home, stay home.

Thank-you for the kindness of strangers from all over the country and the world.

Thank-you for my family and friends safe and well.

Thank you shorts for your long and faithful service I will miss you.

Thank you for 'nana naps'.

Thank you for friends who bring coffee and curry.

Thank-you for potential new friends and a new job.

Thank-you for shoulders to cry on.

Thank-you for loss, and the lessons you learn from it.

Thank-you for first days, they seldom happen and when they do it's just so special and exciting.

Thank-you for Scott because I was truly gutted that I couldn't afford to get a DVD of the scan.

Thank-you for meatballs with all the oregano infused, cheesey, tomatoey, meaty yumminess.

Thank-you for a newly discovered author with a long list of titles to be devoured. (Janet Evanovich).

Thank-you for silk trees that can transform into bamboo and feed hungry Panda's and for lunch on a blanket under the tree with imagination as entertainment.

Thank-you for enough, just enough to get everything we needed this week.

Thank-you for allowing me to share in the joy that is a very first pin ball game the provision of which was seen as some great gift purchased all for a dollar!

Thank-you for Kindy- I look forward to many hours spent just hanging in a space perfect for mess, adventure, fun and making new friends.

Thank-you for her absent mindedness and a lack of observantness I was dreading the wails and howls over lost treasures (rubbish) but they didn't come, phew.

Thank-you for him remembering and actually telling the neighbour to never to talk me again- I had hoped but I didn't expect it honestly.

Thank-you for the other end of the house where I can hide out when need be.

Thank-you for Kumara Chips and Aioli- oh my especially Aioli.

Thank-you for free adventures, like a trip to the hardware store that has a playground.

Thank-you for an enjoyable first day at a new school complete with a new friend.

Thank-you for the man who sold me the uniform skort for $5 even though it should have been $32 and I said I didn't mind.

Thank-you for 15 minutes all together today at Starbucks.

Thank-you for weather that allows others to take a well deserved break from everyone to go flying.

Thank-you for Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

Thank-you for cheap photo processing.

Thank-you for putting people in our path who are kind and helpful, like the Massey High School Bursar.

Thank-you for the chance to repay the kindness of friends.

Thank-you for an amazing day, at an amazing place, with amazing people.

Thank-you for weather that offers a good excuse to stay inside and read all day.

Thank you for Pies and Caitlin (happy birthday little sister).

Thank-you for the freedom to choose education.

Thank-you for friends like Jake, and Macchi and Cam.

Thank-you for NZ Post.

Thank-you for flowers.

Thanks for a relatively pain free shopping and errand run.

Thank-you for allowing us all to survive the day with minimal physical and psychological harm.

Thank-you for Soulemama and Alicia Paulson.

Thank-you for time and space and quiet.

Thank-you for children who are old enough to pack for themselves.

Thank-you for our pay day.

Thank you for fresh corn-on-the-cob it's so good.

Thanks for the opportunity to go places like the base pool.

Thanks for the big kid free day- and the motivation to complete the albums of Caits that I had filled.

Thanks for lemonade. It tastes so good, especially with fresh pineapple.

Thank-you for Cherry Liqueur chocolates. Bliss.

Thank-you for Nicky at the NL Photo Counter- she's lovely!

Thank-you for good reading material.

Thank-you for time with my boy.

Thank-you for my ability to create- just like 'that'.

Thank-you for beautiful weather.

Thank-you for fruit! (All 14+ varieties in our Fruit Salad especially)

Thank-you for our home. It's great to be back.