FAMILY MEMORIES.

Over the past few weeks we have had many family members from Australia staying as my dear Dad passed.  Dads sister Aunty Colleen and her husband Ken and their daughter Sarah and her little baby Milli have been staying here.  Aunty Colleen has been here for 5 weeks helping mum and they have shared many tears, laughs and heart aches together.    When they left on Sunday they gave each of our families here in NZ a little framed piece of art. see below.



Here are some photos and entries from my aunty and my cousin's face book pages.

Aunty colleen wrote on her birthday 17th Dec 2012....

Today on my birthday we say goodbye to my dear brother Rod after a battle that was not going to be won. Bravely fought and battled bravely for these last four horrid weeks. 
Love you BRO!

Sarah wrote yesterday

Myself and Millie have just spent 5 days in NZ. A trip we certainly never wanted to take.... It was for my Uncle Rod's funeral. .... The loss of Uncle Rod to our family is heart breaking, sometime still surreal and just plain sad.....yet with Christmas tomorrow I just wanted to share what I have learned in the last week. Our whanau (family) and friends are everything. We don't always say or show it but give a big hug, lend your shoulder to cry on, sometimes just a squeeze of the hand and always tell them you love them. Babies and children are our lifelines, they make us smile when we are sad and laugh when we are crying.... They are our blessings. The biggest lesson I learned this week, is the importance of creating memories. When our loved ones are taken from us and even when we are gone, these memories are the most precious things we have, and they can never be taken away. So today, tomorrow and always, create special memories with your whanau & friends because these memories live on forever. Arohanui to you all xxx


Below are some photos of My special cousin Sarah and her beautiful baby Millie who came over.




Niwa and Millie really seemed to connect,  this bubba was a real blessing amongst the heartache.

Below is a beautiful photo of Sarah and Dad on her wedding day.  She was his only niece on his side of the family and she was pretty special to him.



This is a photo of her beautiful children below back in OZ.  We so can't wait to spend some time with them in OZ soon!  We are thinking it might be a lovely thing to spend next Christmas there with them all as a family.

Baby Millie is below and Jade is on the left and Ella on the right.



We feel a great loss at the moment because they have all gone home but like Sarah said,  it is time to make and keep memories here right now.  I love my Family more and more each day especially after this experience of dad passing.