My grandmother is extremely talented – she can knit, sew, crochet, embroider, cross-stitch and create very beautiful and useful things. My mother also can do most of that too. But these sorts of skills don’t seem to be as common in my generation. I can knit a little, but nothing fancy, just a scarf or something equally simple. I used to sew a little back in high school, but again, just simple things like book bags and a pair of shorts. I can cross stitch, but frankly, that’s probably about the easiest craft to master – the stitches are simple and all you need is the patience and focus to follow the pattern correctly, neatly and consistently. I recently decided it was time to add a new skill to my repertoire – crochet!

One of the most enjoyable parts of this trip back to New Zealand was spending time with my niece and nephew. Makayla is just over 2 months old, and Cameron will be 3 later this month. He’s adorable although a huge bundle of energy! He’s a pretty good big brother though. When his sister is crying, he’ll come and try to cheer her up, making funny noises and faces at her to make her laugh, and giving her hugs and kisses. And even though she’s not a very smiley baby so far, he is usually able to get a smile from her.