The best of 2019 - Happy New Year!

I wanted to share a little recap of 2019! It's always nice to take a little look back at the year that was. Last year we took some family photos at Christmas time and decided that this would become a family tradition. Now, each year we get to reminisce, laugh and watch our family grow through some of those special moments we captured.

For this years family Christmas photo shoot we decided to head to Olivo which is the oldest commercial grove in the Wairarapa. Our fantastic hosts treated us to an olive oil tasting experience. It was interesting to learn about the different olive varieties from pure virgin oil to innovative infused olive oils that they lovingly produce. We walked out of their tasting room with a few bottles of our favourite flavours before taking a wander through the groves. The grounds themselves are beautiful and made the perfect backdrop for our family photos this year.

Wow! What a year! It's always so incredible to see how much we can fit into one year! 2019 was a big year for us. Jake got a new job and we moved to the Wairarapa. We decided each week to dedicate one day for a family activity which meant lots of Wairarapa adventures to explore our new area. This included some memorable trips to Cape Palliser Lighthouse, Castlepoint, Putangirua Pinnacles, Whangaimoana, Kaikoura Lookout and of course family friendly winery tours in Martinborough. 

This year we celebrated Arlo's first birthday! And how could we not take the opportunity to acknowledge our first year of parenthood and all that encompassed. My boys spoilt me with a special mother's day photo shoot with Jenny Siaosi, to celebrate my very first Mother’s Day.

We also had some incredible family holidays this year, including a trip to Queenstown to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. We really wanted to do something different, memorable and romantic and nothing screamed more romantic than standing on the edge of a mountain peak, with sweeping panoramas of high mountains and alpine lakes as we shared our love for each other. It was the perfect setting to appreciate life and look back on all the memories we have had over the past five years and Patina Photography captured these special moments perfectly! 

To finish off our year we went on a family holiday to Australia and Bali. We had an amazing time with family and friends. Bali was the perfect destination for our family vacation. Our days were filled with amazing beaches, beautiful sunsets, fabulous restaurants, spas and welcoming locals. Check out our Bali trip here including tips on travelling with small children, family friendly restaurants and things to do. We also managed a family photo shoot with Avara photography at the famous Tegalalang Rice Terraces which made for a breathtaking backdrop.

I don't know how we manage to fit everything in, but each year just gets better and better. Where ever we go, whatever we do, it’s those special moments with my boys and seeing those experiences through my little Arlo’s eyes that makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world. We are looking forward to 2020 and have some pretty exciting plans and adventures planned already. We can’t wait to continue documenting our memories and sharing our adventures with you all.