Strawberry Days Children's parade - Katie

A couple of years ago we participated in a local parade for the town that we live in.  Every year they celebrate the history of the city with different events over the space of a week.  It is called Strawberry Days and it's really fun.  Last year I was looking up to see what the dates were for certain events and was surprised to see my daughter Hannah's photo on the city website.  I quickly copied it and have it on my computer.  Now when I go to the website I still see it on there and I'm proud of her.  She was having a good time and flashing her best smile to the people we passed and the photo captures it all.  The funny thing to me is that while she is waving an American flag, her t-shirt says "Somebody in NZ loves me!" lol.  Funny!  Got to represent both countries :)

Here is the photo:

Request

As I sit here, I think of all the wonderful things that are going to happen and have been going on in our family and I feel in some way that since I cannot attend all these events that I am missing out.  Since we are all so spread out it across the world it would be fun to see pictures and hear stories of events going on in our lives so that those who live far away and cannot be there can feel like they were present.  I know there are fun things going on in Texas this weekend (Lealo is getting married!) that I'm sure the NZ'ers would like to see and vice versa (Oscar's 30th birthday bash!) that us living in the US would love to see, even those living in Australia too!

The effort to put this blog together was to make that possible and connect us even more than we have been and allow us to share our lives with those we love.  I really want to keep this blog going and as I can see from the number of people who have visited this blog since it started (1,872 views since April 2011) there is a demand for it.  We are also having our extended family view it and get valuable information for their own family history from us.

I am writing this because I really need your help.  Please send me any information that you would like to contribute to this blog whether big or small and I can put it on.  The only thing I won't have time to do is go and find things to put on.  It can be time consuming for me to have to go and find pictures from Facebook etc just to feel like I have something to put onto this blog for everyone to see.  Even if there is no particular event but just have some photos from fun weekend or a cute photo of one of your kids or whatever, please send it to me at partschfamily@gmail.com and I am happy to put it on the blog for everyone to see!  Heck, it doesn't even have to be a photo, even if it is just a memory or news you want to share with the family.  Anything!  Let's share this journey together.

Alofa tele mo le aiga atoa,

Katie

Blast from the past - Lagi

I am grateful to Savea for digging up these precious photos of my Mum.  I thought I would post them on here for her and everyone to see.  Enjoy!

P.S - if you have any photos that you would like to share please send it to me and I can update the blog with them.

Intro - Lagi

Talofa family,

I was born on the 2nd of Febuary 1957. I was born as a twin and what i know is that my twin sister died when we were very young.  I'm not sure why because I'm the second child to Karl and Tusi Partsch.  I was born after Viliamu.  From what I know my mother Tusi was very sick after giving birth to us.  Suisami was in Apia visiting us and saw Tusi very sick so she took me away with her and look after me until Tusi was well but by that time they loved me that they decided to keep me as their daughter.  When I grew up and knew who my real parents were I tried so hard to run away to them but Leota and Suisami kept taking me back with them.  I had so much anger in me because i wanted to grow up with my brothers but no luck.  I always wander why that happen especially since I'm the only daughter but I have forgiven everything that has happen in my growing up with Leota and Suisami and think of the positive things that they have blessed my life with. Faafetai lava to them.

I was named Vitorina Partsch. my Samoan name is Soliilagi.  I was named after Tusi dads sister from Fasitoo Uta.  I have 4 beautiful daughters and now six grandchildren. Iliganoa is the oldest, then Katie Lagituaiva, Taavaesina and my pepe is Yanah Alexandra.   I love my daughters and their families very very much.  I love all my family so much too.  I think my family are a special family and from the bottom of my heart I have so much love for every member of my family.  God bless us all.

Update - Victoria

Congratulations to Fiti and Iva's daughter Victoria Jackson on the birth of her baby boy - Jess Taylor Jackson-Ornelas .  How lovely for another baby to be born into the family.  Congratulations Tori!

When I receive more details (ie. height and weight) I will update this post. 

Picture of Maggie

I found this picture on Facebook from one of our relatives.  It is a picture of our Grandmother/Great Grandmother Maggie Silva.  She is very beautiful!

Update - Noa

I am happy to announce that Noa had her baby boy yesterday.  He is very cute!  Daniel was born on Friday 16th September @ 1.18pm.  He weighed 8lbs and 8oz and 21 inches long.  Both Mum and baby are both doing very well.

Karl and Mandela - World Famous in New Zealand!

For those of you who didn't get the see Karl and Mandela featured in the newspaper, here is the photo and article.  Way to go Karl and Mandela!

A giant figure performing a thigh-slapping haka will greet visitors flying into Wellington thanks to a family of Lyall Bay rugby fanatics.

Father and son team Karl and Mandela Partsch spent the best part of five hours lashing the three-metre-high sign to the fence of their Hornsey Rd home, with four rigged-up spotlights ensuring it can be seen from as far afield as Wellington Airport. 

"If the All Blacks win, it will be staying up for a while," Mr Partsch said yesterday.

The rugby-mad Mr Partsch picked up the sign a few years ago from his job as a caretaker at Massey University, where it had been used in a display. 

He had been saving it to use for a special occasion, and the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand seemed the perfect opportunity, he said. 

"We have to lock it down for the wind, because up here there's a lot of wind  but it's survived. We went for a drive to the airport to check and the visitors can see it, no problem." 

While dad is a staunch All Blacks supporter, Rongotai College student Mandela, 14, would be backing Samoa in the tournament because of the team's predilection for "big hits".  

A flanker for his school's under-15 team, he is trialling for the Wellington representative team today. 

And he has already been involved in the tournament, as part of the waka crew that welcomed the Springboks to Wellington on Monday  which he described as a "mean" experience. 

Wellington City Council has yet to receive many entries in its Dress Up Wellington competition, and is hoping for more enthusiasm when the tournament begins.

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Here is the link if you want to see the actual article -

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/off-the-field/5579525/Haka-bigger-than-ever-in-Lyall-Bay

Katie - The Silly Season...

Katie here -

We have something called the "Silly Season" at our house.  From August 27th to Sept 7th for our family we celebrate 2 birthdays and our wedding anniversary.  It's a crazy time making sure none of these things gets negected and gets celebrated like it deserves.

One of these things was Hannah turning 7!  This year she wanted to have a Princess party so I we got busy planning that for her.  We have usually only done family parties but I figured that this year was the year we could make her Princess party happen.  It was really fun!  Hannah had a great time and I've seen enough pink to last a lifetime!  Here are some pics from the birthday party.....

Princess storytime

Blowing it out

What is it?

Happy to have a Barbie

Princess activity book

September birthdays

Happy birthday to all our family members who are having birthdays this month.  We all wish you a fabulous birthday and hope it is filled with lots of love and laughter.  You are each a valued member of our family!  We love you!  

2nd - Valita Partsch

2nd -  Peleoali'ilagi Shanti Partsch

6th -   Hannah Siona Mitchell

8th -  Angel Micheaux Partsch

15th - Kobe Joseph LeBlanc

21st - Lealo Partsch

Valita and Sam

Lealo (Savea and Vave's son)

Angel (Noa's daughter)

Hannah (Katie and Cory's daughter)

Kobe LeBlanc (Moana's son)

Pele and Michael