Ben Pfahlert's Wedding

The whole Pfahlert clan gathered in Oxford, Canterbury, on 6 March to celebrate John's nephew Ben marriage to Tammy Shaskey. John's twin brother Patrick and his wife Hannah and son Oliver came over from Shanghai.

It was the first time in over 10 years that older the five Pfahlert grandchildren were all together at the same time, and a few years since John, Patrick and Mark Pfahlert and their parents got together.

Lots of other relatives and friends from both sides also in attendance. The wedding was in the St John of God Chapel in Halswell, then we went to the Shaskey's home for afternoon tea, before going on to to the Old Flaxmill outside Oxford for the "do".

Great weather and fine dining at Cafe 51 in Oxford, and also brunch at Jo Seager's restaurant. Both a surprise when one was expecting steak and chips....

Liz , John and children all stayed at the West Oxford Hotel. It was clean and tidy and quite reasonably priced.

Visit to Jerusalem February 2010

On the weekend of 20 February Liz and John organised a family gathering in Jerusalem, up the Whanganui River, to celebrate John's aunty's 93rd birthday. Sr Anna Maria Shortall is a Sister in the Home of Compassion and has lived in the community at Jerusalem for nearly 20 years.

Sr Anna Maria's sisters, Jane (Hokitika), Shelia (Napier) and Mary Jo (Blenheim) were all there. Also in attendance were Denis Pfahlert, Sue and Stuart Longly and their grandson, Linda Wealleans and friends of John and Liz's, Therese and Richard McTague of Lower Hutt.

It was a stunning weekend in terms of weather. We all stayed in the old convent. There was plenty of good food, company and swapping stories of days gone by.

Some of the Shortall clan from Feilding also visited for the day - Perry and Margaret Shortall, and Tom Shortall, and another whose name I've forgotten......

On the Saturday morning John & Liz walked "to the orchard" with Richard & Therese. It was a long walk uphill for about 1 & 1/2 hours uphill on a gravel road, and 3/4 hour back down, only to find that the orchard was about 500 metres from the convent!