Eco Celebrant Barb Milina

30/06/2025

Fun family rugby times in the South Island. A win on Saturday morning and a win on Saturday night, they're very happy at the moment. Player of the day Conrad, always gets stuck in and never quits.

21/06/2025

When in Rome...go the Crusaders

20/06/2025

Magical South Island short tramping trip with Cuzzies, couldn't be better! Great way to blow away those cobwebs. Mt Somers.

15/06/2025

26/05/2025

Having some decent rest glamping at Warblers Retreat, time to recharge my turbocharger battery! A happy place for me is in the gardens, and watching my grandkids play sport. 💚

17/05/2025

Proud grandmother, proud Mum, national titles, and Surf Life Saving Club honours. 💚

11/05/2025

Celebrating Mother's Day with my daughter the week before and my husband the day of. Enjoying time relaxing near the sea in Auckland.

20/04/2025

A fun filled Easter Sunday complete with Easter Egg Hunt, was spent at 44c, Otaki - my parents former home of over 30 years and now my cousin's home of two years. The walls of this home have been filled with so much fun and laughter over the years, and it's fantastic to see it's continuing on. Mum and Dad would be so happy, as would my brother David who built it.
Three photos of yesterday and final photos a number of years ago. Look at Aunty Andy, (Dad's older sister), almost 96 years of age sitting on the floor, no sweat! She gets down and up by herself, piece of cake! 💚

19/04/2025

Happy 17th birthday Jordin. I feel pretty stoked to be your G'ma, it's so cool spending time with you as you're always great company. Never short of a word, I love it! So proud of your recent golds at the NSLSChamps, and that you have chosen to put everything into the sport you really ENJOY. With spikes and professional training now, we'll look forward to seeing you race even faster down that track! Just love your positive, kind and caring energy. Have a fantastic, fun filled day. 💚

13/04/2025

A life changing experience. 💔 I had no idea I had a heart block, just going about building my stonewall, painting the outside and roof of the cottage, doing the gardens, meanwhile my poor old ticker was only just chugging along. It got down to 26 BPM in hospital, (lowest recorded in Guinness Book of Records), so no wonder I had medical staff scrambling and keeping my ECG printouts as souvenirs!

When I look at the chain of events, it's miraculous that I got through with my wiring shot! I am now supercharged with a pacemaker, to speed me up not slow me down, ha ha! If you ask me why it happened, I would say emotional stress, and maybe Mum's still trying to slow me down, from upstairs! I have always been fit, played sport, healthy, good diet, etc so I was the last person anyone would have expected to need a pacemaker at 62 years of age!

Thank goodness Dave dragged me down to Otaki Beach, where life is a lot more laid back. I really didn't want to leave Warblers Retreat. We are loving renovating the Cottage but we will be taking more time out in the future to smell the roses. I am hoping to be doing more Celebrant work as time goes on, but for the time being....just enjoying life! 💚

PS. Left the hospital with a brilliant Auckland joke from an Orderly! Best way to leave, laughing!

22/03/2025

A couple of stragglers from the Kiwi Kids Charity Run turned up overnight after visiting South Island schools giving away hard earned dollars to schools and kids who are in extra need of it. I think they need a rest!

18/03/2025

It's always great to celebrate family gatherings. Although I have stepped back from the weddings at Warblers Retreat for now, I have been facilitating other celebrations. This is a group of my Dad's cousins, who used to always come to Marly's Cottage as kids, as it's where their grandparents (Robert & Florence Young) lived. Theres, 'oh so many memories', that were being shared! We have called it a Fossil Function, as we needed to distinguish the different generations! That being so, our generation is the YOUNGer generation! So much cheek, fun and laughter. Special times. 💚