Mum, Aunty, Grandma, Liz, Lizzie

Happy Happy Happy Birthday Mum.

I love you so much and just writing this makes me miss you even more. Today is your birthday, day of birth, existence. You are amazing and bring life and life to every part of my life. I an so glad that you are my mother. You make everything better and no matter what you are wlays there and always have your children's well being on your mind.
You are currently traveling the world. You simply packed up your life, after a few years of hell you took yourself on an adventure. I admire your strength to leave you home behind and embarke on this amazing adventure and endeavour. It takes great strength and sacrifice to leave the comforts of home and what is familiar behind and yet you didn't hesitate you just went with it. I think i can speak for many when i say that you have so manny people in your life that love you and are so happy to have you in there lives.
My whole life you have given up your time for those you love. When I was at intermediate and decided to be home school you supported me in every capacity, despite the difficulties we have at times (maths) lol. On the days i came home sick from school when i wasn't really sick at all, lol, you took care of me and loved me.
One of many things i love you is that we are so similar, we love you, delicious food, cheese, exercise music, movies, we are both equally indulgent in the hippie life. I can't think of a better person to be like and i love it. I love how when i come home its like if never left we do everything together, go the market, movies, exercise together, even sleep together sometimes (even though i'm 23, lol). Everyday you make me feel like i'm special and loved.
You are blessed with the spirit of celebration, birthdays christmas you never fail to go crazy with celebratory treats, amazing food, decorations and a general feeling of love and excitement. growing up in the Cammock house meant having a birthday to remember. Very large delicious breakfasts, presents, family, life and colour was always present on those days.
Being almost December if you were home, you and i would be planning christmas day, ordering ham, berries, cherries, cheese, bagels, etc, you would have made your christmas pudding and the christmas energy would already be present. You always make sure that there is enough food and there is always to much. lol.
Mum i love you more that words can say and today me and everyone who loves you want to make you feel special and loved even though your not with us.  Have a fabulous day  and always remember that you are amazing, full of life, love and are the most amazing mother, aunt, grandma, liz, lizzie. I have one giant hug and kiss for you. I can't wait to see you again and to do all the liz alice things we love together. 

You are beautiful and Awesome

"There ain't no cure for love

There ain't no cure for love

All the rocket ships are climbing through the sky

The holy books are open wide

The doctors working day and night

But they'll never ever find that cure,

That cure for love"

Love love love you heaps, Alice

Just a little birthday song for you....o the memories of you dancing around the lounge, look forward to making many many more.  You definitely have a hungry heart. lol xoxox

Happy Happy Day Momma!

I am so pleased that you get to spend it at a hippie yoga retreat doing what you love.

I feel so lucky to have you as my Mum.  I love how you love each of us, and how much effort you have made to let us know that you love us unconditionally.  I feel so grateful to have been raised in a home where you have set such a strong example of kindness and goodness, but simultaneously provided an environment where we can question everything and trust our our own judgement.  

I have never known anyone who works on themselves so fearlessly.  As an adult I realise how difficult it is to change things about myself, areas that I wish I was better or patterns that I want to change.  I am constantly impressed by your ability to see things that you want to be different and work and work on yourself till they are.  

I think what I am most grateful for is the sense of home I have in you.  Even though you guys are away and we don't have a physical home to go too, I feel such a homecoming in my relationship with you.  It is so comforting to know that I could ask you for anything, anytime and I have no doubt that you would do everything you could to give it to me.  

You are such a funny crazy presence in my life.  I love the weird things you come out with in conversations and how excited you get about music and movies.  I love how you want share every good thing you come across with everyone you love.  I love how good you are to the people you care about.  I love how you retain facts and bring them out at totally inappropriate times (Im thinking of the Elephant Penis size) and I love how you listen to me and always let me know that I am worth the most to you.

I hope you have an amazing day doing yoga and celebrating yourself.  I hope you feel at home when you read these messages.

I love you so much.

Lucy 

By all rights mum should have died from a heart attack because of all the worry that myself and the rest of the kids have put her through. From a very young age I was always prone to getting hurt – whether it was a bump on the knee or a broken leg at the age of 3, I always found myself with some injury. Because of this, you would think I’d be wrapped in bubble paper and prevented from doing anything remotely risky, instead, Mum never stopped encouraging me from living out my imaginations and my dreams. An example of this occurred during my second year in Dunedin when I decided to play rugby for a local team with some friends of mine. During the first game of the season I was knocked out cold and was not allowed to play for 7 weeks. Now most mothers would say – ‘why don’t you stop playing’ or something to that effect – but not mum. She was in Dunedin to support me my first game back and she even bought me some head gear so that I could keep on playing for the rest of the season.

Mum is fearless. She is willing to try almost anything and she loves to stretch her abilities especially in the outdoors. She is currently finishing up the Annapurna trail in Nepal, and is traveling around the world with Dad. It is this passion for life that has passed on to us kids. Over the last few years Mum has experienced the greatest change, she has become a grandmother to my little girl who was named after Mum. For those of us that no mum she is often regarded as outspoken and even crazy. Some qualities I see in my little Elizabeth. I guess some we chose the perfect name.

Mum is one of the most amazing women that I know, she has a strength and power that is inspiring.  I love you mum. I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you. Happy birthday. From me, Ite and Elizabeth.

Hi liz,

Happy Birthday over there in Nepal.

When I asked the kids something about you (as you will see in the video clip), Lars mentioned your hot chocolate (which the kids mention daily-no joke) and Roxcy mentioned your makeup.

Your master hot chocolate making skills is something you generously share. In the 10+ years that I have known you, I have had so many of your delicious hot chocolates. To me, they are just one of the many many many examples of your generosity. I will never forget how generously you welcomed, this American girl, into your family.

Roxcy mentioned your makeup. She loved all that, as you know but what she loved more is to be involved with you and have you spend time with her. You love your kids i love watching you LOVE your grandkids. They are so beyond lucky to have you.

You know me and my obsession with lip syncs. We were thinking of just the right song and Lars picked this one. It's our family song and we dedicate it to you. I know that you will love seeing the kids in this and Lars really brought it. I hardly coached him at all. He plays the part.

I am glad we have a day to celebrate your awesomeness.

Love you,

Chris

“Memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly.

But I don’t go along with that. The memories I value most, I don’t

ever see them fading.”

― Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go

Happy Birthday Liz, you are apart of some of our most valuable memories.

Love always - The North Island Cammocks

Elizabeth Mary Cammock!

It is your day of Birth. I am wondering what outrageously expensive foodie treats you have found this day on your travels. I hope they are treats to be remembered for a lifetime.

I am so grateful to have such a strong loving woman in my life. I thank you for teaching me how to be a woman. How to be a mother. How to be generous. How to be loyal. How to resolve conflict. How to serve others. Im yet to learn the discipline, I guess some things cannot be learned eh?

You have touched my life and haven’t let go. You have bought joy and warmth to my life and have given me a place to be, a home, a family.

You really are, a great person. Not just in words but for “true God life”.

You have shared your most precious parts with me, Your incredible kids.I love your kids and the parts of you that surfaces in their personalities.

I admire how you laugh out loud at your own self! Often! It’s so innocent and yet so crazy all at the same time. The world feels right when you are laughing.

Happ Happ HAppy day to you Liz

love you long times

Jonelle

Liz

I am missing you guys majorly. I had an awsome trip in Australia with the girls. Would have been great to do it with you though.

Cant wait untill you return. I hope you guys are having fun. 

I’ve been missing your hot chocs, 

Im missing the markets and movies with you. 

I really miss your laugh and smiles

I miss you chit chatting to me

I love that you love me

I am missing your reading to me.

I wish you were here to see my new uniform.

I cant wait till we have a new Baby in our lives to have fun with.

Happy Birthday Liz

Love Harriet

Happy birthday Liz, did you get my send present. I think I want to say happy birthday to you.

 Love Henry

Happy bithday Liz thanks for the pink delight. It was exciting. I wonder when you are coming home, we had such good times before you left forever.

Love Meg

Sitting upstairs listening to the kids play at the school I can’t help drift off into happy thoughts of you on your birthday. I am surrounded by you despite being thousands of miles apart. The things that mean a lot to you, the choices you make about furniture, the way you keep your home, bowls, tile, colours to surround yourself with are here as lovely reminders of a woman I admire and love so very much. They make me smile. You make me smile. You have always been a safe place for me Liz, no matter which HOUSE you've lived in. You have welcomed my loves into your life with grace and acceptance and always looked for the good. You have given me shelter from many storms and no one can quite tell it like it is like you can. I miss your laughter, I miss your excitability, I miss the little things you stress about only to talk yourself through a solution 5 minutes later. I miss your wisdom and your banter…It’s adorable.

We wish you a happy birthday, I can only imagine the delicious food you care for yourself with today, I love how you celebrate all in your life. You are a wonderful example of womanhood, grace and challenge. My favourite combination of attributes. I love you. I thank God for you (and Pete) I am honoured to know you. Happy Birthday Love Gail and whanau

-- 

Gail Pomare

Happy Birthday Mum. 

Chris edited a video of the kids doing a music video for your birthday. Hopefully Alice will figure out how to hack your blog so we can post it…

In additional to that I just wanted to say happy birthday to you. I wanted you to know what an excellent Mum you have been. It is so cool to see you doing such great exciting things with Dad! Above all else you have been an example of a life that i can aspire to. It doesn’t seem to matter what the context or pressures have been you have always been able to find a way to do things that are exciting and worth something. Thanks for teaching us that no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in we should always find the time to have fun, push ourselves, and do something worth doing.

That said… after the Nepal tramping experience I hope you revisit your staunch, “the weather does not determine the activity” motto. Sometimes, just sometimes, it might be an important factor.

Love you and keep enjoying your trip and inspiring us all at home.

Mike & Family

Mum, Grandma, Aunt, Liz we love you heaps and heaps

Happy Birthday from us all.