Wow, it's been a looong time since I'd last blogged! Nearly two months! So I'll play catch-up now and hopefully keep up better.
Mikaylie, Nani and I spent 3 weeks stateside visiting friends and family, shopping and eating, the latter two in excess! Our trip had to be adjusted to spend more time in Memphis with Mark and co. since Grammy had fallen and broken her hip there. It was nice to get to spend more than the one night we had originally planned to stay with Mark and the kids, though much of the time was spent beside Grammy's hospital, then rehab, bed. Her post-op week was a little hairy and I couldn't not see her again before leaving the country so we returned to Memphis for one last QUICK visit before our 13 hour drive to Daytona Beach to see Kaigan and Mickey Mouse. Grammy was doing much better by then, though the PT was wiping her out! It was a relief to see her in better spirits before we left.
Between the Memphis stops was a week in Kentucky. We visited with my sis and nephew and even met Jenn's boyfriend. We had a great time at a Hibachi restaurant and just spending time together, though not enough. We also visited Nani's little horse, CJ at his new home. He seemed to have shrunk as Nani has grown so much! He looked great and his new people really love him.
We went to our old church and visited with our church family there. Nani got to play with some of her friends and we visited many loved and missed friends around the Somerset area. I could not bring myself to visit my old horses and absolutely could not go by the old farm. It was an emotional week!
Mikaylie had the hardest time as she got to experience first hand all that she's missing of the American high school experience. We arrived to Somerset the night of Somerset High School's football homecoming game and this really put Mik into a state of grief and regret. High school in NZ is NOTHING like high school in the US as it is all academic and, while there are sports and other extracurricular activities, it without the spirit and excitement of that in the States. Few parents even attend high school sporting events here and many are even during the school day. The whole Hollywood image of high school and all that it entails is actually fairly accurate. Its such an epic experience with Friday night football games, prom, graduation, etc.
With Mikaylie's eye set on playing soccer at the university level one day, we are considering her transferring back to the states for her senior year of high school. We have some wonderful friends who have offered to have her stay with them and we will prayerfully consider the possibility. We spoke to her former school there and she will be taking the ACT in December so that she can be placed in classes should we feel led to bring her back.
We met Kaigan in Daytona Beach then went on to Orlando and Disney World. Mikaylie seemed to be more enamored by the Magic Kingdom than Nani who had never been, and she even conquered her fear of the characters that she had since her first visit when she was 3! Kaigan, who had just been in February with Billy and Brylie, was quite over the whole thing and really only put up with it and us for the free food and shopping. Okay, maybe he had a little fun too. Nani did enjoy the parks (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom) and rode every ride the big kids did, and even one that Kaigan wouldn't! I'll let him tell you which... We had a great visit with Kaigan and he showed his sisters around his school and let his momma hug his neck... a lot!
The last few days were spent in the Mississippi/Louisiana area with Mom who was home only temporarily from Gram duty. There we visited more friends and family and ate the best of the foods we miss the most (i.e. seafood!). We shopped for the last odds and ends that we wanted to bring back to NZ and had a heck of a time trying to keep all the luggage under weight! In all we bought 13 pairs of shoes! Shoes in NZ are so expensive and those that aren't are rubbish! We brought shoes back for Will, Brylie and Graham and the girls and I got a couple or three pair each. I had also had homeschool material sent to Mom's house that needed to be spread throughout our bags. Um... yea, books are heavy! Not to mention the beignet mix, goodies for those left at home and good ole American candy!
The entire 3 weeks stateside, I was addicted to talk radio and all the election stuff. As much as it disgusted me, I just could not turn it off and I became more and more concerned about the future of our home country. I also felt increasingly grateful that we are currently living here. I know this upsets many people and think us unpatriotic but we choose to follow God's will for us and right now that is very certainly living here. I do love America but have come to detest the entitlement mentality of many Americans and the wicked government that enables such behavior. Additionally, having heard multiple stories of overseas and homebound voters not receiving their absentee ballots in time or at all (myself being one of them!) and other questionable voting, election, ballot issues, my faith in the American election process is left at zero. I could go on in defense of our decision to leave America, etc. but I shan't... for now anyway.
Leaving Kaigan, Mom and the rest of the family is sooo very hard when you live so far away and have no definite plans to reunite. But the departure was somewhat easier for me as I was so excited to get back to our nearly finished new house. And that is where I will pick up tomorrow...
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