The past 2 weeks have been wonderful!!! We've had so much fun as a family together. And I've managed to get some cool pictures too.
Before Christmas we did some shopping and had two Christmas parties to go to. Christmas Day was nice, just the 8 of us in the morning then we went to friends' house for dinner in the evening. December 26th we had a small cook out with some of Mikaylie's friends before they all went off on various summer holidays. Yesterday we visited 3 beaches (don't ask) for pictures and fun. We all played a 4 on 4 soccer match on the beach and the girls had a splash in the sea. Today we when to White Cliffs for a 2 hour hike through pasture (uphill!), bush and along beach. The boys were FANTASTIC, making not one complaint. The girls, on the other hand, were less than enthusiastic and moaned and groaned until the trail started to go downhill. It WAS quite a climb but the views were gorgeous and the last leg on the beach was great! Couldn't wait to get the pics posted on the blog so I can "Pin" them on Pinterest. I'd been obsessing over family pics since all the kids were going to be here and I am pleased with what I've captured.
We have less than 24 hours left together as a family of eight and I'm trying to stay upbeat and not waste the rest in a funk. The funk will come...
28 December 2013
24 December 2013
ALL MY CHICKIES ARE HOME!!!!
I am the most happy mom in the world! Both Kaigan and Mikaylie came home for Christmas and I am overjoyed! We managed to get Mikaylie a ticket at the last minute and we are having a fantastic time! We've shopped and visited, gone to parties and just hung out.
AND Kaigan and I climbed the mountain. Yes, I climbed the mountain AGAIN! We went with two other American families. Nine of us. It was hard as heck but so worth it. Though I was rethinking that when we reached the carpark and I realized that my pocket had ripped at some point and my iPhone4 had fallen out SOMEWHERE on the mountain. This morning I got up, carefully as my body was aching, and started on the phone with my cell service provider. I got my phone service suspended so that no one could call some faraway land on my nickel. I then called the police station to report my lost property. I asked if I should call the mountain visitors center and was told that they'd do that. I was also instructed to call our insurance company. We have contents insurance that covers, well, the contents of our home... for just about any reason… including losing your phone while hiking a mountain. The insurance man was so lovely! He listed off the items that I needed to email to him and said if I'd get them to him by 2pm he could put the claim through today and Noel Leeming (an electrics/appliance store) would call on December 26. All I'd have to do is pay the $250 excess (deductible) and I'd get a brand new phone. If the model I had was no longer available I'd receive the next higher available model. Let me mention that I had not even purchased my iPhone in the first place. I had won it from a local store. So I sent the insurance company the police report that the police had emailed me, a photo of my lost phone's box (thankfully I had kept it!) and a copy of my cell phone bill. Within 15 minute he called me back to tell me the claim had been filed and sent to the store. About thirty minutes later the store called to say they'd received my claim and I could come get my new phone TODAY!!! AND that it was an iPhone5s! I also get a replacement Lifeproof case. Wow! It amazes me that it was so easy, hassle-free and every single person I dealt with regarding the claim was absolutely lovely. They all wished me a Merry Christmas. Actually, I've not heard a single "Happy Holidays" this year.
Time to stuff some stockings! MERRY CHRISTMAS and I hope 2014 brings you to New Zealand.
I am the most happy mom in the world! Both Kaigan and Mikaylie came home for Christmas and I am overjoyed! We managed to get Mikaylie a ticket at the last minute and we are having a fantastic time! We've shopped and visited, gone to parties and just hung out.
AND Kaigan and I climbed the mountain. Yes, I climbed the mountain AGAIN! We went with two other American families. Nine of us. It was hard as heck but so worth it. Though I was rethinking that when we reached the carpark and I realized that my pocket had ripped at some point and my iPhone4 had fallen out SOMEWHERE on the mountain. This morning I got up, carefully as my body was aching, and started on the phone with my cell service provider. I got my phone service suspended so that no one could call some faraway land on my nickel. I then called the police station to report my lost property. I asked if I should call the mountain visitors center and was told that they'd do that. I was also instructed to call our insurance company. We have contents insurance that covers, well, the contents of our home... for just about any reason… including losing your phone while hiking a mountain. The insurance man was so lovely! He listed off the items that I needed to email to him and said if I'd get them to him by 2pm he could put the claim through today and Noel Leeming (an electrics/appliance store) would call on December 26. All I'd have to do is pay the $250 excess (deductible) and I'd get a brand new phone. If the model I had was no longer available I'd receive the next higher available model. Let me mention that I had not even purchased my iPhone in the first place. I had won it from a local store. So I sent the insurance company the police report that the police had emailed me, a photo of my lost phone's box (thankfully I had kept it!) and a copy of my cell phone bill. Within 15 minute he called me back to tell me the claim had been filed and sent to the store. About thirty minutes later the store called to say they'd received my claim and I could come get my new phone TODAY!!! AND that it was an iPhone5s! I also get a replacement Lifeproof case. Wow! It amazes me that it was so easy, hassle-free and every single person I dealt with regarding the claim was absolutely lovely. They all wished me a Merry Christmas. Actually, I've not heard a single "Happy Holidays" this year.
Time to stuff some stockings! MERRY CHRISTMAS and I hope 2014 brings you to New Zealand.
08 December 2013
I KNOW! I KNOW!! I'm a terrible blogger!!! I've found it difficult to write for the last, what, 8 months?!? for several reasons…First, Mikaylie moved back to the states and thus produced a variety of emotions for me to deal with, primarily, of course, tremendous grief. It's still a daily challenge to not just curl up in her room and cry. It was very much the same when Kaigan left only I could reason that he'd be leaving for uni if we were still in the States anyway (though we'd be soooo much closer!). But with Mikaylie, I was just not ready for my 17 year old to move away from us. There is so much going on in her life that I'm just supposed to be there for. I deal with sadness, guilt, bitterness and frustration EVERY DAY. And to make matters worse, she will not be able to come back for Christmas. Long story short, her mere 2 weeks off for Christmas leaves little flexibility for flights therefore the airfare prices are absolutely ridiculous! Thankfully she will spend Christmas in Mississippi with Mom, Grammy, my brother and his family. And I'm still praying for a Christmas miracle of finding a flight that the airline is desperate to sell just to fill the seat at the last minute…
Another reason I've found it hard to blog is that I often get the urge to blog when we've done something particularly fun, exciting or different that is unique to living in New Zealand. In these cases, I feel like I'm bragging and only telling about all that is great and awesome here. While we do love living here and are constantly in awe and disbelief that this is our life now, things aren't, of course, always rainbows and ponies. I really want to give an accurate account of our life here but the lows are particularly difficult to write about, leaving a very unbalanced version of reality.
I have decided, however, to make a New Year's resolution to be a better blogger by putting blog time on my weekly schedule and whether the week has been particularly boring or sad or fun or whatever, I'll write. Please help hold me accountable!
So, to catch up on the last several months…
Nearly seven months ago I embarked on one of the most difficult trips of my life. Mikaylie and I boarded a plane bound for the US and a new chapter in Mikaylie's life. We sat hand in hand on the plane flying out of New Plymouth, tears running down our cheeks, in a kind of stunned state. Then the whirlwind trip commenced. She and I flew to the States, spent a night in LA which included a nice dinner with my cousin Tommy and his lovely bride CJ. Dinner and the company were wonderful. Adjusting my stomach to American portions and richness, was miserable! I'll leave it at that for fear of TMI…
Mik and I then flew to New Orleans where Kaigan collected us from the airport. First stop: Chik Fil A!
My siblings and their families were in town so we had a rare family lunch on Sunday, minus Billy and the younger four of ours kiddos. Mom was thrilled to have all three of her kids in one place as that had not happened in several years.
We drove up to Memphis for another quick visit with my brother and his family and a dinner with some friends from Arkansas who drove all the way to Memphis just to see us for a few hours. Then Kaigan drove us up to Kentucky where we settled Mikaylie in at the Wells' home. It was a lot like taking her to college in that we shopped for things to make her room hers and for just the usual personal necessities to get her started "on her own." Of course she wasn't on her own. Greg and Andrea and their family embraced and love her as their own. For that we are eternally grateful. And Kaigan attended UK for summerschool so was at least nearby and saw her some on weekends.
The week flew by and before I knew it my dear, sweet friend, Anne, with Kaigan and Mikaylie drove me to the airport. I honestly don't know how I peeled myself away from them and walked through the airport. And I have no idea how I ever boarded that plane. I literally felt like my heart was broken in half and one half was left on the curb at the Cincinnati airport.
The next few weeks for me are a blur. I went through the motions. I cooked and did the necessities but felt like a zombie. I avoided Mik's room like the plague and the couple of times I had to go in there for one thing or another wound up taking an hour as I'd curl up crying on her bed, smelling her pillow. Though tears stream down my face as I write this, I am coping better. And I look forward to going back in May for her graduation and to spend some time with Kaigan.
In October, our whole family flew over to see Mikaylie. Our whole stay revolved around Mikaylie and her soccer schedule so anyone who wanted to see us had to come to us. After all, we had traveled over 8000 miles! Sadly, Kaigan was only able to join us for 48 hours since he was in school but it was a good visit which also included my mom who came up as well. We all crammed into Jenn and Grammy's house for a giant weekend slumber party!
The rest of the time was spent in Somerset where the Wells' (Thanks, Gene and Nancy!) graciously and hospitably let us take over their home for the week. We were able to see several of Mikaylie's games including senior night. This visit was extremely emotional again as Mikaylie was experiencing some stress and frustration. Thankfully we helped her work through it and bought her a car which makes everything better! Of course, though she has difficult days and misses us more than she likely predicted she would have, she is an incredible young woman and is learning to be independent and strong in ways most kids don't get the chance. We are so proud of her and are excited to see where her soccer dreams take her.
One thing that has helped to occupy my mind since returning to NZ is that I've been gainfully employed! I have been hired by the hospital as a casual clerical employee. This means I can be called anytime and asked if I'm able to come fill in in a clerical position, usually for someone ill or on holiday. I could go weeks without a call or one that would work for me and our family and I could be bounced from department to department, having to learn a new job every time. But thankfully a spot in Medical Records opened for two days per weeks. It is super flexible and while I generally do Mondays and Fridays, I can shift the days if need be for whatever reason. And I work from 9-3 allowing me to bring and pick up the kids from school. I really enjoy the work (scanning medical charts into the computer) and the people with whom I work. I've even been asked to add a day per week as someone is going on maternity leave. So starting in January, I'll increase to Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This should be for around a year's duration. And best of all, since I'm "casual" I can take off whenever I need to. It's been a real blessing!
In other news… Will has returned to traditional school. He is in a special needs program at Spotswood College (It is a high school). This too has had it's challenges for both him and us but still feels like the right decision. He enjoys playing basketball at lunch as has even participated in some Special Olympics activities in soccer and basketball.
Brylie seems to be enjoying high school as well. She's played on three different soccer teams in various leagues and enjoys the sport.
Graham and Nani are also enjoying school, often going barefooted as is the kiwi way. They learn some really cool things about the culture here and the environment. Yesterday Nani was singing "Silent Night" in Maori!
Billy still love love LOVES working here! He's still has more time at home and loves the way the health care system works here. (I'm really not bragging, but couldn't be happier to have evaded Obamacare!) Billy and I got a weekend away a couple months ago when we went to a concert and did some hiking. It is absolutely beautiful on any drive one takes here!
We also had our annual Thanksgiving celebration which has more than tripled in attendance since our first in 2011. Praise God for gorgeous weather as we hosted nearly 100 people representing over 10 countries! Billy fried 4 turkeys, I made sweet potato casserole, green bean/artichoke casserole and oyster dressing and everyone brought dishes of various types. No on left hungry and fun was had by all!
The only downer was that the night before somewhere around 9pm, my best horse Charlie took a horrific fall off of a 8-9 foot cliff, landing on a concrete drive! He miraculously walked up the drive on which he fell and up part of our long driveway, thankfully, as we would not have known he'd fallen until the next day when we found he was missing. I have no idea how he could have walked as far as he did because when Brylie and I approached him he was shaking in a cold sweat, blood dripping from both nostrils, breathing extremely fast but shallow and he could not move… AT ALL. He'd wince in pain when we tried to get him to walk to a grassy area and off of the gravel driveway. A couple times he would swoon as if he were going to go down which scared me to death! The whole thing was a total nightmare and as we waited for the vet, I was trying to brace myself for the words, "I'm sorry but we have to put him down." And I prayed. It had taken me so long to find this wonderful beast and he'd done a world of good for my damaged confidence. The vet arrived and wasn't as pessimistic as I'd feared. Of course he couldn't promise he'd be okay or even survive but he had hope which was all I needed to hear. He gave him a shot for pain and an antibiotic and helped me slowly walk him to a more comfortable area. I covered him with a blanket and gave him hay and water so that he wouldn't have to walk for it. Then all we could do was wait and pray. I checked on him several times before I finally went to bed at 12:30, Billy begging me to call off the party that was only hours away. I sprang out of bed when my alarm went off at 4:30am to go check on Charlie, praying all the way as I couldn't even see his silhouette in the darkness until I was nearly to him. I knew that if I found him down it would be the end. As difficult as it was for him to take just a few steps, getting up would be impossible and going down to begin with wouldn't have been by choice. He was still standing!!! Praise God! The next morning, in the daylight, I assessed his injuries better. He had remarkably few external abrasions, only one being of any concern but still ultimately of little. His legs, which was my first concern upon realizing he'd fallen, were neither swollen nor hot. Those Clydie legs were rock solid! His side, however, was disturbing. There was a bowling ball size dent in his ribcage that looked as if he'd been shot by a cannon. Clearly ribs were broken which explained his difficulty breathing. But he WAS breathing. Still, even the slightest flinch brought a wince of pain. My poor big boy!
I'd asked that no one would go out to see him during the party, with the exception of a couple of vets who were in attendance, as he was extremely jumpy and vulnerable and it would be very painful for him if he reacted. He was so timid and untrusting, it kind of hurt my feelings that he'd shy from me. But who could blame him? I guess he'd have PTSD from such a traumatic accident; probably thinking, "Don't touch me! Please don't touch me!"
After the party, our vet returned and, with Billy's ultrasound machine and 3 extension cords, he scanned his chest and lungs. He could see no movement in his right lung and he could see fluid and air in his chest cavity. Charlie had both a pneumothorax and a hemothorax from what appeared to be 3 broken ribs. It was still wait and see… and pray…
Today, two weeks and 2 days after his fall, I'm happy to say that Charlie is looking fantastic! He is back in a paddock with his mate, Lofty, and appears to be able to move pain free. He still has, and likely always will have, a dent in his ribcage but if that serves as a reminder of God's grace in saving my boy, then so be it. He's returning to his normal personality and isn't as timid as he was for the first couple of weeks, about knocking me over, rubbing his head on my body for a scratch. I can't help but indulge him after all he bravely went through! In another 7 weeks or so, the vet says, I can get on him and gently walk around the paddock to see how he feels. I'll have to bring him back into work slowly and it'll be several months before he's back to where he was. I am oh, so grateful!
Well, I think that has roughly caught you up to present. Again, I will truly endeavor to be a better blogger in the coming year. And if you have any specific questions about our life here in New Zealand, PLEASE leave a comment! I'd love to know what you would like to hear about!
Blessings,
Barb
Another reason I've found it hard to blog is that I often get the urge to blog when we've done something particularly fun, exciting or different that is unique to living in New Zealand. In these cases, I feel like I'm bragging and only telling about all that is great and awesome here. While we do love living here and are constantly in awe and disbelief that this is our life now, things aren't, of course, always rainbows and ponies. I really want to give an accurate account of our life here but the lows are particularly difficult to write about, leaving a very unbalanced version of reality.
I have decided, however, to make a New Year's resolution to be a better blogger by putting blog time on my weekly schedule and whether the week has been particularly boring or sad or fun or whatever, I'll write. Please help hold me accountable!
So, to catch up on the last several months…
Nearly seven months ago I embarked on one of the most difficult trips of my life. Mikaylie and I boarded a plane bound for the US and a new chapter in Mikaylie's life. We sat hand in hand on the plane flying out of New Plymouth, tears running down our cheeks, in a kind of stunned state. Then the whirlwind trip commenced. She and I flew to the States, spent a night in LA which included a nice dinner with my cousin Tommy and his lovely bride CJ. Dinner and the company were wonderful. Adjusting my stomach to American portions and richness, was miserable! I'll leave it at that for fear of TMI…
Mik and I then flew to New Orleans where Kaigan collected us from the airport. First stop: Chik Fil A!
My siblings and their families were in town so we had a rare family lunch on Sunday, minus Billy and the younger four of ours kiddos. Mom was thrilled to have all three of her kids in one place as that had not happened in several years.
The rest of that week included meeting with one of LSU's women's soccer coaches to inquire about their soccer program, visiting a handful of friends/family then a weekend of 25 year high school reunion activities. The reunion was great fun and a good distraction but as a whole the week was terribly, emotionally difficult as I couldn't help but tick down the time I had left with my daughter who had been my closest friend and even ally as we tried to adjust to a new life in a new country. As much as I love my husband and obviously would follow him anywhere, he really has no clue how difficult this move was for me. Mikaylie did. And I couldn't help but feel like in some way I'd be going back to an aloneness that I can't really describe.
We drove up to Memphis for another quick visit with my brother and his family and a dinner with some friends from Arkansas who drove all the way to Memphis just to see us for a few hours. Then Kaigan drove us up to Kentucky where we settled Mikaylie in at the Wells' home. It was a lot like taking her to college in that we shopped for things to make her room hers and for just the usual personal necessities to get her started "on her own." Of course she wasn't on her own. Greg and Andrea and their family embraced and love her as their own. For that we are eternally grateful. And Kaigan attended UK for summerschool so was at least nearby and saw her some on weekends.
The week flew by and before I knew it my dear, sweet friend, Anne, with Kaigan and Mikaylie drove me to the airport. I honestly don't know how I peeled myself away from them and walked through the airport. And I have no idea how I ever boarded that plane. I literally felt like my heart was broken in half and one half was left on the curb at the Cincinnati airport.
The next few weeks for me are a blur. I went through the motions. I cooked and did the necessities but felt like a zombie. I avoided Mik's room like the plague and the couple of times I had to go in there for one thing or another wound up taking an hour as I'd curl up crying on her bed, smelling her pillow. Though tears stream down my face as I write this, I am coping better. And I look forward to going back in May for her graduation and to spend some time with Kaigan.
In October, our whole family flew over to see Mikaylie. Our whole stay revolved around Mikaylie and her soccer schedule so anyone who wanted to see us had to come to us. After all, we had traveled over 8000 miles! Sadly, Kaigan was only able to join us for 48 hours since he was in school but it was a good visit which also included my mom who came up as well. We all crammed into Jenn and Grammy's house for a giant weekend slumber party!
The rest of the time was spent in Somerset where the Wells' (Thanks, Gene and Nancy!) graciously and hospitably let us take over their home for the week. We were able to see several of Mikaylie's games including senior night. This visit was extremely emotional again as Mikaylie was experiencing some stress and frustration. Thankfully we helped her work through it and bought her a car which makes everything better! Of course, though she has difficult days and misses us more than she likely predicted she would have, she is an incredible young woman and is learning to be independent and strong in ways most kids don't get the chance. We are so proud of her and are excited to see where her soccer dreams take her.
One thing that has helped to occupy my mind since returning to NZ is that I've been gainfully employed! I have been hired by the hospital as a casual clerical employee. This means I can be called anytime and asked if I'm able to come fill in in a clerical position, usually for someone ill or on holiday. I could go weeks without a call or one that would work for me and our family and I could be bounced from department to department, having to learn a new job every time. But thankfully a spot in Medical Records opened for two days per weeks. It is super flexible and while I generally do Mondays and Fridays, I can shift the days if need be for whatever reason. And I work from 9-3 allowing me to bring and pick up the kids from school. I really enjoy the work (scanning medical charts into the computer) and the people with whom I work. I've even been asked to add a day per week as someone is going on maternity leave. So starting in January, I'll increase to Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This should be for around a year's duration. And best of all, since I'm "casual" I can take off whenever I need to. It's been a real blessing!
In other news… Will has returned to traditional school. He is in a special needs program at Spotswood College (It is a high school). This too has had it's challenges for both him and us but still feels like the right decision. He enjoys playing basketball at lunch as has even participated in some Special Olympics activities in soccer and basketball.
Brylie seems to be enjoying high school as well. She's played on three different soccer teams in various leagues and enjoys the sport.
Graham and Nani are also enjoying school, often going barefooted as is the kiwi way. They learn some really cool things about the culture here and the environment. Yesterday Nani was singing "Silent Night" in Maori!
Billy still love love LOVES working here! He's still has more time at home and loves the way the health care system works here. (I'm really not bragging, but couldn't be happier to have evaded Obamacare!) Billy and I got a weekend away a couple months ago when we went to a concert and did some hiking. It is absolutely beautiful on any drive one takes here!
We also had our annual Thanksgiving celebration which has more than tripled in attendance since our first in 2011. Praise God for gorgeous weather as we hosted nearly 100 people representing over 10 countries! Billy fried 4 turkeys, I made sweet potato casserole, green bean/artichoke casserole and oyster dressing and everyone brought dishes of various types. No on left hungry and fun was had by all!
The only downer was that the night before somewhere around 9pm, my best horse Charlie took a horrific fall off of a 8-9 foot cliff, landing on a concrete drive! He miraculously walked up the drive on which he fell and up part of our long driveway, thankfully, as we would not have known he'd fallen until the next day when we found he was missing. I have no idea how he could have walked as far as he did because when Brylie and I approached him he was shaking in a cold sweat, blood dripping from both nostrils, breathing extremely fast but shallow and he could not move… AT ALL. He'd wince in pain when we tried to get him to walk to a grassy area and off of the gravel driveway. A couple times he would swoon as if he were going to go down which scared me to death! The whole thing was a total nightmare and as we waited for the vet, I was trying to brace myself for the words, "I'm sorry but we have to put him down." And I prayed. It had taken me so long to find this wonderful beast and he'd done a world of good for my damaged confidence. The vet arrived and wasn't as pessimistic as I'd feared. Of course he couldn't promise he'd be okay or even survive but he had hope which was all I needed to hear. He gave him a shot for pain and an antibiotic and helped me slowly walk him to a more comfortable area. I covered him with a blanket and gave him hay and water so that he wouldn't have to walk for it. Then all we could do was wait and pray. I checked on him several times before I finally went to bed at 12:30, Billy begging me to call off the party that was only hours away. I sprang out of bed when my alarm went off at 4:30am to go check on Charlie, praying all the way as I couldn't even see his silhouette in the darkness until I was nearly to him. I knew that if I found him down it would be the end. As difficult as it was for him to take just a few steps, getting up would be impossible and going down to begin with wouldn't have been by choice. He was still standing!!! Praise God! The next morning, in the daylight, I assessed his injuries better. He had remarkably few external abrasions, only one being of any concern but still ultimately of little. His legs, which was my first concern upon realizing he'd fallen, were neither swollen nor hot. Those Clydie legs were rock solid! His side, however, was disturbing. There was a bowling ball size dent in his ribcage that looked as if he'd been shot by a cannon. Clearly ribs were broken which explained his difficulty breathing. But he WAS breathing. Still, even the slightest flinch brought a wince of pain. My poor big boy!
I'd asked that no one would go out to see him during the party, with the exception of a couple of vets who were in attendance, as he was extremely jumpy and vulnerable and it would be very painful for him if he reacted. He was so timid and untrusting, it kind of hurt my feelings that he'd shy from me. But who could blame him? I guess he'd have PTSD from such a traumatic accident; probably thinking, "Don't touch me! Please don't touch me!"
After the party, our vet returned and, with Billy's ultrasound machine and 3 extension cords, he scanned his chest and lungs. He could see no movement in his right lung and he could see fluid and air in his chest cavity. Charlie had both a pneumothorax and a hemothorax from what appeared to be 3 broken ribs. It was still wait and see… and pray…
Today, two weeks and 2 days after his fall, I'm happy to say that Charlie is looking fantastic! He is back in a paddock with his mate, Lofty, and appears to be able to move pain free. He still has, and likely always will have, a dent in his ribcage but if that serves as a reminder of God's grace in saving my boy, then so be it. He's returning to his normal personality and isn't as timid as he was for the first couple of weeks, about knocking me over, rubbing his head on my body for a scratch. I can't help but indulge him after all he bravely went through! In another 7 weeks or so, the vet says, I can get on him and gently walk around the paddock to see how he feels. I'll have to bring him back into work slowly and it'll be several months before he's back to where he was. I am oh, so grateful!
Well, I think that has roughly caught you up to present. Again, I will truly endeavor to be a better blogger in the coming year. And if you have any specific questions about our life here in New Zealand, PLEASE leave a comment! I'd love to know what you would like to hear about!
Blessings,
Barb
28 April 2013
Get ready. This will be a long one…
Over the last several weeks, things have become
progressively harder. The number of days Mikaylie has left with us is dwindling
and time is flying far too fast. The
first week of April was particularly difficult as suddenly she was leaving
“next month” as opposed to “in May”. I
can’t even begin to describe how I’m feeling and my lack of posts is a combination
of just not feeling like writing (or doing anything else for that matter) and
that what I’d have written would not have been pretty. I’m writing now, not
because I’m feeling better about it, but more because I’m just numb.
I’ll back track to cover what we’ve been up to over the last
bit…
Will and Brylie attended an Easter Camp over the Easter
break. They went by bus with the youth group from our church to camp with kids
from all around the country. They played games, participated in praise and
worship, had Bible study and lots of other fun stuff. Will’s main comment was,
“The food was good.” Haha! That’s all it takes to satisfy Will! They both
seemed to have had a blast and met lots of kids from other places.
While Brylie and Will were away at camp, Billy and I took
Mikaylie, Graham and Nani to hike the Tongariro Crossing, or at least the part
that is still open after some volcanic activity in months passed. We spent the
night in a cute cabin in Ohakune at the foot of Mt. Ruapehu. In the morning we
took a shuttle to Mangatepopo where we began our hike through barren volcanic
craters, up The Giant’s Staircase and across the plateau between Mt. Tongariro
and Mt. Ngauruhoe. After another shorter climb, we left Nani and Graham resting
while Mik, Billy and I climbed the steepest part, 200 meters up the ridge onto
Red Crater. This climb would have been too difficult for Graham and Nani as it
was a scree-covered steep climb. (Though not nearly as hard and long as the
climb on Mt. Taranaki!) At the top we could see into Red Crater, the Emerald
Pools and Blue Lake. We could have climbed down to the pools, however, we were
concerned about getting back in time for our shuttle and were anxious to get
back to Graham and Nani who we had left dangling precariously on the edge of
the cliffs below. JUST KIDDING about the dangling part!
Graham blew us away with his stamina and lack of
complaining. He was like the Energizer Rabbit, never asking to rest or whining
about being tired or “my legs hurt”. He told me later that, “When I was tired
and wanted to stop, God said, ‘Graham! If you want ice cream, you’ll keep
walking!’” Nani, on the other hand, was the whiniest, complaining-est,
crying-est kid on the hike up! Though, in her defense, she mistakenly thought
we were climbing to the top of Mt. Ngauruhoe for a large part of the hike out,
leaving her feeling overwhelmed and defeated. Her attitude greatly improved
once we realized and explained the less intimidating trek. She was much better
on the way back down, or so Billy said. I caught a second wind and nearly felt
like jogging down so Mik and I went ahead, leaping like gazelles over rocks and
darting around slow people. Okay, maybe not gazelles but we were booking it! I don't recommend going on a holiday weekend, as it was very crowded!
We took the shuttle back to our car then headed to Taupo. On
the way we could see the other side of the range we had just climbed, including
steaming vents with streams of smoke raising above. Kinda glad we didn’t see
that before because it was a little scary thinking we had been climbing, not
just an active volcano but one that has been active so recently!
We drove around part of Lake Taupo and enjoyed watching the
sunset behind the water. We arrived at Wairaki Resort where we swam in a hot
pool and ordered food to our room. We were a tired lot!
In the morning, after a nice buffet-style breakfast, we went
to Craters of the Moon where we walked through a geothermal area that included
streaming vents, strange volcanic vegetation and mud pools. Billy had been so excited
to see the mud pools but then found them rather disappointing since they were
nearly dried up due to the severe draught NZ had been experiencing. We then went to Huka Falls where we ran into
a guy from Kentucky! He was doing a teaching exchange in Auckland and was out
catching the sights over the holiday weekend. He had spotted Billy’s LSU
t-shirt and asked if we were American. Imagine our surprise when he said he’s
from Kentucky!
Our next stop was prawn fishing! Mik and I were not overly
thrilled about this next activity but it actually turned out to be the
highlight of our weekend away! The kids had a blast and the 5 of us caught a whopping
11 prawns! LOL! They bagged them and put them on ice and we proceeded to the
restaurant where we ate… prawns. I have to say: Seafood here, in general, is a
pretty big disappointment. They have clearly never heard of crab boil and these
N’awlins folks find it rather bland. We will definitely spice up our whooping
11 prawns with some imported flavor!
I also thought it noteworthy that, in this country where
Christianity is not so common, two of the most highly observed public holidays are
Christmas Day and Good Friday. No advertisements are allowed to run on the
radio or TV, nearly everything is closed and any business that is not is fined
for being open. Employees cannot be required
to work on these days but if they choose to do so, must be paid more than their
normal wages (I’m not sure if it’s like time and a half or what). Some restaurants advertise with signage “no
surcharge” because many restaurants charge a 15% surcharge on restaurant bills in
order to help cover the additional expenses they incur to be open on these
days. Easter Monday is a holiday too so NZ enjoys a wonderful four-day weekend.
Sadly, many Kiwis likely do not know what the holiday is truly about.
The fact that leisure time is so valued in NZ is really
refreshing. There have been times that our American way of life has not
appreciated this tradition, like when we needed that gallon of milk or whatnot on
a public holiday or when I’ve need to grab a gift or something but it’s after
five and the mall is closed. Most shops close at 5pm daily (many at 3pm on
Saturdays), though some have a “late day’, usually Thursdays, when they close
at 7pm. As a whole, these shorter “trading hours” contribute to the laid back,
cruisy, less rush-rush atmosphere of New Zealand life.
Graham seems to be thoroughly enjoying being back in school.
He’s an ole pro, scootering to school with Nani from the spot that I drop them
each morning. He seems to be managing the work quite well. His biggest
achievement, however, was his participation and completion of the Weetbix Kids
Tryathlon. No, I haven’t misspelled Tryathlon. They call it “Try”athlon because
it’s all about the kids giving their best effort. It is not a race really; the
kids don’t place and there is no winner. All the kids are winners for giving it
a go. Nani and Graham both participated this year and both did absolutely
amazing! Not to lessen Nani’s accomplishment, but for Graham, this was HUGE!
Given his physical delays, low core body strength and sensory issues, the fact
that he could complete a 100meter swim in the ocean, a 4k bike and a 1.5k run
is just phenomenal! Yes, I’m one proud Momma! Well done, Graham and Nani!
Brylie too, has adjusted well to her new high school. She is
playing soccer and is enjoying a drama class. Friday she road in her first hunt, with hounds and everything! She loved it and now wants to confiscate my mount! I've not yet participated in a proper hunt, only two "practice" days without the hounds. We definitely need to sort out another horse (we have a couple of possibilities in the pasture) and we really need a float (horse trailer), as I've been borrowing one from a friend.
Will is still homeschooling for the time being but we are
exploring some other educational options. Academically I can address and tailor his needs but he really needs to learn how to
interact appropriately socially with others and be able to function outside our
supervision. He is enjoying youth group with our church and that seems to be
going well.
Mikaylie is officially withdrawn from school here. We are halfway through the first of three, 2-week school holidays and we leave for the
States just 2 weeks into the next term. She is still playing soccer with
Inglewood Football Club and will do so until she leaves.
It could very well be quite some time before I post another blog entry. The next couple of weeks will be crazy and an emotional land mine. Billy leaves in five days for a conference in the States and will return only two days before Mikaylie and I leave. I truly covet your prayers for this extremely difficult time. I cannot fathom how I will possibly get on that plane to leave, not one, but two children and fly away halfway around the world.
03 March 2013
Climbing Mt. Taranaki
I consider myself fairly fit. I've been swimming twice a week for the past several weeks, riding a couple times a week and doing various farm chores requires a degree of fitness. Yesterday, however, made me feel like I've been a couch potato all my life!
Yesterday, Billy and I climbed Mt. Taranaki. He had done it last year and has been wanting to do it again and it was definitely something I've been wanting to achieve, especially over the last month as the mountain has been out and calling to me. So since the weather was still bone dry and Billy had the weekend off, we decided to go.
We arrived at the Visitors Centre and began our trek at 10am. We started on a boardwalk then zigzagged on a gravel road with an incline and it wasn't long before I was puffing a bit. The gravel was tricky to walk on and I became eager to get to something else. We rested on a bench before starting on the next section called the Puffer which is concrete but very steep and I soon missed the more gradual incline of the gravel section. Oh, the burn in the thighs! We reached a flatter section where there's a huge antennae, a long drop (the last toilet opportunity) and cabin where people can reserve to stay if they decide to make the climb in 2 days. After this point the climb was only different kinds of difficult. First was a section where we had to clamber over boulders between which was loose gravel that was unstable to walk on. Next was a stretch of steps, some with gravel in them, some with wood wrapped with chicken wire. While strenuous on the thighs, this was the easiest section for me because the ground beneath my feet wasn't shifting. Next. Came. The. SCREE! How to describe scree? Imagine a steep hill under a layer of sand (ash) under a layer of large pebbles with larger rocks covering some sections and then the boulders that may or may not stay put scattered here and there. Now imagine climbing this! Every step forward you slide back. How far do you slide back, who knows? I tried to find rocks jutting out from the actual earth on which to place my feet but there were many sections that had none. My achilles tendons were aching! This section of the climb was so tedious and seemed to go on FOR EVER! After this part we were back to boulder climbing on gloved-hands and feet. This part would have been probably the most fun if I hadn't been so spent from the prior 4 or so hours of climbing. Billy, throughout most of the adventure, stayed ahead of me and would stop to wait for me frequently. I'd clamber and climb and fight to get to him thinking "Yay! I can rest!" but just as I got close, he'd start up again! UUUHHHGGGG! Such a tease! This climbing section also felt endless. Between fatigue and the fact that you couldn't see the top, it was SO HARD. This was also the section where we passed the most people. Only THEY were going DOWN! Billy and I were actually the last going up! Finally we reached the edge of the crater! We then had to go down to cross the crater and go up the other side in order to reach the summit. Just reaching the crater was a huge achievement. But how could one go this far and not climb to the summit? We crossed the snow-filled crater and began the final climb. I had a new energy. We were almost there! This was the first time I actually went ahead of Billy. We reached the top to the sounds of three, Asian youths whooping and celebrating their achievement of reaching the highest point of Mt. Taranaki. There was also another group of climbers who were staying at a cabin on the other side. WE MADE IT! While the views were spectacular, I couldn't help but feeling slightly let down. I've decided that because people nowadays have the advantage of flying, we lose the awe of the views from mountain tops because we've seen them from the air. Imagine being an explorer of long ago, before airplanes, and how stunning views would be! For us, it was more about the accomplishment of making the climb. I'd also hoped to get photos that I could later zoom in on to find our farm but, between underestimating how close we are to town and the cloud cover, I just missed it.
We took pictures and had a snack of Ritz, salami, cheese and apple. We couldn't linger long as now time was not on our side. We were racing daylight. The youths left before us as we had the other climbers take our photo at the summit before the rest of us headed down. Climbing down was different and had it's own challenges. That loose gravel between boulders that was of little concern on the way up was now my worst enemy. Each placement of my foot was with such tentativeness for fear my foot would slip. I tended to prefer to climb over large, very stable boulders which took more time and more complete body effort but was at least I wasn't full of fear of slipping with every step. My feet would slip though, much more often than I'd like. Several times I'd set my foot down only to have it slide and my elbow, hip or buttocks would strike the rock over which I was climbing. I will look like a battered wife in a day or two.
You know that feeling of your heart sinking when you trip or slip and just know you're going to fall? I HATE THAT FEELING! I'd decided that if I lost a year of my life every time that happened, I'd be dead next week! Billy would laugh as I'd often (too often!) say, "There goes another year". Then we reach the scree again! There I lost about a century!!!
Ideally the best way to go down was to almost leap one foot at a time into the deepest scree, similar to running in deep snow. But I did say "ideally". If you landed in a shallow spot you could slide and fall back on your head or slide down avalanche style. Actually, descending the scree was basically riding down mimi avalanches. For someone who detests the feeling of falling (do people actually LIKE the feeling of falling? Skydivers, I guess.), this was pure torture. For Billy, this must have not been an issue as he about ran down! Finally we reached the top of the steps and, having taken a slightly different route down, we'd passed the Asian youths. There we emptied our shoes of ash, sand and scree. Again the steps were a welcomed easy section. And oh so short. More boulder climbing, then the cabin where we had a quick chat with two of the night's occupants. It was around 7 or 7:30 at this point and the sun was falling fast. Now down The Puffer. One word: OUCH! Going down this steep descent your feet slide to the tips of your shoes, cramming your toes. And then there are your knees. Pain like I've never felt. Down down down in mini shuffling steps on feet feeling like what I'd imagine those Chinese women of old felt with their bound feet. Now back on the gravel. Downhill, in the now dark. More mini steps to keep from sliding but still you slide. More years off my life. We did not remember this part being so long. Just when we'd think we were nearly back to the Welcome Centre we'd round a bend to find another long stretch of gravel. This went on and on. Now my muscles were beginning to lock up. My feet felt they would bust out of my shoes and my knees in agony. (Have I sold you on this adventure yet? LOL!) FINALLY we made it to our truck. We couldn't get our shoes off fast enough! We had been looking forward to a delicious, celebratory dinner (barefoot due to aching feet) but given our late return we were left with McDonald's, which buy the way, never tasted so good. Especially the coke!
"Do you hear that?" I asked Billy as he drove us home.
"No, what?" he said.
"My calves. They're screaming."
"Hahahaha! Oh, is that what that is? Like those screaming goats on youtube."
Showered off the layer of dust and sweat, a nice soak in the hot tub then dragged ourselves UP THE STAIRS to our bed!
I'm very proud of myself for making the climb. As we neared the bottom, Billy confessed he really didn't think I could do it. Glad he had kept THAT to himself. He says he'd like to make the climb every year. Not me! While I'm thoroughly pleased to have done it, for me, it's a bucket list thing. Once was definitely enough! Unless, of course, someone comes to visit and insists climbing Mt. Taranaki. Then I might be convinced to go it again...
Yesterday, Billy and I climbed Mt. Taranaki. He had done it last year and has been wanting to do it again and it was definitely something I've been wanting to achieve, especially over the last month as the mountain has been out and calling to me. So since the weather was still bone dry and Billy had the weekend off, we decided to go.
We arrived at the Visitors Centre and began our trek at 10am. We started on a boardwalk then zigzagged on a gravel road with an incline and it wasn't long before I was puffing a bit. The gravel was tricky to walk on and I became eager to get to something else. We rested on a bench before starting on the next section called the Puffer which is concrete but very steep and I soon missed the more gradual incline of the gravel section. Oh, the burn in the thighs! We reached a flatter section where there's a huge antennae, a long drop (the last toilet opportunity) and cabin where people can reserve to stay if they decide to make the climb in 2 days. After this point the climb was only different kinds of difficult. First was a section where we had to clamber over boulders between which was loose gravel that was unstable to walk on. Next was a stretch of steps, some with gravel in them, some with wood wrapped with chicken wire. While strenuous on the thighs, this was the easiest section for me because the ground beneath my feet wasn't shifting. Next. Came. The. SCREE! How to describe scree? Imagine a steep hill under a layer of sand (ash) under a layer of large pebbles with larger rocks covering some sections and then the boulders that may or may not stay put scattered here and there. Now imagine climbing this! Every step forward you slide back. How far do you slide back, who knows? I tried to find rocks jutting out from the actual earth on which to place my feet but there were many sections that had none. My achilles tendons were aching! This section of the climb was so tedious and seemed to go on FOR EVER! After this part we were back to boulder climbing on gloved-hands and feet. This part would have been probably the most fun if I hadn't been so spent from the prior 4 or so hours of climbing. Billy, throughout most of the adventure, stayed ahead of me and would stop to wait for me frequently. I'd clamber and climb and fight to get to him thinking "Yay! I can rest!" but just as I got close, he'd start up again! UUUHHHGGGG! Such a tease! This climbing section also felt endless. Between fatigue and the fact that you couldn't see the top, it was SO HARD. This was also the section where we passed the most people. Only THEY were going DOWN! Billy and I were actually the last going up! Finally we reached the edge of the crater! We then had to go down to cross the crater and go up the other side in order to reach the summit. Just reaching the crater was a huge achievement. But how could one go this far and not climb to the summit? We crossed the snow-filled crater and began the final climb. I had a new energy. We were almost there! This was the first time I actually went ahead of Billy. We reached the top to the sounds of three, Asian youths whooping and celebrating their achievement of reaching the highest point of Mt. Taranaki. There was also another group of climbers who were staying at a cabin on the other side. WE MADE IT! While the views were spectacular, I couldn't help but feeling slightly let down. I've decided that because people nowadays have the advantage of flying, we lose the awe of the views from mountain tops because we've seen them from the air. Imagine being an explorer of long ago, before airplanes, and how stunning views would be! For us, it was more about the accomplishment of making the climb. I'd also hoped to get photos that I could later zoom in on to find our farm but, between underestimating how close we are to town and the cloud cover, I just missed it.
We took pictures and had a snack of Ritz, salami, cheese and apple. We couldn't linger long as now time was not on our side. We were racing daylight. The youths left before us as we had the other climbers take our photo at the summit before the rest of us headed down. Climbing down was different and had it's own challenges. That loose gravel between boulders that was of little concern on the way up was now my worst enemy. Each placement of my foot was with such tentativeness for fear my foot would slip. I tended to prefer to climb over large, very stable boulders which took more time and more complete body effort but was at least I wasn't full of fear of slipping with every step. My feet would slip though, much more often than I'd like. Several times I'd set my foot down only to have it slide and my elbow, hip or buttocks would strike the rock over which I was climbing. I will look like a battered wife in a day or two.
You know that feeling of your heart sinking when you trip or slip and just know you're going to fall? I HATE THAT FEELING! I'd decided that if I lost a year of my life every time that happened, I'd be dead next week! Billy would laugh as I'd often (too often!) say, "There goes another year". Then we reach the scree again! There I lost about a century!!!
Ideally the best way to go down was to almost leap one foot at a time into the deepest scree, similar to running in deep snow. But I did say "ideally". If you landed in a shallow spot you could slide and fall back on your head or slide down avalanche style. Actually, descending the scree was basically riding down mimi avalanches. For someone who detests the feeling of falling (do people actually LIKE the feeling of falling? Skydivers, I guess.), this was pure torture. For Billy, this must have not been an issue as he about ran down! Finally we reached the top of the steps and, having taken a slightly different route down, we'd passed the Asian youths. There we emptied our shoes of ash, sand and scree. Again the steps were a welcomed easy section. And oh so short. More boulder climbing, then the cabin where we had a quick chat with two of the night's occupants. It was around 7 or 7:30 at this point and the sun was falling fast. Now down The Puffer. One word: OUCH! Going down this steep descent your feet slide to the tips of your shoes, cramming your toes. And then there are your knees. Pain like I've never felt. Down down down in mini shuffling steps on feet feeling like what I'd imagine those Chinese women of old felt with their bound feet. Now back on the gravel. Downhill, in the now dark. More mini steps to keep from sliding but still you slide. More years off my life. We did not remember this part being so long. Just when we'd think we were nearly back to the Welcome Centre we'd round a bend to find another long stretch of gravel. This went on and on. Now my muscles were beginning to lock up. My feet felt they would bust out of my shoes and my knees in agony. (Have I sold you on this adventure yet? LOL!) FINALLY we made it to our truck. We couldn't get our shoes off fast enough! We had been looking forward to a delicious, celebratory dinner (barefoot due to aching feet) but given our late return we were left with McDonald's, which buy the way, never tasted so good. Especially the coke!
"Do you hear that?" I asked Billy as he drove us home.
"No, what?" he said.
"My calves. They're screaming."
"Hahahaha! Oh, is that what that is? Like those screaming goats on youtube."
Showered off the layer of dust and sweat, a nice soak in the hot tub then dragged ourselves UP THE STAIRS to our bed!
I'm very proud of myself for making the climb. As we neared the bottom, Billy confessed he really didn't think I could do it. Glad he had kept THAT to himself. He says he'd like to make the climb every year. Not me! While I'm thoroughly pleased to have done it, for me, it's a bucket list thing. Once was definitely enough! Unless, of course, someone comes to visit and insists climbing Mt. Taranaki. Then I might be convinced to go it again...
26 February 2013
Educational Adjustments and Visitors!
Today was a particularly frustrating day of homeschooling. Both boys seemed to have left their brains in their beds this morning and I wound up rereading parts of our history lesson 3 and 4 times, emphasizing the particular words pertaining to the answers to the questions they usually can answer after only one reading. UUUUHHHHGGGGG!!! Soooo aggravating! Especially when I KNOW they can do it and are simply not paying attention. There is just no way to force a child to pay attention and I started to wonder if we should just scrap the whole day's lesson and do some long overdue yard work.
Today has given me pause because over the last week or so, I've been considering having Graham return to school. While still behind, he has made remarkable progress and the therapists believe he would improve even more if he is back in traditional school. I met with the principle of Oakura School where Nani attends and where Graham would go and felt a huge sense of relief in the ways in which she will attend to Graham's needs. She would place him in a more ability-appropriate class rather than simply by age and will also see to his speech and language needs. It's not a done deal yet, as I still have my apprehensions but I am praying about it and hope to know, beyond doubt, what we are to do. Graham is excited and keen to go so that is one major indication.
WE HAD AMERICAN VISITORS!!!!! My cousin Elizabeth and her husband Eric spent an amazing and fun-filled 24 hours with us last weekend. This was their second trip to New Zealand and have seen so much more of this beautiful country than we have. Elizabeth and I hadn't met but once when we were just young children as our dads, who are brothers, raised their families across the country from each other. We had an amazing time getting acquainted and soaking up New Zealand's beauty. Saturday evening we had a Kiwi-style picnic on the beach, grilling burgers and sausages and eating Mikaylie's zucchini casserole and sweet corn, both from our garden. The kids swam while we chatted as we watched the sun set. Sunday we hiked a short trail at the bottom of Mt. Taranaki. Sadly, Billy was on call and the older two girls had plans but the rest of us enjoyed the beautiful weather and splendid views. We were sad to see them leave but truly treasured sharing our little part of the world with family. As for the rest of you... we're here, have room and LOVE having visitors!
Today has given me pause because over the last week or so, I've been considering having Graham return to school. While still behind, he has made remarkable progress and the therapists believe he would improve even more if he is back in traditional school. I met with the principle of Oakura School where Nani attends and where Graham would go and felt a huge sense of relief in the ways in which she will attend to Graham's needs. She would place him in a more ability-appropriate class rather than simply by age and will also see to his speech and language needs. It's not a done deal yet, as I still have my apprehensions but I am praying about it and hope to know, beyond doubt, what we are to do. Graham is excited and keen to go so that is one major indication.
WE HAD AMERICAN VISITORS!!!!! My cousin Elizabeth and her husband Eric spent an amazing and fun-filled 24 hours with us last weekend. This was their second trip to New Zealand and have seen so much more of this beautiful country than we have. Elizabeth and I hadn't met but once when we were just young children as our dads, who are brothers, raised their families across the country from each other. We had an amazing time getting acquainted and soaking up New Zealand's beauty. Saturday evening we had a Kiwi-style picnic on the beach, grilling burgers and sausages and eating Mikaylie's zucchini casserole and sweet corn, both from our garden. The kids swam while we chatted as we watched the sun set. Sunday we hiked a short trail at the bottom of Mt. Taranaki. Sadly, Billy was on call and the older two girls had plans but the rest of us enjoyed the beautiful weather and splendid views. We were sad to see them leave but truly treasured sharing our little part of the world with family. As for the rest of you... we're here, have room and LOVE having visitors!
16 February 2013
Two Years!
Today marks our two year anniversary of our move to New Zealand. I can't believe we've been here for two whole years! Today I went to our local home improvement store and ran into Nani's teacher from her first year in school here. Today I didn't feel like I was in a strange, foreign land. Today I felt like I was where I was supposed to be. I'm not sure that makes any sense at all but going into a store and seeing someone I actually know makes me feel like this town is becoming our home. The first time that happened was less than a year ago in the grocery store. I nearly cried. To be in a crowd of people and not just see a sea of strangers' faces means so much.
Last weekend was the BEST weekend! I do feel a little guilty because it wasn't actually spent with my family but I had an absolute blast! I went on a 3 day horse trek with over sixty people. We spent the weekend camping on a sheep station, riding 6 hours a day, swimming in the river and dancing the night away to the tunes on a jukebox in the wool shed. I told Billy it was just like the horse camps I had gone to as a kid only with boys and alcohol. We had so much fun and the views were unbelievable! The rides were up and down hills, through bush, across pastures, down the beach, through rivers and even through a tunnel. Each day after our long treks, we'd pull the tack off our horses, change into togs (swim suits) or shorts and swam in the river WITH OUR HORSES! It was so amazing! One section was deep enough that the horses could actually swim. So much fun!!! Too bad it's only once a year. Next month I'm going to go on a hunt and give that a try...
Last weekend was the BEST weekend! I do feel a little guilty because it wasn't actually spent with my family but I had an absolute blast! I went on a 3 day horse trek with over sixty people. We spent the weekend camping on a sheep station, riding 6 hours a day, swimming in the river and dancing the night away to the tunes on a jukebox in the wool shed. I told Billy it was just like the horse camps I had gone to as a kid only with boys and alcohol. We had so much fun and the views were unbelievable! The rides were up and down hills, through bush, across pastures, down the beach, through rivers and even through a tunnel. Each day after our long treks, we'd pull the tack off our horses, change into togs (swim suits) or shorts and swam in the river WITH OUR HORSES! It was so amazing! One section was deep enough that the horses could actually swim. So much fun!!! Too bad it's only once a year. Next month I'm going to go on a hunt and give that a try...
04 February 2013
Yes, we're still here...
I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I KNOW!!! I'm the worst blogger EVER! Over two months and nothing. Not that nothing has been going on! Lots has gone on...
Since my last post we've finished a school year, had Kaigan here for nearly three weeks, celebrated Christmas, grown our farm population and enjoyed a fantastic, though short, summer vacation.
Kaigan was here for Christmas and New Year and while he was here we went to Waitomo caves. If you remember, Billy and I went in 2010 when we came over here on our scouting trip. Billy took the younger 4 kids on the more commercial glow worm torn and I took Kaigan and Mikaylie on an abseiling and zip line tour. I had my typical panic attack over the nasty coveralls and gum boots, Mikaylie, a panic over cramped, dark decent into the unknown and Kaigan expressed his aversion to wetas, an spider-like insect found here in New Zealand. The tour was great fun though and we'd all happily go back.
Charlie, the clydie X I was trialing passed the vet check with "flying colors"! And he is fabulous! I've taken him several times to the beach, we've done a couple of day treks and Thursday we leave for a 3 day trek that I've been told is fantastic! So excited. Charlie is such a gentleman, nearly anyone can ride him so if you come for a visit bring your riding boots!
During summer break Brylie attended for the second year a riding camp for a week. She had a blast, riding something like 8 horses in 7 days. The owner of the camp often loans out some of the horses for the rest of the year since they are only used for camp a couple of weeks in December and January. This keeps the horses in work and taken care of. So about 10 days ago we got Robin and Poppy for Brylie and Nani to foster until November. The ponies have been so fantastic! Not only have the girls been riding nearly everyday, Will and Graham have even given it a go. They now want to incorporate riding into Viner Academy which is A-OK with me!!! Poppy, a 20-ish year old spotted mare is so quiet that the boys even rode indecently. And Nani is getting braver and more balanced every day. She's now posting the trot and will be cantering before long. Robin, while quiet and sweet as well, is younger and more green which gives Brylie the little bit of excitement she enjoys. Mikaylie and Brylie have done rides with me down the road and Kaigan has done a road ride and a beach ride with me.
We've had amazing stretches of brilliant weather enabling us to enjoy the horses nearly every day and take day trips to the beach. Because of this, my house and garden have been sorely neglected! I've managed to keep up somewhat with laundry, rotating every time I blow through the house but otherwise it's pretty dirty! I have put the kids to work a couple of times, cleaning bathrooms and vacuuming. Nani, in particular, is a fantastic bathroom cleaner! This is extremely surprising given the usual state of her bedroom. Similarly, the garden has become so overgrown with weeds, looking for veggies to harvest resembles foraging through the wild bush, often to discover that the veggies have grown too long and are tough, bitter or bug infested. Our cabbage plants have been particularly vulnerable to the caterpillars of white butterflies. Our zucchini and cucumbers have been fantastic though and I'm very hopeful for a good corn crop. It's definitely been a learning experience and I've already made a list of what to do and not to do next year, including growing tomatoes in containers, planting more zucchini and even cutting the garden size in half.
But the biggest news of late is Mikaylie's decision to return to the States for her senior year of high school in pursuit of a soccer scholarship to a university there. Dear friends of ours have graciously offered to have her live with them for the year and though very sad to have her leave a year before I feel is fair as a parent, Billy and I are excited for her and very proud of the steps she's taking to pursue her dreams of playing soccer as far as she can go. We've been hooked up with a keeper trainer that is giving her private training sessions and she'll play with a women's league and her high school team here until she leaves. She will have to earn her spot, of course, on the team at the high school she left in Kentucky but she is determined and working very hard to be fit and well trained when she arrives. May 17 she and I will be flying back to get her settled and set up in time to start training with the Pulaski County Maroons. My heart will break yet again having to bring another child to live so far from us but we are so very proud of her and know that great things await her in the future.
All the kids are back in school now. Mikaylie and now Brylie at New Plymouth Girls High School, Nani at Oakura School and Will and Graham at Viner Academy. With one year of homeschooling under my belt, I'm ready to begin again with some changes and better organization. Will has expressed a desire to learn German (yea... will let you know how that goes!) and both want to do more riding which is absolutely fantastic for their core strength, balance and confidence. We will have another student joining our riding school as our beloved babysitter, Erica, is keen to ride as well and did absolutely amazingly her first go at it!
Since my last post we've finished a school year, had Kaigan here for nearly three weeks, celebrated Christmas, grown our farm population and enjoyed a fantastic, though short, summer vacation.
Kaigan was here for Christmas and New Year and while he was here we went to Waitomo caves. If you remember, Billy and I went in 2010 when we came over here on our scouting trip. Billy took the younger 4 kids on the more commercial glow worm torn and I took Kaigan and Mikaylie on an abseiling and zip line tour. I had my typical panic attack over the nasty coveralls and gum boots, Mikaylie, a panic over cramped, dark decent into the unknown and Kaigan expressed his aversion to wetas, an spider-like insect found here in New Zealand. The tour was great fun though and we'd all happily go back.
Charlie, the clydie X I was trialing passed the vet check with "flying colors"! And he is fabulous! I've taken him several times to the beach, we've done a couple of day treks and Thursday we leave for a 3 day trek that I've been told is fantastic! So excited. Charlie is such a gentleman, nearly anyone can ride him so if you come for a visit bring your riding boots!
During summer break Brylie attended for the second year a riding camp for a week. She had a blast, riding something like 8 horses in 7 days. The owner of the camp often loans out some of the horses for the rest of the year since they are only used for camp a couple of weeks in December and January. This keeps the horses in work and taken care of. So about 10 days ago we got Robin and Poppy for Brylie and Nani to foster until November. The ponies have been so fantastic! Not only have the girls been riding nearly everyday, Will and Graham have even given it a go. They now want to incorporate riding into Viner Academy which is A-OK with me!!! Poppy, a 20-ish year old spotted mare is so quiet that the boys even rode indecently. And Nani is getting braver and more balanced every day. She's now posting the trot and will be cantering before long. Robin, while quiet and sweet as well, is younger and more green which gives Brylie the little bit of excitement she enjoys. Mikaylie and Brylie have done rides with me down the road and Kaigan has done a road ride and a beach ride with me.
We've had amazing stretches of brilliant weather enabling us to enjoy the horses nearly every day and take day trips to the beach. Because of this, my house and garden have been sorely neglected! I've managed to keep up somewhat with laundry, rotating every time I blow through the house but otherwise it's pretty dirty! I have put the kids to work a couple of times, cleaning bathrooms and vacuuming. Nani, in particular, is a fantastic bathroom cleaner! This is extremely surprising given the usual state of her bedroom. Similarly, the garden has become so overgrown with weeds, looking for veggies to harvest resembles foraging through the wild bush, often to discover that the veggies have grown too long and are tough, bitter or bug infested. Our cabbage plants have been particularly vulnerable to the caterpillars of white butterflies. Our zucchini and cucumbers have been fantastic though and I'm very hopeful for a good corn crop. It's definitely been a learning experience and I've already made a list of what to do and not to do next year, including growing tomatoes in containers, planting more zucchini and even cutting the garden size in half.
But the biggest news of late is Mikaylie's decision to return to the States for her senior year of high school in pursuit of a soccer scholarship to a university there. Dear friends of ours have graciously offered to have her live with them for the year and though very sad to have her leave a year before I feel is fair as a parent, Billy and I are excited for her and very proud of the steps she's taking to pursue her dreams of playing soccer as far as she can go. We've been hooked up with a keeper trainer that is giving her private training sessions and she'll play with a women's league and her high school team here until she leaves. She will have to earn her spot, of course, on the team at the high school she left in Kentucky but she is determined and working very hard to be fit and well trained when she arrives. May 17 she and I will be flying back to get her settled and set up in time to start training with the Pulaski County Maroons. My heart will break yet again having to bring another child to live so far from us but we are so very proud of her and know that great things await her in the future.
All the kids are back in school now. Mikaylie and now Brylie at New Plymouth Girls High School, Nani at Oakura School and Will and Graham at Viner Academy. With one year of homeschooling under my belt, I'm ready to begin again with some changes and better organization. Will has expressed a desire to learn German (yea... will let you know how that goes!) and both want to do more riding which is absolutely fantastic for their core strength, balance and confidence. We will have another student joining our riding school as our beloved babysitter, Erica, is keen to ride as well and did absolutely amazingly her first go at it!
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