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!