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.