Six months in a nutshell...

Yes, I know, I'm the worst blogger EVER! It's been nearly 6 months since my last post! Winter here was wet, windy and work. I'm still enjoying my job at the hospital. I've been there over a year now. I usually do three days per week, occasionally more and often less if kids or travel demands. It's perfect with it's flexibility and the income helps support my horse addition.
I returned to the US to move Mikaylie to Trevecca for her first semester of university. It was so hard to leave her all alone in a new state, at a new school, with no family anywhere nearby. But Mikaylie proves to be a capable, independent young woman and handled it like a pro. She has since decided to transfer to Pearl River Community College where she has been offered a spot in goal on their women's soccer team! This is what she was dreaming of when she left NZ for the US in 2013. AND, she'll be just 10 minutes from my Mom, who also happens to work at the school! Such relief to know she'll be close to family again and will be playing the sport she loves!
After depositing Mik at Trevecca, I flew to Dallas where I met up with Kaigan who then joined me on a flight to New Orleans for a few days with my Mom and Grammy. Kaigan only had the weekend because he had work on Monday but I stayed a couple more days for family and food then returned to Dallas to head to London with Kaigan for a short weekend trip! Having a son work for a major airline definitely has its perks!!! We had an awesome time and saw about as much as two people could possibly see in two and a half days, which included The Tower of London, The London Eye, The British Museum, Buckingham Palace, Hard Rock Cafe London and the Red Bus tour. It was both of our first visits to London and we both are eager to return. We got back to Dallas on Monday and I flew back to NZ on Tuesday.
Will wrapped up his first season of basketball, has taken an automotive class and built two amazing pieces in his wood class.  Brylie finished soccer and year 10 of high school and has started riding my Joe. She and he click like a match made in heaven. Brylie has the confidence and skill to manage his sometimes fizzy, thoroughbred nature and is interested in doing some showing again. Graham continues to enjoy his drama class, finished up his soccer season on 2 different teams and got some new specs so we're eager to see how he'll excel in school now that he can see! Nani trialed and was selected for U11 soccer reps. The achievement brought her to play in 4 different day tournaments around the North Island. She was one of the 3 youngest players of the 24 girls on the two U11 teams and shows lots of potential as, what else, goalkeeper, just like big sis.
Billy spent a couple weeks in the States for a conference and to visit Kaigan, Mikaylie and the family. He was there for Thanksgiving which he spent with the whole family. Of course I was sad to be absent but thrilled for him.
Since Billy was away during Thanksgiving we had to push back our annual Thanksgiving celebration until December. We were blessed with another beautiful day with lots of food (4 deep fried turkeys!) and friends. This, our fourth annual event, brought around 150 people to our home! A friend of ours who had spent some time in Africa working with the orphans of Watoto spoke about the organization and we took a collection. Please visit watoto.com for more information or to make a donation to this amazing cause.
In preparation for next year's feast, I purchased 8 turkey poults! Turkeys are so funny, very social and even more stupid! They often perch on the fence for the night then jump down into the yard surrounding the house in the morning, looking in the windows and even coming inside if doors are open! They come running at the sound of my voice which can be frustrating if I'm just trying to get a horse out or weed the garden. Billy doesn't think I'll be able to eat them come November but we'll see… Lacey, a weimaraner pup, joined us in the last 6 months as "Brylie's dog". She is gorgeous though occassionally naughty as she's been known to jump onto the table or counter looking for food!
Another addition to the Viner farm is Geoffrey, a kunekune pig. A kunekune is similar to a potbelly pig in the States in that it's more pet than food. And most recent, Biscuit, a precious, little kitten taken on for mouse patrol in the house. Our other two cats won't come in because of the dogs but this wee little girl has taken to the dogs quite well.
So now it's summer here in the Southern Hemisphere and the kids are out of school. Kaigan and Mikaylie have come out for their Christmas break, both moving into new locations upon their return; Kaigan back in Daytona Beach for his last 3 semesters of school and Mikaylie to Poplarville to give college soccer a go, hopefully doing some studying as well. The weather has been fantastic for the most part and we've spent some time at the beach and river on kayaks and paddle boards, done a little riding and took a couple of trips to see some Lord of the Rings/Hobbit filming locations.
The 3-ish weeks Kai and Mik have been here have FLOWN by and already tomorrow Kaigan leaves, Mikaylie, the next day. So the tears will fall and I'll be counting again til my next visit or theirs. But watching them both pursue their dreams and becoming the people God has created them to be fills me with such pride and joy I can't help but smile.

Moves, graduations, renovations and a dead whale!

 To say things have been crazy busy is an understatement. My poor little Graham's 11th birthday was April 19 and here it is July and we've yet to have his party. His birthday fell on Easter weekend and the school holidays so most of his mates were away. My sweet boy gave no groans about putting his birthday off a bit but then I was away for nearly a month and here it is, another school holiday! I promise, Graham, we will have a great birthday party, even if it is 6 months late. At least it may be warm and sunny!!!
My trip to the states was whirlwind, as it always is! I flew into LA, spent one night then hopped a plane to Orlando where Kaigan collected me. It was a sultry 98degrees which I absolutely LOVED coming from NZ winter, rain, wind, etc. Our NZ summers don't get very warm so I soaked up the heat. Kaigan was eager to get to the outlets with a parental wallet so the roughly 10lbs. of chocolate and gum I'd brought from NZ could not be left in the car and had to be carried in my backpack (on Kaigan's back since 5lbs of it was his gum!) as we shopped. He picked some clothes for his new job (more on job later…) and then we had a nice dinner at The Cheesecake Factory.
Next day we had a long, lovely lunch with Kaigan's campus job boss and his wife. It was so nice to meet such a nice couple who Kaigan thinks the world of and I gathered the feelings were mutual. We then collected a moving van and proceeded to load Kaigan's belongings from his 3rd floor apartment and CLEAN said apartment. Lesson #1: NEVER be the last roommate to move out of a shared apartment! There were food items in the fridge and pantry that were from the guy who moved out before Kaigan moved in! We grabbed a night's sleep then finished up the loading/cleaning before beginning the 9-ish hour drive to my Mom's house in Mississippi. But first we had to collect the car trailer to pull Kaigan's car. The first rental truck company failed to have the trailer Kaigan had reserved so we had to stop in St. Augustine to get one from another franchise. After we pulled into the parking lot, the owner asked, "What's that sound?".  He snooped around under the hood and decided the truck was not safe or reliable to take us all the way to Dallas so, to make a long, looong story short, after about 3 1/2 hours (2 1/2 of which was after he was technically closed) he organized us in another truck to which Kaigan and I had to transfer all the contents, and sent us on our way. On the road now, 4 hours behind schedule, we head to Mom's. With about an hour to go jet lag and exhaustion set in with nausea and a desperation to sleep. We finally made it to Mom's (Kaigan insisted on driving the whole way!) and after a quick chat and hug, I fell into bed only to be awoken by Mom's dog barking incessantly outside the bedroom windows. I dosed off and on but eventually I was going mad and knocked on Mom's door. She opened her door at which point I dissolved into tears, rambling about her barking dog and apologizing for both waking her and crying. Naturally the dog wasn't barking at that particular moment so Mom asked if I heard the dog barking at that point. I stopped crying and cocked my head to the side to listen and responded, "No." She was relieved to know I was hallucinating! I resorted to putting my wax, swimming earplugs in my ears and finally got some much needed sleep! It's all rather funny after the fact but at the time, I was on the verge of a complete mental breakdown.
Kai and I had a relaxing day of rest and yummy southern seafood and then a day of visiting friends and family before heading out at 5am on Wednesday to drive to Dallas. Again he insisted on driving the whole way, though I have to say, I was quite happy not being in the driver's seat in Dallas! We arrived at the rental truck place at 4:30 to leave the trailer and Kaigan's car then headed to his new apartment to unload, again, 3rd floor! We managed, barely and with the help of a very kind neighbor, to get the truck unloaded and returned, get a few things unpacked, grab a yummy TexMex dinner in our state of grunge, purchase a shower curtain, shower, fall onto be for a quick sleep before catching a 6am taxi for our flight to Kentucky. Less than 14 hours in Dallas!
We had a lovely, though rushed, lunch with my bestie and her daughter before finally reuniting with my Mikayliebug. Graduation!!! Mom and even Grammy made it and my beautiful girl graduated high school! The only high school graduation I'll go to of my 6 children! Sounds like I have loser kids but in reality it's because Kaigan graduated 6 months early to move to NZ with us therefore not attending his graduation and the younger four will finish school in NZ where they don't have graduation ceremonies.
My nephew, Sam, also graduated that Saturday, 3 hours away in Shelbyville. Grammy made it to his too but not before taking a spill in her bathroom. She suffered in silence through Sam's graduation then went to the ER til 3am with lots of pain and high blood pressure. We later learned that despite a clean x-ray report in Kentucky, she had in fact broken her sternum!!! Grammy is such a trooper! Only four days later, she and Mom drove back to Mississippi where Gram now lives with Mom.
Kaigan flew back to Dallas on the Sunday to start his new job, an internship with American Airlines, on Monday morning. We are so very proud of Kaigan and his achievement! He loves his job and hopes to be invited back for another internship and perhaps even permanent employment when he graduates. He has 3 semesters left at Embry-Riddle before earning a degree in Aerospace Engineering. His job with AA grants him fantastic flight perks and as his parents, so do we!!! Finally that tuition is paying off! Kaigan had travelled on occasional 3-4 day weekends to Denver, Mississippi to see Mom and Grammy and most recently, Washington DC for 4th of July weekend. He also has plans to go to London on Labor Day weekend and has invited me to join him as I will be stateside then. Soooo excited to experience London for the first time with my boy!!!
Mikaylie and I spent the week visiting friends in Somerset before we headed to Dallas via Cabot where we spent a night with my dear friend Kelly and her family. In Dallas we hung out with Kaigan and cousins, did some (ok, lots) shopping and soaked up some sunshine at Kaigan's apartment pool. Then Mikaylie and I headed out, again staying with Kelly & co in Cabot, then on to Nashville for her orientation at Trevecca Nazarene University where she'll be attending school in the fall. We LOVED Trevecca! The small, christian school atmosphere felt like family and any reluctance I had about her college experience disappeared. I still hate being so far from my kids but of all the universities she could have chosen, this one gives me peace. She is so excited. She's met her roommate and suite mates and is eager to begin the next chapter in her life story. After the orientation activities we has some time to chill poolside, have a nice dinner and even catch a movie. The next day she brought me to the Nashville airport and after hugs and tears, I headed back to New Zealand where Billy had been single-parenting it for 3 1/2 weeks!
So back in New Zealand we've been busy with soccer (Brylie, Graham and Nani) and basketball (Will). Nani was asked to trial for a rep team and just learn that she's made it as a goal keeper!!! This will take us to game days in 4 cities across the North Island, one being here in New Plymouth, once a month, September through December.
Slowly but surely, Billy and I have been working on various projects around the farm as we continue to make our own. Billy has completed changing the wire fence around our yard to four-board. We've planted more plants and shrubs, built a huge rabbit hutch and organized having our driveway upgraded…FINALLY!!! The area just in front of the house and garage is prepped and ready for concrete to be poured. We've been waiting now for nearly 3 weeks for the weather to cooperate. The land around the drive is a mess from the excavating and the sand where the concrete will go is constantly being tracked into the house. It's an absolute pain in the butt but will be so worth it when its all done. I can't wait to start the landscaping when the workers are finished! They've made us a levee like mound with the excess dirt which we will plant and will hopefully help in some wind block. I have a design all ready to go and now just need the thumbs up to begin. Sooo eager for spring!
We've had two new additions in the form of kids goats that the kids and I are bottle-feeding. They are so cute! I've so missed my goat babies that we'd always had on our Kentucky farm.
Finally, the kids, now on school break, and I took a little hike down the beach to where a huge (20meter), dead blue whale washed ashore. A few friends had gone to see it and Nani was particularly keen so I figured how often do you have the chance to see a blue whale, albeit dead. So off we went. Heaps of people were out to see it and several warned us of the odor but we carried on. We rounded a bend in the beach and there it was! Smell and all! OH MY GOSH WHAT A SMELL!!!! Never in my life have I experienced such a horrific odor! And I am particularly olfactoraly sensitive. I gagged and dry wretched but, by golly, I got my photos! It WAS a sight to behold but the whole event reminded me of that SNL skit where the whole family smelled and tasted the sour milk one after another after being told it was sour!
So enjoy the pics!!! And hopefully my next post will include Graham's birthday party!

A Late Summer

Well it's technically autumn here in NZ but it's feeling like the summer we'd been waiting for. The days have been absolutely beautiful and though the locals think "it's so bloody hot!" I find it fantastic! The only downside of this lovely warm, sunny weather is that there has been virtually no rain. Even Cyclone Lusi brought only a wee misting and we've found ourselves in another drought. This year we had to break down and buy water as our household water supply is from rainwater collected in our gutters. Last year it rained the night before we were to have water delivered and were able to cancel just before it arrived. This year, however, with no rain forecasted, at all, in the foreseeable future, we bit the bullet and bought 15000liters for $355NZ.  Hopefully this will hold us until rain does finally come. We are more fortunate than many lifestylers here as our stock is watered by the creek below our farm and we have a water hose from the creek as well which allows us to water our trees, veggies, etc. I feel rather guilty watering plants when so many are running out for human use but it's there and it's not like we're taking from others. So, while our fields are parched and dry, the trees and plants around our yard our thriving.
A couple of weeks ago, Billy and I redeemed a voucher for a helicopter tour we'd received from friends who's baby Billy delivered. It was a clear, beautiful day and the views were spectacular! Looking down on Mt. Taranaki, a mountain we've climbed, and into the crater was really awesome. I was even able to shoot a couple of photos of our farm, though from a distance, as we did not fly over it.
My ankle is healing slowly but surely. I have full range of motion and can bare weight, even run with no pain whatsoever. The remaining pain is only bruising on the bone and muscle tissue which is still limiting the types of shoes I can wear. I can only just wear a tennis shoe because of the pressure it had put on my ankle bone when it was still swollen. I have been able to wear my riding boots however as they are rather loose. This means I've been back on Joe and, even having done nothing with him for the  three weeks I could only wear Toms or sandals, he was absolutely wonderful. I've ridden him up our road, visiting with the lovely neighbors who I was riding with the day of the accident, who got him home for me as I went to hospital, and I've cantered around our field which I hadn't even done before the accident. He really is a lovely horse and hasn't a mean bone in his body.
Charlie is the one I really need to focus on now. He has grown rather fat in his convalescence and, judging by his bucks and kicks when put into a new paddock, I think he's feeling quite fine. While I do miss my Bella and Soochie I left in Kentucky, I hit the horse jackpot here with Charlie and Joe and even Lofty who, while not sound enough for hard riding, is a quiet, sensible horse that nearly anyone can ride.
Today after church we spent the afternoon with a wonderful new friend who has become like a surrogate grandfather to the kids, particularly Nani. He has a small motor boat and we rode up and down the river, watching ducks and enjoying the scenery on a splendid day. Billy had brought his kayak as well and he and Nani both enjoyed time pedaling around. Nani is such a go-getter. She loves to try anything and everything and is pretty fearless. The boys tend to be more lazy and disinterested in trying much unless STRONGLY encouraged (Yes, occasionally forced!) They too, finally got in the boat and once they did, they really enjoyed it! Brylie missed the fun as she had made plans to hang with a schoolmate. I posted a pic of some kids enjoying the day swimming at the boat launch next to the no diving and no swimming signs. I thought that was amusing.
The time changed this weekend and though we thoroughly enjoyed the extra hour, darkness at 5 is no fun! I'll have to be more mindful of the shortening days and plan accordingly to get the horses ridden and the farm chores done during daylight.
I'm anxiously counting down the days til I return to Miakylie and Kaigan in the States. I'm excited to be able to help Kaigan move to Dallas where he'll be doing a six month internship with American Airlines. We'll then fly to Kentucky for the graduations of both Mikaylie and Sam, my nephew. The last week of my three week trip, the three of us will spend back in Dallas. Can't wait to hug my babies, both now adults at 18 and 21. I may never let them go.

Hello from Down Under!
It's been a very busy several weeks!  Kids are back in school and all seemed to have settled in well. And with the kids back in school I picked up a third day a week at work and often do an additional half day. I'm currently working in Medical Records and like it quite a lot. I especially like getting a paycheck! With two kids needing money in the States and my horse addiction, my wee little check comes in very handy. My boss is super and my job hours are so flexible, I can still put family first. And Wednesdays Billy and I have lunch together. Sushi!!!

I'd sent my thoroughbred, Joe, to a trainer just before Charlie's fall from the cliff.  Remember this is the horse that I'd clashed with (broke my nose on) and consequently my confidence on him, or any horse for that matter, plummeted. My other two horses, Lofty and Charlie, have helped me tremendously with regaining my comfort riding again but sadly, I just couldn't get my head straight with riding Joe. The trainer, Dave, restarted him and I began lessoning on him. Slowly, I was getting more comfortable on him but couldn't really see myself just going off on a ride on him. Dave helped me alot and I realized that my biggest problem with Joe was the problem in my own head. It was time to take him home and keep getting more confident with him or sell him, which would still require me to ride him until he sold so that he could be shown to anyone who wanted to look at him. I brought him home and started on him the next day. He was so quiet and lovely that I rode him down our driveway. The next day I headed down the road! I'd had him home for a few weeks and had been riding him 2-3 times a week. I had ridden him more in the last few weeks than I'd ridden him in the previous two years I've had him! I've ridden him on the farm and up the road alone and with my neighbors. I never thought I'd be riding him confidently, let alone confidently on the road! So nearly two weeks ago I was thrilled to be taking him to ride on the beach with my neighbors, Shona and Stewart. We got to the beach, tacked up and headed off. Joe was great! He looked at things but was great. I got more and more comfortable as we went along. We were even met by some dirt bikes which had me a nervous wreck but Joe was okay. I was relaxed and enjoying an amazing beach ride on an absolutely beautiful, sunny day. Until… Well I don't really know what happened. I guess something scared Joe and he suddenly spun so fast that I was immediately put off balance and knew I'd not recover. I knew I was going so I just let myself drop into the soft sand. That would have been just fine but Joe skittered around landing a rear hoof right on the inside of my left ankle. OUUUUCCCHHHH! Stew set off to collect Joe who was now tangled in his reigns and spazzing out. Shona hopped down from her horse to check on me as I was groaning, "He stepped on my ankle." My boot seam was ripped and I quickly eased it off my foot in case swelling made it difficult to get off. The bruising set in right away, it hurt like crazy and my pants were full of sand! Once Stewart got Joe settled he carried me to the adjacent cow pasture where Billy could drive right up to get me, then he and Shona rode back to the horse floats (trailers) leading Joe. They took our truck, trailer and Joe home for me. Meanwhile, I sat in the cow pasture waiting for Billy to collect me. I made him stop at home before taking me to the hospital because as I was getting dressed to go ride that morning I'd told Nani who was in my room at the time, "I'm going to throw these undies away after today because they are all stretched out and have a hole in them." My grandmother would have a fit if I went to the hospital with old underpants on!!! After he got me checked in at the ED, he left with Nani and her two friends not wanting to sit there with 3 bored little girls. After a couple of hours and a few x-rays, I was told nothing was broken (much to the surprise of the doctor), was wrapped, given crutches, a prescription and instructed to stay off of it. So it's been nearly two weeks and I can't wait to get back on Joe! He hadn't been naughty or dirty. He just got a fright and I was caught off guard. I should have never come off and am furious with myself for it. I need to get back in the saddle!!!

Today we had Nani's 10th birthday party. Fourteen 9-12 year olds, a treasure hunt, a craft project and a Minion cake. Great fun!!! Check out the pics...

Loving NZ Summer!!!

What a fabulous weekend!!! Family Indian dinner for Valentines' Day. Two days at the beach: Saturday with Nani and the dogs and Sunday with the kids and our church family, AND I gave surfing a go!!! Definitely plan to do that again! Managed to ride both days, once on Joe who's just returned from trainer.
This summer has been a first for a couple things for me. Besides the surfing, I also participated in my first and second open water swims. The first was a practice with a group that swims every Tuesday and the second was an event, Masters 1.2k, in which I placed 21st of 25. I was very pleased with that as my main objective was to merely complete the race AND I had an awful cold. I swam it in a surfing wetsuit which is thicker and more drag so now I'm looking forward to buying a proper swimming wetsuit and do more open water swimming. The 1.2k was held before the main event of the day called the Flannigan Cup. It is 3.4k and I'm hoping by next year I'll be ready for it. I've been swimming 2.5k twice a week in a pool but swimming in open water is a whole other animal. Who knows? Maybe I'll even do a mini triathlon someday!
Also this month was the now annual horse trek I go on. Charlie is still on the mend but thanks to a wonderful, kind soul, I was able to go on a lovely borrowed horse. Even though the trek was during the worst of my cold, I had an amazing time!
Today marks the 3rd anniversary of our move to New Zealand and with the activities of the last couple of week, I'm still in awe and immensely grateful for the blessing of our life here.

Savouring every moment

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...

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 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.

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

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.

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...

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!

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...

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!

Walking in a summer wonderland...

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S DECEMBER!!! Two years ago, we were anxiously awaiting our visas, unemployed, in a rental house, our belongings in storage... in limbo. Two years and a half a world later, here we are, preparing for Christmas in the summer! I really don't think we'll ever get used to that. And honestly, I don't like it much. My two favorite seasons are Christmas and summertime and I don't like them happening simultaneously. My snowmen look sadly out of place. But Christmastime it is, so the tree is up. Twice, actually. It fell over suddenly late last night while I was watching a movie. I sat there for a few seconds thinking that did NOT just happen! Water spilled all over the carpet, three broken ornaments and the rest scattered around the room.
Billy, Mikaylie and Will are in Australia so Brylie, Graham, Nani and I went and cut a tree at this fantastic tree farm. My goal is to have the whole house decorated for when they return and since I'm hosting book club this month, I plan to have it finished for Wednesday evening. I'm worried my fellow book clubbers have some big expectations for the "American" Christmas deco. Guess I should bake too. Ha! Maybe...

Our new little Pippa is doing great. She's a feisty, mud puddle-loving, cow poop-eating little stinker! But she is also so sweet.

On the horse front, I'm trialling another horse and he is AWESOME!!! Charlie is a 7 year old, Clydie X, gelding. A BIG BOY! I took him to the beach on Saturday and he was amazing! Praying that the vet thinks he's great too! I'm booked to go on a three day trek in February and I'm really hoping Charlie will be my guy. As a kid I dreamed of cantering a Clydesdale, bareback on the beach! That might just happen! So far so good...

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we had our 2nd annual Viner Family Thanksgiving celebration. The guest list grew and grew and we had nearly 60 people come to share in the festivities! Billy fried 3 turkeys and I made most of our family favorites. It was a potluck so we had tons of food and such fun! The weather forecast had me so worried and praying but the day was fantastic! It was a bit windy but sunny and gorgeous!

One of the family's that were guests for Thanksgiving and go to our church brought us a cow (hopefully bred), a calf that we are bottle feeding and 3 elusive sheep.  The next day, Billy had 2 more steer yearlings delivered. We are full fledged farmers again! I am loving it!

I'm finally feeling settled and happy to be here. Praise God!!!

Catch Up- Part 2

We managed to get our loot back to NZ and were glad to be back in our own beds. Mikaylie and Nani had spent only 2 nights in their new rooms before we left for the US. Brylie and Nani share a room so Brylie had it to herself for the 3 weeks we were away. We had just moved the basics into the house prior to our trip. There was (and still is) LOTS of moving yet to do. Slowly but surely I'm chipping away at organizing and getting things into their appropriate locations. I had hoped that the kitchen would be completed while we were away but NO WORK was done during that time. Guess when I'm not there to text or ring looking for the workers it just doesn't happen. The kitchen sink that was already here was so small I could scarcely wash my large stock pots or my Crock pot and I use them on a daily basis cooking for our large family. Also, the door to Graham's room was originally in the kitchen but we put a door on the other side, opening into the new lounge where all the kids' rooms are off of. Where Graham's door was is now closed in with another section of kitchen drawers and shelves, of which I can never have too many. I've set up a coffee station there which is nice to have kind of out of the way.
At this point the house is 99.5% complete on the inside, lacking a couple of spots that need plastering or mudding (here they call drywall "gib" board and mudding is called "gib stopping"). Those areas also need paint as do several touch up spots the painters overlooked. The stairs also require a handrail to be "signed off" on by the Council but I haven't chosen what I want because I really don't care if there is one or not. Outside there is more to be done (entryway, concrete in front of garage, redoing the drive and miscellaneous landscaping) but we'll do that as we have the money or time.

I've also been looking for a trekking horse. Trekking is trail riding, often over rugged terrain. There are trekking clubs and overnight treks. I'm hoping for a quiet, laid back horse to rebuild the confidence I've lost over the past couple of years. I still plan to ride Joe but want to have more confidence before I start him again. He is also not trekking horse material. I found a horse of interest on TradeMe, New Zealand's version of eBay. I was able to bring Lofty home to trial for a couple of weeks and quickly fell in love with him. He had only to pass the vet check and I was ready to buy him. In the meantime, tragedy struck when Mikaylie and her boyfriend, Caddison, were coming home from his house and found our dear Pete dead in the road. He'd been hit by a car. Mik, of course, was hysterical. Thankfully, Caddison was a real blessing used his "favorite towel" to wrap up Pete and they brought him home. I was devastated. Pete was my little shadow and our bed buddy. And he'd travelled all the way here with us. My poor Petey. Billy buried him in the orchard with a cross and his collar marking his grave. I can see the spot from the kitchen/lounge windows which is kind of difficult. I still cry for him.

It was a blessing to have Lofty as a enjoyable distraction while grieving Pete but that was short-lived as he failed his vet check. Apparently Lofty had been ridden very hard in his earlier days and perhaps even started too early. In a nutshell, he showed lameness after a flexion test on both hind legs. While still ridable for the time being, he is not suitable for trekking. The vet valued him very little: basically at the price he'd fetch for dog tucker. Yikes! Again, I was so brokenhearted. The girl from whom I'd gotten him was quite possibly more disappointed for me than I was! After conferring with the vet, she agreed to let him stay with us for a couple hundred dollars. She'd also given me his blanket and some supplements for him. I can ride him on shorter, less demanding treks (i.e. beach rides, hacks out on road) and she can know that he'll never be pushed beyond what is in his best interest. The girls can ride him as well. I'll still be looking for a trekking horse but in the meantime, hopefully Lofty can help me get my riding head on straight again.

Finally, our new addition... Caddison's uncle's dog had a litter of pups, one of which Cadd brought over to show us. He was a cute little guy, a Maltese/Shitzu/Bichon mix. Billy said, "Aw, you are so cute".  He also said, "No".  A couple days later he said go ahead so Mikaylie and I went to see the whole litter. We came home with Pippa, a fluffy, white ball of energy.

Our next big event is the 2nd Annual Viner Family Thanksgiving Celebration so I'd better get organizing and decorating...

Catch Up- Part 1

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...