I am one lucky girl! Seems weird to say that after the last 2 weeks, but I truly feel it. I definitely got a reality check after the surgery, and it was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I have really good days and days when I feel like I got hit by a truck, However, I have the greatest support system in the world.
I don't even think that I can put into words how thankful I am for everyone around me. Mike proved to be the man I have always known he was...and more! My kids are just so loving and helpful that I want to squeeze them all the time. My parents were Mike and my rock during all of this, and we could never have done it without them. There is nothing like having your mom and dad there when you aren't feeling well. My sister and friends made meals for us, which I am sure my family is enjoying much more than my cooking :). Meg was here for a week and as Mike says, she was the second wife. She just knows me so well that I never had to be a tough guy, it helped that she is in nursing school and loves that stuff! And all of my other friends....well....they have just made me feel so loved, which is just what I needed.
I know it is still a long road to a full recovery, but I know that it will get easier. It is not the road I "planned" for my life, but it is what God has decided to give me....and I know it will still be a full and great life! I just need to take the time to heal mentally and physically. But, so far...so good!
Thank you again for all the emails, calls, texts and FB messages. I appreciate the love and support and they have brightened my days!
XOXOXOXO
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The Next "Adventure"
So here I go….
Many of you already know that several years ago I was
diagnosed with Severe Endometriosis (Stage 4).
I went through a surgery almost exactly 3 years ago in hopes that it
would help with the pain and our efforts to get pregnant. Unfortunately, it didn’t help in fact it has
progressively gotten worse and we have not been able to get pregnant. A few months ago, I was told that I would
have to undergo a full abdominal hysterectomy (including both ovaries).
I was devastated to say the least.
Over the past few months, I hear my mom’s little voice in the back of my
head telling me that God has a plan and everything happens for a reason….Some
days it has been easier to listen to than others.
But it is beyond the truth!
I met the love of my life at a time when I never thought I would never
love again. And he happened to have
these 2 gorgeous and amazing little girls that needed me in their life just as
much as I needed them. They welcomed me
into their lives and we became a family.
I don’t think that it would be possible to love those girls any more if
I had given birth to them. They are my
girls! Everything happens for a reason,
and they are my reason for everything! This
is just a little bump in the road and I intend to experience everything I
can, as positive as I can. Which is why the New Zealand
exchange could not have been better timed.
My summer has been filled with laughter and wonderful memories, instead
of focusing on this one little aspect of it.
Tomorrow morning, I will be going in for surgery and will be
in the hospital for a few days. I will
be taking a medical leave from work for the first 3 weeks of school to
heal. If you know me at all, you know
that not being there for the first few weeks is going to kill me, but I need to
give my body time to heal. And I have nothing to worry about because my students will be in good hands with my friend Pat (they will probably be in better hands
actually!). So while I am going through this, I will be holding on to the fact
that everything happens for a reason.
I am so blessed with amazing family and friends. My parents will be coming out for 9 days to
help, then Meg comes out, and then Shannon.
Not to mention all of my friends who live here that have offered help in so many ways.
And of course, I have my hubby and girls with me every step of the way. So if I
don’t get back to you, know that I am appreciative but may be a little out of
it . Taylor will update the blog tomorrow when I
am out of surgery, so that Mike doesn’t have to worry about making a bunch of
calls. Thank you again to all of my loving friends and family...you guys are the best!!!!
With that I leave you with a picture of what makes me smile
every day…even on the bad ones!
Wrapping it all up...
Before I wrap up my trip to New Zealand, I thought I would share what we did during the last week while I was there....
On Friday 6/29 we left for our week of traveling. It was one of the best weeks I have ever had! Annie and Kathy were on break from school and we had a week of laughter, fun and exploration. I know I posted a few pics of the week when I was at the internet cafe, but I wanted to share the rest of the week.
We did a lot of walking....I mean A LOT...it was great! It felt so good to be eating so well with fresh food and be out in the cold air and walking around exploring an amazing country. The weather cooperated with us...for the most part. There was only 1 rainy day, which was great because we just shopped...duh, what else do you do on a rainy day?!?! The rest of the time it was COLD, but perfect. We had sunshine and that was all that mattered.
Zip lining was great. I never thought I would do anything adventerous like that in my life. I decided this was my summer of new experiences and I wasn't going to say no to trying new things. It was worth it. Annie and I were strapped in and went 1/2 a mile across a canyon at 100 miles an hour. So FUN! The ride back was great too, because we were pushed slowly back and got to see the beautiful views of the river and canyon. The other great adventures were white water rafting and "zorbing". The zorb is basically a giant ball that you are strapped into and pushed down a hill. It was less than a minute, and very bumpy, but very worth it. I was definitely sick after that one! White water rafting was not as cold as you would expect. I think just because we were working so hard at rowing and staying in the boat that you forget how cold it is.
While in Rotorua, we went to the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. I probably laughed more that day than any other. Annie was a little picture crazy, so you would kill me if I attempted to put them all up. So I will just put up a few...of my favorites. You will notice that most of them are ridiculous...just the way I like it :)
Since I have been home, so many people have asked me what my favorite part of the trip was. It would be impossible for me to pinpoint one thing. I think that staying with Annie and Kerry was the best part of it. I feel like I was fully immersed into the culture and not just a tourist. I loved the people, again it reminded me of Hawaii. They were all so warm and friendly. I loved the food. Let me say that one again...I loved the food. I am a picky eater, and I loved everything (except mussels). It didn't hurt that Annie was great at whipping things up, I better get out those cookbooks before she gets here. New Zealand is just a beautiful country, both land and people. I am excited for the day that I can take Mike and the girls back there with me.
I could write for hours about the trip, but I know people would hate it :) It was one of the greatest experiences of my life and will never forget it. I can't wait till December when Annie and Kathy come to visit us in Arizona.
Cheers!
On Friday 6/29 we left for our week of traveling. It was one of the best weeks I have ever had! Annie and Kathy were on break from school and we had a week of laughter, fun and exploration. I know I posted a few pics of the week when I was at the internet cafe, but I wanted to share the rest of the week.
We did a lot of walking....I mean A LOT...it was great! It felt so good to be eating so well with fresh food and be out in the cold air and walking around exploring an amazing country. The weather cooperated with us...for the most part. There was only 1 rainy day, which was great because we just shopped...duh, what else do you do on a rainy day?!?! The rest of the time it was COLD, but perfect. We had sunshine and that was all that mattered.
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| Ready for lift off |
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| The view in the canyon |
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| Getting out of the zorb |
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| White water rafting |
While in Rotorua, we went to the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. I probably laughed more that day than any other. Annie was a little picture crazy, so you would kill me if I attempted to put them all up. So I will just put up a few...of my favorites. You will notice that most of them are ridiculous...just the way I like it :)
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| There is a geyser behind me...my mind is not exploding... |
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| Annie and I decided it looked like Jurassic Park and there needed to be some dinosaurs. |
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| Who knows?!?! |
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| Uhm...who knows! |
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| It was supposed to look like Janice uncovered a lost dinosaur...but it looks like she discovered me peeing behind a bush...oops! |
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| Had to have a feet picture. |
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| This picture doesn't even do it justice...it was NEON green. Beautiful! |
We also went to a Powhiri at a Maori village. We were able to see ceremonial rituals, performances, and a hang feast. The culture was so beautiful and it reminded me so much of living in Hawaii. There were many similarities with their dancing and Hula as well as their Hangi and Luaus. The performances were amazing and the food was delicious.
Since I have been home, so many people have asked me what my favorite part of the trip was. It would be impossible for me to pinpoint one thing. I think that staying with Annie and Kerry was the best part of it. I feel like I was fully immersed into the culture and not just a tourist. I loved the people, again it reminded me of Hawaii. They were all so warm and friendly. I loved the food. Let me say that one again...I loved the food. I am a picky eater, and I loved everything (except mussels). It didn't hurt that Annie was great at whipping things up, I better get out those cookbooks before she gets here. New Zealand is just a beautiful country, both land and people. I am excited for the day that I can take Mike and the girls back there with me.
I could write for hours about the trip, but I know people would hate it :) It was one of the greatest experiences of my life and will never forget it. I can't wait till December when Annie and Kathy come to visit us in Arizona.
Cheers!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
I'm still here.....
We have been on the road traveling up to the north end of the island since last Friday, and have not had any internet connection. We just stopped at cafe to use the Internet and have a cup of coffee. This has been such a fantastic week...I don't have enough time to do a long blog, but I will upload some pictures to show what we have been up to. We went zip lining yesterday at 100 miles an hour over a canyon...I can't believe I actually did it...we will be white water rafting tomorrow and I may throw up...we will see!
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| Cape Palliser |
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| Seals! |
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| Cape Palliser light house...250 steps to the top! |
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| At the top of the light house |
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| Gorgeous view...gorgeous company! |
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| Wine tasting in Martinborough..Annie has the car keys! |
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| Playing...rat race in NZ |
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| Getting prepared for the big zip line... |
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| Fun to be a kid! |
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| Waiohine Gorge |
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| Yes we climbed that bridge |
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| Gorgeous views on our drive up to Rotorua |
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| I have a bad cold :(. But it is not gonna get me down! |
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| Craters of the Moon geothermal park |
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| Huka Falls |
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| Huka Falls again... |
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| The Fuller Flacon decked out for July 4th Taupo lake |
Thursday, June 28, 2012
My week in a nutshell
My week in a nutshell...
Look at me posting twice in one day...phew...I really had some time on my hands! WARNING....this is a VERY long post....after reading this, you will completely understand why I had no time to post until today!
Here is the run down of my past week...
Sunday ~ we spent the day with Bonnie, Diane and Jill from Hutt Sister Cities. They took us to lunch and the Te Papa museum in Wellington. It was a great day....great company, great city, great museum! The museum was celebrating Matraiki which is the Maori new year. There were Kapahaka groups performing, and they were incredible. The more time I spend here, the more similarities I see between the Maori culture and the Hawaiian culture. Which makes perfect sense, but I didn't really put that together before I got here. The museum showed the history of the Maori people and culture, which I loved learning about.
(pictures of this fun day are lost.... )
Monday ~ we went to Hutt Intermediate School. I have found so many similarities and differences in each school I have been in with our schools. This school did a wonderful job of bringing real world experiences to their students. I think they will be very prepared for life after high school! That night we had a very special celebration with the Mayor of Hutt city as well as the US Ambassador to NZ. We had to get up and speak, which you know I hate! I don't understand why I can speak in front of hundreds of kids, but the second you add adults in the mix and I just melt. But I don't think I made a fool of myself...
Tuesday ~ we went to Muritai School which is year 1 through year 8. We are constantly flabbergasted by the freedoms that the children here have. The "senior" campus is down the street and the students freely walk back and forth...by themselves...with NO adults...crossing a street! Can you imagine that happening by us??? The students are so respectful and they have such a high trust system, which is phenomenal. We were interviewed by their school tv program (which I linked on FB)...again put me in front of a crowd and I freeze. Janice and I walked to have lunch along the bay and happened to come across a sea lion... Picture opportunity of course! That night, Anne-Marie and I met up with a group of wonderful ladies and went to dinner and the cinema...basically it is a fancy movie theatre....it had couches instead of chairs and no popcorn...you could actually have wine, ice cream, coffee, etc. It was so fun and comfy!
Wednesday ~ Amazing! I don't even know where to begin... We met up with the 4 students that are here on the student exchange and the Mayoress of Hutt city. We headed off to the US Embassy in Wellington, and spent about an hour talking to the Ambassador. What an experience! I don't know in what other capacity I would have been able to spend an hour chatting with an ambassador! After chatting, we went on a tour of the embassy and then headed off to have lunch and do a little shopping. Then we took a cable car to the top of a hill and went to the botanical gardens and the Carter Observatory. As if that wasn't a busy enough day, then we had dinner with Anne-Marie and Kerry and went to see Five Year Engagement at the cinema. Yes, we went to the cinema two nights in a row.....and I loved it!
Thursday ~ we went to Little Earth Montessori preschool. This school was like nothing I had ever seen. It is a green school through and through. The owner, Anja, actually went on the exchange last year. When she described the school to us, it didn't even do it justice. She designed the school and it is incredible. The walls are made of soil and mortar, you can see from the picture that I was quite amazed. The students were 3-6 years old and were so independent. Everything they did was very purposeful and real. It was a beautiful environment and the teachers were so inviting and nurturing. Anja took us for a walk on the beach and for some ice cream...yes ice cream in the cold weather...it was great! That evening, we went to Kathy's school production. It was a whole school production that the students and teachers created. I can't imagine doing something like that! It was phenomenal and precious! The pics don't do it justice, but I tried :)
Today (Friday) ~ we went to another primary school. It is the last day of their term and they have a 2 week vacation....so as you can imagine it was a fun day. They had crazy hair day, which it our crazy hair days to shame! There were so many crazy things. That kids did to their hair...just a few...a lampshade, a nest, a Christmas tree, a spider web...all made out of hair...it was awesome! There were 5 classrooms that were taught in dual language (Maori and English) which was fascinating. It was great to see the children embracing the culture of their country and learning in both languages. The Maori language is absolutely beautiful and again reminds me so much of Hawaii.
And that brings us up to date.... Are you as exhausted as I am????? We are leaving in a few hours for our week long road trip which I am so excited about. We will be going to Martinborough which apparently has great wine...if I haven't mentioned the NZ wine yet, it is delicious!!! I mean really, really delicious!!! Then we are heading up north to Rotorua and Taupo. A few of the things that we have planned are zip lining, white water rafting, thermal pools and a spa day....needless to say I am beyond excited! I am not sure what the Internet situation will be over the next week, but I will try my hardest to keep you updated.
See you soon!
Look at me posting twice in one day...phew...I really had some time on my hands! WARNING....this is a VERY long post....after reading this, you will completely understand why I had no time to post until today!
Here is the run down of my past week...
Sunday ~ we spent the day with Bonnie, Diane and Jill from Hutt Sister Cities. They took us to lunch and the Te Papa museum in Wellington. It was a great day....great company, great city, great museum! The museum was celebrating Matraiki which is the Maori new year. There were Kapahaka groups performing, and they were incredible. The more time I spend here, the more similarities I see between the Maori culture and the Hawaiian culture. Which makes perfect sense, but I didn't really put that together before I got here. The museum showed the history of the Maori people and culture, which I loved learning about.
(pictures of this fun day are lost.... )
Monday ~ we went to Hutt Intermediate School. I have found so many similarities and differences in each school I have been in with our schools. This school did a wonderful job of bringing real world experiences to their students. I think they will be very prepared for life after high school! That night we had a very special celebration with the Mayor of Hutt city as well as the US Ambassador to NZ. We had to get up and speak, which you know I hate! I don't understand why I can speak in front of hundreds of kids, but the second you add adults in the mix and I just melt. But I don't think I made a fool of myself...
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| Janice and I with the Mayor and US Ambassador |
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| Anne-Marie and I |
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| Janic and I with the Hutt sister cities coordinators |
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| The Tempe Sister Cities high school delegates |
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| Amazed at the dirt walls |
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| Kids washing the guinea pigs |
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| I did actually fall asleep for a few minutes surrounded by 3 year olds! |
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| Glow worms |
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| Gum boots! |
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| The kiwis. These are the youngest of the school...adorable! |
And that brings us up to date.... Are you as exhausted as I am????? We are leaving in a few hours for our week long road trip which I am so excited about. We will be going to Martinborough which apparently has great wine...if I haven't mentioned the NZ wine yet, it is delicious!!! I mean really, really delicious!!! Then we are heading up north to Rotorua and Taupo. A few of the things that we have planned are zip lining, white water rafting, thermal pools and a spa day....needless to say I am beyond excited! I am not sure what the Internet situation will be over the next week, but I will try my hardest to keep you updated.
See you soon!
What a week!
What a week!
I know...I know...I have been very bad at this blogging thing. It has been such a busy week that I have had no energy to blog late at night. But I have been taking pics and trying to remember everything that we have been done. So now that I have some free time, here we go!
George is still here....I know that you were dying to know that!
I am so sad that I had a camera SD card mishap...I took the card to a camera shop and they were not able to recover the pics...so for now they are gone and I will try to see if anyone in the states can figure it out...now I am even more thankful for my dad buying me extra cards to make sure I had plenty of backups! Trust me there were some great pics that are lost :(
This experience continues to be amazing. I just keep thinking that I need to wake up from a dream. This country is beautiful and the people are so wonderful. I have met so many amazing people that have made me feel so welcome. I think that the best part about this trip is that I am staying with a host family. You would think that it would be hard to move in with people that you don't know, but it has been quite the opposite for me. Anne-Marie and Kerry have truly made me feel like I am part of their family, and I am so comfortable with them. I have been fully immersed in their culture and country, which would never have happened as a traditional "tourist". They have been able to ensure we have a very rounded experience and many different aspects of their country.
I think that our two biggest topics that we keep coming back to are food and language...
As we all know, I am not much of a cook! So Anne-Marie has been amazing me with her talent to just "whip" things up. She has had several laughs at me when I was amazed that she made pumpkin soup from fresh pumpkins instead of canned pumpkin (which she didn't even know existed). Everything we have eaten has been so delicious and FRESH! I love the food here! I Know I have said it before, but I am obsessed with the different types of KUMURA (sweet potatoes). I made a promise to myself at the start of this that I would try everything and have no regrets. I think that has made me realize how many things I have been missing out on. I am DETERMINED to be a better cook when I get home! I want to eat fresh food, and cut back on the preservatives and prepackaging that I am definitely known for by my family. I have 6 months to learn how to cook before Anne-Marie gets to Arizona. I don't want to give her a bad impression of Americans with my horrible kitchen skills :)
I know...I know...I have been very bad at this blogging thing. It has been such a busy week that I have had no energy to blog late at night. But I have been taking pics and trying to remember everything that we have been done. So now that I have some free time, here we go!
George is still here....I know that you were dying to know that!
I am so sad that I had a camera SD card mishap...I took the card to a camera shop and they were not able to recover the pics...so for now they are gone and I will try to see if anyone in the states can figure it out...now I am even more thankful for my dad buying me extra cards to make sure I had plenty of backups! Trust me there were some great pics that are lost :(
This experience continues to be amazing. I just keep thinking that I need to wake up from a dream. This country is beautiful and the people are so wonderful. I have met so many amazing people that have made me feel so welcome. I think that the best part about this trip is that I am staying with a host family. You would think that it would be hard to move in with people that you don't know, but it has been quite the opposite for me. Anne-Marie and Kerry have truly made me feel like I am part of their family, and I am so comfortable with them. I have been fully immersed in their culture and country, which would never have happened as a traditional "tourist". They have been able to ensure we have a very rounded experience and many different aspects of their country.
I think that our two biggest topics that we keep coming back to are food and language...
As we all know, I am not much of a cook! So Anne-Marie has been amazing me with her talent to just "whip" things up. She has had several laughs at me when I was amazed that she made pumpkin soup from fresh pumpkins instead of canned pumpkin (which she didn't even know existed). Everything we have eaten has been so delicious and FRESH! I love the food here! I Know I have said it before, but I am obsessed with the different types of KUMURA (sweet potatoes). I made a promise to myself at the start of this that I would try everything and have no regrets. I think that has made me realize how many things I have been missing out on. I am DETERMINED to be a better cook when I get home! I want to eat fresh food, and cut back on the preservatives and prepackaging that I am definitely known for by my family. I have 6 months to learn how to cook before Anne-Marie gets to Arizona. I don't want to give her a bad impression of Americans with my horrible kitchen skills :)
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Beautiful...Amazing...Breath Taking....
I HAVE HAD A CAMERA MESS UP.....for some reason no computer or iPad is reading my SD card and all my other pics are not coming up :( So I am posting this, but more pics will be coming as soon as we figure out the problem!
Sorry I haven't been blogging as much as my family would like, but it has been very busy. Our hosts are doing a fantastic job of squeezing as much into a day as possible that when I get to bed I just pass out!
It has only been a week, and this has been an experience of a lifetime! I have made so many wonderful memories that will stay with me forever. I am so thankful to Sister Cities for this opportunity. I am also so thankful for my family, for supporting me....turns out 3 weeks is not a short amount of time! My poor hubby is abandoned and home alone, since the kids are with my parents in San Diego. I miss all three of them so much and wish they could experience this with me....but that just means we will have to come back someday!
So here is what we have been up to...
Thursday ,we went to Anne-Marie's school, Normandale, which is a small school with year 1 through 6 (kinder-5). We went on a school trip to parliament with the year 4,5 & 6 students. It was so interesting to see how a different government worked and to watch the students on this experience. I had so many questions....and felt a little uneducated about the British government...but not any more!
Friday, we were back at Normandale for the morning. We were able to watch a reading intervention program, which was phenomenal and I can't wait to use pieces of it in my own room. We were also able to sit in on a first year (kinder) class. I posted a pic on FB of the view, because it was just UNBELIEVABLE!!! I don't know that I would ever get any work done if I had a view like that. Every room had a beautiful view and the campus was just breath taking. The students were the most well behaved students I have ever met. The school really seems to focus on real life experiences and the students seem to thrive from this. They are really allowed to just be kids....I know it's a novel idea!!! It was fun to see them playing and climbing trees and not worrying about standardized testing. It is a very different environment than we are used to. Anne-Marie is doing an amazing job with the school.
In the afternoon, we went on a 4 hour Lord of the Rings tour. Here's the catch.....I had never seen the movie....but I watched it last night. The tour was absolutely beautiful! I know I keep saying that about everything here, but really there are no other words. We were able to visit many different sites where the movies were filmed and had some fun reenacting some of the scenes...of course I loved that part! My favorite part was the KaiToke rainforest. Not only was it beautiful, but Janice and I had so much fun taking pictures and being silly, which I am quite good at. Janice especially had a good time terrifying me while we walked on a suspended bridge. She was jumping and swinging it, as I gripped on for my life....I have no idea how I am going to do the zip lining.
Saturday, we went horseback riding along the countryside. It was very windy and muddy, but it didn't seem to bother the horses. My pictures don't even begin to capture the view that we had. My bottom is not liking me much today for the riding...apparently it has been quite a few years since I have been on a horse. We also went to Makara beach, which was so windy you would never even believe it. The wind pretty much held us up if we leaned into it and spread out our arms. We couldn't stop laughing at the ridiculousness of worrying to walk and move in the wind. I tried to throw a golf ball to see if it would blow right back....but it didn't.
I have continued to try lots of new foods while here and have not said no to anything....yet. I am obsessed with the different types of Kumura (sweet pototoes) and can't seem to get enough of it. I ate Turkish food last night for the first time and it was very similar to Greek food and delicious. Turns out that New Zealand has amazing wines as well....I have definitely been enjoying those.
I have really discovered how "lazy" I am with my cooking....if you even call what I do cooking! Everything is so fresh here and very little is cooked with prepackaged foods or processed foods, which makes it absolutely delicious. Anne-Marie got a good laugh when I was amazed she squeezed fresh lemons to make lemon muffins instead of using lemon juice...we all know that I am a source of entertainment when it comes to kitchen skills. Taylor asked what I am going to do when Anne-Marie is in Arizona, and I told her I have 5 months to learn how to cook....I'll let you know how that goes!
Well that was the rest of my week in a nutshell. I know it's lots....but oh well...
I got to FaceTime with my girls and parents this morning, which was so fun...but heartbreaking at the same time. My parents are really amazing and I am so lucky that the girls are having a blast and getting spoiled rotten. But, I miss them so much and can't wait to squeeze them and cuddle when I get home. I also got to FaceTime with Mike tonight and it was great to see his smiling face. I miss him like crazy....absence makes the heart grow fonder...right?!?!?
Oh...and just in case you're wondering...which I know you are...George is still here! We are going on 9 days here...I mean come on!!!!! He better leave soon, or start paying rent...RIDICULOUS!!!
Sorry I haven't been blogging as much as my family would like, but it has been very busy. Our hosts are doing a fantastic job of squeezing as much into a day as possible that when I get to bed I just pass out!
It has only been a week, and this has been an experience of a lifetime! I have made so many wonderful memories that will stay with me forever. I am so thankful to Sister Cities for this opportunity. I am also so thankful for my family, for supporting me....turns out 3 weeks is not a short amount of time! My poor hubby is abandoned and home alone, since the kids are with my parents in San Diego. I miss all three of them so much and wish they could experience this with me....but that just means we will have to come back someday!
So here is what we have been up to...
Thursday ,we went to Anne-Marie's school, Normandale, which is a small school with year 1 through 6 (kinder-5). We went on a school trip to parliament with the year 4,5 & 6 students. It was so interesting to see how a different government worked and to watch the students on this experience. I had so many questions....and felt a little uneducated about the British government...but not any more!
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| Outside of Parliament |
Friday, we were back at Normandale for the morning. We were able to watch a reading intervention program, which was phenomenal and I can't wait to use pieces of it in my own room. We were also able to sit in on a first year (kinder) class. I posted a pic on FB of the view, because it was just UNBELIEVABLE!!! I don't know that I would ever get any work done if I had a view like that. Every room had a beautiful view and the campus was just breath taking. The students were the most well behaved students I have ever met. The school really seems to focus on real life experiences and the students seem to thrive from this. They are really allowed to just be kids....I know it's a novel idea!!! It was fun to see them playing and climbing trees and not worrying about standardized testing. It is a very different environment than we are used to. Anne-Marie is doing an amazing job with the school.
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| The view from the Kinder classroom! |
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| Making origami boats with the first years. |
In the afternoon, we went on a 4 hour Lord of the Rings tour. Here's the catch.....I had never seen the movie....but I watched it last night. The tour was absolutely beautiful! I know I keep saying that about everything here, but really there are no other words. We were able to visit many different sites where the movies were filmed and had some fun reenacting some of the scenes...of course I loved that part! My favorite part was the KaiToke rainforest. Not only was it beautiful, but Janice and I had so much fun taking pictures and being silly, which I am quite good at. Janice especially had a good time terrifying me while we walked on a suspended bridge. She was jumping and swinging it, as I gripped on for my life....I have no idea how I am going to do the zip lining.
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| Afternoon tea on the LOTR tour |
Saturday, we went horseback riding along the countryside. It was very windy and muddy, but it didn't seem to bother the horses. My pictures don't even begin to capture the view that we had. My bottom is not liking me much today for the riding...apparently it has been quite a few years since I have been on a horse. We also went to Makara beach, which was so windy you would never even believe it. The wind pretty much held us up if we leaned into it and spread out our arms. We couldn't stop laughing at the ridiculousness of worrying to walk and move in the wind. I tried to throw a golf ball to see if it would blow right back....but it didn't.
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| Getting ready for our ride. |
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| That is me in the purple jacket... |
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| Beautiful! |
I have continued to try lots of new foods while here and have not said no to anything....yet. I am obsessed with the different types of Kumura (sweet pototoes) and can't seem to get enough of it. I ate Turkish food last night for the first time and it was very similar to Greek food and delicious. Turns out that New Zealand has amazing wines as well....I have definitely been enjoying those.
I have really discovered how "lazy" I am with my cooking....if you even call what I do cooking! Everything is so fresh here and very little is cooked with prepackaged foods or processed foods, which makes it absolutely delicious. Anne-Marie got a good laugh when I was amazed she squeezed fresh lemons to make lemon muffins instead of using lemon juice...we all know that I am a source of entertainment when it comes to kitchen skills. Taylor asked what I am going to do when Anne-Marie is in Arizona, and I told her I have 5 months to learn how to cook....I'll let you know how that goes!
Well that was the rest of my week in a nutshell. I know it's lots....but oh well...
I got to FaceTime with my girls and parents this morning, which was so fun...but heartbreaking at the same time. My parents are really amazing and I am so lucky that the girls are having a blast and getting spoiled rotten. But, I miss them so much and can't wait to squeeze them and cuddle when I get home. I also got to FaceTime with Mike tonight and it was great to see his smiling face. I miss him like crazy....absence makes the heart grow fonder...right?!?!?
Oh...and just in case you're wondering...which I know you are...George is still here! We are going on 9 days here...I mean come on!!!!! He better leave soon, or start paying rent...RIDICULOUS!!!
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