Thanksgiving in New Zealand

This past week we headed to the land of the "Kiwi",  New Zealand.   Named first by the Maori, "Aotearoa", which means "land of the long white cloud".   For us, it was the land of lots and lots of sheep!

We spent a day in Auckland and then headed south toward Wellington.  My husband was working most of the time, but the kids and I took full advantage of exploring all we could in the short amount of time we were there.

Our first stop was the Auckland water front.  It is a working port with lots going on.
 

We also found the Sky tower rising 328 meters (just over 1,076 feet).  At about 636 feet up there is a platform where they allow folks (who have a death wish)...to bungy jump to the ground level!  We had fun watching them jump from the safety of the observation tower just a few feet down...crazy!  Of course, the view was amazing up so high...

 "Auckland Sky Tower"

The next day we headed south by car toward Wellington... The drive was long and winding.  Sights of green fields, mountains, rivers and streams and lots and lots of sheep!

Once we arrived in Wellington, we headed straight for Te Papa Museum.  It was fabulous!  Lots of interesting exhibits, History and Discovery all in one place.  One of the main exhibits was a preserved Colossal Squid.   We also found the Maori history fascinating.  They were the first explorers to find New Zealand... The children were very happy to stay there all day... I drug both of them out after 5 hours!  The weather was brilliant and we needed to see the rest of Wellington...

 "Having fun in a phone booth!"

"We spotted a rare Kiwi bird..."

 "Te Pappa had lots of hands on activities for the kids!"

We enjoyed a nice walk on the waterfront boardwalk, as well as, a cable car ride to the top of the hill for great views of the city, and a lovely walk through the Botanical Gardens.

 "A Chapel at the Church of England Cemetery in central Wellington"

We ended our Thanksgiving day with a meal at a Belgian Restaurant in the heart of the city... amazing food!

Friday, we packed up and headed inland again... toward Mt. Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park.  We spent the night in a mountain Chateau near Ohakune.

 "The view from our room"

Saturday was meant to be a day of hiking and exploring the caves nearby... but  my husband become extremely ill in the night and it became clear that he needed medical attention right away... so we ended up traveling two hours to find an open Medical Clinic... near Lake Taupo.  This is a very scenic and lovely area and the detour not without it's own share of adventure!   The Medical Clinic was very helpful and we were able to obtain medication  for my very sick husband.  We then headed back to an abbreviated plan to finish out our stay...

Our final evening was spent taking the children underground to see the famous "glow worms" of  the Wiatomo Caves.  Within the limestone cave we saw many hanging stalactites and stalagmites growing up to meet them...and in between, the most amazing little creatures... glowing like stars in the night.   They are fly larva.  The glowing is produced by the digestion in their stomachs...They are apparently only in New Zealand and parts of Australia...   This was a highlight of the trip!



We did make it home... safe and sound... my husband is slowly on the mend.

We are so thankful for the many blessings in our lives... family, friends and health...

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Nice to Meet You, Mr. President"

Spring is turning to summer here... the days are growing longer and the temperatures are climbing... we are enjoying weekend BBQ's with friends and getting our fill of sunshine!

 

 Summer Sunflowers

The Markets are filled with lovely flowers here.  

I can't help but bring a bunch home to brighten my kitchen every once in a while...

 Thomas lost two teeth in one week!

Exploring Berry Island...

Just a 20 Minute walk from our house.

The past few weeks have been a blur of activity... I find that our life seems to become that way often!  Yet, each and every day... we are striving to maintain an attitude of joy as we see God working to provide for our needs and to direct our actions.  We are slowly developing a "normal" school routine, which enjoys a bit of  flexibility, to explore our new world.  Sydney is a big city with lots to keep us busy... I feel like we are just beginning to get our toes wet...  there is so much to explore right out our back door.

In fact, this week we had the opportunity to meet the President.  He spent a couple of days "down under" while traveling through the Pacific.

 President Obama and Ambassador Bleich

It is not often you get to meet a person of such historic significance and we felt it was a wonderful opportunity for the children to see our President at work.  Thomas was one of 40 children chosen to stand in front near the President as he spoke to us all at the Embassy.

Thomas actually got to shake his hand.  This was a very inspiring thing for him.  After a few days of thinking through all this, Thomas announced that maybe some day "he" could be President!

 President Obama speaking to the Embassy Community

 

 The Ambassador's Residence 

The Embassy grounds are beautiful... the garden's are lovely and the architecture gives one the impression they are on an old Virginian Estate. 

The Presidential Limo leaving the Embassy...

 God Bless America!

A Full Weekend

The end of this week was very welcomed! 

After some much needed grocery shopping and stocking up at Costco on Friday evening... (Yes, they have one of those way down here... although... it is a bit different than in the States)...  We spent our Saturday on the beach!



I enjoyed  sitting in the shade of a large evergreen tree...reading a favorite book by Sally Clarkson, "Season's of a Mother's Heart" on my beach blanket... looking up every once in a while at my little ones swimming in the ocean and playing in the sand.  I savored the moment... 



Daddy took life guard duty as he instructed Sarah on the art of the Boogie Board.  She took to it well and was riding the waves in one after the other!

 Beach side flowers always catch my eye...

 

Whale Watching just south of Palm Beach

Sunday, we enjoyed a quiet morning... church at home... listening to our favorite Pastor at HBC.  We then prepared for a reunion with an old friend all the way from Ridley Park, PA and her Australian husband...


 

We had a great time catching up on 20 years of  life... she was only 12 years old when we first met her!  Her mom and dad were so good to us... we were the young married couple then.  They always made time to visit with us and had us over for dinner often.  It seemed only fitting to take advantage of the opportunity to return the favor... my only question is... where does the time go?

Making a Home with Homeschool at it's Heart

Over the past couple of weeks I have been working to unpack our surface shipment and bring some semblance of order and a sense of "home" to our new place.   All of our life possessions were packed up by the movers in the beginning of July.  While most are in storage, we finally did receive a limited shipment of household goods at the beginning of October!  I am still in shock how much we fit into our limited shipment... The kids and I have worked to unpack, put away, and decorate our little cottage to resemble our personalities a bit...   What a difference a little bit of "home" makes to a blank canvas of white walls and hardwood floors!

One of my first priorities, after the kitchen, was to tackle our "Homeschool Nook".  I knew that we would be needing to start our official school year within a couple of weeks after our shipment arrived... and, I worked to make this room one of the coziest and desirable places to be.

The children seem to enjoy this room the best...as well as their own...

Having a home... a place to rest our head... to be comfortable and at peace... is such a blessing.

Schooling at Home is also a blessing beyond measure...

Proverbs, Chapter 3, has been such an encouragement to me this new school year and I am making it my goal to keep it close at hand and on my heart... reminding myself to TRUST...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths strait.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.  This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones..."  Proverbs 3:5-8

Many things happen in this world... it is constantly changing and life is not certain from one day to the next.  Yet, one thing is for certain... we can place our faith and hope in Christ.  He will direct our paths and lead us straight through.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to disciple my children at home in knowledge and life skills... but most importantly, training their hearts to understand the wisdom of the truth and reality of God's Word in their lives.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give to you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up..." Deuteronomy 6:5-7