I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and did not get stuck in the snow!  It looked like a white season for all of Canada.  Our NZ friends loved the pickies of my sister's skating rink in her backyard.  I think I could miss snow- just not yet.   

 Our Christmas in NZ was truly different than a Canadian holiday, but great all the same.  We managed to NOT get homesick and NOT cry when we chatted with family.  I was impressed and surprised!  We spent time with Brad's family, Mr. G's family and some good friends from Whakatane.  The kids had plenty of prezzies and good food.  We did manage to have turkey (chook) dinner (tea) from Grandma G.  There were even a few kids to play with along the way.  The only snow we encountered was the icing sugar sprinkled on the dessert!  Boysenberries are in season right now so we have had a good dose of those as well!   I think we'll enjoy the snow more next year, that will depend on how much is waiting for us in February.....

After spending 4 months here we do not sound like Kiwis yet and we are still surprised by a few of their "traditions."  Like a "chippy sammy"- this would be a white bread with butter sandwich with french fries inside and lots of ketchup!  Not the healthiest thing I've ever tried- nor the yummiest.   And we northern folk have a few things that amaze the NZ folk here- the idea of a cookie exchange is totally foreign- who would bake that many cookies and then trade them?  Why wouldn't you just buy them?  (it is a good question really!)

Well I reckon this will be the last note from Ohope and Whakatane!  We are down to the last week here and are preparing to head for the South Island!  We will be sad to say good-bye to wonderful friends and a great place to live.  The past few days have been RAIN RAIN RAIN, but Christmas was sunny and nice.  Now all the plants are getting a good water and the Kiwis in tents are getting soggy!!  I'm amazed at how the NZ people love to camp and go to the beach.  Those Kiwi kids can catch a wave and boogie board/ surf.  Our 3 are getting better at the waves.  Now their mother is a different story- I quit before I totally gave all observers a good laugh!  Maybe I'll try again on the south island!

Missing all at home.  We are grateful for every day we have-  God is good!  

Merry Christmas 2008!

Hello all!  I feel like I should put a disclaimer at the beginning of this note:  "Beware there are people in these photos who are not wearing snow suits!"  I chatted with my parents the other day and they wanted to know exactly how warm it is here!  Poor old frosty Canada is getting a blast of BRRR!  So I apologize if we look too warm and sunny- really!  

We are on the countdown until the kids can open their prezzies!  Luke asks everyday- just in case we have changed our minds!  It is a challenge to shop for gifts- I can't stand packing up more stuff- the idea is to travel with LESS!  

We are also counting down the days until we leave Ohope and head for the South Island!  It has been nice to have a "home."  This Christmas we will be with Mr. G's family at the "mount."  Will be fun!  I do not plan to be too homesick, but I have already had a few moments!  Family is precious.

Have a wonderful Christmas and make a snowman for us!  We'll take a walk in the ocean for you!  I know- not a fair swap!  

Hello all and happy December!  What a funny thought- December with no snow and frost!  Just down the street- across from the ocean- there is a house with a huge snowman on the front lawn!  All I can say is "where are the sunglasses for the poor guy?"   Christmas here is low key compared to home.  Kind of nice really!  The most beautiful thing around here are the POHUTUKAWA trees ( poe- who- too- cow- ah)- good luck saying that one!  These trees are blossoming right now- with huge red flowers!  Some of the hill sides by the ocean are all red and green- COOL!  

As we get more familiar with life down here I have finally been brave enough to drive!  Poor Keith had been the chauffeur for long enough and I had Christmas shopping to do.  I like to drive with one child, not in traffic, no radio and I sing a little diddi to myself to remember that "I'm on the wrong side of the road...."  So far I've done fine- but I still prefer gasping at Keith as we negotiate these roads!  I am a professional back seat driver!

Keith had the amazing privilege of going on a day trip to White Island- an active volcano!  He was thrilled!  A neighbour's visiting brother had an extra ticket and invited Keith!  He saw and smelled all the sights there!  Hard to describe- google it!  As a huge bonus he saw Orca Whales on the way home- a whole pod with two young calves!  Keith did his best to take photos!

The kids all loved the Christmas play at the church!  The performance went well and after they finished they all ran around in bare feet outside!  

Last week we travelled around the east cape of the north island to Gisborne and area.  The ocean views with all the pohutukawa trees in full bloom was stunning!  I took so many pictures as we stopped many times along the way.  We stayed at a B&B in Anaura Bay- very quiet and secluded.  The kids had fun looking for paua shells and dead crabs.  By the time we got to Gisborne it was HOT!  We stayed long enough for lunch and a quick look around.  The drive home to Ohope was through a huge gorge and some amazing sheep covered farm land.  NZ is so green and lush in this area.

The weather has turned rainy again this week, but not very cold.  It is nice to have God water the garden for a few days!  We have one month left in Ohope and we plan to enjoy as much as possible.  The friends here are wonderful and like family!  BUT that's not to say that we don't miss all at home!  Poor Luke couldn't say hi his to Grandma Ruth the other day on Skype- just too sad for the lad!  On Monday when he was out on his scooter for a schooling break, our neighbour called to him- she had a package from Canada for him.  While she was looking through her mail box she found another one!  Two grandma care packages in one day!  So COOL!  We opened one full of wrapped gifts!  Keith just happened to still be on the volcano tour so the kids and I brought in a "tree" that I had saved from the garden (I had it in a bucket) and we decorated our Christmas tree!  We played festive tunes on the computer and made our decorations.  Ellie even set out to make us an angel!  It was a fun way to celebrate and the kids certainly were proud of their "tree."  I was amazed at how relaxed I could be about the decorating- usually we have to anchor the tree to the wall and get on all the lights before we let a person under the age of 20 near it!   Maybe we need to try this in Canada- less stress is always a good thing.

I have booked several places for our trip down to the south island and we are looking forward to seeing the rest of NZ in January.   Hugs and love to all at home!  Enjoy all those Christmas lights for us!  

Happy Birthday Ellie

Ellie is 11 years old!  Hard to imagine our big girl beyond 10, but today she turned 11 and had a sunny birthday!  We tried to do everything that she wouldn't do in Canada that she could do in NZ- so we had lunch outdoors at a cafe, went to a berry farm and had ice cream, swam in the ocean and walked on the beach.   Ellie is still waiting for the proper Canadian time to be officially 11- so I guess when she wakes up in the morning we can say we have an 11 year old.  Pretty special to celebrate in NZ.  We'll hopefully get to Skype some grand parents and family before the week is out.

The NZ adventure continues every week.  Now that we are past the half way mark we are trying to make sure we don't miss out while we are here.  Last week we went back to Rotorua- yes it still smelled like rotten eggs- and visited Rainbow Springs.  It is a beautiful place for native NZ birds and animals.  There were also plenty of huge  Rainbow Trout- Luke announced loudly that he wished he had his fishing rod and that his Uncle Jeff would sure love to catch one of these.  We had to hush him up- the fish are protected there- not for food!!!  The kids had fun feeding the swans and ducks until Luke got in between a mother duck and her babies- she tried to scare him off by flapping on his back- what a funny sight- Luke kept his distance from the ducks after that one!  The highlight of the trip (for Luke) was seeing a Wallaby- he once again came through and impressed us with his ability to tell the boys from the girls-  with his barnyard voice of course.

The fishing also continues to be successful for the men!  Last lot was 23 fish and some big ones too!  The kids like the smoked fish now- our good neighbour looks after us quite well!  Luke still won't hold a fish and I have no immediate plans to gut a fish.  

Last weekend Uncle Brad and Aunty Megan came to visit for 2 nights.  The kids were thrilled to play with their Uncle Brad- flying paper airplanes, playing tag on the beach and helping pick berries (and eat berries)!  We are blessed with friends who are like family!   

We are still working hard at the home schooling and Greek (for Keith).  We get to the library for a fresh round of books every Monday.  The kids are hooked on Asterix and Oblix books!  I have tried to do some Christmas shopping, but it is hard to think that Christmas is coming.  It just doesn't seem like Christmas without snow etc.  It is funny to see all the NZ christmas cards with snow!  Where is the Santa on a surf board?  I did find some Christmas wrap with kiwis- that will have to do!

We made it to the Whakatane Santa parade- it was a lot like the Blossom Festival Parade- we even needed our hats- it was hot!  Poor old Santa looked pretty toasty!  

The kids are in the church Christmas play in Whakatane.  Luke is a shepherd.  Megan an Angel. Ellie- has a speaking part for the play!  It is fun to have something like home and for the kids to be involved in!  I'm not too sure how I'll get these costumes figured out- I will have to be creative!  

That's all for now!  Enjoy the snow in Canada!  The first snowfall is always so pretty- if you're not driving in it!  Take care.....

3 Months in NZ!

3 months in NZ!  Hard to believe and yet when I look at all the photos on the laptop and all the school work the kids have done- I see where all that time went!  We are completely and totally loving our time in Ohope.  We have met a few neighbours and feel like we have a home!  One of our goals was to "live" somewhere else while we were away- Ohope has been perfect.  ( I still can't believe that the ocean is across the road.)

The kids will likely not go to school here- too tricky and not worth all the effort it would take.  The kids are content with that and are happy getting their school work done so they can go and play.  I'm amazed at what they learn and how fast.  I also admire those teachers at school and home schooling parents- not an easy task to teach!  

The fishing has been a whole new way of life around here.  We have a wonderful "grandpa" neighbour who has taken us all out on various adventures.  The men managed to catch 21 fish on their expedition last Saturday!  The kids now love smoked fish and mom likes the fish in well cooked dishes!  When we went as a family we tried catching flounder with a net that we set in the water.  The net was placed 50 metres downstream and we all walked in a diagonal line to scare the fish into the net.  Too bad the fish were not there that day- but we did learn a lot!  On that trip we did find some pippies (like clams) and dug those up.  Luke's big find was a piece of drift wood that looked like a gun.  That added to the sound effects in the boat!

Our "grandpa" neighbour also took the kids and I out a few days ago to try fishing in the harbour!  All of us caught a fish for the first time.  It was so fun to see the smiles and excitement!  I loved that I didn't have to bait the hooks or touch the slimy creatures.   When we got back Keith had the task of "preparing" the food- I don't do guts!

We have enjoyed the hiking in this area so far.  We did quite a long hike to Lake Tarawera and the falls.  We were impressed with the kids as they did a 7 km hike and ran one third of it!  The falls are incredible as the water comes right out of the mountain after travelling underground.  COOL!

We know all about Guy Fawkes Day now and have lit enough fireworks and sparklers for the kids to want to celebrate it at home!  Our neighbour next door had us over with his kids to light all these fun fireworks.  Whakatane had a big display too- we saw some of that as well.

So now we get the questions like- "how warm is it there in NZ?" or "will you still come home?"  We love it here and yes the weather is getting warmer all the time.  We're not running around in swimsuits, but we are putting on the sunscreen every day!  As for coming home.....  of course we're coming back to Canada!  We miss family and friends!  A few days ago Luke woke up in tears.  He missed Canada!  He missed his friends at school (listed them all), he missed his cousins (listed them off too), he missed his Gramma and he really missed his LEGO!   Poor guy- I think he got some ice cream later that day!   It is a little hard not knowing the "what next" in our lives, but we are totally trusting God to lead and guide us.  

Thanks for reading!  I love the comments- makes my day!  As for Christmas cards- send us an email  kthanson@live.com or mail them to my mom and dad.  I'll hopefully have a note to send -we'll see!  I love all the Christmas photos and cards- the pictures usually cover one side of my fridge all year long- so please still send them! 

Love and hugs.......  from NZ

Rotorua and NZ fun!

Hello to all!  We are still here in NZ!  The kids are working hard on their home schooling and Keith on his Greek!  We seem to have a "home" routine now that we are not moving around every week!  I've enjoyed having my clothes in a dresser and knowing where to find what I need when I need.  Nana's house has been a wonderful place to stay- for all of us.   Our three have a couple of kids to play with next door and the ocean is across the road- although we don't get there as often as we should!!!  It has been cold here again and we're waiting for the big warm up!!

Keith and Luke have tried their hand at fishing!  So far 3 fish have been caught and eaten!  Very tasty when the fish is fresh.  The kids are learning to like it more.  Keith has big aspirations (fisherman disease) to catch the BIG ONE!  He heading out to deep waters with some neighbours on Saturday- hope they come back with more than stories!  I keep on telling him that he needs to pay off the fishing rod!

We did a quick trip to Rotorua last week.  It was fun to be tourists,  We went to the Agridome to see Sheep shearing, up the Gondola to go down the Luge and to the city park to see the "rotten egg factory."  (a.k.a. bubbly mud and steamy, smelly water)  Rotorua does have some smelly areas where there is geothermal activity all the time!  

We are finding that time is passing quickly and each week disappears.  We have some more plans to see more areas around here and do more fishing.....

The kids got a parcel from my mom and were so excited.  Luke was pleased to get some Lego.  We've offered to take it apart every night so he has something to do the next day!

Hope all at home are safe and well...