6 weeks to go...

I can't believe I only have 6 weeks left in New Zealand!!  This year has gone by VERY quickly!  I have something planned for every weekend from now as well.

This past weekend, I played in my 2nd winter interclub tennis match and won, again!  So far we're undefeated!  So that's going well.  And then Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous day at Mt. Ruapehu, so we decided to get up at 4am and drive down for the day.  Jacques, Marc and I had an excellent day skiing and boarding along with half of the rest of the country!!  It was sooo busy! There were massive lines waiting to get up all of the lifts.  Also, the more inconvenient thing about skiing in this country, is the lodge is pretty tiny, mostly just a cafe upstairs and tables downstairs for the food there.  You can't leave your bags anywhere in the lodge, if you want a bag up there with you, you have to rent a locker for $5 or just carry it with you.  Lots of people ski with backpacks.  And the very first time we went I was so confused to see everyone getting ready at the car and the just walking right up to the mountain.

The weekend before last, we went down to the mountain from Thursday-Sunday.  Astrid and I got a hour of skiing in before they closed and it was a gorgeous day.  Unfortunately, it was the best day of the weekend!  Peter was saving his 3 day pass for Fri, Sat and Sun, but the mountain was closed on Friday due to high winds!  Lack of trees is certainly a problem when bad weather comes through.  Saturday was an alright day with moderate visibility and then Sunday was snowy and raining.  Overall, it was a good weekend and we did get plenty of skiing in.

When we got back from skiing, Peter came to my yoga class Monday morning and then we went to return the rental gear and then checked out Takapuna beach because it was a fairly nice day.  We drove out to Kumeu to see the wine bar where Astrid will be working at this weekend when it opens.  It looks lovely and hopefully I'll get to test it out before I go, and get some photos.  It is a very cute place that her family is opening out in wine country.  Tuesday, we took the kids to the museum and to see the AQUA show.  It was good to have some help and Libby especially loved having Peter as a new friend.  When we got home they went out exploring and down fishing at the wharf, so I could put Tessa down and she could get some sleep in the quiet house.  Peter left to fly to the US Wed morning and I took the kids to meet Nan at the zoo.  I brought Tessa home a bit earlier than the others so she could have a sleep and Nan brought Libby and Reuben home a bit later and we got ready to celebrate John's birthday.  Friday, he left for the UK for 3 weeks for sailing, pre-olypmic trials.

This weekend, tomorrow, is Jacques' midyear Christmas function for work (I guess they like to have one in winter when it's cold-ish).  It's nautical/sea themed and I'm going as a mermaid.  I tried to convince him to be my prince Eric like from the The Little Mermaid, but looks like the plan now is Poseidon.  Then on Saturday we are going to the All Blacks v Australia Tri Nations Rugby game.  Who knows what the plan will be for Sunday, but we've got water polo at 7:30, which I've been happily avoiding by skiing the past few weekends!

Next weekend, the 13-14, we'll be down in Rotorua for the Tough Guy and Gal Challenge.  a 6 or 12k race through mud and obstacles.  Not sure why I've agreed to participate, but I'll be doing the shorter one.  Jacques will be doing the 2-lap longer one.  Then, if the weather is nice, we'll head to the mountain to ski on Sunday, since we'll be down that way already.

The weekend after that 19-21, I'll be visiting Fi D in Sydney!!  So far the only set plans are to see Jersey Boys!  And of course see some Kangaroos and Koalas, but I'm sure it will be a much more packed weekend than that.

The following week, I'd like to try to get down to the snow the 25-26, the I'm registered to run the North Shore Half Marathon on Sunday the 28th, but I haven't run at all...since the Huntly 10k cause Sharon, my yoga instructor told me not to...would just delay the process of stretching out my hips.  So I'm not sure that I'm going to attempt the 21k...

The weekend after that, Sept 3rd, we leave for Fiji! Then just 2 days after we come back, I fly home...doesn't seem possible that a whole year will be up!  I can't make any promises, but I will try to give updates from a few of the weekends to come!  I'll be busy enjoying my last 6 weeks here!  

Friday's activity since the mt was closed

almost there....

Riding up Movenpick lift

Just got off high noon express

Jacques, me, Astrid, Melissa and Peter

a bit iced over

pretty sunset on the way home

Rainbow (double actually) on the way to the zoo

Kids on the lizard, Tessa was actually afraid of the "big crocodile" 

Sunrise over our favorite photo stop

Sunset over the snowy peaks on the drive home

Skiing!!

We went skiing the weekend Turoa opened!  We were just too excited that it had finally snowed so we woke up bright and early Sunday morning and were on our way by 3:30am.  We were down at the mountain and skiing by 9am.  It was good to be skiing again, after having missed the season at home, but the trails were very skinny and the lots of rocks were showing because there wasn't much of a base.  The average depth was about 65cm.  Now there is 165cm avg base so the trails should be much bigger and look completely different than before.  We (Astrid, Peter and I) head down on Thursday morning for a long weekend and Melissa and Jacques will join us after work Friday afternoon.  Hopefully, it's a good 4 days of skiing!

Also, I just booked a flight to Sydney to visit Fiona Davidson, from camp.  I'm going for a weekend in August.  I just decided that I couldn't NOT go to Australia to see her while I was here, and the flights were a good deal!

And, I have been replaced.  The Clinton's have found a new au pair and she arrives Sept 1st.  It's crazy that I only have 2 months left in NZ!  It's all gone by so quickly!  Still have lots to look forward to before I leave though.

Mt. Ruapehu, Turoa ski area

Riding up the Movenpick lift

A bit too many rocks showing!

Skiing above all those clouds

Can see another snowcapped peak above the clouds in the distance

Mt. Ruapehu from the drive home

Little neighbor mountain

The Chalet and Whakapapa side of Ruapehu

Birthday and Mardi Gras!

First of all, thank you for all the fabulous birthday wishes, cards, celebrations and whatever else you may have given me! I had a great, well, full week, really!

It all started with a surprise party Jacques worked very hard to plan for me Friday 17th of June.  It was supposed to be Saturday, apparently, but I had to babysit, so it was semi-last minute switch.  I thought we were getting some dinner and watching a movie, when we walked into his house it was filled with people! Very scary actually! And I was quite underdressed for the occasion.  Basically in pajamas and most people had actually mad an effort at dressing up!  Rachel and Josie did a great job on the decorations, including a homemade sign done on a fitted sheet from Rachel's house! Birthday week was off to a great start!

On Tuesday, the family had a dinner for me and cake.  The kids were just far too excited about the whole thing!  We played pass the parcel and musical cushions and musical statues and they had a treasure hunt, more because they wanted the candy and chocolate to eat!  The best part was when they had lit the candles and were about halfway through singing, Julia walked under the heater (which blows from high up on the wall) and it blew out all the candles on the cake and the room went pitch black! She was like, oh no! oops! Went back, lit them again, and started singing from the beginning again, AFTER turning off the heater of course!

Wednesday night no one turned up for swimming, so I had a nice little pre-bday night off from teaching. Thursday was a very busy day! Swimming from 9-1 Then home to shower and eat and then straight to yoga so I could make it back in time for my bday dinner up in Albany at 7pm.  Unfortunately, the train coming back from yoga was late so I missed the 5:10 ferry to Bayswater so hopped on the 5:15 Devonport one and rang Julia to see if she could pick me up from there.  Luckily it all worked out and I just barely made it up to Jacques' for 6:45 and we made it to dinner by 7.  I had a really nice, delicious dinner!

Friday, we left for Ohakune down south near Mt. Ruapehu where we spent the weekend for Mardi Gras (opening of the ski season).  Although the mountain didn't open until later on in the week due to lack of snow, the concert was still lots of fun, but VERY muddy!  Still dreading cleaning my boots!  There were 15 of us staying in a house meant for 10 people and we all dressed in ninja costumes for the Saturday night, since it was a fancy dress event.  Sunday, we took a drive up the mountain because I wanted to see some snow.  We had a pleasant surprise that it was closed at the 13k marker due to snow!!! It snowed pretty much all weekend and the beginning of the this week so ski season can officially begin! :) It was quite strange seeing snow only 3 days after my birthday, after having never missed a summer birthday...I am very confused that it's almost July and I'll be snow-skiing!!

Surprise party banner at Jacques' house, made by Josie and Rachel

Extra yummy choc cake! (I was scared of the sparkler candles!)

Actual birthday dinner at Serengeti

Ninja Mardi Gras Crew!

13k mark, driving up the mountain road to Turoa ski area

Yay! Snow!

Freshly covered Mt. Ruapehu Monday morning

The the silly clouds had to get in my way!

Queen's Birthday Weekend (3 day weekend)!

To sum up, life in NZ has still been fabulous!  I know the updates have been lacking, but I've just been busy with regular life and haven't gone on any new exotic trips, so I haven't really had any especially exciting to report.  But, I figured it was about time for a recap of the last month an a bit since Great Barrier Island!


I am now teaching the COMPLETE yoga class on Monday mornings, including the relaxation, and Sharon said I taught a lovely class the last time :)  However, she told me not to do any running until I get my hips into better shape, because the movement they do running in just countering all the stretching I'm doing to get them a bit more flexible where they need to be.

As for the kids, since my flight home is booked (back stateside the 15th of September), and Fiji before that 3rd-12th, I'll be stopping work on the 1st, they are starting to say that they don't want me to go.  Libby doesn't want a replacement, she just wants me to stay forever.  Tessa has learned to say her own version of my name is says it ALL the time now, asks about me all weekend when I'm away and even Thur and Friday nights comes running into my room or is shouting up the stairs asking where I am, she won't let me be in my room, instead she takes my hand and leads me downstairs to play with her.  It will definitely be the hardest for her when I go, she won't have a clue where I went.  Since I've been their first au pair, she basically thinks I'm part of the family!  Reuben, Libby and Tessa know the words to some of Michael Jackson's number ones, and any time it comes on the radio to and from school it has to be turned way up and we all have a singalong.  It's good that there's at least one thing they all agree on because it doesn't happen very often!  Lately even Tessa starts saying in the car "don't like that song" just to get the station changed...often she doesn't even listen to it long enough to decide, she just wants to have her way like the others do.

I'm still teaching my regular swim lessons, Wed, Thur and Sat.  I even filled in for 2 Tuesday night "Mad Mums" classes at the start of this term.  They are just a bunch of mums that come and swim, some just beginner swimmers and some looking for a full workout set!  Though they are worse than the kids, wanting to use fins the entire time!  Also, the week following Mother's Day weekend Julia went away to Melbourne with her mom (Wed-Sat) so I was on kid school duty as well as yoga and swimming for the entire week so that was busy, busy! I even took Tessa to her swim lesson on that Fri, same ones I usually teach on a Thursday, so I think the other parents were wondering how I knew all the songs.  She loves her swimming, getting thrown up into the air and going underwater.

I went ice skating at this indoor place with Josie and Rachel, just so we could have a winter-like activity.  It was pretty fun, but there were too many people pushing around those metal bar things to help support them, I also got run over by one!  That same weekend I ran a 10k race down in Huntly.  I did alright and finished in 1hr 9 min considering I hadn't trained at all, and the last time I ran was my mini triathlon March 5th.  I also was not feeling well at all that day and slept the rest of the afternoon.  Jacques and his Dad ran as well and both did very well! Jacques came 25th overall, out of 1000+ people and finished in under 40 minutes.

I also joined Just Workout, a gym down in Devonport, and have been attending their classes.  Topride (a spin class I really enjoy, I've even made it to a few of their 6am classes and plan on continuing to do so), Ubound (a class on mini trampolines so lots of bouncing), Pilates and KiMax (a boxing-like class).  I still want to make it to Zumba, but the times aren't so convenient with my schedule.

As for weekend activities, last weekend I went to dinner in Ponsonby with Jacques and a bunch of his work people, because one of the guys is getting moved down to the Christchurch office.  The restaurant was called Troy and they had a belly-dancer come out and entertain everyone as well as go around and make people get up and dance with her.  Jacques had gone to the bathroom, leaving a space next to me so she moved in and took me out of my seat to dance with her! 

I have started playing water polo on the team Jacques was playing on before, Sunday evenings....not sure I am a fan just yet.  Last week I got kicked out because I did something wrong...don't really know the rules yet but it looks like everyone just tries to drown each other...I guess I did it at the wrong time...and I got kicked really hard as well by someone scoring a goal against us...unpleasant.  Plus a bunch of chlorine just gets in your eyes...not my favorite sport just yet.  We are also a team kind of just thrown together, so winning is not our forte...yet.

This weekend, NZ celebrated the Queen's Birthday so the sky tower was a pretty blue and red.  Jacques' mom's birthday was also on this holiday Monday so we had a couple of very nice dinners for her!  I made manicotti (well cannelloni here because there are no manicotti noodles) and a sort of experimental chocolate orange cheesecake which turned out very yummy, luckily!

The weather is definitely turning a bit colder, a bit more rainy as well, it will definitely be weird to have a "winter" birthday this month, having never missed a summer in the north east of the states!  It will be a change going snow skiing 2 days after my birthday and through the rest of what I consider the "summer" months!

Dancing with the belly-dancer at Troy

Josie and I skating

Sky Tower for Queen's Bday weekend from Bayswater

Blue and Red Sky Tower