...Surviving week one.

I have not mastered my  new set up to add photos - hopefully they will come soon.
We survived a whole week!  Phew!
Most of us bounced quickly back from the time change, although if I sit back to relax any time after 8 o'clock I am instantly asleep.
The kids have loved exploring in the backyard.  Ethan begs each day to go to the ocean and find a fish to put in the pond, while Sabrina tells him it will just die.  Salt water vs fresh water does not penetrate a 5 year old mind.
Emma tromps through the mud and on to the trampoline often.

We found a house to rent, we are just waiting on the process to finish.  Honestly, I am not holding my breath, so far everything is very complicated.  It took us days to get our cell phones figured out.  Weeks to figure out the banking.  I can't imagine the hoops to jump through for a house.
Today, step #2 gets underway.  Finding two cars.
So far the biggest adjustment has been the obvious things.  Weather.  Man, it is chilly.  We already figured out if the weather says southerlies - we are in for misery.  But, it has been pretty nice the last couple days, so we are hoping spring has sprung and we are on our way to warmer days.   The other adjustment, food.  Ethan is by far struggling the most.  The crackers, etc do not have near the salt and sugar content.  A good thing, unless you are five and just want a darn wheat thin!  We bought a bottle of soda for them, and it has sugar in it, but it is not nearly as sweet as what they are used to finding.  Even the "drinking chocolate" lacks gusto.  And they all pucker when they eat the yogurt.  I think its great.  And the fruit is amazing.
It is so beautiful.  We are right by the ocean, maybe a five minute walk away.  The sun is popping out, and we are going to go out for a walk and see what we can find.

...Lots and lots of paper.

This stack of papers is the MEDICAL portion only of our visa application for the six of us.  It likely goes without saying that we have spent the bulk of our summer holiday in the doctor's office or hospital!!  One of the nurses at the hospital saw us all parading in to the radiology department and said, "Let me guess..New Zealand?"  Wait, when does the fun start?

Just visiting for now....

We started out in crazy thick fog...driving on the wrong side of the road.  (I found a better photo, but I am too dingy to get it to switch.)  Admittedly, it was a more than a little stressful.  Slip roads and round-a-bouts where you drive the wrong direction!  But nobody died.

Tasman Sea.  This was the part where Rich really started regretting letting me talk him OUT of bringing the nice camera.

Rich really wanted to be with this totally crazy dude.  It's foggy because its cold...and he was getting very wet.

Oh, did I mention I loved this spot?  It was my first black sand beach. It did not disappoint.

The GPS was messing with us, but we enjoyed the detour.

We had a free day, so we started driving up along the coast towards the top of the island.  I loved this spot too!  I cannot wait to be there in the summer!  It was a bit breezy and only in the mid 50s.  Not my kind of swimming weather.

We did not pile these up.  Huge stretches of beach lined with shells.  It was insanely beautiful.

This was up by Bay of Islands.

It has already been an amazing adventure.  The food was delicious.  The city was gorgeous and very intimidating.  The traffic was nuts.  The people were super helpful.  The groceries were expensive.  The landscape was so varied and beautiful and we only saw a TINY piece.  We can't wait for next time to see more! and then more after that!!

...Making a Splash in Sunbeams.

So...Ethan is the most adorable little missionary looking guy who ever humiliated his parents in Primary.
Two examples:
Our lovely Primary gal doing sharing time is always trying to keep their attention by telling the kids to touch their heads if they have ever done this or that. She was on a big story about reading scriptures and books in general, trying to get them to touch their heads if they have ever done these things. Ethan is of course messing around with his buddy and their new little scripture cases. The teacher says "oh, Ethan, you aren't listening or you would be touching your head!" He looks up at her and says, "What?!? (the why are you bothering me kind of what...)My mom NEVER reads me any books!" Lovely. Of course every adult and most of the kids look right at me. Nice rep.

We were discussing prophets Sunday. Same teacher asks who knows who the prophet is. Ethan is jumping up and down on the front row with his little tie flipping around just begging to be called on. She is so nice, picks him, and he says super loud, full of confidence, President Barack Obama. NO, NO, NO please NO! He did not just say that in a room full of Happy Valley conservatives. Yes, he did. Bummer.

I suppose it is my fault because we have been through this whole thing about the President all week. For some reason he calls Michelle Obama, "she-bama", so I was trying to explain who they were and all. Bad timing I guess.

...What happens when Rich stays up too late...with Jimmy Fallon.

...Zero self control...

So, you know how when the kids get home with their Halloween candy, you are looking over the insanity as they are dumping it out and the big kids are talking the little ones in to trading...and comparing the number of "king size" candy bars they received? And you are totally disgusted by the amount of candy in your house?
Now then...
Imagine now, Richard and I at Target. Trying to buy some more plates for Thanksgiving. We wander past the candy row...and we have zero self control. 75% off candy! That never happens right? 20 pounds, AND ONLY $12 LATER, I am literally lugging the two big bags out of the cart to put them in the car. Only to arrive home and be so utterly disgusted and humiliated by us, I of course had to document our insanity.

And Richard took almost all of the candy to work to stick in the community candy jar.

Is there a therapist out there who deals strictly with totally insane people like us?

...Preschool Fieldtrips.

Ethan's first field trip to Hee Haws.

Ethan walked around the animal part of the farm with his arm over the back of this goat like it was his very own pet he fed from a bottle when it was a baby.









Who would have thought that corn could entertain 3 year olds for so long. They all ran around the corn maze searching for the cobs still on the stalks - or the ground - buried in the mud - anything.















Feats of strength. Ethan's current fun. What is the biggest pumpkin I can carry around? I don't know if it is worse here where it can smash all over the tile - or taking them from the big arranged pile at Hee Haws.