Random thoughts

The mount wasn't what I was expecitng it to be. It was way worse than I ever imagined it could be. It reminded me of the first time I ever went up, and I was wondering how it could ever have been that I actually ran up that hill at one time. It's amazing how long it takes to gain something, and how quickly it can be lost. Hopefully it won't take me a whole year to work back to where I was 6 weeks ago.

Enough on that depressing topic. I've stayed up far too late this evening surfing the internet, looking for new worship songs. It's no secret that my worship notebook is filled mostly with songs that are, well, old. And I'm in desperate need to learn some new stuff. Forunately I found a couple good ones; now I've just gotta learn 'em.

Tomorrow is a prayer room day for me, which means it's now officially past my bedtime and if I have any hope of getting a decent sleep tonight, I better hurry myself off to bed.

Getting back into the routine

It's been quite a week! It's amazing how long it takes to unpack after being gone for a month. Although I feel like I am mostly settled back in, there are still a few piles of things that need to be put away and a few remaining jobs that must be done.

No sooner did Aaron unpack his bags, when he started packing them again; this time, for a ministry trip to Hawaii. He left early yesterday morning, so us girls are holding down the fort at home.

Tomorrow morning I begin my routine of going up the mount. My "week of getting settled" is over, and it's now time to re-engage in the disciplines of life, as much as will allow being a "single parent" for the week (though, thanks to Nic and Dayna, it really doesn't feel like I'm that much of a single parent at all). As much as I'm not looking forward to the rude awakening that awaits me when I realize just how much one can become out-of-shape in the span of one short month, I am looking forward to getting back out there and working my way back into running up the trail. And one added perk is that I get to wear my new workout clothes and try out my new running shoes, so if nothing else, at least my expedition up the mount will have purpose beyond simply exercise! :-)

In New Zealand once again

We're back. The last couple days I have been busily unpacking and getting re-settled in, doing laundry, grocery shopping, and even taking down our Christmas decorations. I think we are probably the only family in the world that still had Christmas decorations up on the 20th of January, but all for good reason!

Our time in the States was wonderful. So wonderful it was painful, actually. We saw so many dear friends, enjoyed lots of time with the family, did tons of fun stuff, and of course ate lots of yummy American food. The whole trip was a precious gift from Jesus, for which I am most grateful. I think it will take me a while to get re-settled back into life here; part of my heart is most definitely still in America.

Today we begin to gear up for this next year with the House of Prayer. We begin an abbreviated version of the prayer room schedule tomorrow, gearing up for the normal schedule which will start in early February. I'm excited about this year; it feels as though it will be a significant one, though I'm not exactly sure in what ways. I'm provoked to seek the Lord and to ask what He is thinking and feeling when He looks at this little city called Tauranga; I know He has much on His heart and that His plans and purposes for this city will prevail.

Back in Kansas City

Well, it sure was an interesting Christmas. Everyone in the house got the 24 hour flu starting on the 23rd, and by Christmas Day, our little Taylor was in bed sick all day long. The good thing is that we have a few different Christmases this year with all the family and friends, so she still got to enjoy opening presents here in Kansas City.

Yes, we're in Kansas City now! We flew in late last night and I'm already enjoying every minute of being here and drinking it all in. Dad and Joanie flew in from CT to have Christmas with my brother and his family, and to be here with us for the next few days. It's been so much fun being with both sides of the family, and also seeing friends today. I 'just happened' to run into a couple of friends at the mall and at ihop ~ it's so special to be able to see people here that I love. Yes, it's my first day here and I've already managed to hit the mall, this time with Dad and Joanie. Here's a couple of pictures of Taylor and us on the Merry-Go-Round:

Couldn't be happier

It's been a fun week here so far! We've enjoyed seeing our friends again and having time together; it's just like old times. It's going to be so fun having Christmas up here; the next few days leading up to Christmas will be full of parties and celebrations with their family and friends. These are good times. I'm so grateful that we can be here; I'm holding on to every moment of each day and enjoying it thoroughly.

I'm also lovin' being back in America. It's so nice to be in a 'real' winter again ~ cold air and snow outside and central heat and warm fires inside! The U.S. still feels like home, and it's so refreshing to be back amongst 'my people', to drive around town and see familiar stores and restaurants, to walk through Wal-mart and see familiar items on the shelves, and to eat American food. It all tastes just as good....no.....way better....than I remembered it! Good thing I worked out hard this morning. I'm going to have to keep that up the way I've been eating recently! :-)

And it snowed....

It was snowing in Spokane before we got here, there were snow flurries as we were landing, and we woke up this morning to more snow flurries. With 5 inches of snow on the ground, I might just perhaps be the happiest girl in America this morning. It's amazing here and I'm so, so thankful to be here. Can't wait to play in the snow with Taylor!

The trip here was great. A long 26 hours, to be sure, but this may have been the easiest trip we've done yet. Taylor was absolutely incredible ~ no meltdowns, no attitudes. She was happy and pleasant for 26 hour straight. At 10:30 this morning, she is still fast asleep ~ one tired girl, to be sure.

Christmas music playing, snow falling, cold outside.....I seriously couldn't be happier. It's gonna be a great month.

Off within the hour...

The bags are packed, the itineraries are printed, passports in hand, hopefully nothing forgotten. We're about to leave our little Shire and head off on yet another adventure; this time knowing at least in part what awaits us.

I'm planning on posting from the States, though I'm not sure what our internet access will be for the first week of the trip.

We're off!!

Maybe I need to make something clear...

Lest there be any misunderstanding in the mind of any reader, bringing Aaron to the airport is never a good way to start the day; it would be the mother-daughter date at the beach that absolutely is. :-)

Seems like posting at 1am has gotten the better of me......

What a fantastic way to begin the day

After dropping Aaron off at the airport first thing this morning, I decided it was the perfect opportunity for a little mommy-daughter date. With the airport being only a 5 minute drive from the beach, off we went for a little morning adventure. At 8am, we were the first Starbucks customers for the day, and after purchasing two muffins and some orange-juice, we wasted no time heading for the shore. Unfortunately, it wasn't the warmest morning that's ever been, but we enjoyed a simple breakfast picnic regardless, and then took our time for a little walk on the beach to collect shells. It was a great morning to be alive. And a great morning to be a mom.

We had the whole day (and evening) to ourselves, Taylor and I. The rest of the family are in other cities around the nation, so we kept ourselves busy cleaning and packing, cleaning more and packing more. I did spend a bit of time on the phone with United tonight sorting out their schedule change to our itinerary which resulted in a less-than-sufficient layover in L.A. Though we have now gained another connecting flight to our journey Stateside (bringing the grand total to 5), we have gratefully lost the stress caused by merely thinking about clearing immigration and customs, waiting for luggage, and racing from terminal one to terminal eight - in less than one hour and forty minutes. With a 3-hour layover now, we can now enjoy a more leisurely pace before gearing up for 3 more flights before we reach Spokane. I am already praying for grace for our little one. And for mom and dad, too. If you think of it, please pray for us, too, as we begin our month-long adventure: for grace in the long travel, for health for the whole family during our entire time away, for no delays (weather-related or otherwise) as we fly throughout the entire U.S., and finally that this would be a refreshing time in which our hearts and bodies are strengthened and prepared for the season to come. Speaking of rest, time for me to get some. 'Night.

Really in the homestretch now

With less than 7 days to go until we leave, the excitement is really starting to build. I can't believe that soon I will be home. It's almost too good to be true.

But in the meantime, life here is full-go until the day we leave. Tomorrow we have class at our house, and an end-of-year BBQ in the evening. Thursday I'm in the prayer room in the morning, and then out for lunch with a friend. Friday evening is the intern graduation. Saturday morning brings an early start, as Taylor and I will drop Aaron off at the airport. Believe it or not, he's on his way to Wellington this weekend for At Thy Feet, a solmn assembly in which many are gathing to fast and pray for New Zealand. He will return home Sunday night, and then we fly out Monday evening. And somewhere in there I'm packing and getting ready for the trip. I wasn't kidding when I said it was full-go until we leave!

It will all be worth it. In less than one week, we will be relaxing and enjoying this view:

A mere coincidence?

Maybe. But maybe not.

Check out this cool story about Friday night's storm.

Lovin' the stormin' weather

I need to preface this post by providing a bit of explanation that New Zealand doesn't have anything close to the kind of storms we had in Kansas City. Thunderstorms are very rare here, and hardly ever will you see a really good one. One of the things I miss about Kansas City are those spring-time thunderstorms. Not the wimpy ones, but those really intense ones with loud cracks of thunder, lightning that streaks across the sky, straight-line winds that make you feel as if you're about to blow away (but do nothing more than blow a few leaves off the trees), pounding rain, and - if it's a really good one - a nice display of hail. As for the tornadoes, well, I certainly don't miss those.

Well, last night, we had one heckuva good storm 'round here. The thunder and lightning weren't much to write home about, but the hail sure was. It wasn't all that big (not complanin' 'bout that), but the impressive part was the amount of it. Truth be told, I don't think I've even seen this much hail produced in a good 'ole Kansas City storm. Don't believe me? Check out these pics:

Hail in the garden

Our back yard....

...and our deck.

Taylor discovers hail. She kept calling it snow! :-)

Gotta say, it sure was a nice little taste of home.

Promised Thanksgiving Photos

Better late than never!

Our $80 golden turkey. Much to my dismay, I did overcook it - just a little.

One of our good friends, Karina. She's a Kiwi who's a self-professed "should have been born American", who loves Thanksgiving.

Good lookin' spread of t-day favorites!

Our other friend, Chelsea, who made some killer pumpkin pies

The Countdown

Twenty more days until departure.....it's seems amazing that in less than three weeks, I will be on American soil. Wow; I can't wait! The next few weeks will be full for us, right up until we leave. It will be a tricky balance between staying "present" here, while also preparing for the trip home.

Thanksgiving was a great success ~ I'll post some pictures as soon as I get them downloaded onto my computer. I love being able to prepare (and eat!) all the traditional foods and keep the tradition alive, not only for my sake, but especially for Taylor, too. Nevermind the fact it was the hottest Thanksgiving I've had in my life. It was about 86 degrees ~ the hottest day on record in Tauranga for whole month of November. Holidays in the southern hemisphere still seem strange to me. Gotta say, I'm going to be lovin' the cold winter Christmas!!

Marshmallows

We found' em. Marshmallows in New Zealand with the same texture as the American ones. Granted, the taste is slightly different, as is the shape, but they certainly pass. With flying colors. I have yet to roast them, but I have a hunch they'd be about as good as their American cousins.

This discovery, as grand as it is, unfortunately doesn't meet the need for American mini marshmallows, so a brief word to my personal importers (you know who you are!): there will still remain occasional orders for the goods you so faithfully send. :-)

With that said, now I can sleep. Goodnight.

Thanksgiving Countdown

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, and I can't wait. The holiday will be celebrated in full style this year, regardless of the fact that we live on the other side of the world. The good thing about Thanksgiving in New Zealand is that with the exception of a couple imported items, all the necessary ingredients can easily be found here, so no delicacies will be missing from the table. To be fair, I do have to confess that although most ingredients can be found here, they are not necessairly as inexpensive as their American counterparts. Take our $80 turkey, for example. Yes, my American friends. You read that right. $80 for a turkey. No exaggeration. Let's just pray I don't overcook the thing. I also have to say that Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix doesn't exist here, so I'll be making my own from scratch. Good thing I've made it a few times and have a bit of practice under my belt. Can't be ruining the stuffing on Thanksgiving. It's one of the most important parts. And all the other usuals will be present ~ mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole (with the imported mini marshmallows on top), homemade macaroni and cheese (an addition to the menu from our Canadian friend), green bean casserole, corn, rolls, and cranberry relish. Oh, and the making its debut to our Thanksgiving menu - baked brie and crackers as an appetizer. The dessert menu is just as good - pumpkin pie, apple pie, cheesecake with a gingersnap crust and cranberry sauce on top, and Watergate salad (affectionately known as the "green stuff" to the attendees of our occasional cookouts). Wow. It promises to be a good feed. Did I mention we are going to postpone the celebration a few days until Sunday? The unfortunate aspect of living in a foreign country is that life proceeds as normal even on American holidays, so we're waiting for our day off so we can enjoy a day-long celebration.

Another fun aspect of celebrating Thanksgiving in a foreign country is the opportunity to educate Taylor on the American tradition. It's always fun to get her Thanksgiving books out of storage this time of year and read about what the first Thanksgiving was all about, and how and why we celebrate it today. We've also had lots of fun this year doing Thanksgiving-related craft projects. We made hand-print Turkeys, and then moved on to making a big turkey to which we attached paper-cut-out feathers on which I wrote things that Taylor told me she was thankful for. And today, we started making a paper-plate pilgrim. Her attention span ran out mid-project, so I'm hoping we can finish it tomorrow. I'm also looking forward to starting the pre-Thanksgiving baking with her ~ ya know, all the seasonal goodies that have to be made this time of year, but are just too much to eat all on Thanksgiving: pumpkin cookies, cranberry muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheesecake squares, and other yummy cranberry desserts. Okay, some of those will have to wait until after Thanksgiving, but hey, it sure is worth the wait!

In case you hadn't figured it out by now, we take our Thanksgiving seriously around here!!

Birthday celebration

Nic had a birthday this past week, and because Aaron was away in Christchurch, we had a "girls only" Mexican fiesta-themed party. It was lots of fun, great food and good times. Here are a few of the photos:

The five of us girls, with (virgin) pina coladas in hand.

Note: Photography by Miss Taylor Walsh. Pretty good with a camera for a 3-year old, eh?

What's a Mexican Fiesta without a pinata?

"Nicky Bear" and "Taylor Bear' Cakes....


...And Fondue for dessert

Okay, so the fondue isn't exactly Mexican, but that's beside the point. It sure did taste good.
Happy Birthday, Nixsy!

Strawberries and Asparagus

This is a great time of year in New Zealand when it comes to fresh produce. Two of my most favorite fruits/veggies abound this time of year, and we are eating in abundance before all too soon these delicacies will slowly vanish from the shelves as the summer progresses. I'm convinced that New Zealand strawberries are sweeter and tastier than their American counterparts. They certainly do make for some good strawberry and rhubarb crumble, strawberry shortcake, strawberries with waffles and whipped cream.....

This past week's adventures

What a week it has been! Aaron got back from Aussie last Friday night, and we've been enjoying the week together before he leaves tonighit to head to Oxford (Christchurch) for the week.

One of the big events of this past week was a family trip to Auckland for a very special reason ~ Aaron had lasik surgery on one of his eyes. Before heading up there, they weren't even 100% sure they would be able to do the surgery, so we were pleased to find out they were able to, and even more pleased that it went well with no complications. Now Aaron can almost see 20/20 with his eye that previously he was barely able to see anything out of at all. Pretty amazing, I have to admit.

This morning has dawned a bright and clear sunny day; it promises to be a nice day off with the family. On the menu for brunch today? Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. Yummy!!!

Brooke Report

Brooke Fraser was incredible last night. That girl sure does have pipes, and her band was tight, too. One of the things I liked about it was that although she was not overtly religious in her speech, there was such an evident anointing of the Holy Spirit present. She has really done well to be so successful in the secular market when her songs and lifestyle are so evidently Christian. Another thing that I really, really enjoyed was listening to and watching her band. It's always fun to watch talented musicians play live; definitely brings musicial inspiration.

Tomorrow night I drive up to Auckland late, late, late to pick up my hubby, who's been in Australia this past week. Although I'm not necessairly looking forward to the late night drive, I am absolutely looking forward to seeing him again, so it's definitely worth it!