Half Way!

It's hard to believe we are already half way through our time here in New Zealand. The time has gone by so quickly. We have learned so much, seen so many wonderful things and have grown closer as a family. God has kept us safe and healthy, as always, and to Him we are grateful. What an experience we have had and we are thankful for every minute.

We've had so many wonderful family times together. I am so grateful to be able to be home with them during this time, focusing on them completely. Sure, I've had my moments of near-breakdowns (not really but nearly :) but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

After MaeMae's birthday party, since we were all "dressed up", we decided to get some family shots on our deck. The background is absolutely beautiful and serene, green and lush. Like our own little tropical paradise.

I am so proud of my husband. He is a smart, funny, loving, hard-working, dedicated and committed man. God knew what He was doing on that fateful blind date at a USC-UK football game 10 years ago. The kids adore him, as do I, and we are thankful for all he has done for us, the loooong hours he has worked for our family and all the places he has taken us! Never in my wildest dreams did I know how full life could be.

I can't get over how big Calvin is and looks in this photo!

Birthday Girl!

A good one out of many with the self-timer. :)

Swingin' and eatin' ice blocks. Sweet as. (a kiwi saying - like we'd say "sweet" or "awesome")

Craft time!

On a very, very rainy day over Ben's holiday, I made chocolate scented play-dough. I was pretty impressed with the way it turned out. We were stuck inside most of the day while torrential rains poured and gale force winds blew. But, we had fun! We played scavenger hunt, made play-dough, watched movies, made crafts and all sorts of good family fun.

We bought a little charcoal grill at the Warehouse (Wal-Mart/K-Mary equivalent) for $27. It was a bit tricky getting lit the first time...well it didn't get lit but I'm sure next time! :)

On Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) the 5 of us trekked over to the mall about mid-afternoon. We walked in and you would've thought they were giving away stuff b/c it was wall-to-wall people! It was so crowded of folks trying to take advantage of the Boxing Day (after-Christmas) sales. I decided to take Calvin and Mary Katherine to see "Tangled" while Ben took Caroline home. The movie didn't start til 6:30pm (we got to the mall about 2:30pm) so we had plenty of time to shop and roam.

Just before the movie, I took the kids to the arcade. Usually this is an over-priced way of entertainment but the kids found games to "play" and it didn't cost me a dime! Calvin wanted to "play" this motorcycle game and he thought he was playing b/c the motorcycle moved side to side and he saw the pictures on the screen. Who was I to tell him otherwise. :)

MaeMae tried "playing" the game with Calvin but didn't like the motorcycle moving so much so she opted for the "Daytona 500" car game. She thought she was playing too. :)

"Tangled" was playing in the deluxe theater, which I had no idea what that meant til we walked in. There were about 5-7 rows of reclining leather seats with enough room to put our entire family in 2 seats. I mean talk about flash! These kids (and mom) were so lucky to enjoy this great movie in soft, cushy leather seats with fresh popcorn and drinks. Fun times!

Here we have our little jumping bean. It's too funny! I love her attitude...nothin's gonna stop me! :)