New Zealand Day One

It was a long flight especially with two very young kids, and travelling non-rev, but eventually we arrived in NZ and my friend Jen was at the airport to meet us (too bad our luggage didn't make it with us).  It was so good to see Jen again and we started catching up immediately on the car ride to her house.  When we got there she had made a delicious meal which we wolfed down and then just chilled.  The kids were pretty tired, especially Little Miss H who was kind of glassy eyed and looked a little shell shocked after dinner, so come 7pm which is their normal bed time they went to bed.  Taz, Mack and I had to borrow some pj's as ours were in our suitcases, but luckily I had a pair for Miss H.  I couldn't believe the kids went to bed at their normal bed time.  It was great.  Mack and I only made it till about an 1.5hrs later.

Knackered after a long flight

  

A glassy eyed Little Miss H with Uncle Grant

 The Tazling excited to be sleeping on a camp cot

 Mack taking full advantage of the massage chair

Daniel, Jen and Noah

Tazism

My darling child was looking at herself in the mirror while brushing her teeth at bed time.  She was naked of course as she always is.  She puffed her chest out and said:

T: Mommy, do you see my boobies?
M: Why yes I do.
T: Why are they so small? I need big boobies. I'm ready for my big boobies now.

Sigh.

Why the Silence

I've been quiet I know.  For good reason though.  I just spent the last two weeks in New Zealand hanging out with one of my best and dearest friends and her family.

Jen and I met before I can even remember and became friends fast.  We were inseparable all the way through our teen years and were there for one another through a whole bunch of turmoil.  She was always my rock, the one person who got me and I knew I could rely on.  Jen got married and soon afterward I decided to go work in England for a few years.  I saw her once on a trip back home.  Then I moved to the USA to go to school and Jen and her husband moved to England.  I saw her once more on a trip to visit my dad in the UK.  That was the last time I saw her.  Recently I've been feeling a physical need to just get some time with her.  Its weird to try and explain it, but I neeeeeeeeded some Jen time. 

Jen and her family moved to New Zealand a year ago, so the likelyhood of getting together again was becoming more and more remote.  Then lo and behold, I got a job with an airline and realized that with flight benefits it might just be possible.  Mack had always wanted to go to NZ and once the tiny seed was planted, it didn't take much to make the trip a reality.  So I started picking up an insane number of hrs to ensure I could get the time off I needed, booked our tickets and toted a 4yr old and an 18 month old across the international date line.

We just arrived home from two magical (and very much needed) weeks with Jen and her family.  We had an absolutely fantastic time, and just being with Jen, talking to her and reminiscing with her has filled a void in me that has been there for a very long time now.

I can't even begin to describe the amount of love I have for this woman!!  Everybody needs a friend like this - even if they have to be half way around the world.

                                                   Hamilton Gardens

                                         On the Gondola in Rotorua

                                                   North Head Bunker

                                                   Lolling at Miranda Hot Springs