in case you ever wondered...

even mothers get bored when paradise decides to have a gale force weather tantrum and there are found to be a pair of hair straighteners in her hands...

i present to you, Danny Arlo without the curls.

 his cousins thought he looked like a "rock star"! ha.

it turns out, those curls are stubborn and it wasn't long before they began reappearing...

feel free to file this under "rainy day activities".

you're welcome.

;)

{sawyer's seat} 5 months

 Sawyer is now almost 5 and a half months, a smidgen shy of 10kgs /22lb (the average weight of a ONE YEAR OLD!) and not the least bit interested in eating solids yet (i'm hoping he'll get into the avocados while we have a awesome supply)

and let me tell you, the laundry tub in our little shed makes the perfect sized bath tub for a 5 month old...

...nom,nom,nom...

orchard fashion

1. i'm getting sicktodeath tired of my 5 changes of clothes i packed, so am having to be creative.

2. JR commented that this combo looked like Dottie Angel.

3. I totally took that as a compliment

4. then took some photos to share

5. my gumboots (rainboots) have easily been the most worn item i packed.

might be time to browse the op-shops for something fresh...

x

on being tourists

 we dipped our toes back into life as just the 7 of us for a few days this week at Kerikeri, Bay of Islands. we stayed at this friend-of-a-friend's house and we were warned that it was really old. but isn't 'really old' so charming? (even if there are gaps in the floor boards and the plumbing is a little dodgey!)

 we ate our breakfast at the waterfront in front of the Stone Store every day. then a coffee and a game of Happy Families at the cafe next door.

{icecream at Russell}
it took a good couple of days for the kids to settle back into playing ONLY with each other, and there wasn't much sleep happening, but boy did we suck our short trip dry. it is such a history-rich area.

{Treaty Grounds, Waitangi::Rewa's Village::Tane Mahuta}
we behaved shamelessly like tourists and to top our trip off, i finally made it to The Boatshed Cafe and met up with Stella and her delicious babies (next time, Stacey!). JR was a gem and played with the kids on the beach so i could have an uninterrupted natter. it was so cool to catch up again but wasn't nearly long enough...

 

her boy-babe with the brown eyes is heart-stopping in person...

 

and then there's this delightful lady...who was charming company and even helped me clean up my left-over bagel toppings while mum was distracted...hehe

i hope you've all had a lovely week. and i cannot recommend being tourists in your own country enough, try it! 

x

{let's be honest} why we came

if i'm completely honest it wasn't just the winter we wanted to escape by moving 7 hours north for 9 weeks. i guess we both had our reasons to get away. 

for me, a break from the routine of the same chores and the same three meals, at the same house, down the same lane - day in and day out. also, a chance to ease the strangling stretch that i've known this year which has left me taut and largely void of tenderness and joy. for JR, it was a chance to be away from the reality of the termination of a job he was (is) deeply passionate about.

so, when we saw a notice in our church newsletter that accommodation was required for a visiting missionary family of 6 for 9 weeks, we immediately looked at each other and knew. 

this was it - His provision and our opportunity.

and so, here we are staying in my SIL's shed on an avocado orchard at the top of New Zealand with the most amazing opportunity to step back and review our life, family, marriage and future from a more objective perspective.

even i didn't realise how desperately we all needed this.

we are regrouping, nurturing, and tightening up. reminding ourselves that our family is more than just the sum of 3-square-meals, clean laundry and bedtime stories.

we are breathing in deeply this slower pace and this stunning location.

  we are reshuffling priorities, culling out the unnecessary and making new, exciting plans for our future.

and, it feels so good to be a little more centred and grounded again.

thank you for sharing this journey with us, xo

{by jada} horse trekkiing

On Wednesday we got up early and drove down 90 Mile Beach to Ahipara.

I went horse trekking with Dad and my cousin Katelyn went with her Dad.
It was my first time riding a horse. My horse’s name was Tomi. He was blind in one eye but had been born like it and he was 23 years old.

We rode on the road and turned off onto a small trail leading towards 90 Mile Beach. We went down and onto the beach. We rode for an hour and turned around on to another trail.

We walked back along the beach. Sometimes I trotted and sometimes walked.

On the way back we crossed a stream then we rode back along the first trail and crossed the road to where we started.
I loved riding my chestnut horse with a blonde mane and tail, Tomi.
It was the best day ever riding Tomi.

by Jada, 8.

......................

(thanks to Ahipara Horse Treks for a magical morning)

harvest

we're staying on an avocado orchard and today was the first day of harvesting for the season.

it was a deliciously hot day and so lovely to be outdoors. the boys worked hard picking all day - even Monte impressed us with his skill at clipping the stalks to standard!

we heard it was -4 degrees at home today.

i don't know how we will ever leave here....

xo

{sawyer's seat} 4 months

(Sawyer will be back on his regular seat in a couple of months)

my alabaster babe has sprouted in this northern climate. 

he is HEAVVVY and has so many rolls (on occasion i have tried to pull bunched up tops down, only to realise i'm tugging at a tummy roll!!)

he's the most delicious arm workout ever.

x

(see 3 months here)

winterless weekend

 

one of the unique things about the North Island of NZ is that it tapers to point where two coasts can be seen simultaneously and two oceans meet. it's a place i've never been, but this weekend we did the 45 minute trip to Cape Reinga. it was a perfect day and breath-taking to be at our land's end.

we then visited the enormous Te Paki sand dunes and drove down the stream to 90 Mile Beach (assisted a vehicle stuck in the soft sand on the way past).

 
we drove home down the west coast which gave JR a chance to work on his boy-racer look (although, the people mover kinda ruins it)

the next day we went to Maitai Bay at Karikari peninsular where some real, actual swimming happened.

my body and soul are thriving with all this extra warmth and vitamin D. i hope you had a wonderful weekend too

xo