I am finally getting around to posting pictures from our South Island Trip. Rather than doing a day-by-day synopsis, I'm just going to post a few pictures from each city or region we were in. We flew from Tauranga to Christchurch, where we then proceeded traveling south in a clockwise and orderly fashion. The full set of pics will eventually make it onto Flickr, someday.

CHRISTCHURCH


The Church


Punting the Avon


A self portrait of someone else's self portrait.


Trolley Time

So, we are back in the motherland. Sorry for the lack of exciting posts, there has been a whirlwind of activity trying to get ourselves sorted out here. I for one am still struggling with using my left hand to flip on the turn indicator. We laughed when we first got to NZ and would activate the wipers instead of the blinker...but it's not funny anymore. My 16 years of driving in America has been erased in a mere 6 months. (If you are doing the math there, my dad let me start driving when I was 13, had a permit by 14, and fully licensed the day I turned 15.) Anyways, I really would like to recap our glorious South Island trip, and one of these days it will happen, I promise.


If this gives you any indication of our trip, don't say I didn't warn you. And yes, one morning I woke up and found Archie outside the van showering in the rain. 19 days in one Happy Camper Van starts messing with your mind (and your hygiene).

We've got a friend here name Mark who works in the grocery business. He very kindly used his connections to procure for us two frosty cans of Dr. Pepper. So we grilled up a couple of fat burgers, cracked open our drinks and Pepper cried as we put "Proud to Be An American" on repeat. You see, this is our last night in Mount Maunganui. Tomorrow we head off on a camper van road trip around the South Island for the next 18 days, and then we will board a plane for our motherland. Our time in New Zealand has been really wonderful for us, and now it's time for us to attend our next adventure. We're actually really sad to leave here, and after we listened to "Proud to Be An American" we watched several clips on YouTube of the All Blacks doing the pre-game Haka, which always gives me chills. Getting to know more about Maori culture is one of my favorite things about living here.

Our internet accessibility will be spotty for the next couple weeks, in case anybody wonders why we don't seem to be replying to emails and whatnot. Stay tuned for some more photos, because the South Island on New Zealand is one of the most scenic places in the world, I reckon.

7 meter drop off Tutea Falls on the Kaituna River, done and done. No drama mates.

(Mom and the first grandbaby, Olivia)

55 Things I Love About My Mom:
1. She makes delicious desserts. A few of my favorites are: German Chocolate Cake (totally from scratch), Heavenly Hash Brownies, Homemade Raspberry Ice Cream and Texas Fudge Cake.
2. She makes homemade rolls, even when we are out in the middle of nowhere camping. If the world comes to an end anytime soon, I hope my tent in near her tent.
3. She designed our house in Mississippi. Naturally, the countertops were pink. You heard me, and they were awesome.
4. She joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was 20. She read the entire Book of Mormon in two weeks while working at a rental car office at the Farmington, New Mexico airport. Must not have been too busy there.
5. She can drive for 12+ hours straight. It there was no need for gas, she probably wouldn't stop to pee either.
6. She seems to get a second wind at 10:00PM. Either that, or it's the only time she has to herself. You can call her at 11:00PM and she is wide awake doing something.
7. She is the only person I know who can laugh at the possibility of out-living 3 husbands. (My first dad died when she was 28 years old. She remarried my now-dad who is 17 years older and whom she will likely out-live based on statistics, and if she remarries in her 80's it's likely she'll outlive #3 based alone on her spunk.)
8. She pretty much single-handedly converted our attic into another bedroom. She doesn't mess around when it comes to mudding, sanding, and painting.
9. Speaking of painting, she pretty much repaints the entire interior of the house every year or so. Just so it stays new and nice.
10. She has a wicked sense of humor. And I've seen her cry from laughing so hard more often than not.
11. She has been stranded (without my dad) in the desert with a broken down (brand new I might add) suburban with all 7 kids and didn't freak out.
12. She has a sense of adventure. Once when driving back to MS from Florida we had the option of turning off to go home or continuing on a few more hours to New Orleans. We ended up in New Orleans for the day.
13. She has some really funny moments like the time she went ahead and changed my name from Pepper Brown to Pepper Sessions in her cell phone when I got engaged. Then when I called she was like, Peps! You've already changed your name! Then she realized that SHE had changed my name and thought it was really funny.
14. She's allergic to pine trees (one of many things) and therefore we always had a fake tree. I mention this because she once spent 8 or 9 hours putting 28 strands of lights on our fake tree. You could turn off all the lights and still read a book by this tree. It was amazing.
15. My mom loves the smell of that Lavender SoftSoap. When ever I smell it it makes me think of her.
16. She used to watch General Hospital every day at 2PM, conveniently at the same time as mandatory nap/quiet time for the rest of the kids.
17. There was a time when we were not allowed to say "that sucks." After years of convincing her that it really didn't quite mean what she said it meant, which it probably did, she has caved in and has said it a few times. It's funny to hear your mom say something sucks.
18. My mom should have been born with a mask and snorkel and fins already on. She was an avid scuba diver back in the day, and as recently as last summer went snorkeling by herself when my dad and their 2 friends wouldn't go while they were in Mexico.
19. For some reason she really loved the pig movie "Babe".
20. Madre is not easily frazzled. In fact, most of the time she just rolls her eyes, cocks her head to one side, and says "oh brother". However, if you did something naughty and she had said "stop doing blank-blank whatever, and I mean it" she really did mean it.
21. It was nice to know that 999 times out of 1000 whatever you were asking permission to do she said yes.
22. Mom used to log 20-30 miles a week running. She did this for years. Getting her to sign your school papers in the morning before the bus came was not a good idea after her run. For some reason running caused her otherwise neat signature to look like a 3rd graders. I was always worried my teachers might think I had forged it.
23. All of my friends thought that my mom was so cool. All of the young women she has ever taught, or been in charge of, have thought she was cool. I am sure that her influence has been monumental to more than just a few teenage girls.
24. She thinks the smell of red meat is really gross. I would tell you exactly what she thinks it smells like, but then that would be really gross of me. And yet, she still made hamburger patties squishing all that sick meat around in her hands.
25. Actually, my mom never complains. About anything. She got Lyme disease from a sick tick at girls camp and no joke could hardly get in and out of the car or bed because of the pain that attacked every joint and muscle. She is still taking some sort of medication that has helped her immensely, but you never really know how she feels because she just goes on with life. And yes, she still went back to girls camp the next summer. Who does that?
26. She has mad Dr. Mario skills. Sometimes, I would get home from school and she would be sitting in one of the little kid chairs in front of the the small tv designated only for nintendo playing Dr. Mario by herself.
27. She claims she isn't creative or crafty. However, she has handmade pretty much anything you can buy in a store, and done it a million times better.
28. Despite the fact that my mom thought she didn't need any pets with 7 kids, at least indoor pets, we still had kittens & cat, dogs, ducks, turtles, goldfish, rabbits, and a baby possum. All of which (except the fish) had to stay outside. Actually, the baby possum cruised around the kitchen counters like a little rat until it was put outside where it was never to be found again.
29. I love that my mom has a million nick-names. All of us have given her our various takes on Mom. Jaron went through a phase of lovingly (I'm not being sarcastic) calling her Hag. She just laughed and I guess tolerated it knowing there was no mal intent.
30. My mom sings alto, self taught. I would not say she qualifies herself as a singer, but she does pretty good.
31. I suspect that my mom alone has been Santa for the last 20 years. One time when I was home from college she asked me if I wanted to help. Nope.
32. My mom is an amazing example of sacrifice and service.
33. My mom taught me the value of saving and budgeting money. If there was something we really wanted as kids, we could do chores to earn money that we would save to spend at Toy R Us on a little something something that we had had our eye on. Funny how many adults never learned this.
34. If you dare play cards with my mom, you are more than likely going to loose. She doesn't cheat, she just always wins.
35. When you ask her how to make something, as in what is the recipe for this or that, she can't tell you the exact measurements. She's one of those people that just whips it up and always turns out right.
36. My mom gives really good advice. Really good.
37. I am certain that my life has been very blessed due to the prayers on my behalf said by my mom.
38. Bad Mother-in-law jokes don't apply to this mother-in-law.
40. I like that my mom used to let me hold, look at, and play with her wedding ring during church. Her fingers are pretty small, so are her wrists. She also wore a little gold watch that I liked to see on her left wrist.
41. My mom's fingernails are more useful than any tool created by man. She gives a most desirable back scratch, and can do a variety of things that most people would need an actual tool to do.
42. I always thought it was funny when people would tell me I look a lot like my mom, she would say, "poor child." She said this because she is very modest, but I always thought it to be a great compliment.
43. My mom made us all baby blankets. Usually a good amount of the cross-stitching or whatever was accomplished during her General Hospital hour as mentioned above.
44. My mom and I never fought while I was in Jr. High or High School. I think this is largely due to the fact that she does not nag. Most high school girls do things that probably drive their mom nuts, and I'm sure I was no exception. My mom was good about just letting those things phase themselves out.
45. We never had to eat brussel sprouts growing up because according to mom, she just couldn't make us eat them either.
46. Sometimes I feigned sickness so that I didn't have to go to school because I wanted to stay home with my mom.
47. The first month I was at BYU I talked to my mom almost everyday. I wasn't home sick or sad, I just missed talking to her. Even though I don't talk to her every single day anymore, I still think about her everyday.
48. My mom let us make our own choices. She didn't care what was on the radio in the car, what hideous outfits we picked out in the morning, or how we did our hair.
49. I love that she would make breakfast for dinner on Sunday nights.
50. I love it when she gets hyper. It still happens.
51. Mom can pack a car full of suitcases and stuff better than any man ever thought he could. Sorry guys, all her years of Dr. Mario and Tetris paid off.
52. Things "just grow" in her garden. That cilantro and basil, it's just there. Oh really, when I try to let something "just grow" it "just dies." We have had our share of garden bounty due to her green thumb.
53. She is one hard worker. In everything she does.
54. She seems to not sweat the small stuff. I'm sure she has her fair share of worries, but her answer is usually that things will work out. For some reason it's very comforting having a mom that is so stable and sure that most things aren't worth worrying about too much.
55. When I think of my mom I think of love, sacrifice, service, faith, forgiveness, adventure, and laughter. I hope today is just her half-way mark in life. Today meaning March 26th, not the 27th like it is in NZ.

When I was little my family went to Sea World in San Diego a few times. Once, the night before we went, I prayed so hard (and seriously all night long) to be the kid called out of the audience to feed shamu a fish and pet her nose. Now that I have discovered that Orca's are crusing around New Zealand, I have been praying to see some in the wild. Needless to say, I was not the kid called out and I was not at Main Beach (which is a few km down the beach from where we live) when a pod showed up 30 meters from shore!! A couple of lifeguards paddled out to get really close to Shamu's wild cousins and I am so jealous. Apparently the Kiwi Orca's are the only in the world who eat a steady diet of stingrays, and this is the time of year they come around these parts to gorge themselves. I'm sure you can imagine what might be in my prayers tonight. Please, please, please....I'll be really good!

Last Monday, a pod of Orcas showed up 30 meters from the shore at Main Beach, which is the same beach that the Volleyball tournament was at. This picture is from the NZ Herald.

All new sets posted on Flickr!

Cricket Game: NZ vs. England. Next on the list, Rugby.

While Ray & Gayla (Archie's grandparents) and Aunt Stephanie were visiting NZ, we had the pleasure of spending a week+ with them vacationing from our vacation. There is too much to tell in this one post, but suffice it to say, the Jet Boat ride was a highlight. It entailed getting suited up in lobster-like "splash" suits (and by splash, they meant giant waves of water) and going 55mph over huge swells to destination Hole in the Rock. As the timid were advised to sit in the back of the boat, Archie and I ended up sitting front row with the more mature part of our group right behind us on the second row. We were seriously launching out of the water up and over these huge waves. Half way through the roller-coaster ride, I turned around to see if Gayla was okay, only to find she had been laughing/lovin it the entire time. NZ is home to the extreme sports, and this was a good dose of it. The second picture is what the scenery looked like once we were safe from the rough seas...there are over 150 islands in the Bay of Islands.


Hole in the Rock. The boat went through it and you can see more pics on Flickr.


Bay of Islands


A human sized lobster crawled out of the cave and got on the boat.

The real troopers...Gayla, Ray, and Stephanie. (Ignore the lady in the middle who thinks she's part of the family.)

Below is Pink Beach--my new favorite beach. This picture has not been photoshopped whatsoever, and Gayla, Stephanie, and I all had to take some sand home (some more than others, but I won't name any names). Getting here was quite the adventure as you have to walk on reef and rocks at low tide. Unfortunately the tide was on its way IN by the time we tore ourselves away, and for a second, I was sure we would all be spending the night sleeping in pink sand, or on a tree branch, or in the green moss--take your pick.






There was moss on the cliff behind Pink Beach that was an amazing colour of green. I'm pretty sure Archie was more interested in the moss than the pink sand as he opted out of hauling sand home like the girls. I don't know why.

Yes, this is what you think it is...one dead opossum, hanging by its crispy tail over a 200+ ft cliff. I was so pleased to come across this gem of a scenario on our hike to the watering hole (more on this in a minute) as I have been dying for a picture to go with this little unknown kiwi fact: people hunt possums here. Please imagine Bishop Greene (whose family we stayed with for 2 nights when we first got here) telling us a story of going night clubbing with his friend. And by night clubbing he meant possum bashing for it's prized soft and water resistant fur. $150NZD for a trash bag of fur (that's approx. 12-15 animals). Apparently you have to pluck out the fur whilst the body is still warm for easy removal, otherwise, better bring your clippers. Also according to him, they are so stupid that all you do is shine the flashlight in their eyes to freeze them up and then take your whack. If I didn't seriously see so many dead-by-car possums, I would think this to be murder for money, but since they are considered a pest, I'm glad to know that their fur makes it's useful way into most wool products. Better go check your Uggs.


The watering hole excursion has been one of my favorites thus far. This waterfall comes out of lava tubes deep within the mountainside instead of over rocks as normal. The hike goes up and around to the top of the cliffs (where we came across the dead possum) and you can actually see the rushing river disappear into a hole in the ground where it later emerges in all it's falling water splendor. If fact there is a sign even further up river at another smaller waterfall (where this picture was taken) that reads "Danger, No Swimming. At the bottom of this pool is one of the entrances to the underground river."

At last, we make it to the watering hole. This is the clearest river I have ever seen and at this part it has a sandy bottom. There were two rope swings for our tarzanian pleasure, and some moderately high cliffs for which to throw ourselves off of. Done and done. (We've posted some new Flickr sets, if you'd like more visuals.)