Oxford

We have arrived in "thriving Oxford," as the locals call it. It is wonderful little town, that reminds me a bit of where my grandmother and grandfather used to live. Josh and I are being hosted by a lovely couple out on a farm. We are getting the royal treatment that is for sure....fresh baking every night and escorts to and from our meetings. It is a real experience being here.

Hopefully I can get some more pictures today....maybe even of the famous Seagar's Cafe and Cook school.

So....the chickens

As promised a couple of shots of our new pets! The chicken coop is pretty nice, thanks to Grampa Peter's handiwork a few months back. We look forward to feeding everyone free range eggs when you come to visit.

Travels.....

"On the road the again, G'oing places that I've never been, See'in things that I may never see again, And I can't wait to get on the road again"

Tonight that good old Willy Nelson song is in my head, maybe because I am currently writing from the southern city of Christchurch and I am dreaming of Willy's favorite Texas tamales! Yep, we have begun our travels. I must say the weather is much nicer and warmer than I expected, and I am excited for the week of meetings.

Keep watching this space, photo's more news to come!

A New Pet....

It seems like crazy timing with Josh and I leaving the country for two months, but we couldn't help it. Our first family pets, have joined our ranks. No, they are not dogs, or cats, of even fish.... our first three pets are CHICKENS! Yes, Josh and I are the proud owners of 3 chickens. We couldn't resist the deal, 3 chickens for 24 bucks. You can't even buy ready to eat chicken at the store for that cheap! I don't have pictures of them yet, as they are living with the rest of the family chickens "out in the boonies" at Dave and Sue's. Pictures coming soon.

It looks like I've gone country, back to my Texas roots.

Lisa's Graduation

We had a great family day celebrating Lisa's Graduation from Mercy. She looked radiant and we are so proud of her. Here are some pics.


Family Pic


Lisa on Piano


Jules, Myself, Alana, and Auntie Rosie


Me and Lisa

Random Storms in the Bay of Plenty

So today in the Bay of Plenty, we had some really freakish weather. Apparently up to ten centimetres of hail fell in places, blocking drains and flooding several streets and houses. Crazy huh? Here are some pictures.


That is hail on the beach not sand.


More hail, covering the grass.


Now I know that Josh and I are winter wimps....but this is some serious weather. Several offshore twisters were spoted, and the local mall had to be evacuated due to flooding and a couple of callapsing roof panels. Josh and I only experienced a little bit of rain and some beautiful thunder and lightening. However, the funniest report on the news was definatly the 4 dead cows that have now been assesed by the insurance company. The anaylis, death due to lighting strikes. What a day in the Bay!

A Day for Celebrating

Tonight is the graduation 1st Internship of 2009 for the Tauranga House of Prayer. There will two others this year, but this seems to be a significant graduation as 100% of the interns are planning on transitioning onto staff for the next season of their life. So tonight is the celebration! It’s a formal event, which caused a bit of stirring in our house last night as we attempted to figure out what would be appropriate to wear. The fact it is cold outside made it a bit of a challenge, but never the less tonight is a formal night out.

Another great thing about today is that it is Josh’s youngest sister's Birthday today. Debs, HAPPY BIRTHDAY from us! You are a delight. We are so glad to have you in our family.

Looking forward to the next few weeks!

It is May and I am so excited because at the end of this month Josh and I are going to be traveling once again. Did I mention that I love traveling with Josh! I have not left Tauranga in months, so the thought of getting out and seeing some new places makes me really excited. Our first stop will be the village of Oxford in the South Island of New Zealand. The national staff gathering is being held there, so I am excited for our time there. From what I know, the village is really tiny but there is a famous restaurant and cooking school located there. Click here to learn more about where I am hoping to visit, and at least get one of their famous hot chocolates.

Literally hours after we return to the North Island; I get to board a plane and journey back across the Pacific Ocean to the USA. Josh will join me a couple weeks later after he spends some time in Asia. I am so thankful to have a husband who understands I need some time with my family, and lets me have it when I would otherwise be left alone in the cold winter of New Zealand. I am starting to make my list of “things I must do”…..and am getting really excited. I’m sure none of you reading this will be surprised that most of them revolve around food. I hope I get to see you all.