Life has been busy!!

Wow, it has been a long time since I have posted here...life has been keeping me busy with lots going on but not much time to get it on my blog.

Let's go back to late June which was when Caitlin came home from school wanting to be part of AFS and do a student exchange overseas! Hmmm, ok, but first it might be a good idea to HOST a student to get an idea of what is involved. So, very quickly, we applied and were accepted as a host family and we were suddenly expecting an addition to our family! Flore, a wonderful young lady from France, joined us on July 11 and quickly became a much-loved member of our family. She is only one day older than Caity! Thankfully, her English was pretty good so we didn't have too many language difficulties.
We spent most of our weekends showing her around parts of the North Island with trips to Mount Maunganui, Hamilton, Taupo, Rotorua and Auckland. Here are some photos of us out and about...

 

Flore, in Auckland, with Rangitoto Island in the background

 

 

Olivia, Flore and Briar at Hatupatu Rock, South Waikato

 

 

Of course, we just HAD to visit when we found this café in Taupo!

 

 

Trying her hand at milking!

 

 

At Wai-O-Tapu

 

 

Walking up Mount Maunganui

 

 

OK, so there is no-one in the last photo but it is the best photo I have of the most gorgeous place we discovered while Flore was with us. Kerosene Creek is a thermal stream that is just the perfect temperature for bathing in and is totally free. Just down the road from Wai-O-Tapu, it was the perfect place to hold a farewell afternoon for all the AFS students returning home at the beginning of September. It was very sad to say goodbye but we have wonderful memories of the time Flore was with us and we thank her parents for allowing her to travel to the other side of the world and be part of our family for eight weeks. She was an absolute delight to have-so cheerful, positive and helpful and so willing to be part of our family and NZ culture. She was the perfect start to our hosting experience and we hope to repeat the experience again one day soon.

 

 

Easter!

SO...it has been QUITE a while since I last posted.  But in keeping with the theme of this blog (FAMILY) it seems only right to go all the way back to Easter and record our annual "Pengelly Easter Weekend" tradition!

For our 8th year we headed off to Anaura Bay, north of Gisborne on the East Coast of the North Island. It was a bit of a mammoth road trip to get there but well worth the long drive. Thanks to Nana & Gramps who split the trip up for the girls by taking some of them the night before as far as Opotiki-that certainly broke the journey! Caitlin wanted to spend quality time with her parents so opted for the 5 1/2 hr road trip on Good Friday!! :)

 

This was the view that greeted us from the lookout on the road in to Anaura Bay.

 

i

And here is our home for the weekend...nestled halfway up a hill that gave us the most amazing views! The driveway was WAY more interesting than it looks...I'm just glad Jeff was driving and not me!!! The house was amazing with two bedrooms opening out onto a deck and overlooking the sea. Jeff & I were lucky enough o score one of these and I absolutely loved waking up to see the sunrise over the sea. The girls slept in a 2-room sleepout which had been added to the house at some stage.

 

 

As usual there was a lot of sitting around...relaxing, catching up, eating, drinking, laughter and joking about. A typical 'Pengelly get-together'. Here is where most of that happened-the deck was perfectly situated to see the rising sun and ...

 

 

also the beautiful moonlit nights! We were so lucky with the weather...lots of clear skies that weekend. The girls swam in the sea but no adults were brave (or is that stupid?!) enough to!!

 

 

Some of us found the energy to take a bush walk at the nearby Anaura Bay Walkway which included a very big hill climb!! But also some great downhill tracks and a riverbed walk to finish with. The bush was beautiful and I absolutely enjoyed spending a couple of hours exploring with Mum.

 

 

And hey...even WITHOUT a GPS or phone we were able to find a geocache or two!!! Felt WAY more satisfying to find them going only by the hints and the descriptions alone :)

 
 

 

Of course, no beach holiday is complete without a bonfire and marshmallows...which we all enjoyed one evening down on the beach. There was a fabulous little path that ran from our house straight down to the beach. It took us about 2 mins to get down to the beach where the guys spent most of their time fishing by way of kayak and long line. Actually, they were quite successful too-getting us enough fish to feed us for a meal or two!

So, yet another wonderful Easter weekend spent together...the only downside was the fact we all missed two people terribly! Arthur and Dawn, it is not the same without you and we sincerely hope that one day you will be able to join us again and maybe even Bryce might like to come too?! We can't wait :)

Next year, it is our turn to choose the location and arrange the accommodation...I better get my thinking cap on!

Tasmania

OMG-we finally did it! We took a holiday (a REAL holiday!) without children!!! And di we make the most of it...(NO, not like THAT! :)  )

Jeff and I took a 12 day holiday to Tasmania, Australia from 9-20 March. This was only possible with the, hugely appreciated, help of both sets of grandparents who were brave enough to take on teenagers for a week each. Thank you so much-we will never be able to say it enough!

Jeff and I both enjoy being on a motorbike so looked into bike hire in Tasmania. We found a wonderful outfit run by one man-Ian. Check out MotoAdventure Tasmania ...we can highly recommend them!

 
 
 
 
This is what we spent 9 days riding. It was great; being on the bike everyday was fantastic. We definitely DO NOT do enough riding in NZ :(  
 
We set off from Hobart and headed down into the Huon Valley before heading over the bridge and down to Port Arthur.
 
 

 

On the way we passed through many towns, one of my favourite was Richmond. Above you can see the historic Richmond Bridge, built in 1823!
 
 

 
I loved all the architecture of the buildings we saw on our travels. We saw some incredibly old stone buildings and some very 'Australian' structures!
 
 
 

 
 A highlight of our holiday were the B & B's we were booked into. All our accommodation had ben pre-booked-we just had to turn up! In Launceston we stayed at "Alice's Cottages and Spa Hideaway". It was the most delightful place-four different 'themed' cottages; English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish. Each seemed very authentic and just gorgeous. I want to go back and stay in another one again :)
All our accommodation was great, and all very different. The very first night we spent in a self-contained luxury cabin that made it feel like we were on our honeymoon! A great start to the holiday!!! :)
At one, I walked down early in the morning to the beach just below the B&B and startled a wallaby! (Actually, I'm not sure who was more startled-him or me!)
 

 

Of all the sights we saw on our trip, this place had to be the most amazing! If ever you are in the area you MUST visit "Reliquaire"  in Lan  Trobe. What an INCREDIBLE store!!!! I cannot even begin to describe it - click on the link and take the webcam tour; I was blown away by it.

 
 

 
Of course, while riding we got to see some amazing scenery. There were iron ore pits dug into hillsides, huge rock and cliff faces, lakes, rivers and national parks. We rode up Cradle Mountain and were disappointed to be unable to take a helicopter flight over the area-it would have been well worth a look.
 
 

 

After we returned the bike back in Hobart, we had a couple of days left before returning home. We booked a one day tour of Bruny Island; what a great place to visit. We 'ate our way around the island', trying oyseters, cheese, whisky, wine, and fudge with a delicious lunch at the Bruny Hotel. A visit to the lighthouse was a highlight.

So, that is our Tasmanian holiday-just a memory now. But one we will remember for a very long time. Again, thank you SO very much to the wonderful grandparents who looked after the girls so we could spend this wonderful time together.

A Month of Letters...

...also known as 'LetterMo'.

I discovered LetterMo 3 years ago and immediately dived in and began writing letters. It was just the challenge I needed to get my "pile of letters to reply to" down to a manageable level! I have quite a few penpals around the world and not enough hours in my days to spend writing a decent letter to them.

What is LetterMo? It is a challenge where you send a piece of mail for 23 days in February. It was started by an American so is based on the fact that their postal system runs every day except Sunday. Why 23? There are four Sundays and one US holiday.
(I just write a letter a day for every day except Sunday.)

This year is my third attempt at the challenge...last year was a dismal failure (4 letters was all I managed due to starting a new job!) but this year I am much more organised...and determined to complete the challenge. So far I have sent 2 postcards and 3 letters :)

Who writes letters these days, you ask? LOTS of people! Just check out the site and you will find a mixture of letter writers-those who have been writing for years and those who are new to the pleasure.  I personally think that in this day and age of 'instant communication' it is so nice to think that someone has taken the time and effort to sit and write to you. It is such a personal thing to do.

And look at the wonderful mail you receive in return! I love to check my mailbox...more often than not there is a colourful envelope or postcard waiting for me. Much better than boring business letters or bills!!

Not sure who to write to or how to get started? If you don't know of anyone to send a letter to then try a penpal site (I have 'met' a few of my penpals from Global Penfriends )  or a letter-writing site like LetterMo. There are so many people keen to write to someone; it is just a matter of finding someone you think might be a match. If the thought of writing to a stranger seems a bit weird :) then think of a friend or relative who might  like to hear from you. I write to our daughter at boarding school and I know it is something for her to look forward to each week.

And hey! I'm looking for people to write to as part of my LetterMo challenge so if you would like to receive some 'snail mail' then get in touch! I can send you a postcard, a quick cheerful note or a long-winded letter! Who knows what you might receive...and that is the joy of mail!

I'd love to hear if I have inspired you to send a letter-leave me a comment below!

A day out on the river

When you have a beautiful sunny Sunday, a houseful of 'bored' kids, parents about to return to work, and a few floating devices, what do you do??

You get a group of friends and go floating down the Waikato River!!

 

Last summer a group of our friends did this and we were keen to have a go ourselves so finally got around to arranging it. Airbeds, lilos, inner tubes and ski biscuits were all employed to get us from the control gates in the Taupo township to the campgrounds just above the Huka Falls.

 

We set off just before 12 noon and floated serenely ...yeah right...there were grown men and kids involved (oops, one and the same, aren't they??!!) so it was with a lot of NOISE we set off! The water was crystal clear and just cold enough. It was probably the hottest day to date with temperatures up to 28-29oC so the river was the perfect place to be.

We floated past houses built with magnificent views of, and access to, the river. We saw wildlife (ducks and ducklings, trout and swans) and other river users too-some in kayaks and some like us, using whatever they had to float!

 

We stopped below the place where they do the Taupo Bungy and watched about 6 people jump! NO-I am NOT keen to do that!!! Otherwise, it was just us and the river-beautiful.
 

Finally we arrived at a picnic spot where we had a late lunch with huge appetites fuelled by all our activity and fresh air! What a great way to spend a few hours and something we will definitely be doing again.

My husband-a JP!

This has been a long process. In fact, I can't remember when exactly Jeff was approached to say someone wanted to put his name forward as a potential Justice of the Peace (JP) but it was about 2 years ago!

After going through all the processes and form-filling and background checks (and a little speed-bump) he finally got notification that he had been accepted! Woohoo-a JP in the family-very proud of him.

His appointment was signed on the 12 November 2014, exactly 200 years to the day after the first JP was appointed in NZ. That is pretty cool!!

A few days later we got notification of his swearing in ceremony to be held in the District Court rooms in Tokoroa. We invited his parents and asked the girls if they would like to attend. Unfortunately as it was nearing the end of the school year both Caity and Briar had prior commitments but Olivia represented her sisters beautifully. I got a couple of hours of work and we all traipsed into the courtroom to see Jeff sworn in.

There were declarations to be made...

 

...and papers to sign.

 

The judge was from Rotorua and gave a speech about the history of JPs in NZ and the responsibility that goes with the position.

 

The family photo...

 

...we are so proud of you, Jeff!

A new look

Years ago I had short hair but had let it grow these past few years till it was past shoulder length. A couple of months ago I took the plunge and decided to get it cut short again. However, being the cautious person I am, I left it a little longer than I was really going for as I thought it would be 'softer' or something like that! Anyway, after a few weeks I realised it was just annoying me and looking scruffy so I took the plunge and got it cut as short as I was really wanting. Here are the before and afters!

 

Oh, and I also got a red colour put through it-I have a wonderful hairdresser whom I trust with my hair so left it to her to choose the colour. Not as bright as I was expecting but probably a good place to start!

End of an era

Well, we are finished with Primary School! After ten years association with Tokoroa North School, we have no children attending in 2015. We started in 2004 with Caitlin the first to step into the classroom, followed by Olivia two years later and finally Briar in 2008. The school has provided a wonderful start to the girls' education and we have always been impressed by how well run everything is within the school.

So it was with mixed emotions we attended Briar's final assembly in December. The middle and senior school always put on a great assembly and this was no different. We sat outdoors (yay!) and were treated to singing, dancing and speeches. Briar had auditioned and was chosen to be one of two students to give speeches so we were very proud to see her deliver her lovely speech reminiscing about her time at North School.

They give out 'Graduation Certificates' to all Year 6 students and then recognise the top dozen or so students who have done well across all areas of school life-sporting, social, environmental and academic. Wow, were we proud to hear Briar's name called out to receive one of these certificates!

A few minutes later  the Deputy Principal announced the names of the top boy and girl student for 2015. Jeff & I were absolutely speechless to hear Briar being called up to receive the award!! Wow, what an extremely proud moment as a parent...I was in tears and couldn't stop grinning. It was a total surprise and although we had been asked to make sure we were at assembly we certainly weren't expecting this!! I thought being top 12 of the school was surprise enough. This was just the icing on the cake.

What a way to finish at Tokoroa North School! Talk about going out on a high note!

Here is our gorgeous girl with her well-earned certificates. We are SO proud of your efforts, darling!