Boys.

Today I began a new season. Life has been so chaotic that I just rolled right into this with little emotion. Being woken up every hour from midnight with Max screaming and walking out the door at 7:45am did make having an emotion nearly impossible.

I'm a chronic morning person so really it wasn't too bad. Sam is sick (has been all weekend poor guy), Max finally fell asleep on the couch at 6:45 and I had to wake him to go at 7:45 (never does he sleep that late!!) but I still was chipper. It's 10:16pm and I'm awake. Miracle. (confession: I had two Starbucks today. Don't judge me.)

I just sat down and ate dinner and perused a few websites. As I try to unwind, which typically takes 5 minutes but took an hour tonight, I am excited about not freaking out, going with the flow, and just enjoying the moment. This has not really characterized my life typically. Today was fun, chaotic, tiring, exciting, challenging and weird. These boys are all go and very adventurous. Max barely kept up with them today, but he did. He learned a new sign today: "I forgive you." Ha! The boys will be saying I'm sorry a lot I think over this new season. Liam and Ari talk incredibly well and climb like I have never seen boys this age climb. Max is going to learn a lot I think.

They are sweet boys and Max & I are pretty excited about our new days.

Rugby.

We heart rugby in this family.

My happy boy.

New rugby bed.

Fun season of life.

Go All Blacks!

Little House on the Prairie

Often times in New Zealand I feel like I'm in the "olden days." There's a slow simplicity to life here. I have become accostomed to ways of life that are different. I don't always do it but it's "normal" now. Such as hanging out my laundry. I still dry just about everything but it's not as strange to me to see people's underwear hanging on a line.

Moving this weekend I had my most
"olden day" experience. Our new place is colder than I hoped. A friend reminded me that I can get hot water bottles. I didn't even really know what that was before I moved here. And I definitely didn't know you put them in your bed.

But once again I'm embracing my life in New Zealand. I took my little self to the store bought three and tried it out. It did take the chill out. I felt very "Little House on the Prairie" as I put one on my son's bed and mine later that night. I still do not understand why central heating is not a norm (pause for a statistic that I don't have the energy to look up accurately so I'll paraphrase... NZ homes are one of the worst in first world countries for warm livable homes).

I head to work in the morning and the house is still pretty unorganized but we are getting there. The picture below is a part of the kitchen with a little improvising. The previous owner had a rickety shelf there that would fall if Max gave it one tug, so we moved it only to find they had painted around it. Nice. I had a roll of chalkboard contact paper that fixed that little problem in a "pinterest" sort of way. Max is loving the chalkboard.

We also have a great view. Not a great picture below, but it's all I have remembered to take. I'm so tired but will have better pictures soon. I did add one of Max in his big boy bed clutching his rugby ball. I love that kid!

Happy Independence Day

Warning:: I'm having a pity party. You're more than welcomed to come. Bring streamers. Bring balloons. Bring chocolate (please!) To RSVP please just keep reading below.

Well Happy 4th of July! I told myself I would not be bummed on the 4th this year. I would not look at all the pictures of American friends in swimsuits and pool parties. I would not focus on what I don't have. Secretly I thought I would be in my new sweet little apartment that has a sea view (well a bay view, but it IS sea water so that counts, right?). I would make my family just a little something I saw on Pinterest and my place, of course would already be decorated exactly how I wanted it. Cleaned and organized too. Don't you just love playing make believe? Me too.

Instead, last last night (our 4th, which I accepted that it was okay that on the 5th here I would be in our own place because it was really the 4th in America) we had sausages on our floor in our hotel. Max threw a tantrum before bed again. We might have fought a bit (just to shatter any thoughts of our marriage being perfect) and I went to bed telling myself to focus on what I'm thankful for, all the while hoping the moving company made a mistake and just forgot to call us and our stuff really would arrive the next morning.

Nope.

We took some things to the new place, dropped Sam at school and then Max and I did what any American having a pity party on the 4th (really the 5th) in a different country would do:: went to Starbucks and had a cookie. Hence the pictures below. The happy schmappy one in our red and blue was yesterday when I was still hoping we would be out of the hotel.

I pulled myself together, got over the fact that no one cared it was the 4th & they were all bustling along in their winter jackets experiencing July in winter. So utterly wrong in my opinion, but I digress.

Max and I laughed our way once again to the new place to drop off a bit more stuff. Max had yet another tantrum. We played the "Are you going to be fun?" game for 20 minutes, with screaming & crying I might add. It was awesome.

Then we left. My car some how veered to McDonalds for fries & a diet coke. (don't judge me) I have to admit I was a bit sad/annoyed that when you say large it's really a medium here, but again I digress.

Alas, the party is over. I remembered my good friend here sending me a text saying "happy independence day" yesterday. Hhhhmmm maybe I over exaggerated no one caring? Then I remembered that focusing on what I don't have only makes me miss the moment. Ugh. Life lessons! I then remembered my new friend here texting me, ready and willing to help us move in. Then I got a message from my American friend that just made me laugh. So instead of throwing an all day Party I packed, gave Max a nap & spent an hour on pinterest finding more great things I want to create in our new place.

Tomorrow is the day! (I hope)

It will be Friday and Sam will be done for the week, rugby is on!! (a great game too! Hopefully we will figure out how to watch it with no TV) And we will get to fall asleep in our sweet little place. Not too shabby after 8 weeks & 2 days in a hotel (but who's counting?)

My friend, Hayley, said friend who text me from above, sent me the quote below on a very very bad day. Great friends make me smile. Great friends that send me quotes at just the right moment with just the right words just make me sigh with thankfulness. I don't feel like that quote but man it inspired me to just keep going. And that's what we did, just kept going. It always turns out. Maybe not exactly how I planned but it always turns out.

I start working again, nannying a couple boys, on Monday. Life will again find a new rhythm for our family.
I'm so grateful for the provision of this job and that Max will have boys around him. It couldn't be a better fit for this season. Life is messy and crazy & the best songs often have crazy loud rhythm anyway, so I will just embrace this loud song with a smile & a heart ready to have FUN!

I head into this weekend thankful.

Thankful (and proud) to be an American *insert "Proud To Be American" song here*

Thankful for grace to endure

Thankful for humor & a husband who makes me laugh at myself through it all
(I'll spare you the picture Sam took of me after I had been crying thinking he wouldn't know I cried the whole time he gave Max a bath. Let's just say I looked a lot like Alice Copper. But it did make me laugh at myself)

Thankful for friends. Sigh. I love them.

Thankful for a sweet little family

Thankful that home is where the three of us are.

Aaahhhh

After 8 weeks in a hotel this is the best feeling!! Our stuff arrives in 2 days but we have keys!!!

Sick Little Dude

No fun being sick in a hotel but I brought our DVD's we haven't used at all. Today I am so glad I brought them!

Nemo.
Vegi Tales.
Ritz crackers.
Cuddles.

We Heart Dunedin!!

On so many levels we have loved this move. I can't even begin to explain what a great thing this is for our family. But if you know me well you will know I'll give it a try!

We loved the Mount & the Beach! No question there, but we always knew it wasn't our "home." I am so thankful for two full years at the beach and for the friends I made. I feel beyond blessed to have relationships from that season I cherish. But our family had something greater to do. There was something more. We knew our time was done there, feeling like we hit a ceiling and there was nothing left. Heading down to Dunedin was risky, courageous, scary, exciting & absolutely unknown. I'm so proud of my husband for going for it and so proud of the team we are. Lest I sound perfect, fights, tears, dramas & frustration have also characterised this move, but it's also been more than we could have ever imagined.

Sam is loving learning and being around people with similar life goals. Max & I are loving all the things this city offers. As school holidays begin I am ridiculously impressed with all that Dunedin offers. Today we went with Sam to get his white lab coat!!! (pictures are coming soon I promise!) In that building was a very cool science fair. Max had a blast touching sea creatures, painting a heart, looking at animals, making flowers, & his all time favourite was watching a man being painted so we could see the muscle system in our bodies.

Today as I walked around Dunedin I couldn't stop being thankful for an adventurous heart & a husband with an even more adventurous brave spirit. It's not been easy these last few weeks but I love that our family will take the risk and not let fear stop us. This has been so great for the three of us. I have loved spending time with my little family of three experiencing the ups and downs of life together.

Thankful.