In Transit

The last few weeks have felt a bit like waiting lounge at an airport. Travelling, waiting, miles to cover, cranky kids, cranky parents, people coming and going, living out of suitcases. But we have made our journey from the plains of Canterbury to the lush, green hills of the Bay of Plenty and we hope to sojourn here for many years.  We have passed out of the desert, crossed the Jordan (the Cook Strait) and entered into the Promised Land (don't you think the Bay of Plenty kind of matches that analogy)? Not that Canterbury is by any means a desert, but it has been an area full of troubles lately.

We have had a lovely week staying at Rob's older brother's beautiful house in Bethlehem. What a blessing that has been to us. Also staying there was Rob's other older brother and his wife and 3 children who also moved up here this week to start at Bethlehem College. It is a tribute to the design of my brother-in-law's large house that two families can stay in one house (and share a kitchen) and not have any tensions!

It has been a lovely week of transition to school (5 minutes away) and to the area, and allowed us to slowly unpack into our rental (10 minutes away). So that when we moved in yesterday, the kitchen was fully unpacked and the beds all made and set up.

Our rental house is much smaller than we are used to, but it is also just perfect for us. We are allowed to keep our dog, and there is a massive barn for storing all our stuff! The children each  have their own bedroom, and it has two living rooms, so the children can keep their own toys and books in their own space as we did in our Canterbury house.

It is still taking us a bit to get used to no earthquakes. Everytime a truck rumbles by, or a window rattles, Rob and I look at each other, or pause in our movements waiting to see if it's another quake. Maybe we'll never get used to it. Perhaps that's just what happens when you experience a life-altering event. Never-the-less, we are grateful that the Earth is quiet in the Bay of Plenty.

It is strange seeing our familiar furniture in a different environment, but it's lovely making discoveries like this Hibiscus in the garden.

 I am looking forward to one day growing all the lovely tropical flowers and fruit that grows up here, like avocadoes and mandarins; frangipani's and hibiscus and passionfruit.

The children have settled in so well to their new school. Hugh has already made several friends and really looking forward to going away on school camp in about 10 days time. As it turns out, one of his friends lives right next door to our rental house - how perfect is that. As I write he is over playing a game of cricket with the boy next door.

The school is so much larger than we are used to: 1500 students! And the rules are a lot tighter than our country school as Meredith found out on the first day when she was told to put her sandals back on by the principal. :o) It is very hot here - is going to take us some time to adjust to the heat and humidity. But the children are happy and that is the main thing right now.

 Here are my three children going off to school with three of their cousins, Susie, Daniel and Greg.

Tomorrow we are going up to our beach house in Auckland for a family picnic with Rob's cousins, aunties and uncles, and brothers and sisters. It is an annual event on Waitangi weekend and we look forward to it all year.