Rugby

Saturday night we took Emma, Hannah, and Esther to their first rugby match. Rugby is the most popular sport in New Zealand. The national team, The All Blacks, are a legend in rugby. Like football, it is a winter sport, so we are only here for the beginning of the season. There are 3 main competitions within the rugby season. The first, which has just begun, is the Super 14. The competition consists of 14 regional teams from New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. The Auckland team is The Blues. We saw them play Natal, a South African team, and they got beat. Mark's brother came along with us to the game. It's been great to do things like that with him.

The second competition (and the best) consists of the Test matches. This is where the national teams square off against each other with national pride on the line. It's like all-star games crossed with the passions of the biggest NCAA rivalries.

Mark is a rugby fan and it has rubbed off on me. I really love it. The athletes are amazing. They are big, fast, and strong. Not only that, they have great endurance and technical passing, catching, and kicking skills. They make very well-rounded, impressive athletes.

Whangamata

This weekend we went to Whangamata, a popular get-away for Aucklanders. We stayed in a house belonging to some of Mark's parents' close friends. Just after arriving, we were greeted with severe winds and about 24 hours of torrential rain. (I am posting a picture of the Whangamata golf course after the rain). We had no TV and were all cooped-up in the house together. Instead of a bummer, it was a real blessing getting to spend good family time together. Sunday was a nice day and we were able to enjoy the beach before coming home that afternoon.

On Friday, the school had a certificate assembly. Esther's teacher honored her with a certificate. She acted embarrassed by the attention, but I know deep down she was quite pleased.

Emma's Birthday

Emma turned 9 on Sunday. We had a little family party after church. She misses celebrating with all her friends from home.

Waitomo Caves

To celebrate Esther's and Emma's birthdays, we visited the Waitomo Caves. They are some amazing caves a few hours south of Auckland. The caves have millions of glow worms. It looks like lots of little green stars. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take pictures inside. On the way back we noticed someone supporting the Lone Star State. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Here is also a picture of Hannah at a school certificate assembly.

Esther's 6th birthday

Esther turned 6 on February 12th. Unfortunately, she still had to go to school that day, but it's a blessing in disguise. You get lots of attention at school when it is your birthday. Her teacher let me bring in cupcakes for the class. I enjoyed getting to know some of her classmates. That night we had a little family party and then all watched Dr. Who together!

Pa's surgery

Mark's dad had shoulder surgery Monday. He's been putting it off for a long time and finally had to do something about it. Once he came home from the hospital, he was smothered in nurses. He had one feeding him, one putting a damp cloth on his forehead, one combing his hair, and (my favorite) Sarah combing the hair on his legs. It will be a long recovery and lots of work, but he seems to be doing pretty well so far.

Back to School

The girls started back to school Wednesday, February 4th. Esther is in Year 2, Hannah is coincidentally next-door to her in Year 3, and Emma is in Year 5. I think they are happy to be back in school, but I'm not sure I could get them to admit it. The week was a short one, though, because Friday was Waitangi Day. It celebrates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the beginning of New Zealand as a nation. We spent that Saturday going to a surf beach about an hour away, called Muriwai. We took the kids on a little hike to some cliffs overlooking the beach. After that, we went down the road to see a gannet colony. Then we went for a swim and some boogie boarding at Muriwai.