A Little from Everyone

Mike and I started the week with a 2-night retreat at Dawson Falls Mountain Lodge.

BJ Smith's funeral on Monday.  As Noah put it, an interesting "mix of cultures."

Oak had an hour between Ultimate Nationals and dance practice for the upcoming Boys' High ball, so we took Noah's birthday party to the Boys' High gully.  

Even though it was mufti day at school, Oak wore his deputy head boy shirt to take his driving exam - maybe that was why he passed on his first time when so many of his friends (coughGavincough) haven't.  

It's so fun for me to be Mercy's mum!  I went from playing Chopin concerto with her (thrilling!) to helping her get dressed up for a birthday party at Marbles (her first one).  Her friends had never seen her with glasses or with her hair let down and straightened.  Since they all wear uniforms to school,  dressing up can be really fun for a night out.

Joyce

Joyce and Sage are buddies.  It's hard to imagine what they'd each do without the other.  They do almost everything together, from telling stories about each other during 'news' at school to tasting each other's taste buds.  

Books:  

Pouakai Tarns

At least one of us is working up a sweat.

Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe

Pouakai tarn

Shadow of the mountain touching the seashore.  This photo was taken by kids later in the week when they watched sunrise from the top.  Mike referenced this image at District Easter Devotional planned by Margaret.  

thanks, Mike

The Stuff of Life

Summer coming to an end - Will this be the last swim?

avant garde photos by Sage and Joyce

working on our flow

Dance class with Sage

Giving pre-concert lectures gets me free tickets to cool concerts, but this will be the last one for a while. 
I'm lightening up my calendar.  

Getting the girls off to school on time always feels like a victory.

Return with Honor

We have been in a celebratory mode every since Noah came home! 

Mike and I picked up all the kids from school about an hour early to go to our local airport.
Luckily, Noah's flight was delayed.  If he'd landed on time, there would have been no one to greet him!
We were waiting in the wrong terminal. 

Now in the correct terminal.  Waiting another hour.

Riding home in the back of MAVY.  It felt like we had a celebrity in the car -
someone we'd only seen on TV or in pictures for the last 2 years!!!

It didn't take long for Joycie to make herself at home, although when I tucked her in bed that night, she said something about Oak and "that guy who's kind of like Oak..."  We had dinner on the porch with Danny on Skype.

Next morning, all seven of us drove the 3 hours to Hamilton..  Noah was released by Pres Cummings,
we ate doner kebabs for lunch, and then we went to the temple.  

We ran into Hirschis and Sutcliffs at the mission offices.  They kindly offered to take the girls shopping while we were in the temple, which was especially generous as it was Sister Hirschi's last day in New Zealand.  The drive was beautiful and we talked and talked the whole way there and back.  A flat tire on the way to Cory's house, and then Noah spent the evening at Sutherland's.  

Saturday afternoon, Noah finished unpacking and brought down a big bin full of random items from Bulgaria.  We spent delightful and memorable 4 hours listening to stories as Noah showed us the precious miscellany of his mission.  

On Sunday, Noah started his talk in sacrament meeting by talking about the green-ness, the flowers, he fields, the mountains and the sea in Bulgaria, the hospitality of the people.  Then he read a funny list of Bulgarian words that sounded similar but had very different meanings, as a way of introducing the language.   In this picture, Noah is holding a cake that Trina Seu made for him.  

Sunday afternoon open house

And then it was Monday, and time to jump back into regular life.  When Mike was at work and kids all at school, Noah brought his computer to the kitchen where I was working.  I heard all the exclamations and back-stories as he started to connect with people from his mission and from his long journey home.  

For FHE, we all went to the Monday-night Orienteering sprint. 

Noah showing Joyce and Sage how to make biscuits and gravy,
which was a standard missionary meal for Noah and his companions.

As Noah was explaining biscuits and gravy, he started a sentence by saying, "Back home...I mean, in Bulgaria, when I made this..."  That was a couple of weeks after he arrived here in New Zealand.  :)
Three weeks in NZ, and Noah is still shaking his head "no" when he means "yes." 

Academic Tiger Jacket for Oak

Pouakai Traverse with Mercy  (Oak is missing because he broke his toe.)

Amanda Hewlett's art show opening.

Noah's enjoyed talking on the phone with friends in Bulgarian or with a former companions.

My impressions of Noah...

He rarely interrupts.  He doesn't raise his voice.  He laughs easily.  He has a happy look in his eye.  He listens closely.  He doesn't rush.  He enjoys conversation.  He loved his mission.


Books of the week:

Thanks for the recommendation, Mike