Yellow Roses

Flowers from a student.  It was very fun to assign new literature now that Concerto auditions are finished - so many fantastic pieces which I'm excited to teach.  

Mike arrived home from USA at 8:45AM on Friday and, without even coming home, departed for the GO-4-12 race in Hawke's Bay.  Noah and Cory picked him up in MAVY loaded with gear, Mercy's very enthusiastic team, and a willing ukulele.



I stayed home alone to get ready to leave to the USA later this week and to write some papers in a suddenly quiet house.  I busted out rough draft papers about the intercessory role of prophets in the Old Testament, how Pacific History has evolved in the last 50 years, images of Shiva in Hindu temples, and a book review of Islanders by Nicholas Thomas.  I guess, like the adventure racers, I have a kind of painful-fun.

Mike taking photos of Oak's team.

Mercy's team.  Which way next?

They must have figured something out.

Just like the old days with Noah, Cory, Nick and Sue.

Oak's team.

Picture of all the New Plymouth athletes at the race.  An equal number of supporters went along, including Sue and Cory, Nick and Annie, who don't have any racers but enjoy the company and are masterful at transitions. 

The rainbow colors are not capture in this photo - they were so vivid that it felt like I could reach and touch them and that the colors would be warm and soft.

Mike's birthday wish was to take some family photos.

The background looks like telly tubby land.  

Messing around.  

Noah sent this picture from the airport with the caption "good bye New Zealand".  Two especially memorable nights were looking at pictures from the south island with Sutherlands and watching family videos from 2002-2003. 

A new experience for us all, thanks to Sage.    

I love her!

We have a different perspective on General Conference here than anywhere else we've lived.  Our district president (similar to stake president) responded to General Conference by emailing "they made some changes at General Conference.  Not much of it affects Taranaki."  When the letter from 1st presidency was read in church last week, I realized that most members in Taranaki don't know what a high priests group is, have probably never reported home or visiting teaching anyway (with the notable exception of Pres.Coward's EQ), and don't know what "Miamaids" or "Laurels" are.  They love General Conference, even if they notice different things about it than members living in other places that I've lived.

Concerto Season

Joyce

Leo

Isaiah, 1st movement

Edison - A Major, Bach

Tomi, 3rd mvmt.

Aster - f minor, Bach

Idelette

Mercy

Genevieve

Kezia

Johanna

Not pictured:  Esther, Elias, Zoe, Hugh, Lenora, Oak (students not doing concertos for various, good reasons).

Yesterday was our local concerto competition.  Joyce had such a good experience that tonight, she wanted to go to bed on time so she could get up early tomorrow morning and start learning a NEW concerto.  She didn't win a prize - so it's not that.  I understand how she feels, because that's how I felt as I was growing up, too.

the many layers of Mercy's Chopin

such a great smile!

Easter Break

Joyce and Sage bike at a good pace to match my running speed.  

My perpetual spinach bolted because we had such a hot summer, but now that it's cooling off again, I have replanted.  I love having self-renewing fresh spinach - enough for our entire family - right outside the front door.

Congrats to Oak, who won 1st place at the National Orienteering Championship in Auckland this weekend (U-18, long).  So proud of you, Oak!  And congratulations to Mercy for being more experienced this year than you were last year.

Oak and Mercy travelled up to Auckland with the Mitchell family, a wonderful, fun, outdoorsy crew.

Books:

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.