The Good News and the Bad News

So, life has been pretty great for us this past year and half.  Even before we left so many things fell into place, people were telling us to buy a lottery ticket.  A while ago, however,  we realized that going home was not going to be so easy.  No house, no cars, no jobs... not sure where we even want to live.  So many things to decide was a bit overwhelming.   And, then, another wonderful opportunity was presented to us.   Brett (smart guy he is) decided to contact the clinic up in the small town of Aitkin, Minnesota, where he had done a rotation in residency and, more importantly, where the family lake home is, to see if they might need some help over the summer.   Well, they offered him a temporary summer position.  Woo-hooooo.   Again, Life is Good for the Adams Family.   We get to live at the cabin wonderland for the summer while we sort out our life and figure out the next moves.

And, we have this amazing holiday planned where we travel around the rest of New Zealand for the next month.   And, Brett quit his job two weeks early so he could have some fun in Gisborne.   Well, now for the bad news.  For those of you who haven't heard, I went a broke my ankle last week!!   The weather finally got nice and Brett and I went out on some Stand Up and Paddle boards for the first time. We had a great time and I had already decided I wanted to buy one for the lakes at home.  And, I was doing pretty good.  I was riding a wave in when I decided to jump off the board, thinking I was jumping into 1-2 feet of water and it turned out only to be 2-3 inches.  And, snap, went the ankle.   So, this last week has been a chaotic mess of trying to throw a garage sale, pack, say goodbyes, while sitting around with my foot up.  And then, it got worse. When I went for ortho follow up, it turned out my ankle needed to be reduced. He went on to tell me that I needed to have it x-rayed again next week and if it still wasn't staying in place, then I would need surgery.   Only, in one week, we will officially be gypsies and traveling around.  Lots of decisions.. to stay or go? how to get good ortho followup?  Lots of crying.. by me.  So disappointed. I had big plans for our travels.  Bungy jumping in Queenstown, an extreme jet boat ride, paddle boarding with dolphins, seal swim, and not to mention all of the amazing hiking.  And, I had even scheduled an appointment to get a tattoo on my right foot (the one now in a cast).   Divine intervention? maybe.  I am trying to find the good in this injury, trying to be grateful for what I have, trying to convince myself that it isn't that horrible of timing (at least I get to ride around looking at stuff instead of stuck inside the house).  It's not easy though.   And, that, is when I need to go an re-read the first paragraph again.  Life is good for the Adams Family.... and if our bad news is a broken ankle, I'll take it.  

"When are you coming home?"

I first started this blog when I found myself answering the same questions about our move all the time.  Well, it's happening again.  So, that has also made me think I should start this up again.


We will be arriving back in Minnesota on Monday, May 7th.    We have quite the journey planned to get there however.  We are going to leave Gisborne on March 30th or 31st to start a month long road trip of New Zealand.  We will be traveling in our honda accord station wagon all the way down to the bottom of the South Island.   We will then travel all the way back up to Auckland via the west coast of the North Island.  We hope to sell our car on Trade Me (NZ version of E-Bay)  for drop off in Auckland, but if this doesn't happen we will bring it to a car auction.    As that takes at least a week to happen, we will then pick up a campervan and travel up the very northern part (the Bay of Islands).    Because after traveling for 3 weeks in a small car with small children, who wouldn't want live/sleep/eat in a vehicle for the last week?

As long as I have not been committed to a psych ward, we will be traveling back to the states on April 30th and spending our first week back in Phoenix with Grandpa Terry and Nana Bonnie.    I imagine we won't be the funnest house guests as we readjust to the northern hemisphere, but I know they will take good care of us.  Brett will add to his fun by taking an ATLS (advanced trauma life saving) course while we are there. And, then, finally we are going home.   Where exactly that is though is still not entirely clear.

THIS IS WHAT WE WILL STUFFING OUR LIFE INTO FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL  

Here We Go Again

Okay, so I have completely neglected the blog.   As I mentioned in the previous blog, I think it is because I felt like life in New Zealand became the normal and just not something I felt I needed to write about all the time.   Also, busy and more routine.... school, work, grocery shopping....blah, blah, blah.  However, now that I look back at all the pictures and experiences, I realize I should have been journaling these memories more... our "normal" life has really been extraordinary and full of amazing new adventures.    Whether it is a trip to Australia, glow worm caves,  a picnic, or losing a tooth... life really is fantastic and new all the time.  

Anyways, even if I did miss out on cataloging all of those other months (which I still believe I will get back too - ha, ha), I need to start again.   We now have only one month left in Gisborne, and two left in New Zealand.   That means the blood is starting to pump a little faster as we try and figure out the next chapter in our crazy life.  And, the queries are coming as well.  So, I will do my best to keep you informed about what is next. But remember, just as with life, there is not much certainty.  It is an unsettling fact... people want to think they will know how their life will work out.  But, even the best plans, the "perfect" life, can be upturned in a second.  So, you might as well just keep shooting for your dreams and the best life you can, but not be too disappointed if it doesn't work out.   That is my reoccurring mantra over the last 2 years.  And, so far, so good.

And, with that, I would like to say, that living your dreams (as I have heard and said a million times this past year) does not come without a lot of hard work.    And, I would like to thank my husband, Brett, for all of his hard work in making this all happen.  He is the one that found the job here and has been working hard at that job all year.   He truly is an amazing man and should be an inspiration for everyone.  When he wants to do something, he will work the hardest to make it happen.   Becoming a doctor, doing an Ironman Triathlon, moving to New Zealand...etc.  I am always a little scared and excited to see what his next big idea will be.   But, really, should I have any reason to doubt that he can make it happen?   Gosh, I really love that man.   Thank You for all you do!

Next on Brett's list.. learn to kite surf.  Here he is with a practice kite on land.  Too bad the weather hasn't cooperated with this next goal.    

Putting Ticks on the List

THIS is a post I started on SEPT 16th, 2011..... I am going into the archives to finish some off as I begin to start up the blog again!


Busy, busy.  Kind of.   Well, at least, I have been ignoring the blog for awhile.   The long winter (aka the month of August) actually got me back to being somewhat productive and into an actual schedule.   We also had a few new adventures, which I will have to talk about soon as well, before I forget and before we have too many new ones.   For now, I am going to tell you what I have been doing with all of this "time".  You see, before moving here, I had big expectations of the things I was going to accomplish.   I felt like I was being gifted a large amount of free time all of the sudden.  Not working (outside the home), one kid at school full days every day, the other half day everyday.   And, a husband who no longer needed to train to run an Ironman Triathlon.  Not to mention, I am living in a small town with no traffic jams, no large malls to wander, and a house with no T.V.  channels.   Family, friends, and even strangers, must have sensed that I was coming into some new freedom because I had heard and have heard often "so, what are you going to do with yourself?"

So, I made a mental checklist of goals I wanted to achieve.  Things I always thought I would do if I had the opportunity or time.   And, things I needed to get done.  I have actually not written them down until now.  But here it goes:

Learn to surf

Lose weight (when has this not been on the list, really)

Learn to knit (something I always wished I had learned better from my mom)

Make the perfect pie crust

Finish all 100 hours of CME (continuing medical education)

Do online photo albums, organizing all of our digital photographs

Edit all of our video history

Organize all of my favorite recipes (been trying to do this for years)

Win a contest (preferably some big cash or prize give a way)

Keep a trip journal/ blog

Organize all of our kiwi adventures - be the Adams Family travel agent

Become well read again... I have been playing too much sudoku in the past years and not reading enough books

Throw my kids some killer b-day parties as both did not have ones last year due to all the commotion with the big move

And, of course, be a fabulous hostess for all of our guests...


MARCH 2ND, 2012


Well,  I started this blog back in September.  And I am now going to finish it almost 5  1/2 months later.  Geez, where does the time go.

So, I have done okay with the list.  It seems that once I finished a couple of goals I felt good enough.  Also, I think life just started to feel a little more normal/ routine around here.  Not as much like we were living out the dream (until of course I would look out the window at the fabulous view).   No, it just wasn't as new and exciting everyday.  Hence, the blog stopped!  And,friends, school, visitors, trips, birthday parties, swimming lessons, horseback riding lessons, as well as my new hobbies, were enough to keep me busy.


Anyways.. I did learn to knit, I have made my share of pies and pie crusts from hand, and I started reading books again.  All of which I contribute to the fact that I have NOT lost weight, but instead gained some. I did win a Gisborne Tourism photo contest ( 2nd prize of 50 dollars) with my picture of Brett and Liam walking down the beach (and had it in the Gisborne Herald multiple times).   I have spent countless hours booking places to stay for our big Australia in October and our upcoming South Island adventures.   I finished my CME.  I have not been so successful with the surfing, but having fun trying.  I sure know a whole lot more about waves and surfboards than the average Minnesota girl knows though.   I threw a "Feeling FIVE and Fabulous" b-day party for Phoebe and a "HUNTING down the 7th year" party for Liam.    I found a fantastic recipe app for the computer "Yummy Soup".   And I hosted 7+ more weeks total of guests (whew!)


So, that leaves me with this whole organizing photos/ editing videos... which I have significantly gone in the whole with - we have taken thousands and thousands of new pictures.
And, keeping this whole trip journal.   Which I am a now ready to start up again.   As life is about to get a little more new and interesting again....

My first two knitting projects

                                                  Stay Tuned!

(and I will try and post some more pictures later... I am too overwhelmed at looking all the ones I have missed posting over the the last 7-8 months.... we really have had some great times)