So it’s been a month since we left Canada and we are slowly making our way back to Christchurch for our 6 month stay there. \u00c2\u00a0The boys begin school on Monday, Feb. 2 and so we’ll drive back into the city on Thursday and meet with the school and go shopping for uniforms for them. \u00c2\u00a0Jonathan has to get himself organized to start work again and I think we’re all ready to get into a routine that does not involve setting up the tent or having to get fully dressed before the morning dash to the washroom!<\/p>\n
Jack celebrated his 11th birthday yesterday in a sea kayak along the Tasman Sea coast. \u00c2\u00a0It was a lot of fun and he seemed to enjoy himself. \u00c2\u00a0His mom only panicked a bit at first when she realized we were actually going out into the sea and it was a whole lot choppier then she’d expected! \u00c2\u00a0All is well and according to Will, he’s just so happy we made it back alive. \u00c2\u00a0The guide found this especially amusing.<\/p>\n
The Abel Tasman Coast Track Walk was fabulous. \u00c2\u00a0We are just so proud of the boys. \u00c2\u00a0They carried most of their own gear and although it was hot and sometimes a bit grueling, they had a great time and we hope will carry the memory of the experience for the rest of their lives. \u00c2\u00a0Jonathan and I are recuperating from blisters and shin splints but we’re so happy we did the Track. \u00c2\u00a0I think that it is a real show of character that those boys of ours did the track with little complaint and still had the enthusiasm at the beginning of the next day to continue on. \u00c2\u00a0We believe that this shows what kind of young men they are becoming and we’re just letting everyone know how proud we are of them. \u00c2\u00a0I think that the change we’re seeing in the boys and how they are maturing with this new experience has been worth the effort it took to get here. \u00c2\u00a0It’s been remarkable.<\/p>\n
That’s it for now. \u00c2\u00a0Like I said, we’re headed back to Ch’church after a few days of recuperating in Picton for a few days. \u00c2\u00a0It’s a lovely rainy day and we’ve rented (or as Will has begun to say, “hired”) a few movies to watch on our computer in the tent later. \u00c2\u00a0We actually stopped at this little fish and chips place and ordered up a mess of fish and chips wrapped in paper (the boys could eat the chips) and then wandered around the town until the weather forced us back inside. \u00c2\u00a0We then stopped at an ice cream place where Jon and I grabbed a couple of homemade waffle cones (no worries we bought soy ice cream for the boys before making them watch us eat ours). \u00c2\u00a0A truly great day but I will be eating salad for supper because my body is rebelling a bit at the amount of calories it took in this afternoon.<\/p>\n
Love to all.<\/p>\n
~Sarah<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So it’s been a month since we left Canada and we are slowly making our way back to Christchurch for our 6 month stay there. \u00c2\u00a0The boys begin school on Monday, Feb. 2 and so we’ll drive back into the city on Thursday and meet with the school and go shopping for uniforms for them. … Continue reading A month later…<\/span>