More pictures

at this point in time it was easier to just put the photos on facebook and link to them. you should be able to still see them even if you're not on facebook. let me know if you can't.

Muriwai Beach Photos It was a black sand beach! I didn't swim so i don't have any pictures of specific people swimming. Jer spent the majority of the time building a big sand castle. he got a couple of people to join in with him. wish i could have seen it. the beach was over a large sand dune, and i was in the shade trees with others not wanting to be in the sun that day.

Bowling Photos We went 10 pen bowling (that's what they call it here b/c there's another type of bowling) for the first week of young adult study. it was also mike and sarah's birthday who happen to be engaged. can you imagine marrying someone who has the same birthday as you? they're one year apart, but still.

On another note, i've been knitting up a storm. i found the $1 bin at a fabulous craft store. yarn is about the same price here. but this store has more yarn than walmart can even imagine putting out. it's great!! i say walmart b/c that's all i've had nearby forever to buy yarn at. i finish one blanket today for our friend's baby. then i'm starting on a soaker (diaper cover) for leslie.  let's see if i can learn the new skills to complete it!

Pictures are up!

http://web.me.com/sketch_42/Christmas/Christmas.html

here's the link to the Christmas pictures

Cute Kids Sayings

So, my friend Anne Darby from college is a teacher. She posted some of the quotes she's collected over the years since student teaching. I thought I'd paste them on here for you to enjoy too.

Summer of 2006(I worked in a daycare, and have TONS, but I'll just include a few):

1. "How do you spell evil?" -Wyatt(age 5)
2. Connor: "You have a bigger lollipop Miss Anne." Auggies reply:"That's because she's cool like that!" (both age 5)
3. Destiny(age 9) "Miss Anne, do you have a boyfriend?" Me: "No." Destiny: "If you want him, you can have my uncle Paul. He's single. He's also rich and cute, and he's never had a girlfriend or wife."
4."Connor! Bring the grubs back! They are a family and they can't be seperated!" -Wyatt(age 5)
5."This is the most beautiful air I ever came in to." -Wyatt(age 5)
6. Jessalyn:"Why is the thunder so loud?" Trinity's reply:"Because God is playing the drums...my Daddy said so!" (both age 5)

Fall of 2006 (Student teaching) I spent half of the semester in fourth grade and half in first grade.

4th Grade:
1. Question "What is something you want to learn?"
Lexie: "How to get money from my parents."
Nick:"Where babies come from."
2. "God is camoflage, cause he is everywhere but you can't see him."-Garrett
3. "Oh my gosh, I LOVE bugs!"-Bailey
4. "I'm having an off-day."-Daira
5. "C'mon Miss Darby! Disect the heart! We'll give you a piece!" -Jacob
6.Crystal:"Why is is called Death Valley?" Bailey's reply: "Because people die there!."
7. "They speak English in Kansas."-Patrick
8. "She's a girl-give her what she wants!" -Bailey
9. Reanna: "Miss Darby, Jacob has a crush on you!" Daria: "Yeah! He told Hunter and Charles that he like-likes you!"

First Grade:
1. "If I was a letter, I'd be a silent e-I would!" -Justin
2. "I don't know nuthin...just words and stuff." -Emma
3.Justin: "Where did you get that candy cane Miss Darby?" Me:"In the teacher's lounge." Justin(whispering)"I won't tell anyone-I promise!"
4. Me: "Justin, what did you do to your hair?"(see spikes all over) Justin:"I did it when I took a drink. I'm making myself look handsome!"

Spring 2008 I worked as a literacy teacher and spent a lot of time in a second grade class:
1."I don't get an allowance. I have to find my money." -Dorina
2. "I would love to be the class pet!" -Wyatt

Fall 2008-present(My kindergarten kids)
1. "I don't feel good cause my heart's too big." -Zachary
2. "Sweet! This is the best day of my life!" -Tanner(upon seeing the art room for the first time)
3. "I love your whole body!" -Zachary
4. "That's the best stuff I ever liked!" -Renee(upon seeing a stethescope)
5."Come on eraser! What are you waiting for?" -Zachary(trying to erase crayon)
6."This is you and me and my grandpa, and an alien next to him." -Sullivan(referring to a picture he drew)
7.During show and tell: "I have something that starts with our letter of the week M, and it's attached to me. (lifts up pant leg) A MOLE! And, it's hairy too!." -Sullivan
8."I need ear muffins." -Dravyn
9. "Miss Darby, I cut my finger and I can see it's meat." -Dravyn
10.Me: "It's time for the color song." Tanner: "Hallelujah!"
11. "Miss Darby, look how high I am!(on swings) I'm almost to God!" -Jaylene
12.Me: "Zachary, why did you scratch Brenden?" Zachary: "Because my mom and dad forgot to cut my fingernails."
13.Rashid:"You want to know how far I live from school?" Me: "Sure, how far?" Rashid:"I live in Africa!" Me:"That's a pretty long ways away." Rashid: "Well, I take a shortcut!"
14"Here is some lint you can keep, Miss Darby." -Dravyn
15."God has a special plan for me-I'm gonna be a superhero!" -Rachel
16. Upon seeing popcorn chicken in the hot lunch: "They're baby chickens!" -Dravyn
17.Zachary: "Call me Zacharoni!" Me: "No." Zachary: "Come on, it's a fun name!"
18.During reading centers: Tanner-"I think my brain is silly today." Lucas: "My brain is having a party!" Raul: "My brain isn't working anymore."
19. Zachary: "Miss Darby, how old are you?" Me: "Old." Zachary:"No you're not!" Me: Big smile
20. "Miss Darby, Zachary's really wasting my time-he is!" -Dravyn

waiting

so, i've been waiting to post when i could get on jer's computer to do the pics. guess it'll be little longer, so i'll post on some other things.

our stuff came today. we're all very happy about that. it's been in the country since last monday. we could have had it last wednesday, but the trucking company took a half day that day and the rest of the week/weekend off. and yesterday was like they hadn't kicked into gear yet after the holidays. but we have it now and that's all that matters. we have a lot unpacked. some of it we can't.  like the books...we have no shelves. we're shopping around for cheap nice looking ones. i found a guy who could make them for cheaper than the stores. i might use him. i found him on trademe. that's the nz version of ebay. they have ebay, but this is just for nz and is used more here. we've done a lot of looking on there for things. the kemps have bought a bit off there...like their new baby monitor. its a good place to look for housing and cars as well. 

so, did i tell y'all we got our mattress just before christmas? well, we did. it's nice. it's a memory foam. and for some reason it was cheaper than most pillow top mattresses. not sure why, but we'll take it. we liked them, but they're more expensive in the states.  also, furniture in general is more expensive here. that's why we've bought little. just the table jer uses for his desk. luckily our house did have a lot with it. so it works for now. the main thing we want to get in time is living room furniture. i'm not sure how much longer my back can stand to sit in the camp chairs (one is also my desk chair). 

for new years we have a couple of families from church come over. it was nice. we BBQed and lots of wii was played. at midnight we all went on the balcony and yelled, "Happy New Year" and watched the fireworks going off across the bay and around us. 

we're getting popular. we're having dinner with the Marlars tomorrow night (an american family at church who's been here 2 years). friday we're having dinner with holly and brian. they're the nice people the kemps met online who picked us up at the airport. we also had thanksgiving with them. he's kiwi. she's an american. they have a little 19 month old cutie named Symeon and another due very soon. next friday we're all envolved in the youth sleepover. the girls will be at the marlars and the boys with either be at the church or here. it's not been decided yet. 

so, new zealand has gotten some mexican in the stores in the last few years. all el paso brand. funny. but at least we have some now. they're are still only 3 total mexican related restaurants in auckland and we've heard mixed things about them all. that's alright. they're every type of asian and indian around every corner, and we like that a lot. we've not had much fish and chips due to the high grease but we have had it. that's about all i can think of right now. 

anyone have any questions? that'd help me tell you about things if you can think of anything.

Christmas Goodies

Thanks to those of you who have sent us Christmas greetings, Leslie and Brad. We loved getting greetings from home and Korea! Leslie, the Kemps were quite thrilled their name was on the letter too. Dad and Jan sent us some homemade Christmas goodies. Needless to say, we were all very excited about that. Dad was pretty sure we weren't going to making any of our own this year, and he was right. We make just what we can right now.

If you have a webcam, we can chat now. I have some of your screennames for AIM or Skype. There are some I don't....JANET SYLER. I need yours and anyone else's who wants to video chat. :-)

Internet is up!!

Click here for pictures

Here's a link to the pictures I took. I tried to explain everything on the pages. 

If you don't already know this, you dial 011 to dial out of the country. So, you'd dial that in front of what i've already posted.

Let's see...what's happened since our last post....we got our first sunburns here. It was Sunday at the park. neither of us were burnt bad. jer's are still there. they're on his shins...what's funny is he was wearing long hiking socks...so it's only like half  his shin. :-)  i've also started in on our gardens. i only finished a very small section that was full of weeds and dead stuff and had to be trimmed back b/c it was starting to come down and onto the driveway creating new soil for weeds to grow in. i hurt pretty bad today. lots of bending over. our mattress comes today!! very excited about that. we have been using one that was here. we're pretty excited to get ours. this one we're using will be the guest bed. so, come one and all to visit!

home phone

+64 9 482 0079

this is our home number