MUD,Mud,Glorious MUD and Christchurch Devastation, **18 Years**

Today has been fun for our kids.  They had a scouting adventure with a large mudslide.  This is one of the annual events that they hold for Scouts in North Otago.  They have a sausage sizzle and let the kids get as muddy as they like.  It was Abbeys  first time at this event and she took a bit of encouraging to give it ago - but the grin says it all.  The kids loved being covered in mud. Some of the kids took great delight as getting as much mud as they could on their parents too - and needless to say both Richard and I have muddy pants too.  My washing machine is now going full tat to get the clothes clean again. 

This week has been full of sadness for our country as Christchurch experienced a large aftershock stemming from the original one on September.  It was only 6.3 on the Richter scale but caused widespread damage.  Unfortunately it struck at lunchtime - in the central business area of chch.  Many buildings collapsed - trapping and killing hundreds of people.  It is a time of morning for our country as we all try to come to terms with this natural disaster.  Thankfully all of our family and friends have been accounted for, and no major injuries encounted.  Some of our families have lost their homes but we are blessed  that we are not grieving for missing family.

Ohh that's a bit cold

Typical boy - loves getting dirty

WOW mum and dad let me play in the mud

It feels a little naughty to be out with the kids enjoying the mudslide when so many families are grieving, traumatised, and homeless.  The people of Christchurch are very much in our thoughts and prayers at present and our community is busy doing what they can.  Already we are hosting many displaced families, providing food, and assisting with man power as we are able. 

I quite like this mum

On a more special subject today is our wedding anniversary - this time 18 years ago we were getting married in a small stone church in TeAnau.  It was stinking hot and a lovely day.  we plan to celebrate by going our for a meal a Riverstone - which is an award winning restaurant just out of Oamaru.  Both of us are feeling a little low because of the Chch devastation and are struggling to stop thinking about all those families that are grieving for their loved ones.  The stories keep coming of tragic loss - when someone has stopped to help another and then been crushed by falling rubble - or the baby that the TV fell on and broke his neck, or the professor that would not normally be in CHCH and his wife didn't want him to go that day, to the little miracles where the office worker couldn't get the scanner to work and was there instead of at her desk that was crushed by rubble, the counsellor who realised that she was at ground level when her office was on the fourth floor, on and on they go.  There is not one New Zealander who hasn't been affected at a personal level by this disaster.  That is what happens when you live in a small country - everyone is connected to each other in some small way.  RIP all the victims - over 150 now and more to come.
Here is a link for our overseas friends to see the pictures of just how bad the quake is.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/photos

Moraki Boulders, Heat and Southerly wind

Moraki Boulders breaking up

 Today we had a lovely outing to the beach as it was really, really hot - apparently the after effects of cyclone Yasi that hit Queensland - Australia last week. When driving to Moraki the temperature gage on the car got up to 38 oC or 100.5 fareinheight.  Thats hot for here - way way to hot.  I love it.  The rest of the family were quietly melting.  We ate lunch down at the local friendly bay and watched the regatta that was on, then travelled to Hampden for a paddle in the sea - the water was not swimming friendly - it felt like it was straight from antartica.  Anyway it was a very quick way of cooling off.  The kids had a great time playing in the sand and sea.  Then off to Moraki we went for and explore of the Boulders.  During the drive from Hampden to Moraki - approx five minutes, the temperature dropped from 38 (100F) to 20 (68F)  yes the southerly wind had made its presence known.  It was freezing and th wind chill went right through to our bones.  The photo of Alex and Richard shows just  how strong the wind was. It was quite strange really having such extremes in temperature

Alex and Abbey sheltering from the wind in a boulder

 We have had more teenage dramas this weekend and are so over being parents of teenagers - It is really hard work getting it right.  The grey hairs and wrinkles are getting thicker and bigger.


Alex looking out to the Sea ontop of a boulder



I think this looks like a snail - dont you!



The boys struggle against the wind - a strong southerly

 

Sadness and Happiness all in one day

Abbey cooling off at Hamner Springs

 The title says it all really.  This past week has been unusual.  We go some really sad news that a friend is terminally ill and has very little time left with this world - very very unfair we think.  Sometimes our faith is tested and this situation certainly has!.  On the same day I got news that the photo over won a competition for the local radio station.  It was a wonderfull surprise, made even more glorious when we discovered that it was actually a nationwide competition and that the photo was a winning shot - wow, let me say it again - a winning shot in the whole of NZ, that is my only claim to fame.  It seems a little surreal.  That same day I also came home to discover that another photo entered in the local newspaper photo competition had also won.  This one is the black and white photo posted below.  It was a fluke really, as it wasnt the one intended to be entered.
Amelia is gutted as she was working the day the photo was published and got alot of comments about her lovely smile :) - sorry darling, it really was an accident that that photo was entered.


Sisterly Love  - cooling off at Hamner Springs

Tomorrow the kids all return to school - thanks goodness.  even though it means back to the stress on mornings, school lunchboxes, rushing in the morning, it will mean that we have some sort of family routine again. 
The kids have got very used to sleeping in and doing very little in their day.  Amelia has an early start as she has an accounting class at 7.30 am at the local boys high school.  This is a new initiative where the three high schools share teaching resources.  From what she has said there will be mainly boys - I am worried about that especially after her boy dramas over the last few months. 
This morning I discovered that our littlest child - Abbey had attempted to cut her hair, her beautifull long curly hair - urrgh, she had made a real hash of it and now sports short sides.  Apparently she had cut it becaue she had a tangle in it!  Me thinks that she was trying to be a hairdresser and make a fringe - as she had been nagging me that she wanted a fringe.  Never mind it will grow again.  Ironically I had made a hairdresser appointment today for her to have  a trim. - Well she needed more than a trim as it turns out.  The hairdressor laughed as she has seen it before.
Tonight I attempted to preserve some apricots and make some apricot jam as on my way back from a school visit I got to stop at the orchard up the valley.  YUMMM apricots.
Well its bedtime - the house is quiet as the kids are all in bed soundly sleeping, and my body is telling me that it is time for bed too.