Ho Ho Ho from Taranaki

What does Christmas mean in Oakura for us:


M--Mount Taranaki climb to the top (weather permitting) when Alec and Em get here on Dec. 23, 2009


E--Eggs from free range chickens and lots of gluten free food for Alan


R--Rudolf the red nosed reindeer song and other favorite songs from the States on the New Plymouth radio station


R--Running outside on the beach with Al in the spring season of New Zealand and not digging out from the Dec. 2009 blizzard back home in Cedar Rapids, IA


Y--YIPPEE cuz Gabe has graduated from year 8 at Oakura primary school on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009 and he will be in high school next Feb. at New Plymouth Boy's High School




C--Counting down the days till Al is on vacation from the hospital next Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009 and the Christmas celebration of baby Jesus


H--Happy times with the Base Hospital Staff at the unit Christmas Party and new friends of Oakura at Butler's Reef


R--Reading books with the ladies from the Oakura Bookclub for Mo


I--Into surfing lessons, swimming in the Tasman Sea, kayaking, tennis, barbeques, and family adventures for the holiday


S--Sweet dreams of Fiji for 10 days at Shagri-La Resort and a private ocean side villa in Jan. 2010 at the world's best soft coral coast (although we heard that 2 people were killed there today by Typhoon Mick).


T--Telephone calls in the early am (one day ahead in NZ time zone)via Skype to all those dearly loved family and friends we miss


M--Merry times in New Zealand with Gabe and 8 years students at dam dropping from boogie boards and kayaks over the 30 ft. high dam (Yes, I survived to tell the story)


A--Arrival of our much missed Alec and Emily whom we abandoned back in USA but did not forget


S--Success at completing our written diving test and waiting for calm sea for open water dives with Kevin, our New Zealand dive instructor

Here I am having a blast at dam dropping