We are here and doing GREAT!

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Sorry, I have been having so much trouble trying to get this out. We have been here almost a week and everything is quite wonderful and exciting. We had a good albeit rather long trip on the plane. The day we arrived was cool and cloudy, but not uncomfortable until the sun went down. Our friends, John & Betty Rose, met us and then, Kenneth Ranger and his family came and picked us up to go to Piha Beach where a lot of the church people we knew were having a reunion. It was marvelous to go back to the old campgrounds, old friends and go down to the beach where we spent many summer days.
On Sunday and Monday, the Roses took us around Auckland - almost nothing is the same. John & Jim went to his engineering shop and Chrissy and Betty and I went shopping. THe flowers are fantastic and the roses in bloom are better than we ever remembered them.
Tuesday, we went up to a beach called Maungawhai through the country and mainly farms with cattle. They save the good grass and country for cattle and the sheep are usually given the steep paddocks to eat and wander. It is still so GREEN!
Wednesday, we came down country to Te Aroha, a little town of about 4000 and we love it. Kenneth has lent us his car and its even better now that we are with them and he can drive. Jim does really well,but scares us both at times. Yesterday, we spent the day with an old friend named John Jellard. He was a little older than our children and it was so good to see him and meet his wife and two boys. Today, we are doing the washing. I actually get to hang it outdoors in the sunlight and I love it. This afternoon, we will go back to Matamata to take a picture for the Seays on where the Hobbits were. I hope I'll be able to add pictures and get back on again soon.
Shirley - Jim & Chrissy

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