Overdue Update

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Hello everyone,
Sorry I have not created an update sooner. As many of you know, I am one of many who are feeling the tragic loss of Carolyn and Jolene. I wanted to start this blog with sending all of my love back home to their family and friends. They are in my heart and in my prayers.

It has been a busy few weeks and I have a couple of updates - sorry no picutres unfortunately because Kobi has chewed the charger cord to our lap top and I am currently borrowing a computer!

I do have some beautiful pictures though of our road trip to lake Taupo. We went a couple of weekends ago and camped out. Taupo is a beautiful area and the town is so nice and clean. It was a 5 hour drive up there from New Plymouth and it was very scenic. We drove on the Forgotten World Highway which led us through the Republic of Whangamomona (amongst other areas). I also was able to finally see some of the other mountains that I have heard so much about - Mount Ruapehu (2,797 m or 9,176 ft and is the highest peak in the North Island), Ngauruhoe (2291 m or 7516 ft) and Tongariro (1978 m or 6490 ft). We drove around the other side of the mountains on the way home down the "Desert Road" which was also very scenic and surprisingly desert-like. They sure have almost every type of terrain here. And I promise to upload the pictures as soon as I can! We camped out in Taupo and as usual Kobi was a good boy. It was very cold at night though and Kobi and I both slept fully under the covers (my nose kept getting cold as I slept!) In the morning Mark and I went in the mineral pool at the campgrounds for a nice warm up!!! That weekend in New Plymouth though, WOMAD was going on which is a multicultural festival. I am sort of regretting not going to it, because I heard great things! They had different types of music and food venues set up and it was a 3 day long event at Pukekura Park.

Last weekend I worked Saturday and then we went to our flatmate Laurelle's 21st birthday party. 21 is a big year down here and they have big parties with lots of food and wine and embarassing speeches etc etc. It was a fun night for sure, and quiet little Laurelle had a few too many and was quite the chatty Cathy! lol

I have been getting more hours at the Cafe, although I am working all weekend this coming weekend in order to get more hours :S
I have also taken a new job at the "Ocean Gem Gallery" which is a nice jewelry store down by the port. I have taken some pictures to show you too!!! I think I will just be working every Thursday from now until Winter and possibly another day during the week now and again. It will just help if Snickerdoodles doesn't pull through with more hours!!!!

Other than that, things are still great with Mark and I. We have not seen much of eachother this week as our schedules are off...he is working at 1pm to 1am so he gets home while I am asleep and then I leave for work in the morning while he is still asleep!!! We usually get an hour in the morning though, before I have to leave most days - if I am starting at 10am!

The weather has been getting chilly....moving into Autumn! I have realized that I didn't pack enough winter clothes though - obviously my mind was on summer time when I packed to come here lol

We had a nice dinner out at Mark's Aunt Gill and Uncle Grahm's last week. They have a beautiful home, that actually Tom Cruise rented when he was here making the film "the last samurai"!!! And Kobi got along well with their dog Monty (who is 7 - an old boy!!!). It was great to discover that Kobi is fully house trained...he went up to the door at their place to let us know when he needed out! Now at least we can feel comfortable going to people's homes and knowing he won't go pee in a corner somewhere lol

Well thats all for now....sorry again for the lack of pictures! I will see what I can do on my next day off, which is not until Tuesday!!! Eeeeek! It's been good being busy though!

Miss you all so much! Can't wait to hear some updates from all of you
xxoo
Love Andrea

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Comments

[Ryan]

Nice to hear
Hi sis! It was great to read your blog. Thanks! I have really missed reading them.. Talk to you soon XOXO