Mr. Zach visited us from the great beyond, and has left a trail of bad chips, broken lights, and sad nieces.

It was great seeing him over the past couple of weeks, and I’m glad that someone from my family finaly got a chance to meet Tane in person. He’s really not that bad of a guy is he Zach? Ella thoroughly enjoyed her time spent with Uncle Zach, and I think Uncle Zach thoroughly enjoyed his time in New Zealand - so it was sad to see him go. On a positive note, we feel confident in knowing that Zach is now a solid All Blacks fan and will probably postpone any children of his own for at least another 10 years.

So what else has happened over these past few weeks? Well…the “Terrible Twos” are in full effect, Tane is growing up way too quickly, I had a bad run-in with a snowboard, and Jen has found the closest thing yet to Super Target. Oh yes - our lives are full of excitement! As far as Ella is concerned, Nursery Rhymes, Sesame Street, and Birthdays are what life is all about. Outside of her tantrums and 2 year-old destructive nature, she is really making life enjoyable. We’ve managed to capture some of these antics in a DVD we just finished putting together that covers the past 2 years. We’ve sent a bunch of copies home, so bug one of us or our folks if you want a copy.

While Zach was here we managed to get our first taste of snow - we actually had to stop overnight in a little town near Mt. Ruapehu (picture below) because the roads were all closed. Did make for some great pictures, but it also made us even more anxious for winter to be over!

Funny that Atlanta got much colder than it ever will here, but the lack of heat and constant dampness give make winter a not-so-fun time. As a result, we’ve been drinking more coffee and eating lots of fun new food like Pumpkin Chicken Casserole with Pom Poms - check it out!

It’s been busy at home and at work, but we’re still making it. Our friend Colleen is coming over for a couple of days next month, and we hope to see my folks and the Roses towards the end of the year - so it will be great to have family and friends around as the days get a bit warmer. Sometimes it’s still strage to think we’re on the other side of the world, but missing out on baby showers and beach trips brings it all back. It will probably be a bit before we can make it home, but we promise to take in any friendly face that wants to experience one of the most beautiful countries in the world! Drop us a note to let us know how you’re doing, and be sure to keep pulling for the All Blacks as they look to win another world championship! Until then…

Post Note: For those of you in the U.S. - you should try to make an effort to get to the Bele Chere festival in Asheville, NC this year (July 28 weekend). Absolutely the best music festival we’ve been to - and it is very laid back and family friendly. We may be making a personal appearance there next year - so go scope it out for us! http://belecherefestival.com/