Girls home alone

While they boys were busy moving the boxes into the new house, us girls were left behind up in Auckland as Auntie Nikki had one more day at work before we could join them. She works as a school teacher and she brought Linnea with her to work this particular day. Linnea helped out in the class room, and got to read a story to the whole class:

In the evening we decided to go out for dinner, and took to Sylvia Park for a bit of girlie retail therapy, and had dinner at the Chinese restaurant, just us girls:

Moving day

Recently Nikki and Kieran bought themselves a holiday home in Taupō; where Grandma and Granddad used to live. They were to get the keys while we were there, so we got roped into helping out with the moving in. They boys were moving superstars!

Auntie Nikki had done an amazing prep job, getting all the boxes packed and furniture sorted to go. Come moving day, the boys just had to load up the truck according to the planned list. It was a bit of a tetris game to make sure it all fit, and wouldn't move around during the drive, but it didn't take them long.

On moving day, Uncle Kieran, Liam and Lucas drove down to Taupō with the moving truck; and as Nathan didn't fit in the truck he got to fly down, to join them later and unpack the truck.
The boys stopped for curly fries and sandwiches half way down:

All arrived in Taupō:

Auntie Nikki and I drove down the following day to start the unpacking of the boxes. Thanks to her fantastically organised packing all the boxes got unpacked and the kitchen got sorted the first day. Also new furniture got delivered and already on the first night, it felt like a home!

Auntie Nikki could finally unpack her 'habibis' that she bought when they came to visit us here in Abu Dhabi 8,5 years ago "for her summer house"!

After there had been a bit of driving up and down during the weekend to get everyone to where they needed to be, we had fish & chips from Shaynes down the road for the first sit-down dinner, on the Sunday night:

21st birthday dinner

In the evening when everyone was home, we had a birthday dinner for Caitlin at home. We started out with the gift opening:

Here the proud parents:

Caitlin had asked for her favourite Indian take-away, and we had so much food! Her boyfriend Ryan joined us as well, and the young ones sat on their own table:

And us parents sat on our own table:

Of course there was a piggy cake!

While going through some of Granddads boxes we had found some fireworks, so we decided to see if they still worked! They did! Happy 21st Birthday Caitlin!

 

In the Lavender Fields

We spent 2,5 weeks in NZ, with Auntie Nikki and Uncle Kieran. The first week we stayed up in Patumahoe outside Auckland where they live. Cousins Caitlin and Liam had holiday from Uni and came up from the South Island too. Caitlin otherwise lives in Christchurch and Liam in Dunedin.
The cousins had a great time catching up together!

It was a pretty special week, as it was actually Caitlin's 21st while we were there! Really nice to get to celebrate this milestone birthday with her too; although we have managed to be there for quite a few of her previous birthdays as well - as she's the only one with a birthday in the middle of the summer holidays!

Nikki and Kieran were both at work during the day, but we took the "kids" and went for lunch at the Lavender Fields café not far from their place. Yummy, pretty food!

Then we went for a walk in the lavender fields, although due to the wrong season, there wasn't a lot of lavender around, but at least we found some to smell:

NZ in the wintertime

Kids and I headed out to NZ a couple of days ahead of Nathan, as the company was having trouble getting our Annual Leave tickets sorted. So we got a two-day head start, before Nathan started his leave.
We got real surprised once we got onboard the airplane though, as we hadn't noticed on our boarding cards they had changed our seats because of an aircraft change - and this one now had First Class seats!
Fine by us!

I love seeing my dear Louvre Abu Dhabi on the plane, the current Etihad safety video was filmed there! Always makes me happy.

It is a really long trek out to NZ though... This time we traveled via Sydney, so first we had about a 15 hour flight to Australia; then a 5,5 hour transit at Sydney airport, and then another 2,5 hour flight across to Auckland. I like it much better going the other way, when you end with the long flight, and then you have arrived. Going east the trip seems to never end.

We arrived to a wintery New Zealand. Something new for us, the kids and I have never been here when it's been winter like this before. I probably wouldn't choose this time of the year again, but this time it was out of necessity, it was the leave Nathan got - and it sure was about time, over three years since we last came.
Plus winter or not - New Zealand is still green and lush, and breathtakingly beautiful!

1st July 2022 Covid status

Yes, another month, another status report. While it seems like since months already that the pandemic is considered "over" in most parts of the world; I'm thinking that as long as there are quite limiting restrictions in Abu Dhabi (regular PCR-test requirements, mandatory mask wear), I'll continue my reports. Every month I hope it'll change, but no luck there.

I guess this month it is because the daily cases kept creeping up, topping at nearly 1800 new cases. The Al Hosn validity changed back to only 14 days in the middle of the month. So a step back, rather than forward. Boo. Anyhow, here are today’s numbers:

* 1788 new cases, from 300,076 test

* 1 death, making the total death toll 2317

See ya' in two months

I don't do very well with lasts. I can't help but always get really sentimental. The sadness always hits me especially hard this time each year, closing the books on another school year. It makes it so clear how fast time flies!
This year obviously it is crystal clear, with Lucas getting ready to spread his wings and fly out into the big world. Where to? We don't know yet... We are all in a bit of a limbo state just waiting for his grades, waiting for news from University; waiting to see what the next step will be. Well, I don't do waiting, nor not having set plans, very well either - so not an easy time for me.

Add to that, that today was the last day of school for Linnea. (It's not the last day of term, but as we are shooting off on summer holiday a little bit early, it is the last day for her.)
Last day of the school year of 2021-2022. Last day of the IB Middle Years Program. Next school year she is taking on the Diploma Program, and she is ready for it! But let's not get ahead of ourselves, first - well deserved two months of summer holidays!

The house sitter is sorted, the bags are packed, travel apps downloaded and the hundreds of documents we need have been printed. We are ready to go!
First stop - New Zealand!

Copenhell

I have completely forgot to write about Nathans recent holiday trip, maybe no wonder, as the only photos he sent me from it were the below three..!
Nathan went to Denmark to go to the Copenhell Heavy Metal Festival together with Thomas. A four-day happening, and Thomas and Nathan mustered three out of four before they ran out of energy.

Nathan brought Lucas along, and Lucas brought along his Hungarian friend Dominik. Dominik had never been to Copenhagen before, so Lucas showed him around all over, from Tivoli and Nyhavn to the Royal Castle with quite a few stops at pølsevogns on the way.

A really good time was had by all! Scandinavian summer with beautiful weather, music, friends and beer; AND total freedom, with no Covid-related restrictions.

Graduation family photos

Another little throwback to a month ago! They had arranged an official photographer to be at the Graduation ceremony at school, so we queued up and took some photos, as there was no obligation to purchase. (Usually these photo packages are extortionately expensive.)
But then we saw the photos... and - we ended up buying them all! Well, you only graduate once after all, so this is a really lovely memento to have!

The Graduate with his proud parents:

The Graduate with his little sister:

And, I LOVE this family photo!
Mostly because the photographer made us "huddle" forward, so us parents actually don't look as tiny in this photo as we did in many of the others, ha ha!

Inspiring young minds

As we are approaching the end of the month of June, we are also approaching the end of the school year, and for me - the end of the season. Normally I actually don't work much at all during neither May nor June, but thanks to my position within the Education Department at the museum, I have been working steadily throughout every month this year. 

This week I reached another milestone at work, as I delivered my very first school tours! Kids scare me more than the adult visitor do, so this was a big deal for me. Also, not only was it the first school tours I did, but I did them... in FRENCH!
But you know what - it went really really well! Yay me!
Yes, thoroughly tooting my own horn here, but so proud of myself as I got glowing feedback directly from the teachers. As a bonus - I actually had so much fun and really enjoyed the interaction with the kids! The visits this time were with groups of Grade 6s (12y olds), and they actually impressed me a lot with their thoughts and input during the visit. They inspired me just as much as I hope to have inspired them.

Today was my last work day in the museum before summer holidays. Luckily I was scheduled to spend it with my partner-in-crime, my best colleague and work wife, Kathleen. We had such a lovely day, as we truly share the same love for this job!
We are both already looking forward to coming back and sinking our teeth into the next season! Ha ha, after having done school visits - in French - we can do anything!