Christmas is nearly here!

Hi everyone!
Sorry it has taken me so long to update my blog (it's been nearly a month!)...but since my parents arrived, I have been keeping them very busy. We have done an awful lot of travelling, and it has been wonderful. Heaps of fun!!!

So...on with the update.

My parents arrived here on December 6 at 10:30 am, and we started with a bang. I kept them busy all day long so that they would not grow tired and be tempted into an afternoon nap. It is very important to sleep at normal hours so that you can snap into kiwi time! It worked wonders, because they didn't seem to experience any fatigue (or cranky pants syndrome) the following day :)

We stayed in Wellington for a few days, and then we decided to take a short weekend trip. We drove out to the East coast and stayed in a small town called Hastings. From there we could tour around and see some of the local sigts. The highlight of this trip was our visit to Napier. This is a small town on the Pacific Ocean that was once destroyed in an earthquake. Because of this, the entire town had to be rebuilt. Since it was in the 1930's, the entire town is styled after the art deco period, making it very visibly historical! Definately a worth-while stop in our travels. I had forgotten my camera, so I don't have any pictures!! To make matters worse, my mom had also forgotten hers...so you will all just have to use your imagination :)

Then, when we came home from our trip, we were surprised to find that Paul was not at work. At first I thought that maybe he was sick and decided to stay home for the day...but then I realized that he did not get up to greet us at the door. I was really confused until Paul informed me that he had rolled his ankle when he was playing Gaelic football (a weird Irish version of soccer and rugby) . He had been to the hospital to check it over, and was given crutches to use for the next week. Despite the fact that we were sad and sympathetic for Paul, I was very glad to have him home from work while my parents are here. He had to take two weeks off of work, but there was good news. ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) covers any and all accidents that keep New Zealand employees from working. The means that Paul got time off of work and got paid for it! Now, I would never recommend this to anyone, because he was certainly in a lot of pain...but it definately worked out okay in the end. His foot/ankle has healed now, but he still has to take it easy, or the swelling will come back.

So, after Paul was able to walk (hobble really), we decided to do a day trip. We took the fairy over to an Island in the Wellington Harbour. The island was once a quarantine facility for both people and animals, but now operates as a wildlife preseravation. New Zealand's indigenous animals (meaning the one's that weren't imported) consist only of birds and reptiles. So, this is pretty much all we saw on the Island. Here's a few pictures of this gorgeous place.

Well there's definately more to tell...especially with Christmas around the corner. So, I'll have to keep the updates coming! We just got back from an eight day trip...so there will be tons of pictures!

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas and I can't wait to see everyone in February :)

Yolanda (and Paul!)