Sep. 30, 2006
God's many blessings!
Where do I begin? I had a very busy month. I don't know if I can recap without looking at my calendar. Well, I have to admit, that I love to be busy. It's so much better than wallowing in self pity! Ha! I think that I'm good at relaxing and appreciating the quiet times after the hectic busyness of family, school, work, visitors, etc.
On the 13th of Sept. the kids and I joined other homeschoolers in the area to sing and play instruments to the elderly in a resthome. This was Ben's first time playing his violin in front of strangers. We sang hymns and the old folks said it was the best!
On the weekend of the 15th, we went to a resort town called Pauanui, where the hospital (Rick's work) staff society own a house for everyone's use (at a nominal cost). It is so sought after, they have to have a lottery for holidays. Rick managed to get it for the weekend when someone cancelled. It was a special weekend for us all, especially given that the weather has really warmed up. We played at the beach, sat in coffee shops (The Chocolate Pretzel was my favorite), and browsed through kitchen and clothing stores. We drove to the golf course and went through "open houses" that we couldn't afford, walked and walked around the village for hours, and painted, knitted, and read books back at the house. It was such a nice weekend. Oh, and then we drove for 5 hours around the Coromandel which was the very long way home. (The Coromandel is a peninsula off the East coast of Auckland). Pauanui was only 1.5 hrs away from home.
On the 18th, we went to Precept Ministries Workshop/Bible study. It was mainly an introduction to Inductive Bible Study which I have already been to. I thought it might be good for Rick to go to but we both enjoyed it. It's good to meet new people and there were teenage homeschoolers there too. It was great.
On the 19th, my dad arrived but I didn't see much of him. We met him at the mall for a few hours, then he came to pick up the kids to take them to Russell, in the Bay of Islands where Dad's brother lives. It was a nice quiet weekend for Rick and I. Then Dad brought them home on Sunday and stayed for dinner. He came to NZ to escort his friend back home. His friend was visiting him in Canada and had a massive heart attack while he was there. So Dad had to stay with him to take him to doctor's appointments etc. Too bad for us, not to have Dad stay with us.
That same Sunday that Dad came for dinner, we had our friends' kids come from Tauranga. They stayed with us for a week while their mom was in England. This was a fantastic week. I was mother to 5 kids (one 2.5 y/o little boy, one 6 y/o girl, three boys 8, 9, and 10). We did the beach, the wave pool, the petting zoo, the park and had a blast all week. It turned out that I also had to start my new job at the church that week, so I had a babysitter come for 2 half days.
The church, where I am now doing accounting, is really exciting. There is so much going on. We don't actually attend this AOG but it's really neat to see all the people in action. What a beehive of activity!
The sewing has slowed to a halt but the owner has asked me to help him set up his books. I put him onto Rick!
Well, that sums up my busy life over the past 2 weeks. I could have started back in August but that would have taken me too long to get through. (Roger came to visit in August, we went to an ice cream factory, had Nick's birthday, and went to Tauranga again for a visit...) I'll try to keep up from now on.
Overall, we're enjoying life in New Zealand once again. I'm so thrilled to have a job that I can take the kids to. I can also work from home and keep my own hours. It's the kind of job every homeschool mom needs! I have learned MYOB accounting software, and I now use Microsoft Outlook to keep track of my tasks. I keep lists in categories; homeschool, personal finances, work, Girls' Rally (oh yeah, we're doing a play for a Sunday service in October. Pharaoh, Pharaoh.), and our home life.
Blessings,
Marilyn
On the 13th of Sept. the kids and I joined other homeschoolers in the area to sing and play instruments to the elderly in a resthome. This was Ben's first time playing his violin in front of strangers. We sang hymns and the old folks said it was the best!
On the weekend of the 15th, we went to a resort town called Pauanui, where the hospital (Rick's work) staff society own a house for everyone's use (at a nominal cost). It is so sought after, they have to have a lottery for holidays. Rick managed to get it for the weekend when someone cancelled. It was a special weekend for us all, especially given that the weather has really warmed up. We played at the beach, sat in coffee shops (The Chocolate Pretzel was my favorite), and browsed through kitchen and clothing stores. We drove to the golf course and went through "open houses" that we couldn't afford, walked and walked around the village for hours, and painted, knitted, and read books back at the house. It was such a nice weekend. Oh, and then we drove for 5 hours around the Coromandel which was the very long way home. (The Coromandel is a peninsula off the East coast of Auckland). Pauanui was only 1.5 hrs away from home.
On the 18th, we went to Precept Ministries Workshop/Bible study. It was mainly an introduction to Inductive Bible Study which I have already been to. I thought it might be good for Rick to go to but we both enjoyed it. It's good to meet new people and there were teenage homeschoolers there too. It was great.
On the 19th, my dad arrived but I didn't see much of him. We met him at the mall for a few hours, then he came to pick up the kids to take them to Russell, in the Bay of Islands where Dad's brother lives. It was a nice quiet weekend for Rick and I. Then Dad brought them home on Sunday and stayed for dinner. He came to NZ to escort his friend back home. His friend was visiting him in Canada and had a massive heart attack while he was there. So Dad had to stay with him to take him to doctor's appointments etc. Too bad for us, not to have Dad stay with us.
That same Sunday that Dad came for dinner, we had our friends' kids come from Tauranga. They stayed with us for a week while their mom was in England. This was a fantastic week. I was mother to 5 kids (one 2.5 y/o little boy, one 6 y/o girl, three boys 8, 9, and 10). We did the beach, the wave pool, the petting zoo, the park and had a blast all week. It turned out that I also had to start my new job at the church that week, so I had a babysitter come for 2 half days.
The church, where I am now doing accounting, is really exciting. There is so much going on. We don't actually attend this AOG but it's really neat to see all the people in action. What a beehive of activity!
The sewing has slowed to a halt but the owner has asked me to help him set up his books. I put him onto Rick!
Well, that sums up my busy life over the past 2 weeks. I could have started back in August but that would have taken me too long to get through. (Roger came to visit in August, we went to an ice cream factory, had Nick's birthday, and went to Tauranga again for a visit...) I'll try to keep up from now on.
Overall, we're enjoying life in New Zealand once again. I'm so thrilled to have a job that I can take the kids to. I can also work from home and keep my own hours. It's the kind of job every homeschool mom needs! I have learned MYOB accounting software, and I now use Microsoft Outlook to keep track of my tasks. I keep lists in categories; homeschool, personal finances, work, Girls' Rally (oh yeah, we're doing a play for a Sunday service in October. Pharaoh, Pharaoh.), and our home life.
Blessings,
Marilyn
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Posted by joyismystrength
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Oct. 31, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Posted by joyismystrength Hey Marilyn,
I have read your post a few times over the past weeks. Your life sounds full and exciting.
I'm just busy, or distracted by thoughts of needing to be busy. And, trying be conscious of God's place in my day. I sometimes feel that I live larger and more in my head than I do in the reality of life. (I should have been a professor buried deep in the belly of some university, up to my eyeballs in books, I think.)
I have read your post a few times over the past weeks. Your life sounds full and exciting.
I'm just busy, or distracted by thoughts of needing to be busy. And, trying be conscious of God's place in my day. I sometimes feel that I live larger and more in my head than I do in the reality of life. (I should have been a professor buried deep in the belly of some university, up to my eyeballs in books, I think.)