New Zealand Week 1

Well we've been here in NZ for just over a week and thought I'd get a blog started to mark our adventure. I've always wanted to do one and basically spill my thoughts onto 'paper' so to speak and if anyone cares to read and respond, all the better.
So we have traveled to NZ, leaving Bend, OR with Brodie and Calan (3 1/2 and 14 months).  Packing up our house for the 3rd time in a year was insane and even harder knowing we weren't going to see most of our things for at least a year. We decided to only pack suitcases and pay to take an extra 3.  I had separate everything so not to have anything weigh over 50 lbs and alas, i was successful.  All bags weighed in just under 50. lol.  As we were to pack up our house on a sunday i wanted Brodie to have one more playdate with his buddy, Eli, which turned into a full day of partying it up with the Goody's.  They are the best neighbors EVER!!  We actually couldn't have gotten out of there without their help. Loaning us their car, taking all our food in the house (which was really funny cause there was a ton of condiments), and taking us to the airport.
So it was a crazy time packing up the last day but we got out and the 29 hour travels began.  We had to fly Bend to Salt Lake, to Los Angeles, to Auckland, to Wellington.  The kids did great! The first two flights were pretty easy and the long one to Auckland, Brodie slept the whole way and Calan slept for 8 hrs of it.  So not too bad.  But getting on the last plane, Calan was walking on and kept turning around to get off. Poor guy was done with flying.
We got to our place, staying with our friend, Alicia, who was so helpful in pointing us in all the right directions.  The house has a beautiful view and we are in walking distance to the beach.  Brodie has rekindled his LOVE for the beach. He wants to go every day, and luckily the weather has been very great here. So while Scott's been working 12 hr days this week, I've deemed our second week here as a vacation week! We went to Rivendell on saturday which was really fun.  We've discovered the Aquatic Center with a great kids splash pool, been to the beach almost everyday, and out for walks all over Seatoun and Miramar.  Today we went to Petone Beach and then walked the shops and had a great lunch at Fireman's Arms.

Ok, so that's a little update for now.  Oh, and driving on the left side of the road feels pretty natural. lol