We had a grand and different Christmas this year.  Santa kept in mind our upcoming move and brought travel items - small games, neck pillows, videos, and such.  The children were happy to learn that we are going to Disneyland while in LA.  In fact, this time next week we will be at Disneyland!

This move has gotten here so quickly.  I have the bags packed - we need one more suitcase - I need to complete packing the kitchen and bathrooms.  The movers come next Tuesday - a mere 4 days! What we are not giving away will go in storage and to other family members who have a need or desire.

We are still working.  Adrian will work his last shift tomorrow and I on Monday.  Luckily and thanks to the schedulers, he has been at all of his places so has been able to bid farewell to all those friends he has made over the years.  We have really felt so loved by all of our friends at work.  So many kind words, cards, and a really special book for me and photograph for Adrian.  We had a lovely meal with friends, some new for me and some long-time friends of Adrian's.  Thanks to all involved in sending us off in such a thoughtful and kind way.

We received a great package of information about our new city - Palmerston North.  We have all enjoyed looking at all there is to do and see.  Palmerston North is in the Manawatu region.  The name "Manawatu' is derived from two words, Manawa and tu.  Manawa refers to the heart - tu describes something that has come to a halt.  The ancestor Hau uttered the words "ka tu taku manawa" meaning 'my heart stands still' at the sight of the awesome Manawatu River.

We will be heading to the Land of the Long White Cloud next Friday night and I will keep you posted on our progress. As they say, "Pomarie" Good Night!

Four weekends...

The tree is up but the house is not trimmed as usual.
The packages are being dropped at the door by the overworked delivery people.
Accounts are being closed here and opened in new lands.
Cars are sold and furniture has new homes.
Homes are rented, praise God!
Packing has begun in earnest.
Excitement is mounting and tears are flowing from time to time.
We are all looking forward to the unexpected and hesitant about leaving our people.
The pantry is getting bare.
We are really doing this!

Santa will find us no matter where we lay our heads but this will be the last time for the foreseeable future that he finds us in Nolensville.  When next he comes we will be in the summer wearing shorts and Santa hats in Palmerston North...

Happy Holidays to all...

The man is golfing, the children are playing, I am trying to get my mind around how best to manage this day.  Packing must begin in earnest if we are to be on the start of a grand adventure in January.  Having done three rounds of de-clutter, it is time to start packing for storage.  Instead, sitting at the kitchen table, admiring this gorgeous day, drinking a great cup of coffee is where I am.

Actually I am wrong about the adventure beginning in January.  It has really already started.  In all honesty it started two years ago when Adrian and I began conversations about going to New Zealand.  We talked first about holiday there.  Then as we talked more about our future as a family, as individuals in our careers and what we wanted at the end of it all, it turned into more than a holiday.  He contacted a staffing firm and expressed an interest in working in New Zealand.  In due time they responded with a job offer.  So...

The children are enrolled in Russell Street school in Palmerston North.  We have a modest, furnished home awaiting our arrival. We have travel visas and airline tickets.  We have driven around the town - via street view on google earth - many times.  There is a flower shop and a "dairy" across the street from our house.  I can imagine that I will become friends with the proprietors of these shops.  We will be two blocks from the hospital and two blocks from the school.  Street view shows that both routes are a nice walk/bike ride.  We are close to the center of town and the library looks very nice.

There is a great museum - Te Manawa and a rugby museum.  There are lots of places for Indian takeaway and fish and chips.  There are loads of things to do outdoors.  We leave the winter to arrive in summer in New Zealand.  That is worth the 13 hour flight!   http://www.pncc.govt.nz/

As you can tell, sleep time is less and research time is more...

I should really get going with the boxes I have saved and the stack of newspapers for packing rather than reading.  So here I go with great excitement - I love an adventure! and with some reservation at being away from our home, family and friends for any period of time...

http://www.palmy.net.nz/aboutpn/

Sunday

My father had surgery on his creaky old back this week and once again I am amazed at his strength.  He is in his late-ish 70's and was up and walking day of surgery while in hospital!  He stopped by to see our new kitchen this morning on his way home to his own bed.  I loved being with both parents and Mother enjoyed a bacon sandwich...  Soon they will be able to come for meals after only driving twenty minutes or so!  I cannot wait for that day to come.

The four of us went to the Taylor Swift concert this weekend - the girls first ever concert!  They screamed with all the other girls and sang all the words along with Taylor, ate junk food, ooohhed and aaahhhed over the dresses and the talent, generally had quite a time!  I do not remember concerts when I was younger being so LOUD!  or the screaming fans being so LOUD!  Sensitivity increases as years go by???

I received the final documents that will allow us to travel and live our lives as we choose without asking another's permission!  Funny how a person who has no interaction with his children can have such influence on what they can do and where they can go.  He has not seen or talked to them in years, yet I have to jump thourgh hoops, spend thousands of dollars to obtain freedom - thought I had done that with the divorce but no...  So now, having had SOUL custody all along, I have sole custody as well.  I am still required to inform him of our whereabouts but at least we can go...

A very eventful week indeed!

800 miles

Off to Dothan I went - gratefully it was an uneventful ride, lots of good coffee and NPR. The courthouse was my first stop, the bail bondsman's office the second, child support office third, attorney's office - love miss Annie!, and finally back to the courthouse. Back home I head with the tension and stress easing as each mile rolled by. In Prattville my appetite returned somewhat, almonds and large unsweetened mcdonald's tea with lemon was just the ticket! In Birmingham I plugged in my iPad and jammed while in a jam. I made it through a torrential downpour none the worse, was not killed by the coke truck in Brentwood. Finally home again to a wonderful welcome.

I received the anticipated call at 9pm! An agreement has been reached! In our lives this agreement is as profound as the debt ceiling being lifted. One more trip and then that chapter is over. Lots of emoting at the close of this chapter...

Thankfully another chapter begins.

The beginning

The adventure begins. Blogging is new to me and I only come here in hopes that I will be disciplined enough to begin documenting for my children some of the past adventures of my life. I hope there will be grand adventures in my future to go on about but, as my father says, time will tell. So here we go...