Our Humble Abode

Several months before we arrived in New Zealand we discussed our best plan for finding a place to live here. We emailed a few people and got the same answer from everyone. "You should live at the beach. It's an extra 15 minute commute to the hospital, but it's the beach!" So, we decided we would probably live at the beach. We perused a few listings just to get an idea of what was available and price ranges. We also decided we would hold off on committing to a place until we actually had the chance to see it and check the commute times, school and grocery store distances, etc.

Now let's fast forward to the day after we arrived in town. We had four listings we thought looked great online. They require you to drive by and fill out an application before you can see any property here. So we did. However, we had no telephone number, no address, no previous rental experience, three children and no New Zealand references which made our application look less than desirable. I definitely got a few eyebrow raises when I turned those baby's in. At that point we were told to check back tomorrow after they had had a chance to check if the owner's would even allow us to see the properties.

The next day I called back on all four properties only to find out all had been rented.....the day before. Seriously!? What are the odds that those had been on the list for months and the day we show up they rent? So we were back to square one. This went on for 6 more days. I did manage to see three properties in that time period. And, the only one that was even remotely a possibility was rented by the lady who saw it 15 minutes before me. Bummer! At this point we were getting seriously down. The kids were a mess and just totally out of sorts. I can't say that I blame them...I was a bit out of sorts as well....I may have even looked at place tickets to come home one night. We were desperate for a routine. Finally, I was able to see a property that had become available on the morning of day six. It definitely had some quirks and wasn't the most convenient, but it was AVAILABLE to move in ASAP. So, we took it. Signed all the papers that afternoon and moved in the next day. Insert huge sigh here! :)

All in all it really is a great place. It's probably the most secure place we have ever lived. There's a code, electronic button, and key for everything. We can look out our living room window and see Mount Maunganui hillside and the pool. Out our bedroom window we can see the beach. It also has some heating which is a major bonus around here. Most places don't have any heat.

The living and kitchen area are nice and roomy especially with three little people roaming around. The decor is not tacky 80's with run down furniture like most of the other places I looked at. It's really quite tasteful and comfortable. We can walk out the front door and be on the beach in seconds. There are all kinds of cafes below, hot pools across the street, an awesome park down the street and trails all over the Mount. It really is a great spot The only downside it is school as your can possibly be.. It really is a great spot. The only downsides are mostly retirement people live here and it's as far as you can possibly be from Katie's school. But hey, at least we have a nice place.

The sleeping arrangements have taken some getting used to. Katie and Joey are sharing a room that's pretty tight, but they seem happy with it. We haven't really had any major problems with them together other than Joey doesn't sleep-in like he used to and sometimes that makes for trickier mornings. John is sharing with us which overall has not gone well. The first few nights he was waking up every few hours just screaming. We couldn't really ignore him because we were worried about neighbors and he can see us. So, he spent several nights in our bed which meant neither Todd nor I slept well either. As time has gone by he is doing better. He's only waking up once and I can just stick his pacifier back in and he's back to sleep. It's been really hard for me because I have had to break most of my sleep rules with him due to the circumstances. It's also painful because he used to be a good sleeper.

All things considered, we really did luck out. We go "swimming" in the hot tub and sometimes the pool, to the beach and on walks around the Mount on a regular basis. Now if it will just warm up a bit....

Sustinence

Yes, lets talk about food. Anyone who knows me knows I love food...and treats especially chocolate and cookies of any kind. So, the food scenario has been a bit of an adjustment for me!

In my ignorant state, meaning before we moved here, I assumed a few things about the food here. Most of which have turned out to be false. I assumed with a maritime climate, lots of land, an island in the south pacific would be similar to California in it's produce production. Dead wrong about that one. I assumed fish would be cheap and we would try lots of different kinds. Also, wrong. Fish is more expensive here than in Utah by a lot. Go figure? And, I assumed grocery stores were similar to the US. Wrong again.

The grocery stores are much smaller with an even smaller selection. The produce section is small. Really small. If it doesn't grow in New Zealand right now it's probably not there. The cereal aisle is ten feet with three shelves. Napkins are really hard to find. They don't refrigerate the eggs.....eeek! The quick mix for baking items are rare and if they are available they are super expensive. I have yet to find high fructose corn syrup in anything so everything tastes really sweet. Almost too sweet sometimes. You have to pay for your plastic bags as well.

A funny side note, I sort of forgot that even grocery products would use the metric system. I think I spent more time trying to figure that out than I did actually putting the groceries in the cart. I got some seriously funny looks for how long I was standing there trying to figure out how many grams are equivalent to whatever.

My first grocery bill for one week totaled 325.00. And seriously, when I got home and loaded our empty fridge and pantry it still looked empty. So needless to say the treats have been kept to a minimum which make of course makes me sad. I have now officially tried all of the grocery stores in town and have been able to shrink my bill to 200 a week. Hooray!!!

So, just for fun here's a few common grocery items and their New Zealand prices.

Bread $4.50 for the cheapo kind

Milk $5.95 for (3.8 liters to a gallon) We average 3-4 a weeks right now

Tomatoes $12.00 a kg

Cereal $7.00

Eggs $4.00 per dozen

Diapers $45.00 for 72 diapers (painful, seriously painful)

Yogurt $5.00 for a 6 pack and they are small

strawberries $6.00 for about 6...if you can even find them

Mascara $25.00 basically no makeup products under 20.00

Ramen $2.50 for a 5 pack

Mac n Cheese $3.89 per box and it's not even Kraft

Chicken $12.00 for two medium sized breasts...I can't remember how much per kg it is, but a lot!

Pringles $4.50 one can

Cake mix $6.00

Ok, that's enough of that. I'm seriously getting depressed going through Target and Costco withdrawals. I think I will kiss their floors when we get back!!!

On the flip side I did find a few bargains. This is all relative of course. I think these things are still cheaper in the states.

Avocados $.50 from the kid on the street on the way home from church

Toilet Paper $5.00 for 12 double ply rolls

Honey $4.50 for a big tub and it tastes amazing!!

Ice cream $3.99 for about a pint and it is tasty!

*So my new treats are honey and crackers, guacamole and ice cream! YUM!!

Our adventure Part 2

Driving

Let's just saying loading into a car "backwards" is a surreal feeling. Fortunately, we rented a large car in order to accommodate all of our children and baggage. We decided we are big fans of the Toyota Prado....I don't know if you can even buy those in the US though. Anyway, even with all that extra space we still ended up piling 4 giant duffel bags on top. I think it was quite clear we were foreigners at that point.

So, once we were piled in and we had prayed for safety we were off. There were multiple freakouts within the first few miles. These were a few of the statements made in those first few minutes:

Todd "How am I over there?"

Me "You're running off the road."

Todd "They're seriously going to hit me if I move over anymore this way."

Me "You're going to hit that mailbox if you don't."

After some beautiful countryside, a stop at McDonalds and a couple hours in the car we arrived at the guest cottage safe and sound. And then, we slept for the next 15 hours.

A few other thoughts on driving after a few weeks of experience.

Turns are by far the worst. You're absolutely sure it's going to end up in a head on collision and then miraculously it doesn't and you're so grateful!

There are moments when I still catch myself thinking the car in front of me is being driven by a ghost because no one is in the "usual driver's seat." The first time this happened I yelled at Todd and about had a heart attack. I think for a minute he even agreed with me!

All in all the driving hasn't been near as bad as I thought. The speed limits are much slower here and as long as you have someone to follow you do alright. That being said we still ended up going the wrong way on a road in a town about an hour south of us. Todd was driving and there may or may not have been a swear word muttered when the onslaught of traffic was headed straight for us. Fortunately, we were just pulling out of a store parking lot and were able to back right back in and get in the correct lane. The funniest parts about the whole thing were it didn't register to me we were going the wrong way until the cars started coming at us and Todd looked behind him before he back down the road to the parking lot. Like there would be anyone behind us. We're going the WRONG WAY!!!!

Once out heart rates had slowed to a normal level we got quite a kick out of it on the drive home.

**PS. Gas is roughly $8.00 a gallon. Nice.

The Car

We had to turn in the Prado since it was only a rental. And we are now the owners of this bad boy. It's been a rough transition for all parties involved. We hope she's still running in 3 months.

The Weather

It's cold!!! There was frost on the grass one morning when we woke up. So any of you who were jealous that I might be lounging on that beautiful beach I posted earlier enjoying hours of blissful sun can rest assured...I'm not. Oh, the beach is beautiful, but it requires a winter coat at the moment. (We so did not pack for this.) When we read the winter temps of 50-60 we thought of dry Utah 50-60. It seems after five years we had forgotten about a "wet cold." The kind of cold that reaches inside all your layers and wraps itself around your bones and you just can't seem to shake it. That's what we've got here. And, we've been told this has been an unusually cold winter for them as well.

Plus, it rains.....a lot......and hard...like everyday for hours at a time. I really don't like being cold. It's fine if you can bundle up and then come inside to a warm cozy house. But, like I said we didn't pack quite as well as we should have. And, it seems the clothing stores have transitioned to mostly spring attire and the sweatshirts I did look at which were on sale were still $75.oo. Yikes! I'll just layer every shirt and jacket I have every day until it gets warm I guess. Fortunately, I packed a bit better for our children so it seems only Todd and I are cold. Lesson learned.

Also, they don't have heating in the homes here. In fact, most homes have no heat at all. We have some gas heater that hooks right up to the spout on the wall and I'm just sure we are all going to explode every time we turn it on. It does take a bit of the chill out of the air, but it can't heat our whole apartment. I've been assured they are very safe, however, I'm still not entirely convinced. Anything that is hooked directly to a propane tank or gas line in the middle of my house freaks me out! Oddly, our bathrooms have a heater in them, so I have spent a little extra time in bathroom since moving here as well.

Our adventure to the bottom of the earth Part 1

The Flight

In an effort to wear our children out so they would sleep on the 13 hour flight we decided to take them to Disneyland the day of the flight. Turns out it worked out quite well. They were exhausted all right.....but so were we! What we didn't plan on was the three hour check-in line once we got to the airport. Fortunately, we had had a lot of practice waiting in lines that day so what was another line at this point?! Apparently, the computer systems were on the fritz. I couldn't help, but wonder if this was a bad omen for the rest of the trip to come. I just prayed this was the only glitch and we would smooth sail from there. As the minutes turned into hours in line and worn out hungry children became more and more difficult my patience began to wear thin. We couldn't walk anywhere because I had to stay with the giant cart full of 9 pieces of luggage, 7 carry ons, kid pack and car seats while Todd stood in the cattle herders. We traded children back and forth through the line and tried to maintain some sort of order. Finally, we were able to check in--at least part went smoothly.

Next, onto security. So apparently, the giant LAX airport only has one elevator to the second floor in our particular terminal and it was.....wait for it........OUT OF ORDER! Mind you we have 7 carry ons, three children, three car seats and a kid pack. So, we stand in some line at the bottom of the stairs to go through some security and then up the stairs to stand in another line to go through more security. By this time we have 10 minutes to boarding and at least a twenty minute wait to get through this line. And, now our children are even more tired and hungry. Joey is refusing to walk Katie is having a minor meltdown about how bad her legs hurt and John has had a blowout that is leaking onto my arm. AWESOME!

So, we finally get up to the security point and we start unloading everything as fast we can...jackets, shoes, belts, carry-ons, laptops, hard drives, cameras, 12 jars of baby food and bottles. I think at this point we had the sympathy of everyone in line behind us except the two French pilots breathing down my neck while they pointed and jabbered in their foreign tongue like they've never seen a family of our size going on a place before! We make it through and it's a race to the gate and pray they have some sort of food to grab along the way. Hooray, there was a Burger King, but wait you guessed it, the line was too long to get anything! So, at this point Todd grabbed a few overpriced chips and treats, I changed John's diaper (realizing I did not have an extra change of clothes for him) and we attempted to board the plane with John in his diaper duds.

This is where our luck really did change. The cutest, sweetest, and most kind stewardess' ever set us all up with kid bags and a bassinet that attaches to the wall (Anyone else ever seen these before? They are awesome!) for John to sleep in. Hands down the best airline experience for kid friendliness we've ever had. We each had our own TV screen stocked with more than 50 movies, TV shows and kid games all free of charge. Things were really starting to look up.

We finally take off and within 10 minutes we are served some ok plane food. John settles into his little crib thing, we all watch our own movie and then sleep for most of the next 6-8 hours. Then it's breakfast, a little more movie watching and we're landing. It was amazing. John cried for a grand total of three whole minutes during the entire flight and the other two were perfect.

If the check-in hadn't been such a nightmare it would have been perfect.

Once we landed, we had to change money, go through customs, get our luggage, go through biosecurity and get the rental car. All went smoothly except the luggage and biosecurity. In our flurry to get on the plane they had asked at the gate if there was anything else we wanted to check. We assumed gate check and Todd handed them a few items including his fishing rod made by his best friend. *Don't ever do this on an Air New Zealand flight. They have no idea what a gate check is. Apparently, they just throw everything in with the regular checked luggage. So, of course, when all the luggage appears his rod doesn't. We wait and wait, Todd check's in at lost luggage and is basically told forget ever seeing your rod again and by the way, we won't reimburse you because your rod was "sticking out" of the top of your backpack. But, you can't get mad because they are so friendly and so nice that you just can't do it. So you're left seething!

Then it's onto biosecurity with our giant stack of luggage. So, these people give you all kinds of grief about anything outdoor or food related that you are bringing into the country. So once again we unload...baby food, tent, fishing waders, boots etc. Thinking we've got it all out we head through the scanner. Oh no, they want the kids' rain boots, my Uggs, anything with a rubber sole, so I'm digging through giant duffles looking for any shoes with a rubber sole and this lady, who was not so nice, turns to her coworker and says(insert extreme sarcasm tone), "Can you believe this family?" Like we're some sort of anomaly and she is just so annoyed with us. I wanted to turn around and say something not so nice, but really I just wanted to cry. I was so done! And, fortunately after that we were done.....with that part of the adventure.

The BIG move!

Yes, we are still alive...barely. It's been a rough couple of months, but I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

In the last couple of months we have tried to sell our house which was unsuccessful. Not much of a surprise considering the present state of the real estate market! Fortunately, some awesome renters fell into our lap so at least we won't be paying two mortgages for the next year!!! John turned one! Katie finished kindergarten. Not really sure how we lost that whole year. I swear my life is in fast forward right now and I can't find the pause button. Next, I got sick the day Todd defended his research and gradated from his five year residency in orthopaedics. HOOORAAY...but sad I couldn't really enjoy the celebration to the level it deserved! I think we both had days where we thought that day would never come. Good thing it did! And, seriously lame that I have absolutely no pictures to document such a monumental occasion. Bad wife. The next day we moved out of our cute little house on the prefect tree lined street. Left our sweet neighbors and friends. Again, no pictures. I think I was lucky to be functioning on some level that day. Good thing we had help! Next, we moved into my parent's house and tried to resume some sort of normalcy for a few weeks. Joey hasn't tolerated the move well at all and John has turned into a little tyrant with all the extra attention, so I'm feeling stellar about my parenting skills right about now. We've applied for passports, visas, and looked for a job once we get back. It's been nuts! Oh, and now we're on the road to LA for some final family visits, a trip to Disney and a 13+ hour flight to flee the country. Sorry, for the giant run-on paragraph, but there's no better way to describe the last 3-4 months of our lives. It's really just been a "run-on" philosophy for life in general. I'm actually looking forward to a little slower pace for the next few months because the last few have about done me in!!

But, to be honest, one can't really complain when you're moving here for the next year!

Tauranga, New Zealand

By next week we should all be lounging on that beautiful beach! If we can survive the plane ride with three small children and find somewhere to live once we get there! Wish us luck!

ps. I'm having serious anxiety over driving on the other side of the road, putting my poor daughter in the middle of first grade in another country, Joey starting school, power adapters/converters, grocery shopping, understanding people and the metric system!!

For Sale

Our house is on the market!
If you know anyone who might be interested please send them our way!
For more info go to www. stratforddrive.com

Six months....a little late

John a.k.a. Johnny, Johnny James, porker, tiny hiny, Jono, squishers



Despite my best intentions. My six month post for little John is almost a month late.

We are all more in love than ever with this little boy. Katie tells me daily that she thinks he is the "cutest baby in the whole wide world, don't you think mama?" I whole heartedly agree with a reminder that she and Joey were equally as cute. She promptly tells me that they weren't and moves on with whatever she was working on before. Love that girl!

He loves toys. I mean, he really really really loves toys. He is so grabby and leans with his whole body toward whatever it is he has his eye on . He could chat and growl at the toys on his exersaucer for hours.

-I love how he shakes with excitement over things like toys, food and getting picked up.

-He's a mighty fine sitter.

-I am boycotting tummy time to delay crawling. So far it seems to be working.

-He loves to be a part of the action. If he is left for more than 3 seconds by himself he screams bloody murder. The kid loves the chaos.

-He is my only baby to down peas and green beans without gagging, sputtering and head whips.

-Although we continue to call him "porker" he has certainly lost this title by definition. He has kept true to the Clevenger gene pool. He is a mere 15 lbs 3 ounces. A whole pound less than his older brother. Yes, we were all shocked. He has always seemed more robust than Joe at this age. I guess time does play tricks on the mind.

-His smile and laugh are incredibly infectious. Sometimes he smiles so hard his chubby cheeks squish his eyes closed. It is absolutely adorable.

-He's super super particular. Makes me extremely nervous for toddler hood.

-He's a blanket baby. It must be completely covering his head to go to sleep.

-For the most part he doesn't love napping. He will cry once we start walking down the hall to his room.

-He poops more than any baby I've seen at his age.

-He has the temper of a red head.

-He loves being held. He is super snugly, but when he's done he's done.

-He loves to touch your face when you're talking to him. It's the sweetest thing.

-I love his squishy little bottom. And, he has the best backfat rolls ever.

-I love this baby boy.

Of course, it is all going at lightening speed this time. I can't imagine what it will be like with any children in the future. Somedays I feel like I'm just hanging on for dear life. Like I can't savor it near as much as I would like. The other night as I was laying in bed thinking, something I wish I didn't do so much when I'm trying to go to sleep, I realized this phase of my life is going to be over in a blink. Sooner than later I will be "babyless." Those squishy toes and cheeks will be something I will only get from someone else's baby and just small tastes if that. And, in that moment I was very sad. So sad, in fact, that I just laid there and cried. I love this part of my life. I love these sweet little people who are so fresh and so trusting. I see some of that innocence slipping away in Katie now that she has started school and it hurts my heart. Oh, how I wish I could just keep them little, longer. Until I figure out how to do that though, I'll just have to love every minute with the little ones I have and then have a few more!