June 2010

June
We moved back to New Zealand the end of May and Tricia and Lee Arrived June 1st for a conference that Lee was speaking at.

What a fun treat it was for us to have Tricia, Lee, Dallin and MeKenna come for a visit. Of course their plane got in at 5 AM which meant that we had to get up at 4 AM to get to the airport on time. It was so fun to see them. I just love having our family come for a visit. The timing of the visit was not the best for us because we were not completely settled at work or at home. In fact, we had only been in our home for one night before they arrived.

Tricia’s really saved the day for me. All of our things were either still in the boxes or piled all over the kitchen cupboards so she and the kids got busy helped us to move in. When we looked in the cupboards we found lots of mouse poop and they really stunk. I wanted to just pack up and find a new place to live. But Tricia and I pulled everything out of the cupboards, stripped off the old cupboard paper and replaced it with brand new stuff. Boy what a smelly, dirty job. Trish had her whole upper body in the cupboards trying to reach back into the corners to clean out the poop. What a trooper.

Guess what the name is of these falls.?

If you look and Lee and Dallin you could get a clue.

They are called "Fairy Falls"

They are located in the mountains above Auckland. It's a 45 minute hike down into a canyon with over 500 steps. It was a beautiful and amazing place. The hike was spectacular through the mountains and it seemed like the falls went on forever.
When I was taking Tricia and Lee’s picture at the top of the falls, Lee pretended to slip on the rocks and I screamed in horror. I guess I’m still suffering from post traumatic syndrome from when Natalie got hurt in Samoa. Lee felt so bad that he had scared me, he promised not to do any more crazy things.

Lee did a fabulous job on his presentation so now we can just have fun with them.

Pat and Dallin at the conference with Paul and McKenna.

Our fun trip to Hobbiton

They are getting ready to film a new movie "The Hobbit" and are rebuilding the shire. It was so fun to see the little places built into the mountainside and the amazing detail that they do for a three second shot. They told how they found this location while flying over it and they fell in love the huge tree (the party tree) next to the pond. It was amazing how one scene would be filmed here and the next one would be filmed on the south island. We had fun taking pictures and hearing the stories of how everything was done. What a huge amount of money they spent on things that are hardly visible.

Rotorua

It was a cold wet rainy day but we went to Rotorua anyway. We wanted to go down the luge ride. It kept raining but we just decided to go for it anyway. We waited for a small break in the rain , bought our tickets and headed up the mountain. . When we got to the top of the mountain it started to rain so we decided to wait for a while until it stopped or at least let up for a while.





There are three trails that you can go down so when we had a small break we decided to take the longer scenic one first. It started to rain half way down and in the middle of the trail it looked like a small river running down. You had to stay close to the edge or you would get soaked. It was so fun and we all met at the bottom. Of course I was last because I like to look at the scenery and not go like a crazy person. We waited for another break in the rain then we all went on the intermediate trail. It was much faster.
On the last run everyone wanted to take the very fast advanced trail but me. I wanted to take the scenic one again only this time I got behind a small family and their child stopped just before the end so it slowed me down and I couldn't get started again. When I finally reached the bottom Everyone was making fun of me because I couldn't get going again so when another lady came down I told her to hit me to get me started again. We went to the top again and everyone wanted to go again so Paul and I bought a season pass and put four more rides on it. So Dallin, McKenna, Lee and Paul could go again.
When they returned they were all so wet. I went into the bathroom and put McKenna’s sweat shirt under the hand dryer. We were cold and wet but had a great time.












Hulka Falls near Taupo

It was raining and a very dismal day but we made the best of it and went to see an amazing relatively small waterfall named Hulka. The water coming through the falls would fill up 5 Olympic swimming pools in 5 seconds. It was awesome. We then went to see the bungee jump and there were people jumping on this cold wet winter day. These people must be nuts.

Our favorite shell beach

Our Whangari trip, a lovely little sea port town up north. We didn’t get away until around noon that day because of work so we were pressed for time. We didn’t realize how far away it was and by the time we got there we only had one hour to look around. On the way home we had quite the experience. Paul calls it the $500 coke story. As we arrived in Wellsburg Paul saw a McDonald's/gas station and decided that he needed a coke. (What else is new) As we were going in, Paul decided to fill up the church van. So we went to get drinks and Paul pulled over to the pumps to fill it up.

He knew that the Van used diesel so he made sure that he pulled into the proper pump. He jumped out and grabbed the green handled pump and started filling the tank . Just a few seconds into this he looked up and saw that the pump said "regular"as in gas. (in New Zealand, the Diesel fuel pump is Black not green) He stopped the pump and thinking that he had only put in a gallon or two, finished filling the van with diesel.

He asked the gas attendant how much gas could go into a diesel tank without hurting it. The guy told him you could only put in 3 %. He didn’t think that he had put that much in but in checking the pump he found that he had put in 14 liters. The attendant said that if you started your car with that ratio in it, the engine could be ruined. Of course we are on a tight time schedule because we had to get the kids to the airport by 7 PM. We are two hours from the airport and they were not completely packed yet.
The attendant ran across the street to a repair shop and asked for help. They sent over a truck, towed the van across the street and tried to drain the gas. No drain plug. They tried to siphon it out but the van had an anti-siphon flap on it so they couldn't get any gas out that way. They tried several different ways and only drops would come out. It was 4:30 by now and we were worried about making the airport on time.

Paul could see that this was not going to work for us and asked them for rental car number. Of course there were none in this town and the next town was 15 miles away and they would have to put a car onto a truck and bring it up.
When they brought the car it was an old Subaru station wagon with only five seats and it had 250,000 miles on it. It rattled and shook but we all piled and off we went. We made it to our place and within 15 minutes we were off to the airport, praying that this car would make it. We arrive at the airport at 7:30 just in time for their international flight. We honestly couldn't believe that we made it. It was sad to see them go but with everything that had gone wrong we were glad to see that they made it.

The story is not quite over. The next morning, we got up and drove the rental car back up to Wellsberg. We picked up the Van, paid the $170. bill. (Not too bad) and then drove the rental car back to Warkworth. We made it home and discovered that we had left our Garage door opener in the rental car. It was too late to go back so we got up early on Saturday morning and made one more trip to Warkworth to get the opener. When all the bills were totaled, repair shop, rental car, two tanks of Diesel fuel, one tank of gas and two large cokes,it came to just over $500. Hey, its only money.

May 2010
Mother’s day May 9
It was a hard Mother’s day for me because I heard that my mother was in a coma and they didn’t think she would make it through the night.
When I was in church I kept reflecting on my mother and how she was such a blessing to me. She always had such a great sense of humor and was so totally dedicated to my father.
Pam told me a funny story about when she was rubbing her back and mom reached around and grabbed Pam’s nose and then tooted. She said that she had wanted to do that for a long time but didn’t want Pam to suffer.
She also responded to the nurse when asked “How did you sleep last night?” she said “With my eyes closed. How do you sleep?”
When she had a brain scan because of a fall she was told that her brain looked really good and she responded “Well, it should I've never used it.”

This is my homemade card and flowers. Paul also made me waffles with our George Forman Grill but they turned out a little flat but tasted great. Monday 10
It was a really special day for me. I called Carole on skype to see how mom was doing. All of my sister’s were there and we were having a great conversation when Pam said “Guess who just pulled up? It’s President Monson. I told them to keep me on skype so that I could be part of the visit.

We set up the recorder and the camera just in case Pres. Monson talked to us. He went in Mom’s room and chatted with my sisters and Vern. He told them stories and also told them that I was where I was supposed to be. He then came in and sat down and said “Talofa Lava”

I always knew that the Lords answers prayers but I never could imagine that the Prophet, himself, would answer my prayers and would take the time to tell me that I was where I was needed. It was a wonderful spiritual experience for me.

Tuesday May 11, my cute Mother passed away. When Carole called to tell the Juanita that Mom had passed away she said “Oh Dear, President Monson was going to see her that day” Carole told her that he had been there the day before and gave her a blessing. Juanita was so surprised that he had already been there. I guess that is just like a prophet to show us when he should and not a day late.

Wednesday 12, Natalie, Jared, Micah, Sophie and Nellie came for a visit. It was so timely for me because I was so excited about having family around at this time for me. When I hugged Natalie I felt such an out pouring of love for her and so grateful for the love of a daughter. I then knew how much my mother had loved me.

I made crepes and then we let them all stretch out and take a nap while we went to work for a while. Then we took off to sliding rock. It was so fun to see them all going down the slides screaming and laughing.
Jared would climb up the side of the mountain and jump off. I was a little nervous but then I usually am when it comes to craziness. The girls were having a great time going underwater for the camera poses. We spent a couple of hours there and then Paul told Micah to do a back flip off the rocks and when she did, she cut back too far and hit her head with a great head wound. Of course head wounds bled like crazy so off we were to go home. Nat and I cleaned up the wound and decided to super glue it. It went together really well. What a brave girl.

Micah to the left

Under water shot of the girls

Nellie and Sophie

Natalie and Jared at the top of the second fall.

Paul Jared and the girls at the top of the first fall.

The whole family at the bottom of the falls.



We went to a Primary school for a program and we were able to see some fun dances and drink fresh coconut milk.

Thursday we took everyone to Palolo Deep at low tide. We walked out to the edge of the reef and then the girls all put on their masks and away they went. Nellie cracked me up. She would talk through her snorkel say “Grandpa, look at this” She was so excited over everything and about drowned Paul. She would get on his back and pull her mask off and trying telling everyone what she had seen.

Friday we went to Return to Paradise beach. It’s a fun place to just relax and sit on the beach. The water is so warm that you can stay in it forever. We walked over to the reef because it was low tide and walked all along it.

We decided to see the waterfalls at the Park on the way home. I went down to take the pictures and Paul gave everyone their instructions on jumping off.

Minutes before the accident

The girls did great and then last but not least Nat did a great big jump with her knees bent , for the camera and landed too far out and hit the rocks that were just under the surface. She broke her knee cap in eight pieces and then all of our concerns where how to get her out of the first waterfall down to the next one.
Our brave Natalie with out a complaint.

Out side the Apia Temple. Nellie Micah and Sophie

We said our goodbyes which were so difficult for me because I wanted to get on that plane go home with them and take care of her. Poor Micah had started to cry on the way to the airport, she is so tender hearted that it killed me to say goodbye to her.
I cried all the way home from the airport worrying about how she was going to switch planes and terminals in LA. How was she going to take care of six children with her leg immobilized? How was she going to move into her new house?
Each of the girls had written us notes, Sophie’s was of course a darling poem and Micah had left us 20 Tala to help pay for our electricity because they had used the AC in their bedroom. We never did find Nellie’s but I knew she wrote one. What darling girls. Natalie and Jared have done a really good job raising such wonderful girls.

May 19
Now we had 9 days to pack up our home and office for our move to New Zealand. It was a hassle with our airline tickets because we couldn’t take all our suitcases back because of the restrictions of baggage. We finally got it sorted out the day before we left.

At FHE at the end they always have the couples say goodbye so we stood up to say our goodbyes and Paul (bless his little heart) told them that he was probably going to get in trouble for this but that they should see me perform the crooked mouth story. I could have killed him. So after some persuasion I had to do it. Needless to say it wasn’t a great spiritual experience for them but I think they were entertained. The next day every time I saw someone they would try to move their mouths like me and talk to me.

Reed and Deb Tolman Pat and Fayebell

At the end of our Sunday school class we took pictures of all of our class and then they sang the good bye song to us. What darling kids we loved them. They did toilet paper our house and wrote all over our sidewalks that they loved us with chalk so I guess they loved us too. We never did get to see it because it rained and the guards cleaned it up.

On Monday we took all the PA committee to lunch at Treasure Gardens and it turned out to be such a great goodbye. Molisha, Oliver, Molika, Viiaga, Sapele, Alema and George.

April 2010
Patty and I went to Tonga a week ago today. I wasn't too excited about the trip because I was still nursing a big Carbuncle on my back that I got three weeks earlier. For those who don't know, a carbuncle is like a boil but it has multiple chambers and can have several openings. Mine all funneled into one big opening that had lots of little openings inside.

I quickly decided that boils are the most painful thing that I have experience especially on the back where they form under almost an inch of flesh and are very hard to get out. Anyway, I was worried about the trip to Tonga because it would require me to sit in a chair for two or more hours with my back pressing against the seat. On Saturday, the other senior couples invited us to go to a little island about a 1/4 mile off shore to snorkel and play on the beach. They didn't have to ask twice. We really had fun and the little cantina on the island had excellent food. We thoroughly enjoyed the day and the chance to get to know the other couples that serve in Tonga When we arrived, the sweet member that had promised to pick us up was faithfully there waiting and gave us some very sad news on the way to the apartment. A nursing instructor from BYU Idaho had fallen off a cliff and into the sea earlier in the day and they had not been able to recover her body. She was there with her husband and 23 nursing students that were doing two weeks of service in Tonga.
Her poor husband scrambled down the cliff as fast as he could to try and get to her and almost lost his life in the process. When we met him, he was really banged up with a broken tailbone and many scrapes and bruises. He said, the waves kept pounding him against the cliff while at the same time pulling her out to sea. Eventually, he couldn't see her anymore and others pulled him out to safety. The police boat arrived three hours later and searched for three days to no avail.
We were able to spend one evening with him at a dinner held at the mission home and then attended a memorial for her the next day. We were amazed at how strong he was when he got up and bore a testimony of their trip and his love for her. The prayers and love of our father in heaven were really evident in this man. The teachers name was Gaye Lee, she was just 59 years old.

Paul and I at 500 year old rock bridge in Tonga.