Laney (middle) prepares for her ballet performance on the wharf at Hobsonville Point.
Tis the Season to be Busy
The kiwi summer has begun and we are fully immersed in the mad rush to Christmas. New Zealand's laid-back, or "cruisy" summertime culture won't really kick in until after Christmas. At that point, some shops and local cafes will close for several weeks as many families retreat to their favourite holiday destinations. Some stay away well into (or completely through) January. But the impending time away creates a bottle-neck of events and goals to be met in November and December. The school year comes to a close, performances are held, staff Christmas parties are enjoyed, work deadlines are met; all in the days leading up to Christmas!
We've been getting amongst it in many ways. Nate has been quite happy to help the other worship leaders carry the load of leading at Shore as he's led worship three out of the past six Sundays. He's up again this week with some of his favourite Christmas carols on the service plan. We're also looking forward to several baptisms to be held at the beach after church this Sunday.
Later this month we'll be headed back down to Christchurch to spend 12 days of Christmas with friends that we miss dearly. It's good to know that they're always just a plane ride (or a FaceTime) away.
Family Update
Lane (7)
This girl continues to capture our hearts with her love for dance. If music is playing she just can't help herself. Last Sunday evening she performed in a ballet performance in front of several hundred people at Massey High School in Auckland. When she's not dancing she's reading books or jumping on the trampoline with her brother and best mate, Henry.
Henry (5)
He must be ready to hit another growth spurt because we can't seem to keep him satisfied when it comes to food. It's handy that Finn doesn't seem to be interested in eating heaps, though. Henry's happy to finish any of his left-overs :-). He will start school at the beginning of the school year in February. He seems ready. Much of his time is spent figuring out how to spell words these days.
Finn (22 months)
Our baby is turning into a little boy before our eyes. He's still a handful, of course, getting into trouble any time we turn our backs. Plus we'll be on to toilet training before we know it. One more to go and we're done with nappies! Finn brings us so much joy. We're not sure we want him to grow up. We're so lucky to be called mum and dad by each of these wee beauties.