So this one is gonna be an english job cause we've got our cruise pics in here and I don't have the time or brainpower to work through it in te reo māori this time. Murua mai
Māku e whakahoki ki te reo māori ā tērā marama:)
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| Of course 3 days before leaving on the cruise we decided we needed a few new suitcases and that turned into a new big and little one for everyone. What a rigmarole that was, driving to 4 different Standbags on Saturday and monday. Oh well, it's done now and we should never need to buy more luggage |
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| We had a fun as takeaways dinner and quiz night for grandie's birthday at the chapel on Monday 7th August. All of his kids and moko love him soooo much |
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| Pre-speech final. All freshly cut up by Dad and ready to go.....despite feeling a fair amount of nerves. |
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| After the speeches and before the winner was announced |
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| Listening to the main judge give his thoughts on the speeches and how well the kids did. I wish I filmed this moment but to say I was proud of our son is a huge understatement. He really set a very high standard, as the man said. |
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| Proud sissys |
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| You did it my son! |
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| Congratulatory hug from Mrs Brown |
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| And then we shot straight home to pack the bags into our taxi van and hit the road for. our cruise |
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| Seffy was all settled in within 10 seconds in the room, as Dallin and I did the hardwork unpacking all of our bags |
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| See ya NZ |
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| That book followed me around a bit, gotta keep on top of the study |
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| The kids went to the kids club (for the first night and not much more) so my lovey and I went roaming and stumbled upon a great music group called Solid Vibe |
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| Post workout chill on the back deck |
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| Work on site continued while we were away so Joe had to keep in touch with home a bit |
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| We're in the Kingdom of Tonga!!!! |
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| We found a driver straight away to take us to the temple |
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| Gosh this was such a welcome sight. In an unfamiliar place, it just feels like home |
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| Mummy killed time with these 2 while Dad and the big girls were in the temple by wandering around Liahona |
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| The one and only 3 headed coconut palm in the world! |
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| Houma....Blow holes |
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| We met up with Bro Niupalau from our ward. So cool to see their family home and where they live when they're in Tonga |
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| Our Driver |
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| Cruising the markets with Sister Hala'apiapi |
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| When you're in Tonga you must get coconuts |
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| We got to go on a bus ride down to one end of the shoreline thanks to Sis H. So cool to trip around and see more of the island. |
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| And after a big day we went to the Waterfront for dinner to share a meal together which was nice after |
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| Leaving Nukualofa |
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| Waiting for our tender boat to Vava'u |
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| We actually got tickets for the 9th tender which would have been about a 2 hour wait but we ended up scoring these from Joe's old church friend in Rotorua who got them for his family but didn't end up needing them. What a blessing! |
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| It's a bit hard to see here, but there are pigs and piglets everywhere in Tonga |
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| As well as LDS chapels |
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| We set up for most of the day swimming at this place called Talihau (I'm not sure how to spell it) |
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| Yes that's Seth holding a dead baby shark |
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| Vanilla bean plantation |
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| What a day! |
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| I think this was trying to have a bit of down time on Sunday after we did our church service in the room |
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| Insisting on a 3 hour nap. Yeeyah, it worked too! |
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| After our nap I spent the early evening making a scavenger hunt for the kids to keep them occupied for the rest of Sunday |
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| Arriving in Port Denerau, Fiji |
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| This was a bit hōhā, waiting for the other people in our taxi who wanted to walk around a big garden for about an hour |
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| Natural mudpools that we just stopped at to have a squiz |
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| A hindu temple. It was so beautiful and different |
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| Oh gosh, what a moment. Our taxi driver took us to 'the markets' but that turned out to be one tourist/souvenir shop that must have been owned by his mates. Before we looked around the crazy over-priced stuff we had to be part of the kava ceremony. And we all drank it! Gross and tingly is all I'll say |
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| Chillin' on the beach for a few hours |
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| Heading back to the ship |
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| This is Suva now..... |
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| Another temple sesh for the big girls and Dad... |
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| while we played hide and seek for just over 2 hours |
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| Then we went for a hikoi around the LDS church college |
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| And this is where it was confirmed that we shouldn't have drank kava. Oops, now we know definitively |
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| And with about 2 hours to go we had a yummy pizza lunch |
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| And did a spot of shopping at a department store called Tapoo |
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| Elder Tokovakarua!!!! |
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| 2 sea days home now |
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| And this one was a big, sunny, swimming and sunbathing day |
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| The start of Mum burning her legs |
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| The trance of a beautiful but exhausted Dallin |
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| Last night at the talent show |
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| Yay, we're home! |
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| Oh my goodness, we came home to meet this little beauty, Te Mānea who was born the day before we left |
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| FHE Quiz that got a lot of laughs, especially when they did their phone a friends. |
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'Mum you forgot to do my pie for my birthday lunch so we better do it today'
Nice one son |
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| Stake conference with no kids cause they were sick |
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Faify's 15!!!!!
I'll be driving this time next year Mum |
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| Dally struggled with a temp in the high 39s for 5 days. So sad |
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| No Ella, you can't weigh the leftover cheesecake pieces to make sure they're identical! |
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Evidence that I in fact am a loving Mum even though this girl says she never gets anything she wants. She wanted my piece really really bad and I gave it to her. Naturally I had to take a photo for evidence.
Well, our holiday was amazing and we feel so blessed to have been able to have a getaway like that. Maybe the next one will be in May-ish 2025. A holiday to anywhere and for any length of time always reaffirms to us all that Home is the place to be!!!! |
