New Zealand

V's cousin got married last week.
We were honored to be invited and got to take two weeks off in January, including Inauguration Day, to holiday during summer in New Zealand.

Even with children dragging us down at times (most notably the wedding event itself), it was a trip of a lifetime.

We were put up in the family's beachfront property outside of Auckland. Ew, Auck!...how awful to hear and see the ocean through our windows all night long. Obviously, Alex and I were in our element (literally...Alex is an Aquarius and I am a Pisces) as we could beach it up every single day of our lives. We even love the "beach" called Galveston, so anything that deviates up from that is thrilling.

sunrise on our first morning

much better than school...

the old man and the sea 

We took an excursion to Rotorua to do the tourists' stuff...the stuff of tourists. On the hours long bus ride, the driver gave us a lot of information (some of it questionable) about the things we were driving past. There really is nothing better than the New Zealand accent. I could listen to the Kiwis read the dictionary. You can imagine the disappointment I felt when I almost immediately fell asleep for two straight hours. Kia Ora!
First we saw some glowworms in a cave. They were very pretty...and glowy.

Alex had just slipped off the moss covered rock I stood him on for this pic. He hit his butt though and not his head, as he would try and have you imagine in this picture.

We then took the kids to see a sheep get sheared. Basically the shearer, Andrew, dragged a sheep all around the stage to exhibit his manly strength and then sheared him. Apparently if a sheep's feet don't feel the ground, they can't move. In a dramatization of real events, Andrew took his shirt off to shear the sheep. He was no Hemsworth. Probably because the Hemsworths are in Australia. Please don't confuse Australia with New Zealand.
What we learned sheep can do, though, is aggressively beg for treats. They let us off the tractor train to feed some sheep and when I went to find V, he was like, watch out...that one kicks until you give it treats. Since I was standing in front of the sheep, I thought I was fine, imagining they kick, like horses, backward. The sheep proceeded to raise her front hoof and punched me in the leg...twice.
F-cker.
I did reinforce her with treats. They're not so dumb, Andrew.

sheelfie

The time difference and change in sleep routine made Alex's mood unpredictable and he quickly got overwhelmed by farm animals and people. He opted to get back on the tractor train and hang out with Queen, the sheep dog. He doesn't even like dogs, thus proving the power of therapy animals.

Andrew the sheep whisperer

Lastly that day, we visited a Maori village. They are the indigenous people to New Zealand and I never asked, but I am guessing their history in New Zealand mirrors the natives who were in America first...based on where they lived, their jobs, and how the tour guides talked about them.  So...pretty great lives...filled with oppression.

performing a haka which was...hot...for lack of other descriptors...I'm serious. I could watch a haka all day every day

On our second day in Rotorua, we went to a redwood forest and did some canopy walking through the trees. This redwood forest is man-made, as opposed to California's natural forests. They were also younger and not as tall (as displayed on a comparison graph) BUT they were still beautiful to trail through.
Most noted memory of this portion of the trip: Alex ate a whole apple to the core while we walked. It's a pretty big deal.

There was geothermal activity on Rotorua...

And a lake...

In Auckland, we climbed a volcano, Mt. Eden. It was a short hike up and had breathtaking views of Auckland.

yes, we dressed alike this day and have the same exact color hair...it will be easy to tell the colorists what I want when I go gray

We took a boat tour to find dolphins and whales. The Captain did not hold back his disdain for dolphins..."There are other animals to watch for than just dolphins..."
I mean sure...dolphins have been known to rape each other and kill their own babies, but they are so darn cute. After all, it WAS a dolphin tour, right?
We ended up seeing both dolphins and whales...two hours into a four hour boat ride. They take you waaay out.

I'm on a boat

so over it

I was much too lazy to try and fight people for a view to take a picture of the whale. That was nearing the end of four hours and I was a little delirious from sun and dehydration.

Another day excursion we did was ferry to Waiheke Island. I saw in my celeb trash mag a picture of Serena Williams and her fiance visiting Waiheke over New Years. We just missed her.
We spent the day seeing as much as we could and I ate as much as I could. Actually, I ate as much as I could every day of this trip.
Cheers!

we trailed some wineries

hiked more

beached more

next time, we will hike the 2 hour trail to the top...

The real reason for our trip was obviously the wedding. We got to spend time with family we rarely see at the various events. The actual wedding took place at Simunovich Olive Estate which was beautiful in every way.

meet and greet

Mehendi

working on a second or third cookie here...

bridegroom 

pics at the house before departing for the wedding

super psyched in anticipation of getting yelled at the entire wedding to sit still and stop running

i'm not good at taking pictures during an event. just know...it was absolutely gorgeous. 

congratulations!

It was hard to come home. They did let us back in though, so we decided to get back in before it was too late.

The time change is a kick in the butt and our hearts are still in New Zealand. Also Alex's hat. It's probably entwined in the sheets of the Holiday Inn, Rotorua. Also Alex's jacket. That didn't make it off the bus around Rotorua. I was not on my mom game in Rotorua.

We did make it back just in time to see Zayn and Taylor's music video for I Don't Wanna Live Forever !!!

Cheers, mate!  Until next time.