what a lovely last day it has been here. slept in, gave reagan a sleepy hug goodbye (wishing i'd been a little more aware of what was happening cause it was kinda a lame goodbye) finished up a little packing and headed into howick. i walked up to get some cash out and just walked through the streets, it was windy but not cold and i thoroughly enjoyed myself. what a wonderful little town.

then i went to visit my kids at school. got attacked walking through the door but it made me so happy because they had missed me the past two days. i was there just hanging out with them for a little bit, got about 20 cards stuffed in my face with lots of glue and random letters, love them all though. got to eat my last wednesday of sushi, yummy and hang out in the staff room for a little bit. helped with super start, such cute kids, and headed back to my room where we were able to play outside for a few minutes which was fun. i gave all the kids a cuddle before leaving. sweet little mia who doesn't speak much english said "miss anderson don't going back to america please" love that kid. anyway it was a little easier to say goodbye, maybe, but i could feel my emotions starting to well up. it was great saying bye to the parents in my class again they are just so wonderful. i did cry saying goodbye to sally and we had to make it brief. then emma and sue and then kerry and other teachers in year 0/1. weird weird weird, but it's ok because they've already made travel plans to attend my wedding whenever that is.

it is definitely strange saying the last goodbyes. i said bye to lisa, lexi and devon last night as well as kate and bree (sharleen's sister-in-law and sister and their children) and it was all starting to sink in. i'm sure i'll be a mess at the airport tonight, looking like one of those girls in a movie crying by herself. maybe i'll save myself the embarrassment and wait til i get on the plane. signing out now. official goodbye coming later, putting it off as long as i can.

tomorrow (wednesday) i leave what have been three of the best months of my life. what a wonderful experience new zealand has been, truly beyond words. i'm feeling a little of the same anxiety i felt before coming here, it is filled with excitement of what my future holds as well as the sadness of leaving all the amazing people i have gotten to know here. its time for the real world to begin. i feel like i've been in a bit of a fantasy, graduating college, facing some huge personal changes, living over here with a family who cooks for me and takes me places not earning my own money and traveling around this gorgeous country. its almost like back to reality for me. i'm looking forward to what God has in mind because well i'm not really sure what i have in mind for myself. here we go again...

spending my day packing my bags. weird. more to come on that. wanted to stop in for a brief weekend update! we spent saturday-monday at kawau island. this is located about an hour north of auckland, the same path we took while driving to bay of islands. it is only accessible via water taxi or boat, or helicopter (they had a heli-pad in the backyard) and there's not really anything do there at all except be at the beach and relax. the house was gorgeous, nice and simple and cozy and place perfectly at the top of one of the steepest hills i've ever climbed, and what a stunning view. we really just spent our days reading, watching movies and hanging out by the fire. it wasn't the nicest weather, just really windy but it was still wonderful.

on sunday morning i got up and pj, reagan and olivia were out on the wharf fishing. with reagan's help (he actually felt the bite) i reeled in my very first, and only, NZ snapper! i was very excited but dropped him twice, i even stuck my hand in his gills to pose for a photo. we also found some time sunday to walk through the bush walk which led to a road on the other end of the island and down to the beach. it was fun to be on the beach, and this bay is the only one on kawau with a sandy beach so that was awesome. we walked along the beach, then took the rocks back to get around to our wharf. it was very adventurous and cool. then we played a little bit of what we liked to call "backhands and beer" at mell st. it was fun. granddad john joined us for doubles and we named ourselves venus and federer after we defeated olivia and reagan haha. then pj came and reagan and i lost, but we played really well thats all that matters!

it was great weekend filled with good food, good relaxing time, and good company. i loved my time at kawau. also here's how they make s'mores in new zealand: put marshmellows (which are a little sweeter here) inbetween two chocolate chip cookies, wrap in tin foil and put over the fire. very tasty i must say. what a wonderful way to spend some of my final days here!

the outside fireplace.

 my snapper!

 view from the porch.

our walk on the beach.

 tennis time.

 goodbye kawau.

 our house at the top of the hill.

 what's a ferry ride without a little wine? haha.

"it takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. but there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. there is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." 

-alan cohen

today was my final, full day at owairoa. wow. i was really pretty nervous heading into the day i wasn't sure what my emotions were going to be like. i tend to internalize my feelings sometimes but i was scared i would just be a wreck all day. luckily i held it together pretty well. not sure if i've mentioned it here before but friday morning tea is our big tea where one team brings a lot of food each week and we go over birthdays and fun things happening that week, its also when we do farewells obviously. so the teacher and student who are farewelling stand up and make a sort of speech. so sally went first and she held it together really well, a few close calls but all in all very impressed haha, and i only teared up a few times, i forced myself not to let it out. then i had to say something, gosh its totally overwhelming standing in front of a group of people who you have come to know and feel a part of and try to express what this experience has meant to me. it was like everything i wanted to say just disappeared, plus i felt like i was a shaky mess (but everyone said i wasn't and i sounded great, whew). basically i just said what i would say to anyone that asked me about my trip that the entire experience had been beyond words. i have felt so blessed to be at owairoa and with such an amazing teacher and amazing family, i honestly feel like i just have had the most perfect experience. i told everyone that i have been inspired by so many of them and i hope to be able to influence the school i am at with everything i have learned here. anyway, everyone was so proud of both of us for not breaking down haha.

during our middle block we just put out lots of scrapbooking paper, stickers, cut up shapes etc and let the kids make father's day cards. it was so fun because they had full creative control over what they were doing, it was the one of calmest activities we have done yet could have easily been the most chaotic with the amount of supplies we left for them to use. it was a nice way for me to just hang out with the kids, sit down and chat with them and be creative with them. they had such ownership over their cards and they were so proud of their work and so excited to share with the class. it was a small moment but such a special moment, its those little things and times when you see them really shining that make this job so amazing.

sally and i went and ate at a cute little cafe in howick for lunch. oh did i mention it was the most gorgeous day today! i mean just fabulous, could not have asked for better weather whatsoever. it was fun to be up in howick and nice for us to get out and relax and have a sandwich together. came back in time to hang out in the staff room for a little bit which i was happy for because it was just what i needed. some time with some great people just hanging out and laughing with the windows open and the wind blowing. again, its these things i am truly going to miss so much. we made a graph with lollies in the afternoon which was very exciting! then went for a walk around the school and through the bush walk which was fun. we didn't make it back with too much time left for goodbyes which i honestly think was a good thing. i shared my card with the kids and gave them their little gifts i had gotten them. i was sitting there telling them goodbye and how much i had loved being their teacher and that i would miss them etc and everything from the day just kind of welled up and i started crying. its really hard to cry in front of five year olds, i felt kind of dumb. but just explained to them that i would miss them. they were all sad which was so sweet to see, saying things like "maybe you can come back when i turn 6" or "thank you for coming to auckland" but what made me really cry was looking at sweet little shannon who really started crying. she just put her head in her lap and i had to tell her to come up and just hugged her for a long time. i wish i could explain her sweet little personality but i don't think you would fully understand unless you knew her, but it was another one of those things that just hit me kind of hard. seeing her upset like that just broke my heart and made leaving harder. i got a "cuddle" and a few kisses from the kids and said goodbye to all of the parents who have been so wonderful this whole time. i have always felt so appreciated and welcome in room 16 and at owairoa i could have not asked for a better school, really God was truly watching down over my placements.

that was my wonderful day. we headed back home with laura in tow, followed by sally her partner nathan and their two precious sons wiremu (3) and leo (1), as well as sue and emma and later kerry. just people that i have loved being with my entire time here. it was again, the perfect evening. we all hung out, the kids were running around. we spend some time outside, drank our bubbly and laughed. it was so fun to be with sally's family too. i didn't really say bye to sue and kerry because i'll see them wednesday and wasn't in the mood to cry haha, none of us were. when they left we all ate dinner and then out of nowhere sally pulled out a little box and a card for me. she started talking and couldn't really so sharleen took over. they had together gotten me my own greenstone! they said that they have loved having me and it was very special for me to get one of these etc. i don't think i've mentioned greenstones before but its a maori kind of spiritual necklace i would say. its a very kiwi thing to have and they are very sacred. each shape means something different, and most also have something to do with safe travels and safe journeys, they gave me the twist binding friendship and loyalty which i thought was just perfect. its pretty cool because you can't buy yourself your own greenstone it must me given to you, you can also get it blessed by someone who is maori. i learned a few new things about them tonight as well 1) you can wear it over your shirt or whatever but its really supposed to touch your  skin and be near the bottom of you neck 2) other people aren't supposed to touch your greenstone unless you offer it to them to touch. i felt so honored when they gave this to me, like i said it is a very kiwi thing i almost felt like i have the privilege of wearing it and will wear it proudly that is for sure. and how great that my twist is for friendship. i hope, and i must vow to myself, to stay in touch with all of these people who have become like family to me while i'm here (hey i heard tonight there's going to be a lot of year 1 classes next year due to the number of enrollments, and i'll probably be needing a job...). anyways more to come on my leaving soon. we're off to kawau tomorrow which is going to be the perfect last weekend to an amazing trip i cannot wait!! goodnight.

ps. happy almost football season!! can't believe i'll be missing the pack this weekend but thats ok i think i'll survive while i soak up the sun and ski in the bay.

how gorgeous are they?? i love these little ones so much!