been awhile, stopping in to post about last week and my wonderful weekend! it was rainy the beginning of the week but cleared up for us on wednesday and we just had the most beautiful weather! its so nice because when you're in the sun during the day time its quite warm and feels like spring and its awesome. on thursday i got to go to the maori marae (or meeting house) that is in howick with the year4 students. it was a really cool experience and the kids all loved it. i also got to observe in a year5/6 class which was neat, very different from the little ones but a cool experience and they were great in their own way.

friday was another wonderful day. the weather at school was absolutely gorgeous! we had the doors and windows open and read stories outside and played on the playground in the afternoon. sunshine just puts you in a great mood! went to the pub for a drink after school for sam's last day. then build up some confidence and headed for spookers. we went by one of the guy's houses to play beer pong (the american game their student had taught them haha) and hang out before we went. it was fun to hang out with some of the teachers in a setting like that, felt more at home i guess haha. so spookers is located at an old insane asylum and its basically a really scary haunted house. if you know me well, you know that i hate anything scary really though everything seems to frighten me, so i was quite nervous. it was pretty scary but i walked with my hand out saying don't touch me the entire way so luckily no one grabbed me just jumped out and said scary things and got in my face. the people in the house were so realistic eww it was awful. then we did a trail through the forest which was scary as well, but i felt less trapped and i was in the front with a flashlight so i could see everything that would potentially pop out at me. quite an experience, but all in all a fun evening with a really fun group! oh and garth's (the guy's house we were at) wife has family in durham and her mom went to chapel hill, what a small world?? how cool is that!

woke up on saturday to another gorgeous day! walked outside to everyone hanging out with the grandparents on the deck next door. it felt like a spring morning at the beach, very relaxed and slightly chilly but you could still be in shorts. olivia and reagan were getting ready to go on a helicopter ride with one of their granddad's clients. how cool? so we got in the car and drove down to watch them take off and rode around running errands to get ready for the big party, Steven's 40th. i got to see the howick markets which was really cool, lots of handmade crafts and fresh fruits and veggies. it was a very pleasant day.

spent the rest of the afternoon getting our outfits prepared. i was a hippie (photo to come)... oh and i also spent the afternoon dying my hair (again). i'll add photos in another post... anyway i had to finish cutting my shirt, painting my face etc. i felt like it was a childhood halloween all over again everyone getting ready and hanging out in the kitchen helping each other out, feeling the excitement, the only thing missing was the candy. the 40th was awesome! it was in the coolest venue and there was a mechanical bull for the first part which was so much fun. i must admit i was not very good at it, but had a fun time watching everyone else. i had a little too much bubbly by the end of the night and didn't feel so hot on sunday but thats ok i had lots of fun. and had so much fun hanging out with sharleen's whole family, it was a great way to spend my last weekend that i'll be in howick (we're hitting the beach this weekend). sunday we got up and took the boats over to auckland city and walked around at the viaduct and waterfront and had a snack at a cute outdoor restaurant on the waterfront. gosh the waterfront it amazing. its just a long strip of cool restaurants with lots of outdoor seating. and they're building up fun little parks and using cool artwork and sculptures for seating etc. it was a wonderful way to spend a saturday, followed by a much needed nap and then dinner next door for steven's actual 40th.

so cheers to a great weekend here! can't believe i'm on my last full week. its insane, more to come on that as well!

some of the spookers crew. post haunted house, can't believe i'm smiling.

captain jack sparrow (pj) and i before the party.

 my parents away from home.

 sweet little lexi. cutest outfit ever! so presh.

 with whoopi and the sheriff (pam and john, sharleen's parents).

 riding the bull (don't worry i have on biker shorts).

 siblings/spouses, plus me.

 my family from the other side of the world.

 auckland city waterfront.

 opposite end of the waterfront, such a fun morning!