
Hello from Whangarei where I have finally been able to visit family after two years of lockdowns. The last time I saw Abel he was two months old…and as for Juniper, my granddaughter? This is the first time I have met her; she is a year and a half old.

And here she is. For all of the speculating of her hair color, I can indeed assure you that it is ORANGE. No filters or photoshop…just pure ginger. And a Ginger Spice for sure…this little one has the spunky personality to match her bright orange hair.

For those of you jealous of my New Zealand Getaway, I would like to humbly remind you that it is winter here. Not that I am complaining, I am not. But being a sun-loving gal who lives in a temperate rainforest…well, let’s just say the dream of summer gets me through winter. Thankfully, these two adorable grandchildren are brightening up every day.




Abel enjoyed “helping” Tilly made these homemade donuts.


Whangarei is a beautiful little city with a town basin perfect for exploring with children. You can walk along the water, explore playgrounds, grab a coffee, visit the shops, and more.



This weekend we visited a growers market and picked up some fresh produce. One of Juniper’s favorite finds? Fresh broccoli she was able to snack on as we shopped.


Abel and Jared relaxing after work.

All travelers on my flight from Vancouver to Auckland to recieved what was optimistically called a “Welcome Packet” which contained four covid tests and nothing more. I took my two covid tests (one on Day Zero and one on Day Five) and reported the negative results to the NZ government. I am absolutely willing to stick a swab up my nose every few days if it means I can finally visit my family.

Tilly and Jared’s neighbors have a huge orange tree covered in fruit. The tree hangs over into Tilly and Jared’s driveway and the neighbors are kind enough to let them enjoy the fruit as well.
Well, I’m off to soak in my beautiful grandchildren.
Cheers!