January 19, 2025

Jumping into the new year

Mission Bay on New Year’s Day.  Family gatherings everywhere.  The entire park and beach filled with BBQs, swimming, family games, and just hanging out together.

New Zealand beaches generally display a lot of skin.  This family day wasn’t too bad.  Most children swim in birthday suits.

The fountain filled with wading children and fun.

It’s time to return to the Pacific Area Offices.

Takapuna is a fairly quiet community north of Auckland.  We walk from our apartment to the office in 15 minutes.

The entry way reveals a lovely garden area.  The greenery in New Zealand appears in every corner and I never tire of the beauty here.

Rick dives into his work.  Truthfully, he spent four mornings here during our week off.  I’m grateful for our adventures in the Bay of Islands during Christmas.  We continued to celebrate the second week, but with simple outings and activities.  Rick felt a bit anxious about all the work waiting for him.

My half of the office doesn’t hold this many papers.  He claims to know where everything is and appreciates all of it at his fingertips.  We may laugh, but the Real Estate team loves him and already sheds tears thinking about his departure several months down the road.

Bridal Veil Falls:  Our last adventure before returning to the office.  This beautiful location is found on a secluded road outside Hamilton that winds around endless curves.

John and Linda Leach joined us for this short nature hike before attending the temple.  It’s a complete pleasure serving with this amazing couple.  Linda is the Area Mental Health specialist.  John serves in OGC and plans to assist Rick with many assignments.  They’ve made a huge contribution in only six weeks.

Christmas lights and displays still decorate the grounds though they no longer turn on at dusk.

Paul and Irene Rytting joined us for the temple session and dinner afterword, of course.  I seek every possible opportunity to travel to Hamilton.  The two-hour drive makes frequent attendance a challenge, but I’m grateful for a temple close enough to visit.