a HUGE announcement and a new name for the blog

The Announcement:
We have decided to move back to the United States.  Our time in New Zealand has come to a close and after much prayer and discussion, we have agreed as a family to move home. We fly home on August 6, 2011.

Why?
I resigned from my position as Director of El Rancho last week and have a new job helping manage Hidden Hills Ranch in Prunedale.  Hidden Hills is connected with an educational not-for-profit and runs events, school resources and farm days.

We are both excited and sad to leave our friends and home away from home in New Zealand.  It has been a precious time for our family and we have made many good friends.  It is hard to leave. Jen for one is very sad to leave our life here.  It has been a dream for her raising our boys in New Zealand for the past two years.  In fact, it feels like we have lived here for ten.  The boys are both excited and sad.  They are sad to leave their friends here at El Rancho, but they are also young enough to handle the transition again.  It hits Corban the most as the oldest and as our most sensitive son.  On the flip side, we also look forward to rejoining our friends and family in Santa Cruz.  I believe it is where we belong.  I have a deep connection to being in Santa Cruz and cannot seem to shake it.  My mom said, "you've always been a Santa Cruz boy."  She's right.  Both Jen and I will have family close by and this has become more important to us over the past two years being away.

One key reason we are coming back is because I feel a deep sense of calling to fulfill my vocation in pastoral ministry.  I long to serve as a minister to people everywhere, but especially in Santa Cruz County.  I intend to get involved with Faith Community Church and our friends who serve there.  I have discovered a clarity in my mission and calling.  While serving here I got to teach a university elective course.  I absolutely loved it and felt God's pleasure while teaching. It became extremely clear that teaching, mentoring and pastoring is what I was made to do.  While working at Hidden Hills Ranch does not involve these things, it does provide the means to move and live in Santa Cruz until a full time paid pastoral position emerges.  We will leave the timing up to God and trust that we are moving in the right direction as we listen to his invitations and continue to conform our wills to his for the sake of others.

Now What?
We need your help.  This will be a huge transition for us and we would like to ask our family and friends to network together with us and help.  Jen and I have taken many of our discussions and made a wish list and needs list for our return.  If you would like to be involved in supporting us, we would welcome your help!  Here's what we need:

1. We are looking to house sit in a furnished home for all or part of the month of August (and possibly September).  This will help us get settled until we find a new place to live and await our belongings in our shipping container.
2. We need one family car to borrow for a week or two when we first arrive.
3. We need to buy two cars.  We are looking for a family car/van for Jen and a commuter for Rob.  Our budget is between 8-10,000 for both.
4. We are looking for a good 3 bedroom 2 bath rental between Santa Cruz and Watsonville for the lowest price possible. (Because pricing is low, we are also looking into whether we can afford to buy a house there.)
5. Please feel free to invite us over for dinner.  We want and need to reconnect with friends and especially friends for the kids (especially boys).
6. We plan to home educate our kids.  Jen is looking for connections with other home educators.

So I guess it is time to rename the blog.  No longer can it be called NamZealand.  It requires a new name to capture the proper description of what we are doing--moving home!

So in honor of our decision to move back to the USA, we will change the name of our blog from NamZealand to NambAmerica.  

Greener

REFLECTIONS
I changed the look of the blog again. I like this one better. It makes me think of one of Jen's famous sayings. It might be the only saying, but if it isn't, then certainly it is the best one. "The grass is greener where you water it."

When we decided to move to New Zealand, I think I was operating out of the age old "the grass is greener on the other side" ethos. I wanted to change. I wanted a new start. Yes, I was running away and not. We moved cause I felt stuck. I thought maybe moving would punt us forward or somewhere. I could not tell you if that is true or not today, but I can say we are right where we should be. We have a strong peace about being here, at least for now.

We are going on 1 year 3 months in New Zealand. Dillon just had his second birthday here and Corban is approaching his this Tuesday. I'm thinking time flies fast. Corban is nearly seven. It is amazing to think that he was just a gummy bear when we first drove through Waikanae. We went through so fast and the town is so small, I doubt we even noticed it. Now we are here.  

Looking over the last year, I think we have all grown. We are progressing in life, vocation and tummy size. I will reflect on those more specifically sometime. We aren't growing cause moving here fixed us, gave us a second chance at life or even a new beginning. It is neither better nor worse in New Zealand. It is just different. Nevertheless, we are getting greener. I guess it is happening cause we are being watered. Our life is richly satisfying and I am proud of so many things over the last year.  

DAILY DETAILS

Today we had coffee with some new friends from England. They are local pastors who just moved here. Jen has connected well with Kay and I with Tim. We went to the windy beach and collected shells, threw the frisbee and talked of life.

Later, the boys and I filled the wood box. We ate lollies and changed the bunks around again. Dillon and Eliot have decided they want to sleep in the same room, on the same bed, but with two beds (just in case). I did man things: cleaned the gutters, pulled giant weeds, used my drill. Jen was out shopping for some gifts for our new program director and his family arriving tomorrow. We are excited for them to arrive. They are on the mission of Jesus like us. They are Americans. Somehow, it is comforting to have someone else from home to whom we can relate more. This evening, I had a spa; Eliot spilled my wine on the floor, my macbook and me. I got very angry. I got over it and we forgave each other. Jen and I will end our Sabbath with a movie- My Sister's Keeper. It was a good day.

Almost a year since Jen posted

Hi friends,

Jen has given up on posting on this. Frankly, I forgot we had it. So, I am writing a short update on our life.

We are entering our second winter in New Zealand. I can now say with confidence, Santa Cruz had nicer weather. (Boooooo). Weather here is inclement and changes often daily. I guess I shouldn't be surprised--it is an island after all.

The boys are getting big. I am constantly blown away at how fast they are growing and how adaptable they are. I'm proud of them and they teach me so much about life. Jen is a superstar who does so much it seems thanks is simply an insult. I feel quite lucky to be here, with my family, doing something I love doing.

Oh, yeah, how's the job? I love it. It is crazy, challenging and never ceases to surprise me, but I am daily convinced this is what I'm meant to do and feel God's pleasure when I do it. El Rancho is a special place and I know in time it will become so much a part of our story. Now it still seems new. I have completed a year and a few months here and I still feel a bit like I'm on vacation. I wonder when we will go home back to Capitola and go back to life as usual, but am quickly reminded that this is home and we are living life as usual (which is unusual mostly). I fed Alpacas and Emus today. I spilled feed on my head. (Don't ask me how). I tried to stay home from work today, but went in for a couple meetings and didn't actually get done what I hoped. That's ok since I have tomorrow. I'm mostly content and happy with work, but need to get away more for reflection and prayer. I am better after I have had time alone and need to do it regularly.

I'm spending a lot of time lately wondering what I like to do besides work. I really like to work. I always have. I remember beginning as a volunteer when I was 12 or something. I loved going to work and doing something significant. I'm still the same. That life has left me wondering though, what do I like to do for a hobby? I don't know. I know I like to be on the water, but never surf. The surf here sucks anyway. I can't afford a sailboat and certainly don't have time for it. I would love a beagle, but then I would sacrifice a wife. no go there. I like working out, but don't. I love to dance, but am scared to get my groove on. I could rollerskate, but there isnt a rink. I love to eat, but it makes me fat. I love TV, but that makes me fat and lazy. I love reading, but that is harder to do with kids this age. It's hard to find a new thing.

I think I will begin to dance and workout or buy a kayak or something. I want to spend time on things I say, "I love this!"

That's life for me. Hope you got a glimpse. Perhaps I will write more and update our blog. I love to write. :)

KINDY!!!

Both Dillon and Eliot started "kindy" last week - hurray!!! The NZ government pays for all children ages three and up to attend 20 hours/week of pre-school (known here as kindergarten). Eliot turns three next month, so we are footing the bill until then, but the minimal $4.50/hour is well worth the six hour break I get! Dill is attending two full days and Eliot is attending one full day, with hopes that a second day spot will open up for him around his birthday in September. E wouldn't give me any video footage on his first day, but I did get a few words from D. Enjoy!!

Earplugs and Peanut Butter Balls

As a teenager, I babysat for these kids whose favorite snacks were these ultra-healthy peanut butter balls. I asked the mom how she made them once, and she started rambling off things like wheat germ, sesame seeds, powdered milk... I think I stopped listening at wheat germ. Way too complicated. Lately, I have found myself craving these snacks, and (thanks to AllRecipes.com, which I might as well just make my home page for how I often I look at it) I recently found a basic recipe that sounded like it may work. As it always goes with three busy little ones, the recipe has been sitting in my head now for about two weeks with no time for its actual execution.

I knew this project could no longer wait after an incident two nights ago. I lay in bed, dreaming away about eating loads of these scrumptious peanut butter balls. Then I realized it wasn't a dream - I had peanut butter balls right in bed with me! I hungrily went to grab one (out of my ear, of course) and suddenly woke up with disgust as I realized I was munching on my earplug. No joking. I grabbed it, now laughing at myself. It was 5:30am. I fell asleep with my half-eaten earplug clenched in my hand and woke up two hours later, still grasping it.

I knew I had to take action. Later that evening, I put Corban to work and we made a batch of peanut butter balls, hoping to get them out of my dreams and into my tummy. Corban and I ate about half the batch before bed, and my night was dream-free of peanut butter balls. And so that you may know the great delights of these delicious treats, here is the basic recipe:

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup dry, powdered milk
1/2 cup honey
Mix these three ingredients together and then throw in whatever else you may have on hand. I threw in coconut, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. I need to buy wheat germ, because I know this is the one thing that will duplicate the ones I had as a kid. Roll the mixture into balls and stick in the fridge for an easy anytime snack. I imagine these would also be amazing dipped in chocolate. YUM!!

Our First Hangi

We experienced our first real taste of Maori food culture when the camp staff hosted a traditional "hangi" meal for us this week. The food was cooked in the ground (you can see a bit of the process below) and was quite an undertaking. A hole had to be dug, coals had to be lit and a fire had to be started at 4am. The feast consisted of pork, beef, chicken, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, squash, cabbage, stuffing and bread pudding. I must confess, the bread pudding (which was the only thing not cooked under a mound of dirt) was the only thing I really enjoyed. If dirt has an aftertaste, it was deeply infused into all of the hangi food. I found myself feeling thankful for outdoor cooking - the BBQ kind of way!!

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I kind-of hate birthdays

I am reminded a couple of times a year (at birthdays and Christmas specifically) why we do no buy our kids toys. We took Corban and Dillon shopping for their birthdays last weekend and let them pick out whatever they wanted. They (thankfully) picked out the same thing - a very loud light up sword. Only problem: Eliot didn't get one. So while C and D ran around the house sword-fighting, E followed them screaming and trying to snatch them away. Would it have been worth the $20 just to get him one as well? As I listened to C come running to me whining (about 20 times n hour), "Mom! Eliot took my sword out of my special place!" I was ready to part with my $20. But then what kind of lesson does that teach? So I passed the buck. I sat with C and D and asked if they would like a good solution to E always stealing their swords. They did indeed. I persuaded them to use a bit of their birthday money to buy E a sword of his own so he didn't keep taking theirs. They were happy to do this. So, at their birthday party, they gave E his very own sword.

The only problem? Dill got a skateboard and a new battle has begun...