Fall Begins in April?

The month of April was incredibly busy and seems to now be a blur! Had General Conference, Easter, spoke in church, taught Relief Society, hosted all the senior couples for an Easter Dinner and tried to keep up with hungry missionaries and eager English students....whew!! Our days are filled with activity and joy in the work of the Lord!

 The obligatory harbor photo for the month! 

Always a delight - every evening and morning are unique!

On our way home from the Hamilton Temple we noticed hundreds of 

pampas grass plants in full bloom. Had to stop and get a photo. So very fluffy!

 Sister Lesa Stevenson was in town with Bishop Stevenson for some DTA training. I was so happy that she thought to invite me to a brunch in her honor. Brought back so many Tokyo memories! 

Not every day do you get to visit with 4 GA wives and several DTA wives from all over the world. All were delightful to "brunch" with!

 Spent our latest Pday investigating some NZ history. 

This Historical village was very interesting. Wondering what "fencible" means...

the village was built to be defensible against foreign intruders.

This beautiful home was owned by a rather wealthy Irish farmer named McLaughlin. Most of the Irish immigrants came to New Zealand about 1850 during the Potato Famine. Most were destitute and agreed to come as ex-militia to build and offer support to the new settlers in the Auckland area.

 Thought some of you girls would enjoy seeing the nursery in this grand old house

 This old pump organ was a prominent piece in the parlor area. Very well preserved!

 Each one of the cottages displayed every day living routines and were small with a loft area for the children in the rafters. This home had a nice display of elegant clothing from the day...the handicraft work was superb!

These were hanging on the wall of the old courthouse. Very heavy to say nothing of the ball 

and chain outside the courthouse front door!

The general store looked like it had been stocked yesterday!

 Not sure what these flowers were growing outside this cottage, 

but they certainly caught my eye!

 When the immigrants arrived, they were expecting to find cottages built, but the locals had not prepared for their arrival. Many lived in these sod houses for almost a year until a wooden cottage could be constructed.

Here is an example of the two room cottage that housed a couple and their 6 children!

 The Millers place was reminiscent of the song,"Down by the Old Mill Stream" as we watched the water pour in and turn the water wheel that was used to grind the grain.

The small store that housed the children's toys was charming!

 Of course the village schoolhouse and church were visible and well attended. The chapel can be rented for weddings and the village hosted an Easter celebration recently as well. The history tour was so informative. The sky was blue and the birds were singing...what is not to love about this beautiful country and its diverse population!