Dancing with the Stars

Peyton and Justin showing Great Grandma Miller their latest dance moves.

Easter Egg Hunt and Cupcake Bake at Great Grandma Miller's House

2008 3/14 Justin and Peyton

Our visit with Justin and Peyton was long overdue.

They really have grown and they are big fellas now.

They couldn't wait to show us how well they could play their new video game that uses wireless guitars. They love the Rock 'n Roll and someday they will be amazing guitar players - for the present though, they really did well and they were so cute to watch!

Mimi and Papaw tried to play it with them but they let us know straight away that we were just awful at this game! Go figure.

2008 3/03 Back Home Again - In Indiana

We endured the long 3-leg journey from New Zealand, via Tahiti to the States. We were so glad to be off that plane!

We arrived just in time to experience a major ice storm and subsequent snow event which pretty well shut things down around the area. We managed to loose power only once for a couple of hours - so we were lucky considering others in the area were without power for 4 days.

Our luck played out with the weather, and also with the car. No, it started without a hitch - it was a fender bender! We managed to drive for 5 months on the left side of the road through thousands of miles in Australia and New Zealand without a hitch. As soon as we get in the car to go visit Justin and Peyton, stopped at a stop sign waiting for traffic to clear so we could make a turn, BAM! A pick-up truck in front of us decided to back into the front of our car and buckle the hood and break the hood latch. After plenty of phone calls and a couple of estimates, we have a check in hand for the repairs and will be off to the body shop on Monday. It just had to be.....

We have managed to get the Bus out of storage. It started like a champ and all seems to be working as we left it. Over the next couple of weeks we'll get the old gal restocked and hit the road heading for warmer weather. We've promised to stay in Indiana long enough to watch the boys during Spring Break so Heather and Mike can take a mini-vacation to Gattlinburg. They deserve a break too.

As soon as we've fulfilled that commitment we'll head South for annual appointments - then back to the midwest - if the weather cooperates.

2008 3/02 NZ, Auckland Hike

Our last day in New Zealand absolutely had to include a hike.

Richard and Liz and their friends, Paul and Barbara invited us to join them on a hike along the beach outside Auckland to the beachside town of Karekare. With daypacks on our backs and hiking boots (some more worn than others) laced to our feet, we were ready to set-out! The walk took about 4 hours and we really enjoyed taking in the beautiful coastline one last time. We had a great day even though the weather was overcast and we were sprinkled on a couple of times. The scenery was grand and nothing could dampen our spirits - it was a great way to end our trip - hiking again with our Kiwi friends!

Here are a few photos from our day - Richard wading through the stream, the group taking a breather on the beach, Liz emptying water out of her boots.

2008 3/01 NZ, Auckland

Our time in Auckland has been very enjoyable. The weather was a bit rainy so we took in an afternoon movie at the downtown cinema. Later in the evening we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the home of our Kiwi friends, Richard and Liz, (whom we met on the Routeburn Track in December.) Richard was good enough to be our chauffeur and provide a scenic tour of the harbor enroute to their home.

We shared fond memories of the Routeburn Track experience and of our New Zealand travels. Not to mention the great New Zealand wine and cheese. In no time we were working our way through beautifully grilled Lamb kabobs (specially prepared by Chef Richard) and beautiful garden veggies. We wrapped up a delicious meal with the quintessential Kiwi dessert, Pavlova. It was SCRUMPTIOUS! Every spoonful was melt in your mouth deliciouss. It was also great that son, Matt, was able to join us later in the evening.


We especially enjoyed an introduction to traditional Maori music, especially the songs performed by Maori Opera Soprano, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

Thanks too Matt, for being a great sport and driving us back to our apartment.

2008, 2/29 NZ, Paihia to Auckland

Wow! It's the final leg of our adventure and we've made our way from Paihia to Auckland for the final 3 nights of our tour. The drive was 4 hours through pristine coastal areas - a thousand shades of green on the hillsides, incredible mountain vistas, stunning golden beaches, and more colors of blue sea than you can imagine - spectacular and really amazing!

The weather forecast for tomorrow (for the whole of New Zealand) is calling for torrential rain and gale force winds. We're not sure how much sightseeing will be in the cards, but if the weather does turn to crap, we'll be content to read, watch a bit of TV and catch up on email.

We enjoyed a brief visit to Auckland as a port of call during the cruise to Sydney. We really enjoyed that day - an incredible city. Let's hope we get to explore a bit more of it.

We head back to the States Monday afternoon and we're not especially looking forward to our flight - it will be quite a long journey. We depart from Auckland on Air Tahiti Nui Flight #102 at 3:00 pm and stop-over in Papeete, French Polynesia for a 2 hour lay-over. We then depart Papeete on Air Tahiti Nui Flight #22 to Los Angeles, arriving around 10:00 am. From LA we Board Delta Air Lines Flight #1194 around 12:45 pm, arriving Cincinati at 8:00 pm.

Heather and Nancy's mom, Joan, will gather our bones and take us home. Although we will be glad to see everyone - we won't be looking forward to the snow and ice on the other end.

Most of all though, we will miss this incredible place and the Kiwi people. We'll be planning a return trip soon.