HI HI!! :)

So, everyone...I went to the Zoo again yesterday. :) It's so incredibly fun! The animals are so different everytime you go, it's crazy!! We didn't get to see the tiger cubs this time...they had a late night out the day before, and there's only so much "party" in 3 cubs before they get all popped out!! Haha. I made a slide of the good pictures that I took at the bottom of the page to save myself from posting ALL of them again...haha. Hope you enjoy. My favorites were the otters and the baby spider monkeys!! Soooo cute! (All that was missing was my nerdy, zoologist sister to explain all of their species and subspecies to me!!! Haha..Just kidding Katy! Love ya! )

Anywho...today I decided that I really love the song "Suo Gan"...it's a welsh lullaby. And it's from the movie Empire of the Sun, too, I guess. I dunno...I just sang it in Madrigals in High School! It's one of my favorite lullabies! The translation is really pretty into English, but the original version in Welsh is still beautiful! There's a King's Choir that does it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM9uyA0wVIA ...they're really good! :) I'm gettin back to my Welsh roots, baby! I want to learn the language someday...especially if we (meaning the roomies) go to the British Isles in a year or so!!! It'd be amazing to be able to speak it!! :)

Anywho...better get goin! Cheers!

Where Did the Time GO?!?

I'm a slacker, I know! :) It's just that last week was soooo crazy! :) I didn't really have much time to sit down at the computer, edit/delete pictures, and THEN post to my blog AND my facebook page! Ahhh!! So time consuming! But....alas...because I know certain of you are living vicariously through me, I'm here to fill you in!

So the beach at Waihi was amazing! :) It was nice to have a house all to ourselves, and a beach awaiting me! I have to say, I got quite an amazing collection of shells!!! And some Paua shells...it's the shiny greenish/greyish stuff. (Katy...you know what I'm talkin about don't you?? Haha.) But yeah! Good good pictures!

I wont be able to post all of my favorites, because there are JUST too many...but as a note, I woke up at 5:30 to catch the sunrise. I went out by myself and waited for the sun to peek over the ocean horizon. Sooo pretty!

Then later on in the week...it was craziness! We got things ready for the wedding! Renee was surprisingly calm the few days leading up to it! It was awesome! She was just so happy that it was finally here! The morning of rolled around and we had stayed out at Bruce and Michelle's for ease of transporting everyone together to the wedding site! The girls got up SUPER early to get their hair and make-up done. As for me?...yeah, I slept in and hung out! Haha. The boys and I got the cars ready and mosied around the house for a few hours or two, until the Photographers came! They were really cool! She just started her own separate business and it was nice talkin to someone doing what I want to do for a profession! She was excited to hear that I was majoring in Photography, so she let me follow her around with my camera and shadow her! I even got to go to the official wedding photo spots! Yay! My first Wedding gig! Haha...sort of! I got some great pictures! ( Just please don't save the pictures and spread them around! They're special! :) Thanks!)

Then...the next day...I went with Bruce on a roadtrip! (And sort of "air"-trip too...hehe) We flew to Gisbourne super early in the morning. (It's on the East Coast of the North Island...) We went to pick up the Transporter. It had a bunch of Heavy machinery on the back of it...the biggest truck I've ever ridden in, actually. Haha. The picture is of a 1-way bridge built on TOP of railroad tracks....yeah, it was BARELY wide enough for us to fit on, cause the transporter is HUGE!!! Ugh! AND...it was made of wood...even worse! But, I caught some awesome sunset pictures on the way back! :) The one with the sailboats and buildings is downtown Auckland and the big tower is call Sky Tower...it's got a revolving restaurant and cool stuff. :) Reminds me of Seattle, really. But yeah! Our trip back from Gisbourne took about 7 hours driving...ugh. :) And it was only about 315 miles long...that says something about the narrow roads and speed limit here! Yikes!

So...then Saturday morning Bruce and I got up early again and went North to deliver the equipment to the work site. It wasn't too far away. If you're looking at a map of NZ (...not that I expect any of you to have one handy...but...) we went to about Orewa. Close to North Shore.... :) Then when we got home, guess what we did?!?!?! We went to the ZOO!!!! YAYAY! :)

So...here's a collection of Zoo pictures! :) As a note, some of my favorites included...the meerkats, especially the baby ones (They whine like dogs...so cute), wallabies, Kookabura, and the baby tigers!!! They just barely released the cubs to the public a few weeks ago! Great timing to go visit the zoo! Enjoy! I took an incredible amount of pictures, but, of course, couldn't fit nearly even an eight of them on here, so my solution is the new hardrive I bought! It's a terabyte! (That's 1000 Gigabytes, in case you were wondering... :D ) So, when I get home, maybe we'll have a big party and I'll show everyone ALL of my pictures if you're interested! :) So if you're wanting more...you'll just have to wait a FEW more days! (It's 81 officially today!)

Now, I know you're all thinking to yourselves..."She took these photos from online somewhere!"..you're wrong! I took them all with my own camera! Not lying! :) Hope you enjoy! (And remember..don't knick any of the pictures! They aren't copyrighted, but they're my own work! Thanks! :) )

Toodles! And thanks for keepin up with my adventures! Love you all!

Shopping??

Hmmm...

So, most people that know me wouldn't think of me as a person with style or taste when it comes to clothes, but I hide a nice Ace up my sleeve! Last night Kylie and I went shopping. It wasn't necessarily on the day's agenda, but we squeezed it in at the end of the night... :) We drove to Manukau mall and first hit the food court. :) I hadn't eaten Chinese here in NZ yet, so that's what we had! It was definitely yummy! Sweet and sour pork, yum yum...

Afterwards, I was under the impression that we were looking for something in particular. Haha. Then I realized that we were shopping around for me...huh..weird..haha. :) So the first store we walked in to, I latched on to a few items of clothing. First, a sweet grey hoodie/long sleeved shirt. :) Kylie has officially banned me from buying any REAL hoodies from now until I die! Haha. :) It has a safety pin print all over it! Awesome! Then...I came upon one of the coolest shirts ever!!! Can you guess what it was??!?! ....Tada!!...it was a shirt that said "Dance your cares away....Down at Fraggle Rock!!!" (!#^$*!^#*$ <<<>

So, after that store, I didn't think we could buy any more clothes...(especially when we were using Rusty's money... Haha.) But, we went to a second store! I found some amazing slacks and a cute shirt! Black slacks and a pair of brownish/grey pinstripes. :) Awesome! Then I got a great black jacket (for reference, view my facebook page...). It goes with anything! Sweeet...Then...hmm...I got 3 plain colored shirts. Nice style, but not too flashy! Also, I got a pair of awesome black capris...they're cute!!

After we got a BUNCH of clothes, we went to the chemist and bought some make-up. :) I wear a bit...but Kylie decided I needed some extra bling to boost my wonderful face... (wah wah wah...). So, we got some eye shadow stuff...pretty sweet! Then, because we spent a certain amount, we got a free gift! Yay! :) Eye Shadow, some lip stuff, and some nail polish, plus a bag. Coolness! :)

So yeah! We.....spent a large portion of money.....very large. More than I've spent on clothes before. When we got home, Rusty wanted a fashion show, but I determined there was just too much content to try to show off...so I just made him come look at all of it spread out on my bed! Haha. :) When all was said and done, I made a HAUL for how cheap we got everything! Thank goodness for sales!!! YAY! :)

Today, I decided to go for the "Receptionist Brenna" look, and put on one of my new stylin' professional outfits. :) Black slacks, white undershirt with lace, and my new black coat! :) I like it...And one of the greatest things about styles here in New Zealand is....wait for it...black and white are the popular colors!!! (My mom always got after me about wearing black, but now I blend in better! Yay!) So, now I don't feel so bad about half of my wardrobe consisting of black, brown, and white... :) It's a good feeling!

Tonight and tomorrow will be busy, for the most part. I'm planning on attending a birthday party for a friend and his twin brother, who turn 22. Then in the morning, early, I'm going to go play some "touch" rugby at the park...I'm pretty stoked...but scared too! I've never played rugby for real!!! EEek! :) After I play some rugby, we're heading out to the "family beach house" for a nice weekend away from home and the office! Yay!! Hopefully the weather plays nice and stops raining before we get there, but we might have to settle for hanging out inside while we're there. Honestly, even hangin inside wouldn't be bad at all! It'd be nice to kick back and relax a bit. :) Maybe if it's warm enough, maybe I'd even be up for a swim in the ocean or messin around on a surf board! Who knows! :)

Until next time!!! :)

One important thing down...Whew!

Hey Hey!

(This is me in my PARTY dress...>>>>>)

So this weekend was interesting...The Bridal Shower finally arrived! It seemed like there was just so much to do and so little time! (Well...I guess that's how it is with most big events...but still!!) On Saturday, we ran around town getting supplies. I EVEN made my first trip to the liquor store. (Yes, here I am of age to consume alcohol....and NO I DIDN'T drink any alcohol. Haha.) We got our "Mocktails" supplies for later....Then off to the Holland's house to set up!

We were a little tight on time, but somehow we managed to get all of the cupcakes iced (thanks to my icing expertise...) and all of the food set up outside. Then we remembered to save 5 or 10 minutes to get dressed in our party dresses! Whew...When everyone started to arrive, I got out my trustee camera and put it to good use. :)

Rusty was the "Head Bartender" and Martin was the "Apprentice" bartender. Haha. I didn't realize that Rusty had bar tended AFTER he served his mission. Oh well...haha. Needless to say he is PROBABLY the BEST bartender ever. (Not that I have anyone else to compare it to....but that's what everyone else was saying. :) ) He put out a list of Virgin Drinks that he could make ready to order. It was fun! The house has a back patio, with sliding windows leading straight into the kitchen.

I, personally, had a yummy strawberry daiquiri and a mango pina colada! (Jealous, aren't you?...)

Everyone seemed to have a lovely time, even though it was a bit chilly outside. Some even showed up in hats and gloves! A true tea party, this was. My first ever!...Awesome!

Renee was decked out it a lovely pink sash and even stopped long enough to pose and "smile" for a picture! :) Renee, Renee...haha. We had a great day! And I finally got to wear my new dress! (the picture isn't the cutest, but it's the dress we were looking at anyway...) Afterwards, we were completely bushed! Not to mention the cleanup... Haha. Oh well, a party is a party! Up next....the actual Wedding!!! :)

After the party, I went to YSA (Young Single Adults) and we had a dinner cookoff! It was pretty fun! YSA is great because it's the single adults that live in the area. So I get to meet lots of cool people! Everyone here is so happy all the time! It's great!

What else is there to update on?? :( Hmm...Well. I'm still sick. :( We thought I might be able to stick it out and get over it, but it seems that my little cold has turned into a nasty bacterial infection. :( Boo...I'm supposed to go to the doctor today, so we'll see if I can get rid of my illness before next weekend!!! :) Kylie is a little sick as well, but she seems to be doing alright. We were scared at first that it might hit her pretty hard, being pregnant AND being sick, but she's tough! She's scheduled for her next doctor's appointment tomorrow, so we'll see what he has to say!! Yay!

So, there you go! :) Enjoy everyone! (And Katy...you had better update YOUR blog, missy!!!) Cheers!

Well...Here's an update!

Hellooooooo!!! :) :) :)

So, the last few days, or I guess week, has been a little busy. :) Loads happened, but nothing really important. :)

Here are a bunch of pictures from the beach at Waiku...the water is really choppy because its on the Western Shore! It's a black sand beach, and it was pouring when we went, but it was still fun!! Enjoy! :)

I made a little bit of pocket money by cleaning for Michelle (Kylie's Mom) at her house. I can't remember the last time I cleaned an oven, but after cleaning theirs last week, part of me never wants to see an oven again!! :) Haha. Then on Friday I did some ironing and vacuuming. :) It was cool.

Then on another day, after Kylie and Rusty got off of work, Kylie, Renee, and I went shopping at the Botany Mall. We were on a mission...to find a Bridal Shower Dress!!! (Okay, so let me explain...the Bride wasn't really wanting to call it a shower, so she's having a "Garden Tea Party" instead!) So we were off...searching and searching for a cute "Tea Party" dress that would look half decent on the author of this blog...ahem...Brenna. :( Let's just say I didn't have high hopes for finding anything that would look very cute. But, just as I was about to give up and express my plan to just hide out in the house on the day of the shower.......we-found-the -DRESS!! :) It's sooo very cute! It's a strapless (no silly...I'm not JUST going to wear the dress...I'll have a shrug..) black and white floral patterned dress. It's a little longer than knee length (which is hard to find in New Zealand...) and it fits me really really well! I got a black shrug to go with it, which I would wear anyways because it's so cute! :) SO...yes! Now I'm actually excited for this Garden Tea Party!!

Other than that...the only other small news I have to offer is: (oh, by the way...This is my favorite shot of the day! :) )

Kylie is getting cuter and cuter...yes, I know...how unfair!!....And we're going in today for a 3D baby scan! I'm pretty excited! :) She's got about 8 1/2 weeks left, but it seems like so much longer than that!!! Please come soon baby!!

We at some yummy pizza the other night! Cranberry and Camembert! (That's a type of cheese for those of us that had never heard of it until now... :( ) It was from a place called "Hell Pizza." Haha. Some people here don't eat it because the name of it is, well, somewhat offensive. :( But, alas, it tastes delicious!!! :) We'll have to eat it again soon!!

And...boys here are interesting. :) Very outgoing and friendly! :) It's a nice change compared to American boys. Haha. I've got my eye on 10 or 12 but they're just going to have to share me I guess...haha. Just joking!! (I really don't have my eye on more than one or two...let's get real here.) And if I do start dating any of them, no worries, you wont read about it in my blog! :) (Yes, I know...I'm sorry Caitlin... :D Haha.)

Well, for now, we're off to the doctor's office! :) Love you and Miss you all back at home!!

Never thought I could....

Well....to finish the post title's sentence...I never thought I would go from summer to winter in a few days time! :) Okay, so Auckland's winter isn't really anything like a Cedar City winter, but still! These first few days here in NZ I've been trying to get used to lots of different and new things. Some of which happen to be really (really) important. For instance...sleep patterns, eating times, driving on the left side of the road, not being able to just text friends in the U.S....and so on. The one thing my body did NOT compensate for, however, was the humidity levels and temperature of Auckland! So, in consequence, I've been stuck with a cold these first few days! (Boo...I know...) But, looking on the bright side, I am on my way to a full recovery!

Speaking of recoveries, the reason I felt so much better today is that the weather seemed to take a nice spring turn today. It's been fairly sunny here, with still a slight nip to the wind. Not swimming weather yet, of course, but it's definitely an improvement!! :) With hope, I will be able to go surfing somewhere close to Christmas! (I know, I know...you're a bit jealous.) The only downside to winter leaving is the fact that Rugby season is coming to a close! Not good...hopefully I'll be able to see an All Blacks game (that's New Zealand's national team. They're the best!!) before they're finished for the season!

Not much has happened this week, but Kylie and Rusty both work in the office all day long. I am looking forward to the weekend, but praying for a nice Saturday even more! If the weather goes well, we hope to have a bit of fun. A sure stop at the pet shop is planned, as well as a possible visit to the observatory at the planetarium. (This I am especially excited for: one, because I'm a nerd and love looking at stars and constellations, and two, because they're almost completely different stars than those YOU can see in the U.S.!!!) :) Kylie and I have talked about traveling down to Christchurch sometime in September after Renee's wedding! I'm very, very excited about that!!

Speaking of Kylie, she and the baby are both doing extremely well! In fact, I think she's still even cuter than anybody I've ever seen, even with her pregnant belly!! (Lucky her... ;) ) I went with her and Rusty to a doctor's visit in town on Tuesday. I saw the baby on the monitor and everything! The doctor even said Kylie would be allowed to go on short plane trips if she wanted!! (Thus the trip to Christchurch in September...) Rusty is doing well, but we hardly see him in the office. He's always out and about with business stuff...

My nights consist of coming home and changing, then hanging out on the couch until I get too tired to keep my eyes open. Unfortunately...it's usually before 9:30 PM when I get to that point...haha. :) Then I go to my little room to find a friend perched on the bed. :) Minx the cat is a nice snuggle buddy. Especially when I get soooo cold at night! She's not usually very warm towards people other than daddy-rusty, so I've heard, but she's really taken to me. She usually sleeps with me right on the bed, and occasionally under the covers when she feels like it. Haha. Spanky, the crazy little dog, is always bein cute and funny. He usually sleeps in Rusty and Kylie's room, but every once in a while I hear him scouting out my room. He's really well trained and fun to play with!!

Anywho...I still haven't taken very many photos, but it's the weather's fault I promise!! It's sort of scary trying to take pictures in the pouring rain! I'll get on it soon, I swear! The next set will include pictures of the family and some of my favorite foreign objects and settings that make me laugh! Until next post, farewell! :)

New Zealand!!!

Kia Ora!!

Hello to everyone! Well, I'm finally here. The long and anticipated 18 hour flight is gone and past! And all I can say about that is...thank goodness! Phew! Technically it's been over 24 hours since I arrived in Auckland, but let's just say the jet lag has definitely had an affect on me! Before my sleep last night, I had only gotten 4 1/2 hours of rest over a period of 48 hours. I'd attribute most of it to nerves, and the fact that I had to stay up an extra 6 hours to get used to the time difference!

In case you might have been thinking to yourself, "Geez...I wonder what time it is there..." Just think of this: Six hours behind Utah time, but the day ahead. Haha. Or 18 hours ahead if you prefer to count that way. So It's about 8:30 PM on Monday night in Utah, but about 2:30 PM Tuesday afternoon here in Auckland!

Alright, enough! :) Things here have been going great so far! Haven't had a lot to do, YET, but I think I have more than enough time to go exploring soon! Getting used to things is probably the top priority on my list so far, as well as blending in with the rest of the Kiwis! I would have to say one of the strangest experiences so far is the mere fact that a lot of the things that should be weird to me...aren't that strange at all!!! In fact....driving on the left side of the road seems a bit more natural to me than I think it should be! Haha. I guess I'm more of Kiwi by heart than I thought!

There's a fairly big mall here in Auckland. It's bigger than anything we have in Cedar City, anyway. :) I've only been once, but there's a lot to see. I had some great Indian food yesterday when I went adventuring through the mall with Aaron (Kylie's younger brother). It's called Butter Chicken. It's quite good. I even had some "Real" Fish and Chips last night! Yum Yum. Finished off with a couple glasses of L&P's. It's a NZ drink! Yum!!!

Anywho...I've only just had the opportunity to take a few pictures today, but it's still winter here, so it's almost constantly raining! They aren't the clearest pictures, but they give a good overall impression of what downtown Auckland is like at the moment! The really green areas are just outside of Auckland in an area called Papakura. This is where the family business is, as well as my home for the next several months! The monument is one of the bigger volcanic mountains in the area! It's called One Tree Hill, for those U2 fans that know the song! :)

Hope to take more pictures soon! Take care, ALL!!