SUMMER

I have left my blog alone over the summer, but decided that I would write something today.  Following on from my last post- I completed all my exams from Semester Two, 2014 (passed them all) and then I have also just (yesterday) sat my exam for the summer school paper I talked about doing (Bioscience: Impaired Body Function).

Over the summer period, I worked a little, did quite a lot of study for my paper including spending ALOT of time writing assignments, but I also did some fun things with the family.  These included getting to go swimming heaps at the beach, and in our pool we set up on the lawn, going down the waterslide in the pouring rain, walking up Rangitoto and doing a walk at Wenderholm Regional Park, and I also had all of my wisdom teeth out! It was a rather eventful summer, and I am looking forward to getting back into study again next week as I start back for Semester One on Monday!

Oh, I also did a whole lot of Grey's Anatomy watching... when I could. I bought the first season when I had my break between exams and starting SummerSchool, and then I bought the second season once I was nearly finished the first so I had something to go on with, my plan is to buy the third in the coming weeks, and hopefully watch all Grey's before watching the most recent season which started in NZ last night (which we forgot about and didn't record).

Mangawhai Beach

Volcanic Rock on Rangitoto

Top of Rangitoto!

Going down into one of the caves

Eloise and Anna walking back to catch the ferry back to Auckland

Resting after we had walked back down, everyone was tired!

Waterslide!!! 7pm with rain and thunder (not that it looks like it).

Only Exams to go!

I have now completed all assessments that are internally assessed and just have three exams to go until the end of the semester! Very excited that my first year is coming to an end, to be able to celebrate the fact that I have done eight university level papers and am still going!

I will be doing one paper over the summer period- impaired body function (science); this is to get me ahead for next year, as in the first semester I will be doing purely nursing paper with out this science one meaning I can concentrate on my nursing, and placement without having impaired to do as well.  In second semester I will have four again, including my last science paper of the degree- pharmacology.

By science papers I mean the health sciences that come under their own category for paper numbers, as they are not part of the nursing department, and are used for more than one degree.  Most of my other papers are all nursing based.

Exploration walk across the rocks...

Eloise and I had already decided before we went up that we needed to go and explore the rocks and see where it took us basically, to the bay along the coast a bit.  We were not gone for too long, but we found a few interesting things along the way and took heaps of photos!

Getting over the first of the rocks.. there were lots of oysters to avoid with our hands!

Looking back over the the bach

We found a little seat type thing in a hollowed out rock!!

Just views

Quite a way down from here!

Eloise

Taking photos of each other.. also trying not to fall in (and successfully so!)

My feet dangling from the rocks a couple meters up

Me

We found a tyre buried in the rock/sand and it was jumpable on!!

(There is a video of me actually jumping on it.. just trying to upload it)

Dead crab....

Eloise thinks she's strong.... 

Summer at beach cottage 2014- Day Three

Today was another late start, but also one where we went swimming straight after breakfast was had! We got two swims in that day because it was high tide in the morning and then high tide in the evening.  The water has also been freezing throughout the week, with the winds high and it gets quite chilly quite quickly.  At least there was a warm bath waiting afterwards :).  That night the four of us older ones… well, 13, me, and two adults played monopoly once the little kids were in bed, around 9pm until 1.30 in the morning! ...and I won, it was a not knowing who will win until about an hour before it ended when there was just Carla and I still playing against each other.

One of the photos I have of the beach from the deck- this is about half way in... When the tide is right it you can't see any beach, when it is right out you can see the reef that is past the tip of the rock that you can see out there.

Summer at beach cottage 2014- Day One

Over the course of the past week I have been away at a friends beach cottage in Whangarei Heads with them- total of eight.  We left when I finished work on the Sunday after we had packed up the car and done last minute house things ending up leaving around 6pm I think it was.  We drove up to Whangarei and went and found a warehouse to buy two of the kids beachfeet (swimming shoes) and to try and find one some togs… which we never did find.  Afterwards we did some food shopping and went and got KFC for dinner, arriving at the beach cottage quite late at night.

P.S. I have photos- I just have to upload them to my laptop! 

I'm still doing it...

....And I still try to turn on a completely normal shower how I have been doing for this past week multiple times a day whilst being on holiday up at Whangarei Heads at a friends beach cottage...

I went to go and turn on the shower this morning by trying (and failing) at pushing in the turner thing that you use to turn it on... then I realised. I am back in reality, back in normal everyday bathrooms that use normal shower turners that don't need to use force or anything to turn it on, to make it hot (or even water to come out for that matter).

Did the same trying to turn it off too............

I will have more, LOTS more, to post on that- also including my exam results etc. so stay tuned :)

The first swim of the season

Today I went for my first swim in the sea of the summer season! Actually, the first swim in the sea for ages! I think in two years! I don't go swimming all that much, even in the local swimming pools.  It was kinda cold, with the wind chill but the water was warm when I got under and moved and played around with the kids.  Awesome day and finally swam in the sea again!

After work...

On the drive home from work yesterday I pulled over and decided to take a picture of the road ahead of me, the sun was out with bright blue sky and barely any clouds.  This particular road is lined with palm trees which is a common occurrence around Orewa!

Such a beautiful day!

Back on the bike

And so today, it marked the day of my first time back riding my bike- I had no pain in my knee it was so good! I haven't ridden my bike since at least May (when I had the surgery) and so to be back on it as the warmer weather is showing now, getting warmer leading up to summer!

On the way we stopped for lunch, then we saw the damage from the recent storm that passed through which happened to be at its strongest when it is high tide, on a king tide so the sea levels were rather high and took out a lot of the built up sand around the coast, you can see evidence of this all along the Orewa Beach stretch of the coast which is a good few kilometers long (five I think).  There is barriers all up along the beach front and the grass just goes straight down and all the tree roots are showing- that is all that is holding the beach front.  There is still a lot of debris on the beach as well.

I don't have pictures of the South end of the beach where the damage is a lot worse as the height of the sand/grass walls are a lot higher!!!

Even old steps were uncovered... 

This use to be covered in sand...

Saw this mailbox too- very cool!

We then went and got ice-creams...

And Allie got licks too- her treat :-)

Allie and Traffic Crossings

This video- again taken back in January (last summer) is of Allie crossing at the lights.  As soon as she hears the noise they make for pedestrians to cross now she is off, she knows exactly what it means and when she is allowed to cross!!  So cute!

Walks with Allie last summer

Summer is just over 3 months away!!! So exciting, more swimming and late night walks!
Oh, and the WARMTH!!

Here is a couple of videos of Allie at the beach last summer- she would have been 7 or 8 weeks pregnant (nearly due to pop) that is why she was able to have the leash let go- we were able to easily catch her if need be!!