Whirlwind of Seasons...

I trotted around our Auckland home in jeans and a T-shirt preparing things, packing things, making lists, ticking things off, loading up, for our first Family Snow Trip to Mt Ruapehu, it struck me that the kids dont really know that the snow is actually COLD! They have been making wild plans of snow fights, races, snowy walks, even a Gruffalo hunt, all under the impression that we will be TENTING! But Oh No Rascally people this will be nothing like our usual bathing suit clad camping holidays. It will be cold. "Sure sure" they smile. They have no clue! Oh well, only one way to find out! 

The next morning was the fastest I have ever seen my family get ready and hop in the car! Miracle! Perhaps school could keep a wee bit of snow? We were dressed in every warm and waterproof item of clothing we own, we were ready! And what ensued next was the most fantastic family holiday we have had to date! The Rascals were fabulously well  behaved and honestly, fantastic company! We played, we sleighed, and we embraced the snowy fun that is really only a hop and skip away from our regular sandy shores.

And Boy oh Boy did the weather turn in on for us :) 

We played until we were frozen and dragged ourselves inside to demolish some hot chocolates and the lightest fluffiest scones lathered in jam and cream....

We went for long snowy walks... no Grufallo though much to the Rascals disappointment!

We enjoyed some good old fashioned family fun, board games! And the adults washed it down with some wine ;)

We enjoyed swimming in the  beautifully warm local Geo-thermal pools under the open sky. It even snowed on us while we were swimming! What a magical experience :)

We finished the holiday with one more spectacular day of fun filled snow time before making our way back North towards our home. The further we traveled the more layers we shed and leaving the cold snow behind us. N and I marveled at how far we had come... A mere 3 years ago all we were thinking about was surviving parenthood, now we are actually enjoying it! 

Before we knew it we were back home with a truck load of washing in tow. We arrived home with a happy family and a sea breeze at our back door and some happy little flowery faces in our garden! Hello to our first daffodils! 

So all in three days in the month of August. 

Jeans and Tshirts

Full on Snow Gear

Jeans and Tshirts

Daffodils

Pretty cool country really :) 

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