Everyone and Their Dog

The other night...literally the other night, (So many times I always say "the other night" to start a story and then I correct myself, "Well, it was really a few weeks ago," or "Well, last month." But this time it really was the other day. Two days ago to be exact.) Ashton took me on a really nice date. We live about 10 minutes from the beach and we made a picnic dinner together and then drove down to the beach. We ate and watched all the people out. There were heaps of families out at the beach. It was low tide and so the beach was huge. And not only were the families out, but everyone had brought their dog(s). I swear there just may have been more dogs than people on the beach. It was so enjoyable to watch people spending good quality time together as families and friends and domestic animals.

After our nice dinner, we played a round of mini-beach-golf. We had a golf club and two balls and we would pick random spots on the beach and have to hit the ball to those spots. It was so much fun. A few times, we had some animal interference and had to retrieve our balls, but other than that the game was "smooth sailing".

G'Day Mate

Ashton and I recently returned from a lovely trip to Australia. We had a grand time! Our first stop was in Brisbane where we stayed with Ashton's Mission President and family, the Smiberts. What wonderful hosts they were.

Sis and Pres Smibert with Ashton and Me
This shot is overlooking from a bush walk next to Burleigh Beach
We saw this frilled neck lizard on our bush walk
Famous in Australia
Welcome to Surfers Paradise.
It really is paradise.
A shot of Surfers Paradise
We went and did some baptisms in the Brisbane temple
The Brisbane River runs all around the city.
Many people use the river as transportation.
We are about to jump on the River for a ride home
after our visit to Southbank where they
have a man-made beach in the city!
Before we left Brisbane we went to the worlds oldest
Koala (not bear) reserve and we each held a Koala.
We also got to hop with the Kangaroos and see many other
wildlife native to Australia such as dingoes, wombats,
emus, different birds, echidnas, etc.
Time to eat!
This is a laughing Kookaburra. "Kookaburra sits in the old
gum tree!"

Our next stop was Sydney. We stayed in a hotel and just traveled around the city. It was fantastic. We really fell in love with Australia.

We went to the aquarium in Darling Harbour. The Jellyfish were amazing!
We found Nemo
and Dory.
There were these tunnels that you could walk under and see sharks
and sting rays and sea turtles. It was incredible!
Look at all the sharks!
Darling Harbour at night time. It was beautiful.
While we were there they had a celebration for the Chinese New Year--
Year of the Rat. They had Chinese Dragon Boat Races.
It was pretty cool.
We had a great time at Manly Beach. Most of our day was spent at the wrong beach though.
But luckily we missed the ferry back to Sydney so we could venture and find Manly--where we were supposed to be hanging out that day.
We were able to go see Le Boheme in the opera house.
It was brilliant! What a great opportunity!
Sunday we found a meeting house in the city right by Hyde Park. Unfortunately we didn't know that it was Stake Conference and we didn't know how to get there. A few other visitors also turned up that had just arrived from England and we had our own special little discussion of the lesson. It was a touching experience for all of us. We are grateful for the examples of strong saints all around the world.
We walked around the Royal Bontanical Gardens
which was filled with fruit bats.
Here is a pond filled with life at the gardens.
On our last day in Sydney we met up with our mate Nelson. During the 2000 olympics in Sydney, a local radio station in AZ randomly called Nelson who runs a pancake shop in Sydney. Since then, he has been a favorite on the radio and has fallen in love with AZ. We emailed him and met up. He took us all around to the good local spots in Sydney. It was great to get to know him. And we enjoyed some delicious pancakes at no cost!
Here is a pic of Sydney heads where the Harbour meets the ocean.
The water is beautiful!
Here is Ashton at Bondi Beach. The color of the water is vibrant!
Our last day in Sydney was President's Day. They don't have President's Day of course, but it is a Buswell Family tradition to play 2 games of bowling on President's Day. So we had to keep to our traditions. I did terrible, but Ashton did great. It must have something to do with the water spinning the other way when you flush the toilet on this side of the world.

All in all, we had a great trip to Australia. We loved the people and their laid back attitude. We found their accent easier to understand than the Kiwi accent. The land was beautiful. A lot more creeping insects and spiders. More poisonous things too, especially considering there are none in NZ.

Ashton and I feel very blessed to be able to travel. We have loved seeing different parts of the world and getting to know people and how they live. There is something good we can take from everywhere that we have been to and we are grateful for the things we have learned.

'Otai

I have made a first attempt at recreating the Tongan drink, 'otai. I must say that I think it turned out rather "yum" as the kiwis say. I have asked so many people how to make it and there is no set recipe really. They always tell me to "throw it all in--fruit, ice cream, milk, whatever and then just mix it. Just mix, mix, mix." So that is what I did. Our 'otai had some coconut milk, ice cream, grated coconut, mangoes and peaches, mango nectar, and some other tropical-type juice. I think that most people put coconut and then some type of fruit. I've mostly seen mango and watermelon. Ashton and I are sure this drink will be in heaven. He also thinks buttered chicken will be, but I prefer Thai to Indian so we'll see.

Happy Birthday Ashton!

Last Thursday was Ashton's 26th Birthday! We didn't do a whole ton to celebrate, but we did have the wonderful opportunity of going to the temple down in Hamilton. It is about a 2 hour drive which is so different from our 10 minutes in Provo. Going to the temple as often as we did is something that we really miss. We wish that we lived closer. Regardless, we had a wonderful drive and a beautiful experience in the temple. What a great way also to remember our beloved prophet who recently passed away. As we watched the funeral yesterday, we were instilled with a greater determination to be more like Pres. Hinckley and more like the Savior himself. How grateful we are for prophets on the earth today--especially with inspired vision to build more temples.

We are living with a couple who was baptized only 1 month and a half ago and we have had many discussions with them about the importance and beauty of the temple. We are excited to go with them to do some baptisms and even more excited for them to take their endowment at the end of the year! How glorious to all be in the temple together!

I also thought that I would just take a few minutes to say how much I love my husband. I don't necessarily do that publicly very often, but I think now is as good a time as ever. He is such a good man with such pure intentions. He is a hard worker and one who loves the Lord and his priesthood. He is strong, but gentle. He is serious, but funny. He is smart and kind. We love to just be together doing anything. I am so grateful that he is such a good man and one who always strives to do his best and never settle for mediocrity. I hope every girl has a man or finds a man as good as him! Happy Birthday Ashton. I love you heaps as!

Hiking Rangitoto

Early last week I, along with my mates, went and hiked the dormant volcano that is just a ferry ride away from Auckland. Rangitoto is a beautiful island that is covered in bush and caves. It is about a 45 minute hike to the top where you gain an incredible view of Auckland and the surrounding areas. There are little caves and such along the way. And when reach the bottom after a long hike, there is nothing better than swimming in the sea!

Here is Rangitoto

Here is the view of Auckland from the top

Here is the view opposite of Auckland.
It was so beautiful!

Is That Tarzan?

Here in NZ people don't really go on hikes, the go on bush walks, which is much like a hike, but not as steep like the ones I'm used to in the great mountains of the West. It's a popular thing to do, especially when it is hot (they think hot is like 78 degress and breezy) because you get to walk in the cool shade of the bush. These walks are all over the place. And I really love them. There are so many different kinds of trees and birds and wildlife. They can go nowhere at all or they can end up at the beach or at the top of an old volcano. Here are some pictures from our most recent bush walk.

This is where we started going into the bush

My mates Jean-Luc, Christophe and I by a kauri tree

Jean-Luc and Christophe being very photogenic

I think I see Tarzan

Or maybe that's him?

Happy (Inter)National Pie Day

Not everyone knows about this supreme holiday, but the 23rd of January is National Pie Day in the US. In years past, pie pot lucks have been held, pie parties have been thrown, pie-in-the-face becomes a popular sport.

Although we are miles from the US, we have made a commitment to celebrate Pie Day wherever we may be and carry the spirit of pie day to people around the world.

This year we celebrated by making some non-traditional pies. Whoopie pies are a well known treat in the Pennsylvania dutch country side. They are one of my most favorite things to eat when I go to visit my family in PA.


We also had a taste of a famous New Zealand pie--the meat pie. These pies are much like mini chicken pot pies, but filled with any kind of meat and some kind of sauce. Very delicious--flaky crust, meat, cheese, yummm. They are sold in all the bakeries, grocery stores and even gas stations.


We hope that wherever you were the 23rd of January that you enjoyed a day of pie. If you didn't know about the holiday, we hope that you make a commitment to enjoy a piece of pie next year and in years following.

Happy Pie Day to all!

I Want To Be A Kiwi

Whenever I lived on the East Coast for the summertime, Bethany and I would send before and after pictures to each other all summer long. I have to say that some were gross, but hopefully these here are not.

Here is our before pictures. We are in the car all ready to go.
Little did we know what was really in store for us.

We flew from Salt Lake to Los Angeles. We arrived in LA around 6pm their time. Our flight was supposed to leave at 10:30pm, but didn't actually leave until 6am. The airline gave us a voucher to eat dinner and sleep at the Marriott. We ate dinner and then got a few hours rest and then back to the airport. We boarded the plane around 4am and then took off around 6am. It was so awful...for Ashton. I slept the whole time so it wasn't that bad.

Beautiful, hot Fiji. We are excited to stay here in May

We flew to Fiji where it was hot as. I think they said it was around 85 deg. It was hot and muggy and I was wearing a sweater because it was cold in UT. That was a bad idea, but a good idea because it was cold in UT and on the airplane, but in Fiji--bad idea. The airline and held the plane for us so that we could make it here to NZ.

Here is Fiji from the airplane. Doesn't it look spectacular?
That reef will be fun to snorkel in!

So, after approx 30 hours of traveling, we made it to NZ where a good friend, Phillip, picked us up and brought us to his place and gave us a car to use for the duration of our stay here. We hung out with his family a while and then came up to the Glover's home where we are staying.

Here are the "after " pictures.
We look so worn and exhausted--because we are!
But at least we are still #1 (according to Ashton)!

They have a lovely home and have been so wonderful and kind to us. We have enjoyed playing with their grandkids. (Ashton really needed someone to play with.) We went to the beach yesterday and went fishing and played with the Kayak.

We went running yesterday. It is just so wonderful here. I can see why people love to be outside here.

Needless to say, I wish I were a kiwi. No, not the kind you eat, or not the kind with feathers, but the kind of person that lives in NZ. The one with the "sweet as" attitude, the one that is so warm, the one that is giving, the one that is open and friendly, the one that is kind. And they all have great tans here! I've started to pick up an accent a bit. That is kind of fun. I started my nice tan yesterday. It's all those other attributes that I need to work on most.

Off to a (good?) start

So the new year has finally arrived. We were invited to spend some time with our dear friends Tim and Tanya to bring in the new year. They made us this amazing dinner and we watched Bourne Ulitmatum and then watched the world famous ball drop.

The next few days of the new year was great. We had a little snowboarding/skiing trip up to Brighton, watched some good football games (and some not so good ones). We helped watch our niece and nephew while Emily had her new baby boy which she finally named Adam Thomas.



And then the accident. We are trying to sell our car so we will only have one when we come back from NZ. We don't need two car payments while we are gone. I went to the store to pick up some things to help pack and on my way out of the parking lot I caused a little accident. What a way to ruin a good start to the new year. Nobody was hurt, which was good. But what terrible timing! Right as we are selling our car. A week before we move to NZ. What a headache!

Luckily, my dear friend Brittany was in town and I got to go hang out with her and talk it all out and then get it off my mind.

Ashton and I have been so blessed to have so many good friends. We will miss so many people while we are away in NZ and then for the summer also, but we know it will be a good experience for us. We hope to make more lasting friendships as time goes on. If anyone wants to talk to us via internet just download skype from skype.com and we can talk for free!

And thanks to Tanya and Jeremy for that amazing Jewish meal they prepared. Well mostly Tanya prepared. We'll be in touch!