The Milstens

Christmas Greetings

2009-12-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

As we have been preparing for this wonderful season, I find myself pondering the very first Christmas. I am finding the story come to new life after our birthing experience this past winter. I think of Mary riding to Bethlehem on the back of a donkey 9 months pregnant. Whereas I rode 2 hours in a nice, warm car with seat heaters. Mary was in her late teens. I was 30. Jeff and I were expected and welcomed at the hospital, where the Inn had no room for Joseph and Mary. They were alone in a cold, stinky stable with barn animals all around them. We were surrounded by nurses and doctors in our warm, comfy suite. But through all the major differences, I can relate to the sheer JOY of bringing a healthy baby into the world. And although Finley definitely is not Jesus- I can only imagine Mary and Joseph’s first year as parents- as it has been a blessing like none other for us- minus the not so Silent Nights!

Our lives have been a little flipped upside down or right side up…but for the better. First, for those who have not yet met Finley, he is what most refer to as a “busy” boy. Now at 10 months, he loves people- especially the ladies! He glows with glee when he is outside-no matter the temperature. And yes, he loves SNOW! He loves to crawl, climb, dance, wiggle, high five, and smile (with his 2 teeth- although he is hoping for his 2 front teeth for Christmas). The only thing that we have found Finley does not like is sleep.

For Jeff and me, this year was full of adventure- besides the baby! First, Finley, Porter, and I had the great opportunity to head up to Beyond Malibu Base Camp for 2 weeks this summer with Jeff. Instead of waiting and wondering at home how the training the guides was going, we were right there- listening to nightly radio calls, meeting the amazing staff and helping where ever we could. Soon after we returned home to the Washington Family Ranch, my sister and her family came down to participate in Family Camp! Many, many memories made. We also had the rest of my family visit in July, and then we went to the Kuhlmann Lake Cabin for a weekend in August! Finishing off our summer, we took a family vacation to Black Butte Ranch with the Milstens, where we all hiked, played in the pool, rode bikes, and hung out! An ideal vacation for sure.

This past winter, I left my throne as the Queen of Clean and took a new part time position as the Intern Coordinator for our Year Round Intern Program. I love having the new flexibility and variety from working at home- although some days it’s hard to juggle the many hats I wear. But overall, I am very blessed by the new roles and new friendships with other moms in the community.

Jeff continues to serve in the Maintenance at the Ranch. In the spring, he leads the training of the Beyond Guides- ending with the final 10 day training in the mountains in June- this was his 7tth year. This January, he will be heading down to California to take a month long Wilderness EMT course. We are both excited for this great opportunity for him to learn new skills- although bummed to be apart for a month.

Overall as we reflect on our year past, we find ourselves to be thankful. Thankful for our families. Thankful for our friends. Thankful for nearly 8 great years of marriage. Thankful for the start of our little family. Thankful for jobs that we both enjoy. We can only hope you have many blessings in this year to come!

Merry Christmas!

Jen

Recreation 101

2009-05-31T07:05:00.000-07:00

Well, as the child of Jeff and Jen Milsten- playing is in my genes. And this past month was just a glimpse of the fun to come. So I’m calling May- Recreation 101. The month started out with me participating in 2 races in Spokane- the Marmot March (for us little guys) and Bloomsday. As you can see I took my role in race very seriously- therefore I slept for most of the 12k.

Then my Dad had a Beyond Training up at Mt. Baker. That was cool. I really like the snow and the mountains. In fact, I was so overwhelmed by all the cool people I met and starring at all the beautiful mountains- I once again took a nap to recuperate- the snow and foamie combination made a sweet crib.

And lastly a few days ago, my parents had this crazy idea to go to the pool here at the Ranch. It was AWESOME! Swimming in the giant bathtub was super cool. Just call me Fin the Swimmer. But after doing a few laps, I had to grab a little shut eye. Ahh.

So that’s it for now. Our family’s next big recreation adventure will be in a few weeks when we all (my puppy Porter included) head up to Beyond Base Camp for a couple weeks. I’m super pumped! Stay tuned.

From One Adventure to the Next

2009-03-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

So this has been a draft for month- never got published....we'll get it figured out one of these days.

Jeff and I realized recently it had been a year since we boarded the plane on our way to New Zealand. Crazy to think that 51 weeks later, we commenced on our next great adventure with the birth of little Finley. In the spirit of adventure, I thought that before my motherly amnesia kicked in, I need to recount the crazy adventure of Finleys birth day.

So we had tenatively planned to be induced at 6am Monday morning before our doctor left for her maternity leave (kinda cool). Sunday night we set out alarms to go off at 3:30am and we'd be ready to roll at 4am to the Dalles. Here's the play by play just in case.

2am- Jen wakes up with contractions averaging 8-10 minutes apart

3am- Decide to wake up, shower?, and get ready to leave

4am- Loaded in the car ready to go, contractions more like 5-6 minutes apart. I definately do not encourage taking on Muddy road while having contractions.

5:30am- 30 minutes out of the Dalles, contractions 3-4 minutes apart. Ooops. Jen's water broke.

6:00am- Arrive at the hospital. Way to go Jeff! While walking in the doors of the Emergency Room I have this really strong urge to push?! Something tells me this is not good.

6:15am- Get into Labor and Delivery room, nurse decides to see how dialated I was before calling Dr. Pentapolus to come in. Diagnosis...call the doctor now!

6:30am- Dr. Pentapolus arrives and finally have the green light to follow the urges and push.

7:16am- Finley Robert enters the world!

Jen

Finley's First Photo Album

2009-02-12T15:24:00.001-08:00

More pictures from the big day- Enjoy!

http://jmilsten.smugmug.com/gallery/6183257_J43Bk#472569022_259Jd

Indroducing Finley!

2009-02-09T13:55:00.001-08:00

Finley Robert Milsten born February 9th, 2009 at 7:16am weighing 8 pounds, 14.1 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long.

More pictures and stories to follow!

Jen's Ways to Pass the Time

2009-02-03T17:26:00.000-08:00

As I have been patiently waiting for Finley, I have found a few things to pass the time away.

1.) Cleaning house. Although I don't know if my ragged carpet can handle another pass of my vacuum, it brings great comfort to me knowing that our return from the hospital will be to a sparkling house.

2.) Taking walks. I have thoroughly enjoyed the warm 50 degree afternoons walking around the loop of camp trying to take advantage of gravity to help Finley along. This has also been a great time of fellowship with friends, although the swollen cankles are a sad result.

3.) Painting the belly. Might as well make the most of it and get the local camp artist Kathi to bring laughter to the physical awkwardness. We went with the fish bowl not only because it's as round as my belly, but for our future swimmer Fin.

Ah, the things to pass the time...

Christmas in January

2009-01-31T17:02:00.000-08:00

Imagine it's Christmas morning, you are 5 years old. You wake up with an intense excitement to see what has been left for you under the tree. Mom and Dad are there to meet you and tell you that it isn't time to open presents....not yet. Maybe in the next hour, day, or next week. No one really knows. You'll get to open them, just not right now.

Yesterday was the "due date" (whatever that means), and we are still waiting for Finley's grand entrance. We'll keep you posted.....

The waiting game has begun

2009-01-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

After Christmas, we began going to the doctor every week in anticipation of Finley. For most of you, that might not be a big deal. But when the doctor's office is 2 hours away.....let's just say I could probably drive the road blindfolded....but I won't...that would silly.

We've had sun, fog, snow, ice, rain, road construction....needless to say, God has prepared me for whatever could come my way during Jen's last pregnant drive.

So we've had 2 of these weekly visits now....we wait for a few minutes in the waiting room, Jen get's weighed, pees in a cup, we wait a few more mintes in the exam room, Doctor comes in, checks Finley's heart beat, measures Jen's belly, we ask a few questions, our Doctor shares a few of her experiences (She's also pregnant, due a month after us), then we're off....2 hours back home. And we get to do it all over again in a week. Total time in the doctor's office? Around 15 minutes...on a slow day.

We could have a total of 3 more of these visits. The due date is January 30th, but the baby could come at any time. My bet in on early February. Maybe I should start a poll....I'm going for February 5th.

The best part is all of our friends here at the ranch who've gone into the doctor thinking they were in labor only for the doctor to tell them...."Nothing yet! Come back tomorrow and we'll check again!" We'll be checking into the local Shilo Inn if we hear those words.

Ok- so as I read what I've written, it sounds so blah, dull, like I'm stuck in a broken record. This experience for the last 8 1/2 months has been great- I wouldn't trade it for anything.

But now we are ready- ready for a huge life change- a new person in our home. Finley's room is set up and ready to go. Diapers are stacked ready for him to "use." As you can see from the pictures, Porter is even starting to get excited...so excited that he licked Jen's belly...I know...he's weird.

Needless to say- we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our son. More to follow.

Jeff

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

We have had quite the eventful year! And as we begin to describe this amazing nearly seven years of marriage, only one word really can simply encompass it all- that is JOY!

J is for Journeys. I wish that we have clocked all the miles we travelled this year. From our New Years Beyond Malibu Reunion adventure driving to Winter Park Colorado from Oregon and all the tremendous amounts of snow that we saw! Shortly after that trip, we (and about 4000 other Young Life Staff from around the world) spent a week in Orlando worshipping together, being refreshed together and of course, playing together. Lastly, the trip of all trips. Our nearly month long adventure to New Zealand! We took a long lay over in the Cook Islands for a few days to rest and to prepare for all the travelling, kayaking, and hiking we were about to embark on. It truly was monumental time together seeing the “southern alps” and majestic scenery half a world away.

O is for Opportunities. We still live and work at Wildhorse Canyon- now known as the Washington Family Ranch. The camp has received a $30 million dollar donation to start a second camp designed especially for middle school kids- this new project alone has great opportunities to dream and help design our little niches of camp. Jeff also continues to have the amazing opportunity to help train the new Beyond Malibu guides each spring and then finish the training with 2 weeks up in the gorgeous Princess Louisa Inlet and the mountains of British Columbia. Jen actually is going through big changes this year. After 6 years as the Housekeeping Queen of Clean, she is stepping down to take on a new position as the Intern Coordinator. She is really excited about the opportunity to continue to love and lead the interns here.

Y is for Youngster or the Youngest Milsten. As many of you now know that in about month, our lives will be changed forever as we welcome Finley Robert into our home. We are due January 30th and praying for safe travel on winding roads to The Dalles in the middle of winter. J Of course, we (maybe more Jen than Jeff) are nervous, anxious, scared, but more than anything ridiculously excited about the new chapter of our life with addition of our son.

We hope that as you begin your new year, that you too will find JOY, even in the smallest amounts, each day! Merry Christmas!

He (and she's) growing!!

2008-10-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Well, he is definitely getting bigger, which means Jen is getting bigger as well. He's starting to move a lot- but I've only felt him once. Whenever Jen grabs my hand so I can feel it, he quits....not sure if he's scared of me or just shy....

We've been making our rounds throughout the state over the past month or so; the Columbia River Gorge, the Cascades and next is the coast- so hopefully we'll get some pictures and more updates up soon....we need to get better at this!

In the meantime, here are some of my recent pictures.

~Jeff

It's a BOY!

2008-09-23T21:00:00.001-07:00

Well, it’s been a while since we have updated our blog. So here are a few things to catch you up. First, we’re PREGNANT! We are about 21 weeks along, everything is going great, and the due date is around January 30th. Second, we just found out yesterday, it’s a BOY! The name is still TBA.

Profile of the baby- you can see the side of his face in the middle and his knee is up by the word FEET.

He's a bit shy is this very cool 3-D picture- you can see his nose and mouth but the rest of his face is covered by his hands and arms.

Proof that it's a boy....just look for the arrow.....

This year in general has been quite an adventure for us- between travels and now the new addition to our family. The biggest theme we’re learning is just trusting in the Lord that He knows what is best for us and His timing is perfect. More updates and pictures to be coming soon!

Beyond Malibu 10 Day Training

2008-08-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it only took me a month, but I finally got through all the pictures from my time up at Beyond Malibu. For the last 7 years, I’ve been involved with training mountain guides for their summer of leading trips. The training consists of numerous weekends throughout the spring, then wrapping up with a week in the field up in the Coast Ranch of British Columbia- their first Beyond trip of the summer….and an amazing week it always is.

30 of us started at sea level and made it up to Sun City our first night, almost 5,000 higher than where we started. We woke up to a great view for our first training session. From here, we took a short hike up to Contact Lakes where we spent 2 night while working on our rock climbs and rappel setups and enjoying some time in the snow Then came what has always been my favorite day of the trip, and this year was no different. We went out on a glacier in search of a crevasse big enough for all of us to "fall" into so we could practice pulling each other out. Needless to say....we found a good one.

Steven, Ryan, and Joe, checking out the crevasse.

Tessa waiting to be rescued

We slept great that night...one of the few nights we were able sleep outside due to the treat of wet or snowy weather. The next day was up and over Sun Peak, 7,200 feet above sea level and then we began the decent back down. We spent 2 more nights, one my favorite Beyond campsite, Maurey's Mound. The view here of the inlet down below is amazing. It was yet another great Beyond Malibu 10 day training. Now the guides are in the middle of their 8 weeks of trips, each one guiding about 4 trips. And I am back at home enjoying the heat of hundreds of high school and middle school kids of Wildhorse Canyon.

More Picures

Jen is 30!

2008-05-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

Well....it has been a few months....but Jen did turn 30 on March 24th. Jen was surprised by a visit from both of our families for Easter weekend as well as a ragin' Bunko party with friends and family.

And Easter wouldn't be complete without our nephew running around the yard searching for eggs.

The Journey

2008-03-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun map we created highlighting our trip throughout New Zealand- Click on the map for a full screen version. As you can see- there is a lot we didn't see....so I guess we'll have to go back!!

Jeff

Mt. Cook National Park

2008-03-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

So after our delicious beers at the Mountaineer’s Bar, we headed to this classic, rugged, New Zealand Alpine Club hut for the night. Once again our American Alpine Club pays off with a discount. I feel like this hut more than any other led to fun conversations with folks from all over the world with the same desire and love of the mountains.

The next morning we started our final tramp in New Zealand to the Ball Glacier at the base of Mt. Cook. We were a bit surprise to find that our tramp was pretty much on a gravel road that the 4-Runner could have easily done 75% of the road without any issues. So the road mixed with the threat of rain all day made for an interesting day. After a short 3 hour hike we arrived at our home for the next 2 nights, the Ball Shelter. Although it doesn’t look as sophisticated as our other huts, this little shelter is full of interesting history and fulfilled it’s purpose on the windy nights. This cozy shelter housed 5 of us a night- which was a sosh on the tight side, but it kept the shelter warm at night.

The next day we day hiked up a ridge (a ridge ridge with cliffs on both sides- somewhat unnerving for me) for incredible views of the Caroline Face of Mt. Cook. At first, we were frustrated as the clouds flew over the top of the mountains and our stellar view was blocked. But after a hunkered down picnic, the clouds finally parted and the views down the valley were gorgeous and Mt. Cook himself incredibly impressive, making the wait well worth it.

Yesterday, we hiked out, hopped into Sunny-D and headed to Queenstown. Our final destination before we finally fly home. So our last days will be spent cleaning gear (so we don’t get stopped at Customs) and reorganizing all our stuff and soaking up the last bit of New Zealand life.

Jen

Mt. Cook

2008-03-07T13:34:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we traveled up to Mt. Cook- the tallest mountain in New Zealand. We’ve had many amazing views from the car during our trip- and yesterday’s drive was nothing less. The peak came into view about and hour before we made it to Mt. Cook Village.

Today, we head into the bush for 3 days. A little rain falling right now- but should clear out sometime tomorrow.

By the way, the Mountaineer’s Bar in Mt. Cook Village has got a pretty incredible view to enjoy a beer by.

Jeff

Fjordland National Park

2008-03-05T23:40:00.000-08:00

We’ve spend the last 24 hours in or near Fjordland National park- the far Southwest corner of the South Island. Fjordland is characterized by the many fjords and finger-like lakes around the area….they got real creative with the name. It is beautiful here- reminds us a lot of the Jervis and Princess Louisa Inlets that surround Malibu in British Columbia.

Yesterday, we left the Mt. Aspiring area after spending the morning in Wanaka- a mini version of Bend, OR. Big ski town in the winter and outdoor playground in the summer. We set out for the 4 plus hour drive to Te Anau, gateway to Fjordland. The drive took a bit more than 4 hours since we got distracted by a brewery, winery, and cheesery along the way. We also passed by the Southern 45 degree parallel- so we are exactly half a world away from Oregon!! The North 45th parallel runs just north of Wildhorse Canyon.

We left Te Anau at 6am this morning to drive out to Milford Sound, the only fjord that can be driven to, to catch a 2 hour boat cruise of the sound. It was amazing- clear day, calm water, 22 people on a boat built to hold 75, coffee, tea and soup included, and incredible scenery!! The weather was a blessing since we drove through some good rain and wind the day before…and Fjordland gets over 200 days of rain a year, our odds weren’t very good. Our hope was to hire (that’s New Zealand for rent) kayaks for the day, but they only offer expensive guided tours- they are worried about all the overseas visitors they get that have no experience. So we settled for the cruise, but were pleasantly surprised on how great it was.

On the way through the park to Milford Sound- you drive through the Homer Tunnel- built during New Zealand’s Version of the Works Progress Administration. Hand dug in the 1930’s and 40’s by hundreds of men. It is 1.2km long and has tons of rock above it. The lights inside don’t turn on until 9am so when we hit it at 7am- it was a fun experience!

So, one more night in Te Anua at our pristine Holiday Park tent site, then off the Mt. Cook, another amazing New Zealand National Park.

Jeff

Meet Sunny de White

2008-03-05T23:30:00.001-08:00

This has been the third member of our travel team for the past 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles). It’s a bit of a tired car- it can barely pull a hill in 4th gear- but we like him. The trunk is spacious, holds all our gear. But most of it overflows into the back seat anyways. Besides, the trunk started emitting a musty smell a day or two ago….we aren’t sure where that is coming from.

And yes, New Zealanders drive on the left side of the road- so the driver’s seat is on the right side. And of course, the only car available was a manual. So not only did I have to learn how to drive on the left side, I had to do it while shifting with my left hand. At least the pedals are in the same location as they are in the US. So driving as been an adventure- the turn signal and wiper controls are opposite- so needless to say, the wipers have run a few times as I get ready to turn. And on the first day, there were a few times where my right had instinctively reached for the gear shifter and slammed into the door. But after 2 weeks, I think I’ve got it down…just in time to come home and go back to driving on the right side of the road…..

Jeff

Mt. Aspiring National Park

2008-03-04T00:24:00.000-08:00

Pre-cursor to Mt. Aspiring Nat’l Park

New Zealand is very green and lush. And with that there is a cost…Rain…and 200mm of it! So as we hunkered down for the night in our tent in the Fox Glacier Holiday Park and said good night to the towering Mt. Cook, the rain started to trickle. Oh, how nice and soothing- nature’s very own white noise. We were cozy and content until the wind started to pick up. No big deal. A little heavier winds and heftier gusts. Finally at 1:30am and no sleep, we did what any logical person would do…we packed up the tent and slept in the car. Just for clarification, the winds were so strong that some of the gusts rocked the car a bit.

The following morning (the day we were intending to start our 4 day tramp aka hike) it was still raining. But with the rain, came more waterfalls than we could count off the highway, rivers that were once little trickles became massive, powerful waterways, and of course made us appreciate the sun, whenever it would return.

Mt. Aspiring National Park

Our first day in the park was full of surprises…here are just a few…
Sweet Surprise: With our American Alpine Club membership we saved over $100 in hut fees! Sweet!
Bitter Sweet Surprise: In our drive down a washboard road to the trailhead, we had to ford multiple “creeks.” Or what once was a creek and now a fine river in the making due to all the rain. (We are in a small Nissan sedan- super low clearance.)
Bitter Sweet Surprise: We were only able to go through one of the six fords, we have to part with car and hike the remainder 4km (about 2.5 miles).
Sweet Surprise: If only we had our 4-runner to plow through all the fords. Oh, wait here comes one to our rescue. A gracious kiwi couple going to the trailhead offered us a ride! Good thing the back was empty and spacious.

After that is was all good. A 2 hour hike in the rain to an amazing little hut nestled in the base of the mountains with a fireplace, running water, and loads of bunks. Hardly seems like camping, but we were not complaining.

Day 2: Aspiring Hut to French Ridge Hut
When the tramping books says “moderate” tramp, that translates into super steep slope on slippery rocks and roots with risk of death. Maybe a bit on the dramatic side, but I definitely had my moments. The day was long, and climbed over 3000 feet in vertical forest to reach our next hut. The trail actually reminded us a great deal of Beyond territory, so at least we had a bit of nostalgia to motivate us.

The hut was great- not quite as plush as the Aspiring Hut, but with a hot dinner and loads of Dymo (the infamous Kuhlmann Family card game). We were happy campers.

Day 3: French Ridge Hut and Beyond
The clouds were parting and words cannot express the overwhelming joy in our hearts to see the sun and the glorious glaciated peaks! Just look at the pictures. No words can express how many hours my jaw was dropped wipe open in awe.

Day 4: French Ridge Hut to the town of Wanaka
Long, steep hike back down to the valley floor and out to our car. Although, now that the rain had passed we were able to see all the mountains towering above us, including one of the most famous- Mt. Aspiring. (Some refer to it as the Matterhorn of the southern Alps.) The hike out was much more enjoyable- not to mention all the local cattle we had the privilege of hiking beside.

Jen

We made it to New Zealand!

2008-02-28T00:14:00.000-08:00

North Island, New Zealand

Our adventure in New Zealand hit a few minor roadblocks during the first few days. On our first full day, we traveled from Auckland to Taupo with hopes of hiking Tongariro Crossing- one of New Zealand’s best day hikes. But the rain and low clouds prevented shuttle operators from running their buses, which is how you get from the end of the trail back to your car. So we decided to seek out the sunshine which was on the East Coast- smack in the middle of Hawks Bay wine country!! So I guess it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. However- in the midst of all the traveling- my cold flared up again- so we had to lay low for a day or two.

In looking for a bed for the night (we are trying to camp as much as possible), I heard on the phone a hostel having a cabin available, so we headed over to get our room. When we arrived, I realized they said caravan, not cabin….It can be difficult to understand the accent over the phone….check out the picture of our sweet caravan for the night!

The next morning, we headed down to Wellington (NZ’s capital city), and spend much of the day in Te Papa, a very interesting museum on New Zealand’s history. Wellington reminded us both a lot of Seattle- not only the light rain that was falling most of the day, but the feel of the city and its location on the water made us feel at home, at least for a day. The next day, we boarded the ferry for a 3 hour journey to the South Island.

Abel Tasman National Park- South Island

Finally- our first sunny day. We awoke to clear skies and this beautiful sunrise. We were about to head out into Abel Tasman National Park for 2 days of sea kayaking and this was a very welcoming sign. We’ve only been kayaking a few times- but according to the equipment manager of the shop we were renting from- we’ve been to some of the gems- and he said Abel Tasman was a perfect addition to our list- so we were stoked!! Clear skies and an amazing sea kayaking destination before us.

As we paddled north- we fought the northerly “sea breeze” most of the afternoon. “Breeze” was a bit of an understatement- but we stayed upright. The coast was amazing- white sandy beaches scattered among rocky coastline- the water was deep blue and warm- we felt as if we were in some tropical destination. We camped at Medlands Beach- a small, quiet campsite that was perfect for us. The popularity of Abel Tasman is evident in the number of boats zipping up and down the coast all day long and the countless other kayaks we passed along the way. The coastline is also a very popular hiking track- so there are many campsites and huts that dot the shoreline. We hiked over to one, Bark Bay- it had over 50 campsites and I’d say it was half full….we loved our site even more once we saw that. There were only 4 tents at Medlands Beach.

Avalanche Peak, Arthur’s Pass

Within an hour of unloading our boats- we were back in the car for a 5 ½ hour drive up to Arthur’s Pass for one of the other “best day hikes in New Zealand.” We’ve only got a few weeks- we’ll rest when we get home!

Avalanche Peak is a 6000 foot peak directly above Arthur’s Pass with incredible 360 degree views of the surrounding mountain range. We were glad to be in the mountains, even if only for a day. New Zealand’s mountains are very different than what we are used to from the Northwest. The mountains themselves resemble those of the Rockies- but the vegetation is unique- trees we’ve never seen before- and lots of grasses above tree line. But the glaciers down here are just as amazing as those of North America.

We’re here at Arthur’s Pass Village for one more night- then off down the West Coast. Unfortunately, rain is in the forecast for the next couple of days- we are hoping to start a 4 day trek on Saturday (Friday for you)- so we hope the weather cooperates.

Jeff

More pictures

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

2008-02-21T23:49:00.000-08:00

Day 1:

3am leave Wildhorse Canyon
6am Wheels up from Redmond
9am-2pm Hanging out in the LA Airport (whoa)
2pm-7pm Bail on the airport- bus-train-bus to Redondo beach (one more place in Cali we could never live)
10:30pm attempt to leave while “electrical problem” is fixed- comforting when we’re about to fly over the big blue ocean for 9.5 hours.

Day 2:

6am Land in Rarotonga- greeted by HUGE tropical rainstorm- soaked during the 2 minute walk from plane to Customs building.
10am check into Rarotonga Backpackers. Sweet view from our room.
The rest of the day was spent exploring the island. Chickens roam freely. Bananas and coconuts grow naturally here. The water resembles glacier pools in their teal blue color but about 40 degrees warmer. Found lots of black pearl shops- ridiculously expensive. Sad Jen.

Day 3:

Today we woke up and had coffee and breakfast while watching the waves crash not too far off from our deck. After 10 minutes of fixing the brakes on our free hostel bikes (definitely no bike intern here), we started our adventure to bike around the island (32km). We picnicked on the sandy white beaches and enjoyed some sweet snorkeling. It was almost like we were in a scene from “Finding Nemo” all the fun, colorful, zippy fish. Time to nurse a few minor sunburns since today we were blessed with 85 degree sunny day and wait for the sun to set right outside our beach bungalow.

Day 4:

We have successfully completed our journey across the island- through the thick of the jungle. So now we have not only biked the circumference of the island, but also hiked the diameter as well. I know, I’m a math geek. J Luckily, our sweet Beyond skills of route finding came in handy. From there we loaded onto a really, really big plane (Boeing 777) and flew to NEW ZEALAND… more on that to come later…

Jen

We're going to New Zealand!

2008-02-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our blog! Our hope is to share the adventure of our upcoming trip to New Zealand with our friends and family. We've been dreaming about this trip for years and the dream finally became a reality when we bought tickets to fly halfway around the world last September. And on February 17th, we will be off!

We will make a short, 3 day stop in the Cook Islands to enjoy the beach, go snorkling, explore the island, and have some of those drinks with the little umbrella in them. Then we are off to New Zealand for some exploring, hiking, climbing, kayaking, and in serch of the great beer and wine from down under.

So sit back, relax, and let us bring the beauty and wonder of the land of the Kiwi to your computer screen.

Jeff & Jen