Educated and Unemployed

Well, Tyler has actually done it. He graduated from high school. To be honest
it was pretty cool to take a photo with the three of us in our gowns.
With Felicia teaching high school history and me teaching physics, we ended up sitting with the rest of the faculty while Sydney and Galen sat with friends in our family row of seats.
I think this is the first family photo we have taken in several years.
We have cleaned out the garage and started on the closets as we prepare the house for our departure. Our social calendar is filled with visits to friends for farewell dinners and we will even have a farewell block party next weekend. Galen's All-Star baseball team will be playing on the next two weekends and then everyone is off to Hume Lake for their annual camp. Felicia and I will go straight from Hume to LAX for my flight, and then the rest of the family will follow after they get back from Hume the following week. We are all excited about the move and the life that awaits us in NZ. I am looking forward to posting regular updates once we arrive.

44 and Counting

According to my calculations, I will be arriving in Christchurch in 44 days to commence our year with the hobbits. The only unfortunate part is that I will actually have to work while there which will put a crimp in the exploration effort. That and the kids having to go to school will hinder our overall fun, but we're still pretty sure that it will be an excellent adventure. Felicia and the kids have purchased their plane tickets and will be meeting up with me on the 16th. We have rented a home in Rolleston for the first two months of our adventure and will be exploring the neighborhoods prior to our home shift in mid-September. The ski slopes open on May 30th, so it will be quite a transition in July when we arrive. We're putting the finishing touches on our move from Yucca Valley while also preparing for Tyler's high school graduation. We're looking forward being able to update the blog with photos from down under to ensure that those who want to enjoy a little break from reality can do so.

Tyler's future is so bright, he's got to wear shades.

The excitement is building and we are really getting ready for the move down under. Now there are 6 of us invading the South Island as we are bringing Tyler's friend Nick to spend his college summer vacation with us. We're really hoping that he can keep an eye on Tyler as they are looking to play every golf course on the island, and maybe a couple on the North Island also. Heck, they may even make a trip to Australia to see if they can hit golfballs there too. Only 5 weeks of school left here before Tyler graduates, Felicia and I are really looking forward to the break from teaching, and Sydney and Galen are actually getting excited about the move. We should be purchasing our plane tickets this week and the visa packets will be submitted in a few days. We look forward to vacation visits from any and all friends who have always dreamed of visiting the land of hobbits.

64 days and counting.

Update on the move

As we rapidly approach the 3-month mark of our move down under, we are realizing that our time to get ready is quickly evaporating. Had the big garage sale yesterday and rid ourselves of much of the "essential stuff" that had filled our garage and closets for the past 6 years. Somebody even bought the old "Mini-Nightmare Champion 1998" baseball cap. Don't worry, I still have the rock, in case anyone disputes the award. Memories of shoes being left in the mud come rushing back to mind. Still awaiting word from the NZ Ministry of Health, but not expecting any issues on that end so we will be submitting our visas in the coming month. Ordering a math textbook for Sydney so that she can be sure to be on track when she arrives in the middle of 10th grade. Not too worried about Galen as his main focus is playing rugby and snowboarding when we arrive. Tyler will be given a backpack upon arrival and will hopefully stay out of the local legal system until he returns for school in January. I'll just give him directions to Rick's house in the event he needs to perform hard labor to earn spending money. All in all, the move preps continue to go smoothly and we are really looking forward to the transition from desert sand to total green surroundings.

JS XC at the first meet, before uniforms

Gonna miss those runners

While we are all excited about the temporary move to New Zealand, one part of my life here that I am really going to miss is my cross-country team. We were able to start a running program here at Joshua Springs with a group of middle-school runners who went from a motley crew of joggers to a team of fantastic runners. Here is a photo of our award winners from the end of the year Middle School XC Championship Race in Moreno Valley. With the entire team looking forward to the 2009 season and hoping to recruit even more runners, there is a lot of excitement of things to come. Unfortunately, I will be coaching via internet training plans and the team will be in the hands of one of the dad's who will do everything he can to keep the kids motivated in my absence. Hopefully, within a couple of years, we will have a highly competitive varsity team training in the hills of Yucca Valley.
Good Luck JS Cross Country!