Premadasa Family

Pictures

2010-07-18T04:38:00.000-07:00

When i get the chance this week sometime i am going to post some pictures and if i am game enough some video. Zachary has grown up so much i need to add some recent stuff. but even photos from his birthday (4 months ago). I have made a promise to myself to get this done.

Happy Anniversary!!!

2010-04-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

As of April 29th, 2010, Kishan and I have been married for FOUR years!!! Crazy ain't it!?!

Things that have changed since we got marriend in 2006:

1. We graduated from University
2. We are living in New Plymouth, New Zealand
3. We have an adorable son ( 13 months)
4. We are a two car family
5. We have both gained like 40 lbs....lol
6. We actually have money in the bank, savings not just to pay bills

The plan tonight (as today is the 30th, yesterday we were both working):

1. Drop Zachary off at The Blanfords (THANKS HEAPS!!!)
2. Go and get some good food (probably the all you can eat Mongolian BBQ, heard it was really good!!!)
3. Go watch a movie (our first in who knows how long! Actually we havent seen a movie properly since we left Hawaii. We tried to go watch Avatar, but Zachary wasnt having any of it and so Kishan graciously left and let me watch the end. DONT TAKE BABIES TO MOVIES!)

Love you Darling! Happy Anniversary!

The happenings as of late...

2010-04-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

This will be yet another photoless post as i have been too lazy to upload the photos to the computer. Ok well here goes:

1. We have just come back to New Plymouth after about 5 long weeks in Palmerston North. Farmers opened a brand new store in the newly expanded Plaza Mall and Kishan was part of a team that came from all over the counrty to help put the store together. It looks great, and the mall is pretty impressive now, whereas before it was more of an eye sore. It would definately hold up to some in the US and Australia, with a bunch of new stores that make shopping there so much more fun. And to top if off, they offer 2 hours free parking!!!

2. I went back and forth between New Plymouth and Palmerston North for the first couple of weeks as i still had to work. Baby stayed down there and was looked after by an amazing woman Sister Poutu during the day. It was hard to leave him, but it was easier to have him there and find someone to look after him during the day than it was for the night. I missed him terribly, but it was only 4 days at a time.

3. My brother got Married!!! It was awesome, i was a bridesmaid. Eli and Sam got married at a beautiful lodge and he even shead a tear when sam walked down the isle. She looked so beautiful. I was crying even before i walked down, lol. The reception was cool. They hired a DJ but people didnt really dance. But not to worry, Zachary made up for it by becoming the centre of attention and dancing the night away. I dont think he even had a nap that day becuase he was so excited by what was going on around him. But that kid sure can boogie!!!! Sam's relatives from South Africa asked if they could take him home with them. He is so cute.

4. If you didnt know already, Zachary is walking and has been for a wee while now. He is really good at it, and even has the nerve to run sometimes.

5. My brother and his wife and 2 boys came from Australia for the wedding. It was AWESOME to spend time with them. It was the first time they met Kishan, and they got on like a house on fire. My brother(s) and Kishan are very aloke, and enjoy many of the same things. Their eldest boy, Darcy, became the apple of Zachary's eye. Bubba just couldnt get enough of him. He misses him dearly. Their youngest, Jarvis, just likes to bully Zachary (he is 10 months older), but Zachary took it like a man. Although He has taught Zachary a few things, like CLIMBING. It was nice at first, but now it is annoying because he just wants to climb over everything! Kishan and Darcy became instant friends. Kishan is 28 and Darcy is 5. They played games all the time, they both really enjoyed each others company. Kishan bought him many presents, incluing a foam dart gun. It was awesome to be with them and we are planning a trip for next year to visit them in Australia.

6. Kishan had been called as the second(?) counsellor in the Branch Presidency and I have been called as the first counsellor on the District Young Womens Presidency. Chruch is awesome, and whereas when we first moved in there was only one other young couple (everyone else is 80+, honestly...lol), but there has been an influx of young couples into the branch with kids. This makes it more awesome! We have regular play dates and lunches together.

7. I am looking for a new job, one with hours where the sun is acually up!!!

8. Kishan bought me an iPod Touch for my birthday (LOVE IT!!) i wanted an iPhone, but they cost over $1000 so i settled for second best. My brother has a Wii and while we have been in Palmerston North we had been playing it alot, so when we got back to New Plymouth we bought one too! I now really want to get the Wii Fit accessories for it.

9. We are now a two car family. We bought a cheap run around for $1300 at Turners Auctions. Its just for to and from work and runaround stuff. We still have our reliable Ford Mondeo wagon!

10. I am in the market for a dryer. Winter is upon us and i need to be able to dry clothes when it has been raining for two weeks straight. So i am keeping an eye out for a good deal!

11. Zachary turned 1!!! can you believe it, i cant! We had a BBQ and dessert with my family at my parents house a couple of days before hand as we would be in new plymouth for his actual birthday. He got a bunch of cool presents from his grandparents and aunts and uncles. I made his brithday cake from SCRATCH. I will post pictures as i am very pround of my creation!

12. Bubba has been very sick lately. He is very chesty, congested and has a cough. Doctors said it was just a cold, and we just had to let it pass. He is also teething his big fat molers, and so had been running high temperatures over the last week or so. He is a very restless and grumpy child. He was a little more upbeat today, so hopefully that is a good sign and that he is beating this thing. But until he is completely over it, Pamol and nurofen are our best friends!!! We just wish he would sleep!!!

13. We are just happy to be back home and are settling back into our normal routine. If i think of anything else i will add it to the list later!

Peace Out!

Honeymoon period is OVER!

2010-03-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

I really need to get my act together NOW!!!!!!!! My baby honeymoon period is over. He is almost a year old now and so i really need to get my A into G and do something about this!!!!! Watch this space for updates!

Home Time Yet???

2010-03-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Can i go home yet?!? I am sitting here at work and the time is just ticking over and over...but it seems like it is in slow motion. Is it possible for it to go backwards. That's what it seems like. "Is it home time yet" i think to myself as i look at the clock for the 20th time in the last 5 minutes. Only 4 more hours to go. Wish i had the laptop here, then i could watch a movie or something...work blocked facebook so no virtual farming or fishing tonight. Cant wait till tonight is over, then i am off for 20 days!!!!! Come on, HOME TIME!

2010-03-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

Zachary playing with his toys in his ball pit. At the end he also tells me off because i told him no biting, he is so funny.

Just being as cute as ever.

2010-03-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

Look at that mop on the top of his head. This was before his hair cut!

Zachary Walking with a basket on his head

2010-03-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

This is seriously funny. He loves this basket that sits under my sisters desk. No just love but is obsessed!! He walks in (YES HE IS WALKING FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW!) picks it up, puts it on his head and then walks all around mum and dads house. He is so funny, so full of life and personality.

2010-03-05T05:10:00.000-08:00

I will eventually find time to update this. So much has been going on and everything is so hectic, but i will be back!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge

Zachary did so good, he wasnt scared at all. In fact he thought it was funny and was trying to pull santas beard off.

Halloween

2009-11-13T11:46:00.001-08:00

We went to a small halloween party at the Gaastra's home this halloween. I looked at it as an excuse to dress Zachary up. Good Ole' $2 shop created this outfit for us : Devil Child...haha. He looked cute and that is all that mattered!

He had a tail and this other kid at the party kept pulling at it!!!

Zachary and Savannah

2009-11-03T06:20:00.000-08:00

On the way to visit grandma and grandpa we stopped in to visit my sister hannah and her baby savannah. We hadnt seen them for a few months since we had moved to New Plymouth and dad had told me that she has changes alot. She has changed alot, she is not the tiny new born that i remember, she is one CHUNKY MONKEY!! She weighs exacly the same as Zachary even though she is 2 months younger, zachary is about 1/2 a head taller than she is. THey got to play for a little while together and savannah was nice enough to share her toys with her cousin, although all zachary really wanted to do was poke savannah in the face!

Do they look like they are related??? i dont think they do, they only thing they have in common is they have the same funny shaped head, Asymmetrical and off to the left hand side. SHe is sooooooo cute though, and makes me want to have another baby...this time a girl!

Giving his version of kisses (slobbery open mouth tongue lick thing)

I love my grandma

2009-11-03T06:10:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago we did the 3 hour drive down to Palmerston North to visit my parents at their brand newly built home. Zachary loves to visit his grandparents and loves to play with grandma!!!

He loves to show grandma all of his tricks.

He loves to play silly games with grandma too!

Walking the City

2009-11-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

Zachary and I love to go walking over the city. New Plymouth had many nature and ocean walks that we can go on. This past week we have only managed to get out twice, this is due to the weather and also having to wait ALL DAY for a guy to come to fix the oven. ANyways, i have decided that after each walk i am going to map out where we have been so that we can see where wer have explored and where we need to explore!! Here are some pictures from our adventures. I have been snapping photos all over the place.

Walk 1: Down the coastal walkway. I was partly way down and then remembered i had an appointment at the mall to go to and so had to double back.
Walk 2: I had to go to Pak'n'save (grocery store) to pick up a few items first and then we walked through Brooklands park on the way home!

Zonked out after arriving home. I didnt want to wake him up by taking him out of the pram so i let him have his sleep in there.

At Brooklands park we stopped to play in the grass and we fed the ducks at the Bowl of Brooklands.

These are when we took a walk down the coastal walkway. I stopped at T'nT clothing to buy him a hat as i left his other one at Grandma and Grandpa's the weekend before.

Happy go lucky little fella

2009-10-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

Our little man loves to smile. He is such a happy little guy, it is very rarely that you will find him in a bad mood. Here are some candid shots we have of our happly little fella!

I love to eat...

2009-10-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Zachary is eating solids now. Actually he has been for about a month now. He doesnt really like rice cereal but loves fruit and pumpkin, which is funny cause kishan and i both dislike pumpkin. It has been fun to watch all the silly faces that he makes when he is trying something new. I cant believe he is old enough to be eating this kind of food!!!!!

Wish List

2009-09-14T03:44:00.000-07:00

I WANT THIS...

Exercise Plan

2009-09-14T02:58:00.000-07:00

I am going to be a bridesmaid at my brothers wedding at the end of march 2010. My plan is to loose 15kg's by then. Man do i need alot of motivation!!!! any suggestions will help me!!! Right now i am just trying to get into a groove, i was on the elipitical this morning for 30 mins. my plan is to do this every moning and then try to do it 2 times a day. Both the bride and the other bridesmaid are super skinny, i dont want to be the odd one out...i know ill never be as skinny as them, but i at least want to feel comfortable at it.

so pass your suggestions along please, i am going to need all the help that i can get!

I have a Job

2009-09-14T02:55:00.000-07:00

New job for me. I am going to be working as a suport worker at a resdential mental health unit. It is at nights and so it means that we dont have to put baby in childcare, and i will still be able to spend my time with him during the day. Its good also becuase we can save all that money and put it torwards our house...hopefully we will be buying before the end of the year. I will be working 4 days on 4 days off, so at least i will have some days where i can catch up on my sleep!!!

YAY FOR MORE MONEY!!!

The happs as of late...

2009-08-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am getting really lazy about this blog, but i have a new determination to keep it updated!! I havent updated it in a while s i will start by letting you all know what we have been up too lately and goals etc.

1. Zachary is now 5 months old (wow, i cant believe it has been that long!)

2. Zachary can now roll over both ways and is beginning to lurch himself forward

3. We have purchased an eliptical and a home gym so hopefully i can loose this baby weight. I have decided not to have another baby until i have lost the weight (and then some) from this baby.

4. Kishan is still busy at work, he as temporarily taken over the womens clothing department until the hire a new manager for that area.

5. I am returning to work...that is if i can find job...are there any out there???

6. I am returning to work becuase we want to purchase a house. The home prices are really good right now, and we want to get in quick before the market rises again.

7. When Zachar is 6 months we are going to do aqua tots. I am so excited!!!

8. This week i have planned all out dinner meals. Kishan waas surprised that i did it. I am going to try do it from now on. Hopefully it will help us save money of groceries. So any menu suggestions would be great!

9. I am in the market for a baby monitor...so that we can put Zachary in his own room now that he is sleeping through the night. I want a monitor because i am paranoid and want to know what is going on. Kishan is having a little separation anxiety about him going into his own room, but he will just have to deal with it.

10. Today is the official first day of spring. Bring on the warmer weather. I try to get out for a walk every day with baby. I want to do the bush walks in the park but am a little afraid of going in there on my own. ( a girl was raped there...) anyone know where i can get a taser...?!????

New Skills

2009-08-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

My little boy can now roll over in both directions!! He has been doing it for a few weeks now (these videos are a long time coming), and we just cant get him to stop. As soon as you put him on the ground he is away!!! The other day in Relief Society i put him down and he began to do rollie pollies all over the place. The old ladies (cause that is what this branch is made up of) were more entertained by Zachary than they were listening to the lesson. It has been amazing to watch this little guy learn new skills. They learn new things so fast you have to catch them quick!

I love apples, yes i do, i love apples, how bout you?

2009-07-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

Every so often we give baby Zachary a little suck on an apple or a carrot, etc. He quite likes it, likes the flavour. This time when kishan gave it to him, he totally took it from his hand and held it to his mouth and was ready to start munching on it. It was so funny!!!!! he is not ready for any solids yet, he is still a bit young, but getting a little taste here and there is not too bad.

Tummy Time

2009-07-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

At first he hated it and would moan as soon as you turned him over. Now he his beginning to enjoy it more. I think that is because he is able to hold his head up high and its not planted on the mat!

Sleep Update

2009-07-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

Ok so he is getting better. He slept the last few nights about 7 hours. THat has been nice. I have been trying to keep him up most of the day, with a few naps. Trying to only give him 3 naps a day. He has been a bit chopy on the time he goes down though. The first night he went down at 10pm, and then woke at 11:30, had a feed and then went straight back to sleep till 7am. THe last couple of nights he wouldnt go down till 12 and then 30mins later would cry until i picked him up and then would fall straight back to sleep. Im going to get him to the point though that i dont have to pick him up, he just falls back on his own. THis is working great, and i am able to catch up on some sleep.

More to come, I will have to start keeping a diary so that i can notice his patterns!

I NEED HELP-------Sleep Deprived

2009-07-04T03:08:00.000-07:00

Ok so im not sure where i went wrong. My lovely little boy had been sleeping through the night (7-8 Hours) since he was just 1 week old. But for the last 3 weeks going on 4, he has decided to wake every 2 hours. NOT FUN FOR ME!!! i had gotten used to his sleeping through the night. Where did i go wrong. I am trying to get him back into that habit, but i need suggestions? i was reading that at 3 months they should be having 3 naps a day and the about 8-10 hours at night. How do i do this. I just let him sleep when he is tired, How am i suppose to cut his naps down. If i dont let him sleep he gets really grumpy. I need your help!!!

Suggestions PLEASE!!

Baby do's and dont's - Hilarious

2009-07-03T05:32:00.000-07:00

have to admit, we did try this and thought it was super funny

Wiped Out

2009-06-25T05:04:00.000-07:00

Kishan was feeding him on the bed the other day and he just completely wiped out with the bottle still hanging out his mouth. It was so cute. He was so slepy that i was able to dress him to go out and he didnt even peep.

Play Mate

2009-06-25T04:59:00.000-07:00

So now that kishan doesn't have his brother Naween to play playstation with he had to go find another play mate. Zachary was the next best thing. I dont play with Kishan anymore...too competitive...but the baby could. He began holding the stick and would make the players run wild. Maybe when he gets a bit older he can really show his dad who's boss.

Baby + Mucus = Not a happy child...HELP!!!

2009-06-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

I need suggestions from all the mothers out there. Zach has got a case of mucus and he cant get rid of it. I went to the doctor but he said he has to get rid of it himself, there is noting they can do. But i think that there is, he is not a happy child and i want to help him out a little.

WHAT CAN I DO??? please give me suggestions cause i want my happy baby back again. And to relieve the constant fear that i have of him not being able to breathe properly!!

Me....HUGE!!!

2009-06-08T23:45:00.000-07:00

I found these pictures today. i had forgotten how huge i had gotten when i was pregnant. These are mostly when i was at the hospital just before i gave birth...11 days over due. The bottom are at Kishans bothers graduation, 5 days over due.

Look at my giant foot...how did i even walk?!?!?

Our Happy-go-lucky Little Dude

2009-06-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

THis little dude is awesome. He is so happy all the time and it spreads to everyone. We love him so much!

He ended up face planting on the couch, but was laughing the whole time, even when i picked him up.

The Newest edition to the Blackmore Clan

2009-05-30T04:52:00.001-07:00

My beautiful baby sister gave birth last night the 29.05.2009 to a healthy baby girl named Savannah Cathleen Rose Blackmore weighing in at 7 lbs 11 oz at 10.27pm.

I was luckly enough to be able to be there for the birth (thanks Hannah) and it was one of the most amazing experiences that i have ever had. My brith went a bit haywire and i ended up having an emergency c-section and had to pu under general so basically i missed everything. But Hannah was kind enough to let me experience it through her.

I mean all i can say really is that birth really is a miracle in itself. Just amazing. I really am speechless. I thought i would be a little grossed out by it, but i wasnt. I was reall taking a good look, and the midwive must have thought i was annoying cause i kept asking all these questions. haha...

Hannah is one of the strongest most talented people i know. This little girl is adorable. her little cry is more of a little mouse squeel. She is so cute and doing really well!

Well Done hannah!!!!

Mother and Baby

I took Zach in for a visit today too. He had fun, thought the baby ws a bit wierd but was really good. He got a bit upset when i held her...haha...and it really made me want to have another baby, especially a baby girl...haha...maybe not yet though. Zach was never this small, she is so light to hold, my baby is a chunky monkey now.

I made them hold hands.

Hannah was sitting behind them and Zach was having a laugh with her.

Laugh

2009-05-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Mt. Taranaki (Egmont)

2009-05-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

This was our view on the way home from New Plymouth.

Absoloute Beauty.

The Mighty Taranaki

2009-05-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

We are moving to New Plymouth in the Taranaki region. It is really beautiful, the ocean on one side and the mountain on the other. In 2008 it was voted the best place to live in New Zealand!!!!! It is the only place in NZ where you can go swimming at the beach and skiing on the mountain all in one day! We are super excited to go there.

We went up last wednesday/thursday to look for rental properties. We found a place to live so that was a huge stress relief. Now we just have to get ourselves up there. Kishans company is paying to have movers and so i just have to sit back, relax, and watch someone else pack up for me!!!!

Funny Sleeping Position

2009-05-06T23:38:00.000-07:00

We put him down in his cot and his hands popped up. I tried to put them down next to him but they were locked into place. He slept like this for a good hour or so.

Grandpa

2009-05-06T23:31:00.001-07:00

Kishan had to teach in elders quoroum on sunday and grandma and I are both in primary so grandpa got to have baby for 2 whole hours to himself.

Who was more spoiled???

Grandpa really does love this little fella, i love seeing the way he reacts to the little man.

All Smiles

2009-05-06T23:22:00.001-07:00

Our wee little man in perfecting the art of the smile. He must be pretty happy cause he smiles alot...and no it is not wind! He is so cute, he pokes his little tounge out when he does it. He also laughs, at first there was no sound, but today he had a little giggle.

All Grown Up

2009-04-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

ONE MONTH OLD TODAY.

He has grown up so fast, i dont even know where the time has gone.

Kishan's Job

2009-04-25T22:34:00.001-07:00

So right now Kishan is working as a trainee manager for Farmers (a big department store), but in a few months time (about mid June) he will be transferred to a new store...not in Palmerston North. He has the choice of a store in Wellington or the store in New Plymouth. I was not excited about Wellington and well have never been to New Plymouth before, so we decided to take a day trip to the city on the coast. THis was the first big road trip that we have taken with Zachary. It is about 2.5-3 hours north-west of Palmerston North. We took a couple of hours looking around the city and taking a walk along the costal walkway. It was a bit of a gloomy day and was hecka windy! We also looked around the Farmers store in the mall. We decided that we loved the place and that Kishan would ask that he be transferred there instead of Wellington. New Plymouth is about the same size as Palmerston North. It is a city with all the necessities but small enough that it is not overwhealming!

Baby Zachary in his car seat on the way home. He was really good going there, but got a bit grizly on the way home.

Just getting out of the underpass and walking up to the main walkway.

Mummy and her Baby!

Baby Zach and the beaufitul ocean view

Out to the ocean!

Sunday Lunch with mum and dad

2009-04-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

Sunday was stake conference and afterwards we gathered at mum and dads for a nice rost chicken sunday lunch. It was really good!!! Eli and his fiancee have just moved up here and so they came along too. Mum really enjoyed having the whole...well almost...family around and so we took some photos.

Kishan and i also took the opportunity to take a few photos of our new family too as we were already dressed nicely for church.

For your viewing pleasure...he is such a cutie!

2009-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

He was a pretty fussy sleeper at the hospital, so i would lay him in next to me and he would be away with the faries!

With Grandpa and his namesake

tiny toes

punk rocker!

I think he looks just like Kishan...he even is starting to get some colour

Having a giggle after his bath

First name confusion....

2009-04-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

ok well because some people are wondering about baby's first name ive decided to give an explanation. Kishan has to explain this to everyone too cause he has the same "first" name.

All the men in Kishans family have the first name HIKKADUWAGE. Kishan expalins it as "wage" meaning "from" and "Hikkadu" is the name of the place (we went there when we were in sri lanka). thats the best and only explanation that i can give you.

We call him Zachary, or Zach. Just like you call Kishan Kishan. Technically its their second name but actually its their first.

ANNOUNCING: Hikkaduwage Zachary Robert Premadasa

2009-04-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hikkaduwage Zachary Robert Premadasa born 31.03.2009 at 1.28pm via emergency c-section weighing in at a whopping 9.2 lbs.

(p.s. will give details about birth later...)

Call me MAMA

2009-03-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

Well not quite, but have an update. Just talked to my midwife and will be induced tomorrow morning and hopefully have a baby by the afternoon. Unless i go into labour naturally tonight.

Still no Baby...

2009-03-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

But this may not necessarily be a bad thing right now as i think one of the primary kids gave me a cold. I am not feeling well at the moment and if i had a new born that would be even worse.

We went to the day clinic at the hospital on wednesday for a check up and he is doing mighty fine in there, he is just kinda hanging out, it must be pretty comfortable inside.

The doctor said that at this rate he will let me go to 42 weeks before they induce unless he comes beforehand (haha...not likely!) So come friday (April 3rd) if i have not gone into labour naturally they will induce. Originally my midwife said 10 days over, but becuase baby is so comfortable and there are no complications they will wait till 14 days.

CHeck up again on monday at the clinic, so we will see what they say then.

No Baby Yet...

2009-03-20T02:51:00.000-07:00

Well the baby was due today (20th) but alass he did not want to join us! He is going to be just like his dad and late for almost everything! LoL. I have been having small contractions during the week, but nothing significant...so sad.

Will keep you updated on the entrance of this little guy...

Packing my hospital bag...

2009-03-09T23:07:00.000-07:00

So kishan has been on my case for a wee while about packing this bag to take to the hospital when i have to go. So today he took the car to wellington and so i was literally stuck at home (he said i could use the moped...but YEAH RIGHT). I had no excuses but to finally do it. I put my PJ's in there and a box of tissues and well what else....?????

I need the ladies/mothers out there to tell me what i need to put in my bag!!!

Oh, but i did put in an oversized t-shirt to give birth in...my midwife suggested it so that i dont have to give birth in an ugly hospital gown. So those good old BYUH XXL t-shirts have actually come in handy. so this baby will be born in a bright red seasiders t-shirt.

But honestly... WHAT ELSE DO I NEED??? i cant put my tooth brush or hair brush in yet, but what else??? HELP!

BORED!!!

2009-03-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Staying at home all day by yourself is boring! I use to think that i would love this...i always said that i didnt want to work...but now that i have had a taste of the "sweet" life, ive decided it is not so sweet after all. I know people will say that after the baby comes it will all change, but the baby isnt here yet and well its driving me crazy. I burst into tears the other day when Kishan came home becuase it just felt so good to have some company!!! Some days i go out to town and just wander aimlessly, and i even go into Farmers (where Kishan works) and look for him sometimes. I am also friends with the ladies there, and so it is nice just to hang around and chat with them. The environment here is so different to BYUH. I know that if i was there i would always have someone to talk to, hang out with, etc. But here it is driving me insane!!!

Only 11 days to go...hopefully sooner than that, but everyone says the first is always late, so there are those hopes dashed. Although, it is my birthday on the 17th so there is that to look forward too. Mum has booked me in for a massage for my birthday, so i am so excited for that!!! some relief to the pain that i am feeling. Maybe it will encourage this little man to get outta there!!!

Our New Friends

2009-02-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

Ha, i meant, Our New Furry Friends. We moved into a new place and we noticed some bunny poo all over our back yard, but we had never seen the culprits. One night i was checking the mail, and i went outside and saw what i thought were statues. When i walked closer they took off. Then a couple of nights later, Kishan we out the back door and there they were munching on the grass. They are kinda cute, but the poo is annoying and cant go outside without shoes on. They dont belong to anyone in our complex, and so they must be coming from the hole in the fence. I only ever see them at night time, never during the day.

Getting Ready for Baby...

2009-02-17T18:09:00.001-08:00

So we have finally moved into our new rental apartment and now i have room to put up the crib that my parents so kindly bought for their grandson. Mum, Dad and Sam (my brothers girlfriend) came over on monday night to help us to set it up. We still have a wee bit of time before we really needed it, but mum and i were getting impatient and we really wanted to be able to look at it. So i have a few pictures so you can all see what our baby will be sleeping in!

There is no Wisdom in Wisom Teeth

2009-02-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, well maybe there is a little, but that litle bit of wisdom consists of me now knowing that i dont like PAIN!!!!!

I have all four wisdom teeth, the bottom ones have come through already, but they did not hurt as a couple of years ago i had a tooth extracted and i had rom for them to move in.

I DO NOT HAVE ROOM FOR THE TOP ONES TO MOVE IN!!!!

I have a wisdom tooth coming in, but becuase i am pregnant there really is nothing i can do about it until after the baby is born, so i just have to suffer in silence...haha...thats a joke...who has ever known me to be "silent"!!!

I am going to get a blessing from Kishan and Dad tonight, and then maybe i wont have to suffer at all. All i need is a couple more months and then i will be able to get them out!!!

Tummy Pictures...a little while ago, but stil good

2009-01-29T02:59:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when grandma gets camera happy. It is also before the stretch marks came and so looks a lot nicer that it does now. I may take others, but first i will have to download photoshop to do the touch ups!

Cricket, Cricket and more Cricket...

2009-01-29T02:19:00.001-08:00

Kishan worked over the christmas/new years holiday and so was give his break after this rush hour season. He was able to have 10 days off, which was nice cause we actually got to do some stuff together.

One such activity was to go to a New Zealand vs. West Indies cricket game. Kishan had been talking about wanting to go to one since FOREVER...even in hawaii he complained that there was no cricket there. And so i thought that it would be a nice day out. We invited Dad to join us also, he had just finished his 3 weeks of holidays and went back to work for one day and then told them he was taking another day off. Ahh...the luxuries of being the boss man! Naween was suppose to come too but had to go into surgery the day before and was still recouperating.

We only had two New Zealand cricket shirts and so dad wore, and proudly i might add, his sri lankan cricket outfit.

We drove about two hours up the east coast of new zealand to get to Napier to watch the game.

All throughout the day the sponsors do giveaways where you just txt your name into a number and they randomly pick a winner. Well of all the 20,000 or so that were there guess whose name got picked...?????? DAD'S!!!!!! he won a cricket bag full of cricket stuff. He even got featured on the big screen at the game. I think that it really made his day that he won, it was like he turned into a 5 year old who just walked into a candy store. Haha, it was really quite cool. THe rest of the day people were pointing and we like "Hey, Thats the bag guy!!!" Dad really was quite proud of himself.

New Zealand ended up winning the match, but really that was only due to rain, i think that if they got to play it out the West Indies would have won. Now dont get me wrong, i am a supporter of the NZ team, but this game the West Indies just played a better and more entertaining game. WHen NZ came into bat we actually got bored cause they were not entertaining us.

THe west indies has two of the greates batsman, and they both played HARD. They hit a cople of sixes into the stands close to where we were and even got a guy in the face. At least he got to go home with a souvenir (no not the ball) and BIG FAT LIP!!!

In cricket the ball is a crucial part of the game and so you are suppose to throw it back!!! They use to give $100 to who ever could catch it, but now they just do prize drawings throughout the match.

India is coming to NZ in march and so Kishan, Dad and Naween will head down to wellington to that game...i will not be there as i would have just had a baby, but at least the boys can enjoy a day away from the Ladies...

Girls Lunch Out

2009-01-29T02:09:00.000-08:00

Its nice being so close to family now becuase we actually get to spend some time together. Mum invited "the girls" out to lunch at acabar - never been there before and it was nice - we ordered a gormet pizza and some potato wedges. I ended up burning my tongue on the wedges, but it was worth it cause they tasted good.

It was taken by one of the servers, that is why it is blurry. This is me, mum, tommie (in yellow) and Hannah who is also pregnant (22 weeks or so) and she is having a little girl.

Updated Pregnancy Photo

2009-01-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

Ok, here i am at almost 32 weeks.

New Years...from our Apartment Window

2009-01-18T19:57:00.001-08:00

On New Years we decided to take a walk into the center of town (we live about 2 blocks away) to listen and watch the live bands that were playing at the Square New Years Party. We were going to stay around until the countdown and watch the fireworks, but at about 11:30 it started pouring with rain and so we walked home...getting some chinese food on the way.

We live in a 2 storey apartment and our bedroon window faces towards town and so when it hit midnight we were able to just look out the window and see the fireworks. They were nothing spectactular...considering the city council had not money left after spending $30,000 on a not so amazing christmas tree...my TAX money might i add!!!!!!!!

but well we got to enjoy the show without being soaking wet from the rain.

The River

2009-01-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

Over the christmas/new years break Kishan and I house sat for a woman that i work with. She lives out in a small rural town called Ashhurst, which is situated right at the beginning of the beautiful Pohangina Valley.

One day after checking on the dogs and the house and putting them in for the night (dont let the light fool you, its about 730pm) we drove to Old Saddle Road down to spend some time at the river.

Kishan thought he may go swimming, but the water was a bit too cold and so Kishan and Naween just skimmed stones across the river while i sat and watched and was eaten alive by mosquitos.

We had decided to eat out somewhere that night as we (more like me) couldnt be bothered going home and cooking. So Naween and Kishan had a skimm off. There was this old branch hanging off the other side of the river and so the person who could hit it after skimming their rock over could

choose where we ate that night. It was quite a funny sight, as these boys get super competitive over the smallest of things. (dont hang around when the are playing soccer on the PS2, not a pretty sight)

Im not sure who won, i cant remember really, all i remember is that we had fish'n'chips that night and they tasted pretty good.

But really, this valley is one of the most beautiful places. Once we have adventured into it more i will have to post more pictures. I have had many a school camps out here and also youth ones. THere are lots of great swimming holes and bush walks (hikes in hawaii) that you can go on. The best place in my opinion is the GLOW WORM CAVES. i will have to go out there again.

He missed his Xbox...so he got a PS2?!?

2008-11-10T13:01:00.001-08:00

Kishan was feeling a little bit lonely without his Xbox and so went on a mission to find something to replace it.

He went onto trademe.co.nz (NZ version on ebay) and was looking for a good deal. He came across a brand new PS2 that had two controllers and a memory stick...the only problem...it was pink...haha. Kishan didnt really care, he is just going to tell people he is a supporting breast cancer awareness...lol.

Actually it was kinda funny, when they came to drop it off he begged me to pay for it and say it was for me...haha...i was line no way, if you want it then you get it...lol. They were like...is this for you?!? he was like Yeah, so what! So now he has had many a late night playing till like 3am. He has also got a coveted cricket game, that is all he plays now. Luckly we have another TV in our room, so quite frankly, as long as i am fed, i couldnt care less. I am just glad that he has found something that he enjoys and is kinds a stress relief for him.

BEACH DAY

2008-11-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

One saturday in the afternoon, Kishan, Naween (Kishan's brother) and I drove out to Himatangi Beach, about 30 mins from where we live. I wanted to show Kishan what a New Zealand Beach looked like. I only wish i choose a better day. I was so windy out there when i got back to the car my ear drums hurt from all the wind wooshing past! The beaches here are really different to that in hawaii, no golden sand only grey and lots and lots of sand dunes. This beach is also notorious for blue bottles (jelly fish, like at hukilau), there were literally millions of them washed up on the shore. During the summer this beach is really nice, they have life guards and the swimming is good, the waves are clam, and there are even a few sandbars that you can swim too. The radio station also puts on what they call the big dig, where they take an area and block it off, bury different coloured tags, you go and race to dig up the tags and each colour represents a different prize. You can win anything from a DVD to a Bike to a Flat screen TV. We are Definately doing that this summer...well not me...but kishan and Naween can come win me that TV that i want...lol.
I was walking along the beach and Kishan and Naween ran off into the dunes to hide from me. Yeah im not that stupid, they didnt hide very well!!!

Kishan was like...This is not a beach!!!!!!
Walking along the beach.

During the summer this is lined with people. You can also drive you car out onto the sand, just have to make sure its a 4WD or you will be begging for help!

I guess he was really hungry...

2008-11-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

Kishan was so hungry that he was just stuffing his face with curry the night before that he didnt even stop to realize that more was on the outside that it was on the inside...haha.

I kind of felt sorry for him that he had to eat that fast becuase he hadnt eaten all day, poor boy.

New Tummy Picture

2008-11-10T11:52:00.001-08:00

Here is the latest me...I think he has dropped a little bit since the last photo, he isnt sitting as high. We went for the last scan and found that i wasnt as far along as first thought, they placed me at about 22 weeks instead of 24 weeks. So with a bit of luck and a bit of leg crossing we may just be able to share a birthday on the 17th of March.

He has started to kick...ALOT...and didnt like the ulterasound at all, just keeped kicking at the device. My sisters came with me and asked if he was having a fit, i just said he didnt like people perving at him, after all, we are kind of invading his space. Every time he "fits" he is actually kicking me with all his might.

Kishan was able to feel him kick for the first time too. He was just doing small kicks, but then as soon as kishan came close he walloped him...yeah...he is definately going to be a mamma's boy...lol...he can keep daddy in line!

New Baby Pictures

2008-11-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

We went for another ulterasound last week becuase they weren't able to get all the shots of baby the first time cause he was too small. This time we got a CD of the pictures to take home and there were some really cool shots of the little guy!

Portrait view of his face.

Here is his little hand with his finger pointing at us

His other hand was down by his legs, at first he was sitting on it and then later he was protecting his manhood from view. This one is really cute cause you can see his little bum and his legs all squashed up.

Sunday Road Trips: Duck Feeding at the Lagoon

2008-11-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

Another one of out sunday road trips led us to the Lagoon just oppoisite Massey University Hokowhitu Campus. We came here because we opened out cuppords to find a loaf of bread growing mold and instead of wasting it, i told kishan i knew of a place where we could feed it to some ducks.

I had been here before, before i came out to BYUH my family use to host Japanese guests who had come over to New Zealand to study engligh at the School of Education at Massey...just a short stroll from out house. We whould show them where the campus was and how to walk there in the morning, but we would also take them to feed the ducks at the lagoon. THere are literally HUNDEREDS of ducks here and when you feed them they swam you and try to climb up your legs. It is really quite a sight.

I thought it would be a cool place to take Kishan, unfortunately we went when it was getting dark and so the ducks were off sleeping. There were a few but not as many as i remember. We had a good time though, and there were plenty of ducks to keep us entertained. The most memorable part of the trip was watching, as i would describe, a female duck being raped! Kishan took a video of it, cause those of you who know him, know that he thought this was halarious. I am not going to put the video on, as i feel it would be an invasion of the female ducks privacy, and wouldnt want her to relive her horrific experience!!! haha.

This was really cute. a baby swan. THe only sad this was i kept trying to throw food to the baby but its parents kept taking it!

Sunday Road Trips: Windfarm

2008-11-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

So how come it is always sundays when we have the best weather? It has been this way for the last few weeks, it is suppose to be spring time, but almost everyday it still seems like we are in winter!! So like most saturdays we are forced to stay inside as it is pouring with rain outside.

What is the point of living in a beautiful country like New Zealand if you can not even get out to see what it is like! So these past few sundays (if i havent come home from church and completely crashed till 9pm [church finishes at 1pm]), we have taken a few sight seeing road trips around the country side.

This one sunday we decided to go to the windfarms. This was new to both of us as i had actually never been to visit there, even though i live here. (but isnt that how it usually is????!!!!!) We asked my mum for directions (wrong option) and she told us that we go to ashhurst and there is a sign in the center of town showing you where to turn, that way you dont have to drive all the way through the gorge to get there. YEAH THERE WAS NO SIGN!!! and so we drove through the gorge. I have been through here a hundered times, but it still is a beautiful sight everytime i come past. We also found a swimming place...but that will only happen if i have a floating device...and kishan holds onto me as in my condition, he may have to pick me up in wellington after floating all the way down the river...haha.

We stopped at a bridge where we took some photos and then we asked an older couple for directions to the windfarm. We hadnt driven that far out of the way (which was luckly as there are no gas stations in sight and we are sitting almost on empty...but that is a whole nother story where husbands should always listen to their wifes about putting petrol in the car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

We were about half way up the steep windy road to the windfarm when the empty light came on!!! grrrrr.....i didnt even say anything, except for i told you so!!! Anyways, we werent going to let this spoil our afternoon, so i prayed really hard that we could make it back to ashhurst, after the windfarm, so that we could get some gas to make it back to Palmerston North.

We spent some time at the windfarm, Those things are HUGE!!! we got to stand right under it, i was scared the whole time that the blades where going to fall off as i was standing under it!! The woosh sound was so loud, we had to shout at each other to hear! It was an amazing view!!

For those of you who dont know, Palmerston North (HOME) is a city that is powered by GREEN energy...there are these windmill farms that sit on the mountain just behind the city that store the energy created by the wind and then inturn powers out city. I dont think that all our energy comes from this source, but a significant amout does! It is really awesome to see, as i have never seen anyother place like it.

Oh and yeah, we made it home without having to fill up, but i hope Kishan listens to me about this next time. Lets just say...my prayers were answered!!!

This was taken through the car window as we were driving home.

The windmills are so big, kishan is basically standing right infront on the lens with me sitting on the ground so that you could get the top of the windmill in the picture!

This is where we stopped to get directions...and well Kishan also found some fun in spitting off the bridge into the river.

Standing on the bridge at the end of the gorge about the Manawatu River
Kishan is slightly afraid of heights and is actually freaking out in this picture. He was scared of having to walk to the walking part of the bridge, that he walked in the middle so he couldnt see over and had to dodge that cars that came across. It really was funny to watch!

Standing on a hill in front of some windmills.

Kishan and Rebecca at the Windfarm.

There are 55 Wind Turbines total at this location, with other windfarms being discussed for the future! GO GREEN!!!

Each Wind Turbine is 70 Metres tall...That is HUGE!!!!!!

A couple of wind turbines overlooking the city

Hey, Hey Baby, I wanna knoooooooooow if you'd be my BOY!!!

2008-10-15T01:12:00.000-07:00

ITS A BOY!!!!

Yes you read right, we are having a BOY!!!! we are both really excited about the baby and are waiting his arrival! The scan was really funny, he had the hiccups the whole time and kept moving around. He is also a little bit of an acrobat and was standing on his head, which made it harder to get all the measurements, so in a months time we will be going back in for another scan. The upside to this is that he will be bigger and we will be able to get some really good pictures of this little guy!!!!

THis is our little man. He definately has a blackmore nose, we will just have to wait and see who he looks like most. We are just hoping that he inherits Kishans beautiful brown skin!

Woooohhhh, where did that tummy come from?!?

I have know idea, it just poped out literally over night! I am starting to feel the extra weight and my back is killing me. Lauren i wish you were around to give me a massage, now i have to go pay for it!!

About Half-Way Done!!

2008-10-08T23:57:00.000-07:00

WOOHOO... about half way done with being pregnant, soon we will have a real life baby in our home! Tomorrow we go for our scan, which we are both SUPER EXCITED about and cant wait till we find out what we are having. And YES we are finding out, i am sorry to all of you who think we should wait, but to be honest, i just dont have that much patience. and having a baby is expensive and so we want to be prepared and have a colourful child, not just yellow and white!!!!

I will post tomorrow after the scan and let you all know. i will also take another photo so you can see how big my tummy is getting. I am starting to feel the extra puffiness there now, but it atleast looks like a pregnant tummy and not a chubby tummy.

18/19 weeks...half way...

Oh yeah, by the way we're having a Baby, just in case you wanted to know

2008-09-16T01:07:00.000-07:00

Well here is some exciting news, now i know that alot of you out there know this already, but i thought that i would announce our good news on our blog also.

KISHAN AND I ARE HAVING A BABY!!!!!

And it took us long enough!! After being diagnosed with PCOS in august 2007, and before that a year of trying to make a baby, i turned to kishan and cried that i didnt want to be one of those couples that are married for 20 years before they have their first kid. Not to mention that we may have never been able to have kids. This was not a happy experience for the both of us. Kishan felt like he was at a point (age) in his life that he needed to start his family, and well, i have always wanted to have kids, so there was no question in my mind about it.

When kishan and i first got married i wanted to have children straight away but kishan said that he wasnt ready. The a year later kishan said that he felt like then was the right time and well i said no, because i wanted to finish school as i only had one year left. Then when i was practically done, we both felt right about it. We tried and tried but it just wasnt working out. This was when i recieved my diagnosis, and it was pretty a pretty sad day.

But now after an intensive regime of Flax seed oil, Evening primrose oil (thanks lauren), Multivitamins, chromium and also clomid (to help with ovulation), we are finally pregnant. We came to the realisation that we forgot to take into consideration the Lord's timing, and when we forgot about ourselves and put our trust in him, and said "ok, this is in your hands now, we've done all we can" it finally happened!!

We are so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew that something wasnt quite right when we were in sri lanka, i felt really sick and tired all the time. I was suppose to get my "visitor" while my parents were in hawaii, but this is not unusual for me so i didnt really think anything of it. When we got back to new zealand i was like, ok if this isnt me pregnant i want to get back on clomid or see a specialist but i have to make sure first. I wasnt expecting much as i have peed on maybe 100 sticks. When it came positive i almost couldnt believe my eyes!!!!

THIS IS TRULY A MIRACLE!!!

I bought a 2 pack cause they were cheapest. Kishan didnt believe it the first time so he made me pee on the other one. We played a small joke on mum, and i took it to her and was like "i cant quite read this, what do you think it says?" she wasnt sure at first but you know me, i can never keep a straight face, and she soon realised that she was going to be a grandma again!!!

Dont worry about kishan's face, he really is excited!!!LOL

Every week i am going to take a picture so that you can see how my belly is growing. And this is not just my fat becuase i lost heaps of weight after coming home, cause i spend most of my time with my head in the toilet!!!! I think i lost about 20 LBS.

This is me at 17 weeks, i am past the PCOS "risk" period, women with PCOS have a higher risk of miscarriage. we are not out of the woods yet, but 17 weeks definately is a good sign!!!

NEW ZEALAND

2008-09-16T00:49:00.000-07:00

After a much anticipated and very long wait i have finally gotten around to adding some new pictures to our blog from our new home in New Zealand!!!!

When we first moved back, becuase we didnt have jobs we had time to be able to go for walks along the river bank. It was really really cold and so i was a little hesitant, but you know kishan and his need to badger me about exercising, so i actually got out every once and a while. Here are some pictures from one of our walks...

This was the path that we would walk, one side is the river and the other is the park

Me, striking a pose...i was so COLD!!!! you cant see but i have on possibly the thickest socks in the whole world!!!!

this is the river sometimes you can swim in it, but it has rained all winter and it is flooded!

Kishan striking a pose!!!

SRI LANKA------> Trip of a lifetime Part 5: Dehiwala Zoo

2008-08-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

We spent one scorching HOT HOT HOT afternoon at the Dehiwala Zoo (KIshan lived right behind the zoo growing up, and when my mum's family immigrated from england her ship ported in sri lanka and they went to the zoo for a family outing).

In sri lanka there are two different prices: local prices and tourist prices. We went to pay to go to the zoo, and kishan had to pay 100 rupees ($1) and becuase i am white, and although i am married to a local i am not a local, i paid 1000 rupees ($10). We went anyway, just becuase i wanted to look around. We then had to pay to have out cameras with us. Kishan and his cousin put them into my bag thinking that they wouldnt look inside and we wouldnt have to pay, but to our amazement, mine was the first bag they asked to look in!!!

All in all we had a pretty fun day, and got to see some amazing animals.

THis bear cracked us up, all stretched out basking in the warmth of the sun.

This was halarious!!! We watched this monkey sniff the other guys butt, not once but like 5 different times!!!!

We were eating cashews and these guys saw, so they were begging for food. Udanni and myself had alot of fun throwing them at the monkeys before any of the keepers noticed!!

Tortises and alligator in the same enclosure. The turtles at one point were sitting on the alligators back!!!!

This was my first encounter with elephants!! THey were HUGE!!! they are amazing animals!!!!

SRI LANKA------> Trip of a lifetime Part 4: Turtle Hatchery

2008-08-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

Of all our years in Hawaii, the land of the green sea turtle, we had never been this up close and personal with this many turtles before. I mean, we did swim with them a couple of times, but nothing like this!!! At the turtle hatchery we got to pick them up and touch them, it was one of the most amazing experiences kishan and I had ever had!!! THis was definately worth driving all the way down south, we got rained out when we went to galle, but noticed this on the way home, and decided to stop. We were having a crappy rainy day, but this place made the trip worth it!!!

The turtle hatchery is a non-profit organization, where they rescue turtles from off the shore, they buy them off local fishermen, who scavenge for eggs along the coast and sell them to locals to eat (even though it is illegal!!), and they also take the eggs from where they are laid. It is run solely on the donations that they get from tourists and locals who stop by for their personal encounter with a turtle!!!

This place it right by the ocean, and so were affected my the Tsunami when it hit sri lanka. They said that they just had to grab as many turtles as possible and RUN into the mountains. Their story was amazing, and if you are in Sri Lanka, this is definately a stop that you will have to make!

THis is Kishan's new girlfriend. THey said that these ones hatched that day, and we watched as the girl dug it up and then passed it to kishan to hold. It was so tiny!!!

When they all hatch, they put them into a big tank and they all just get to swim around and have a good time. The guy asked me if i wanted to hold, and i said yes, so i put my arms out and he dumped like 50 of these little ones into them!! It was so crazy, but amazing!!!!

They males get released at 8 weeks, becuase they have a higher chance of survival, and the girls wait until they are 7 or 8 years, they also have fewer females that males, and so they need to make sure that they will survive in the wild!

THis one is a very RARE turtle. It is an albino. THis one cracked me up cause it loved to be stroked along its back, and so when ever i would put my hand in the water it would quickly swim over and then when you stroked it its fins would flap, like it was ticklish!!! This one is so saught after by pochers, becuase it is so important and rare the people who run this place take it inside with them every night to protect it.

These are some green sea turtles, but they are not very old. They freaked me out becuase i went to touch it and it snaped at me, so i did not put my hands back in the water.

Sorry!!!!!

2008-08-23T16:01:00.000-07:00

Ok this is a note for all you guys who read our blog, and those who i told that it would be updated frequently!!!! I am really sorry, cause i am a bit behind in keeping it up to date. It has been crazy hectic since we got back, so many things happening to us that we have little time for anything else. But i promise that starting monday i will have new posts (try everyday) and new pictures of our lives here in new zealand for you all to look at. We love you guys and miss you heaps!!!!

SRI LANKA------> Trip of a lifetime Part 3: Crazy Sri Lankan Roads

2008-08-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

Driving in Sri Lanka, Kishan says, was the most stressful thing that he has ever done!!! It was so crazy!!! Cars, buses, trucks, tracters, you name it where all on the road. Think about it, there are 20 Million people on a tiny island, and i bet ALL of them own a car, or two...you do the math. There was absoloutly no room to breathe!!!!! Sri Lanka does have road rules...i think their nuber one rule though is that you dont have to follow th rules!!! There are police men EVERYWHERE, but they dont really care about anything!!! And anyways, give them $20 and you back on your merry way, WITHOUT a ticket.

Becuase Sri Lanka is in the midst of a civil war right now, there where police checks and army checks everywhere. That was definately a new experience for me!!! We had to carry our passports where ever we went cause you never know when you are going to be stopped! I think in our 3 week vacation we were stopped about 20 times. It was kinda funny, cause the sri lankans in the car were told to get out of the car, but when they saw me it was like, "OK Madam, you stay in the car", it was halarious their personality change once they saw a SUDA (White). They all tried practicing their english on me, which i thought was cute, some dont speak very well but i commend them on their efforts. THe funniest/sweet on was, i had rolled my window down to show my passport, and a YOUNG army guy came up to me and said (read it with a sri lankan/indian accent, thats what makes it better!) "Hi Madam! (HI) How are you?(Good)Where are you from? (New Zealand) OOOHHHHH New Zealand (and with a big grin) COOL COUNTRY COOL COUNTRY. All i could do was was smile and say thankyou. I had a little laugh later about it, i really did think that it was sweet.

I would get big grins from some army personnel, too bad i dont have any photo's of one of the stops, but you are not allowed to take them, cause they are so paranoid that that Tamil Tigers are spying on them!! The police and army stops where really the only evidence of turmoil that i noticed, it was realatively safe when we where there. Except for one newspaper article about an attack at Yala National Park (I wanted to go there but we met some english tourists who said that it wasnt it.) where some tamil tigers had attacked a bus and killed a mother and her child and another woman. After reading this i was kinda happy that we had missed out.

Here are some pictures of the roads in sri lanka, i dont have any of the really bad traffic, but just take a look and have a laugh, and be thankful we made it out alive!!!!

I watched this bus pull out from the bus stop, clear onto the other side of the road!!! You dont mess with the buses in sri lanka cause they dont care about you and WILL take you out!!
We were on a clear stretch of road, but up ahead it wasnt so much. People walk out onto the road like they dont care if they get hit. Motorbikes swerve in and out of traffic, kishan almost hit a few people becuase he was sticking to the rules and they werent. It doesnt flow that way, either you all have to be breaking the law, or keeping it.

I almost died when i saw how packed this train was. I saw worse when i was there, guys literally hanging off windows, out doors, it was crazy!!!

See the guys hanging out the bus doors, i was waiting for someone to fall out and get run over by the car behind!!!

Everywhere you go there are cows/bulls/babies that OWN the road. The owners just let the roam the city during the day, eating, and them come collect them at night! There was also mangy dogs everywhere!! THey where so gross, the returned to their "pack" wild ways, and are very territorial and will chace cars, bikes and even people if you enter!!

SRI LANKA------> Trip of a lifetime Part 2: Family

2008-08-04T22:39:00.001-07:00

Kishan's family was basically the whole reason that we went to sri lanka. Kishan hadn't seen them for a very long time, so we decided to go to sri lanka for a visit and a much needed holiday after many years of studying!!!

Meet Kishan's Family

(L-R) Talia, Anu, Kishan, Rebecca and Warren (Cousin)

Papa and Uncle Errol

Kishan, Papa and Rebecca (Papa thought that this was hilarious!!)

Cousin, Manoj, Kishan and Aunt Kumudu (She helped to sponsor kishan so that he could get to BYUH - She lives in CA)

Cousin Warren, Anu, Talia, Aunty Cheryl, Uncle Errol, Udani, and Cousin Ryan

SRI LANKA------> Trip of a lifetime Part 1: Elephant orphanage

2008-07-28T03:43:00.000-07:00

This part of our trip was by far the best place that we went to!!! It was amazing, i have never seen any place like this. Pinnawella Elephant Orphanage definately has to be on you list if you make it to sri lanka!!! I will let the pictures do the talking!

The little one didnt want to get in for a bath, so the other guy pushed him

Elephants where everywhere, they are down at the river having a bath

I watched these two fellas fight all day. Later on me, uncle denver and cousin ryan almost got squashed by one of these guys cause the other one pushed him right into where we were standing------> we all screamed like little girls!!!

It was amazing how close you could get to these guys, you were literally walking with them, beside them!

Just laxin' in the river

More just laxin'

Here they are coming out of the bush ready for a good scrub

These elephants were HUGE!!!

It was so sad, this ones leg got blown off by a roadside bomb, he had to hop around on 3 feet!

There is one taking a poop, i was mostly looking at the babies

This one was practically new born, ADORABLE and so playful

You couldnt get too close cause these guys were guarding it, they started storming some people who got too close, the trainer had to step in.

This guy is really big and really OLD. He is blind and the only one still with his tusks. He was also shot, you could feel the bullet underneath his skin, that's what warren (in the orange) is feeling in the back.

I got to pat this one. He was so cute!!!

GRADUATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

So graduation finally happened, after seeling our souls for 4 years, and kishan for 3. We were finally able to do the infamous walk across the stage to pick up our fake diplomas. I have gotten mine in the mail already, but kishan hasn't. It could be becuase he had a fight with the honor code lady, but we will wait a little bit longer and see what happens!!!!! Graduation was awesome. it was good to recieve recognition for all the hard work that we have put in over the years. I dont have any pictures with the other halves of us, cause they still have them on their cameras - so lauren, trevor, jason, michelle, nick and tara so feel left out, and can you send me those photos?!?

After graduation we went to get the mail, and an answer to our prayers, Kishans work visa came!!!!! now he can actually get into NZ!!! this was a nightmare, but prayers are answered!!!

Kishan and Rebecca with Elder Dallin H. Oaks - the graduation speaker!!!!

Kishan and Rebecca with the school "moto"

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Issac, Jacob, Dodie, Rebecca and Kishan

Rebecca and Kishan - Oppps i should have rotated it!!!

Dad, Rebecca and Kishan, Mum and Hannah

Mika and Rebecca

Our awesome neighbours for a year, and friends for life!!! Kishan, Levin , Baby Ansley, Amanda and Rebecca

Beach BBQ-------> After Party

2008-07-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

Rebecca "Ducky" and Lauren
Rebecca "Ducky" and Lauren
Rebecca, Nick (where did he come from?!?) and Lauren
Mum catching a wave
Jason striking a pose
Jason and Kishans head

Michelle, Jason, Kishan and Trevor (and some local kid)
Hannah catching a wave
Hannah and Trevor
Mum getting one in the face
Kishan getting one in the face

After everyone was done eating and went on their merry ways, the after party began. Those who were keen enough decided to take a dip in the ocean at hukilau beach. Kishan got in, but i did not, it was cold and i "forgot" by togs!!!!! We stayed out there till it got dark. And while i strayed on the beach, i got some awesome shots of those in the ocean!!!!! And Jason if you want that "special" shot, just let me know, ill send it to you!!!

Moving On With The Rest Of Our Life Part III

2008-07-23T22:15:00.001-07:00

As a last hooraa with all our maties in Hawaii, we organized a BBQ at Hukilau Beach. Most of our besties where there, and we were excited to have a last gathering before we had to move away. The big event began with a big event, basically we got kicked out of the picnic tables at hukilau beach by some very angry locals, becuase apparently they had booked the "whole park" even though they were no where near the picnic tables!!!! Levin and I had a few choice words with them, before we just decided it wasnt worth the fight, and found ourselves a nice little "public" area to set up our BBQ. We didnt let this put a damper on our spirits, and we continued to have an enjoyable Hawaiian afternoon with all our friends and family at the beach!!!

Michelle, Jason, Trevor, Nick, Lauren and Tara relxaing at the beach

Amanda, Dodie, Jacob and Issac at the BBQ

G. Dog. Lauren

Moema, LEVIN and Allison. I think Levin stole the show!!!

Mum, Dad, Amanda (and Baby Ansley), Levin, Yutaro and Kishan enjoying the BBQ.

Moving On With The Rest Of Our Life Part II

2008-07-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

The first part of the whole graduation process was the Graduation
Banquet. Kishan and I recieved free tickets, we had to pay $20 each for Mum, Dad and Hannah. The speakers were pretty good, food O.K., and the entertainment, well, lets just not go there. Too bad we couldn't get a refund!!! I guess it was just a part of the whole graduation experience. This really was the beginning of the end for us, before this it just felt like mum, dad and hannah where here on a vacation, but when we got into the formal parts of it, it finally sunk in that we where going to be gradduating.

Moving On With The Rest Of Our Life

2008-07-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

We thought that we would make a fresh start, begining with a brand new blog. Kishan and I graduated from Brigham Young University - Hawaii, it was a little bitter sweet. We were both excited to finally be done with school, but this meant moving away from the beautiful islands, beautiful weather, and most importantly, and what made the move the hardest was moving away from the best friends that we had made.

Mum, Dad and Hannah came over to Hawaii to help us celebrate our graduation and also to help us pack up our house to ship back to New Zealand. THe fist part of their week vacation was spect frolicking around and exploring the island.

THis is Mum, Hannah and Dad at China Man's Hat....

Kishan, Dad, Mum and Hannah, with the Ko'oloa Rangers behind them...

Mum and Dad on the east coast, i believe this was close to where the blow hole is...