Thankful.....

Thanksgiving was a little different for us this year!

First of all, it's in the spring, which doesn't even feel right!

Second, we are away from family for the first time in our lives!

Third, we didn't have time to cook a big dinner, so we invited the Elders over for KFC!!

And guess what???  It was GREAT! 

Elder Hibbard, Elder Killingbeck and us on Thanksgiving Day

We figured chicken is a bird (like turkey)

We had potatoes and gravy

and a roll

and coleslaw for our salad

and to top it off, we stopped at McDonalds to grab some hot apple pies for dessert!

Hey, it tasted pretty good for our Thanksgiving dinner!

Since Thanksgiving is an American holiday,

we just had the American missionaries over for dinner!

This is the first all American companionship we have had here in Gisborne.

We figured KFC was as American as it gets! 

The longer I am away from America, the more thankful I am to be an American.

We're Thankful for our New Zealand Friends

Peter Burt took Lonne out fishing in the ocean to catch some fish for the ward

welfare activity.  Lonne LOVES going fishing with Peter!

They caught some yummy fish! 

Some were cool looking...some were scary looking!

This fish was so cool! It looked like a orange butterfly!

It's called a Gurnard...

This was some sort of shark...

it was scary!

He looked like a mini JAWS!! :)

While the guys were cleaning fish, I was eating mandarines out of the

Burt's mandarin orchard....we heard some little peeps...

This is what we found in one of the trees!

Soooooo cute!

We took a little drive up the road on P-Day to Gray's Bush

It is one of the only places where the trees and bushes are native New Zealand.

The whole country was covered in this bush at one time...

until forestry and farming took over.

They burned the whole island clear back in the day....

but there are bits and pieces of the original "Bush" left in a few places.  

Gisborne Valley...up above Gray's Bush

The big clump of green trees below is "Gray's Bush"

Amelia's Birthday Party

Tania and Smurf invited over for their little girl's 1st birthday party.

 Lonne with Smurf's dad

We were excited to experience our first "Hangi" meal.

A Hangi is a pit with lava rocks in the bottom.

They wrap all the roasts, potatoes, puddings, etc... up in damp muslin cloth.

They get the rocks really hot with fire, and then lower the food in the pit and cover it.

 The food cooks with the steam from the rocks and damp muslin.

It was really interesting! This is the traditional "Maori" way of cooking.

Here is a pic of the guys uncovering the Hangi...

There is a huge "Sack" of roasts...

Chicken, Wild Pork, Beef, etc....

The veggies are on the bottom.

Smurf's neighbor has a barrel buried in his back lawn.

He cooks Hangi's all the time.  He uses a gas torch to heat the rocks.

He's got quite the set up! It was fun to see how they do it!

Typical...

The men are always standing around shootin' the bull 

while the girls are getting the meal ready!

Tania and Amelia

Eating Again!

We were invited over to a barbecue at Lee and Tiff's house.

Lee and Tiff are friends of Nara, Reuben, Salina, and Mark.

Lee is a tattoo artist...the best tattoo artist around.

I'm not into tattoos, but if I was, his tattoos are really good!

He tried to talk me into getting a tattoo on my toe:) Ha!

Ummmm I haven't told him that it's just not an option.

Lee and Tiff are the sweetest people!  

Lee and Mark are surf buddies...

Nara and Reuben have both got tattoos from Lee.

(I think that's how they know him)

We are just so happy that they invited us over for a barbecue!

We had a great time!

We hope to introduce them to the gospel soon:)

Lee, Lonne, Reuben, and Tiff

 We were a bit over dressed as always...:)

Mark, Clint and Kelly

 The girls

Salina, Lee's mom, Me, Tiff, Nara, and Kelly

They guys

Mark, Clint, Reuben, Whai, Lonne, and Lee

Lee's daughter, Sarah Lee...

Sarah Lee came walking outside with a rat on her shoulder.

I looked at it and asked her if it was real...

She held it and came walking over to me and told me to hold it.

I screamed...I ran...she chased me...I screamed some more...and ran all around the yard...

She got me GOOD!!! 

It was fake!

She loved it!  She got a way better response than she was even hoping for! Ha!

Everyone was wishing they had a video camera!

I had never even met this little girl....do I just look like a sucker??

I'll have to admit, it was dang funny!!

Reuben and his "Ride"

After the barbecue, we headed straight over to the church for

"Stars In Their Eyes" Talent Show

Bishop Wray, Bill, and Marcus Lloyd playing some Eagles songs...

they were pretty good!

Lonne and I always have kids on our laps....

we have lots of little buddies!

They come running to us when they see us! 

So sweet:)

 Liam is a Down's Syndrome boy in our ward here...

He is obsessed with Elvis!

His dad played the guitar and sang an Elvis song while Liam danced and 

tried to sing a few words with his dad.  It was so cute!!

He was scared to come out on the stage at first, 

but after the crowd cheered for him....they couldn't get him off the stage!

We had a great week! 

We are so thankful to be surrounded by such wonderful friends here in Gisborne!