The Young and the Restless

Reunited...and it feels so good

Everybody deserves a friend like Melissa. You know, the kind of friend who flies across the world to see you and brings you 5lbs of chocolate covered cinnamon bears because they're your favorite and sneaks cans of refried beans into your pantry because she knows you're Mexican food deprived. The kind of friend you feel comfortable snuggling up in bed with when it's freezing and you can casually exchange recipes with while she spray tans your butt cheeks. You know, that kind of friend. I selflessly let her and her husband explore during the day with kayaking trips to see penguins, hiking to waterfalls and white water rafting but I dominated her time when they were home staying up late into the night until our eyes were bleary from lack of sleep, extreme Tip Top ice cream comas and really lame movies. We also snuck away for a kid free weekend in Queenstown which deserves a post all of its own, but here are a few shots from around town. They gave up prime suitcase space and sacrificed wearing the same clothes multiple times just so they could spoil us with an entire suitcase full of American novelties like girl scout cookies, candy bars, ramen noodles, slim jims, chex mix, make-up, fake eyelashes, aerosol spray tans...you name it, they brought it. The kids especially loved the kites and frisbee disc and I loved the warm evening we spent at the beach playing with them.

We gave them the Reader's Digest version of the Christchurch tour. We threw them a traditional kiwi sausage sizzle the first night they were here, then Judy shooed us out the door before the dishes were even cleared so that we could have some alone time. Between the crayfish and sausages having a hard time settling, the freezing cold weather, and Kylie texting us with updates that Judy was stuffing Ryder with marshmallows to calm him down, we decided to do the express tour. We visited a few of the earthquake sites (hard to believe the three year anniversary was just last week) then drove them up to Victoria Park for some prime views of the city before going home to rescue Judy. (pictures compliments of Melissa)

This boy is in sodium and highly processed food heaven

We taught them the fine art of the Tim Tam slam. Judging by the 6 boxes they took home, I think it's fair to say they liked them.

They got to experience first hand what I'm talking about when I say this weather is bi-polar. Sunny skies one minute then a freak hail storm the next.

Hail storm protocol: beanies that cover your eyes and paper crowns with super hero capes. Only logical.

This was my entire diet for a week straight. No joke.

Only like 6 months later our carrots are finally ready to be picked. He decided they were too dirty to gnaw on Bugs Bunny style, but after I peeled it he spent about 20 minutes methodically slicing and dicing with a dull butter knife so that eveyone could partake of his spoils. He was especially excited that the Herrera's were here for such a monumental occasion.

We had a couple hours to kill before our flight to Queenstown, so quite naturally I took Melissa to Hagley park where she shared my affinity and nerdy love of trees. She confessed that when she went to 5th grade camp her entire roll of film was just pictures of trees. That act alone confirmed we were soul sisters (Once again, pictures compliments of Melissa). And then we whisked away for a whirlwind weekend in Queenstown...