#anettingnewzealandadventure: The Nettings Do NZ

On Monday, Poppa thought he was feeling better after being hit hard with his fever so we made our way to the mall. Turns out, a 4k walk each way might’ve been a bit much for him as his fever returned. That means we laid low and let Poppa rest up! We still got out for some small walks with him, explored the Arts Centre, and played on the grass (Kensley’s favorite!). On Thursday, I had a few hours to myself in the morning while Kenz and Poppa hung out. I saw Julia (and Lucy) and Hannah and (Isabel) for coffee and attended my last “Mums and Tums” class. On Thursday afternoon, our local grocery store was having their customer appreciation Christmas “party” at the store. This just meant some prizes, food tasting, coffees, and wine/beer tasting. Kensley has a lot of friends at the grocery store, they LOVE seeing her, so they encouraged us to come. It was a cute little event and they actually gave Kensley a gingerbread house to take home. It made Poppa’s heart happy to see that we have friends all over the city; the employees actually know Kensley’s name and light up when they see her!

By Friday, Poppa was back in action and craving some good food (a burger) so we walked to see a tribute to those who died in the earthquake “185 White Chairs” and then went to a pub for lunch and a beer on a patio. Caleb and I were supposed to attend a work dinner on Friday night, unfortunately, he ended up having to cover call. On Saturday, I got out for a run in the Port Hills with Liz which was amazing! Definitely different than running on the flats. My aim is for us to do this weekly, which I hope is realistic! Then Caleb, Poppa, Kensley and I went to The Tannery. The Tannery has been renovated with cute little boutique shops throughout and a great brewery. “Cassel’s and Sons Brewery” was where we enjoyed lunch and a beer and some live music. Kensley was a huge fan of the singer/guitarist, as she kept staring at him, doing her little dance move/twist while smiling and pointing. He seemed to enjoy her attention. On Saturday evening, we had Mary over for homemade pizza and some (too much) wine/beer. We put up our stockings and Christmas tree and also devoured Kensley’s gingerbread house. On Sunday, I felt the after effects wine and Caleb wasn’t feeling great. He had a fever and had to go back to bed, which totally isn’t like him. Fortunately, his fever passed and although he wasn’t feeling his best throughout the day, he improved. During the day, Kenz, Poppa, and I went to the Arts Centre Christmas Market and to the Botanic Garden Café for lunch. Oh and GREAT NEWS: Caleb got a spot in The Coast to Coast Race in early February (he was on the wait list as the event was sold out). He says he needs to “start kayaking for real now”.

Kensley seems to be bigger and bigger each day. She is learning quickly; she claps, she points, she continues to wave, and she has some new dance moves (head bob and body twist) that we love to encourage because they’re so damn cute! She is working really hard to crawl but becomes pretty frustrated. She’s able to push herself backwards but can’t get the forward motion yet. Her legs are getting super strong and she loves to stand on the couch and look out the window. She has experienced the first food that she isn’t a fan of. I made her some homemade lentil and spinach cakes that she will barely put to her mouth but likes to bounce off the table. She continues to love to chatter!