Bronwyn suprised me on our anniversary. She emailed the band and said I wouldn't be coming, then booked a meal in the city. It was well worth it. Thanks Bronny!

Bronwyn is going to Singapore at the end of the month to say goodbye to her friend who died recently. She'll have a chance to catch up with the others there too. Meanwhile, I'll have the girls for a week, but at least they'll be back at school.

Had an awesome time up at the youthwork conference in Waitangi. We had a formal welcome onto the marae. I somehow ended up standing in the front left corner of the group, with bare chested guys screaming and waving sharp looking paddles. Scary. Our leader had to pick up three sprigs of leaves from a guy with a spear, who then led us inside. The guys did a haka in the marae. Again, I'd somehow wound up on the front row and it was equally awesome. They slapped themselves and shouted as part of the dance, and when it finished they were all gasping for breath and had red marks on their chests and arms.

The organisers had managed to fix up a trip around the bay, so we got a historical tour followed by a trip out to the hole in the rock. A rainbow followed us all the way home, and some dolphins met us back at Waitangi.

Got up early on the last day for a prayer meeting on the treaty grounds, where the British first signed a treaty with the local Maori. As we watched the sun come up, gathered round the flagpole, there was another rainbow behind us. When we got back to the hotel the ground was sopping wet, but we'd stayed dry!

I've been busy trying to sort out funding applications for the youthwork at our local college, and pestering people to work out our budget and plans. I've got another couple of weeks before the deadline, but there's still plenty to sort out! Haven't been feeling too well either, and raided the medicine cupboard for our entire stock of spare antibiotics. I'm currently wrapped up in a blanket trying to keep warm.

It's been cold. I've been protecting a little mandarin tree with a curtain wrapped around chicken wire, a ponytail palm with a shopping bag and a flame tree in the drive with a double bedsheet. Don't know if the flame tree will make it, but it regrows every year anyway.

Still busy at work. We've got several weeks worth to do before we can start proper testing!

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