Rick's ankle

Rick played in a Sydney city basketball league. Now, I say "played" because as of last week, that is no longer. Ten days ago Rick injured his ankle going for a rebound at his weekly game. I received a call from his cell phone just as I had finished putting Piper down for the night. His teammates called me from his phone to let me know that he was going to the hospital in an ambulance, that's how bad it was.

A neighbor came and stayed with Piper while I went to see about Rick's ankle. It turns out that he dislocated his ankle and they had to put him out to put it back into place. Surgery was a possibility depending on the x-ray results and other things. With a plaster cast in place, they decided to keep Rick overnight at the hospital to get a CT scan the next morning. No surgery thankfully. So he came home with me and Piper. Then this week, they took new x-rays, took off his cast, and gave him a walking boot. We're so grateful that he didn't need surgery. One doctor told us that it's very uncommon to not have a fracture when you dislocate your ankle.

Rick's not working now but should be returning next week. I think he's going a bit stir crazy staying in the house all the time. There's only so much TV you can watch and internet you can browse. Below are some pretty pictures (note: this is more than a week after he injured his ankle and it's still this swollen)

Goodbye to a sweet and inspiring man

We read the news this afternoon that President Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has passed away. Rick and I were both moved by his passing. He was a great man and will be sorely missed. We find comfort in knowing how he touched our lives and those of many others and that he will be greeted by family and friends in the hereafter.

We both had a special love for President Hinckley as we were able to live in New York at the time that he announced the building of a temple in the city. In that talk he told a story of how he had come through New York on his way home from his mission in the British Isles. It was hot and humid and he was wearing a very heavy winter suit. He went to a dry cleaners to have his suit washed and pressed before having to leave New York. He told us of the funny looks he got from the man at the dry cleaners because the man thought President Hinckley was so crazy to be wearing such a suit in the middle of a hot New York summer day.

May his family be comforted and find joy in the eternal nature of families.

Rick had this to say:

I loved how, as a prophet, he assumed a sort of authority to joke with his General Conference audiences. I think that uncommon charisma endeared many of us to him in ways that we are not used to from general authorities. He will indeed be missed.

Choo choo. . .all aboard

For the last leg of our New Zealand trip we took the Transcenic train from Greymouth on the west coast back to Christchurch. Piper was a bit of a pill being naptime and all. We met two nice ladies from Columbia on the train. Piper had fun playing with them. These are some shots from the train.

Arthur's Pass in the spitting rain

Sleeping girls

Waiting for our luggage after the trip

Queenstown again

We came back to Queenstown for a day, we didn't get enough of it the first time. Here are some shots of us playing across from our hotel in Lake Wakatipu.

Run to Daddy

Here's Piper taking a dip in the very cold lake. Remember, it's glacial.

She would have jumped in if we'd let her, I think. We had to keep her from going in too far.

Te Anau

We spent two nights in Te Anau. It's gorgeous. We were so far south that it didn't get dark until 10:00, 10:30 because of daylight saving. We loved the bed and breakfast where we stayed; the hosts were so accommodating and made our visit very comfortable. We took a day trip with a group and saw some amazing views. Chrissie, our guide, was very passionate and knowledgeable. Piper liked going hiking and the boat trip was great.

The roadside view of Lake Wakatipu

The view from our room at the Te Anau lodge





Another shot from our room

The breakfast room at the bed and breakfast. The building used to be a convent. This room had been the nun's chapel. It even still has the old organ in it.

Our room in Te Anau. Piper absconded with an old suitcase from the hall. The owners were perfectly happy to let her play with it. Look what you started Mom!

A family shot on the banks of Lake Te Anau, New Zealand's second largest lake.

A glacier field on our road trip to the Milford Sound

The Mirror Lakes

This is part of the Loop Trail in the Fiordland National Forest. It rains more than 200 days a year in the western area of New Zealand.

This is a fresh water stream coming down from a glacier. You can actually drink it straight from the stream; Rick did.

Glacial waterfall, see how blue the water is

Remains of a glacier at Homer Pass in the Fiordlands

Another Fiordland waterfall

Piper is trying a salt and vinegar chip for the first time.

Milford Sound waterfall

Doesn't this just look like it could have been part of the Lord of the Rings movies?

The Johnsons in the Milford Sound

Milford Sound is incorrectly labeled a sound; it's actually a fiord. (Sounds are created by emptying rivers, fiords are created by receding glaciers.)

Sea lions

What a boy!

Arrowtown and Queenstown

Queenstown is the adventure capital of the world. They invented bungy jumping here. You can bungy jump, jet boat, ski, and tons of other sports. Rick went jet boating while we were there while Piper and I napped in the hotel. We still had jet lag a bit.

Arrowtown, a quaint gold mining town


View of part of the Remarkables mountain range in Queenstown

The Earnslaw steam boat in Queenstown

Taking a break in Queenstown

Christchurch

Rowing on the Avon river

Piper showing us her pretty teeth. This is how we get her to smile.

Having milkshakes after boating on the river

Rick and Piper checking out the ducks at the Botanical gardens

A wheelchair swing. I'd never heard of such a thing but it's great!

The Anglican church in Christchurch

New Year's Eve in Sydney

Here are pictures of all of the boats already lined up in the harbor to watch the spectacular fireworks show.

These are some of our friends that came to our house for New Year's Eve. What a fabulous view!

Christmas with the Hunters (family, that is)

Piper loved seeing her cousins again now that she's old enough to play with them. We had a great visit and enjoyed playing, visiting, and eating together. We're looking forward to doing it again.