When I opened the blog to write this morning, I realized that I haven't posted in a week. I'm sorry. We've been trying to finish week 5 of the second quarter of school, the Christmas shopping and mailing, calling daily about hotel rooms in Tokyo for the weekend, arranging a shuttle seat for Tommy to get him to Seattle on Friday, and the packing.
After Christmas shopping, the packing is the most fun part because of the anticipation it involves. We are packing summer clothes! While it snows outside! It's a rather surreal feeling, and an exciting one at the same time. This trip to New Zealand has been a dream of John's and mine for most of our married life. And it's really going to happen. The last plane tickets are on their way to us via courier from our travel agent in Tokyo and should be here tomorrow. We'll be stopping at the train station tonight or tomorrow to buy the train tickets. Thanks to St. Anthony and the prayers of my sister, we have hotel rooms in Tokyo for Saturday and Sunday. Not at the fancy Navy hotel we were hoping for, but perfectly serviceable rooms in Roppongi (central Tokyo shopping and dining district) and within walking distance from that hotel so we can still go over and use their stunning swimming pool.
Most importantly, we can meet Tommy's plane on Saturday afternoon. Hooray!! Tommy's coming home. We have missed him so much and can't wait to see him. Matthew is waiting to ask him for a big "Tommy stooshie," which is a loud, smacking kiss that sends people flying around the room in hilarious ways only Tommy could devise.
And packages are arriving for Patrick's birthday and being secreted in the luggage. (Don't you dare peek, Patrick!) He will celebrate his 16th birthday in Rotorua, New Zealand. We have planned a fun sightseeing day with great potential for street luge riding in the afternoon. Even Katie, who experienced her first roller coaster this summer and loved it, is looking forward to that activity.
We will arrive in Christchurch on Christmas Eve and spend part of Christmas Day there before driving on to Dunedin for penguin viewing and Christmas dinner (not penguin!!). We plan to go to Christmas Mass at the cathedral in Christchurch. They have a midnight Mass, but the 7:30 a.m. traditional Latin Mass is very tempting, if only it weren't at 7:30 a.m. on Christmas morning. Either way, we are in for a treat. The music at the cathedral appears to be amazing, and even if the early morning Mass is a low Mass, it will be celebrated reverently and in Latin, something we have been missing very much.
On New Year's Eve, we will be en route to Japan from New Zealand via Hong Kong (only the airport, though. Visiting China will have to be saved for another trip). We should arrive in Tokyo in the late evening and hope to ring in the new year at our airport hotel. We'll return home by train on January 1st.
The suitcases go to the shipping company Thursday. So we're really going. It's hard to believe it's really going to happen.
We'll try to post during our trip if the internet connections allow. If not, you may look forward to photos after the first of the year.
A blessed Christmas and happy new year to all. See you in 2008!
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