Who Needs Breakfast at Tiffany's?

Coming from the Northern Hemisphere, we are used to buds and blossom in May. But we have discovered that May is none the less beautiful here in the South where we are now experiencing autumn. I don't think I have ever seen such a range of autumn colours as we see now on the trees and bushes surrounding us in our new environment. Last weekend I was up quite early, having breakfast before any of the girls and spouse were stirring. It was for me a rare quiet and serene moment. I had planned to catch up on the previous weekend's paper before tossing it in the recycling bin, having been too busy to glance at it before. But instead I was entranced by the amazing colours of the leaves blowing gently on the trees. As well as various shades of green, we have reds, oranges, browns and yellows that are utterly stunning. We also have an abundant bird population and during my time of serenity I witnessed swallows, song thrushes, tui's, plovers and blackbirds going about their morning business. Our newly resident kingfisher came for a visit on a branch right outside our window and the fantails were performing their delightful dances on our patio. We have paradise ducks in the field beyond our garden and I love to listen to their odd quacking which is a new sound for me and to watch them splashing in the water puddles. The sun was shining through a window on one side of the room and and a gentle rain was falling outside another window on the other side of the room. So to add to my golden atmosphere, I was then able to witness an impressive rainbow. I was quite lost in the luxury of the incredibly beautiful sights and sounds around me, and have never wished for breakfast to last so long. Then suddenly, "MUM, where's my other slipper?" "MUM, can I have scam (scrambled) egg for breakfast?" I was whisked back from my brief spell in paradise in the blink of a sparrow's eye as fils 3 & 4 charged into the room with only the energy a child can muster so soon after emerging from sleep. Ah well, it was heaven while it lasted.

This weekend I was lucky enough to experience another 'special' breakfast. It is Mother's Day here in NZ and although I alway express my wishes to the girls not to feel under pressure to have to make a big thing of it, I am not going to discourage a cup of tea in bed and a bar of chocolate. And that is exactly what I got, together with a bag of wonderfully cute pictures carefully drawn by fils 4. I had been dreading tea at dawn and that awful pretence of being so very grateful for the chance to drink tea in bed at 6am on a Sunday morning when all you really want to do is shut your eyes and enjoy the fact that the alarm is not going to go off. ( My poor parents had to endure many of their 'special' days by being forced to eat burnt toast at a very uncivilised time of the morning with me and my brothers sitting around their bed proud as punch for dreaming up the idea of serving breakfast in bed and managing to get it together for them before they were awake!) But luckily, having had visitors and therefore a late night for everyone the evening before, my tea came at just the right time, giving us the luxury of a bit of a lie in with enough time to get to church. Spouse got tea too and we were delightfully serenaded by fils 4 as she stood at the foot of our bed in her fairy pyjamas singing her 'made up song' for Mother's Day which included all families in the world, the countryside, and roads, and the moon and the stars. Yes I was reduced to tears. Tea in bed was followed by a lovely family breakfast (out of bed) for which I had to play no part in preparing or clearing up. What a great start to my day.

This week we received the fantastic news that our application for residency here in NZ has been granted. We have many reasons to feel blessed and are grateful to all those who have supported us and prayed for us on our journey to this point. I for one, look forward to many more special breakfasts here in this wonderful place we find ourselves - and even the odd one at dawn too!