What better way to create a new experience then move to the other side of the world...

Canada, Xmas, New Years, Wedding and Honeymooooning! What an Adventure!

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Posted on 12:17 PM | By AB | In

Feb 18th, 2012

Thought I would share some photos of our return to New Zealand! As everyone knows we are newlyweds! ...and if you didn't, well we just got married! The past few months has been an amazing whirlwind of chaos and excitement. Some of this chaos and excitement includes but not limited to:

1) Planning a wedding from New Zealand
2) My work contract coming to an end
3) Flying home to Canada for five weeks
4) Seeing and everyone we have not spent time with in the last two years
5) Xmas and New Years
6) Wedding tasks (it is amazing how many things there are to do...right down to picking the color of the ribbion on the cake)
7) GETTING MARRIED
8) Traveling back to New Zealand

All of this fun, chaos and excitement left us needing a vacation from our vacation - a honeymoon maybe?!

So that is what we decided to do. A honeymoon in the Bay of Islands:) We stayed in a little town called Paihia which is one of the areas of early settlements for the Europeans in New Zealand. We spent 7 days relaxing by the pool, eating fancy meals, reading and just enjoying each others company! Devon and I did manage to explore Russell which is a victorian-styled town that has one of the first churches built in New Zealand. It's still sporting bullet holes from the wars between the settlers and the Maori war tribes! We also visited grounds of Waitangi which hold historical meaning because of the treaty that was signed here in 1840 between the English and the Maori chiefs, among other things. The grounds have several historical homes, meeting houses, and Maori carvings. One of our highlights of the trip was a fabulous dinner cruise our wedding party surprised us with. We had an amazing meal on the Waitangi river during sunset!

Now, onto our third year in New Zealand our blog is not as active as it once was. We love to share pictures and stories with our family and friends but also is a way for us to keep records and memories of our adventures! So stay tuned as we will continue to share our adventures in the future whether it is from New Zealand or anywhere else in the WORLD:)

Love

The Wallaces

xoxoxoxoxo

















Rugby World Cup how we LOVE you!

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Posted on 8:47 PM | By AB | In

October 15th, 2011

Well for the last four weeks we have had had the privilege of experiencing an AMAZING atmosphere all courtesy of Rugby World Cup 2011! The first kick off was September 9th and now even as I write this post Devon has his eyes glued on the semi final game Wales vs France.

The last few weeks we have also had my little sister Christina here to experience the rugby craziness! Don't take our word for it...ask Chris...this country is RUGBY CRAZY! I have loved having my sister here to experience New Zealand and while she was not just here for rugby it sure added some fun events to her visit.

All the cities in New Zealand are decorated to the nines with world flags, all the TV commercials are about the pride of New Zealand, and never have I seen so many people organizing their weekends around when the next game is. With Christina, Devon and I first went to England vs Romania played in Dunedin. Christina and I then made our way to Wellington to watch CANADA vs New Zealand...which was amazing to say the least. While Canada got their buts kicked VERY badly we still had an amazing time. Down in Dunedin Devon and a few of his mates enjoyed the Ireland vs Italy game.

We thought we would share some of the rugby fever:)


They always told us we would eventually see snow is Dunedin....

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Posted on 2:01 PM | By AB | In

July 24th, 2011

In Dunedin they get one really good snow storm ever couple of years. We have seen a few flakes of snow here and there since we have been here but it doesn't stay on the ground. Well today....we had snow....a lot of snow:) It stayed on the ground and cause a bit of chaos....

So Devon and I headed out (on foot) to the steepest streets we could think of near our house to watch the people of Dunedin drive!!!! We got a very good show and so did the hundreds of other rubberneckers out to see what excitement they could find. Hope everyone is Canada is enjoying their summer....here is a bit of our winter we want share with you! Enjoy:)

Car Pinball!

Gotta love the rubberneckers:)

Devon always camera ready

Driveways should have guard rails!

AB enjoying the view!

No one wanted the fence there anyway!

Great to see the passengers working for once!

If I could just fly home for the weekend...

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Posted on 3:16 PM | By AB | In


Life Lessons

You may have thought I didn't see,
Or that I hadn't heard,
Life lessons that you taught to me,
But I got every word.

Perhaps you thought I missed it all,
And that we'd grow apart,
But Dad, I picked up everything,
It's written on my heart.

Without you, Dad, I wouldn't be
The women I am today;
You built a strong foundation
No one can take away.

I've grown up with your values,
And I'm very glad I did;
So here's to you, dear father,
From your forever grateful kid.
By Joanna Fuchs

Today is Fathers Day...well actually in New Zealand it is not Father's Day until September!!! So lucky for my Dad there is two days of the year that I call and wish him a Happy Father's Day! I was looking though photos of my Dad and I in the past few years, there is a very common trend ....we are always smiling, joking around, and just having fun:) I can't remember a time in my life in which my Dad wasn't there for me....good situation or bad I could and still could always call my Dad. I miss and love you everyday and I am counting down the days until I can dance with you at my wedding!!! xoxo

Grandfather-grandchild relationships are simple. Grandpas are short on criticism and long on love.

~Author Unknown

This weekend is also my Grandpa's 75th birthday. From the bottom of my heart I wish you a Happy Birthday!!! I am such a lucky girl to have my Grandpa as a big part of my life. I have so many memories in my life that include my Grandpa and the newest ones are of my Grandpa and Grandma coming to visit New Zealand! I hope that you are spoiled today by all the people who love and admire you so much! I wish I could be there to celebrate the amazing father, husband, grandpa, and now great grandpa you are in so many of our lives. Love you xoxoxoxo

My Sister

I'm so blessed you're my sister
And also my best friend
If I ever want to borrow
You always gladly lend

When I need a laugh or two
I just give you a ring
You have this special knack
To say the right thing

You are so very special
Always there for me
If I didn't have you sis
How different life would be

Laughter and tears we've shared
Throughout many years
And so many tiimes
You have banished my fears

I love you so very much
This I just want to say
You brighten my life
In so many different ways
This weekend was also my little sisters 24th Birthday! See what I mean...a weekend that was so full of events to celebrate:) My sister is truly my best friend and one of the people I miss the very most being on the other side of the world. Christina is always one of the first people I turn to for advice and to tell exciting news! I am so excited for all the stories we will share and create together in the years to come...especially our New Zealand rugby adventure in less then 3 months! xoxo


Kickin' it in Sydney

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Posted on 11:48 PM | By Wallace | In ,

Monday, June 13



Did you know Sydney is home to over 4.5 million people!? Yeah, I sure didn't.. Anyway, AB and I headed over to Sydney for 5 days in late May to walk around aimlessly and do the tourist thing. AB was also excited to show me around her old stomping grounds.

So we touched down in Sydney late Tuesday morning and an hour later our bags were at the hotel and we were off exploring! Public transit was just like New York with trains running at all hours and anywhere you needed to go. We went full tourist this time around as I carried my big camera around my neck stopping every few yards to snap off some photos while AB was in and out of every shop along the way. Progress was slow but thorough as we wondered the streets of the CBD.


I can get long winded in my blog entires, so I've taken the liberty to throw together a long winded video of our adventure instead, enjoy!


Today is the end of the world....

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Posted on 10:21 PM | By AB | In ,


I am sure most of you have herd about the end of the world as we know it....TODAY:) According to the prophecy, originated from a man named Harold Camping, at 6pm on May 21st, 2011 the rapture will come. Today is the day the earth is supposed to shake with earthquakes and Jesus Christ is to return.....

Well it is May 21st, 2011 at 10pm....as far as Devon and I can tell we are still here:) Today was a beautiful day in Dunedin! The sun was shining all day in our little city so we decided...just in case...we better enjoy every minute of it. Devon and I are truly each others best friends so we laughed and made the best of our last day before the end of the world:)

So on this May 21st, enjoy the people and the places you love! Even if the end of the world is not really on our doorstep it is important to remind ourselves to live in the moment.

Love Amanda and Devon xoxo






Weekends like this make us miss our MUMS:)

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Posted on 10:02 PM | By AB | In

As you all know this weekend is Mothers Day. It is time like these (birthdays, holidays and special days) that remind us that we are so far away from home. Luckily both Devon and I have spent some quality time with our Mums in the past few months.

I had some wonderful time with my Mum when she came to New Zealand. Nothing beats spending time paddling in the open ocean in a sea kayak:) I am pretty sure I am still trying to recover from nearly dying as my wonderful mother paddled wildly through the caves of cathedral cove on the North Island of NZ. Mum I see myself in you every day and I truly love the woman I have become...so much I have learned from you.



Devon and his Mum tried to conquer Dunedin one day at a time. Who would have thought that mother and son would be able to beat the land speed record on the most windy roads of the Otago Peninsula:) Some of the very best qualities of Devon absolutely come from his Mum... a wonderful sense of humor, a VERY good eye for design, and of course his good looks!!!


We are so happy to share our lives with our Mums and for the wisdom they have to share with us. So on this Mothers Day we will be thinking about the wonderful women of our lives and missing them more then they can imagine.

xoxoxo

Love AB & DW



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