I have so much news I am not really sure where to start! First off, the question on many peoples minds is "Are you still going to New Zealand?" ...The answer to that is YES!! We are still going, we have just become a little delayed.
There were a few issues with the visa papers/clearance to go to NZ, so it is going to take us a little longer to get there. Mark has contacted the University, and they are sensitive to the situation and the delays. They have given us until May 2013 to arrive in Auckland with full scholarship benefits.
Yesterday, Mark got the official acceptance letter in the mail from U of A (University of Auckland), although he had the email copy of the letter weeks ago. He is now officially a registered student, with a student number and everything. We are both really excited, and I am super proud!
So what does this all mean for Mark and myself? It means we are going to spend the next few months working so that we can put a little more money into our "New Zealand Fund", and we plan on spending the extra time on this side of the ocean with family and friends.
It also means we get to be around for some pretty awesome LIFE EVENTS!! Mark and I will be around for the birth of our first niece/nephew, the wedding of two very dear friends and we will be able to celebrate the birth of one of our close friends 2nd baby. We will also get ONE more Christmas at home - WITH SNOW! We are thinking of this little delay as an awesome opportunity to be present for some of the events that we would have missed had we left earlier this week.
Due to the delay, we have been busy! We refunded our plane tickets and we will rebook once we know better the date that we will be able to go - we are thinking after Christmas by the time all of the issues have been resolved. We are still living with all a lot of our stuff packed away in boxes, ready to ship and we do not plan on any major purchases as we know we would have to sell it off in a few more months.
Mary-Ellen and Mark
