by Karyn Wills | Jun 21, 2011 | Childhood, Family, International, Kids, Motherhood, New Zealand, World Interviews, World Moms Blog Writer Interview
Where in the world do you live?
I live in Napier, on the sunny east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. After a major (7.8) earthquake in 1931 the centre of Napier was rebuilt in the styles of Art Deco and Art Nouveau and has become something of a tourist destination. http://www.artdeconapier.com/
There are plenty of wineries around too. 🙂 http://www.hawkesbaynz.com/Visit/Wine–Food/
(Come in February – the kids are back in school and the weather is warm and settled.)
And, are you from there?
I grew up in a country area called Tutira, 50km north of the city, on a sheep farm that my Dad managed. There were 75 kids in the school and 9 in my year group. I had to go to weekly boarding school, here in Napier, for my high-school years from the age of 12. (more…)
Karyn is a teacher, writer and solo mother to three sons. She lives in the sunny wine region of Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand in the city of Napier.
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by Maggie Ellison | Jun 21, 2011 | Economy, Family, International, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Parenting, USA, World Moms Blog
Last week, I found out that we will be moving again. This makes 3 times in 4 years, so I may just lose my mind!
Our 1st family move with 2 kids was to a house that we fixed up. Plain and simple, it was sheer hell.
I will never forget making our last run of boxes to the new house at 2am because we had to be out of the old house that day and still had work to do there. My husband was carrying a box of food, which broke open on the bottom. Jars of jelly, mustard, ketchup, etc started rolling down the hill. Everything was dirty and all over the front yard. (more…)
Maggie is so grateful to be raising her 2 children with her husband in the low country of South Carolina. Life at the beach is what she’s always known, although living in SC is new to this NJ native! The beauty of the live oaks and the palmettos takes her breath away on a daily basis and being able to go to the beach all year is a dream for her. Art and music have also always been a part of Maggie’s life, and she is happy that her family has the same love and appreciation for it that she does.
Maggie and her family are also very active. Her husband coaches both kids in soccer, and they like to spend their time outdoors kayaking, biking, swimming, camping, etc. They try to seize every moment they can together, and they feel that it’s not just the family time that is important. They want their kids to know a life of activity and respect for the outdoors, expose them to new things and teach them about the world! Maggie and her family are no strangers to overcoming life's challenges. They've had to uproot their family several times when jobs have been lost in the economic crisis.
They also lovingly face the challenges of having a child diagnosed with special needs. Through all this, Maggie has learned to celebrate the good times and never take them for granted. Her family is everything to her, and she is incredibly grateful for every day she has with them and for every moment she has shared with them. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t tell them she loves them and how lucky she is to be her kids’ mommy. How sweet!
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