The Ostrom Family Adventures

It’s been a beautiful fall in NZ. The trees change colors and the day’s are about 60-65 degrees F, and the nights are anywhere between 35-55 (hugely variable) :). It rains really hard at times and then dries quickly, and there has been a tiny tornado near us in Hamilton that picked up a few trampoline’s and threw them into power lines. (Not as severe as what is happening in the midwest of the US, but strange to have happened here).

The fella’s treated me to a wonderful Mother’s day weekend. I did a 3 hour women’s only Mountain bike clinic at Pirongia, and then the guys had one after that and I was able to keep riding with them a bit doing some drop skills and then rode with the instructor for the women’s clinic 1:1. It was super helpful and so much fun. The instructors are a married couple who are awesome at mountain biking and at coaching and who coach the MTB team at St. Peter’s school.

Then, muddy, exhausted and very happy, we drove out to Raglan for dinner and to stay the night. The dinner was fabulous and this is the back garden of the little Airbnb we stayed in.

The next day we spent having a lovely Breakfast at the Raglan farmers market and then the beach, followed by finding the pump track/skate park in Raglan. The guys got to ride more there while I explored the cute hippie surf town more. (verdict: I love it!)

Mason and Leif blessed me for Mother’s day even more with a Pounamu necklace (a traditional type Māori necklace made of a beautiful greenstone from the south island.

The following week we were back to work and school and Mason went to ride by himself at Skyline in Rotorua and had an accident. He landed a jump wrong and separated his shoulder partially (grade 2). We are so thankful it wasn’t a worse injury and he was able to ride the rest of the way back to the car and drive himself home and then came into clinic with me.

He went to work that evening, still coaching but not demonstrating, and has been going to physio and is healing really well – as long as we can keep him from jumping a bike for a bit longer

This is the jump he was doing – many successful jumps first and then the wipeout if you want to watch (though, it makes my stomach turn a bit).

We were able to go watch one of our new friends and biking hero’s at X-air in Tauranga. Brendan Larson was at the Airbag when Leif and Mason went for the first time (when Leif broke his thumb) and is an awesome up and coming freestyle BMX rider.

We also met and got a photo with Ryan Williams – another world famous BMX Big Air Guy.

I have to say, the athletes in this world are awesome! They are super kind and encouraging and accessible to the kids at these events.

In Other News:

Leif learned CPR and some good basic first aid with one of the ambulance companies here who came to his school. Sadly, this quadruple amputee did not make it. 😉

I however, have been reducing multiple fractures, fingers and toes and shoulder dislocations, mending a lot of lacerations and pulling sewing machine needles out of people. I don’t have any photos of that, but trust me, it’s a good time.

RUGBY!

We were able to drive up to Auckland to see our USA women’s rugby team play the New Zealand Women’s rugby team, the Black Ferns. It was so moving to hear a NZ choir sing the US National Anthem in one of the best and purest renditions I have ever heard. Hearing that followed by an equally beautiful NZ/Aotearoa National Anthem vibrated with our family and this incredible journey we have been blessed to be able to be on.

The Black Ferns performed a fierce Haka and though the USA women started really strong, the Ferns star player, Portia scored a record number of try’s (goals) and that was remarkable to watch and we couldn’t help cheering for her by the end! The crowd was awesome and they let many of us out on the field after to meet the players.

(I look like my mum in this photo! Love you Mum! 😜)

Leif had a cold so was standing away from the players, but was there with us too!

We are thrilled to have Mason’s family coming to visit this week and are planning some excursions with them that are new to all of us so keep your eyes peeled for the next post after thus next fun week!