Liz and Pete's Great Adventures : Red Rock Country

Red Rock ... Stunning

Pete and I spent a long weekend with our friends in Arizona ... Penny & larry Blomquist, Jenny & Marlin Addison and Jeff McIntyre joined in from time to time. We had a blast with them. They treated us like VIPs ... we came away feeling so spoilt and so well looked after. They had something planned for us every day. We ate out, spent a couple of hours on the Salt River kayaking ... we had to get up at 5am to do it ... a baseball game ... dinner ... a day trip to Sedona, finishing with a trip to the Temple on Tuesday morning ... amazing ice cream, yes it is true the US has amazing ice cream, almost better than NZ and a new pair of glasses from Target, US's best kept secret (who does not love Target??!!)

We have known Penny & Jenny for over 35 years ... I met Penny on my first day at 25 Fendalton Road ... my first visit to Church in years ... I was very nervous! I was introduced to Penny ... what stood out to me aside from her red hair was her confidence ... she was very friendly and welcoming, whereas I can be and am quite shy/standoffish and I really have to force myself to come forward. We have been friends ever since. Of course being friends with Penny means being friends with her whole family ... Jenny, Debbie, Susan and Beth. I spent lots of time at The McLeod's in my young adult days ... I have lots of good memories. Thelma always had home baking, tan square a favourite of everyones ... I still use her chocolate sauce recipe. Penny's place felt like a home ... a family. Quite a contrast to my home life.

There was quite a vibrant group of YSA in ChCh at that time ... headed by Rob Cammock, Pete's older brother. We had some very exciting adventures when he was in charge. I lived in a mixed flat with other YSA from ChCh ... SuZie Dallas, Darlene Joyce, Catriena Vant'wout, Richard Stephens, Mike Lim and me. I shared a room with Catriena ... who would clean until all hours of the morning ... she was the 'queen of clean'. Mike & Richard would do lots of karate and play with their nunchucks, I remember Mike having his shirt of a lot during those karate spa days, Richard in his white ghi. We were a very eclectic group of people but we seemed to make it work ... I remember our flat being a lot of fun.

Penny & I went on our missions at the same time ... Penny to the Philippines and I went to Auckland NZ. We were part of a group of missionaries that went through the first NZ MTC in Hamilton ... the first MTC outside of the US. We had so much fun together ... Penny's motto is to have fun and laugh lots well at least that is how I remember her and she has not changed. Jenny went on her mission to Thailand ... a health mission and she left before Penny & I. I remember writing to her when she was on her mission. When we got back from our missions Penny went to teachers college and I married Pete. That was 35 years ago.

Penny has been a good friend ... we come from very different backgrounds and life experiences ... I have never felt 'less than' with Penny and she has always made an effort to keep our friendship alive even though distance has been a major factor over the last 30 years. Whenever Jenny or Penny come to town they have always made a point of making contact and seeing us. Now it looks like 'we are family' ... related on my Father's side through the Cleverley's. How weird is that?!

Penny & Jenny moved to the US and the rest is history really ... Jenny married Marlin and Penny married Larry. We have enjoyed our association with both of these men and getting to know them over the years ... they have always been very generous with us and welcoming and interested in what is happening with us. Penny & Jenny have children now and that is so much fun getting to know them as well. We have met them over the years at different ages and stages and I have loved seeing Penny & Jenny as Mothers. We have always really enjoyed their children.

Friends are important ... good friendships have the potential for so much good in our lives. I am not sure I have been a good friend, awkward is what comes to my mind ... friendship is something that I have had to learn, it has not come naturally or easily for me. Keeping people at a distance has been a lot easier ... I have felt scared of letting people in ... scared of what they might discover about me, or they might not like me. I have found it hard to accept that people want to be my friend and felt self conscious. I have felt very humbled by our experience with Penny, Jenny, Larry and Marlin ... they treated us with such high regard and I could see by their actions that we are valued by them ... it has only taken me 30+ years to figure that out. They have always been generous and welcoming to us ... even excited and pleased to see us. Marlin and Jenny took a day of work to go with us to Sedona, I will always remember a very passionate conversation with Marlin as he drove trying to focus on the road and where we were going while keeping on his topic. Larry & Penny opened up their home, made us feel like part of their family ... fed us like Kings & Queens and would not let us pay for anything! I feel blessed to have such good people as my/our friends. Thank you for a wonderful stay ... thank you for the years of friendship that we have shared. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

What you have been waiting for ... photos ...

Arizona

Frank Lloyd Wright Architect

Frank's Lobby of the Hotel he Designed and Built

Kayaking on Salt River @ 6 am in the Morning ... too hot otherwise.

I had to put this photo of Penny taking a photo ... this is how it goes ... hang on a minute ... just one more shot ... nearly done ... this could take some time before Penny had completed her photo, please note that the temperature could be and possibly will be over 100F while she is doing all this ... but she does take good photos.