Howdy Folks! (insert southern accent here)
Sorry for the delay! Its been awhile since our last post and alot has happened since. We did the Abel Tasman track after leaving Nelson, and as soon as I get those pictures developed I’ll put them up. Once we were off the track and on our way, we discovered that someone in Shanghai stole most of our money, so we abruptly cut that trip short. We have since gotten all of it back, but it was a stressful couple of days for sure.
The first week in April, Al had the New Zealand Poker Championships. He played in three events, all were No Limit Holdem. He had some very stiff competition and despite playing very well, did not place in the money. He’ll get em next time. Hopefully they’ll have a Limit Holdem event next year since the participation and interest has skyrocketted, and if they do they better watch out! It was loads of fun, for both of us. I had a great time watching and playing the 2 cent slots, and unlike Vegas, I did win some of my money back.
Soon after the tournament, we left for Wellington for Alan’s cousin Rosie’s wedding. We stayed in Kaikoura on the way to the ferry and had another crayfish dinner. We also brought two big boys over for the family.
I got to stay in a motel in New Zealand for the first time; and it was very nice, complete with kitchen, full bath, plenty of windows, and they even did our dishes for us. That was the biggest treat. Thursday before the wedding I was invited to Rosie’s hen party. I met all of her cousins, aunts, and the celebrant, who invited Al and I up to her place in Rotorua. Unfortuanately we didn’t get her info before we left, but she really was a sweet and kind person. We also played a few games, and I have to say that my height really hindered my teams chances with the balloon race (and I will say no more).The wedding was Easter Saturaday. The ceremony was held at a homestead that overlooked the water. The flowers were blooming and the weather was perfect. Rosie looked gorgeous, and Vi looked quite handsome as well. We could see her bouncing at the end of the aisle with excitment before she begon to walk down. Afterwards, we headed to the reception at Te Papa, the National Museum downtown. The room was great, very modern and funky. The party was pretty funky too. I’ll let the pictures do some of my talking, but we heard some wonderfully heartfelt speeches, ate some top notch food, and boogied down alittle too. 
I promise not to let so much time go by before our next post, and I’ll leave everyone with a gem from the groomsman’s speech: May your love be modern enough to stand the changing times, and old fashioned enough to last forever.
Tags: New Zealand, Poker, Travel
Christen and Al
Great picture of you and Alan, looks like ya’ll had fun at Rosie’s wedding. Miss you both! Mom