Last post for 2006 !

Well, who would have thought that we would be at the end of another year and nearly 7 years in Australia - where has the time gone to and how come I feel like it left me behind ??????

Yes, another year nearly gone and we are all still around and fighting fit. We had a lovely quiet Christmas period. It was great having Christmas and Boxing Day on Monday and Tuesday as it meant a little extra time to get things organised. We spent Friday night with some friends from work at their home in Wongawallan (about 10 mins away from school) - it was very strange as we were sitting there in jeans and jumpers and had a fire going - very strange weather for 22nd December !!!! While we were there I got to talking with one of the Mom's from school as well as one of the ladies who works at school with me and the lady from school has agreed to do a tri-athlon with me - she is going to run, there is another lady at school whom we think we can talk into doing the swim leg and I will do the cycling leg - should be great fun. As they both turned 50 this year, I will be the spring chicken in the team - hope I can hold my leg up OK !!!!

Anyway, after doing all my grocery shopping on Friday, I didn't have much to do on the weekend except the preparation of food for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Mom and Dad came over for dinner on Christmas Eve and then we phoned them when we woke up on Christmas Day and they came over and opened presents and had breakfast before going home. Kevin and Tanya popped on during the morning while we were busy cleaning the pool. We had a lovely Christmas lunch / dinner with Danny, Heather, the boys and David's girl-friend Lucy, Judith (H's Mom) and Fiona (H's sister) and her family - it was a great day although quiet. On Boxing Day Kaitlin had to work but then we had my folks over for dinner for Dad's birthday.

Since then we have been pottering around at home - watched some cricket (we thrashed the Poms AGAIN !!!) - went up to DFO (the factory outlet shops near the Brisbane airport) where we shopped until we dropped and then spent some more time pottering around the house. My Dad came over today to help patch a hole in the solar heating pipes on the roof (I'm too much of a wuss to get up on the roof) and I sanded and painted our swing chair - now that we have the bigger patio area, it can be under shelter all the time and it was looking decidedly worse for wear. I now need to get some new foam cut and ask my Mom if she will cover them for us. We recently bought some wood from a teacher who is moving to Townsville and doesn't want to take it with him and so now Al and my Dad are busy planning the pub they are going to build in the new patio - it will be good when it is finished - I just wish we were closer to finishing than what we actually are !!!!! The glare off the concrete when the sun shines is just awful - there were stages today when I was painting when I couldn't see a thing - am hoping that it isn't too bad when I look at it tomorrow before the sun gets too high and is all glarey again !!!!

Kaitlin has been getting quite a few extra shifts these holidays which is good because it keeps her out of mischief and keeps the money rolling in (for her anyway!!!!). I can't believe that she is going into Year Ten in a couple of weeks time - who would have thought that time would go by so quickly and our little baby would have grown into a lovely young lady ????

I am going to see if I can load a few pictures of the renovations (won't load any of Al's leg as I know that some people have weak stomachs and it really isn't all the nice to look at ! Having said that I have definitely got used to it and, while I won't clean it, I have no problem looking at it.) If you haven't seen any photos and would like to see some, drop me a line and I will mail them to you.

Mom and Dad came over for a braai (commonly known as a BBQ over here) tonight and then we went up to Paradise Point to see the fireworks - they have such a good display there and probably the best we have seen outside of Disney World.

Otherwise, I hope you all have a VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS 2007 !! Take care if you are travelling or out on the road and go safely.

PS - have spent ages trying to upload photos - no luck. Our new month for broadband starts tomorrow so hopefully I will be more successful then.