New Week

Tueday-Well been here a week now, Paige started College yesterday altho daunting she made some friends real quick and felt more at ease. She called me after school as she was walking home and said ' Mum, I'm lost and i cant seem to find the right road to go on,' so i had to TRY and find what road she was on and direct her home. Billie-jo and Jaden seem to have settled in fine, BJ came home yesterday and said she has been invited to a friends house next week for AFTERNOON TEA!!! Get you !!! It's her birthday next week she will be 10, god knows what we are going to do, its Marks on Sunday, to be honest both birthdays have been far from mind, I have been down town today looking at long term rental accomodation, so far nothing. I went out today driving for the first time, how scarey! All the roads looked the same. I checked out our local gym and might enroll in some classes, could get used to this lady of leisure mclarky. At the weekend we were invited out for lunch with some friends at Howick and they took us for a spin on their boat (I want one) it was a good day.
Wednesday-We had a look around AUT University today for Carly it's a campus purely for outdoor recreation, it seems very nice, she gave Carly some options so its up to her to decide what she wants to do.
Thursday-I vollunteered today to help at Jaden's outing at the leisure centre, as we have the 2 cars now i followed Mark to Stanmore as he had to go to Auckland to get car insurance. On the way back i thought i shall follow the bus back to school, that's all well and good until i hit the red lights, OMG palpatations as I wave the bus goodbye, but i then began to recognise roads. I shall tell Mark i had no problem getting home.

New Zealand

We landed in NZ Monday 19th, to a beautiful sunny day, we arranged to get picked up and taken to our rented accomodation where we will be staying for 8 weeks. We were greeted by the smell of lilly's and a bottle of champagne in the fridge, also some goodies to keep us going. All i needed at this moment of time is a nice cup of tea. Everything we need is here, Perfect!

Tuesday, we rang the schools for Paige, Billie-jo & Jaden. Had an appt for the Primary school which we thought was a lovely school for them, it was built 12 months ago, so we bought the uniform and they start Thursday.

Bj & Jaden started school today they had a lovely time, they both were allowed to take their shoes off and jaden said ' Mum, I didnt have to put them on to go outside' his feet were filthy but he enjoyed his day, Bj has got Mr Ellis and said he is lovely. We visited Orewa College and had an interview that afternoon and Paige starts Monday. We got the uniform and she doesn't like it, tartan green. I think she looks fine, and the fact that they will all look the same.

Still in Singapore

We had breakfast at the zoo, where you could have your pictures taken with the orang-utang and her baby, it was one of the best zoo's i ve ever seen. We took unlimited tram rides and also walked the trail. The orang-utangs were playing freely in the trees. We watched how the polar bear behaved under water and what they do when they are hungry.

We took a night adventure cruise down the river one evening and viewed Singapore by night. We visited a night market, and had a singapore sling at the famous Raffles hotel. We also ate out and had a Chinese but it never went down with the kids.

We visited the Island of Sentosa and saw an amazing underwater world Asias largesr tropical fish oceanarium, you were alowed to touch certain fish. We saw the merlion and listened to how Singapore got its name which is interesting to hear but i wont bore you with that now. We watched an amazing (sorry used that word twice but it was) a magial Sentosa show with fireworks. truelly spectackular.

Singapore

Had breakfast at the zoo

Altho my noodles were disgusting Mark enjoyed his fish soup

Now in Singapore, wow so hot, We got taken to our hotel with a free shuttle, we had to take all our luggage as we were staying more than 24 hours, we felt like the Adams family, I'm sure we looked like it after 12 hours on the plane, good flight anyway. Got checked in, and got a taxi to China Town, where we bought a new camcorder and had some noodles which were disgusting. That evening we went out to the night Safari tour. It's a tropical jungle that comes to alive after dusk. We saw the giraffes, and the rare clouded leopards, the endangered Asian rhinocerous and the fishing cats. We saw a fire show.

Marks and my family saying good-bye x x x

Bishops lorry ready to load up our things

Packed & ready to go

Well Bishops came and packed all our gear, they spent 4 days packing, gosh i never realised we had so much stuff, how on earth are we going to find a house big enough like the one we have to fit all this lot in, AND i threw a lot out AND gave alot away, Honest!! This all seems real now, watching my things being wrapped up. We spent our last day at Margarets & Brians with my Mum & Dad and Marks brother having a BBQ, and some of Nigels homemade wine, mmm. In the evening Mum treated us to our last supper of a chinese. I went into town and had my last drink with the locals and to say goodbye.

Sunday.

I wanted to slip quietly away, but no chance we had to have photographs and some of Paige's friends turned up and everyone was crying, Very emotional. Duncan drove us to London and we stayed in a hotel over night, ready for the morning, for our adventure.

This was a yummy chocolate cake that we won on Valatines eve.

Tickets will be here tomorrow. Whoopi!!
Actually getting nausiusly panically excitedly sh***** myself.
Went on the Singapore web-site to see our hotel and what we have planned for the 5 days of our stay. We are going to see pink dolphins and go to the zoo at night, go on a boat cruise, visit China town have coffee at Raffles. So excited. That should keep us on a high until we start our new life. I visited Mum today and gave her a crash course on the computer and how to send e-mails (bless) she's doing really well, set the web cam up for her so its all system go.

Well we have somewhere to live 8 weeks in a rented accomodation untill our furniture reaches Orewa (hopefully safe and not floating waiting to sink) whilst we are there we shall look for somewhere long term. Still not sold the house yet.

This is Peter, who arranged our party. Thanks Pete, great night !!!!

Well so much for not having a party and slipping quietly away, NO WAY!!
Peter has arranged for us to have a PARTY! Food, music the works. Mind you I'm coming, round to the idea now. Sounds like its gonna be good one, now I cant wait well I can in a way cos it means it would literally be the following week when we shall be going. I have packed all our cases, caught up on all washing including things that's being taken in the container. Hopefully do lots more this week as its half term and I'm off. Well will write more when there is more news.

Mark, Me, peter and Mandy at the Marie Curie Ball

Mandy & I went to a Marie Curie Charity mask Ball at St.Ives. What a fantastic evening I think we got to bed around 3.30 that morning. Mark put in a bid for a guitar and won, so everyone at home wants to learn to play now.

Well today I have handed my notice in, a month today but I'm having half term off, so three weeks left. Gosh I shall be unemployed. My brother in-law called and we have arranged for 11 of us to go bowling down Porth in the half term and have something to eat. This Friday Mark & I have been invited to Tregenna Castle for Marie Curie Charity/Valatine ball evening. Our weekends are filling up with saying our goodbyes. I have sorted us out somewhere to live for eight weeks fully furnished, which then will hopefully give us time to look for somewhere long term.

We're on our way

Well the flights are now booked and we 're leaving 12th March, stopping off at Singapore and getting to Auckland on the 19th. OMG! Still have no where to live but what the heck!! Bishops the removal men are coming the 4 5 6 7th March so we will have to rely on takeaways or nice friends, eh Jeanie G! Feeling myself getting stressed, wot with work and trying to pack and organise things and helping my buddy Jean to set up a web page that is proving more dificult as time goes by. She has started a balloon business, and today I helped her dress a chocolate shop window up ( I know I could be packing) seeing as its Valatine Day soon. It was fun and we had a laugh, think i shall go round there tonight and open a bottle with her, shall miss you, you ole bugga!
We had Pete & Mandy and the children stay last weekend Pete said he would do us a curry and bring it over to us later on, so Mandy & I fed the children and opened a bottle of vino at the same time. By the time Pete came at 7.30 we were on our second bottle, (this brings back memorys) hastily adding without the curry, he forgot! So we ordered a chinese and went out for a drink locally, by the time we got it and returned home, I didnt feel like eating and i was a lillte worse for wear.

Cleaning up

We are looking at rented properties now and left our details with them. Rang Orewa school and was greeted by someone who deals with international children. She gave us her email to let her know of the kids ages. I sorted out Jadens and Billie-jo's clothes and was quite ruthless with them. I know someone who will have them, as with the toys, I gave them away. I will sort out more and give to the local play group. Had a tidy up down in the cellar at the weekend, and took loads of stuff to the tip. Gave my Dad some odds and ends. Sorted the shed out and cleaned the BBQ (will definitely need that) and dismantled the garden furniture, ready to be packed.

Mum & Dad

My favouite in-laws

YIPPEE

23.01.07
Recieved some fantastic news yesterday, Diane rang to tell me that Amelia VO has just rang her to tell her that we have got our Permament Residence Visa'a which means we can now live in NZ. Couldn't concentrate at work rest of the day, OMG!!! This is for real, now the emotions have all started again, well they didn't leave really. I ask myself for the 100000000000th time Am i doing the right thing? Damn it yes, we can always come back! We have decided on going mid March, the girls cant wait to get out there. I will hand my notice in at the beginning of Feb, that will be scarey I have been working there for years.

Happy new year everyone!!!

Just found out that our VO (Visa Officer), You start talking slang when you get to this stage, has gone on holiday, so still waiting. We cant book flights, cant organise the furniture to be moved, I cant serve my notice at work, just sit and wait until she returns from her holiday, as if christmas wasn't long enough! It will be a mad rush towards the end and I will be more stressed out than I am now and it will be ME who needs a holiday. So until I know anything more It's back to work & school.

Mark & I in Barcelona

Anita, Mandy and I in Barcelona for our 4oth birthday

This is a picture of us horse riding in the mountains.

The boys surprised us with this holiday, it was fantastic.

This is Paige and I at Marks christmas party. Was a great evening.