Nearly December already, and it's the time of year when you start to think about old mates and people you really should keep in touch with! It's been a great year for us generally, with all the usual ups and downs that make up family life.
We are really enjoying the boys at the ages they are now. Flynn is well and truly out of the baby stage, and now there is just so much more we can do as a family. No more nappies, buggies, afternoon naps, or panic attacks at the beach! Riley is nearly 10, Declan 7.5, and Flynn 5 years old, so they are all at the same school now. It makes my life so much easier to have only one drop-off and one pick-up, and their schedules are basically the same too. And we are lucky enough to have a great school with fantastic facilities just up the road.
Paul is still working for P & P, and hasn't stopped grafting since we got back from Fiji in March. I reckon he's probably made up the hours he missed from 3 months away. Still, he thrives on being busy and it's quite a social office too, so not too bad a place to work, as work goes! Once again, Paul coached Riley's rugby team this year, and obviously did an outstanding job as they won the whole tournament. The trophy proudly sits on the windowsill as a reminder of the greatness of the Tukapa Under 9 Blue team!
Some exciting family news has been the move made by my sister Bettina and her family from Sydney to Auckland. After a fairly average 12 months in Sydney they housesat for us for a month and decided that maybe NZ wasn't such a bad country after all. Pete put out some feelers for jobs over here, and, to cut a long story short, they are now happily residing in Devonport, Auckland. IIt's wonderful for us to have some of our "Aussie" family based in the same country, and we plan to see lots more of them.
In June we were treated to a visit from my parents, which we always love. We really appreciate that they make such an effort to come over and it's great to see the close relationship the boys have with their Nana and Pop, despite the geographical distance. We also had a visit from our friends the Coombers, who are currently based in Holland. Although they've been away for a year already, the kids picked up where they had left off and all got along famously. It wasn't anywhere near as manic as you would expect, and I enjoyed being in the majority for a change, as the 4 Coomber girls and Sheree helped me tip the balance in this male-dominated home. We also had a fun winter weekend away with a big group, although the skiing didn't eventuate as it was far too windy for the mountain to open.
We also had a short but sweet visit from Deanna, my old mate from Sydney. Deanna had also come to visit us in Fiji, so she's getting to know the Barrett family pretty intimately these days. Just after Deanna left I followed her over to pay my respects to the family of a very special old friend who had passed away. Mike Holles and I shared lots of very happy adventures together a long time ago, and I was so sad to hear of his untimely death. Although the reason for the trip was such a sad one, it was amazing to rekindle some old (and I'd forgotten how precious) friendships. Thank you to everyone who made me feel so welcome.
So everyone - live life to the full, and stay in touch with those you care about!
Love Mich xxx