Catch Up

Hi to you both,

Finally got around to blogging. Settled back home and back on the treadmill! Had an absolutely fabulous trip as you heard from regular updates. Photos need sorting but look pretty good from 1st impressions. The weather at home is absolute cr....... compared to what we had become used to in our 7 weeks of travel, very cold week for cup week and show day. Having said that we have the pool on and have managed to sneak in a few swims. We saw that you had a 30 degree day the other day, must be good.

It is show day (holiday) here today. We have been out to Rangiora helping stock shelves for the new Mega, Opening Tuesday and behind schedule. Closed Sunday afternoon and all day Monday to pull it all together before opening on Tuesday. It is looking good.

I have included a couple of new photo's of Sophia. We had her for her first sleep over last weekend, she was fine, I didn't sleep much worrying that she was okay. She is very placid and always smiling so was no trouble at all. Gramps very proud.

Will be good to catch up with you both at Xmas, have a good weekend

Love from Marion and Andrew

Just a few photos for you

the top ones are of our holiday down on the mornington peninsula. note hayden with his male model pose with the penguin. next two are down at the weribee open range zoo. and the last ones are at the shrine of rememberance.

This is gemma!

add

Check out this carlton draught add i saw it on tv for the first time today its great.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv5U0W8FDDk

WELL DONE

Good stuff Gail and Ernie, i just hope it didn't take the week to type it out :P
Yep parents are here been to see a few places so far, their doing more of the touristy things than what everyone else has done.
Is it gems birthday tomorrow? i thought it was the 13th october?

Not a case of the guilts

Hi Hayden and Gemma - don't think you have shamed me into writing Hayden - I am writing to wish Gems a HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Thursday
Your Mum and Dad will be there now Hayden so you won't feel so hard done by ??????
You maybe right about old people not wanting to see that movie - after all we just went ot see "Who wants to live to be a 100 (one who is 99) at the Court Theatre - was very funny - about 4 old men in a Rest Home - we must be sick to laugh about our not too distant future.
Our house is still progressing in fits and starts - the painter is due to start tomorrow - and that should then seem as if we are on the final countdown - although there is still the man to do the schist fireplace (and that won't be until the week after next) - the plumbing to finish - the drains to be dug - the power to be connected - and the phone - and the tiles and showers - and the carpets and blinds - and it seems as if there is always a day or 2 delay between each sub-contractor - I keep saying 2 mths to be on the safe side -
Gemma we took Nana to see Doug last week - and went shopping with her first and had lunch - it was the first time I had seen him since the stroke - and it seems as if he has a long way to go - but then I don't know how quickly he could improve - you would know better than me. She seemed to enjoy her day out and I called her again on Sunday just to see how the rest of the week had been - and he hadn't been too well on Sunday and they had done tests just to see exactly what was happening - I think they may have just wanted to keep on top of his health - what with the winter flus around etc.
Becks seems to be looking after herself on her own - a big change from a couple of years ago - and that is so good.
We had Brianna to visit today, for the afternoon while Melissa did some shopping - certainly keeps me on my feet - never sits still - what happened to the kids who sat quietly and played with toys - I ask!!!!! Did your Mum tell you that Melissa is pregnant again - due 12th March - so that will keeep her busy!!!!
wemrntoasfjewdr0one wotnsther - Hayden this is Ernie typing you a note on that thing that sits in front of him that you call a keyboard - and he doesn't have athritis :)
Anyway - have a great day tomorrow Gems - hope you like the BIG PRESENTS that Hayden has brought for you?????? and enjoy the visit from his parents (the in-laws) - hope to catch you when you are home at the end of the month
Lovexxxxx Mummy G and Ernie

kia ora

hello is there anyone out there? this is a blog, a blog is something that you write messages on so people can look and see what you have been doing, now i know it's all very new to a lot of you but the computer has been around for a while now and its not hard to punch in a few letters on the keyboard so lets get writing.

Not much new news. Rosie and paul and marion and andrew have gone wherever they're going and i hope they have fun and bring me back something good :)

We went to a Festival of NZ at fed square last saturday. Havn't seen so many maori and polys in one place since the tuahiwi fair. Was pretty good actually and i had a drink of L&P which was good goooood. Also had a hot dog which seemed to be a highlight of gems day for some reason.

Think gems works going alright although the asian invasion has been hard to get used to. My works been alright, a lot of negative comments and emails from the mangment/higher people about my shop. I've pretty much told them that my role isn't manager although they seem to expect me to do everything. I really don't think they have any idea of the work i've put into the shop. Although i did get a pay rise which is good and makes me feel a bit more appreciated. New manager starts on monday can't wait to offload all the negativeness onto him. Going away in a couple of weeks after mum and dad come over. We're going for a romantical weekend for 2 at rosebud/mornington peninsula to hopefully relax if gem lets me. Also taking ma and pa to soccer game between oz and argentina, who have named all of their top players, and for those of you that arn't into soccer argentina are about the 3rd best team in the world. Will be a huge event.

Oh well hope someone out there reads this or else i spent all this effort on nothing. And come on i know some of you are suffering from oldness and arthritis and oldness but the thing with the letters on it in front of you is a keyboard that if you put it to it's proper use will write stuff on the screen.

Catchya

Hayden & Gems(although she didnt have any input into this)

Hello my peeps

Hi everyone, gems been very lazy and hasn't been bothered blogging, i would have but have been really really busy doing stuff. We also didn't have the net for a week cause i broke the modem, the on/off swith stuffed up not long after we got it and finally gave up so i wiggled it about a bit too much and managed to wriggle it right off the switch board thing. anyway enough of the excuses. We not been doing much just working and sleeping, went to the melbourne museum on saturday, its huge and we were there for about 4.5-5 hours and didn't see it all. Then we went out for tea in camberwell, just a few mins walk from my work. I had been there once with work mates and it was amazing. Its called sophia's and its italian and a small pasta is $9-$10 and weighs a tonne. We got a pasta meal for 2 that was 3 pastas of our choice and cost $28 but we had to take well over half home with us cause it was too big. they have gelati ice cream for $5 thats about 1.5L of ice cream and would feed 4 people. Definately a place to see, was also packed, it has three levels the bottom one and the middle one were full prob bout 150-200 people in each and then the top one is a function room.
Went to the movies yesterday saw a funny movie called i now pronounce you chuck and larry definately worth a look(maybe not for the older readers though as its a new age type movie that only people under 30 will understand.
weathers sposed to be nice for the next week up towards 20 each day! hope the trip plans out well oh and i found a watch that i liked at melbourne museum. Its called a halo watch and is a circle with no screen but when you press 2 buttons on the side 2 leds light up to show the time, its awesome but i'd say its expensive as its part of an inventors type thing at the museum.
anyway i'm sick of rambling on
Gemma now new ward going well same kind of surgerys but not as major which means a faster pace as bigger through put of patients. This ward has a very differnent routine to the last as well - it is a bit more old fashioned in the way they do some things and the way the hierachy operates..
Whats happening soon- going to the exihibition centre sale that dad brought so much stuff at when we were on holiday here last year on saturday and maybe going to the sweet treats expo after that... it sounds decedent. sunday i am going out with the nursing girls for one of there birthdays. jan and gary will be here on the 11 of september and for my birthday. The week starting the 17th of sept i have a week of annual leave so spend the beginning of the week with jan and gary. The end of the week hayden and i plan to go on a road trip down to morington penisulia and phillp island for 3-4 days. Ok thats all for now we will try to update this blog more often sorry we have got so slack.
love from Gemma and Hayden xxxx

The Beach People

Surprise - Surprise, we have finally gotten around to blogging. Trip preparation has take precidence. Not long now until we take off, bags out and lots out on the bed ready for packing. Can't wait to get on the plane. Lots to do at work before we go so will be a busy 3 weeks.

Good to catch up with Hayden when in NZ. Hope all is well with you both and no winter ailments. We have had great weather for the last 3 days up to 17 degrees, so hopefully you got it as well.

McAlpines news - Alison is leaving Manufacturing, they are going to live in Tauranga near her grand-daughter. The Mega store is progressing well, hopefully opening on the 19th November. Lots of planning still to be done with stocking and staffing.

I will attach a couple of pictures of Sophia, not really recent, she is now smiling heaps and making lots of baby noises. Grandad smitten.

Just been talking to R&P, Bec had a good win today.

Take care

Love M&A

Your new bedroom

Have attached photos of the house on the bedroom side- one of which you can use when you are home - the "lovely" bricks will be covered with plaster - the colour of "double double thorndon cream"!!!

The fireplace and batte are in next week - and the gib the week after.

I hope you got hold of Aunty Chris - we have had an email to say they are back in Darwin and the cell ph reception has clicked back in.

Aunty Chris's phone number

Hi Gemma and hayden - good to see/hear from you both this weekend
As promised here is Aunty Chris's cell ph number in Oz - she got a new sim card there i think - it is 0061 447 027 837 - I think they are back in Perth later this week - if you don't have any luck there or finding Ryan's ph number - I could get that off Melissa.
I will send you some house photos this week - have to resize them first - the windows and doors are in - inside and out - and the blocklayer s finished today - we also had the electrician and plumber in today - the fireplace in next Monday - and next Tuesday the batts are in - followed fairly closely by the gib men - when I send the photo I will mark your bedroom!!!!
Your Mum and Dad made a good decision not to go ballooning today - it poured all night and was cold this am but did clear this arvo.
Talk to you later Mummy G and EJ

I know my hair grows fast...

But this is just ridiculous! Second pic was taken last Sunday, three days after the surgery. First was taken tonight, nine days post-surgery. No wonder I need my hair cut every time I blink! (order of pics got a bit muddled around in the upload)

Dall

Hi Hayden and Gemma!

Sorry I haven't posted here for a while, I guess everyone's been a bit slack lately eh.

Wow, this thing goes slower than I type, much slower! Just as well I'm a touch typist so I rarely make many mistakes haha. Takes ages to come up. That's probably cos of my dial-up.

Anyway, as you probably already know, my surgery on 28/6 went well. I did have a bit of trouble in Recovery though. Had low oxygen and blood pressure levels so was in there for a bit longer than intended. It was quite weird actually... I was taken to theatre at 8am, went into this little room next to the actual theatre, all wrapped up in warm blankets, got the heart monitors slapped on and the I.V luer put into my right hand. The anesthetist was nice, he also gave me a sedative and then they took me into the theatre, lined my bed up next to the operating table and then... that was it. I woke up in Recovery with a huge bandage wrapped around my head and hooked up to monitors. It's weird how I don't remember anything and I'm still trying to get my head around it. But all in all, it went without any complications and I think I've recovered really well from it. My surgeon, Mr Daran Murray (who looks awfully young to be a Mr!), did a great job. I don't think I'll even have much of a scar from it.

The only problems I've had is my hand/wrist, which eight days later, is still sore from the I.V. The vein's all swollen and feels bruised, which does worry me a bit cos I still can't bend it too well. I've put Arnica, Anti-Flamme and Voltaren Emugel on it, to no avail. Oh well. The skin feels tight and stingy around the implant but I think that's good, probably means it's healing well. My hair's still greasy from the antibiotics ointment that mum's been putting on twice a day for me, but it's almost finished so yay, I can wash my hair properly soon.

Liam and Kady are good, school holidays at the moment and I've had increased hours with work so we've had extra company this week. All good. Weather's been terrible so we've had DVDs to watch and that's kept the kids occupied most of the time. The kids had an awesome time in Aussie I'd say, the kids still talk about it so it's neat.

Will take another photo this weekend once I've washed my hair properly, so you can see how my scar's healing. You can have another look when you're here eh Hayden haha. Switch-on is on 30th July so I'll let you know how it goes.

Hayden - I couldn't get that haka video clip to load probably cos of my dial-up so will have a look at it next time I'm at mum and dad's, cos they have broadband, a bit faster!

Take care everybody, especially in this cold weather!

Dall & kids

P.S - Becky, I hope you enjoyed your trip to Melbourne. Bit scary with that shooting though!

Haka

just trialling something

News Flash

I've just booked my tickets, i'll be coming home from the 20th July till the 29th July. Will be good to see everyone i havn't seen since last time.

100th blog

hi guys this is the 100th entry on our blog. must say though that some of the bloggers are getting a bit slack at writting on here again though.
i had my first night shifts last week only 3 in a row though as i had an accured day off. 4 night shifts constiute a week as the shifts are 10 hours. i handled them well stayed awake all night and slept well during the day. The nights were busy so it made the time go fast. i am now awake at normal times of the day until i go back to night duty on wednesday for 4 night shifts. then bex will be here and the shopping begins!
the sword family will be in australia by now; have an awesome time exploring the warm gold coast and catching up with claire and phil. hope liam and kady were able to sit still for 3 hours on the plane! you have will to wirte on here and tell us about your adventures and put some photos on of you guys at the theme parks
its queens birthday here today but hayden still had to work he has just got home. i have made lasange for tea yum ok going to go and eat it now.
looking forward to hearing what you guys have been up to.
love from gemma and hayden
p.s the victoria ski fields have opened

Back from the Sunny and Warm Europe

Hi Gemma and Hayden - have just caught up on the lastest news - had coffee with Paul and Rosie this morning and now read the blog since we had been gone. Sorry i didn't have your email address for when we were away, else I would have included you in the emails. It seems like you have been having lots of visitors and trips home - when do you ever get time to miss NZ.
Our trip was awesome - will have to send Ernie over and he can fill you in - would take 3weeks of full-time talking on his part. We had very warm weather - no rain until the day we were leaving for the airport home. We liked Spain the most - slightly less people I think and we spent more time out of the cities there than in Italy. The driving went well - especially when we let Dave drive in the cities and the rest of us took the straight roads in the country. We probably did more cities than when we needed in the short time as it only left us with 3 nights in Tuscany - but still in such a short time it is hard to get everything in. We also went to Gibralter while in Spain - which was really interesting as I had learnt all about it when at school (ALL those years ago) and was a bit disappointed in that it is now losing some of it's uniqueness, as being on the coast it popular for tourists ans as there is only a limited amount of space - they are just reclaiming heaps of land and building tall appt blocks. Also I think I shall write to Queenie - it is a British country and yet they drive on the RHS of the road and use Euros as currency not Pounds - the Queen I feel has let things slide somewwhat:)
Our new packs/suitcase were fantastic and apart from Ernie being "touched" in Heathrow airport - no problems with pickpockets at all. We did see the gypsies in Spain who approach with sprigs of "Rosemary" and try to engage you in conversation - We knew better than to trust anything associated with "ROSEMARY"
In Venice we briught a very expensive glass sculpture for the new house - so I hope you and Hayden like it as you will need to look after it when you come home to house-sit - mind you there will be enough room in the house for you to live while we are there!!!!! - it is being shipped home and should be here this week coming.
The Cartwrights are in Greece now - and it was fun travelling with them - a bit like PRAM we get on so well.
Apart from Ernie getting some Spanish bug and giving it to me - and we are still coughing and spluttering - it is in a way good to be home and now focus on the house. The roof is not on yet - but should be ready by the end of this week - although I think the odd day of rain is forecast so could slow it down a bit.
Brianna and Melissa came to the airport to meet us with Uncle Dave - and she is walking now - can you believe - it is also only 2 weeks until her first birthday - will send you pics from the birthday party.
Off to bed now with my coughy husband - Take care\\xxx Mummy G and Ernie

oh and it was skippy the bush kangaroo not skippy cornflakes. And he did taste pretty good.

Willamstown Pics

This photo was from somewhere near where i was working at vic gardens. I took it when i was training this morning pretty good view.


This is from Gems pier at williamstown looking at city.



Also from gems pier at williamstown.




And here's gems pier at williamstown.

Hey all

Hey Gem - I don't think it's just you, re Melb Airport. It's not a very organised airport, from what I saw when I landed and left! It's complete chaos I reckon.

Hayden - Yeah I bet those cornflakes tasted good.. do you not get cornflakes over there, or is it just the Skippy brand?

We're all good here... Liam had his cross country on Wednesday and came fifth, he did brilliant! I think he was quite proud of that cos he practiced hard for it. Kady's good.. just Kady, talking lots and she's starting to say a few harder words now. She recited the ABC after me a couple weeks ago and that was cool. Still a little ratbag but!

As most of you know, I have my cochlear implant surgery on the 28th June (Ashley's birthday).. which isn't too far away. I've signed the consent form and now it's onto choosing which model is better for me - have two to choose from, plus colours. I'm vain though.. one's weird looking (has cool colours like red though!) but the other looks more like my usual hearing aid but not so great colour choices. I can say this though, I am definitely not choosing beige or ANY brown colour like my old aids. Boring! Might go for the second choice (that looks like my hearing aid) and just choose black - goes with anything eh? The first choice is a Med-El (looks weird and big) and the other is Nucleus Freedom, if you want to Google them to have a nosey. I have my pre-op appointment on the Wednesday, surgery on the Thursday and hopefully home Friday. Have to go back like the next week for a check-up, then back at 3-4 weeks to have it 'switched on' and yeah back and forth for the next few months really. Hopefully it won't hurt too much! Nah, I can handle that.. it's the surgery that's making me nervous. Got to get it over done with anyway so it'll be ok. It'll be at St Georges and I've heard it's nice there so at least that's good haha.

I'm cooking a roast chook for mum and dad here tonight, gonna make a walnut tart to have for pudding too.. yum! Still got a few of those walnuts Rosie gave us so I may as well use them up somehow. Should be nice, hopefully. Kids are off to Pioneer Stadium with Granny today for a swim.

Catch up sometime... Hayden - you don't need to come back when I have my surgery... I think mum was (or has?) gonna tell you, Claire and Ash to all come back here for Kady's birthday, which would be really cool.

Take care!

Dall & kids