Christmas

Posted on Friday 12 December 2008 at 02:04 - Post Comment

New arrivals

Wednesday was a day off for me as it was off to the airport to pick up mum and dad from their flight from Singapore.  I always enjoy waiting for international passengers as everyone is always so happy to see each other.  So different from internal flights that are full of tired, miserable business peeps who wish they were home already and tucking into their third Jim Beam & coke.  There were loads of familiy greetings to be observed, lots of grandparents hugging grandkids, mums kissing daughters, and babies being seen for the first time.  In a way, it really does bring home that everyone misses their loved ones when they move to a new country - the nationality really doesn't matter as we all feel the same things regardless of our origins.

Still, the parents arrived just fine, getting through the whole process in the usual average of about an hour after landing.  We immediately headed for home and got them settled in the new place, and then went of to Salt on the Pier in Brighton for a welcome lunch.  After collecting Toni from her school and having a nose around there we were back home for a traditional O'Dell charcoal BBQ.  Quality.

New House

Yes, we made it in!  Just over 2 weeks ago now we moved into our new place in Hoon Hay.  The move itself went swimmingly thanks to help from loads of friends and family (you know who you are).  We picked the keys up on Friday afternoon, and within 6 hours had painted 2.5 rooms, with just one more coat to go onto the lounge walls the following morning on the day of the move iself.  T and I did this at 7am (!) and it was dry just as I went to go and get the rental truck.  The place looked loads better for it, and I sit here in the dining room now congratulating Toni's foresight to get it done before all of the furniture arrived.  Being a lazy arse I ws all for doing it 'in time' but that little bit of effort has really made the difference.  On our own the place doesn't really make sense as it is so big, but with mum and dad here now, as well as our mate Olly who is lodging for a few days, it is really feeling homely.  Bring on the guests!

Last Friday we had the Xmas work do here as things on the budget side were pretty tight.  Of course it was dress up - this time the theme was 'what I want to be when I grow up'.  Here's T and I - can you guess what we wanted to be....? 

Christmas

I truly can't believe it is Christmas again already!  We have just this evening, as a family, put up the (real) Christmas tree that Toni bought on the way home, all whilst listening to Christmas songs.  It was very festive and has given me my first real twinge that in just a couple of weeks it is really going to be Christmas!  NZ is SO not Christmassy when compared to the UK.  Even now there is just the odd song on the radio, and a few ads on TV, but not the wall to wall blitz that you face in the UK from mid November onwards.  It is refreshing to say the least as I was never a big fan of all that hyped up bollocks.  Excuse me in my running gear, but I had just got back from a training run as Sunday sees my last triathlon.  More on that in the future.

Toni

Next week is Toni's last week in 'real' employment as her term ends and she leaves her class.  This is a sad but exciting time for us both, and the New Year will bring challenges and rewards I am sure to the Atmosphere Planning enterprise.  'What's that?' I hear the new readers ask!  click ye on www.atmosphereplanning.com and feast your eyes on the ever improving web site.  Ton got her first enquiry this week, for a wedding next year - I told her to frame it as it is right there from that small seed that her wedding planning empire will grow!

The next few weeks

Are going to be flat out for us as this coming weekend Toni's mum arrives, then the weekend after we all head to Kaikoura for a long weekend, then it's Christmas, then we go to Hanmer for another long weekend, then everyone buggers off home and the next day T and I head off to South East Asia!  Full on.

Just the way we like it then :-)

I leave you with a pic of T and her sis Kelly.  It's about the first time ever that both have 'approved' of a picture taken of them both.  A miracle in itself!