The Vallies

Lots of luck with that RT. I must admit we kinda thought about that with our hotel (ie. selling it leasehold) but we really need to take as much dosh as we can over with us, so decided against it in the end, I think you have hit on a good idea though, cause if I had a little property also I would def. let it simmer in blighty for a while!

Instead we will leave some dosh over here in a bank account/investment to help finance our holiday visits to family in UK.

Keep us posted!

AGH!!! Time is flying!!!!!!



Nicola
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The Vallies

Nice!!.................................

The Vallies

Wow!!! Sheila, you have done it!! You are there!!!

I am so glad that the school has looked after your babies! My son (he is nearly 8) is worried about school and wants me to come and do volunteer work at his new school (I do it currently). I said, I would if I could!

What are your plans business wise? Or will you take some 'time out' first? What jobs are you on the lookout for? Questions... questions... sorry x

Good luck getting into your new house... and pool.... yummy!!!!

The weather here is completely wacky!! Freezing cold winds, hammering rain, grey skies, ..........and all this while we are watching the kids play footy tonight!!

Nicola
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midlife crisis

Hi Nicola

Just woken up to torrential rain here!! Can't believe it! Must have followed us from the uk.

As regards our business plan, Paul has got meetings set up next week with the firm of Accountants he hopes to set up an Insurance business with. The negotiations are still at an early stage and this could go either way.

The cash outlay this week has been enormous, buying 2 cars, insurance, new home, buying food from scratch! so I think I will be looking for some part time work quite soon.

Once the kids are settled in school this will be a lot easier, but with the long holidays starting in 5 weeks we will just have to wait and see. My priority is the children to get them integrated into the community asap.

From January I will have one starting at 7.30am, one at 8.30am and one at 10.030am. Thats a lot of school runs. Hopefully the 2 eldest will be able to go to school independently so that should not be too much of a problem. I think all the schools have after school care so I will have to look into that.

Enough of me, Good Luck to everyone with their selling of their property. Hopefully we will have some good news on the rental of ours.It would certainly help here!

Best wishes

Sheila
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julesandco

WOW!

Go Sheila, go Sheila, Go sheila.

Fantastic. Keep us all informed.

Jules x

Boogie65

Hey, no worries Rogue actually I have to let Mr Boogie take the credit for that idea, and it was really spooky cos we were just sat here discussing the idea when the phone rang - it was the Estate Agents saying they'd had our potential buyers on the phone asking if we would take a part ex!!! :scared: how scary is that!!

Good luck with the second viewing tonight and let us know how it goes

Chrissy
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Boogie65

Hi Jules, I think we're gonna be in the same position with our daughter's passport - we knew it expired Aug 06 but were in such high spirits at the thought of getting those wonderful visas in our passports that we couldn't wait to send them off to London. However, now we're pretty unlikely to go to Oz before April 2006 we're going to need to renew her passport before we travel so we too will have to carry her old one and her new one.

It's good you posted that because up until then I hadn't really given it much thought, apart from saying to Stu "do you have to have a certain length of time left in your passport when we go?" Now I know it's six months, I'll be sure to do something about it - what a horrible thought - arriving at the airport and getting rejected because of that :scared:

Cheers for that Jules!

Chrissy
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Boogie65

[QUOTE=midlife crisis] Hi Sheila

How wonderful to hear from you now that you're really there and starting the live it Sorry to hear about your little 'un throwing up on the flight so much but it's really good to hear about the schools and how they're all looking forward to starting at them on Monday. Best of luck to them for then

Maloolaba! aaaaah!! How I long to see that beautiful place again I can just picture you all there - have a fantastic weekend getting settled in your lovely new home

Keep us posted won't you and have fun when you sort out a girlie get together - I had one with my friends from Telford last weekend and it did me the power of good and more karaoke and lots of laughs!

All the very best
Chrissy
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The Vallies

Oh my goodness, got me thinking too! :scared: our daughter's passport runs out in July next year also, and we wont be going till at least mid Jan - I really didnt realise you had to have 6 months left on your passport - I wonder why that is?

Anyway, this leads me to think, shall I apply for her new passport now (our visas should come through in a week or two), so the visa can go straight in (assuming it needs to be in the kiddies passports?), or have visa put in her current one, and also get a new one to take along?

Anyone know best option?



Hi Sheila! Blimey, thats a school run and a half!! Starting at 7.30am too! Wow, thats gonna need some organising! Lots of luck to your kiddies for Monday, please let us know how they get on.

Good luck to Paul next week in his meetings and to YOU organising your family!


Some friends of ours leave on Monday to Adelaide and their two children are at school with our two! They had a leaving service for them at school today, and boy, were my eyes filled with tears! Especially thinking that my two little ones will be up on stage beg. next year, saying goodbye to all their school!

:scared:

Have a super duper weekend everyone! Enjoy the fireworks and keep safe!



Nicola
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julesandco

We contacted the Aussie high commission, who said it was fine for our daughter to travel with this short length of time on her passport. We also contacted Cathay who said as long as the High Commission are fine with it, so are we.....

But as we are stopping over in Hong Kong and haven't checked with their Embassy, we just couldn't stand any stress or hassle at the check-ins.

It WOULD probably be fine - but we've got so much stress, we're not prepared to add any more un-necessarily. At least if you've all got time before you travel, you can post your applications which is a great deal cheaper than £71!!

Don't take my word as gospel on the passport requirements - we just figured it's probably easier to get it renewed as well whilst we're still in Blighty!

Anyway - T minus 12 days. Party tonight. Feeling a bit hung over from last night - had a get-together with some of the Mums and didn't get home until 2am :scared:

Paul and Sam are off to watch Arsenal today and going straight to the party from Highbury. Also got a house clearance tomorrow and our second skip has just been delivered...... If in doubt - chuck it out (our new Family motto!).

Have a great weekend one and all.

Jules

The Vallies

Hi Jules thanks for that info - we have decided to go ahead and get Hannah a new passport anyway, just in case!

Have a wikkid time tonight, and good luck with the clearout - good motto!!!

Nicola
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foxychic

Hi, don't know what is going on here, I replied to this thread this morning - but it has disappeared. So short version in case I am duplicating. You need to tell your CO you are getting a new passport and send a copy of the new page, as the visa has the passport No on and has to match.

Also, is anyone else getting Microsoft something (business or something) trying to load iteself to your computer everytime you click on this thread. I keep clicking cancel, but it is puzzling me.

rachel

julesandco

Our CO said it would be fine - but we'd need to travel with the two passports. The old one with the visa and the new one too.

Jules

Mrs Rogue

Hiya Jules and Co,

WOW! you guys must be so excited. I can't believe you are going so soon. It must all seem a bit crazy for you right now. But you'll be on that beach before you know it.

How was the party? Hope you had a great time and didn't use too many tissues! Not looking forward to that bit, saying goodbye must be hard.

I'm sooooo jealous! We are still waiting to sell our house. But we'll get there. You guys will be able to show us the ropes when we do.

Take care, and keep in touch as much as you can.

God bless,
Mrs Rogue

julesandco

Hi Mrs Rogue - thanks for remembering (must run in the family hey? )

The party was good, but there was a strange atmosphere. Paul described it best as a cross between a wedding and a wake. Everyone was cheery, but there was an underlying current of something more sinister (if you get my drift?) We must have been asked at least ten times each why we were doing it and what made us decide.

The sad thing is the reaction of some of my closest friends........... One in particular - our daughters are inseperable and I know for a fact that her little girl won't cope as well as mine when we do eventually leave - and I heard from another Mum tonight that she's deliverately been telling her daughter not to play with my little girl as she's moving to Australia and leaving her! ........ they're 4 for heaven's sake!?!

Also, it was my other best friend's little boys birthday on the night of our party and they were going to Legoland to watch the fireworks and couldn't come. How bad did I feel when I texted her on Sunday to ask how Lego was, only to be told they had a bad morning, didn't go and ended up in a neighbouring town watching the council firework display - couldn't even pop in for a drink to wish us well.

Whenever I ask them about it, they simply blame me, saying "you're so busy with the business and the move - you've not got time for us, YOU'VE shut US out" Because I've got too much to do to drink coffee with them for three hours on a Friday?

Mum says it's because they're all jealous and didn't think we'd actually have the balls to go through with the move and I have to agree with her in some respects. I don't know if any of you have had this experience. In some ways it helps with the emotion as part of you thinks s*d you lot! and you just want to get on the plane and get this bit over with...... Does this make any sense - I'm rambling, sorry.

It's just I feel that this bit is really hard - like going through an emotional mangle - I just want to close the page on the sad goodbye bit and start focusing on the happy emails updating eveyone and looking forward to Mum planning her trip over.

I really hope those of you who've got this to come don't experience the same as we're going through at the mo. The "friends" we thought were closest have distanced themselves and the "acquaintances" have come up trumps!

It's very upsetting

Sorry - rant over!

Nighty night,

Jules xXx love to all