Mark Gardner

Hi folks,

I have a double celebration to report +

My wife Siobhan informed me Tuesday evening that she is pregnant with our
first child...WooooHoooo!

I thought it prudent to ring AHC London Wednesday morning to ask for a
change of circumstances form, the nice lady on the phone informed me that it
was too late and that they had come to a decision on Tuesday. She then asked
me to hold for a while, my heart sank I thought we'd been refused!

When she came back to the phone it was to inform me that we had to make
initial entry by 22nd August 2003, the letter was requesting we send in our
passports. Double WooooHooooo!!

I would like to thank all those who have helped and advised me over the last
2.5 years (yes folks from enquiring to now has been that long)

Quite dumbfounded and lost for words, so much has changed for us in just one
24 hour period.

I'll post a proper message tomorrow, have to drive to work now.

Again thanks to George Lombard, Glenn Newton, Jeremy and all the other
people who have been kind enough to offer help and advice.

Looks like I'll have to do a tour and buy a few cold ones

Regards

Mark & Siobhan +1

Emmy & Phil

Oh congratulations that's wonderful news. Good luck with your wonderful new
life. I hope it all goes well for you.

Emily

--
"There Are No Stupid Questions, But There Are A Lot Of Inquisitive Idiots."

Please remove "NOSPAM" when emailing.
"Mark Gardner" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hi folks,
    > I have a double celebration to report +
    > My wife Siobhan informed me Tuesday evening that she is pregnant with our
    > first child...WooooHoooo!
    > I thought it prudent to ring AHC London Wednesday morning to ask for a
    > change of circumstances form, the nice lady on the phone informed me that
it
    > was too late and that they had come to a decision on Tuesday. She then
asked
    > me to hold for a while, my heart sank I thought we'd been refused!
    > When she came back to the phone it was to inform me that we had to make
    > initial entry by 22nd August 2003, the letter was requesting we send in
our
    > passports. Double WooooHooooo!!
    > I would like to thank all those who have helped and advised me over the
last
    > 2.5 years (yes folks from enquiring to now has been that long)
    > Quite dumbfounded and lost for words, so much has changed for us in just
one
    > 24 hour period.
    > I'll post a proper message tomorrow, have to drive to work now.
    > Again thanks to George Lombard, Glenn Newton, Jeremy and all the other
    > people who have been kind enough to offer help and advice.
    > Looks like I'll have to do a tour and buy a few cold ones
    > Regards
    > Mark & Siobhan +1

mashiraz

Brill, very pleased for you.....All the best and start planning

Mash...

Nicstids

Many Congratulations. I hope that will be us in two years time. (Not the baby though - we've already got one of those!) Hope everything goes well in your new life. Where are you planning to go?

Nicola

CROSSY

Double Whoooo...Hoooooo's all round!!! well done.... enjoy!!

jockney

Double congrats enjoy the moment.We found out in october that wife was expecting as well , but still waiting for the visa.Yet another good reason to go.party on jockney

Ritka

Hi Mark,

I am really very happy for you and your family
I wanna wish you everything the best and the most wonderful future of
your future family member )

Best regards,
Ritka

"Mark Gardner" wrote in message news:...
    > Hi folks,
    >
    > I have a double celebration to report +
    >
    > My wife Siobhan informed me Tuesday evening that she is pregnant with our
    > first child...WooooHoooo!
    >
    > I thought it prudent to ring AHC London Wednesday morning to ask for a
    > change of circumstances form, the nice lady on the phone informed me that it
    > was too late and that they had come to a decision on Tuesday. She then asked
    > me to hold for a while, my heart sank I thought we'd been refused!
    >
    > When she came back to the phone it was to inform me that we had to make
    > initial entry by 22nd August 2003, the letter was requesting we send in our
    > passports. Double WooooHooooo!!
    >
    > I would like to thank all those who have helped and advised me over the last
    > 2.5 years (yes folks from enquiring to now has been that long)
    >
    > Quite dumbfounded and lost for words, so much has changed for us in just one
    > 24 hour period.
    >
    > I'll post a proper message tomorrow, have to drive to work now.
    >
    > Again thanks to George Lombard, Glenn Newton, Jeremy and all the other
    > people who have been kind enough to offer help and advice.
    >
    > Looks like I'll have to do a tour and buy a few cold ones
    >
    > Regards
    >
    > Mark & Siobhan +1

wolfens_wife

Many congratulations!!!!
And I thought bad news was supposed to come all at once!
Just think of the better life you'll be able to bring your new addition!

Ginny

Congratulations on both counts!!

The second bit of news is fantastic in itself but as for the first, your Wooohooo says it all.

Good Luck and all the best.

Regards

Ginny

tinaj

Fantastic news!
A double celebration for you both - unfortunately your wife won't be able to drink as much as she may want to!!
Enjoy yourselves , want a great way to start a new life.

Well done!

liz and mark

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mark Gardner
Hi folks,

I have a double celebration to report +

Congratulations to both of you

can i just ask when your medicals and police checks were sent to AHC ? ours were sent nov 18th 02

where are you heading?

good luck

liz and mark

Mark Gardner

Hi again everyone it's all just starting to sink in now. Thanks for all the
well wishes.

I did a timeline on Austimeline but haven't updated it yet.

I contacted AHC last June as our 15 month wait was up, they said it was OK
to book the medicals we did these August 2002, but held on
to them.

Soon after a letter arrived requesting further information from my previous
employer and police checks, these had to be in by October 17th, we sent them
on October 14th all was sent to AHC London.

I was going to ring the end of January anyway just to check which days mail
they were up to.

We are having the house valued next Wednesday, I'm asking for 2 valuations,
one as is and one if I complete all the work which is currently in progress.

Siobhan will not be able to fly after June due to her pregnancy, so we need
to weigh up whether it will be cost effective to fly out to activate the
visas and return to complete the house alterations, or whether we should
just sell as is and go.

As to where, we will initially be flying to Melbourne. Then we will travel
on to Elphinstone a small township near Castlemaine, approximately 1.5 hours
North East of Melb.
Here I have a friend who has offered me employment and somewhere to live. I
will initially be working in a related industry to my own. I am a Crane
Fitter/Technician, the slow moving telescopic type that hold everyone up on
the roads.
My friend runs the Castlemaine bus & coach company and has asked me to
repair/drive these for him. If we like it here we will probably settle.

If not I have family in Adelaide, Brisbane as well as on Tassie.
But Australia is such a huge place I could end up anywhere.

As someone has already mentioned I have a total new start and am happy
beyond words, my only concern is this next stage of organizing everything, I
think it may turn out to be a complete nightmare.
I'm still working 70 hours a week Mon-Fri at present, 20 of them being
travel.

If it all becomes too much I may well quit work to get things sorted out.

Again thanks for all the well wishes, and good luck with your own
applications.

I'd guesstimate that Darren, and yourselves will hear something by 2nd week
of Feb at the latest, they seem to have come out of hibernation at AHC
Good Luck

Regards
Mark & Siobhan +1
liz and mark wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Originally posted by Mark Gardner
    > > Hi folks,
    > >
    > > I have a double celebration to report +
    > >
    > > Congratulations to both of you
    > >
    > > can i just ask when your medicals and police checks were sent to AHC ?
    > > ours were sent nov 18th 02
    > >
    > > where are you heading?
    > >
    > > good luck
    > >
    > > liz and mark
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Hills

Mark Gardner wrote:

    > Siobhan will not be able to fly after June due to her pregnancy, so we need
    > to weigh up whether it will be cost effective to fly out to activate the
    > visas and return to complete the house alterations, or whether we should
    > just sell as is and go.

Aren't there visa implications depending on where your child is born?
I was hoping one of the agents here would mention it, but not as yet.

The baby will not have a visa (as yours were issued before he/she could be
included in the application).
If bubs is born in Australia, s/he will automatically be Oz citizen.
If born outside Australia, s/he will have to apply for a seperate visa to go
with you.
(cost, time, etc.)
Maybe you should just get to Oz before June.
Another option would be to stay in Oz for a few months, from June, and then fly
back with your new Ozzie citizen child to finish up the house?

LJ