Merry Christmas

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Hi everyone,

This is our last blog entry before christmas day, so we just wanted to wish you all a huge "MERRY CHRISTMAS". We are now in the festive mood, especially with connor being soooooo excited, and we are really looking forward to experiencing christmas in a very different way. Its so strange being in the sun at this time of year, and also the atmoshphere is a lot more relaxed here, which is nice. We aren't missing the hectic build up you have in England, with all the supermarkets so busy etc, but i am missing the binge drinking, ha ha. We are missing all of our family and friends a lot, but its lovely to be surrounded by our NZ family, so we are really happy and looking forward to it. Me and Connor always drive in the van together, and he makes me wear my santa hat, he puts on the christmas cd, and we both sing along with or hats on, and he shouts "merry christmas" out of the window to everyone we drive past, its so funny.

We have been busy this week moving into trudies new house, which has gone smoothly, and the house is so lovely. Its looking really nice now, and we are all very happy to be in and settled. We could only dream of a house like this back home. Its detached, has a huge drive way and garage, lovely open plan kitchen/dinner and living room, and 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Iv been doing some D.I.Y, (very successfully if i do say so myself), and sophs been unpacking and cooking etc.

On tues we both went to Connors school to see his xmas assemble, which involved lots of singing, a choir, an orchestra, and some dancing. The school rock band played, who were amazing. I was so impressed to see these 9/10 year old kids playing their instruments better than any member of the vibes, past or present. Im serious, the bass player was unreal, i felt embarrased at his talent. We then volenteered for parent help in the afternoon, and had to help in walking 4 classes of kids to the beach, where we helped to make sand castles etc. It was really nice and the kids were all lovely. I was put in charge of 3 girls, who were really nice, but they did not stop talking, saying things like "hey mart, we're all best friends, and we have the same bags, and when we're older we are gonna live together and be house mates, and amilia fancies john, but he likes sarah, so we don't like sarah, etc" I felt exhausted at the end of the day, but had a fun time.

On sunday we are off for lunch up the sky tower in Auckland city. This is our christmas treat from trudie and connor, and its a lovely lunch meal in the revolving restaurant at the top of the tower, so we are all excited for that.

A quick happy birthday message to Kerry Jenkins, and to my grandad, who's birthday falls on christmas day. Have a lovely time.

As for the rest of you, have an amazing christmas and enjoy the special day. I hope Santa brings you all you've asked for!!!!!!!!!

Love you all loads, mart and soph xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Photos

Merry Christmas
What a banner. A lot of effort went into this, and it looks great. Our NZ family

Connor
Cheeky Chap!!!!!!!

Comments

[Grandad Michael]

Merry Christmas
Have a nice Christmas day we'll all be thinking of you but enjoy yourselves we'll cope without you just this once. Carry on with your lovely lifestyle, how lucky you are both of you! Love Grandad x

[Helen x]

Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you both!! Enjoy every minute of the Christmas season in sunny New Zealand with Trudie, Connor and family. I'm sure you'll have an amazing time and it'll definitely be a Christmas to remember for years to come. We will of course miss you for all of the festive celebrations but will think of you lots and raise our glasses to you to wish you the best of everything for a Happy and Adventurous New Year in 2008! Speak to you both soon lots of love Helen xxxx

[pi**ed off erzo]

just lost my long nice comment stupid computer.
love you guys merry christmas and a happy new year. not writing all that again, aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhh. an hour i spent.

[Laura]

Merry Christmas Guys!
Well Mart welcome to the teaching profession, that is how I feel at the end of every school day! Well it is now boxing day and the Christmas spirit is still alive in our household. Thankyou so much for my lovely present, your right it was absolutely stunning and fits nicely in my new huge jewellery box. We had a lovely day yeserday and eat dinner at my grandads and then came back to mine for the evening. We had a night on the wii with my folks. My dad was so funny at the bowling and even he was sweating after the boxing, so it was a godd work out. My cousins are over tomorrow so it will be exciting with Millie and Matt, as you know with Connor it is very exceiting with children. Not sure of New Year plans yet, the Elm sounds good this year with a variety of entertainment, i.e. band, disco and Christian but how much would we love to be going in the camper van and breaking down in a lane like last year and getting drunk and spending the night by Hooe lake outside McMullen Motors!!! Class memories guys and missing you loads so speak to you soon and I will let you know what the mad one makes me do this year!!!Love to you both, have a good week and I will email you over the New Year. Thanks again. Love Usxxxx

[Kate M]

Testing Testing 123
Just testing it works before i type an essay!

[Grandad David]

Happy New Year
Dear Sophie and Martin, Here's wishing you both a very Happy New Year. Glad to hear you are all keeping well and enjoying your stay with Trudie and Connor. Nice to speak to you on Christmas Day, it brought tears to Lillie's eyes when she was speaking to you (silly fool). Our Christmas went very well we had dinner at Sharons new house, most of the family were there John, Jackie, Helen, Andrew, Jackie, Millie and Billy, Grandma, me and Sharon. We spoke to the Bodmin bunch they were in Steven and Paulines new bungalow at St Keyne near Liskeard. It's a nice little village with a church and a church hall where the villagers meet every so often and have social events. Grandma and I had some lovely Christmas presents from the whole family, a big surprise was our flatscreen 19inch tele for the bedroom. Our New Years Eve went very well at the Elm Centre your delightful band was kicking up a racket, our star drummer was Claire and she did very well. Spent the evening with Sophie's mum and dad which was nice. Danced the night away until Carole kindly took us home with Joan (because the taxi didn't turn up). First job of the new year is to finish Sharon's bathroom - only the carpet to lay now. Next week Sharon is taking Grandma and I up to Jackie and Andrews in London for a few days. Wishing you well on your travels, love Grandad xx and Grandma xx

[mum and dad cocks]

Happy New Year to you both
Hi ya a Happy New Year to you both.We hope you had a new year to remember for the rest of your lives.Last year in a camper van and this year in a campervan you know how to live it up dont you.At least this year you were not in a cold campervan and the scenery was different to Looe eh.What a lovely way to see how others celebrate the New Year,we are looking forward to the next blog update so as we all know what you have been up to over the festive period.We all had a fab time at the Elm with all the usual crowd plus a few new faces who seemed to enjoy themselves so much that we danced till gone 2.30 and would have gone on all night i think if Natalie hadnt stopped us.Thank goodness she did as we didnt get home till 3.30 once we all tidied up.New years day for us was a chilled out day for a change no open house as usual as Helen and Ash were out with everyone to the Mainstone and over to Shirleys after for Christian and Helens engagement party.So we did a Brunch for the Truscotts and the Joness and us of course and once we tidied around we saw Granddad David and later in the afternoon we walked down to see Pauline and Ken which was a nice change from the usual hectic New Years Day we have had in the past.Everyone is back to work today and so we now know that the christmas festivies are over the only things left are the decorations to take down and the sweets cakes and biscuits to eat up.Oh no that diet looks like it will start tomorrow you never know.Its only about 12 weeks till we go on holiday to Mexico now which is a pretty scary thought and as everyone is saying it will soon come round.The weather has changed again today from a wet week or two to a very bitterly cold windy dry day with the chance of snow tomorrow but we will have to wait and see they are usually wrong arent they.Well im off now speak to you soon,take care of each other and wish Trudie and Connor a Very Happy New Year from us all too.Lots of love mum and dad. xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Jane H.]

Happy New Year!
Just to let you know Sophie that the original (and best) members of the Recruitment Team have been following your adventures and we often talk about what you've been up to. We're very impressed and pretty jealous! We send you all best wishes for the New Year and hope that the trip continues to be as brilliant as it obviously has been so far. Take good care of yourself.

[Kerry and John]

Happy New Year
Hello travellers, Happy new year to you both. Hope you enjoyed Christmas and new year, Bet it was totally different but lovely at the same time im sure. Thanks, i had a good Birthday, The usual night out, Few blank memories!! Was wierd that you were not a Princess Yachts Xmas doo, As always Me and John didnt win in the raffle but how embarrassing when i thought they called out my number... '37' so i was up the front cheering saying thats me thats me then they re-anounced it was actually number 137!! John had already realized so was hiding away so it didnt look like he was with me. What a fool! Feel bad not to have writted on your blog since you first left but we have been looking and enjoy reading through and looking at the lovely, some crazy photos you have taken. You are both looking really well anyway, nice tans and smiley faces. Take care of yourselves and we will write soon. Lots of Love Kerry and John XX