Finding your rhythm....

James and Lewis - Lewis is in hospital at the moment suffering from pneumonia. We are all sending him hugs and kisses, as I am sure you are!

God - I really am behind with this aren't I? I imagine all the regular readers have given up on me, but fear not! I am just struggling to get back into the swing of things following our trip to the UK, then my trip to Magnetic Island with Beth, then two weeks of doing touristy things (mainly shopping!) with Beth, then a week of everyone being ill. I'm hoping this will be just be a normal week of school runs, work and the gym, and that I will manage to get the house back in order (I can't even begin to describe the state of my house at the moment, but suffice to say that there is an ironing pile that would challenge even the most dedicated mountaineer, and the mess.....well. It's just shameful really).

Also events at home have been preoccupying me. As I've said before, when people you love are suffering, it really brings home how far away we are. But also it proves to me that it is possible to be a family and be thousands of miles apart. Love travels well.

So - how am I going to catch up? Well I wanted to make sure I put some pics of the children and their friends in Milford on here, so I'll do that. Then I'll tell you all about Beth's visit (which was soooo much fun!), then I'll move onto the usual comments on Aussie life and our more recent adventures. Then I absolutely promise - normal service will be resumed.

Enjoy!



Anna and George with the lovely Bray boys, Henry and George



Anna and George with the Bray boys and the Bray girls - Zara, Lizzie and Martha in the pram!



Anna and George with Abby and Olly, who came to Center Parcs with us




Anna and Jamie



George and all the Milford Boys! We couldn't get over how much their hair had grown! From left to right - Conor, Thomas, Oliver, Colm, George, Joe and Piers. They are all wearing the australian t shirts we brought over for them.



George and Colm. We made Colm bend down a bit so that George didn't look like a midget!


Anna and all her BFFs - Nancy, Rosalind,Anna, Jessica, Lauren and Megan. Ellie and Gigi couldn't make it.




Three very blue eyed girls - Phoebe, Anna and Ophelia.

The Pettifers Down Under UK 2008 - Friends

Sarah, Andrew and I, Charlotte and the wonderful Charlie. We are walking along the sea wall at Keyhaven, which is a walk we often used to do with Charlie. I was bloody freezing!



Nugs, Anna, Phoebe and Nancy




Me and my best friend in all the world - Nugs



All the Enfield and Latymer boys up in St Albans after a great Indian. I look huge-mungous in this picture!



Me and my lovely friend Hazel



Lynne and Thomas



Andrew and Caroline



Louis, Johnny and George.

The Pettifers Down Under UK 2008 - Babies

After a few barren years (not literally) on the baby front, suddenly when we left, everyone started reproducing! I'm fairly certain that the two things are not related, but it did mean that when we got back to the UK, there were a number of small people we needed to get acquainted with.

First there was the new addition to Hazel and Dave's family. Martha was born a few days before we left for our trip, so we were especially honored that at 11 days old she travelled from her home in Nantwich to her Uncle Jim's in Lincolnshire, just to see us. It was a fleeting visit, but it was lovely to get to see her when she was so tiny. And Dave better start worrying - with 3 daughters now, that's three weddings he is going to have to pay for! He might have to sell some of his international property portfolio!

Then friends Gary and Lynne had gorgeous Thomas, who was exactly as a baby should be - all chubbly and smiley and happy. His two brothers, James and Ross seemed quite pleased with him too!

Lastly, we were lucky enough to have our very much loved former au pair Josefine come over and stay in Lymington for a week while we were there - along with her 18 month old daughter, Ophelia. Anna and I last saw them in Koln when Ophelia was about 8 weeks old, but George had never met her, so it was lovely to catch up. Now Ophelia is a walking, talking, bundle of fun, who managed to teach both George and Anna a few words of German. We are all hoping that they will come and see us in Australia sometime, although it is difficult with Josefine's studies.

There was one other baby - Sam and Neil had Ben just after we left for Australia, and we met him for the first time. He was gorgeous, but I forgot to take a picture!

It was all almost enough to make me want to go out there and procreate!

But not quite.....



Me and Martha - she is only 11 days old here!



The beautiful Martha again.



Gary and Lynne's gorgeous baby, Thomas. He was a real cutie.



Thomas again - who could resist those blue eyes?



Miss Josie Jo and the wonderful Ophelia

The Pettifers Down Under UK 2008 - Birthdays

There were a lot of birthdays whilst we were in the UK. Some of them were celebrated rather in advance, but we took advantage of the opportunity to be with family and friends and did it anyway!




Bob was seventy! And he doesn't look a day over 69!



I blew out the candles on a boob cake for an early celebration of my 40th with all the Jeynes peeps

We had a birthday cake when I was up at Mum and Dad's in the early part of the visit, to mark the fact that this September I will be forty. I'm planning to have the most drawn out birthday ever, because a few weeks after that, my best friend Nugs allowed me to have a fortieth birthday party at her house. This was particularly kind of her because the day of the party was actually her daughter Phoebe's birthday, so we were careful to make sure she got some of the limelight on her special day. I received a number of very generous gifts (many of which were shoe themed! Seems people have noticed about my shoe obsession!), amongst which was a ticket to do the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb. Caralyn, Mark, Nicky and Matt were responsible for this, and I have made it my project for this year to work up enough courage to actually do it (or alternatively directing all that energy into learning how to use photo shop so that I can transpose my head onto someone elses in order to dupe everyone into thinking that I've done it....hehehehehehe). The party was tremendous fun - I didn't get too drunk, but it did go on to the wee hours and there may have been some swimming in the pool....but hey - to be honest - I think people would have been disappointed if I hadn't!



Me and Nugs - before all the fun begins!



Pettifer representation at my 40th - Madeleine, Tony, Grace, Bob, Karen, Andrew, the birthday girl, and Abs and Anna at the front. Doesn't everyone look gorgeous?



Me with good friends Mark, Caralyn, Nicky and Matt



Amanda and Mike at my UK (lol) 40th party



Nicky and Matt



Sarah and Roy busting some moves on the dance floor



A toast to being fab and forty!



Tim and Syd



Johnny and sister Trace - peas in a pod!



Caralyn and Mark



Very much later in the evening (in the early morning in fact), when Andrew and I are no longer looking the slightest bit glamorous!

Then our niece Beth was 18! Unfortunately Andrew missed it, but Karen and Tony treated us all to a lovely meal at Sway Manor with lots to drink and plenty to eat. It was great to spend some more time with everyone.



The crowd for Beth's 18th birthday dinner - Grace, Matt, Tony, Karen, Beth, Adrian, Mads and me, then George, Sophie, Anna, Abigail and Bob kneeling down at the front



A great picture of Beth, Karen and Tony



The birthday girl herself!

It was also niece Emily's birthday, and we were lucky enough to be able to get to her purple party in the park. Unfortunately it was absolutely pouring with rain and I left the camera in the car by mistake, so didn't get any pictures. However, if Lucy sends me some, I'll add them to this page!

The Pettifers Down Under UK 2008 - Family

Anna and the baby we left behind - Charlie. He is very happy with Sarah and Roy, and it was lovely to see him again.

Many apologies for the delay in updating the blog. Since we got back we have been entertaining niece Bethany, getting the children back into the old routine and Beth and I have been up to a Barrier Reef Island for a few days for some sun (more on that later).

I've given some thought about how to cover our month home, and I've decided to do it pictorially - starting with some pics of the family. So here we go!



Lucy and her girls, Katy and Emily



George, Katy, Emily, Olly, Abs and Anna all striking a pose



Grace and Bob



George, Abigail and Anna



A really wonderful picture of Lewis and Lucy



Me and Lewis having a lovely cuddle.



Katy, Me and Lew, Anna, Samuel and Abs. We are all playing a quiz game and Lew is helping me roll the dice. He loved being able to join in!



James and his gorgeous son



Me and brother James - he wouldn't be sensible...



George and Anna at Beaulieu Motor Museum. Grace and I were in stitches taking this picture....they look so funny!



Lucy and Mike - isn't Lucy looking wonderful!



Samuel and George



My mum and dad!



The lovely Lewis and his very lovely ladies - Emily, Anna and Katy



Andrew chatting to his Aunty Diana



Tracey and Madeleine



Anna, Abigail and Laura



Psrtners in crime - Anna and Abigail



Andrew and his mum