Post Christmas News 2001

Well I hope you had a very Happy Christmas.

We had a really good day. We are still staying with our friends Juliet and Kev and their girls Emma and Hannah. We allowed the girls to open pressies of wetsuits and boogie boards before going to Auckland for brunch with friends of J and K's. The girls spent so much time in the pool that the planned trip to the beach was aborted in favour of returning home to finish pressie unwrapping!!! We B-B-Q'd sirloin, mussels and prawns for supper - not quite the Xmas fayre we are used to!! For 2 days (25th and 26th) it was hot and dry, which was a miracle as we have had a phenomenal amount of rain since we arrived. In fact the weather was divine which pleased Eric as he was able to gaze at the (clear) night sky through the telescope I bought him!

I must admit I had a few tears Xmas night after talking to Mom and Daddy. In one way I was pleased to get Xmas 'out the way' as I knew it would be hard.

Boxing Day was hot and thoroughly lazy. The girls all played with their pressies while we lazed in the sun until it became too hot, when we retreated indoors to read our many books. Between Juliet, Kev, Eric and I we could stock library sections on NZ gardening, lifestyle living (i.e. managing 1-10 acres) and fishing!! I had passed comment on wanting to interspace the trees along our drive with azaleas and rambling roses so J and K bought us a variety of azalea bushes. The girls had watermelon seeds from Santa and Mom and Daddy have given us money to buy more fruit trees so I guess we'll have to get planting pretty soon!

We stayed at our house for the first time last night sleeping on airbeds. (Yes Cheryl we did get your 'phone messages and will 'phone back soon, I promise). It was so uncomfortable we went out and bought a bed straight away.The delivery guy was just on his way out to Hinuera so we had it delivered immediately! It will serve us until we get our own bed and then it will go into the flat ready for our visitors. (Whenever any of you want to come!!) We will stay at Cedar Lodge on odd nights but will still return to Juliet and Kev's for creature comforts and to do our washing! Our possessions arrive on 7th January, the day I start work!!! However Juliet has said she will keep our girls with her the night before and will bring them to us on the 7th and help Eric get organised. The packers actually unpack so we just have to ensure everything goes where we can find it!!

Our next major tasks are to purchase some livestock to eat our grass, build the extension to Alice's room (Eric is drawing plans as I type) and put in a pool. I guess that will keep us busy over the next few weeks!!

Well I hope this finds you all well and happy. Do write soon, we depend so much on your news, and have a VERY Happy New Year.
Much Love
Michelle, Eric, Harriette and Alice
xoxox

Christmas Greetings 2001

I'm afraid that you would not have received Xmas cards from us this year. Now over the last few years I have often not sent to those I know we will see over Xmas and have donated the money saved to the NSPCC however this year we won't see any of you and I still have not sent cards. I think you will agree though that we have been a little busy this last few weeks!!!
So this is to send you all very best wishes from the Tanner family. We wish you all a peaceful and happy Christmas and a prosperous 2002. I wonder how many of you we will see before next Christmas?!

Well we have finally taken possession of our house. Note I say taken possession and not 'moved in' because we have very little to move in with. The kitchen is pretty well kitted out but the rest of the house is bare!! We went up there 9to Matamata) on the Thursday with Juliet, Kev., Hannah, Emma and the puppies and had a few bottles of bubbly on the deck and watched rainstorms moving all around us. Very dramatic. In fact Waikato met office issued a map of lightening strikes as there were so many. Matatmata and Cambridge were flooded.

Yesterday Eric, the girls and I went up there again to measure out some things, the pool area to see what size parapool we should be looking out for, and how far out we can extend Alice's bedroom. We think we can bring that out and then divide it into 2 longish narrow rooms and make a study/4th bedroom.

Today, Sunday, we took the 4 girls to Hamilton Zoo. It was quite nice, the area where they had the apes was particularly well done. We have only had one brief shower today and the weather is definitely improving. There has been a lot of patchy cloud but quite honestly when the sun is out it's so hot you are grateful for it! The prediction for the 25th is good so hopefully we will get our trip to the beach!

Thank you to those of you who sent Xmas cards.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Love Michelle, Eric, Harriette and Alice
xoxoxoxo