Parlez-vous Français? Nope, not yet.

We're just home from our first French lesson!

It was cool, and scary too.  It's at L'Institut Français d'Écosse, not too far from our place but about half an hour from my work (which gives me just enough time to make it after work).  2 hour lessons, once a week for fifteen weeks.  Of course, we'll be going to Paris one of those weeks, but I think a week of culture-immersion should make up for missing the lesson *wink*!!

They're small classes, but the teacher seems nice.  It's weird to listen to a French person with a Scottish accent when they speak English (she lived in Inverness for a couple of years I think).  She's also said that she won't be speaking much English from here on in -- we got a basic guide to, "watch, listen, repeat, sit, stand".  If all else fails, I'm just going to copy the rest of the class!

We're very excited to have Dayna with us!!  It's going to be very much fun --  we'll have Christmas together, maybe we can set up the video conferencing for Christmas dinner (I know, I've said that before, but how about this year?!).  Some yummy roast veggies ... actually, that reminds me, we've already got some in our 'fridge I really should cook up.  Mmmm, roasty.

KI photos

We've put some photos from the trip up here.. Enjoy :)

I'm going to the UK!!!

Well, you all know already - but thought I'd put it in the blog!

Yesterday I got a new copy of my birth certificate (I think it was left somewhere unpleasant), so today I went out to the British High Consulate (near the airport) and applied for my UK Ancestry visa. It looks like it'll be ready to pick up next week! yay!

I've also got my ticket all good to go - I leave from Melbourne on the 15th November.. When I was talking to Mum and Dad last week, I said I might come to Bendigo just before I go.. but on further thinking, it will be better for me to come to Bendigo for Trin's christening (and take some time off work so I can spend time with everyone). I'll leave the car in Bendigo at that point, and head to Melbourne for meetings (for work) on the Monday. From there I'll head to WA for work, then back home in time to pack up my final things, get furniture sent away, and do my final clean and get my house sorted out..

I'm not sure whether I'll get to visit Damien and Cheryl before I go (sorry guys) but I'll work on it. :)

Anyway, hope you're all good!

*hugz*

Kangaroo Island

Here's a photo of the four of us and our new friend at the Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island.

Trinity's Baptism

Just thought I would post this here, but we will be sending out invites to everyone in the next week or so. So, Trinity's Baptism, or Christening, whatever you prefer, is going to be - Sunday, October 22nd at St Peter's Eaglehawk at 10.15am (normal service time) And thank you mum and dad for letting us have a light lunch at their house afterward. Hopefully it will be a nice day and we can all enjoy the patio area!

Contact Details

I thought i'd add a post which I can then bookmark for everyone to put in their contact details. So yeah, add a comment with your address and phone numbers in it.

All Quiet on the Bandwagon Front

So, school holidays are nearly here, and I am looking forward to them! Today was the Battle for Australia ceremony at school, so I was there all day. We made sandwiches (10 loaves of bread!) and supplied cake, bikkies, tea, and coffee. We thought all was going well, then the big urn wasn't working so we swapped it for the small one, then it was leaking, and then we realised neither urn (ours or the hired one) were boiling, turned out the power point wasn't working so off I went to get extension cords... anyway, at the end of the day it was still successful, although we had planned on having 2 urns because last year it was hard with one, then because of the power we had to send everyone to use our little leaky one because it was the hottest :P

Trinity's Baptism... no date yet, Stephen is back tomorrow and will hopefully get back to us.

Jared went to the Jockey Club with the lion team for a performance. He got to be the clown/monk/teaser, which is what he preferred to being in the lion. I was told he'd never had a bigger smile on his face! I couldn't go this time, so a couple of the other parents kept an eye on him :) The "little" boys stuck together, I was told wherever one was they all were - 5 of them in total, 2 lions and the monk :) The next performance is "moon festival" which is the 8th of October, so I better check the time... might not have Trinity's Baptism that weekend.

Carolynn has a calisthenics comp this Friday night in Melbourne... will get her to post results on the weekend... if she is allowed on the computer. Technically she is banned until she cleans up her room!

Finally, Adam has been working on the BendigoGuide so go and have a look -http://www.bendigoguide.com.au/

a Libran thing?

Glenn I'm sorry to hear you were also sick. That virus is very contagious or maybe your stars said "you will be sick this weekend" and I caught Dad's. It was good to hear from you. I was wondering if you were OK.
The enlightened Doctor here gave us antibiotics and gave me a week off. She didn't know I only get paid when I work. I went back on Wednesday. We only have two weeks until the holidays. My workmate is off for the three weeks after an operation, so otherwise we're short staffed.We've continued with cold and flu tablets and I have Ventolin as well. We're both still coughing especially as the evening gets cooler. We're keeping up the fresh squeezed fruit juice and extra vitamin C. It's the most effective weight loss method I've found, but I suspect the result won't be long lasting.
Look forward to more updates.
Love from Mum and Dad

busy busy

hi there family,

it's been a little while since i've posted.. i'd like to say that it's because i've been doing lots of fun things, but really it's just because i've been busy with boring stuff like work!

i've started looking for jobs in the UK (which is where I took the photo of my hand on a heat-sensitive panel). i've decided that it's time to have some adventures (i'm really not enjoying work and the Director said "if you're not enjoying what you're doing, don't do it!"). i'm not absolutely sure of when i'll head off yet.. but it'll probably be round the end of the year, maybe before christmas, not sure yet.. it kinda depends on when i get work.. and kinda doesn't...

glenn and dee, any hints and tips ??? :) ooh, and can i say i'm going to come and live with you? (for the ancestry visa application..)

anyway.. i'm not planning on going away forever - but i certainly feel that it's time for me to go. it was always in my plan to head to the UK for 2007.. i've even got an email from early last year that says that! if i don't go now, when will i? it's not like i've got to wait for someone else now.

ooh, and while i'm thinking of people who shall remain nameless.. he should have put my power-drill in the post (registered mail) on the weekend. mum and dad, i asked him to send it to you - so please let me know if it turns up.

anyway, i've got some applications to write..

*grin*

Not Well

Hi all,
Dad and I are both not well. Whatever it was hit us both on Friday night, and we've spent most of the weekend resting. We've got into the doctor this afternoon, so I hope we get something more than "It's a virus so we can't give you anything". We both seem a little improved today and I think I'm actually hungry now. It's been a weekend of minimum food. The bathroom looks like a chemists, and we've used up the chesty cough syrup.
I had to ring Lisa to say don't bring the children although it was father's Day. I'd hate them to get this. I hope Adam enjoyed his second father's day.
We got the text message Dayna. Glad you had a lovely weekend.
Damien rang to let us know he's also been sick. He did call in a doctor and was told"its a virus etc"
Glenn what did your last posting mean? Do you have a new phone number?
I've taken two days off work at the moment. Really bad timing since I was doing extra hours while a workmate is off after an operation. I hope I'm right by Wednesday.

Threadless

Huuuge thanks to Dayna for our threadless t-shirts, which arrived in the mail yesterday. They're so cool! And Thanks to Dayna, Glenn and Danielle for Cheryl's bag too. Everybody rocks!