About time too …

Well, I think that it is about time that I made a blog post or else this site is in very real danger of being renamed www.pete.com. I’m not sure when the last time I made a post was but I know I don’t feature on the front page. Anyway, it must be close to an annual publication so settle down with a cuppa and consider yourself treated!

What a year! Cold grey January in Newcastle. Found out I was pregnant in February, a week later visited Paris and was offered a new job in NZ (unfortunately due to our change in circumstances I didn’t take it). Visited Prague in March, visited by NZ/German friends in April, moved flat and visited Italy in May – oh and stopped vomiting in May!!! Visited Germany in June (all by myself – brave aye?!). Moved country in July. Family tragedy in August. Worst flight ever in August! Moved house in August. Expected a baby in September …

Please forgive me if I suggest that September has been (so far) uneventful – it is now 3pm on the 30th and I am patiently waiting for my wee baby to arrive but as it stands I think they (there is just one) are nice and cosy just where they (again just one!) are for now. I don’t think that this baby has caught on that I seem to like to do as much as possible and as fast a pace as possible – maybe this is the first sign of their fathers temperament and not mine

I guess I’m learning already that children don’t always do what you want or expect so my conclusion is I have to throw out all expectations for the remaining months of the year and simply go with the flow – Good thing I haven’t anything major planned. I think that I have a whole lot more patience to learn in the next weeks, months and years!

That brings me on to a ‘take time to smell the roses’ moment and reminds me to remember the things I appreciate in life. Since arriving back in NZ there are so many little things that I took for granted before that I am now appreciating like our garden (as little as it is!) – with the neighbours gorgeous kowhai tree over looking it & the sound of tuis singing. Walking down the round to our church & around the corner to our new home group. Frequent blue sky (even if 5 minutes later it’s raining!). The price of petrol & food- yes really!!!!!! And especially having family in the same time zone.

There are certainly things that I miss from our English adventure – the extremely friendly people of the north east, the weekend adventures to various fascinating cities and countries and especially the bacon butties from Crusoes, the fish & chips from Colemans and the Tyne & Wear big yellow taxi service (aka the Metro!) !!! All in all I’m pleased to be home. And to have a home that is more than where your stuff is dumped and any toiletry bottles over 100mls are kept!

Well that’s my reflections for now – sorry to bore you if you’ve got this far and sorry Pete to move your posts down the page!