Merry Christmas 2007 from Rotorua
Christmas greetings for this year 2007.
We hope it has been a good year healthwise for you and your family. The years certainly speed by the older we become. Jay and I had Christmas Day here in Rotorua with Clare and Joshua last year, our smallest number at the table for many years. Then that afternoon Jay and I headed to Hamilton to stay overnight at the motel next to the Airport, before flying off very early on Boxing Day for Cairns to spend about 10 days with Marilyn, John, Connor, Aidan and their newest 3rd son Bryce, where we once again had a marvellous Christmas celebration at Marilyn’s parents home at ShannonVale in Mossman, Nth Queensland with all their family, plus Aunts and Uncles.
A week later Bryce was Christened and we had another gathering of friends and relations at Marilyn and John’s home in Cairns, which was wonderful although very hot, but thankfully their pool helped keep the children happy.
From Cairns, we flew down to Melbourne for a week to spend time with Kevin, Teresa and their 2 daughters Ella and Amelia, where we spent most days at the Public Swimming Pool with the temps reaching the late 30’s to 40 deg.
Melbourne was experiencing severe drought conditions, as we saw evidence flying down from Cairns, the country looked so parched and dry. Water restrictions were very severe, which made us appreciate the rainfall in New Zealand when we returned.
One highlight whilst in Melbourne on a cooler day, as Jay and I were relaxing enjoying a latte in Federation Square, we struck up conversation with a couple at the next table, which turned out very interesting. He was Srgjan Kerim originally from Macedonia now living in New York with his wife and sons. He was elected the 62nd President of the UN General Assembly on May 24th. Jay and he have kept contact by email…his life and Port Folio makes very interesting reading.
On the 3rd February (our 45th wedding anniversary) Karl and Bonnie were married in Queenstown, where they both live. It was just a small gathering of family and friends.
Kevin was the only one from family overseas able to attend. Jay’s brother Peter and wife Janemary plus all their family were holidaying at Millbrook, where we stayed also – I felt I had died and gone to heaven!
Queenstown is such a magic place all year round. When we returned from Queenstown Jay travelled back to the South Island by car almost the next day with another couple from Rotorua plus a couple from Fielding to walk the Heaphy track plus travel around the Nelson Lakes district, Hamner Springs and Molesworth high country area.
Our grandson Joshua turned 5 yrs old on the 13th March and commenced school here in
Rotorua at St. Mary’s, which is the same school that all our children attended, which brought back many memories for us on his first day there.
A very dear friend Mary Pavlovich (nee Trubuhovich) died peacefully on the 16th March after a long battle with cancer. Mary and I met at St. Mary’s College in Auckland, way back in the late 40’s, and have been close friends ever since, so her death is a great loss after many years of close friendship. Mary’s husband Ivan, 4 daughters and one son together with many grandchildren are a great tribute to Mary.
Our eldest daughter Annemarie, husband Ron and daughter Isabella moved house again in mid-April, but this time it was in the same area of Alpharetta, Atlanta, Georgia, so that
Isabella could attend a recommended middle school (Intermediate) She finished Elementary School with straight A’s and was presented with the President’s Cup.
At the end of April, Jay and I flew to Hong Kong, also 2 lady friends from Rotorua, where we shared an apartment in Discovery Bay for 10 days. One of our lady friend’s Daughter is a co-Pilot with Cathay Pacific and lives in Discovery Bay with her husband and 3 sons.
They showed us around Hong Kong and organised other places to stay etc.,
Jay and I flew to China for a week, where we enjoyed visiting Guilin, which is a very picturesque place to visit the Limestone hills there which have evolved over thousand of years, now covered in trees and bush, are quite unique and feature on many Chinese paintings.
Early in June, Karl was admitted to Dunedin Hospital for an urgent operation on both his
eyes for Glaucoma. He was on the critical list as although he had undergone a trabeculectomy on his right eye in August, 2005, the pressure in that eye had fallen too low and then his other eye, the pressure was dangerously high. Fortunately, there is a very good Eye Specialist there (Dr. Molteno) who has invented a world acclaimed devise called the Molteno Shunt and this was inserted into his left eye to bring the pressure down and they sealed off the trabeculectomy performed in the other. Later on they may also insert a Shunt into that eye also.
It was a very worrying time for us all, especially Karl and Bonnie as 2 months later on the 6th August, Bonnie gave birth to a lovely little girl Molly Claire who has really taken over their lives and makes up for the many visits back and forth to Dunedin to visit the Eye Specialists involved in Karl’s operation who test the pressure in his eyes.
At the end of August Nana Marie flew to Queenstown to give a helping hand for a couple of weeks and enjoy holding little Molly plus soaking in the ambience of Queenstown which is so picturesque with such majestic mountains coated in snow at that time of year.
At the end of September Alex and little Thomas arrived from France to stay for 3 months whilst John renovates their home in Chavanay, which he is only able to do part-time, after work and at the weekends. He has put in double-glazed windows in Thomas’ bedroom, plus repaired the roof, which has been a major undertaking.  He won’t recognise Thomas after 3 months downunder.
As Christmas approaches, life will be even more busier, when Karl, Bonnie and Molly fly up to meet Poppa Jay for the first time and spend Chrstmas with us all. Kevin, Teresa and the girls plan to fly over on New Year’s Eve to stay a couple of weeks and meet Molly, but will spend most of the time over at Ohiwa.
We wish you all many blessings and good health in the New Year 2008.
Love Marie and Jay