John and Maz’s 2007 News from Cairns
Hi Everyone
Merry Christmas to you all,
I would have to say that it is a good feeling to be finished up from work this year. We are looking forward to a relaxing break over the next few weeks. I spent the majority of last weekend painting one of the boys room, and Maz and I will do it again this weekend, but as two hands are better than one we should get it done a bit quicker. It’s all in aid of giving the boys room a spruce up for Christmas. Connor will get his own room and Aidan and Bryce will share. Luckily the timing is right to move Bryce out of his cot. I’m sure he will enjoy sleeping in a bunk bed from now on. Hopefully Aidan will be happy with the new arrangement, as I’m sure Connor will be.
Well all in all we are glad this year is coming to an end as it hasn’t been the best for us in a few areas. Marilyn if you didn’t already know had a pretty uncomfortable experience about three weeks ago. She had an abscess occur in her right bottom wisdom tooth and so had to make a rush trip to the dentist. Next thing you know the dentist has ended up breaking her jaw in two places trying to extract her tooth. She then spent the next three days in various amounts of pain, stress and swelling to the side of her face. She ended up having to get the tooth extracted by general surgery by an oral surgeon. She is recovering well now but doesn’t want to visit a hospital again for a while. Unfortunately she will have to have the three other wisdom teeth extracted (in May) as they are all very deep rooted, however this will be much less traumatic and painful and will be carried out under day surgery.
Before this untimely event Maz also had pneumonia/pleurisy in the middle of the year which laid her low for while as well. In between her health issues Maz has had another busy year running round after our three boys. She has nurtured them all well and is able to help out with reading at school, takes them to art classes, swimming classes, and helped out at the school fete craft stall. Maz is friends with quite a few other ladies at the school, in our neighbourhood and around Cairns who also have young children so she can at least socialise with them to help keep her sane.
The three boys have had a great year generally. Connor has ended up with a really encouraging report card from his first year at school. He has also played really well in Under 6 soccer and Under 7 rugby union. He topped the goal scoring for his team (eleven for the season) in soccer and scored a few tries in rugby. He even has several trophies to show off for his efforts.
Aidan has grown up a lot this year and really enjoyed his first year at Kindergarten. He is a budding artist but also loves to play outdoors with his friends and brothers. It was very pleasing to see him ride his bike without training wheels after very few attempts at it. He will be able to play soccer and rugby next year, and after having trained all year in Connor’s Under 6 soccer team he will be able to enjoy playing at Saturdays during the 2008 season. When rugby starts at the end of the year he will be able to play with Connor in the Under 7’s as well. Aidan will be starting Prep School at Redlynch State School in 2008 so we are sure he will really enjoy going to school five days a week.
Bryce has become a toddler very quickly this year and is very much able to hold his own with his two brothers. He has a strong personality and lets you know if he wants something (generally by pointing and loudly speaking eh!, eh!, eh!). He also likes to throw some good tantrums and has the highest pitched cry I know! I guess being the third and wanting to keep up with Connor and Aidan he doesn’t have much capacity to share at his each yet. Bryce is a beautiful boy though and the funniest also has contemplative side to his personality as he likes to stare at certain things with his hands clasped behind his back.
Maz’s father Jim calls him the Duke of Redlynch because of this stance he has! Oh yes Bryce also had has share of accidents – he cut his chin once and then ended up repeating it about another ten times, getting stitches twice along the way!
I have had a busy year a work again, with plenty of trips up to the Torres Strait Islands as part of project managing two big projects – a $3.8M new multi-purpose sport & recreation facility and also a 4ML concrete water reservoir project worth $3.4M. They have been enjoyable to work on, however I feel it is time to move onto working for a bigger consulting engineering company so that I can keep working in project management roles and also have better support systems and staff in place. Hopefully I will also be able to get a better mix of work and family life in 2008, i.e. less work and more time with Maz and the boys. My health hasn’t been the best as well this year with having, far too many colds, Blepharitis, Bursitis and being partly diagnosed with Arthritis.
I have enjoyed the time I spent coaching Connor’s under 6 soccer team this year and have volunteered to coach Aidan’s under 6 team next year. It will be good to give Aidan some one on one attention as Connor was able to play all the sports this year, whereas Aidan missed out because of his age. I have also been volunteering my time to project manage the construction of the Redlynch Junior Soccer Club’s new clubhouse/amenities building. The club has been very appreciative of my help and it has been enjoyable to help them out any way I can.
We are heading up to Mossman/Port Douglas for Christmas and New year and then we are off to Lake Tinaroo for a week of camping. So we are hoping for a relaxing and healthy Christmas and New Year.
I can’t really say anything too positive about the sports results from a Kiwi perspective – the less said there the better I feel. However Maz can boast about the Aussies claiming World Cup Victories in the Cricket (again!) and the Netball!
Bring on a healthy 2008 for our family and too you all.
Lot’s of Love
John, Maz, Connor, Aidan & Bryce
P.S. I had a go at bungy jumping in Cairns – 50m which was a bit of a buzz!