Xmas Greetings 2012 from Marie & Jay
Greetings from Auckland for this Christmas 2012…..we have moved from Rotorua after 42 years.
It was a major shift as you may well imagine, but we made it!! And arrived in Glendowie at St. Andrews Hill (Retirement Village) on the 5th December.
We must first thank our wonderful son-in-law Marco van Hofwegen (Clare’s husband) for his invaluable help (flew up with Clare) on 2 or 3 occasions.
Jay’s sister Maryanne & husband Peter Mahoney, Peter Menzies and friends from all over Rotorua have been most kind in their assistance when visiting us. When we arrived up in Auckland all Marie’s sisters & brothers and their spouses and Maryanne & Peter Mahoney were marvellous help moving into our new home in Glendowie.
Karl has been a great help also, driving up with Bonnie and 2 daughters Molly & Lilly-Anne about a month prior to our leaving to help pack up the garage “major job” the girls wanted to say goodbye to the farmlet. They ended up taking Jay’s Subaru back complete with our trailer loaded to the hilt to share with Marco & Clare.
The rest of the family would have loved to have been able to help, but distance was a big stumbling block.
Karl flew back the weekend before we left to help pack suitcases etc, then the Removal Packers arrived early in the morning 2 days before the shift. To see our home empty on the afternoon of the 4th December was a vision I will hold forever, as the memories flooded back as I checked each room and remembered what a busy house hold it had been over the past 40 years.
We had a wonderful start to this year (2012) when on January 16th Alex and Thomas arrived from France after nearly 5 years. Then Annemarie & Isabella flew in to Auckland and on to Wellington to meet up with us all there.
They hadn’t been down to New Zealand for nearly 10 years!! we of course had visited both the USA and France in between. It was so exciting flying to Wellington and meeting “our family” as they all flew in from Melbourne (Kevin, Teresa, Ella & Amelia) then from Cairns (John, Marilyn, Connor, Aidan & Bryce) and of course meeting
up with Karl, Bonnie, Molly & Lilly-Anne who live in Wellington….then the Bride & Groom Clare & Marco and Joshua. The first time we had all been together in one place for about 22 years !!!!
Clare & Marco were married on the 28th January at a lovely venue near where we all stayed on the water front. It was such a magic time together and one we will never forget.
We met up with several friends next day over the other side of the harbour where we travelled by ferry. It was great to have a picture taken of us all to mark the occasion.
The next day most of us (13 in fact) flew back to Rotorua whilst the Wellington ones drove by car, and stayed at a Motel near Lake Rotorua or home with us in Fairbank Road.
Jay and I celebrated 50 years of marriage on the 3rd February with family and friends arriving mostly from Auckland, Tauranga, Nelson
From the wedding party Jay’s Best Man Brian du Flou from Wellington, Peter Menzies, Groomsman from Auckland, My bridesmaids Ann Simich (my sister) from Auckland and Maryanne (Jay’s sister) from Auckland.
We had a lovely luncheon to celebrate the occasion in the Tea Garden Cottage in the Rotorua Government Gardens. It was wonderful to have ALL our family present along with our siblings and friends and the complete bridal party. We were blessed indeed.
Jay has continued to improve slowly all year from this in siduous illness (anxiety/depression),it has certainly taken it’s toll on both our lives, but happily now we have shifted to be near our siblings in Auckland again, we can see how much Jay’s mental health has improved already.
We are indeed sad to leave so many very dear friends behind in Rotorua. We are so grateful for the wonderful help from good friends and family. We will return quite often we are sure, and hope our good friends will visit us.
We wish all our friends and families a very happy and blessed Christmas and hope the New Year will bring good health and special times to one and all.
Love,
Jay & Marie