From December 23rd....

Saturday It’s Christmas Eve (eve), and we have a few things to do before the blessed day. We got up in the morning, raining today, I’m slowly getting used to the cold mostly by not going outside. It’s bitterly cold here, like the winters in the good old days of growing up when seasons were seasons. We got into our warm clothes and went to the hardware store to get a new shower head, our shower head doesn’t face all the way to the floor, so I stand in the shower and it hits me straight in face. Not fun!!!! Also, the water here (especially here, not this bad at the apartment just down the road) has calcium in it so the showerhead has a lot of buildup that I can’t get, you can imagine me, NOT HAPPY!!! We got just the basic old-fashioned one with the long neck thing. We then went into target for the kids to look at the toys and I went to Michaels (like Lincraft) to get Paula a present. I’ve made up our Auntie Janet candle/ holder and she lost her dad just before we got here so I got her one for her dad. We dropped into another couple of stores, lots of Christmas decorations at 50% off, bought a couple of things, will get some more after Christmas. We got home later in the afternoon, for a late lunch. More Christmas prep, wrapping etc for the rest of the afternoon, it was raining and the kids were in and out of the garage playing around. We had some pizza for dinner with Paula and the boys and then after dinner we all jumped into the van and went looking at Christmas lights. You should have seen some of these houses, they were gorgeous to say the least. We took some photo's, but they just didn't do them justice at all. We drove around for an hour or so, my kids were counting basketball rings instead Christmas lights, which is funny now but that the time, it kind of mad me mad. Puala's boys fell asleep so we dropped them off at the apartment and I drove her car back to the apartment for her.

It was another late night, but it was worth it to see the gorgeous houses. It really is Chritmas when you see the work that these people put in. Sunday Merry Christmas Eve Got up around 8.00 and we all roamed around in our jammies for most of the morning. Bruce slept late; he had been awake since 5.00am so he was just making up the difference. Alfie called and we organized for them to come around for dinner and Christmas Eve drinks. Paula was coming over before picking up the boys so I had to go out and get some stuff for dinner. Out again, it feels like I did it everyday this week, the things we do for ONE day!!! I got home and Kristin dropped off the spanner (wrench) that was a funny conversation Bruce trying to explain to Alfie what a wrench is. That was the Australian thing they learnt, well not really but that comes later. I spent the afternoon doing food prep, lasagna, garlic bread, scalloped potatoes our usual Christmas Eve dinner we have. I was supposed to go out and help Paula with her moving, but when I went she wasn’t there. It gave me more time, which I needed anyway. I chatted with Rael’s for Christmas, which was good to see her face and the house behind her, no idea why. It was all great until she started crying when we were saying good bye, so of course I got teary too. The Charles’s arrived at 5.30, and we settled in for a few drinks before dinner and the kids ran off to the garage to play. Smiling Cooper stayed with us in his Santa suit, so cute!!!! I got a great picture with him too, to add to his first year timeline. Paula arrived and we sat down to dinner, the kids sat in the back room and we had a great chat sitting at the dinner table. The other thing Australian thing they learnt was ‘PISSED’, Kristin wanted to know what we called drunk etc, so they got a lesson in the whole drinking slang thing. It was a really nice night, not like our Christmas Eve drinks but it was nice. It was weird, that’s when the whole Christmas in another country hit me I think, none of the usual faces to start our Christmas celebrations with. Everyone left around 10.00 and Jamieson finally got to sleep around 11.30. I chatted with Elise and the Lynch clan; which did make me a little misty, especially hearing that they were teary. They sounded like they were having fun, so that just made me jealous cause I know how much fun they have, and we weren’t there to have fun with them. Jamieson finally went to sleep and Bruce had to go out and get batteries. We got the video out and it didn’t work, not happy AT ALL!! We were in bed at around 1.00am. Monday Merry Christmas We woke up at 7.00am, Conner was already up and lying in bed. We got up and Conner sat and started looking through his stocking and Bruce decided to wake Jamieson so they could open their pressies together. We spent the next hour or so opening pressies and had some breakfast at around 9.00am. The boys played with their toys and I tidied up the house for the day. Paula called around 10.00 freaking out, the turkey was off, so I’ve now banned her from anything that has to do with Turkey’s and grabbed some chicken out of the freezer. It’s a good Christmas story. Bruce showered and the boys got ready and I eventually went to get ready when the Charles’s arrived. That was cut short but it was great to see them before they went to Kristin’s mums, Paula and the boys arrived and eventually I went and got ready. Put on my new dress/top that I bought at Macy’s with Paula. So cute!!!! Just sat around and chatted for a couple of hours then around 1.30 we decided to put on the veggies etc for dinner. Bruce took the kids to the park so the boys could ride their new bikes, so Paula and I started veggies etc. We sat down to Christmas lunch at around 2.30, which was interesting. Paula let Justin start watching ‘CARS’, so when lunch was ready she turned it off and they pitched tantrums, so that made the start of lunch not fun. That routine seemed to go on the whole day, on the up side our kids looked like angels so we were happy as clams. We ate and spent the rest of the day eating and chatting over food and drinks. We got phone calls from home, which was nice, and I was on messenger as well, so the end of the day was really busy. We organized the kids into jammies and got the projector out, blew up the beds and set them up for sleeping in the lounge room. Then at around 8.30 we all settled in and watched “Cars” on the big screen. The movie finished, the kids all went to sleep and so did we, it has been a big few days and I feel like I could sleep for a week. Tuesday Boxing Day We all woke up around 7.30, Jeremy was up and in with Paula and the rest all slept in a little later. YEAY!!!! Justin woke up at around 7.45 which was apparently a first for him, so he got high five’s all round. We had pancakes for breakfast and Bruce went out to the Sales to have a look around. The rest of us just chilled out for the morning in our jarmies. The boys stayed with me for the afternoon while Paula went and organized moving into the house. Bruce came back with a box from the post office from Uncle Ross and found a box from Auntie Tracey on the front porch. Christmas surprises from them and the kids – thanks guys, very much appreciated. Bruce left at around 1.00 to help Paula with the furniture and they both got back around 5.00. Good timing, the boys were ready to go home by then and we were ready to just sit quietly around for the night. We had some dinner and the boys were in bed early and Bruce and I were not that far behind. As you do after Christmas, the exhaustion sets in and boy did it set in with us. And that everyone, was our Christmas, apart from missing the amount of people I’m used to being around on the day, it was a fun day and we actually enjoyed not having to go anywhere. Wednesday Bruce worked today in the office; the boys played with their new toys which left me to clean and tidy (looking at that Christmas tree all day) too hard, do it tomorrow!! I got through the cupboards etc, and even managed to organize a bit of the boy’s stuff. It was a pretty quiet day my all accounts, which is exactly what was needed. Did washing and cleaning the usual, getting back to work is beginning to look very appealing at the moment. So that was it for our Wednesday, nothing exciting, just the same as a lot of others I’m sure. Thursday Up early this morning, not sure why, Bruce left at the usual 6.00 for the office and I got up and muddled around the kitchen for a little while. Conner was up not long after and at around 8.00am the handyman (Steve) turned up to fix and couple of things for us. Very funny man, was in Australia, caused a bit of havoc (to say the least) was put in jail twice and was picked up from his commanding officer, they went back to the ship and onto Vietnam. (He thought he was going to die, so he didn’t care) he kept me laughing for the time he was here, great guy. Fixed everything for me and was out of the house at around 10.00. I did some washing etc, the boys watched a movie and played with their toys, Bruce called to say that he had a good meeting with his boss at work so that pepped us up. I did some work for Bruce on the computer and that was our afternoon. Bruce got home, picked up his new bike and took it back to Wal-Mart to get a replacement. (Tyres were going flat). Paula called to see if we wanted to come around for dinner but ours was just about cooked, so we headed over there after dinner. We arrived around 7.00, checked out the new digs, the kids played with the boys and their new toys and Paula and I made some cup cakes for Justin’s birthday tomorrow. Bruce hooked up her new surround sound and all the boys watched CARS, while Bruce dozed on the couch. We were home by 9.00 and the boys went straight to bed. Bruce did some work as did I and we were off to bed around 11.00. Friday Another usual day again, our lives seem to becoming very normal and quite boring, it has taken longer to become that way than I thought so I guess I should be happy about that. Bruce was off to work early to pack some boxes; the boys and I did the usual for the day. All the mundane activities we usually do; washing, tidying, baking etc. They asked if they could go to the park, but the last time we went to the park I nearly got frostbite, and the weather today although the sun is out it topped out in the 60’s (10-12c) and seeing as how we don’t have balaclavas it wasn’t really an option for me. I spent most of the morning cleaning and reorganizing Bruce’s office. As much as I could without moving all the paperwork that needs to be attended to. I have to admit it looks a lot better and Bruce is happy 1. With it and 2. With the fact that he didn’t have to do it. (Amen on that one!!! From Bruce) Bruce arrived home mid afternoon and took the opportunity to go out and have a look around at the sales and grab some Christmas stuff that was on sale. The boys got onto the bikes and went for a ride around, they dropped into the Charles’s for a quick visit, and then rode around and came back home. I got home around 6.00 just in time for dinner. The boys watched a movie, cars, again!!! Paula dropped in for a visit and the boys went off to bed, so Paula and I sat down with a nice drink while Bruce sat at the table and did his Christmas jigsaw. Paula left around 10.30 and Bruce and I went off to bed, another long day, especially for Bruce. I have to say, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this cold weather, it has been a fairly sunny end to the week, but still FREEZING cold!!!! Everyone at home have a fabulous New Year’s Eve and great first week of 2007. Have a New Year drink for us, and wish for a successful year for Billy Bounce, then we can come home. (Amen again!!!! Yes – its me!!!) HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE FROM THE HULTGRENS SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!

From 16th December

Saturday Well, what a day. We got up and did the usual Saturday morning stuff. We were at the stadium at around 11.00 for Jamieson’s basketball game. They did really well, the great thing was that a couple of the kids that hadn’t scored yet this season, scored!!! Everyone was really happy and the kids were happy that they won again. We hung out at the stadium chatting to some parents then we came home and had some lunch. Paula came over and picked me up to do some shopping, really to get rid of some of the cabin fever. I didn’t really buy any presents but Paula got a lot done and I was at the stadium for Conner’s 5.30 game at around 4.45. The boys started their game with only 7. Then at half time another one left so they were left with 6 and down by 10. To their credit they picked up their game and with the game finished and the team down by one, guess who was at the line for a free throw. Poor kid thought he had 2 shots, he missed the 1st and that was it. He put on a brave face until that huddle was over then the poor kids cried his eyes out. He came over to me and we had a chat about it. It was just like the YMCA grand final and he bought that up to. We did the usual, what if everyone had made their shots etc, etc. Eventually he was fine. That team was undefeated this year, so they did great to do what they did. We stayed and watched the 1st quarter of the big boys game and then decided to take the boys out for some dinner. We ended up at Logan’s, Conner’s choice. We had some dinner, and then walked it off (as we always do) walking around Best Buy. We got home around 10.00, we all stayed up way too late. A long and up and down day!! Sunday We all woke up by the alarm, got up and had breaky then off to Billy Bounce. Bruce did the 1st session with the kids, Jamieson did the 2nd session and Conner did the 3rd session. We were at the stadium until around 11.55 then we all went home for some lunch and a nap. I chatted to Rhys on messenger and mum on Skype. We had some dinner and were in bed at a reasonable hour. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday It was a pretty usual start to the week. Bruce was off at work. The boys and I did the usual, chilling out at home, going to the park to get some fresh air, not for long though, it’s just too cold. The boys went off to Jamieson’s basketball practice on Monday night, and left me alone with the peace and quiet, which was so nice. On Tuesday Millie and I went out for lunch, which was really nice. Bruce was at home working so I was able to get out, after I dropped Millie at home, I went back out and did some more Christmas shopping. Thursday Bruce was home for the day today, he did however have to go and do a delivery in the afternoon. I had our work breakup for lunch, which I was really looking forward to. Bruce dropped me at the office at 12.00 and the boys went off to do that delivery for the rest of the afternoon. We went to Old Sac to this really nice restaurant called the Fire House. Very Yummy food and just sitting talking with the girls is always fun. For Christmas Paula gave us all some money, we walked over to the Mall and had to spend it on ourselves, which is always fun. So, off Paula and I went, looking through the racks, I found some really cool stuff for her (which is why she loves shopping with me, you girls now how lucky I am with the shopping) A couple of hours later, we walked back to the car with new stuff, I got a couple of dresses and a top, Paula scored, she ended up with 7 things from jeans for $12.00 to a suit jacket for $15.00, dress, tops. She was very funny with her purchases, and we both now had something new to wear on Christmas Day. I got home around 5.00 and we all sat and chatted until around 5.45 when we jumped into the car and off to Conner’s practice. I did the groceries for the week ahead then the team all went out for pizza after practice. We got home at around 10.30, and off to bed for the others, here I am sitting at the computer writing down all about the day. Friday We woke up another cold day; it really is the true seasons here, which is weird because I haven’t experienced this since I was growing up. Bruce was home for the day, but working in the office. The boys chilled out and I tidied up around the house. Millie and Lexie came over for some lunch. They gave the boys remote control cars, which they just LOVED, but couldn’t use cause we didn’t have enough batteries. (More rechargeable batteries needed!!) We had a really nice lunch, the kids had a great time playing and running around and Millie and I just chatted. They left around 2.30 and I took a breath and cleaned up after out lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon out getting a couple more things for Christmas day and got back around 5.00. We had some dinner and Paula and the boys popped in on the way to check out the new house. We spent the rest of the night just chilling out. Elise called and we had a chat then Bruce spoke to the family. We were all in bed around 10.30, after a very hectic week. And that has been our week leading up to Christmas; we are getting very boring and normal. I hope everyone has a great Christmas and I will catch you all before the end of another year. Hoping to catch up with some of you on Christmas Day, if not, have a drink for us. Yearly Congratulations to – Year 12 graduates – Nicola Tudor and Shari Livingstone Congratulations on his school awards to Jackson Bell, great work this year we are all very proud of you. Congratulations on a great Year as Bellaire School Captain Sophie Bell, good luck with starting High School next year. Congratulations to Ash Livingstone on making the U/12 Geelong Rep basketball team.

From December 9th

Saturday I woke up and had the usual Saturday urge to clean the house. The bathrooms were a must, so that’s where I started. I did 4 loads of washing, which I’m not sure how that happened. I did all of our washing while we are away. We were out of the house for Jamieson’s game at 10.30. They were a couple of players down and it was a great game. They did end up winning, even though they don’t keep score. Bruce found out from the bench, they were even with a couple of mins to go then we scored a couple of times and the other team didn’t. It was a great game. We came home and had some lunch and I kept with the cleaning. Bruce did some work and then a nap and the kids went into the playroom and played for a while. We were back at the basketball stadium for Conner’s game at 3.30. They WON!!!! They all played so well, and like a team, which was fabulous. They were all so happy after the game; they have some confidence, which is exactly what they needed. I chatted with Elise and Rhys on messenger, which was great. Sunday Bruce went off to Billy Bounce for a 9.00 start, with new t-shirts for everyone. He got home around 10.30 and I was in the closet wrapping. We just chilled out for the rest of the day. It was raining all day, so we just hung out and nearly drove each other mad. It wasn’t a very exciting day, but that was good for a change for a while. Monday Bruce went off to work early, as per usual. The boys were watching a movie when I decided to get my butt out of bed. We had some breakfast and I spent all the morning doing the usual, washing, tidying up. I forgot and got used to cleaning the small apartment. Going bigger takes some getting used to. I did some more washing; I have no idea where it’s all coming from. I rearranged some stuff, still figuring out what does better where. After some lunch I made some marshmallow squares and started on the Christmas cookies. Bruce got home from work and took Conner out to get some medical shots that he needed. While they were gone I cooked the cookies and started prep for dinner. Bruce and Conner got home and picked up Jamieson then off to basketball training. I got onto the laptop and chatted with Cameron for a while. Then the boys got home and we had some dinner. After dinner I filled up the big tub and chilled out in the bath while the boys spanked their father at Trouble and Pictionary. They went off to bed around 9.00 and Bruce went into the office to get some of the work done that he should have done this afternoon instead of sitting in a waiting room for an hour with Conner. Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday Nothing much happened. The usual, the boys and I just chilled out around the house. I talked the Elise and Rhys on messenger, caught up on some email stuff. We did some Christmas shopping; it’s all nearly finished thank goodness. The boys spent Thursday decorating some Christmas decorations and Millie and Lexie came over for a visit. Friday Well, today pretty much was the same as the rest of the week. Bruce was out of the house early to get to work for a meeting. The boys and I got up and I did the usually tidying up and they sat around. Late morning we walked over to school and dropped off Conner’s immunization stuff, just as we were leaving Paula pulled in to drop off Jeremy’s kinder correction with Justin sick and home from school in the car. She dropped us over at Raley’s so grab the stuff we needed and was off to the video store so she could try and get some work done. We got what we needed from the supermarket and walked home, the boys let off some steam on the walk, which they needed. We got back and I made the brownies to take to the Charles tonight for after dinner. Bruce called and was trying to get home, things just kept coming up, he made it home around 4.30 then grabbed and couple of things for the post office and took off again. He picked us up and we were at the Charles at 6.00 for dinner. Dinner was beautiful as per usual (Kristin is a great cook), Cooper was having a great time, he is sitting up now, and very proud of himself, big grins, it’s just gorgeous. After dinner we chilled out in front of their new fireplace and TV entertainment unit, which was finished this week. It’s just beautiful. The house is all decorated and as expected it looks just beautiful, just subtle pieces everywhere, the tree is huge, and looks gorgeous, I got a photo of the boys in front of it. After board games and Bruce starting in (like he does) about how the Kings have never won a championship and the Lakers have etc etc, we left around 10.30. It was a fun night, with lots of laughs. Christmas is going to be fun!! I hope everyone’s week was more exciting than ours, which really isn’t that hard. Stay out of the heat and try to stay cool!

Some memories from Disneyland

Welcome to Disneyland

Mitch - this one is for you!










It's a small world






The Parade





Hello, My name's Bruce




Picture for Maxy & Oscar




What a gorgeous finish to the Day


There are so many more, for more pic's contact Ellen.
(so many,many,many more!!!!)

From December 2nd.....

BEFORE I GET THIS STARTED, THIS WEEK WE WENT TO LA. IT WAS A GREAT WEEK, BUT UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE READING FOR HOURS I AM GOING TO CONDENSE THE WEEK. Saturday We all got up, I starting getting ready to go. The boys did the usual sitting around watching TV until we left, which in the end was around 11.00. That wasn’t too bad considering we wanted to leave around 10.00, Bruce packed the car while I grabbed some extra stuff and got into the car and WE WERE OFF!!!! We drove and drove etc, etc. You know the drill, mum got some pictures and the boys slept on and off. We stopped for lunch at (of all places) McDonalds, for the second time since we got here. We jumped back into the car with the boys holding their new DVD players. The only problem was that with the bumping and no holders (yet) the battery kept slipping. So an hour or so down the road I stopped and plugged them into the lighter outlets and we were off again. We were nearly halfway there, so it was good. My butt was not even sore! I thought it would be by then. We saw some beautiful countryside and went through mountain ranges, so there were some boring parts and some really gorgeous parts. We hit the outskirts of the San Fernando Valley, (Elise – Cinderella Story) That was a bit of an exciting part for me, we were nearly there. I had driven to LA by myself, big day for me. We stopped for some petrol and kept driving along the freeway. We drove past Magic Mountain, (Huge Theme Park), the boys were very impressed. We cruised along the freeway and past LA on our left. Then, we pretty much stopped, and spent the next hour in LA traffic. We finally got out of it and continued down the freeway, we got into Oceanside, this is a town in between LA and San Diego. Then the Fun (NOT) really happened. We got lost to say the least, we drove around Oceanside for around an hour, I asked for directions 3 times. You can imagine my mood, after driving for 8 hours. We finally made it to the resort and had some dinner then dragged our butts into bed at around 10.00, exhausted was an understatement. Sunday We all woke up and chilled out for the morning. We went and checked out the resort and the facilities, then we all chilled out and the boys went for a swim. We had some lunch and went got ready for out afternoon in Orange County. (Elise – I thought of you the whole time), we picked Bruce up from the airport and went for a drive around Newport. (Bruce had to conduct the very first USA BillyBounce program in the local gym – it went very well.) It was like St Kilda, we went down and walked along the beach for a bit, took some gorgeous photo’s and jumped back into the car and checked out some of the real estate and drove back to Oceanside. We had some dinner, watched some TV and were in bed around 10.00. Monday Happy 8th Anniversary Bruce and Belinda. Happy Birthday Taylor We decided to take today and just chill before we started with the big week ahead, and Bruce was just exhausted after all the traveling he’s been doing over the last couple of months. So we chilled out in the early morning and then in the afternoon, the boys all went and played around the resort, swimming, spa, tennis, basketball and playing pool in the activity room. Mum and I hit the outlet mall, we got a couple of things and had a nice time. We got back and got ready to go out for dinner. We went out to Olive Garden (Italian) for dinner, just the two of us. Can’t remember the last time that happened. It was really nice just to sit and chat and be adults. We finished up our dinner and went into Macy’s and bought some gorgeous Christmas decorations. That was our anniversary day; we had a great day. We got home and they had had a dinner fiasco, the place didn’t deliver then they finally got it and they wanted to watch a DVD’s that Grandma had hired them. We were all in bed too late, considering the HUGE day we had tomorrow. Tuesday We got up and got ready for our day. We are going to Disneyland!!!!!! We got into the car, the kids slept and we arrived around 9.30. We parked the car (Daisy Level) and caught the shuttle into the Theme Parks. I’ll make a very long story as short as I can. We walked around the park for the day, didn’t go on a lot of the rides, and still didn’t see everything. It was the most amazing day, the place really is a fabulous place to go. I think the adults had just as much fun as the kids did. Mum took hundreds of photo’s and we took video, so we have lots of memories. The day ended with the parade which was GREAT and then the fireworks over the castle. It was the perfect end to a dream of everyone’s. Mum had such a great day, it made the trip even more than seeing us. Which I don’t blame her, Bruce said that they have done some upgrades since he came in ’97. The place was just phenomenal. There are no words. We had the BEST DAY EVER!!!!!! Wednesday We got up around 7.30 and pottered around until around 11.00 when we jumped into the car and made our way down to San Diego for the day. Our first destination was the World Famous San Diego Zoo. It was beautiful and huge. The only thing was that it was on a hill, so you had to walk up and down, they even had escalators that you could use, cause the hills were so steep. We stayed there until around 3.30 and decided to go and have a look around San Diego itself. We drove around the city then parked the car in the city centre and checked out a shop Bruce loves Steve and Barry’s. The mall was beautiful and they even had some ice-skating across the road, which was cool to see. We came home and had some dinner, leftovers out of the fridge and cupboard. Then will just chilled out and I went to bed, a head cold is trying to take me over. It was another great day in Southern California. The weather was lovely again too; it was a beautiful 73F today. It’s like Queensland here. Thursday The end of the week and mum’s trip has come, but we had another really busy day planned. I organized and tidied the apartment while Bruce went down and did some work and Mum and the boys went down to the beach to check it out before we left. We checked out around 11.00 and made our way for the last time up the freeway to LA. We arrived at Hollywood Blvd around 1.00 and parked the car. We went and saw the hands and feet and Graumans Chinese theatre. Then walked next door the The Kodak Theatre (Home of Acadamy Awards) and walked up the stairs and into and around the shopping centre there. Had some photo’s taken with the Christmas trees and Hollywood sign in the background. We walked up and down the street checking out all the Vic market like stores. It’s definitely a tourist spot. Lots to see, on the sidewalk too. We stopped and had Macca’s. We have officially had it more this week than all the time we’ve been here. We got into the car around 3.30and headed to Rodeo Drive. Driving through Beverley Hills to get there. We parked the car (Bruce thought it was hysterical, the Ford Van sitting there with all the expensive cars). We walked up and down the street then went to Nike town on Wiltshire Blvd and checked out the Beverley Wiltshire, famous from Pretty Women. By this time it was dark and went had to get into the car to get to the airport on time, not sure about the traffic. IT wasn’t too bad and we got to the airport, mum checked in and we had some dinner. We walked mum to the gate and said our goodbyes, not enough time to get too upset and off she went through the doors. We walked to the car and started our drive home. Jamieson slept pretty much all the way; Conner slept on and off, me of course, nothing. We made good time and got home at 1.30am. I wasn’t too tired considering the lateness, Bruce was exhausted. I called Trudy to tell them what time to pick Mum up. Got off the phone around 2,00am and off to bed. Friday We all woke up around 8.30, which was good considering. The boys hung out in their PJ’s all morning. I did washing moved Jamieson’s things into his room and did cleaning and tidying. There was stuff everywhere; you would think that it wasn’t too bad considering we weren’t home for just under a week. By the time I finished all that it was after lunch then by the time the boys got ready it was around 2.00pm. We got into the car and went to get a tree and decorations. We’ve decided not to go to Seattle for Christmas. We got home from shopping with lots of stuff and had some dinner. Then around 7.00 we put the tree up and decorated it. The boys went off to bed around 8.30, kind of. I finished off the tree and decorating and Bruce and I sat down with a cup of tea. Mum called to say she got home fine. It’s raining here, we can hear it through the skylight. Off to bed around 10.30, still tired and hoping to get some rest. Not a lot planned for the weekend, basketball on Saturday and Billy Bounce on Sunday.

From 26th November...

Saturday We got up around 8.00 and had breakfast and all got ready for our day out at Six Flags. (OR as Bruce has renamed it; 4 Flags, cause that’s what Mum called it) We were all ready to go at 9.30, which was 30mins later than we wanted but that’s OK. We drove up the freeway towards Vallejo to Six Flags Marine World. We arrived around 11.00 to find that it was CLOSED!!! The boys were devastated (especially Jamieson) they were so excited to show Grandma all the animals and shows. So we turned around and bought forward our shopping at the Outlet Mall in Vacaville. We arrived there at 11.30 and started out shopping day, we found a few bargains and then we went to Nike. Stayed there for far too long, but got some really great bargains, Size 17’s for Uncle Ralph, he will be happy. We stopped and ate our pre made lunch then continued on through the afternoon. We arrived back in Elk Grove around 6.00 and Mum had her first Burger from In and Out Burger. I forgot how YUMMY their burgers are. We arrived home and the kids went to bed, I chatted to Elise on messenger and were off to bed around 10.30. Another fun, but long day. Sunday Happy Birthday Lizzy!!! We all woke up and just chilled out for most of the day. It was raining for most of the day. I updated all the photo’s for me and mum, Bruce prepared for the week ahead and the kids ran around the house. They were full of beans, drove us all CRAZY!!! Bruce called Al and I spoke to Lizzy, which was great. We haven’t spoken in far too long so it was good to catch up with all the Bell Family gossip. Bruce went out to work in the afternoon for an hour or so and we just watched a movie and did nothing, it was so nice. The boys were in bed at 8.30 and we were not long after around 10.00. We have to be up at 4.30 to go to the airport in the morning, to go to Boston. Monday Bruce and I were up around 4.00 -4.30am; and out of the house to the airport to drop Bruce off. We were just about at the airport when the traffic stopped, everyone was going to the airport, it was moving pretty well, but the sheer number of cars was a bit disconcerting. We made it through and he was off to Boston and I was off back to home. I got home around 5.30 and back to bed. It must have been a good sleep, I woke back up at 8.30, and every one else was up and just chilling. I started tidying the office, something I usually do when Bruce is away, but this time I was actually at home and not off to work so it was getting done. We all just hung out for most of the day, I went out in the afternoon and ran out and did some errands. Bruce called to say that he was in Boston and had a good flight. I got home and the boys were running around still, they had been to the park and had to run back getting soaking wet. We were out the door to Jamieson’s basketball practice at 4.30pm. He is getting better and better. He was playing one on one against Julian (the big kid) and was out rebounding him; his improvement is blowing us away. We had some dinner and the kids watched some TV before settling them down, or at least tried. There was definitely something in the air today; they just wouldn’t sit still. The boys were off to bed around 9.00pm and I was in bed around 10.30 and out like a light. Tuesday Got up as per usual, I had every intention of getting some of my work done. That didn’t happen. They kids chilled out in front of the TV while I tidied up and then we got into he car around 10.30 and drove down to the market Galt. That’s a town down the freeway about 10 mins away. Mum got her LARGE suitcase and we jumped back into the car and headed back to Elk Grove. We made a couple of stops on the way home and Jamieson bought himself some toys with his birthday money. When we got home there were some parcels at the door, one of them was our Christmas present form Mum, our Memory foam mattress. You have no idea how excited I am. I did the happy dance!!! Bruce called to tell me that he arrived in Pittsburgh and he was in this, what sounded like a flea bitten motel. He wasn’t happy, but it was only one night. We had some dinner, I watched Gilmore girls the kids went to bed. We were in bed at 9.30 on the new mattress with the laptop and did some work. It was SENSATIONAL!!!!

Wednesday The boys came and jumped into bed with me at around 8.00 and we chatted in bed for a little while. Bruce called and gave me a laundry list, you can imagine how happy that made me. I got up and made the calls and organized the stuff I had to. It took me all morning, in and out of the house. Mum took the kids to the park to do their running laps for running club. I was still working when they got home. We all had some lunch and settled into the lounge for a lazy afternoon. Paula called and asked me to go and check out a house, it was really nice, so we’ll see if she takes it or not. We got back an hour or so later and I was a little car sick from all the reading of the addresses. Got back to the house and the kids were watching a movie so I went and did some more on the computer and then went out to get some groceries. We had bits and pieces for dinner and then kids were in bed early, which was nice, and peaceful. Although Conner is up and down for an hour before settling down, so that’s a pain in the butt. Thursday We woke up and were on the road around 10.00 to take mum to see some of the sights of Sacramento. We arrived there and parked the car, then started walking along the streets and looking through some shops. Mum got some cool stuff and the boys had a run around. We checked out the paddle steamer and the bridge and saw a horse and carriage then jumped back into the car and made our way to the Capitol. (That’s what they call it here; we call it the White House or Government House) There was a school excursion to go into Govt. House, so there were kids everywhere. By that time I’d had more than enough of Jamieson and his asking for stuff. We jumped into the car and my next stop was to go downtown and check out the stores but the kids had had enough and there wasn’t enough time cause they had to get back for running club. We stopped at Wal-Mart on the way home so mum could grab some space bags for her case and made it home at around 1.45. The boys went in and had some lunch and I went out the front and racked up the leaves, they were everywhere all from down the street too. So there is a big pile of leaves out the front of the house, not just everywhere anymore. The boys and mum went off to running club with their filled in booklets so they can get their marathon medals. I sat down and had a cup of tea and chilled before I started on some work and then prep for dinner. They got home and had a really good time; Conner even did some running with the coach. It wouldn’t surprise me if he starts running in some shape or form, he just loves it. Which would be great for Conner. Kristin, John, Dylan and Cooper came over for a visit, Alfie is away all week like Bruce. We hadn’t seen them since they came back from Thanksgiving in Hawaii so it was great to catch up on everything. They had a great time in the sun, playing on the beach. With the temp here hitting freezing over night, it made me a little jealous. Cooper had grown so much in just over the week, as growing bubbies do. He’s just so gorgeous you just want to hug and kiss me. He just wants his mum, so I’m biding my time, it’ll come and they will all come and do sleepovers soon so Kristin and Alfie can have some time. They left just before 6.00pm and I put dinner on, the boys did showers and we sat down and they told me about running club and their laps and how they went which was good. Bruce called to say good night from snowy Dallas and I was in bed around 11.00. I spoke to Rhys and got some Hultgren gossip, which was great. It sounds like the weather at home is lovely and hot but I am preying for rain for everyone and their gardens. There must be some very out of work pool shops and landscapers. Friday I woke up this morning and did some work and tidied up around the house. Paula called around 10.00 and asked me to run up the street and look at a house with her. I did a quick catch up with her and Tony and they went back to work and I came home to get organized. We had some errands to run before having to be back by 2.00 to wait for our Billy B balls to be delivered. We ran out and went out and sent mum’s box of stuff at the post office then mum grabbed a couple of things that she wanted to get. We were at home around 1.00 and had some lunch. I called Kristin to organize them to come over for dinner. She was having one of those BLAH days, she’s dealing with contractors and they are just letting her down and Christmas is coming and he can’t do anything around the house cause her lounge is a construction zone. Anyway, I’m glad a can help her out and get them out and have them over. It’s always great to spend time with them. The boys played and chilled out all afternoon and we waited for the balls to arrive. I went out with Renee to the Country club to check out the function room for the Sweet Heart dance the PTO is organizing in Feb. Paula and I are doing decorations so we needed to check out the space. It will be interesting to see the differences to what we do at home. I went to the supermarket and grabbed some pumpkin to made Kristin soup (which she loves) to cheer her up. They got to our place just as the truck arrived at 5.45pm. Luckily the 47 boxes were on 2 pallets not separate so moving them into the garage wasn’t a big deal, which was some thing I was worrying about. I came inside a popped a beer open for Kristin and the kids went off to play. We sat down to dinner at around 7.00 then I put the projector up and the kids watched a movie on the big screen. Paula dropped in on her way out to dinner and we all had a quick catch up. Bruce called from Phoenix to say his flight was delayed and Alfie called from Denver to say his flight was cancelled. Poor Kristin has to wait until the morning; I only have to wait until around 11.30. Looking at her, I would’ve rather it be me waiting, so she can just have a break. Even is it’s just at night, we’ve all been there. Mum went out and took some photos of the houses in the street and then came in and gave the boys their Christmas present EARLY!!! They got a portable DVD player each. Their faces were priceless; Mum was wrapped. Hopefully it will make for a quieter drive to LA tomorrow. I hope everyone has a great week; ours will be one to remember. Sorry about the delay on getting this week’s update up, I will try to get next weeks on time for everyone. Have a great week.

Our Day in San Francisco

The Hultgrens

Belinda & Ellen

Pier 39 - Snowman The Boys - Bubba Gumps Saks Fifth Ave Christmas Windows

Thanksgiving pictures

Happy Thanksgiving

Bruce and the Bird

The Thanksgiving Table Smile and be Thankful Conner & his Turkey Leg

Jamieson & his Turkey Leg Our First Thanksgiving Miss Belinda & Miss Paula

From November 18th, 2006

Saturday Well, we were all up at around 7.00 starting our busy weekend. Jamieson was up and straight into his basketball uniform. I have to say, it’s kind of a relief, and we are all a bit over ‘it’s my first game with the Spurs’. We were all up and around knowing what the day had in store. I was in the car and at the store getting presents and groceries, then back to the house by 9.00, unloading having a very quick tidy and we were all out the door for Jamieson’s game at 10.00am. The game went as expected, they dominated, to say the least. Jamieson surprised all of us, Bruce just looked at me at one stage with the “DAMN” face, very impressed with his son’s game and athleticism. The great thing is that most of the kids scored which was great for them all, and most of them now have a pretty good idea the game. They are going to dominate again…. help me lord, Jamieson spent the rest of the day talking about it. We got into the car and came home to change and get some lunch, then the boys went off to Jackari’s birthday party, Bruce went to my office to do some more copying for Billy Bounce and Mum cleaned for me & I started on dinner. I made up all of dinner and had a shower, all ready for our dinner guests. The boys all arrived home at around 4.45pm and Mum and I jumped into the car and went to Conner’s game. Not as much joy, poor Conner lucked out again. The team was ok, they got pumped but on the up side Conner’s game is getting really great. He has improved as well, which is so great for him. The team improved as the game went on, but they are not going get a lot of wins. Bruce had a chat to Conner after the game about his improvement and he seems ok with it now. We got home around 7.00 (late) and the Charles’ were waiting for us. They came in and the kids went off to play while I put dinner together. We all caught up on the week in the kitchen (cause it’s big enough) and the kids say at the kid’s table and the adults at the adult’s table (YEAY!!) We all finished our dinner and the kids went off to play & the adults chatted. The Charles’ left around 10.00pm and we went off to bed after tidying up. It was a nice end to a busy day. Sunday We all woke up and Bruce off to Wackford to do the coach the coaches for Billy Bounce. We potted around in the morning and got ready for our day out in San Francisco. We had some lunch and when Bruce got home and changed we were on the road at 1.00pm. It wasn’t a very picturesque day, lots of clouds in the sky and we were driving in the car I was really worried about whether we would actually see the bridge or not. San Francisco is known for its fog. We got there and it was a perfect day for it, the sun was out and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We arrived at the bridge and did the usual photo’s etc although there was still a little fog over the water so seeing Alcatraz was a little bit difficult. Anyway, we got some nice pictures and went for a walk on the bridge then jumped into the car and made our way to Pier 39. We parked the car and walked down along the street, mum got some REAL clam chowder from the stinky, fishy smelling vendors and it was beautiful. We walked around Pier 39, all the Christmas decorations were up and a huge tree, it was really gorgeous. We checked out the stores and some buskers then made our way to Bubba Gump’s for dinner. Unfortunately it was disappointing, but it didn’t dampen the great afternoon that we’d had. Most importantly, Mum had a fantastic time. We were back in the car and driving through downtown looking for trolley cars and just the city in general. We drove through the middle of town and saw the Macys and Saks Fifth Ave Christmas windows, which were magnificent in Union Square, to say the least. We were all just sitting in the car going WOW!!! We stopped at some traffic lights and managed to get a couple of shots, which turned out really nice. I will post them for you all. By the time we got home it was after 10.00, but we all had a great time and were EXHAUSTED!!! Fell straight into bed and out for the count. The end of another long but adventurous day for the Hultgren’s and one Korostin. Monday Bruce went off to work early in the morning as per usual. I didn’t go into work; I realized that I had bought my entire work home with me so there would be no point in going in. I didn’t get any done, instead I tidied up the house and did a few minor things that I would have done if I wasn’t working every day, like hanging posters and cleaning up the office a little. There are things in the house that I’m not sure where they are, and you can imagine how well that would sit with me. I’m still getting there, the kids being off track with me being home hopefully I will get all that done. Bruce got home from work around lunchtime and mum and I went out to get some groceries. Bruce picked the kids up from school and we got home not long after. I started on dinner, lasagna. Jamieson had basketball practice at 5.00, so they all left for that and left me alone to do dinner in the peace and quiet. It was heaven!!! They arrived home from basketball did showers etc and we sat down to dinner. Paula arrived later; Bruce couldn’t stay up any longer (tired) and went off to bed around 9.00pm. Paula stayed for a little while longer and we chatted for a while. She left, I went off to bed and mum stayed up to chat to home and watched some TV. Tuesday Went into work for a couple of hours to organize computer, came home late morning. The kids had a minimum day today, last day of school. Mum, Bruce and I walked over to pick them up and we all walked home with Millie and Lexie who came over for a visit. They stayed for a little while, and then we just chilled out for the rest of the day. The boys just played around the house and I got onto he computer and did some work and sent some emails. The usual things, I did manage to reply to some, which was good because the guilt was starting to get to me for not emailing back. Spent a quiet night in, Bruce was at a meeting on the other side of town and got back around 8.30. We chilled out then off to bed around 10.30. Wednesday Another nice day, all just lounged out of bed around 7.30. Bruce went off to work, I started cleaning the house, and we all just chilled out for the most part of the day. Paula called and came to get me and we went grocery shopping for tomorrow. Mum took the kids to the park for a couple of hours, they had a really nice time, the kids did their running for running club and mum did some walking. Paula came over for dinner, and then we just chilled out and made up the Cranberry jelly fruit salad. Let the new tastes begin. Poor Paula was going through some of the dishes and Mum and I were sitting there with funny looks on our faces. Like pumpkin/ sweet potato thing with marshmallows on the top. I think we made her very nervous, we will see. Thursday Happy Thanksgiving – (or Gobble Gobble Day, as Paula calls it.) Bruce and I woke up at 7.00 (as per usual) caught up on the last couple of weeks, not a lot of time to ourselves to do that, so that was nice. I walked over to Paula’s to do turkey and stuffing at 9.00, the turkey was still frozen in the middle so we had a good time trying to defrost, it all makes for a good Thanksgiving story. We got the turkey in the oven at around 10.30 then it had to cook for at least 4 hours. We chatted for a while and I left to come home to get some of the other stuff ready. Bruce & mum took the boys over to the park and I stayed and did up the table and tidied up a little. They got back an hour or so later and the kids went out to play, Bruce went into the office to do some work and I fluffed around the way we all do when company is coming over, cleaning etc. Paula arrived with the bird around 3.00 and it smelled YUMMY!!! I had all the vegetables ready to go and then we just had to heat up or brown all the other stuff. We all sat down to Thanksgiving at around 4.00pm. We sat at the table with the following in front of us. Turkey, Turkey gravy, hot bread rolls, cranberry sauce, cranberry fruit salad, sweet potato with pecans and marshmallows on the top, stuffing, mashed potatoes, honey carrots, and garlic beans. Apart from the beans (which Paula agreed) were yuk, it was all beautiful!!! I said to Paula,” I take back all the faces I made last night, she was very relieved.” Mum did too; she has even bought the recipes for most of the dishes home, so the Korostin’s should expect a couple on the table with the turkey Christmas day I would imagine. We sat around chatting while we ate, apart from the boys playing with their VERY LARGE legs, which they thought was hysterical, it was really a great meal. Bruce was sitting there making all the YUMMY noises and said, “Now I understand Thanksgiving”, all day he’d been saying he didn’t get it it’s just a meal. But sitting there with family and friends over a beautiful meal and lots of it, you could really understand why it is such a family day. We heated up the pies (Pumpkin and Apple) and sat down to our dessert at around 6.00. They were beautiful, even the pumpkin one, pumpkin over here is sweeter than at home, so I can understand why they can use it for a sweet. I did have the displeasure of tasting Cool Whip. I told Paula I would try everything. It tasted like whipped sugar but worse. Paula laughed and made the comment of the day. She looked my straight in the eye with a straight face, for a second and said, “You can eat it but it tastes like shit”. Well, we were all just about on the floor in stitches. She usually quotes Bruce but Paul Hogan we didn’t see coming. We finished dinner and rounded onto the couches. Paula got to choose the movie, we got out the projector and watched What Women Want on the wall, the room is perfect for it, it was like we were at the movies, and I even did popcorn. It was the perfect end to the night. Paula left around 11.30; they also watched Pricilla Queen of the Desert, Mum’s choice. Another, Australian learning experience for Miss Paula from Texas. Friday We are really living in America – are you ready for this? We were up at 4.30 (the stores open for the thanksgiving sales at 5.00am) When I said sales I’m not kidding though. There were a couple of things that were on sale for the kids for Christmas, and Bruce wanted to have another experience. So the alarm went off at 4.30 and Bruce and mum were off to go shopping in the dark. He called 10 mins later laughing his butt off, they were walking to the end of the line at the other end of the shopping car park. They got home around 5.30 with goodies in hand. The boys got portable DVD players from mum for Xmas ($70 off) and she also got a fantabulous new digital camera and 2gb memory card. Very flash, she is in picture taking heaven. We went back to bed and woke up around 9.00, the boys were up none the wiser. I woke up mum and we were dressed and out of the house to get some Thanksgiving Day shopping in by 9.30am. You should have seen the people, they were everywhere, boxing day shopping everywhere, we did manage to get some good bargains, we went back to Best Buy to see if there were some things that they saw in the catalogue when they got home, NOT!! All the huge bargains were gone. We did manage to get some other bargain, I bought mum a 1GB MP3 player for her birthday and we got some CD’s for $6.00 each. I then took her to Wal-Mart for that experience, and she got some really great stuff for herself, which was really nice to see. She is loving the whole ladies shoes go up to a size 11 here and making the most of it. Then we went to Target and had some more shopping fun, got a few more Christmas presents. Before we knew it, it was 3.00pm; we looked through another couple of stores, got a couple more pressies and then got home around 4.30. Got back to the house… looking like I hadn’t been home since the early morning, no beds made, food all over the kitchen as usual. The boys were running around, cause their father let them have their Halloween candy and wasn’t watching how much they had, so of course they had HEAPS!! Bruce was sitting at the desk and hadn’t really moved all day, but did get a lot of work done so that was a bonus. Paula arrived with her boys at around 5.00 for leftovers. We made up dinner and all sat down around 6.00; it was still as yummy as the night before. After dinner everyone jumped onto the couches for a movie. Bruce put Will Smith on so we all had a bit of a dance before settling down to watch Shark Tales on the big screen. I chatted with Elise on messenger, which was nice, it’s been a few days so it was good to get all the gossip. Paula and the kids left at around 10.00 and the kids went to bed and we followed not long after. Another big weekend is coming up, lots of plans. I hope everyone is well.

From 11th November

Saturday Got up at the usual time, no later even though it was the weekend. It was raining all day. Paula picked me up at around 7.30 and I dropped them off at the airport. I came home and everyone was up, they were all having their breakfast. Around 11.00am Mum and I went out to do some shopping. We checked out some of the stores, not as many as we thought, we spent more time in each store than we thought. We got home around 6.00pm. Bruce and I went to the office to do some printing for the Billy Bounce presentations in New York. We were gone longer than we thought. We finally got home around 8.00 and had some dinner. We chatted to Trudy and the kids on Skype and just chilled out for the evening. Bruce packed for his trip to New York. Sunday Got up far to early, I dropped Bruce off at the airport at 5am. I got back to the house and we spent the rest of the day just chilling out around the house. We went out to get some stuff at the supermarket and dropped into a store and Mum got the kids some runners. It was a very uneventful day really; I was exhausted and was in bed at 8.30. I’m a real party animal hey! Monday We woke to the start of another week, and did the usual. I dropped the boys off at school and went off to work. I spent the first couple of hours of the morning trying to figure out some work forms, dealing with government agencies is just a hoot!! They girls and I had a good day, I worked until later in the afternoon, mum went and picked the boys up from school and they all went home and did homework. I spoke to Bruce and he had a really good day in New York, it sounds like it was a very successful trip. He was making his way from different meetings and was very upbeat. I got home from work told Jamieson to get changed and we went off to basketball practice. They had a good practice. I think they will do ok as a team, and the parents are really nice too, so it should be a good season for all. I made the mistake of telling Conner that I would check his homework in the morning, then we sat down to some dinner. The boys went off to bed and mum and I just chilled out until bedtime around 10.30. Tuesday Another typical Tuesday, woke up too early, Conner and I checked through his homework and he had to try and fix it before school. So of course we were running late. We went off to school to do parent helping. I had to stay for 2.5 hours, which would happen when I wanted to get to work. I couldn’t find the car keys and I got to work around 10.30 and started the day. The rest of the day was fairly typical, I spoke to Bruce and he was making his way to the next part of his trip, next stop, North Carolina. I got home from work around 6.00, having has to stop off and grab a couple of things for dinner, and naturally (sarcastic) I had to go to more than one supermarket to find the stuff that I needed. I arrived home to find that there was no Internet or phone, oh what a day. Bruce was on the phone and I was yelling, Comcast couldn’t help until the next day. You can imagine my mood. For everyone’s safety I ended up going to bed around 9.30, exhausted and not happy. What a day!!! Wednesday Happy Birthday Grandma!!! We woke up and the kids jumped into bed with me. We wrapped the little present that I bought her and started the day. We were all ready to go when she woke up and so we did the school thing. I came back from school and fixed up the internet phone situation and we got organized and jumped into Paula’s car and went to pick them up. It turned out to be a nice sunny morning so I drove mum around Sacramento for a look; we went to Old Sac, Government House and the beautiful old houses. She got some nice pics so she was happy. We picked them up at the airport and were back in Elk Grove at around midday. I took mum out for lunch to Pete’s, had the best tomato bisque soup and could only eat half the turkey sandwiches, so we bought them home. After that we hit a couple of shops for a quick look and to get a couple of things that he needed for a project. We got back and picked the kids up from school, they did their homework and went out for a play. Then around 6.00 we went out for dinner to celebrate the birth of Ellen. Back to Pete’s we went, and had another beautiful meal; the kids had some yummy stuff too. Again, we went home with doggy bags, which mum still can’t believe. We got home and mum got online and birthday chatted with everyone, dad even rang which was a great surprise. I think she had a nice birthday. I went to bed around 10.00 and left her up checking emails etc. Thursday I woke up to lots of fog; it’s getting that way every morning now. We walked to school and I did parent helping in Conner’s class. It was only for an hour cause they had a substitute teacher, which was good for me. I got back to the house at around 9.15 and we got ready and took off for the outlet mall. It’s about a 35 min drive, and mum got to some more of Sacramento on the way. It was raining when we arrived but we made out way through the stores. It turns out we are slow shoppers or thorough shoppers, so we had to get picky about which ones we hit. We had to leave to pick the kids up just after 1.30. We got back to the car with lots of bags, so I guess it was a successful trip. I think everyone got a little something. We got home and had out lunch, the boys had running club so mum went across about 3.00, it was fine and sunny by now so running club was on. They got home; with an extra (Jackari) his mum was on her way back from a funeral in San Francisco. She arrived around 4.00 and they left not long after. We checked over homework and the kids went off to play, then we all piled into the car and went to Ikea. Mum bought us some stuff for the house and the boy’s new doona covers. We were there for a couple of hours but were still home by 7.00pm. All the Christmas decorations are out here and there are some gorgeous ones. It’s going to be hard to restrain myself. We got home and the kids showered while we organized dinner. We all had leftovers from the week, to the kids delight. Go Figure!!! I was off to bed at a reasonable hour, which is nice. Friday The end of another week here, and it started out as usual. Except that, I woke up at 5.00am, which I put down to Bruce doing something. Usually if I wake up at a certain time, it usually means something unusual is happening. Not sure why, but more often than not when I remember to ask him, it’s true. Pretty weird, but it’s nice. The boys went off to school and Paula and the boys came over and she drove me to work. We had a pretty constructive day, I’m trying to organize some stuff for while I’m not in. (The boys are going off track, so no work) I spoke to Bruce throughout the day, he was trying to make his way home, airports, planes etc, etc. Mum picked the boys up from school and they just played, there is no homework on Friday’s or the weekend, which is a nice rest for them. They are just packing up the room and all their stuff anyway. I got home around 4.30 and I started to put together the furniture that we got the night before. We had some dinner and the boys watched a movie and I got onto the computer and chatted with Elise then later Rhys came online. Bruce’s flight from Vegas was delayed so was now not getting home until around 2.00am. I was planning to surprise him at the airport so he didn’t have to catch a cab. I spoke to him in Vegas at 12.00 and he still had a wait so I decided to get at least an hour of sleep. I woke up and was out of the house at 1.20, drove in the fog, hoping that the plane wasn’t diverted due to the fog. He arrived at 2.28, helping a girl on crutches with her son and their carry on bags. We waited around for what seemed like forever, what made it longer was finding her bags, cause they were the last ones. We got home and rolled into bed at 4.00am. What an end to the week. For those who are waiting for my emails, I’m really sorry. I will catch up with all of you over the next week, I promise!!!!! We are looking forward to Thanksgiving, although I think it will be just another day for us, just a big meal. No huge plans. The Charles’ are off to Hawaii for a few days and Paula is coming over but the boys are with their dad. EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!

Our new Home....

3801 Lake Terrace Drive

Elk Grove, CA, 95758

Front Gate

Front Door

Back Yard

Large TV in Back room

Lounge/ Dining Room

Kitchen

Back Room

Master Bedroom

From 4th November...

Saturday Moving Day!!! Up at 5.30, getting everything ready for the day. Pretty much all of the packing was done, just putting all the other stuff together. Bruce made a couple of phone calls about a fridge while I made up a Lasagna (to use up some of the stuff out of the fridge) and everyone was up and we were out of the house and off to get the truck at 9.00. Grabbed that then made our way back to go to the house to sign the lease. Packed the van for the 1st load and it started. Alfie came over to help Bruce with all the heavy lifting. Then, one truckload and a couple of van loads later. Paula came over in the afternoon and helped me. By 5.00 we were out and in again. Paula left to get ready for our girls night and I did the same. The boys did pizza for dinner and the girls were off at 7.00. We ended up at Logan’s for dinner and then into Old Sac to a comedy club. There were 3 comedians, 2 were funny, and the other wasn’t really. It was a fun night; just to get out and be girls is always a good time. We got home around 12.30 and off to bed. Very Tired as you can imagine!!! Sunday Woke up at 6.00am, and started with the unpacking that I usually due the night we move. I did the kitchen before everyone got up at around 7.30 then finished the rest by 10.30. We were out to take the truck back at around midday. Then we dropped in at home and picked up some lunch and headed back to the apartment to clean. 3 hours later it was all done. We wiped down everything, from the skirting boards to the blinds, it looked brand new. We packed up the rest of the stuff, little bits and pieces and were out there by 5.00. Off home we went to have some dinner. After dinner Paula dropped in to give us moving in gifts, wine glasses, Yeay!!! And the boys got fridge magnet games, for when we get a fridge. She went off to meet some friends to watch Sunday night football and we did the same then not long after, got ready for bed. What a weekend, it’s all over now. I can’t remember the last time I was this tired, oh yeah, when I didn’t sleep on the plane coming over. Monday It started like all the others, not really. The boys got up and just ran around the house for a while, cause they could. Paula bought the boys over to see the house, then we all walked to school together and Paula and I headed off to work. Renee was starting today, so that was a bit exciting for me. I can actually get back to the work I should be doing. I got there and we went through all the stuff she needed to know. I spent a couple of hours at the office then Bruce picked me up and we went home to get organized to pick mum up from the airport. We picked the boys up from school at 2.00 and headed out, the plane was on time and she came down the escalators (crying) a mixture of tired and happy. Big hugs for everyone and then we grabbed her bags and jumped into the car to head home. We stopped on the way to show her the apartment before we gave the keys etc back. Then, we were off to the new house. She loves it just like we do, yes, pictures are coming. We got home and got into the usual routine, the kids still had homework to do, and I cooked my lasagna. Jamieson had basketball training so they all went out to that which was nice and peaceful. We sat down and had dinner, then Paula dropped in and I made her eat (otherwise she wouldn’t) then I gave her the leftover pieces, I have no fridge or freezer. She took them and went off to the office to get some work done. Mum bought the lolly’s out, (****Jamieson’s watch) Oh My Goodness, you would not believe it, good thing we took a photo. Yummy Mummy got good business out of her that day. We now have enough for the next 6 months & I am not kidding. We also got some Christmas lolly tree lollies, so yeah!!!! The kids got sugared up and then we made them go to bed. We stayed up talking for a while, but were in bed at around 11.00, which wasn’t too bad. Tuesday (Happy Birthday to Kristy!!!!!) Got up and ready for school and work. Paula bought the kids round cause Conner asked her too. We walked over to school then Paula and I went to work. I stayed for the training on the new phone system then late morning came home to see mum. She was not long up, so that was good timing. We just spent the rest of the day pottering around, putting stuff away and rearranging stuff. The school called around 1.00 to say that Jamieson wasn’t feeling well. I went and picked him up and we walked home, he went to bed for a lay down for around 30 mins then of course he was feeling better. I went to pick Conner up from school and we came home and did homework. Bruce came home from work; we had some turkey burgers and veggies, very yummy. Mum chatted on Skype and sent some emails to everyone. I nearly fell asleep on the couch, so off to bed I went at 9.30. Out for the count, it finally caught up to me. Mum stayed up and chatted to Dad on the phone and not sure what time she headed down. I didn’t move!!!! Wednesday Well, another Wednesday rolls around, the usual. Paula dropped the boys off stayed for a quick chat and went off to her meeting. Then we all walked to school together. It was a cloudy day, but not cold. Haven’t figured out the weather yet. It’s been cloudy but not too cold, or nice and sunny. Ed was right; if it’s not raining then it’s usually a beautiful sunny day. Mum wasn’t up when we left, still adjusting to the time difference, plus she goes to bed later than us. We are early birds now. It was a pretty usual workday; Paula is planning on expending the offices to the one underneath us as well. Bruce called in the morning to tell me that he was putting the car in for a service, something was telling him too. Cool, then called back later in the afternoon to tell me that, amongst other things, the front wheel was about to fall off. SO, we were both just on the phone, blown away. He was in a hire car and would be home later. That was a close one, gutt feelings are true and you should always listen to them. This now proves it!!! Mum picked the boys up from school for me so I could get another couple of hours work in, which was weird but good, I got a big chunk done. Got home around 4.30, just as it was starting to get dark. The kids did well with Mum, all their homework was done and they were playing in the playroom. Made some dinner, sat down and had our meal and chatted about the day, the boys did their reading and went off to bed. Bruce went in to do some prep work for his trip. He leaves for New York on Sunday morning (early) and gets home late (very) on Friday night from North Carolina. He’s going to try and get to UNC to see Cecil & Desiree Exum University Territory, which he is looking forward to. We were in bed at the usual 10.30; Mum was still up chilling out and catching up with back home. Thursday Woke up, it’s getting earlier every day. I can’t remember the last time my alarm actually woke me up. It was about 6.30, I got up and did the usual, the boys surfaced around 7.00am, they are getting used to the routine as well. We did the breakfast, dressing etc thing. Paula and the boys arrived around 7.30, as per usual. I dropped all the boys off at school then walked back to the apartments to meet Bruce and do some laundry at Paula’s place. Bruce dropped me off at work and headed into the office. We had a staff meeting and organized the next couple of weeks. Paula is away next week, going to Idaho with the boys to visit her Mum. She also told us that we now have possession of the offices underneath, so we are moving again, some of the stuff is anyway. Actually most of the stuff is. That’s another job to be done, we’ve given ourselves until mid December. Which is plenty, once it’s wired for networking and phones we are good to go. Then I think we will just have a working bee and it’ll be all done in a day. Bruce called, to let me know who much the car was, lets just say, we were gutted for the rest of the day, the girls were offering me chocolate at work. Then he had to go out and buy a fridge and washing machine, so that made the day a “money down the drain day”. It needed to be done, and we move on. I didn’t get home until 5.00pm, I was waiting for Bruce to drive through and pick me up, the boys had running club after school and Mum we and watched them and of course took pictures. Just to make the day even better, we get home and our cable is out, which means we also have no Internet and no phone. What a joyful day it’s been. NOT HAPPY JAN!!! Would have to be an understatement. I jumped back into the car and went to Paula’s to grab the laundry and then to supermarket to get some Drano to see if we could fix this water pipe situation. I got back and whipped up a quick whatever they wanted dinner, Conner had basketball training at 7.00pm. We have the cable guy and the fridge and washer being delivered between 1.00-5.00 tomorrow, which would be fine except that’s when we had plans to meet Kristin & the boys and I am having Paula’s boys until she is done with her meeting at the park for the afternoon. Bruce has asked them to ring first, delivery guys will, cable guy not so sure. We’ll see, they were supposed to be here on Tuesday and weren’t, so I’m not holding my breath on the whole going out of their way thing. They all left around 6.40 and I had some peace until 8.15, when they all came bounding back in. No school tomorrow for Veterans Day so the boys stayed up and we all sat down in the Lounge room and watched “The Pacifier’, great movie. That finished around 10.00 and we were all off to bed, except for Mum who stayed up and watched Harry Potter, I think. Another week is coming to an end and we are all exhausted, life over here is very hectic & we are just not used to it yet. Friday Bruce was up at around 6.00 and of course I was too. Everyone was sleeping so I got up and did some stuff on the computer. Jamieson woke up around 7.00 and cuddled into the couch with a blanket watching a movie. I pottered around the house organizing a few things and the boys chilled out all morning. Paula called around 11.00 to see if she could drop the boys off a little earlier, which was fine. They arrived around 11.30 as the plumber was here to fix the garbage disposal. When he opened it up it was full of shrimp, YUK, I nearly gagged. So he fixed that up & I packed up some stuff for lunch and we were off, while Mum stayed back until the fridge and washer were delivered. Alfie dropped over about 2.00 to pick up Cooper and take him home to bed, the big boys were still playing and didn’t want to come home yet. Mum arrived at the park around 2.30 and we stayed until around 3.30. Kristin and the boys came over to check things out, they stayed for a little while then made their way back home to feed Cooper. The fridge and washer were there, yeay, but not cable man yet. Not holding my breath!!!! Paula arrived around 5.30 to pickup the boys after a long day at work. We chatted for a while then Paula wanted to go out for dinner & asked us to come. The boys were watching the NAB Cup Grand Final (Geelong) and Justin wanted to see the end. So that finished and all the boys went in our car and the girls went in Paula’s car. We arrived at Logan’s a got a table straight away, which was great for a Friday night. The boys did their coloring and we all chatted, dinner was yummy as per usual, and we were out of there at 8.30. The kids wanted to go to Best Buy (games stuff) and so we went and checked out cameras for mum, then mum and I went up to Old Navy to check things out. Got a few good bargains and the boys were waiting out the front in the car when we were done. Home around 9.30, watched a bit of friends and went off to bed. That has been out first week in our new home. It’s had it’s ups and down’s, still no Internet, so if there was any emails and you haven’t heard from me then SORRY!!! But we are all still here, and Mum even likes it here, I think. I hope everyone had a great week, the weather is warming up and those beautiful spring days are better than ever. We are actually enjoying the cooler weather here, after not really having many since June 2005. I am acclimatizing surprisingly well, a big fluffy robe and Ugg’s makes all the difference.

Halloween pics...

'THE GANG CHECKING OUT THIER STASH!!

THE BOYS ON THE WAY OUT THE DOOR JAMIESON & CONNER

(INCASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHO IT WAS.)

October 28th

Saturday Another weekend begins with the usual, getting up and the kids watched a bit of TV, I made some pancake mix and started on the washing while made the pancakes for the kids for breakfast. I did tidying, washing, dishes and made the birthday cake so it could cool while we were out. We were out of the house at 10.00am, to basketball practice for Jamieson. It was a good session, all the parents are really nice and I think the kids will do well, which is a good thing. We went and grabbed some bread rolls etc at the supermarket in between practice sessions. Back at the stadium at 12.00 for Conner’s practice, again the parents all seem nice, there is really only a couple that drop their boys off, so that is nice to see as well. They trained really well, and Bruce gave them some homework to practice and some good instruction, I think they all learnt something or now know what they need to practice on. We were out of there at around 2.00pm, so half the day had gone already, and there was still lots to do before our pumpkin carving at the Charles’s at 5.30. We got Bruce some new shoes for work, Alfie’s birthday present and were home around 3.00pm. I did more washing and tidied up a bit more, the boys went outside to play thank goodness. I made the mousse for the frosting on the cake and let that set, did shower and hair washing, spoke to Paula on the phone. Bruce took the boys out to grab a couple of pumpkins. Around 4.00 I started on Alfie’s birthday card, (there’s a story that is just too long to tell), and then finished up with the washing. It was around 5.00 and Bruce got up and he and the boys did showers and got ready, I was still in my robe with wet hair. Bruce comes out and says Elise is online and wants to have a chat, (sorry Elise) I was elbow deep in 6 things to get done before we had to go. They were all ready to go at 5.20 and I was still finishing the card. I got that done, the 3 boys sat down and watched TV while I frosted the cake and washed the dishes, wrapped the present and wrote on the card. Then I went and dried my hair and got dressed, so I was ready at around 6.15. Bruce was not happy. Don’t get me started on that, and you can imagine how well that went down with me. We got there around 6.30 and the story of my day gave everyone a laugh so that was a bit of fun. Alfie offered me a drink and I took it, yes, you can imagine their faces when I said YES!! Everyone was sitting down to dinner, yummy as per usual. We caught up on the week; both Bruce and Alfie had been on trips so they had stories to tell. We finished up with dinner and cleaned up and started on the pumpkin hollowing. Alfie got out the tools and Bruce did it fine, I was worried about the whole pumpkin making him sick thing, he wouldn’t be able to, but he was fine. It took a while but finally the kids got started on the pumpkin carving. Conner got stuck right into it. He traced his drawing that he had done at home and did the whole thing himself, got the cutting tools and he did a great job. All the others, the kids got pretty bored of watching the adults use the cutting tools and took off to play. They all turned out really great, especially when we put them outside in the dark with the candles. The boys all sat down and watched a movie and the adults went into the lounge room and chatted, until around 10.00 when we all piled into the car and went home. We got home, put the pumpkins on the balcony and all went to bed. A big, long day. Sunday We woke up and checked our watches, daylight savings had finished so all the clocks had to go back an hour. Which made it 7.00am, Conner was up watching some TV and Jamieson woke up not long after. They chilled out for the morning; I moved them into our room so I could clean the house. Bruce and Jamieson went over to the park for a quick play before Bruce had to leave to go to work for a couple of hours. He left around 11.30 and the boys went outside to play, I finished up the cleaning and made the boys some lunch. Paula called around 2.00 just as my cookies were cooking, so we went over a little after that and headed off to the park. The boys ran and played until around 4.00. We came home and the boys cleaned up from the park, got changed and Paula and the kids came over the watch a movie, something quiet so they will chill out. They left to have dinner at 6.15 and we did the same. Spent the rest of the night, doing nothing, quietly. What a weekend, another busy one and it’s over so we can now relax and do school and work. Monday Another week begins with the sunshine and the cool air. Bruce went off to work and the boys and I went to school and work. Work was usual and school was the same for the boys. Bruce was going to pick me up from work but got caught in a meeting. So I picked them up, they went to the oval to do their running for running club and then we went to the lost and found to look for Conner’s lunch box. Nothing. Conner and Jamieson walked home and I went to After School care to pick up Justin and Jeremy. They were coming over for the afternoon and then I was making dinner for Paula’s birthday. We did homework, and then the kids played and I did dinner and cake. Paula arrived around 6.45, the boys had done bath. We had dinner and blew out the candles then the boys chilled out watching a movie, Bruce did the dishes and Paula and I sat at the table with our birthday drink and all chatted. They left around 9.00 and we were in bed not long after, an early night, which we needed. Tuesday Happy Halloween Well, it was a beautiful day, sunny all day. We did the usual things, Bruce was home working for the morning and I took the kids to school and did parent helping. I got back from school and Bruce dropped me off at work on his way to the office. The usual day for everyone, I picked the boys up from school and came home to get homework etc done before the BIG night. The boys got all their work done and even had time to go outside and play. I called them in around 5.00 to do showers and costumes. Bruce arrived home and we helped the boys get dressed. We left early, no trick or treaters at our place. We arrived at the Charles’s at around 6.00 pm, all the kids were ready to go, even Super Cooper, literally. There are photos for everyone to see. All the kids looked great, at around 6.16 all the boys went out to walk around the neighborhood, while Kristin and I stayed at the house to give out the candy. They bought Cooper back about 30 mins later and off they went again. They all got back around 7.00, which was great timing cause Paula and her boys arrived to show off their costumes. All the kids sat down and checked out their stashes. (Reminds me of us after coming home for the show and emptying out our show bags onto the floor.) I have a photo of that too, of course, my mother would be so proud. We were home by 9.00, so it wasn’t as late as we had anticipated so that was a bonus, even if they were all sugared up. They had a great time and we saw some really cool costumes. It’s just a fun night all round. We got home, chilled out for a while and then off to bed at around 10.30, and that was our first Halloween. Wednesday The weather has finally changed, I think. We woke up to an overcast day. The boys and I got up and went off to school and work, Bruce left early again. I worked until about 12.30 when Bruce picked my up to go and see the house that we wanted to move into. Chatted to Pete on messenger, he was on the morning show on channel 9; I hope you all saw it. It’s online if you haven’t. The house was beautiful; it’s got lots of light, and good window coverings. It has 2 living areas, and a yard for the kids to play as well as a garage too. The garden is landscaped and we’ll have to keep it up. It is just what we were waiting for. We rushed out of there; Bruce had to go to catch a plane to New Orleans. We drove to the airport on cloud 9, big smiles. We have a house!!!!! I drove back and picked the kids up from school. We came home and did the homework thing, and then they went outside to play. I went out to get them just after 6.00, it was dark already, not used to the winter dark yet, it’s been a long time. We had some dinner and Jamieson went off to bed. Conner conned me to stay up until 8.30, then 9.00 by the time he actually went. Bruce called from Denver then Louisiana then Baton Rouge. He arrived safely, and very tired. I stayed up, the usual not sleeping when Bruce is away, chatted with Elise on messenger at around 11.00, turned off the computer at around midnight, but not sleeping until around 1.00. A late night, better get used to it cause Bruce is away a lot over the next couple of months. Thursday Did the usual for a Thursday. The boys and I went to school and I did parent helping in Conner’s class until around 9.30 then off to work. I’m working through a Development Agreement Application at the moment, which, yes, is as boring as it sounds. It does make the day a drag I have to say. I went and picked the kids up from school, we had running club, but not for me today, I didn’t have time to change. The weather was blah anyway and they only lasted 30 mins until it was over. Then we jumped into the car and went to look for raincoats for the kids. No Joy!!!! We arrived home and had some dinner. Just a quiet night, my packing starts tomorrow, probably leaving it a bit late but oh well. Friday Got up and dropped the kids off at school and headed off to work. Paula was out at meetings for the day, I continued on with the Agreement and also did the weekly wrap up etc. Our new admin lady is starting on Monday so I did some prep for Monday morning. I am going in for an hour or so to go through everything with her, then taking off and tying up loose ends before we get the kids from school and head to the airport to pick up mum. Picked the kids up from school, came home and started packing at 3.00, stopped to cook the kids some dinner and continued on until around 10.00 when I sat down for the evening. Everything was pretty much done, packing wise. Paula dropped in to chat, I was staying up to pick Bruce up from the airport, 11.15pm. We caught up on the day, organized the weekend. Paula is helping with the move Saturday. I left for the airport at around 11.00 and Paula stayed with the kids so I didn’t have to wake them up. We got home from the airport around 12.00, just after and pretty much said good night to Paula and went to bed. TIRED!!!!!! What a week. Another busy weekend coming up, moving YEAH!!!!! Photo’s of the house are coming & Halloween, stay tuned…. Have a great week everyone, from not so warm Northern California.