Brief Long Time update :)

We've been back in NZ for a while now and its super to be home.

We've both been really enjoying just chilling out in the last of summer and not doing much at all but all that is about to change. We have both now got jobs in Auckland so we're leaving the comfort of Christchurch to head up North to the big city.

Jez has a job at Fisher and Paykel and I'll be at the Auckland Regional Council, we both got the job offers on the same day which was very exciting.

We'll be leaving Christchurch on Thursday for a bit of a road trip as we make our way up to Auckland and will hopefully visit a few friends on the way.

Here's a few pics of what we've been up to since we got home

On the plane

We went to the beach 48 hours after leaving frozen London

We went to Julia & Mark's Wedding

We met our friend's baby for the first time

We played with our friend's Llamas

Jez has been playing guitar again

Gem's Sister graduated from uni

and Gem has been baking

BYEEE

To all the wonderful friends we have made here in the UK,

We will miss you all so much, you have been wonderful and it has been great getting to know you, you have truly made our trip as amazing as it has been.

One of the best things about this trip has been the people we've met, everyone has made us feel so welcome and loved whether it has been at work, at church or somewhere else you have all encouraged us and taught us and made us laugh. ( and maybe laughed at our accents).

So thank you for your friendships but it doesn't end here, please keep in touch and if you ever venture Down Under please look us up and we'll show you our wee corner of the world.

With much Love

Gem and Jez

Almost home time

Two more sleeps until we fly out back to New Zealand and we are really looking forward to it.

We've been up to a bit this last few weeks so i'll do a quick run down.

We went up to Silverdale in the Lakes District for Family, it was a very sad occasion but lovely at the same time. Of course in early January everything was covered in snow so it was truly beautiful. During a walk in the snow we made friends with a robin, soo cute and friendly.

We've been touristing around London a bit, have been down to the South Bank a few times and went to the Tate Modern last weekend (figured we'd better go before we left), wow that was cool, much of it went straight over our heads but we took a tour round one section which was fascinating. there was a big installation in the downstairs bit which was a giant crate which was totally dark as you walked into it, very eerie feeling but cool.

We also revisited the British museum, one of our favorites, unfortunately because it was a Sunday it was packed (one of the advantages of being an actual tourist is going places during weekdays!!) but we managed to see a few rooms we'd missed previously, tho we skipped the Elgin Marbles (we wanted to look again after visiting Athens) cos it was so busy.

We saw the Moscow State Circus in Croydon with Las and Krisztina which was really cool, they were a wee bit restricted with what they could do as they were in a theater not a big tent but still amazing, I love circuses!!!!!

We celebrated Shrove Tuesday at church with pancakes before our prayer meeting which was great fun. Sad tho to be saying goodbye to everyone. We've made such wonderful friends at St Simon's and will really miss the fellowship there.

Its Jeremy's last day of work today and I had mine yesterday, my workmates took me out to lunch on Wednesday which was really nice, I will actually miss working there, it was a bit boring but that was awesome, I've never been so relaxed at work, loving the lack of stress!!! Everyone was so lovely and made me feel very loved when I left.

So we're sad this week as we say goodbye and pack up but its very much balanced by AHHHHH excitement to be heading home. I can't wait to see all my family and friends. Plus its only a week till Ju's wedding which is going to be awesome too. So much to look forward to.

So we fly out Sunday night London time and have 4 hours in Bangkok on the way, arriving into Auckland at lunchtime on Tuesday NZ time. We're going to have a few days there then drive down to the wedding then we fly home to Christchurch on the following Monday at lunchtime.

Lots of Love

Gem

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone :)

2010 has arrived and it will be an interesting year for us I think with lots of change (like a change of county) and new starts so should be exciting :)

Christmas here was lovely, very quiet with just the two of us but that made it so relaxing. Much as we love being in chch fro Christmas and we love our families, rushing around between them all on Christmas day is hectic and only having to walk down the road to church in the morning then not leave the house for the rest of the day was amazing!!! I cooked us turkey and roast veg and all the trimmings and as J doesn't like Christmas pud we had a chocolate Yule Log instead which was yum. No snow as it had all melted but close enough.

We were both off work between Christmas and New Years and very much enjoyed having a break. We managed to catch up with loads of people we haven't seen in ages and so had a really social time, as well as fitting in lots of sleep ins :)

New Years Eve we helped out at the night shelter, a great bunch of helpers that night as Rio and Tom brought along some friends. Then afterwards we went to the pub for a drink and back to Tom's very flash flat to see in the new year. We had a really lovely time and its so nice to get to know new friends a bit better. As we walked home there was a very light sprinkling of snow on the ground.

Back to work now and its been snowing lots again today with more forecast tonight. Again its causing havoc everywhere with most of the country blanketed in white. Today I'm not wishing for more as Juliet flys out back home tonight if her plane will leave, and we're heading up to the lakes district tomorrow evening.

Its only 6 1/2 weeks till we leave, can't believe its so soon, and I know it will go really quick.