and the princess!!

and here she is!! she doesnt mind the uniform or the actual school but hates the bus home. its really rowdy and there are not enough seats. there is nothing we can do about it she has to get the school bus theres not a public service from the school to our house. she could walk it in about 30mins but theres not a hope in hell of that happening!!! we have also offered her a bike but thats a no too!!! i was a good girl today walked to the shopping centre in the next suburb. its like the trinity centre but with supermarkets too. it took me 20mins to walk it and i was intending taking the bus back but i chickened out and walked back too. i took a different route as the way there was all up and down hill. i walked along scarborough beach road looking at all the pretty houses. it took a little longer but i was dawdling and it basically flat!!!! if i can do that a couple of times a week then thats my exercise!!!!

oor hoose 2

well this is the rest of our house. stevis room, our room and the utility room. i will take photos outside of the front and back when its stopped raining and the wind has stopped blowing!!!!!!

oor hoose

these are some pictures of our house. notice the absence of tvs in the kids rooms and the suite in the living room. the kids are getting their tvs at the weekend and our suite is on order and will be here in about 4 weeks. this is our livingroom, dining room and kitchen area. its all in one big room on an open plan basis.

murraes 1st day

well murrae has had his first day at his new school. the school system is a bit different here, we have to pay contributions to the school (£25 a year!) and we provide their tissues, soap and hand towels. their bags are on pegs outside, guess their not going to get snowed on etc! and we also have to provide all folders, jotters, pens, pencils (they stipulate which type and where to get them from) scissors, glue and even a hole punch. just as well its really cheap here!!! he seemed to have a good day and made a few friends. the kid he is sitting next to was born in england, father is scottish, mother irish but has been here on and off for a few years, he sounds aussie. murrae is totally confused!!! we had a meeting tonight about the end of year camp. its a fantastic camp. they are going inland to kalgoorlie for 4 days. they will have the opportunity to pan for gold, visit the mines and museums and loads of other stuff. its only $300 thats about £140 and some of the parents were questioning the cost! we couldnt believe it!! mikey went to france at the cost of £325 wonder what they would say about that ($750) and stevi went to dalguise in perth scotland and that was £275!!! michael and i just sat there biting our tongues!! these people dont like spending money! the cost of living is so much cheaper here and the wages either better of just the same! i REALLY think we are going to like it!!!

ahhhh cute

i was trying to post some photos of murrae in his new school uniform but the computer keeps freezing. he looks really sweet. it was so funny when we went to the school the head boy of the school is the same age as murrae but was bigger than michael. murrae looks so small compared to the rest of the kids. he is looking forward to starting tomorrow and we will take him down at 8.50. he saw his teacher today but didnt actually meet her. she looks nice tho. it seems like a nice school so hopefully he will settle well.
stevi has also been enrolled for school, she doesnt start til thurs cos her and murrae both start at the same time and we cant be with both of them at the same time. that and we couldnt get her uniform today cos the uniform shop wasnt open. she is not a happy bunny, michael cant pick her up on thursday so she will have to get the school bus, not that its that difficult. it drops her off at the bottom of the drive!!!
well aberdeen royal infirmary gave me a nice leaving present!!! i had to be swabbed prior to starting my new job and it turns out that i am MRSA +ve in my throat! the infection control nurse said that its very rare to have it in the throat without it being anywhere else!!! i was so embarrassed, i had to be taken by the infection contol nurse down to the pharmacy dept to get body wash, bactroban nasal cream and mouthwash!!! i just wanted to cry!!! i was totally mortified! i dont think she believed me when i said that surgical patients or staff arent routinely swabbed! i think she thinks that i am dirty scrubber! and before you kenny say a bloody word remember who you will need to stay with in australia!!!!

home sweet home

we have now moved in to our house. its bloody cold!!! houses here arent insulated or heated. so we have invested in some oil filled radiators for the bedrooms and an electric 3 bar radiator/fire thingy for the livingroom. it all looks rather bare and impersonal at the moment but am sure once the crate arrives in september it will be more like home. everything here is spread out and am beginning to stress about commuting to work. ari was hop skip and jump from our flat in aberdeen so it will all be a new experience. am hoping that michael starts work after me and can take me in getting home wont be such a problem. when on a late shift i can leave home early and michael will be around to pick me up at 9.30pm. the plan for tomorrow is to explore the route to work from two directions and then see what the public transport system is like. my provisional is not transferrable from the uk so i have to apply for a learners permit and sit a theory test to drive a scooter. same for mikey!!! i am going to need to learn to drive!!!! i cant get over how friendly people are here. in shops they go out of their way to help even if you are just looking. some shops even give you money off for paying cash!!! and you dont have to pay everything up front as long as its paid in full before its delivery date! its a bit like the 1970's in the uk before everyone got up their own arses!!! nothing is done in a hurry which in one way is refreshing after the rat race but is infuriating cos your used to getting things immediately!! think we are going to like it here.

so far away from home!

hey peoples!!! sorry its been so long since the last update but murrae managed to bugger nats internet connection so we have all been internet cold turkey! we have a house. its not big cos the area we went for is a bit posh and very very expensive!!!!! its nice tho. no pool i'm afraid just a very small garden. theres a bowling club right across the road and its 5 mins walk from scarborough beach. the area is called doubleview, think its cos at one time there were views of both the ocean and the city. dont worry we have bought a sofa bed for when visitors come over!!! its supposed to be winter but during the day its like a normal summers day in aberdeen. it bloody cold at night tho, last night it went down to 1 degrees!!!!!! now i know thats not as cold as we have experienced before but when none of the houses have heating in them its bloody bloody cold!!!! almost heart attack when you first climb into bed!!!!! michael has found some work, little jobbies just to start him off!! we have met some people from aberdeen, michaels friend grahams wifes sister! (sorry long winded!) and her family and another guy from torry!!! we all met up on sunday at kings park for a picnic, it was nice to meet and talk to other people who have made the move. we were so obviously the british people, kids had on shorts and t shirts and me with the strappy top and skirt! all the locals were going around with jumpers and scarfs on!!!!!!!!!! oh and the fact that murrae and stevi are completely milk bottle white!!!!! well better go folkies, off to find a car today. michael wants an 7/8 seater van type thing so that when you come over dad he can drive us all around!!!!! knew that he was a keeper!!!!! speak soon, love and miss you all.

we're here

we have arrived and spent our first day in oz! the flight wasnt that bad, so much better than we expected and that was with murrae vomiting on our last leg of the journey and a 6 hour delay in brunei!! today we went to see one house, it was ok, the garden was a bit on the small size but considering we have just left a flat 3 floors up, not bad at all! however, stevi hated it!!! and of course we have to do what the little princess wants!!! have another couple in mind so we will have to phone on monday to try and view. 1st impressions of perth? fantastic and its supposed to be winter!!!!!!! yes it is bloody cold at night but it was definately shorts and t-shirt material during the day! nat thinks its freezing but then we have just left deepest darkest aberdeen!!!!! will update when we have more news! everyone we miss you already!!!

this is it, this time i know its the real thing.............

well this is definately it! we fly to london tomorrow, spend the night in a hotel in heathrow and then we tackle the mammoth journey to perth WA. the nice gp that i have has given me 4 sedatives for the flight and a whole months supply of nicotine patches. surely this and the copius amounts of vodka will get me through it!!! enough of the jest tho, its extremely sad leaving friends and loved ones although exciting and scary at the same time. you guys know who you are! we're sorry that we're leaving you all behind and we love you all bucket loads. part of our hearts will always be in aberdeen but we are out to make a new life in oz. hopefully one day we will be able to feel like its truly a home from home. we will try and update this as often as possible but suspect that nat has plenty of plans for us!!!!!