Good to hear your news boys. You got sorted for jobs pretty quickly! What are the hours you have to do (apart from early morning!) Was it only 2 weeks ago you left - packed a lot in! You'll be pleased to hear James that Charlie is taking good care of your car, a well deserved clean inside and out. How much rubbish can you fit inside a small car?! Very quiet here without Dad, Grandma and Grandad. I've managed to lose another chicken in their absence. Have a good week boys. X

Hi Ian, Lovely to hear all your news.  How much fruit will you eat in the process of picking, I wonder!!  Yesterday we looked up Napier on Google Earth and we can just imagine you all strolling through the Main Street now!  It looks like a charming town. Keep the messages coming. Love always N & P xxx

 

Just got back from rugby. Stroud beat Stow 7-21 and played really well. There were lots of injuries but Chris got a cracking tackle. Next week it's Longlevens and a couple of the usual Front Row will be away so it will be a bit dodgy!

Hey - messages!! I've been looking every day, and you wait until the days that I don't look before leaving them!

Excellent news, glad it's all fallen into place so well for you, sounds very exciting! Apart from 6.30am start that is, you know me - always bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the early mornings (not)!

Looking forward to seeing your photos once you find somewhere to plug in - hope there aren't too many of the nipple-sucking variety, my nerves will never stand it!

Take care of yourselves - lots of love, GM xxx

Good to read another message and to get a postcard! Hope work goes well tomorrow. What kind of fruit will you be picking? Have you visited any vineyards yet? Chris wants to know 'Where are the pictures?' I'm sure they'll be worth the wait!! Good luck and take care xxx

Hey everyone, just a quick little update. We start our jobs tommorow (monday that is) fruit picking, yey! We have to meet the guy at 6:30 in the morning though, so we'll be awake the same time as you all for a little longer now. Also the rugby season doesnt start properly until the end of March, so we have plenty of time to get back into shaped. Tried the gym today, pretty well geared up so everything is going well.

xx

Hi Ian,

Glad you are all O.K. and are enjoying yourselves.  It sounds as if you are organised to a certain extent anyway, and we're sure you will have a wonderful time with the rugby crowd at Napier.  We look forward to reading your news and the pictures will be an added bonus.  Take great care, all of you.

Love N & P xxx

Hi Boys,

 It's great to have a message and we're glad that you've got that roof over your head even if it's not huge. Great news about the gym as you'll be able to get in to a routine and not have to worry about spending too much. As you say, no excuses!  It's a bit grey here this morning, Chris is off to the Oasis with Daniel and his family and Dad and I are going to the Lake to do jobs with a working party such as painting the clubhouse and clearing the islands etc. Bob is coming with Karl but Erin has been really poorly so the girls are staying at home. Not sure about Zak who is getting bigger and very excitable! Chris has a home match tomorrow against Stow who will be gunning for us!

Have a great weekend(what's left of it) Lots of lovexxxx 

Hey everybody! Sorry for the lack of messages, stuff has been pretty hectic the last couple of days, and getting to a computer is proving to be a bit of a pain, but here we are now. Just moved into our new flat, its pretty good, bit small, and it did smell a bit, and ther were some ants in the kitchen, and it hadnt been cleaned since the last people were there lol, but apart from that its great! no, to be honest, it is ok, we will probably look for somewhere else but for now it is a roof over our head, and was ready waiting for us so can't grumble. had a really nice drive down from auckland, the scenary was stunning, and the car is a really nice drive. It is a mitsubishi galant v6 automatic, and to be honest she has some gas! Theres a little button that you press that has A/T written on it, that speeds you up quite abit, alot of people saw our behinds on the way here put it that way lol

We have met up with the rugby lot and they all seem like a good crack, we're going to start off playing for the colts and work our way up if we are good enough to play for the men. The gym is within walking distance and free, so we'll have to find a very good excuse if we don't want to go. Wen't to watch our team play sevens today, and there were some big hits being put in, i think we have alot to learn! The boys are going to take us out into the town tonight so i imagine we will get a good insight into Napier at night. Napier its self is qiute big, nothing compared to Auckland but it is really nice down here. Sorry for the alck of pictures, we haven't managed to fin anywhere to plug our camers into but when we do, there will be alot of photos to see, so look forward to it!

Anyway, so good to hear from you all, will update soon as possible, hoper everyone is keeping well

The Boys xxx

Hi Ian, pleased to hear that you are all well and getting yourselves settled-what an exciting time! When do you start playing rugby? Your Mum said you have got sorted with a flat so it sounds like things are coming together. We are missing you but it is great to hear all your news.

We have just 'broken-up' for half term and are off to France tomorrow-hopefully to ski, but I don't think there is much snow. We will catch up with the news on our return-Take care and have lots of fun Love M and A

Remembered my proper name, as sung to me by the enitre Stroud Colts almost a year ago (much to the surprise of me AND the opposition)! SO COOL to speak to you on the phone, and thank you for setting up Skype. Hope the flat is good & you got the keys today ~ who's sharing? Do ANY of you fit in single beds, spoilt things? Extraordinary news re Emma: when you put water on her (a liquid used in small quantities to help make beer, but large quantities in showers after rugby matches) it turns out that she's a nice shade of red.....Gem says you're a bit concerned that within hours of meeting you, you were all given your membership for the Club Gym ~ are you not the muscular hulks who left here 2 weeks ago? Or are the NZers MAHOOSIVE? (Don't forget to lie to your Mum..) Hope the shopping went well ~ good to hear Jimmy and Roly's voices as well. Get that internet line sorted asap. Missinuloadsxx 

Looking forward to hearing some news from Napier. Had an email from deborah to say they're missing you already! Very quiet here-Dad away for 10 days in Sudan, Grandma and Grandad away for 5 weeks in America/Caribbean. England U18 game for Charlie next Sunday v Wales. He has a busy half term coming up, mock exams starting the following Monday (A Levels? What are they? Out of sight, out of mind according to Charlie!) Rainy and dull today, hope the good weather continues for you. Have you been getting my texts james!!!! Lots of love Mum