Earthquake!

Saturday morning at 4.35am we were shaken out of bed with an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale.

It was pitch black as we gathered the kids up out of bed and guided them into the dining room under the table.

This whole time the house shook and rolled - it seemed to go on forever. We knew it was big and realised as soon as we felt the first jolt that "this was the big one".

We stayed under the table with blankets and torches for an hour and a half listening to the radio and thinking about our plan of attack when the light of day came.

Our good friends were at the airport when it happened waiting to catch a flight to Fiji so Al went round to their house to check on their sons and then drove to the airport to take them home again. The airport closed.

Once daylight came and we got dressed and stayed in our dining room most of the day. I cooked a big breakfast of Bacon, Eggs, Sausages and Baked beans on the BBQ outside - it felt so much better to be fed.

We had no electricity and no running water, couldn't flush the toilet, but we were all safe.

A building in central Christchurch
















The power returned to our house at 9.30am but most of Christchurch was still without. We turned on the TV and only then did we see the ernomity of what had occured in our city. Parts of it were levelled and buildings had crumbled and collapsed and other parts remained relatively unscathed.

We had a lot of fallen things round our house, a lot of broken glasses over the floor in the kitchen and all cupboards had to be opened with care as most were backed up with things that had moved and tumbled to the floor on opening.

We got at least 50 aftershocks of varying sizes yesterday, some over 5 on the richter scale and still getting some big shakes today. It still makes my skin prickle when another one strikes and worst of all is the noise that precedes the actual shake.

Last night it was hard for us to fall asleep, despite all being awake since 4.30am and each time another big aftershock came you were awake and contemplating getting to a door frame or the table again.

Daylight sure does make things a whole lot easier to cope with when the earth is still shaking and rolling.

If there is one thing I can suggest to anyone, it is to make sure you have

• Plenty of Bottled water
  
• torches
• battery operated radio
• keep your cellphone charged
• make sure you have a full gas bottle at all times!
• Matches
• alternative means of cooking - bbq or gas cooker
• alternative means of heating - gas heater
  

We were lucky we had all those things, but couldn't lay our hands on the portable radio in the dark so turned the car radio on and listened to that until the power came back on. We also didn't have an alternative means of heating as all ours relies on electricity. Luckily our home was warm and retained its heat. Also it was a very sunny warm day yesterday once the day dawned. We went out later in the day and bought an indoor gas heater should the need ever arise again!

You may think you have these things prepared but had we suffered any major damage to our home - could we have laid our hands on all those items should we have been stuck in one room? I think not, but lots of things have to go wrong for that to happen and we were very lucky that we could access the things we needed - many probably wouldn't have.

So to all the rellies outside of Christchurch and New Zealand concerned about us - we are fine. We are safe, we are boiling our water, we have plenty of food and we have electricity.

Oh and by the way - Happy Father's day!

August Birthday Boys and Kart Debut

The boys turned 15 on the 3rd August and the next day Toby sat his car learner licence and 3 weeks later Tom did. Now we have 3 Learner drivers in the house and I can no longer go anywhere in my car on my own - they all want to drive! Oh joy! Katie is almost ready to go for her restricted licence anyway, she just has to pin her Dad down for some more lessons - 1 a week on a Sunday just isn't enough!

















Their cake - just a sherry dessert log, but a favourite.
















Remember this kart project back in April?..........................


















This is it now! All finished and Tobe raced it for the first time on 1st August.
















Thanks to Uncle Ged and Aunty Line for the generous sponsorship.

Here he is racing!















My Neice Chantelle turned 30 also on 3rd August and had a party at our rugby clubrooms. It was Friday 13th and if you wanted to you could dress up in something 'scarey'.

Chantelle, her brother Mark and my sister Cath


















Chantelle's Dad Peter, his partner Jill and Chantelle


















He grew up and up and up and now I'm short! Me and Tom at my neice's 30th birthday.


















At the same party, Nana, Tobe, Tom and Al.


















And last but not least for August, Katie sent her application away this month to study for her Diploma in Early Childhood Education for the next 3 years. She has an interview in October and finds out in November. She had to enclose a passport sized photo with the application so I took this one for her. Nice.

July and farewell to Possum - RIP

On a very cold and wet Tuesday we had a massive hail storm and Possum went missing. The cold weather that followed meant that when he didn't come home overnight we thought the worst as inside was where all cats should be in the bitter cold. Alas poor possum had been hit by a car in a street behind the houses behind us and was laying on the grass verge. He must have been scared either by the hail or a dog and ran out onto that road which is not busy, but must have been at that very time. Unfortunately the local council were called to pick him up and disposed of him. We dropped fliers in neighbouring letterboxes and it was from this we learnt the story. RIP possum, we all miss you.
























Even Sophie misses her buddy. She was quite sad and quiet for a few weeks after and walked round the house meowing for over a week.

















We held our annual Trivia night at the clubrooms in July and had a good crowd. I was on the organising committee. The kids entered a team - you can see them in the left of this photo of the crowd.
















Al and our friends the Martins and Todds entered a team also and they got 3rd out of the 25 teams so was a great effort.

June in our House is all about Rugby!

Rugby, Mud, Cold wet mornings, Mud, Rugby!

Tobe and Tom to his right
















Tobe
















Tobe
















Both boys in there somewhere following a game against a touring Australian team in the school holidays.









Tobe there leaning on Tom on the flank

Happy Birthday Katie

Katie turned 18 this month and instead of a party, and thanks to the generosity of my sister Caroline, the 3 of us went to Sydney for 5 nights to see the sights and have a cocktail at Darling Harbour.

The day we arrived - having lunch at the QVB.
















What a fabulous trip. The weather was fantastic and we shopped, ate and walked until we were back on the plane home.

Bianca, Katie and Rosemary.
















On the Saturday we caught a train up to Hornsby and Katies good friends Rosemary and Biance got the train down from their home in Gorrikan to meet us. They spend the whole day the the huge mall together. They made Katie wear the tiara and made a fuss of her the whole day. Line and I looked around the shops but in the 6 hours we were there we probably only saw 25% of the mall- it was huge!

At the musical "Wicked"
















On the Friday night we went to the Musical Wicked and it was just that - Wicked! What a fantastic show, I'm so glad we went.

Katie at the Monorail station by our hotel
















The monorail was an excellent way to get around the CBD and there was a stop right outside our hotel. We had a great time getting on and off with our day passes and by the end of the holiday we knew every stop off by heart!

Katie's name in chinese lettering and pictures























We had this done at Paddys Market, it is very clever and was amazing watching him do it.

On the day of her actual birthday we went up the Centrepoint Tower for a magnificent view over the entire city and beyond. We watched the sun go down and then saw the night lights which was just as spectacular. Alister took me up to this tower for dinner the day of my 21st Birthday in 1985 and then returned there for my 40th birthday - Katie has now started her own tradition.

Katie and I up on the viewing deck
















We then went to Darling Harbour for dinner then to a bar there where Katie ordered her first alcoholic drink - a cocktail that she chose and shouted for us all.

Katie ordering the drinks and having her ID checked!
















Our 'Tobelerone" cocktails!
















The last day we were there we dined at Circular Quay and took in the sights of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
















Then we headed off in the late afternoon for the airport and home.

Katie with 75kg of checked baggage and 2 x 7kg cabin bags, that was only 35kg in total on the way over!

Toby's Grass Kart Project

Work in progress


















Tobe and Al are building a grass kart. This is the first step on Tobe's journey to get into motor racing. You've got to have a dream and you have to believe it will come true and he wants to race cars and this is where he will start. (gee I guess it's in the blood!)
























They are building it up from a frame they purchased and adding all the extras that I can't remember without Toby here to tell me! But I do know that he wants it painted blue when all the trick bits are finished and it is time to go to the painters.


















He went out last week and bought himself a helmet, the goggles and gloves will be next when he has earnt a bit more money. He already has race overalls from his last birthday so all he needs now is the kart.


















They race once a month on a circuit in a paddock north of Christchurch. Sometimes they race in a feature event at the local speedway on a Saturday night too, so it will be all go once Al is finished his weekend job with the NZ V8's.

As for Tom, he isn't keen on motor sport, his sport is heavy metal and bass guitar at the moment - that is what makes him happy and now that he has his hair dyed dark he is happy as a sand boy!

Rugby Season...... Again Already!

Toby and Tom playing in the U15 Sevens tournament today. 4 games, 7 minutes each way made for a very tired team and the realisation that we aren't really fit enough for the new season!

















Tobe