where did the last 3 weeks go, let alone the last 11 months!!?

get yourself a cuppa, sit back and relax. you have got a lot of photos to get through! we have been so busy since we got home we haven't taken any pix so you'll have to wait til next week to see 11 month mia. it feels nice to be back home again after our wonderful holiday. mia is settling back into a routine, toby and i are almost over our jetlag and, thank god, that nightmare journey is over with!! it is sunday afternoon and we have spent last 2 days sorting out washing, unpacking and general chores in preparation for a return to work tomorrow. it's great to be back in our baby-friendly home where we can watch mia from a few feet away and not have to be right beside her the whole time. i think she is glad to be home too and back to familiar surroundings. both mia and toby are napping and i have been busy blogging for what seems like most of the day! back to daycare tomorrow for mia and back to work for us. now i know an end is in sight i don't mind going back, in fact i am looking forward to catching up with a couple of work pals and getting on with my job. our trip home was great and coming home next year is the right decision, we are both really looking forward to it. just got to decide where to live and what i will do whilst toby studies. i really don't want to go straight back into pa work in the city - there has to be more to life! we are hoping to get the flights booked up as soon as we have decided on a route. we want to avoid a longhaul at all costs! mia hardly slept at all on the way back and it was a hideous journey. before coming back we hope to blow some more of our savings on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to vanuatu or samoa for christmas. gonna try and get that booked up asap. you only live once..... so we are going to make the most of our last summer in nz. lots to look forward to over the next 9 or so months. we got back at 6am on friday and by 9am it was warm and sunny and we were able to enjoy kiwi brunch in local cafe plus a walk at the beach. that is something i really will miss - good eggs benedict and decent coffee. what i won't miss is kiwi driving...... right, enjoy the photos and lots of love. 

cheers!

 

beki's birthday

 

beautiful jesmond dene on sunday 8 october

 

 

 

pets corner, jesmond dene

 

mia discovers grandma's crumble

 

 

week 2 - time to chill out

 

spot toby!

 

 

 

happy as

 

 

hey you!

 

 

surf's up

a welcome surfing session for toby at tynemouth. he bumped into some old surfing pals too which made it even better. i took mia off around tynemouth to see our favourite sights then settled down to a hot chocolate at crusoe's on tynemouth beach. 

 

we three free trade

 

 

holding the baby

at long last. this is what we have yearned for over the last 11 months. somebody to take mia for a few minutes so we can sit back and enjoy our drinks! thank you stevo. pic taken in one of our favourite haunts, the free trade. it was fantastic to see all our friends again and we are looking forward to seeing them a bit more next year. we enjoyed a night out at the cluny for marianne's birthday, toby had a few jars with the lads and a walk at simonside with an ex work colleague. i had lunch at panis with maz and dinner at cafe zonzo with em and maz. good times indeed. great to meet wee sash at long last and catch up with kate too. had a great curry at khans and enjoyed a pint in the rockcliffe with chan. they even served half decent shiraz there. sorry we didn't get to see more of everybody but time was very tight and we had so many people to see.

 

 

 

baltic baby