It is only when we started putting up the Christmas tree that we really started to get excited about Christmas. The tree has now become Max’s favourite fascination – the lights especially. The tree sits on our dining room table, to save it from being destroyed. It holds all our trinkets from our travels and this year a few made their tree debut. Of note is the Murano Glass Ball from Venice; The Buffana (good witch) from Bolzano and Pinocchio from Rome. These are all from past trips, but there have been travels in 2008 (Of course!), of which there will be more later.

In January David & I did a swap on taking care of Max. David had a leave of absence for the year from Shore and I went back to work 5 days. Max settled in very easily and Dad & Max have a ball together. There were a few lessons to be learnt on my part. Namely how office work is just as exhausting as caring work and how after a day of either, neither of us particularly feels like cooking or cleaning up. I eat humble pie on that point!

In February, David’s brother Andrew and his fiancée Kelly were married in Tumbarumba. It was a lovely weekend where we got to catch up with the Henderson side of the family. The wedding day started with a wonderful ceremony in the grounds of Kelly’s parents' beautiful property. The bride was on time, but sadly Danielle wasn’t and turned up 15 minutes late when she was meant to be doing a reading. Ahh!! Those Geraces and their lack of punctuality (I sense I am going to be doing a lot of apologising in this letter!).

Kelly and Andrew

Max and David, the very proud Best Man

Max and Dad in matching boots

As David so proudly predicted in his Best Man speech, they didn't waste any time at all and nine months later a large and beautiful son, Jack: the first cousin for Max on the Henderson side. Max and David were very fortunate to be in Griffith to meet Jack on his very first day in the world.

Andrew, Jack and Kelly on Day 1

Max meets his new cousin for the first time

David cuddles his new nephew

Also in Febuary we had Danielle's sister back in Australia from Ireland where she has been working for a couple of years. Unfortunately for our waistlines that might have just been recovering, the Geraces recreated Christmas, complete with (alcohol-free) high-jinks.

Miki and Danielle	Max and his Aunt Miki
Max with his cousins: Alaia and Iban

We had the opportunity to travel back to Europe in May this year and to catch up qith overseas friends. Firstly we caught up with Jane and Russell in Singapore, then onto France to catch up with more friends from our Bangkok days: Emma & John travelled from Bristol, John & Tracey from The Hague, Charlotte from London and ourselves from Sydney. We stayed in Emma’s parents’ holiday house – a rustic old stone farmhouse in the beautiful French countryside near Angouleme.

Jane, Russell, Max and Danielle

Where we stayed in France

The Bangkok crowd

It was a wonderful week of relaxing. All up we had 4 kids under 4, but with the group and taking turns cooking, cleaning, playing and baby sitting it was actually far easier than it might sound. When the kids went down for post-lunch sleeps the adults indulged in long lunches of cheese, deli treats and wine and afternoon kips on the lawn. Evenings were just as indulgent and there was plenty of good inexpensive French wine to be had.

Our typical lunch	Some of our Bangkok friends in a French lane	Danielle, David and Max beside a French lake
Playing Pooh-Sticks	.	Max and Beatrice enjoying the beach

Continued...

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