Amazing beaches and buddhas!!!!!

Wow I'd be here days explaining all this lot - but in summary some snaps of the various beaches and buddhas we saw on our trip - great times and just well plain beautiful scenery, monuments, food and people (that's friends and locals of course). We had an absolutely wonderful time, varied with relaxing and adventure in a nice balance. Family and alone time. Where next year to compare - wow what a thought!!!!!

Mary's thirty-xxxxx birthday (ha ha that would be telling!)

Mary had a lovely birthday party on East Coast Park Service Road, and we had Lechon Leche - famous Philippines dish which is basically a slow roast pig. Yep WHOLE pig, head trotters, tail - the lot. I even ate an eyeball - now I can see round corners, amazing!

It was a lovely day - I hope Mary had fun, I think so from the smiling faces!

Lazy Thai Days

OK much to explain here and best way is picture by picture I think. But generically this is lazy days in Thailand;

Top two pictures is actually the last night we all had together. PC and Ryan had gone a golfing, Ele wanted to go elephant riding so JT/Liz went there, Ollie and I went to shooting range (sorry Ni, I know you would have hated that one) and Mary and Amy stayed home-alone. Ollie/me/JT went go-karting as well which was cool. Then Liz went shopping, Ollie and I went to Kata Beach Bar, JT went to get suit fitting finished. We then all met up in staggered fashion at Ska Bar on Kata - it's like a Robinson Crusoe tree house that's fallen on to the beach. Great reggae playing in the background (not a single chorus of New York New York JT/PC - ha ha) - just lovely! We sat at the roof bar to get a good view of the beach, Ollie and I let off a Chinese lantern for good luck in 2010, and we ate amazing Thai food from the very cheap restaurant next door. This is amazing - the last time we were there was over 4 years ago, so you can imagine how different Ollie looked - well he walked in the restaurant and the lady who I actually recognized comes running over and says hi to Ollie I remember you from ages ago - wow, god bless the Thai's = truly is the land of smiles!

Next family grouping is JT/Liz/Ele and my gang at the supposed Christmas Gala Dinner at the KataThani Hotel - amazing food was about it. We had a ball we really did as it was so bad it was funny. Best analogy I can give is that it compared to a bad cruise line cabaret. Really bad singing and dancing and some old duffer from the audience dressed in the worst Santa Claus outfit I have ever seen. So funny as you can see from our faces!

The next three are from the day that we visited SmallView Point a real cool reggae bar on the mountain side over looking the sea above KataNoi Beach. We were having such fun there, but the babies were getting a tad restless so god bless the lovely ladies they agreed to take the kids home so the boys could stay and have some fun. So we did in a big "large Singha" way. Fun rudely interrupted by the worst bar singer I think we have ever heard in public who was howling songs out - JT even gave 500 Baht to the bar staff to stop him. It didn't work we ended up when he killed New York New York (yep in a reggae bar). So PC went home with Ryan and JT and I went to the bar in hotel for a new night caps and had personal 121 music from the in-house band there = great fun!!!!

And now going back in time we actually go to our first hotel which was lovely but about an hour from PC and Ryan originally. We were well lucky in getting an upgrade to a villa with our own pool etc. very lucky as we weren't even booked in that hotel - whoops - ha ha! So PC/Ryan stayed with us for first two nights so some lovely shots of kids in pool bar ordering pop, Amy and Mary lounging on the beach, a meal one evening on the beach (wonderful Larb Gai) and me and the Ollie Monkey having a cuddle after which he fell asleep and I had to carry him all way back to room - phew heavy monkey!

Well that's them - more to come in a second when I can find the time to upload. Hope you're all enjoying these???

Love Bri and Kids

Not g g g g g goats, but e e e e elephants!!!!!!

Good grief - Ni and I went to Antigua for our honey moon and the standing joke was ggggggg goats as there was goats literally everywhere. So hey presto we go to Thailand for Xmas and eeeeeeee elephants everywhere! Apparently not Indian or African, they are Thai elephants - but descended from India (note the small ears - and not JT/my ears the elephants!).

So lovely. Our 1st day in Thailand at this wonderful hotel, and we're sitting at the bar and bugger me out of the corner of my eye I spot an elephant walking through the hotel. Weird I thought, wow this Long Island Ice Tea is strong, or did I indeed just see an elephant. So we go to the beach and wow it's in the sea having a swim with keeper and people from the hotel - amazing.

Then it continued - we're having a glass or two of beer round the pool and it comes and snorts all over Mary, who nearly had a third child at that point (ha ha), then decided to give me chinese burns round my neck. Then we go to the next hotel and have elephant rides through the jungle - rubber trees and all that. And interesting fact - the rubber trees are mainly used to produce the condoms needed in Thailand - booming industry apparently - can't think why (cough cough).

So yes elephants everywhere - lovely to see, touch, interact with - amazing to see these beautiful creatures face to face literally. Just so gentle!!! Didn't want to post a picture of PC with an elephant - almost a family photo, ha ha sorry PC you know I love you mate!

So enjoy the animal interactions - more blog to come, so many photos to upload of our fun in Thailand!

Love Bri and gang xxx

Xmas Day 2009

OK So here as promised is the Kennett Xmas Day snaps - and just snaps not video as it would have blown the file size. More to come from our wee trip to Thailand so watch this space. So this is a montage of the day and our various stopovers and snorkel experiences.

The last photo is where we had lunch - the funny thing was we ate, sweet and sour chicken/fried rice/tom yan ghuan soup/onion rings etc. bit strange I agree for Xmas lunch - but hey surrounded by buddhists not celebrating Xmas what do you expect.

Got to a point where we ordered some beers and it took a while for me to stop the meal and ask "stop eating and can we just chink glasses and say Happy Christmas to each other". Was a bit of a double take and realisation that actually this was Christmas Day. So we all wished each other a very merry Christmas, and went back to the amazing view and onion rings, ha ha!

Just a superb day. Ollie became snorkel guru, he was like a torpedo with his flippers on, and I (assisted by JT) found out how to dive down to the bottom of the sea floor and play with the fish in their environment (thanks JT).

Just a wonderful day.

Ended with us all getting home and passing out basically. Ollie went for Korean bbq with JT/Liz/Ele, Coleman and Ryan went back to theirs for R+R and I went to the bar alone to reminisce and watch the ocean and have a few beers - needed and nice! Thanks Mary for baby sitting and allowing that to happen!

So thanks to my dear friends that accompanied us on this trip - you made this a very special Xmas for me and the kids, an event that could have had really bad memories, but now only good ones. Love you guys and thank you so so much!

I LOVE milk and yoghurt Dad, it's true I do!!!

OK so not really anything to do with Xmas, this being a post 25th posting - BUT, these were taken whilst we were away in Thailand - some very cute ones wearing the tiara that was a present from JT/Liz and Ele - and some great shots of an ecstatic face whilst enjoying her milk and yoghurt - topped off with, I am chatting and turn around and hey presto another camera moment as she finds Ollie's sunglasses.

So keep watching all there is much more to come over the next few days or so as I up load more photos and videos of the kids and I having our 1st Xmas alone in Thailand, alone but with great friends - thanks to Coleman, Ryan, JT, Liz and Ele - we had such fun thank you.

Xmas Party

What a great Xmas Party Ollie and Amy had - thanks to Linda and Uncle Richard (whoops sorry Santa - ha ha!), and the Assistant to Santa Miss Atima, it was a wonderful afternoon that, as you can see, the kids absolutely loved. Just brilliant! More please!!!!!!

Very Very good friend of mine just sent me this - have a good read and reflect!

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that
person..

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need
you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with
guidance and support,

To aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,

this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an
end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire
fulfilled, their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has
come to share, grow or learn.

They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.

Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.


LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,

things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional
foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson,

love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other
relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Here she is again - she just LOVES dancing this girl.

To explain for non-Japanese friends and family, she just loves dancing to these Japanese baby DVD's - sort of Teletubbies/Hi 5/Wiggles all wrapped in to one, but usually crazy things like singing toilets, bananas etc. but she LOVES it as you can see from this very short clip, which could have actually gone on for a very very long time.

In fact the only reason I stopped was because she saw I was recording and started to get shy - notice when she lays on the floor the second time near to the camera and she does a very sly little look from the corner of her eye - oh yes darling Daddy is filming! Ha Ha!

I'll try to do more of these as for each song she'll have a different dance, maybe this is her career???

Enjoy!!!

Clearly not enough photos taken of the wonderful trip to Indonesia we had with our lovely friends (well family) from Melbourne. So two pictures actually from the return ferry and one of just Ollie on the bouncy thing. Can't believe not one group photos at the wonderful villas we stayed at, but memories were fantastic for me and the kids and hope Craig, Kath, the kids, Rob and Jen visiting and Dani, Simon and the boys. A right giggle was had by all!

Lazy Singapore Days

I just wanted to share with you some random photos of the kids enjoying their Singaporean lifestyle, so not linked to any specific dates/times purely random - but I'll give a little explanation to them all one by one.

So here is #1 Son down the beach, in fact there's a few here from yesterday, 15th November. Here he is stood out on a groin with the just about coming on ship lights as it gets darker. Now the V-signs is a very mummy thing as all Ni's photos when she was a kid were like this - he's showing his Japanese side here, bless!

Goodness me, who made this girl so cute! She had her first real haircut recently (probably needed to correct Dad's attempts at being Toni & Guy). But we still kept it long so we can do things like pig-tails (so cute) - although the hair band things last in her about 5 minutes before she realizes they are there and then they're out. Very cute Amy Boo!

Man down, man down. Poor little thing. This again is yesterday, and is the afternoon after the night that he had been being sick 3 times. Poor little lad. So I wanted to get him out in fresh air, not sit indoors, so off to the beach with friends. We found a comfortable spot to sit and relax and have the babies on the beach playing. For Ollie we found a nice comfy sofa to sit, lay, sleep on and hey presto he was gone. It was the best for him though as he had a lovely sleep in the sea air with a beautiful breeze blowing over him. Rest well big man!

So here he is and believe it or not he is actually doing his homework here. Nice work if you can get it. It's all about metaphors and he was given the letter I to create a metaphor regards to something in Singapore. So Daddy being a lover of food we thought of the following "Indulgence in Little India" - hence the I. So Ollie, Amy, Mary and I went to Banana Leaf restaurant and pigged out as you'll see from the amount of food - well it does say indulgence so why not hey!!! More homework please Ollie!

Life is tough sometimes for an 8 year old is it not. Hmmmm Mr Kennett seen here enjoying the beach life and just chilling on a beautiful Singaporean evening. Mate enjoy this while you can Sir, you look so very comfortable - move over you bugger Daddy wants a go!

Ogichan and Ollie at his birthday party. Can't remember if I actually posted this one on his birthday blog posting, but hey if it is a duplicate it is a duplicate - but it's a great photo or grandson and grandad - I have many like this with Joe which I treasure so here's one for Ollie and Yuko to treasure too!

Girls on the Beach = all different ages but all great friends. Left to right we have; my dear friend Kirsty, her girl Maia, then Amy of course, then Anna (Kirsty's eldest) and then Mary. All playing happily on the sand without a care in the world - well the kids that is, sorry adults!!!

And the final one - great friends Maia and Amy poolside. They stood here for so long just splashing, screaming, jumping - oh yes and then splashing, screaming and jumping and then finally splashing, screaming and jumping - ha ha! They got absolutely SOAKED, good job we'd packed about 3 lot's of spare clothes.