More adventures in the west

We can keep calling this blog our adventures in the wild west - it will just be the west of Canada for a while. Our plans for Simon's long service leave and sabbatical are coming together. We have a lease on a house in Oak Bay, Victoria (Vancouver Island) from the end of June, and have tentatively booked our flights. My leave is approved too, so there's nothing stopping us now. Just a lot of packing up and organising to do before we leave Perth in late April. We'll spend 8 weeks in Toowoomba on route to Canada, and while we're there, acquire a new baby - hopefully on time and trouble free so that I'm fit to fly 2 weeks after the due date.

Babies galore

Rose and Andrew had a little boy (Harrison Luke) on November 14. He was 10 pounds 5 oz, so not so little! That makes 4 boys for them. Rose got Harry into a good sleep routine very quickly, and seems to be doing very well.

Greg and Barb had a baby girl (Zara - just under 9 pounds) on Tuesday, which makes them a family of 5. Both families did renovations prior to the births - seems like we're hard wired to want to do these things when we're pregnant. After being quite happy renting here, and keeping our Brisbane house rented out, Simon and I are suddenly talking about buying a "renovator's delight" in Perth, even though it would be very stressful at this stage in our lives, and we're leaving for Canada in a few months. We seem compelled to put down roots.

We're looking forward to catching up with both families and their new babies when we're back in Qld on the Australia Day long weekend for Mum and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary celebrations. It will also be the first time we see Denis and Tracey's little one.

Stella and John had their second baby - Annabel (6lb 4 oz) on 29 December also.