Happy New Year...

Time flies! Can't quite believe we're in 2008 already - we'll have been here 4 years this coming September.

Updates have been sparse recently but there's still been plenty going on.

The new bathroom is finally in and finished, the vineyard is back to its former glory, the paddock is about to become home to our two new lambs (arriving Wednesday for a stay of about 6 months before they hit the freezer) and the vegetable patches are really coming together nicely.

Christmas was a quiet affair, much needed. We spent a good few hours round at Alva's, our Kiwi neighbour, and were treated to a fine turkey dinner and puds. We also met Cleo, Alva's first grandchild, who is a couple of months old now and such a cutie!

Boxing Day was our main event - we had Kate and Craig and Debs and Paul over with their families for an Indian Summer. We each prepared a curry and the result was a fabby meal of chicken dupiaza, beef sag, chicken korma, prawn masala, daal, poppadums, roti, Thai green curry and a gorgeous Rogon Josh.

The rest of our two weeks off were spent lounging, pottering and generally mooching around Canterbury. We did our usual trips to Lake Lyndon to give the thighs a workout walking up Rabbit Hill, Warren managed to hit the 400km mark on his mountain bike and I renovated an old wood and cast-iron bench we found in the undergrowth!

We're both looking forward to this year with no plans to sell house or move. We're very happy in this house, Woz loves his job (and has just had a nice bonus and payrise to boot), and I'm settled in to a writing routine. We'll have enough on our plates what with my family all applying to live here (brother and parents), and this Christmas could see a big family affair!!

Shame Woz's mum hasn't made it over yet, perhaps this year Rikki?

A very Happy and Prosperous New Year to you all.

Warren, Helen, Summer and Amber
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