Every uni assignment this year so far a High Distinction ***

I am nearly ready to snap out of my funk and denial and start to post again.......soon I promise lol.

GJ and the kids are all well, as I am; I'm snowed under with uni assignments (as per usual) and an upcoming prac in Perth...which means 4 weeks away from the family...

I've never, EVER left them for that long before!

I was recently offered a special program for honours students. It was for a post Grad. degree; a Masters of Business Management to be completed concurrently with my main degree.

I would graduated with a Bachelor of Education with a Minor in Science Communication as well as a Masters of Business. I would love to do this....slowly of course.

Unfortunately you can only do it internally, on site in Perth.....hopefully this will change in the future as I would love to do this! I can't see us moving to Perth in the near future!


**** in order to achieve so well I over do it and the consequence....my eyebrows are falling out, I look like a ravenous moth/silverfish has been at them.....TMI?

Meet our new neighbours

Marley and Ziggy have just moved in next door.

The girls are in love!

GJ is in love with the fact that they live next door and not here!

These gorgeous babies are only 11 weeks old and need lots of sleep.

They are so cute that even I pick them up and cuddle (I'm not a huge fan of critters).

Happy Easter

The Easter Bunny managed to find us back in Jakarta after a quick trip to Singapore (more to follow)! I think it was all the beautiful craft the kids made for the lounge room!

Booked, Bali villa

I am so excited...look what has been booked! (internet photos so only small size).

Six adults and eight kids will have 8 nights in this magnificent place later on in the year.
All three families now have something very exciting to look forward to!

If you get a big enough group renting a villa in Bali is surprisingly affordable.

Ben is pregnant......

There is about 6 staff at school at the moment that are pregnant.

Two of the three teachers in Ben's class have been/are pregnant (one has just had a beautiful baby girl).

Over the weekend Ben kept saying that his babies were hungry.
I just assumed he was talking about his treasured stuffed toy puppies.

He soon dissuaded me of this notion, he pulled up his t-shirt, rubbed his tummy and showed me his babies, plural!

He needs to eat "lots and lots" because his tummy/babies are hungry.

He has girl babies and boy babies in his tummy........

Public service announcement

Great news for Jakarta expat residents.


Kemang Duty Free is now selling alcohol again!

Wine has been expensive and very hard to find since October last year, unless you were an embassy official or knew one

They are still very strict on policies.

You must show your original Kitas card (residency/identity card)
and you are limited to 3 bottles.
You also must pay in cash, probably so the official standing
next to the cash register can get some too.

Oh and don't be shocked to see the guards with HUGE guns roaming around!

Although they did let me get 4 bottles with a photocopy of my kitas.

I have never seen the shelves so full!

I am sure that will change as the news gets out.

My Baby Niece

My baby niece is not a baby any more....
She has morphed into a vision of loveliness.

The photo below is taken with her YOUNGER brother, my nephew Jeremy (6'3" at 15!)

Sarah has just graduated from high school and is eagerly waiting university placement(10 more days...).
These photos were taken at the schools graduation ball, isn't she gorgeous!

They all hired a hummer to take them to the ball, it created a huge fuss..I didn't even know they had hummers in Brisbane!

I still remember the day when her mum got the 1st inkling that she was pregnant with her......it only seems like yesterday!

I can't wait for Sarah to come and have a fun holiday in Jakarta!

This Cinderella didn't make it to the Scottish ball

I had the dress, I had a ticket, I really wanted to go BUT I did not have the stamina to go to the Scottish ball. This was to be my first ever ball I could walk into (My first ever ball I went in a wheel chair).


This is GJ and his blind date........an empty ball gown LOLI spent the afternoon ringing around trying to find GJ a date (it seemed a shame to waste my ticket). How strange does that sound, a wife trying to find her husband a nice date! As it is the end of year, festive season most people had prior arrangements. My friends husband was stuck in transit somewhere in Asia so GJ was able to escort T. T's husband and GJ's "date" arrived at dessert in time to catch all the fun.

I would love to see all the photos GJ took, but he left the camera in J's handbag!

Apparently all had a great time, GJ made it home before daylight...just! They skipped the breakfast part of the ball, yes the Scottish know how to do a ball......Dinner, midnight supper, early morning snack and then breakfast!

But the highlight for me was that GJ won a raffle prize
2 business class tickets to Bali and 3 nights accommodation in a villa!
We won't have to be the only Australians in Jakarta that have NEVER, EVER been to Bali!

When I get the camera back I will share some more Ball photos.

Lou Lou's exciting news.

Click on the photo for a larger view

On our way home from Cairns, Tan and I had arranged to have Lou to come over to dinner on Tuesday night. We both had a very sneaky suspicion that she was pregnant so we wanted to have a little celebration, just in case.
Janny and I spent the day collecting a little assortment of gifts, in exact equal quantities of pink and blue, no jinxing allowed. We even picked up a bottle of non alcoholic champagne so she could have a toast with us.
Just in case this news was not forthcoming we had it all displayed in the formal lounge behind closed doors.
After ten minutes of loud, exuberant chatting and catching up I couldn’t take it any longer…and asked her if she had any news…….
The four of us were screaming and cackling in excitement when she announced her engagement, but the noise rose at least another ten decibels when she then announced her pregnancy!!!!!
After 5 minutes of tears and hugging we dragged her into the lounge where we had our little display!!!!! This then induced another round of screaming, jumping and cackling and more tears.
We well and truly all blew our knickers off that night!!!!!!LOL

Now I am claiming the very, very slightest responsibility for this baby. I sent Lou Lou a letter with her Christmas card last year with my view on principles and life. Here is a small extract. As I re-read this when I got home, I thought how true it really is

I always ask Tan how you are going, as I love your exuberance and energy. I so enjoy sitting in a room with you and Tan and feeding off your energy! You have not changed from the little 5 yr old I met many, many years ago!
I have been so blessed by my 3 children, if GJ said to me would you still have them with out a wedding, I would say yes in an instance. This is not to say that Gj is not important in any way, but the children have completed us. Greg is my soul mate, and a little license/ piece of paper doesn’t make any difference to that.
I did have a glamorous, fairy tale wedding; it was absolutely wonderful; but I would trade it in a flash for what I have now.
I want you to experience what I have and love. Life is a compromise, but think of the ultimate reward. Please don’t miss out on a family for principles or propriety, life is too short. If you are confident that J….. is for you, take any opportunity to live life for the fullest.
I know your faith is important to you as mine is to me, but is it worth sacrificing everything for the sake of it and principles?

This was a wonderful last night in Australia for me; it certainly revived my soul a little. I wish we could have had Alicia there for half an hour (she knows Lou Lou); it would have been good for her to have a few minutes of happiness, a little break from her grief.