December 2002
No tears from either of the kids as they sat on "Fava Grimas" knee at Meadowbank Mall. Jamie put his order in for train tracks and Mum & Dad put their order in for a spa pool which the elves delivered just prior to Christmas.
We left for Wellington on the 22nd stopping half way in Turangi
for the night. Jamie was egging Caitlyn on with squawking and
silly noises which she would imitate. We decided a London taxi
with a soundproof screen separating the front from the back
would be a good investment! We stopped along the Desert
Road to take this picture of Mt. Ruapehu. Jamie didn't stop
talking about the "snowy mountain" until our return home a week
later. We stopped in Taupo to get petrol and as Gary
unscrewed the petrol cap a spark of static electricity from his
body jumped into the tank igniting the remaining petrol.
Fortunately a petrol attendant was close-by and came to the
rescue by putting the petrol cap back on and suffocating the
flames. Gary walked away uninjured but with a hairless wrist!
The photo of Gary and Melissa was taken on Christmas Day. The photo on the right is of Jamie and his cousin Jessica taken in a front loader at Uncle Mike's yard. He also had a ride in a cement mixing truck.
Above left is Caitlyn and Ted with Nana and above right Caitlyn with Grandpop on a picnic at Queen Elizabeth Park.
Gary, Belinda, Jamie & Caitlyn