Christmas, Aussies & EQs...

We took the opportunity of school holidays to get away from EQ city and spend time with Amy's younger sister, Jen, in Mackay (near Brisbane).  Its the hotest Christmas either of us have experienced, and it's lovely having a Christmas with Jen & her boyfriend Chase, for the first time in 5 years.  A time for lots of movies, swimming, a visit to the Great Barrier Reef and heaps of great food!  Sadly we heard the news that Christchurch has been affected by more earthquakes while we've been away, including a 6.0 and a few other over 5.  No loss of life, and damage not too much more significant from the last ones - but physiologically it's a real blow to everyone.  But we'll get through, we'll rise up and we will rebuild.  Many cities around the world have come through worse - there is hope!

Amy's New Job...

For the past 8 years Amy has worked at the same school, Belfast Primary, the first teaching job she ever got!  She's started with a Year 3 & 4 class, changed to Years 7 & 8, taken on a senior management role and had become a part of the furniture.  She wasn't looking for a new job, and was very happy in her new state of the art classrooms and the position she's worked herself into - yet out of the blue came a position that messed with her head!  The senior Year 7 & 8 teacher role at South New Brighton Primary School became available - in Amy's desired age level, a permanent poition, with management roles, in an area she grew up in, where James works, where she went to school, and where we'd just bought a new home!  It seemed like someone from above had made the role for her - and although it was a painful decision, she applied. She was offered the job 20 minutes after completing a 90 minute interview - and 2012 is a new start!  A class of only 20 students sounds like a dream, in a school of 520 pupils.  Final week at Belfast had many tears and lots of beautiful cards, gifts and words were given.  Below is a photo at the Year 7 & 8 Graduation in her final week.  Belfast will always have a special place in her heart but 2012 is a new start on so many levels! 

New House...

We had been looking to purchase a home on the eastside of Christchurch for over a year, and lost at 2 auctions.  But on the 1st December we won an auction to a 3 bedroom home, opposite the beach, with a large back yard!  We love our current home, and if we could have moved it closer our desired location in Brighton - it would have been perfect.  But we're future planning - and the pull of the beach, a large garden big enough to kick a football and an area close to James' work, our church, and most our friends - was too much of an incentive.  Then with the news of Amys new job - its the ideal world of living, serving and working in the same community!  It has a little bit of Earthquake damage, but it will be fixed by insurance in the next few months - repainting the whole outside, new kitchen top, shed, etc - leaving it better than present, and lots of opportunities to add our own touches!  For more info and photos see the estate agents link below while its still live:

http://www.bayleys.co.nz/512098