Six years ago today...

... Kristian came to Sydney from Vancouver. I can still vividly remember waking up at 4am to pick him up from the airport. It was the first time I'd driven to there alone so I naturally got lost on the way home and we ended up at Bondi Beach.

Can you all believe how fast the time has gone by?!

In those six years we've:

* Sat at the end of the very back row of the very last section of the Olympic stadium to watch the athletics at the 2000 Olympics, staying out late every night to go to the Sussex Lane party

* Networked our computers and spent three solid days playing video games, only stopping to order food, go to the loo, shower and sleep

* Gone through a phase of collecting subway stamps for food so we could make ends meet

* Become real workaholics to ensure that never happens again!

* Taken a three week driving trip throughout country New South Wales

* Held hands at the concert of one of our favourite bands 'Lamb', while they perfectly performed their infamous 'Gorecki' track

* Moved on average once every two years, our favourite being the perfect little harbourside apartment at McMahons Point. Ah, if only it didn't feature eleven flights of stairs and was big enough to fit our budding family....

* Become rather intoxicated, crazy danced at the Moloko concert and ran up and down the Planet X skateboard ramp at an Xbox birthday party

* Held countless parties and picnics with friends and family, some of the most memorable being Kristian's 22nd 'Nerds and Geeks' cocktail birthday party, my surprise 23rd birthday party, that gorgeous waterfront 'Great Gatsby' inspired Valentines Day picnic, the drunken, (bad) recording fest that was the end of my baby shower and who could forget the way Hugo munched into his cake at his first birthday shindig!

* Entertained shameless addictions to 'The Simpsons', '24', 'Fraiser' and... 'America's Next Top Model' to just name a few

* Celebrated a beautiful New Years with both families in the same city

* Scored numerous freebies and posed for a ridiculous number of photos for Hugo-obsessed peeps in Tokyo

* Indulged with a month of family-loving fun in Canada

* Had a stunningly amazing beautiful boy

* Taken a helicopter ride through the Whitsundays

* Started our own businesses

............ Makes you wonder what's next!

Susie

As many of you know, our beautiful au-pair Jen left us over a month ago to go travelling around Australia. We were tragically sad and despondant for a few weeks but anticipate another visit from her before she finally leaves Australia next week.

But thankfully, the fabulous Susie has come to join us, yay!! Susie will be with us for around ten months before she also picks up her backpack to go exploring. I'm sure we'll then be sad and upset for a few weeks before finding yet another au-pair.

It's a bittersweet cycle.

little monkey

Pre-haircut shag/surfer/hippie/rock boy look:






















"You must give me raspberries... NOW!"





















More raspberries please...






















To Kristian's woe, I started putting a clip in Hugo's hair to convince his father of the need for a haircut...






















It was a rather endearing look.....






















I think......






















Hugo LOVES to wear this old school floaty around the house






















He wasn't happy about the hair clip though (understandable...)






















We (Mum, Susie and I) had planned to take photos of Hugo getting his first hair cut, but it seriously took three of us to hold him down for the deed. He kicked, he punched and boy, did he SCREAM!!! AHHHH!!!!!






















He settled down in the end though. THANK GOD!






















The haircut is growing on us, just like Hugo is






















"Oh no! It's gone"






















My preciousssssss






















Hugo takes his cars and trucks most places with him. Yes, the obsession with all things on wheels continues






















Our beautiful, happy boy

Esther's 21st Birthday Party

A shock to all of our friends and family - Esther turned 21 in June.

Yes, that cheeky little lady and perennial baby of the family is not only a bonafide 'adult' now (gasp! the horror!), but has also bought her first house and got a 'proper' job.

So, to celebrate this coming of age, the family held an intimate gathering at Room Three of the Establishment. It was a surprise party so many hours were spent trawling the Internet, making furtive phone calls and snooping to invite as many of her close friends as possible. Thank God for Myspace and for Esther's fabulous friends, Dee, Michelle and Sarinah.

I think most of all, thanks to Mum and Dad for footing the bill (we love an open bar tab) and for you all for coming along.

A special thanks also to Daniel Munns from Matchless Photography for flashing his skills and taking these fantastic snaps.