Blog 25-December 2014

Hi everyone.It's been a mad old time since the last blog and so much has happened.

After much deliberation, we decided to return to the UK and we have had a mad old time being back amongst family and friends. We returned to the best welcome possible at the airport with my family making banners and cheering at our arrival. It was all very surreal after a 24 hour flight,and to be back on British soil was strange after all these years.The long,sunny nights messed with our heads for a bit and the boys were missing their usual bedtime by a few hours most nights as we just kept losing track of time (in Oz,its dark by 6pm). The boys didn't complain though!

We hit the ground running and met up with family and friends which was fantastic. There were castle stays,Legoland and theme park visits,a Harry Potter Studios trip,cottage stays and much more. We were kept extremely busy having lots of fun.

Unfortunately,we soon came back to earth with a bump as the news came through from our letting agent that the tenant in our house would not move out.Our hands were tied and we soon found out that tenants clearly have more rights than landlords.We spent the next 5 weeks sleeping on friends mattresses and in my parents 2 bed house whereby they gave up their bed (I was 8 months pregnant,)and they slept on a mattress on their living room floor. The situation was dire and we just couldn't believe what we had come home to. Paul was distraught and neither of us could see an end to the black cloud that seemed to continue to hover over us. The midwife was very concerned about my emotional health as the stress of the past few years was enough,but this was unbelievable. To top it off,I was then diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I was to take my own blood 5 times a day and record it to ensure my blood sugar levels were stable.What else could possibly go wrong??  After living out of 4 suitcases and awaiting for the arrival of our belongings from Australia,we enlisted the advice of a solicitor and started the ball rolling to evict her from the property.This could take 6 months,time we didn't have with a baby on the way in 4 weeks time plus getting the boys settled into a new country and school as soon as we possibly could.Life was stressful again to say the least.
After 5 weeks of being back in England,our tenant finally decided to move out and we moved in. The property wasn't left in the best state but we were just glad to be home.

The boys started school and Tom settled in immediately.Charlie took a little longer but now he can read and write just like his peers,he feels much more confident and settled. Well, as my sister says,he has been fighting to stay alive for the past few years so he had bigger fish to fry. His hospital visits have proven to show that hes keeping the big C at bay but every visit (and bits in between) I worry about the prospect of him relapsing. He's gone through so much,I just want him to have a happy,"normal" life now with no Cancer getting in his way. He's joined Beavers and can now go to a public pool so has lessons and is loving it.

Oh,I nearly forgot to mention.We had a new addition thrown into the mix too.Our amazing,beautiful,miracle of a baby arrived on September 17th, and we named her Amelia Rose Barratt. The 3rd baby I'd always longed for (but had to wait a few extra years for as we had bigger fish to fry)! She is such a welcome addition to our family and the boys adore her.She is the perfect distraction we needed after the hellish years of dealing with Cancer we've had.
Being around family again has been amazing.Seeing the children having so many fun times together with their cousins and arguing like siblings is great. The boys are enjoying the sleepovers they missed out on,the cold weather they forgot about,the cuddles with grandma,grandad,Aunts and Uncles that skype just can't cater for. The time back home has been stressful at times but having family and friends around makes up for that.

Charlie astounds me every single day. I recently made a little folder up for him of all the charity events people did in his honour,blogs I've written,basically all the important things of his cancer journey so he can look back on it when hes older (if he wishes).Reading back at these blogs,it baffles me as to how as a family who just moved to the other side of the world,we coped with the diagnosis that our 2 year old had Cancer and had to endure the horrific treatment he did. I know the answer though. Our boys. Thomas and Charlie are the world to us (and Amelia now too)! and just like any parents would,you have to stay positive and rise to the challenge and believe in them. I will never tire of saying that Charlie is my hero. Seeing what he has endured will never leave me and as a mum,I couldn't be prouder of my boys, including Paul. Cancer has touched us in a way I never thought it would and would never wish on anyone. Life goes on and our lives are going to be fun,positive and memorable. If anything,Cancer has taught us to get on with things,don't sweat the small stuff and live life.

Blog 24-Getting there! What a proud mummy I am

The last few months have been all about decision making for the future and luckily, things just seem to have slotted into place and this has made the choices we've made so much easier. I'm a great believer in fate, and things happening for a reason.

Back in January,we had excitedly booked return flights home for June and set about filling the diary with exciting activities to do with friends and family in the short time we had with them before returning to Oz. Since then however,we have had a few more changes taking place which has lead us to decide to come home for good (well,unless we get itchy feet)! First of all we found out I was pregnant, which is very exciting news. We originally intended to have the baby in Brisbane,but then a couple more things came up which helped to make the choice to return so much easier. Our landlord decided to sell the property we're living in once our lease is up in July which meant that we would need to start looking to move AGAIN. Since being in Oz we have moved 4 times in 3 years and are over it. Along with this,Paul wanted a change in his employment but with Australia being so big,and his line of work quite niche,unless we moved cities,it wasn't going to happen. I think you're starting to get the picture! Along with all these changes,Charlies treatment coming to an end means that we are free to fly and go home so we just decided why not?! Having the baby and being close to family will be a huge plus.There's 3 and a half years of babysitting/sleep overs to be made up for so why wouldn't we rush home?hehe.

To backtrack slightly,Charlie started school at the end of January and he is doing amazingly well.He

Charlie and his home-made wings

isn't an A* student and probably is a little chilled out on the learning front. He's more interested in being a scientist and making experiments out of things he finds in the kitchen or making himself fly with home-made wings or helium balloons (don't ask),but thats Charlie. Paul and myself are just happy that he has managed to settle into school life so well and is a popular class member.The pressure of learning his "golden words" will come later as we're just so proud of the small steps hes making as the last 3 plus years have been tough on his body and mind.  Charlie is so excited to be moving back home as he gets to dig for worms and have his own builders yard like Uncle Rob had.That's Charlie in a nutshell.

Thomas is continuing to flourish and is such an energetic little boy.He began Jujitsu last month and is loving it. He's still as loving and caring as ever and does get very excitable (like a puppy) at times. Moving to Oz has been just as tough a journey for Thomas as the rest of us and not having family around to take him out when Charlies been too unwell for us to go anywhere,is a credit to his caring and understanding nature. When told moving back to the UK was a possibility,Thomas was a little apprehensive as he didn't want to leave his friends but soon came round to the idea when we spoke about all the fun he can have with cousins,friends and exploring "new" areas that he has no recollection of at all. Neither boys have many memories of living in England so they will be in for a lot of surprises when we return (thank god its "summer" when we come back is all I'm saying).They will love it!
Both boys happened to get an award on the same day at school assembly which made me a very proud mum.They were stood there amazed that each other got an award at the same time and kept giving one another the thumbs up.Very funny and cute.

Boys collecting their merit awards at the same time!

This blog wouldn't be right without singing the praises of my amazing hubby.Now this doesn't happen often so listen up! The last few years have been bloody hard and without Paul being there to support me,I wouldn't have got through it the way I have. Paul and myself have worked well as a team and I'm not going to be mushy but just say that he is the best husband and father ever! Even during my "morning sickness" (which should be renamed "all day sickness") he has stepped up and taken over everything I've been unable to do. He really is amazing. Oh,and he's sorted out a job for our return!Superman or what,hehe.

As for me,well I've had my head down the toilet bowl just about every day since being 5 weeks pregnant.(I'm now 14 weeks).It's no fun but I know how lucky we are to be having another baby so its a means to an end. I have a beautiful friend who has 2 young boys and she was sadly diagnosed with stage 3 Lung Cancer a few months ago.Seeing her and what my brave Charlie have gone through allows me to moan about my sickness,but get on with it as its not life threatening.You may find my empathy for some things has wavered a bit since you last saw me,but I think experiencing what we have, not only with Charlie but with other children at the hospital,it's understandable to be a little tougher and not sweat the small stuff.

So,currently we are waiting for Thursday which will start the beginning of the end of Charlies treatment. Charlie had his final lumbar puncture last month and this week its his VERY last chemo in hospital.Phew! He will then be taking his daily chemo at home until April 14th then that is it,remission begins! Once this has completed,the Consultant will book him in for his port-a-cath removing in May. Charlie has increasingly been asking questions about this and is clearly anxious about the prospect of having it removed. He told me he didn't mind keeping it as it would hurt more to get it out. He's also told me it would be good if he could drink something and it just disappeared and the skin healed itself. Unfortunately, he also asked about what happens when people finish their treatment and they return to the country they're from (like everyone who has Cancer is foreign) and it comes back. I've had to chat to him about the fact that its unlikely for it to return but if it did,Dr's in the UK will be keeping a close eye on him and they would need to give him further treatment. Not an easy conversation to have with your 5 year old.

Coming back home will be so exciting but also very sad for us as we have made a new life out here for the 3 years we lived here. We have made amazing friends to share the good and bad times with. As I keep being reminded by a certain friend (cough,Lori) they will always be there if they are real friends.

So,it's onto the next chapter in our life and this will involve packing (again),unpacking (again),moving (again),finding a school,a new home and changing nappies! Wish us luck in our next adventure and we hope to share lots of happy memories with you on our return.

Post 23-A poem of our journey January 2014

 Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas with lots of celebrations.

I've had a bit of a reflective day today and knowing that Charlies treatment is nearing the end,I wanted to write a poem which encompassed some of the journey of the past 3 years.

I hope you enjoy reading it.You'll realised I'm no poet but the sentiment is there.

                                                  The Big 'C' and our little 'C'

                                                           We chose a life of sun and fun and what did we find?

                                                           Our little monkey Charlie had other things in mind.

We moved from England to Australia only 3 weeks before.

A country in which I had never stepped ashore.

The virus that we thought he had, turned out to be much worse,

This adventure we hoped to have, soon felt like it was cursed.

The Cancer diagnosis was a bolt from out the blue,

If only we had known a month before then we'd never flew!

The port was soon inserted and the treatment it did start,

Paul and me just sat and cried,it really broke our heart.

Our little boy was soon to open our eyes to a new world,

Of Dr's,nurses and the kindness which unfurled.

I was humbled and too proud at times to take on any support,

But soon realised it was crazy to not accept the meals they brought.

With all we knew ten thousand miles away, I started up a blog,

It helped me on those days I found to be a really hard slog.

Thomas was a superstar throughout this bumpy ride,

It can't be easy to see how much his mummy cried and cried.

The worry,stress and upset that he has endured,

Mustn't go noticed for that I have ensured.



School became the backbone to our new and obscure life,

To there we would turn to if we felt we were in strife.

The friends we made along the way were there through thick and thin,

I cant find the words to thank them,just where would I begin?

The terminology we now know to what the Dr's call,

The chemo,robot,roids and more, oh, who wants to know them all?!

Captain chemo became our friend to who would admit to this?

The surreal life we stepped into really took the pi**!

It's been a hellish 3 years of that I can admit,

We are getting through it with determination and grit.

Charlie is the bravest child I have ever known,

The nurses all love him and he keeps us in the “zone”.

He has his chemo every day and needles every week,

If that was me I know that I really would freak!

They say that Cancer consumes your life and this I must agree,

Though we have a lot of fun and laughs to that I make a certainty.

You might be forgiven for thinking that we knew

That moving Down Under our life would be flipped up too.

We're near the end of this nightmare that of which we're hopeful,

The day will come again when we are not so woeful.

The futures bright and rosy, of this I only hope,

A parent staying positive is the only way to cope.

It's still a long long journey but the worst is almost done,

For beyond that final dose of chemo can truly only be fun.

By Lisa Barratt

Blog 22-November 2013

I haven't written my blog since the lovely Connors left and I thought I better update you on our goings on Down Under!

The past couple of months on the whole, have been very stressful for a number of reasons but things have certainly started to get back on track in the last couple of weeks-phew.

After enjoying some fantastic times with Mich,Tim,Isla and Niamh,we had a couple of weeks before our next visitors arrived in the form of my parents.Mum and dad had come over to spend the boys birthdays with them which was very magical for all of us.

Charlie's timing however,was impeccable and his blood counts nose dived shortly after mum and dad arrived which meant we were unable to fulfil many of the fun adventures we had planned for the school holidays. Thomas was a star and completely understood that his brother was unwell which resulted in his holiday plans changing. The duration of Charlies counts being low dragged on and after being primarily indoors for 4 weeks,I decided to take him for a little walk (in his buggy) whereby he managed to get a tick. This wasn't pleasant as it had embedded itself in his head and had a nice full tummy as a result of feasting on his blood (I'm not sure it chose the best blood to feed off to be honest)! A trip to A and E and it was soon removed and as expected,Charlie was so brave (I'd have been freaking out)! The following week,Charlie went back to Kindy and managed to pick up a lovely rash! This was particularly scary as Cancer and rashes just don't go together! Yet another trip to A and E and a very thorough check to ensure it was nothing serious.Over the next few days, the rash spread over his entire body,so it was time for another check up at A and E. All looked to be OK,although they weren't sure what the rash was. This all happened amongst his usual trips to the hospital for chemo and he still managed to be cheery.

Chemo(not A&E for a change)

Heading ot the jetty to fish

We were given the go ahead to enjoy our weekend trip so long as we had details of the local hospital to hand. The break was just what we all needed and what a great place!We had a jetty at the end of the garden where dad,Paul and the boys spent many hours fishing from and mum and Paul even spotted bull sharks! We visited the infamous Byron Bay, and had a lovely time exploring the local area.

All hands on deck

Whilst on the beach,there were many 4x4 cars zooming by (which is common on designated beaches here). Paul decided to go and get our "new" car from the car park to try it out on the beach...you can see where this is going?! Well,needless to say 10 minutes later we saw Thomas running along the beach shouting to tell us daddy was stuck in the sand! After trying (and failing) to get the car out of the sand ourselves,with the car just sinking deeper into the sand with every

The boys sat watching daddy being rescued

try,we managed to get a local to pull us out with his Ute. Hooray! I bet he was thinking "bloody Pomms"!

The same evening Paul and Tom went fishing in the dark. They took their lantern to the jetty and set up camp. An hour later Paul strolls in with a swollen hand and in a very calm voice says "Can you just check if this type of fish is venomous". It was venomous, but only slightly so off he trots back to his set up on the jetty.  Half an hour passed and he comes in again and calmly asks me to go outside. I look to the left of the house and the whole length of next doors garden was on fire! Considering the bush fires were on the news all the time I was panicking! I ran inside and shouted to get out and ran upstairs to get Charlie from his bed. We couldn't find Paul anywhere! We're all set to drive off when he comes out from the dark to inform us that next door told him its sugar cane that they burn. OMG! Talk about an interesting day.We had a laugh about it and an extra wine to calm the nerves!

Daddys got the car stuck!!

Thomas had his parents evening and we continue to hear that he is doing well. He has the usual challenges any 8 year old has (with a few added from home for good measure) but he still manages to come out of school with a beaming smile and a big hug for me each day.

We had to say our farewells to mum and dad and it had been a strange stay for them,I'm sure. Charlie not being well made me so stressed out so I can only imagine that they couldn't wait to get home! In all seriousness, mum has always been my rock (along with Paul of course) through this and I know she understood where I was coming from.

After having fun!

Having fun!

After a few more weeks of Charlies counts being low (with one week of recovery in between),it was beginning to get me down. Having a sick child for a week is hard,but it going on and on is emotionally shattering. I decided to let myself have a wallow and then soon pulled myself together. The positive vibes came out and I thought about what I needed for ME for a change. I decided to enquire about volunteering in Childcare next year, and also joined the local gym. It made me realise that I really have put my life on hold for the past 3 years (and rightly so) to care for my family. It also made me see that its OK for me to have time to do things for myself and I will be embracing this in 2014! (whilst the boys are at school of course,I wouldn't want to be too greedy)!

This last week was a little mad. We had some of Charlies little friends round for a BBQ on Saturday which was lovely.The kids had a great time (big and small) and I was expecting a quiet evening on Sunday only to be asked by my friend Jude, to go see the British band-Franz Ferdinand which was amazing! I then went out with friends for morning tea in Brisbane on Monday whereby (and Paul doesn't believe me) my shoe broke whilst I was in a shoe shop, so of course,I had to buy some new ones! (this is 100% true btw)!Although my dress didn't break so I have no excuse for purchasing that!

On Wednesday evening Paul and me went to see the comedian Michael McIntyre and he was hilarious!We had such a good night and Kate very kindly babysat for us.

Me and Jude (from nr York)!

Charlie then had his prep transition day on Thursday which was to get him and the other children ready for starting school. He was fine  spending the morning there, though very tired after just 2 hours (we'll see how he lasts 6 hours,5 days a week in January). 

I attended my twice weekly bootcamp with Lori on Thursday evening, to get my mind and body focused and loved it-though I will admit,it was difficult to make myself go as I was shattered from all my socialising earlier in the week!That'll teach me for being a social butterfly.

Yesterday, Charlie and myself joined his Kindy friends for a trip to a beach just outside Brisbane called Bribie Island. Charlie got to interact with some sea creatures which had been brought along for the children to be educated on the local environment (sea stars,urchins,sea cucumbers,baby shark..).Charlie was very confident and spoke up a few times to input to the talk which was for me,AMAZING. It may sound silly,but as Charlie has interacted primarily with adults all his life up until this past year,seeing him so capable and confident makes me so proud of him.

Thomas has been our local superstar (well,in our eyes anyway)!If you hadn't heard,Thomas has been on an Australian TV show called Pipsqueaks. He isn't too bothered about seeing it but has now been on 4 episodes so of course we're super proud of the little man for interacting so well with the puppets!

This brings me to today. Well, Thomas and Paul have gone camping with a few lads and dads whilst me and Charlie catch up on some chores and rest (respectively)! Charlie has had a lovely week but is completely shattered. His counts are unfortunately still low but he's happy.

I'd like to mention this as I think its important,especially for when the boys possibly look back and read the blog in future years. I am aware that most of my blogs focus on Charlie. This has no reflection on Thomas at all as we are super proud of him too. The reasons I'm sure you'll understand are due to Charlie's situation being so (unfortunately) unique. Thomas is told everyday (to his annoyance I'm sure) how proud of him we are and how much he's loved. He gets to do lots of fun things that Charlie can't do and this is why I mention all the "little" things we are thankful and proud of with Charlie. He is amazing through all the obstacles he has to deal with. The boys (for now) continue to be the best of friends and yes, that includes arguing.They are no angels but are 2 boys to be so proud of as nobody should have to experience the difficulties these 2 little fellas have had to. They really are our superheroes!!

Blog 21-Winter 2013 Connors Visit to Oz

During the past few weeks,we have had the pleasure of family visiting from the UK in the form of Michelle,Tim,Isla and Niamh. It has been a very chaotic and fun few weeks where the kids,particularly Thomas and Isla,have had a whale of a time playing.
It was the first time we had met Niamh and she has proven to be very cute-just like Isla I may add. Due to us having minimal "girls toys" in the house, Isla is now trained in playing Skylanders,Ninjas,Ben 10,Bionicles,Hero Factories...the list goes on. All of which I'm sure will come in handy for when she goes back to school! Charlie has been trying his best to keep up with the other kids and is doing well. However,he pushes himself too much sometimes,then gets beyond tired. He is unable to walk distances whenever we go out and still rides in his buggy/pushchair for any outings which can be hard to watch when all the other children his age are happily running around and he's either flat out, or reserving his energy for the important stuff. For me and Paul there are clear differences in his inability to do things that the other children naturally do, but so long as Charlie is comfortable and happy,then that's fine with us and his time will come!

We ventured up the coast for a few days and stopped off in Noosa then went onto Rainbow Beach.We were met at both places with sunshine and beautiful accommodation. Tim and Michelle were amazed by the apartments we'd hired and they were in the outdoor pool in the blink of an eye (though it was chillier than they expected I think)! Charlie had to watch on from the balcony whilst the others frolicked in the water so we decided it was probably only fair to pop to the beach where Charlie could join in this time (less germs).
After hiring a boat,doing a spot of shopping at the markets and playing on the beach our time in Noosa was up and we headed up to Rainbow Beach. Isla held her 6th birthday at this gorgeous spot and we all got up early and went to feed some dolphins on her special day,which was amazing.

The day prior, the Barratts had booked in to do kayaking with the dolphins and whales whilst the Connors went exploring Fraser Island. Unfortunately we were unable to do the kayak tour as Charlie was too young.We didnt waste our day though and headed to the beach where Paul "fished" (I'm sure that Oceans empty) and the boys and I played on the beach. A few more adventures and a couple more BBQ's later and we headed back to Brisbane.

Charlie's treatment day loomed and the Connors headed off to Sydney for a week to do more sightseeing. They travelled by sleeper train and had a great time in Sydney once they arrived. That week gave us the opportunity to manage the side effects of Charlies treatment which were BAD! I never want to take steroids in my life after seeing what they do to his little body and mind. He was a crazy little monster that week and it was a very stressful time. Once its over with,we're on with the next stage,no time to dwell but it was another difficult week. Charlies next treatment day is Thursday the 5th September and instead of taking part in his school transition day where he would meet teachers,peers and learn a little about the school he's starting in January, he will instead be in theatre having a lumbar puncture,chemotherapy,steroids...

The Connors arrived back from Sydney and we all headed off to see Paul finish his second Ride to Conquer Cancer cycle. Knowing that all the money raised on the day goes directly to the research centre to help find a cure for Cancer, makes the ride so worthwhile. Thank you so much to each of you who supported the cause financially or otherwise. Paul and Kevin did a remarkable job and Paul now has the cycling competition bug,argh!!

This last weekend, we went to Sea World where the kids had the best time but seemed pretty shattered by the end of it.

Michelle and myself took ourselves off for a long overdue massage yesterday (seen as Paul bought me the voucher 5 months ago I thought I better use it)! We had a quick trip to the Lookout at Mt Coot tha then headed home for dinner.

Today is the final day of their visit and I hope that they have felt welcomed and enjoyed their stay with us as it has been jam packed with fun and mayhem! xxx

Blog 20-April/May 2013

Yikes! I haven't blogged for a while so here I am, ready and raring to give you a little insight into our goings on in Oz for this year.

After our initial concerns regarding Charlie starting Kindy,he is loving it! He is having the best time and making lots of new friends and having heaps of fun. They go at his pace and don't rush him to do anything which is so reassuring.It's such a positive,nurturing environment where he is so happy. Today we popped by,it wasn't his usual Kindy day, but the teachers had asked the police to come in to chat to the children.I was just praying he didn't mention all the cussing me and Paul do about the cops hiding behind trees to catch you speeding! I made it out alive and no secrets revealed,phew!

Thomas is really happy at school and managed to get himself a Merit Award last week for all his hard work. He's as helpful (and excitable) as ever and Charlie and him seem to continue to be the best of buddies which we love to watch and see their relationship flourish.

Easter proved to be a tricky time this year as my good friend Kate (who's also from the UK) had the sad news that her husband had blacked out and lost his memory.Andrew was taken to hospital and underwent various tests to establish what had happened. During this unbelievably scary time,we 'pinched' her 8 year old son Che, and added him to our brood until Andrew was able to return home to be cared for. Andrews diagnosis was Encephalitis and Kate is doing a fantastic job of juggling hospital appointments,school runs and her own sanity, with the tricky job of supporting her husband in his recovery!We do joke that we could write a book about the dangers of moving to Australia and how bad it is for your health. We try to keep each other positive in such surreal circumstances and it seems to be working!

Thomas,Charlie & Che on egg hunt

Things both here and back home are a little full on at times. On top of the Charlie saga we also are trying to sell our home in order to keep afloat during this tricky period in out life. My grandad has just taken a turn for the worse and is currently in hospital after being diagnosed with Lung and Liver Cancer so things are still very much up and down for us. It was extremely hard for me last week finding out about him, as in any normal situation,I would have boarded a plane to be there with him and my family at such a sad time. The decision was finally made though and I wont be coming back as its just not feasible to leave Charlie here with Paul, in case he becomes ill too (then where would we be)!

On the whole,Charlie is doing remarkably well in dealing with the Cancer and all the horrible procedures that go hand-in-hand with fighting it. He is continuing to have his daily Chemo and regular steroids,bloods taken, hospital visits for more chemo and after 2 years, it is becoming the norm-though he still gets distressed at the thought of the visits but who can blame him? He has been experiencing headaches lately which the Consultant is concerned about so this will be monitored at home and fingers crossed, he'll be fine. Here's a snapshot of Charlie's daily medication,him in hospital having his port accessed for the chemo and a must do shopping trip the day after chemo which I felt so guilty about as he was so weak but we needed food!

It was Anzac Day on Thursday and the boys have been learning about this important occasion at school/Kindy and showed their respect to the fallen soldiers and those still fighting to keep us safe. Later that same day, we took off for a little break which was relaxing,refreshing and lots of fun.

Our adventures took us to Noosa which is a beautiful coastal area approx 2 hours drive from Brisbane. We went with our friends Kevin,Lori and their son Ben and met up with Kate,Andy and Che whilst up there. We all had a great time and Paul did a spot of fishing (and he won a fishing rod in a raffle on his birthday!)whilst I snook off and went to the famous Eumundi markets with Lori-no kids!! We all hired a boat later in the day, and dreamt about the million dollar mansions we'd purchase along the Noosa river,if won the lottery. They were breathtaking properties and not bad as a second home!

Tom & Ben sailing

Paul and Kevin did an 85km cycle in preparation for the big Ride to Conquer Cancer cycle they embark on in August. They did really well, although they were understandably shattered afterwards.



 Paul enjoyed his birthday celebrations and as you can see,loved his Leeds Utd top! You can take the boy out of Leeds,but not Leeds out of the boy!

I'll leave you with a few chosen pictures from our past few outings and hopefully you'll come back to read the next installment of Barratts in Oz!

As a bit of a cheeky reminder,Paul needs to raise $2500 in order to compete in the Ride to Conquer Cancer cycle in August and he isn't doing well with sponsors so far (partly because we hate asking for money)! If we can be cheeky and ask if you can put the word around via email about the cycle,we'd be so grateful. If he doesn't reach the target,he can't take part.

Thanks so much xxx

This is the address for any donations/sharing of the event.
http://br13.conquercancer.org.au/site/TR/Events/Brisbane2013?px=1077539&pg=personal&fr_id=1110

Blog 19.Its the festive period 29.12.12

Where has the past year gone?! It's flown by and it's now coming up for 2 years since we packed up our belongings and embarked on this Adventure in Oz-which was only meant to be for a year I might add! We have certainly had an adventure since moving to Australia which has included both highs and extreme lows but whatever,we can say its been an adventure that wont ever be forgotten.

Since writing my last blog in September,Charlie has had his 4th birthday which we held at the local mountain with a great turn out
of friends. Charlie found it to be a little overwhelming and wanted to go home (yes, from his own party!), halfway through as he was tired. Nonetheless he had a great morning and it was lovely to see the kids having so much fun.