Josh's 30th Birthday 10th August 2008

Pictures of Josh's Birthday Party Matt and Mike Tristian and Ant's girlfriend Josh and Ross Alex and Dave

Jo, Alex, Nic Steve,Dave (Josh's friends from work) Steve and Larissa The girls - and Josh! Saffa contingent and Dave

Josh's friends from work Dan and Phil - went to law school with Josh Josh and Ant - the shots begin

The end of the shots The bus ride home Birthday Cake on Sunday morning Josh's gifts! This weekend was Josh's birthday. Before I tell you about it I must mention we have joined the gym - Virgin Active if you want to check it out on the net! Very awsome. UV treated pools, spa, hydro therapy pools that massage you, sauna, steam roon. Towels and robes are provided, Molton Brown products in the showers, hairdryers and GHD hair straighteners in the changing rooms, make-up remover, hand lotion, body lotion - it's like a spa! Josh and I have been most nights this week mostly to use the spa! They have heaps of classess and all the newest gym equipment - which I have no intention of using - Josh does though - turning 30 and he's launching himself on a health kick! One that will begin when he wears off his hangover today! The birthday - we started the day off on Saturday at aqua aerobics - we both did it, it was such a laugh!! We went to the sports store and brough sensible togs to do it in - we are going to go east saturday morning we are able. in the evening Josh and a work colleague (also turning 30) had a joint party. It was good fun, all the usual NZ and Safa contingent was there, some of Josh's work colleagus, his friends from school in NZ and my cousins. Anthony got Josh doing 3 shots at midnight to mark each century - it was soon after this that we had to call it quits and we went home on the bus. The picutres are of the evening. On Sunday - Josh's actually birthday he had some nice gifts, phone calls and lots of e-mails from family everywhere - thanks everyone! We had cake and did not make it to the gym!

Carrie's in London - off to the Theatre

It had been a few weeks since we had seen Lou and T so on Friday night we met up with Paula and had dinner. An early night as we enjoyed getting up and watching the All Blacks beat the Wallabies. Carrie was visiting London for the weekend, so after the game we met up and took her on the walking tour of all the main sights of London - we where all quite exhausted after 4 hours of walking! In the evening we went to Avenue Q at the Theatre - its a play done with puppets. It was really good to see Carrie again. Sunday was a quiet day spent organsing visa's for Russia and doing laundy.

London Eye Saturday 19th July

At our flat before lunch. On the London Eye View of Big Ben and Houses of Parliament from the eye

Drink after the eye On Saturday Auntie Rach, Steve, Mum and Dad came up to our place and we had lunch at our place before we headed into town on the ferry (which took ages!) and went on the London eye. We met my cousin Helen and she came on the eye - it was good fun. The rain was on and off but we where lucky to avoid it! We had a drink on the Southbank with Helen before we headed back home. Mum, Dad, Rach and Steve all went back to their place. On Sunday Mum and Dad head off for 4 weeks driving around England visiting friends and family before they come to see us again.

Lou's Birthday Party

It was Lou's birthday on Sunday so this week on Wednesday we all went to her place and had a bbq to celebrate - check out her cake!

Parent Arrive - Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th July

Sign's we made for their arival - don't they look embarassed! West India Quay Outside the local pub Dinner in The City Pride - local pub Garden area in from of our apartment

This Saturday at 6.40pm my parents arrived from NZ. We had a catch up and looked at photos before heading to bed. On Sunday we took a walk around canary wharf, had lunch by the water and went to the local pub for dinner. It was good to see mum and dad. They headed off on Monday to mums sister and will be back on and off until we all head to Russia in September.

Malaga Saturday 21st to Monday 23rd - actually the 24th!!!!

Day Three Today we hired a car and drove around doing some sightseeing, these are limestone formations that we climbed around, really unusual! Sunflower fields we saw on the way Pink Flamingos We drove to a lake where they where supposed to be was told that it was a short walk to see them, well we followed the path, then had to go off road to even see them, we traipsed through thistle, grass and bush only to realise they where still ages away from where we could walk and there was a big busy in front of them. I climbed on Josh's shoulders and used the 10 times zoom!!! on the camera to get a photo! Needless to say some of us where not very impressed with the walk! At least we got the photo, if not a few splinters as we where all wearing jandals! Day Two - afternoon Sights around the town We went out on the train to a village outside of the main center and went up to the mountains on a gondola to check out the sights. Josh enjoyed the kiddies ride at the top! Day Two evening - Dinner outside the cathedral, the time is just after 9pm!

Day Two We started the day off in the Botanical Gardens, had a walk around which was nice

Day One - Evening The main strip. Also we saw a parade, it was the Festival of the Saints of Malaga, we asked the waiter what was happening and he did a nice illustration with serviettes with a card going from one serviette home to another, only once a year, he even sang the song for us! So what i think it is, is that the caskets of the saints go from one resting place to another via procession once a year - you'll need to google if you want anymore information. Then we went back to town and look around the buildings and squares more.

Day One - PM Views from the top of Alcazaba and the castle, this is the fortress and the castle for the rulers of he city, mostly dating from the 11th century. It was built on a spur and adapted to its contours. Day One AM Pictures from the beach The Bull fighting ring View of the harbour We enjoyed 3 days in Malaga this weekend, with beautiful weather and sunshine, where we all went brown and not red (like NZ sun) and had between 28 to 33 degrees. The sun stayed beautifully hot for at least 12 hours during the day and the sun set at 9pm at night, it was so nice. The hottest part of the day was between 4-6pm. So Mike our infamous tour leader ensured i was in the sun at those times! We flew out Friday night and checked in to our hotel at 2am on Saturday morning. Mike and Lou went on holiday with us but they arrived a few hours earlier. We met up with them after breakfast at about 10am and set off to see the sights. We took Monday off work and booked on a 8.40pm flight that should have seen us back in London at 10pm, but it was delayed 4 hours and we ended home at 4am - boy where we tired when we got up to go to work after only a few hours sleep! It is now 10pm as i write this having had only a few hours sleep the night before! Despite the delay and utter exhaustion, it was so nice to have a break in the sunshine!