A shot of the Coast just so you guys don't forget the place!

Update from the Coast

Well the weather is hot and the waves are pumping, its another beautiful summer on the coast. The Christmas Holidays began with a real jolt, a 6.8 earthquake which collapsed a few of the shops on the main street and broke a lot of windows - no one was seriously hurt, and things are pretty much back to normal - whatever the media reported divide it in half and thats probably a more fairer reflection of what really happened. Everyone is well. Hope Hanakoko dropped in to your places. Have a great New Year of 2008 whanau. Keep in touch.

Meri Kirihimete from the Bevan-Browns

Kia ora te whanau,Meri kirihimete ki a koutou. I hope you all have a wonderful Xmas and that 2008 brings you all you wish for yourselves and your family. My apoplogies for not sending my usual Xmas card and letter - I just ran out of time! Life has been very hectic in the Bevan-Brown household lately - well, to tell you the truth, it has been hectic all year! Winston is complaining that being retired is harder work than being employed. He spent the first 6 months digging out a pathway and planting native trees down one of our banks. As the bank resembles Everest in steepness, his landscaping efforts were not easy going. Then for the last 5 and a half months he has been helping the builders with our house renovations. We have done up our ensuite, had an extra toilet and shower put in and raised the roof in the upstairs rumpus room to put in new windows. The builders reckoned it would take 2 months but in fact it took nearly three times as long and was twice as expensive - I am not too sure what that says about the nature of Winston's labouring skills! The year has also been dotted with a number of specialist appointments. Winston is losing weight and is getting very forgetful but despite a barrage of tests the doctors can't pin-point the cause. He still has a few more tests to go so I hope you will all remember him in your prayers. The good news for the year you already know about ie the arrival of our first grandchild - Raukura Maraea Cecelia Hennessy. We are over in Melbourne at the moment to enjoy our first Xmas with her. Nathan, Tara and Nick shouted Mahaki and his girlfriend, Anna, a trip over as a twenty-first birthday present - so it will be really wonderful having the whole family together for Christmas. (We arrived 2 days ago and have had thunder, lightning and rain ever since. It was so bad we spent an hour sitting in the plane on the tarmac because it wasn't safe to get off!!) Talking of Mahaki's birthday, you are all invited to a "small family get together" at our pace on the 12th of January. Mahaki had the choice of a large party or a small family get together and some money. He chose the former so I booked my work marae and then a few weeks ago when he needed money to pay for a large car repair bill he deided he would like the money and a small party at our place instead. I cancelled the marae booking but wished I hadn't as his small party appears to be growing by the minute as the word "leaks out" around Palmerston North (We are hoping some of his "yobo friends" will get lost on their way out to our place!) However, there is plenty of room for family. We are putting up a couple of tents and getting mattresses from the Kohanga - it may not be the Ritz but there are beds for anyone who wants to stay. Well I am getting hassled as people want to hit the Melbourne markets to do some Xmas shopping. Once again I hope you all have a wonderful Xmas and a Happy New Year.Arohani, Aunty Jill and Uncle Winston.PS I will ask Tara to send some photos to go with this message later xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx