hello both, hope your keeping well and all those exotic beaches aren't too taxing for you. the sun is finally out in wales and andrew has already managed to get sun burned. we were only sitting in tor's garden for 1 hour having a coffee and he left there with red glowing arms. the kids have gone back to school after the easter holidays (nearly 3 weeks off) and andrew and i spent our first afternoon of freedom having a walk in clyne and then ending it in the woodman for a pint, felt extra good as it was a school day. andrews diet is going really well and he's bought a bike and is training for the gower bike ride. lynsey and i are also going cycling in the evenings and i may attempt the bike ride too. ffion is doing well in swimming and moved up to level 5 last week. we've had a date for joe's grommets he's going in on 13 june. ffion keeps telling him he's having wallace and grommets to which he shouts no they're too big i'm having little ones. thanks for the shoes, ffions are really pretty but they won't fit her until next summer. the kids whistles are great too, no we really love them what a thoughtful present! best news of all at the age of four josef has finally learned how to go to sleep by himself and stay in his own bed all night. finally a full nights sleep for andrew and me. as a reward we've decorated his bedroom to his choosing, he now has life size bat man and spiderman on his walls, painted by me and if i don't say so myself they are quite impressive. lots of love ceri andrew ffion and josef.

Hiya both - I have just spent an hour catching up on your travels due to our very slow "puter". Everything seems to be going well even if you have the first signs of gills around your faces. The weather here is lovely, warm and sunny great to banish the last of the winter blues away. Ceri and I dragged the children around the garden centres to get some bedding plants. I spent two afternoons/evenings putting mine into pots and a hanging basket so I can enjoy them in the months to come. Your father has tidied up the garden, taken all the rubbish away and mowed the grass so it looks quite good at the moment. Now for some great news - Sarah and Paul are expecting a baby at last, he or she is due early October, everyone is thrilled especially Amy who is reading everything she can about pregnancy and birth. As she is going to be in the delivery room with Sarah and Paul (possibly Kathryn as well) she will be well informed. More news from Gowerton Cynthia ran the London marathon after only 3 months training I saw her medal this week proudly hung around her neck to show her customers at work, she was very excited. Congratulations also to Chris on your marathon, a brilliant time well done, Lena you must be very proud of your son. I have been checking flight prices to Australia I am working extra shifts in work to help pay for my trip. The prices vary a lot some offer internal flights for just a few pounds more than the straight through flight so I will have to keep watching for that bargain air fare. Granny has said she will give me money for my birthday towards my trip so I am waiting in anticipation. I am going to a 30th birthday party tonight the theme is 60s/70s. I am dressing as a happy hippy so I expect we will have a good laugh at everyone's outfits. I look very bright and colourful after a few vodkas I will probably look like a sad hippy. As you leave south east Asia I am sure you will have many memories to tell your children !!!!! (well I can hope) and as you set out for New Zealand and the promise of skiing take care of yourselves. Love you both. Mum xxxxx

Hiya, hope your both well. 3 of your parcels have arrived. The box with your clothes in was very smelly so we've opened it and aired all your clothes! very nice too! Don't think your destined to send a buddha home in one piece. The wooden one you sent has a few cracks and a chip off the back, but it can be glued back easily though. Also one of the tea cups smashed but can be glued back. Weight watchers is going well, i've lost 6 and 1/2 pounds. i gave blood just before this weeks weigh in at a last ditch attempt, but only managed to lose 1/2 a pound. I'm off to London this weekend to see 'me first and the gimme gimmes', going to try not to hit the shops though! looking forward to catching up on your travels and pics when you get the chance. Got to get back to my moaning pensioners now, take care both lots of love lynsey xxxxx

Hello all. There are new postcards from Singapore and Bali today - still a bit behind but internet access is fairly limited the further east we have gone. No chance of any photos for a while either as we are back to a snails pace for internet connection so will probably wait until New Zealand in a few weeks. We are in Gili Trawangan - a small island off the coast of Lombok in Indonesia - its very pretty and very laid back and not a car or motorcycle in sight! Bye for now xxxxx

Steve & Claire...

How you doing? Sorry....have been a poor in recent months on the communication front...unlike me but life has seem to got in the way recently!! Have had a read and see that all is well with you guys. Am up to date now! Sorry I missed the birthdays but I trust you both had a good one!

Steveo as Liverpool head into the final of the FA Cup Sunny Swindon are on a slippery slope of decline and heading for League 2!! The good news is though...we get to play Accrington Stanley....hold on who are they....Exactly!

Well best run looks like life just picked up again and needs my attention!

Catcha laters.....

Hi you too. Just reporting in with news of Chris and the London Marathon. We went up on Saturday lunchtime and had a fabulous afternoon in the sunshine walkiing around the West End and the sights. Sorted our travel arrangements for Sunday and generally enjoyed ourselves. Up at 6am and to the start at Blackheath by 7.30am. I went to Cutty Sark and saw Chris at 6 miles looking really fresh and then tried without success to get to Tower Bridge. Crowds made it slow going. Saw him again with 400 metres to go and he looked fine. Actual time was 3 hours 30 minutes and 54 seconds. He was thrilled to bits and I am so proud of him. He came 4900 and something out of 35000 runners! He's already talking about doing it again! I have a couple of really good photos of him and will e-mail them now. Have had a ball this weekend. Good music Friday night at the Wyvern Theatre and have got to know my son again! What could be better than that! Lots of Love Mum xxxxxxx

Hiya. I have added 1 postcard from Koh Tao - eventhough we are now in Singapore! I will update the rest later or tomorrow. Although as we spent the best part of 2 weeks diving I'm not sure how interested you will all be in our underwater adventures! Anyhow, enjoy what there is for now! xxxx

Happy Easter, fellow travellers, you obviously saw a different side of Phuket to us! Get down here to NZ so we can meet up before we leave. We're now in Dunedin and head off round to the most Southerly point tomorrow. Enjoy Singapore, we'll be there in July! Best wishes, R&J

thankyou for my birthday ecard, i liked the super teddy. i had lots of lovely presents from everyone including a remote control jeep, a super soaker and some pirates. i had a lovely party with 10 of my friends coming around to play in the garden, we all had great fun and made a lot of noise and a lot of mess. i had a scooby doo birthday cake and sorry we can't keep you a piece because it's just too chocolatey and you know what i'm like for chocolate. i'm off too eat some more easter eggs now.
love and hugs josef xxxxx

Hi both, just to let you know the parcel arrived this morning. Thanks for all the contents, Will is chuffed with his football kit and I love the sandals, just my type of thing. Will pass on the other items to Hayden and Oakley when I next see them. Had a good weekend with them, weather was good but Oakley had a double ear infection which resulted in a trip to casualty in Minehead on Sunday evening. Otherwise very relaxing and enjoyable. Out on the town tomorrow night, going to see a Blues band at Riffs bar! Will keep you posted on progress! Lots of love Mum and Will xxxxxxxx

Hello. Well, we have finally left Khao Lak and our diving adventures behind.....for now. We are already planning on how we can build a diving/skiing empire when we get some more money together! We have reached Phuket today and its actually a lot like Magaluf or Benidorm!!! We have hired a jeep though to go and see some of the more out of the way places. We have tons of photos and stories for the website so will update you all in the next few days. xxxx

Hello both, hope your keeping well it must be a real struggle to get up every morning and deal with the drudge of having to go diving again! You are going to have to leave the fish alone soon they are going to get fed up at seeing the same ugly mugs staring at them every day.
We're all keeping well (no illness at the moment). Spring has finally sprung and we're starting to get some warmer weather. It will probably only last until thursday because the children break up for the easter holidays, so the rain will be back with a vengence. Ffion is going on a school trip next week to the Glynn Vivian art gallery, she's very excited and has been telling us all abouth glynn vivian and how he developed Swansea. I asked her if she liked history as she had told me so much but she said no it was boring. if she can learn that much when she's bored you can imagine how much she can talk about when she enjoys a subject. her reading is coming on well and we can't provide her with enough books at the moment she's going through them at great speed.
Josef is very excited about his birthday next week and can't wait for all his little friends to come to his scooby doo party. 11 children in the house, i must be mad. he keeps changing his mind about what he wants, but they all seem to be big and ugly and involve fast cars or super heros. he's so into super heros at the moment he's even got the girls in his class playing at spiderman as well.
Andrew has joined weight watchers with Lynsey and all seems to be going well in the first week. i'm giving it a go as well, pressures on now as summer is on it's way and I won't be able to hide under jumpers and coats any longer. we have made our first attempts at ebay selling this week, took us 2 hours to put one item on. it seems to have quite abit of interests at the moment. so ebay combined with avon and we'll be millionaires before steve and all his money making schemes, especially as he seems to have trouble getting out of the sea at the moment.
speak with you both soon lots of love and hugs Ceri Andrew Ffion and Josef xxxx