Happy New Year from Phuket everyone - we hope you had a good one. Especially those of you that are back at work.

We are very well and back in the sunshine - so very happy.

We also wanted to let those of you that would normally receive Christmas pressies from us that instead of giving to you - we have given to someone else on your behalf. This year we have made a donation to a charity that helps the victims of landmines and other unexploded ordinance throughout the world. We experienced first hand the damage that these do in Laos and Cambodia...and felt it was a very worthwhile thing to do. For more info visit http://www.copelaos.org/ and http://www.powerinternational.org/

Hope you are all healthy and happy wherever you are and all the best for 2009.

Hi Kell & Matt

New Year's eve already! Needless to say Anne's out with the dusters and hoovering out 2008 while I try to pretend to be busy. We've a quick sortie to the Butcher's for the Steak Pies with extra gravy to add to the New Year's lunch of Smoked Salmon with Dill and Pavlova with Fresh Fruit and cream - with two spare dining chairs looking rather forlorn without you both this year.

This is to sincerely wish you both health and happiness in the coming New Year and can we add to to the traditional features of the New Year first footing such as coal, black bun, a Scottish Pound coin, a Tunnocks Tea Cake, a 12 year old dram of Tomatin and a packet of Sweetheart sherbets, - ice - to keep the cool, water to hydrate and a shower of the very best of Hogmanay wishes from us all.

Love to you both..............M&D (and Grannie & Midge!) xx xx

Hi all....I hope this message gets to you all. Just to say thanks for all the posts and Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone back at home. We are missing you all...it is weird to be away from everyone at this time of year.

Lots of love

Matt & Kell

Merry Xmas to you both. Sorry we're a day late, had pc issues!

Looks like you are having such an amazing time - though have to say that the spider pictures made me want to puke!!

Naddy enjoying her first ever xmas and growing by the day.

Lots of love to you both,

Sarah, Dave and wee Naddy

XXx

Matt and Kel,

Merry Xmas.

We all finally made it to Susans for Xmas day and it is great to see Jen and the kids again after six weeks without them. Can't wait to get them down to Texas.

Been having lots of fun today building snowmen and sledging with the kids (16" of snow here). Sean has been loving it.

Looks like you are having a fantastic trip, we are all totally jealous.

Hope you can come and visit it us soon after you get back.

Lots of love and happy new year when it comes,

Ed

Hi to you both

You are having the time of your life.

We could not let Christmas go by without wishing you both the warmist of Christmas wishes and all the very best for your travels in the New Year.

Big Hugs and kisses for Christmas

Take care of each other

Lots of love

Muriel & Raymond xx

Hello my lovely friends! All i can say is WOWhat a fantastic time you guys aving, loving your pics! Have a lovely day tomorrow and a super fantastic New Year!

Matt - Gary Rough, a Scottish artist living in NY, had an exhibitions as Kurt Vonnegut's abstract Expressionist Rabo Karabekian! Totally fab will have to let you see the booklet.

Khashi says hi

Big hugs, Nadia xx

Great photos, so enjoyed looking at them. You are seeing so many great things. Hope you have a good place to stay for Xmas Have a good time anyway. All well here.

Oi oi...looks and sounds amazing. Is bringing back some memories of my own. We stayed in Koh Toa, went diving there, it was so nice. And I seem to recall the south of the island was way nicer....did you get a bike a go down to the shark bays? snorkelling was good there, although i seem to recall getting there on the back of a motorbike was a bit hair raising!.

Also are you off to Koh Phangan at all? If you are check out The Milky Bay resort

http://www.r24.org/kohphangan.net/kohphangan/milkybay/pictures.html.

We stayed there for 3 nights and I loved it, although it was low season so the experience could be different for you chaps but we had a bungalow right on the beachfront and it was so so idyllic. We hired a motorbike at the resort and went to bottle beach for the day which is also gorgeous.

Anyways, I hope you continue to have fun. Everyone here seems to have turned a permanent shade of green!

Lovesies Vicxxxxx

You guys look like your having the tme of your life. Just wanted to wish you the warmest of Christmas wishes and hope you have an even bigger adventure in the new year.

Loving the blogs, brings a little sun shine to a rather grey December.

Big love from the Foster house Grant, Sam & Jack.

Hey dude,

Just thought I'd wish you and Kelly a very merry Christmas - the office is eerily quiet; most people are either on holiday or off for Christmas. In fact it's pretty dull at the moment - most porterage jobs have been completed and there are no moves happening at the moment.

But at least I'm not throwing up over the side of a boat!

All the best!

Tony

Bloody germans; did he put his towel on your bags to reserve them as a sleeping place? At least he didnt throw up on them!

Your parcel arrived safely - as yet unopened. Jenna and the kids are en route for US as we speak; she is not well so it will be a bit fraught. I suspect Ed is in for a hard time!! XXXXX Mum and Dad