Good day in Tyre

Just a quick note to say hi, and show you a couple of photos from our day in Tyre today! Love to all.

No news here

This has been a pretty ordinary week. The blog was looking very bare however so I thought I'd just write something for the sake of being able to see something different here when I click 'refresh'.
[This picture was taken at Grandad's 80th birthday party the other weekend on Ian's camera. - yes, I'm the floating head at the back!]
Stuart and I both had/have music practice tonight which always means cutting it fine as I race home from first practice and wave as we pass and Stuart goes off to the second practice. This is a pain for Stuart because he has a lot of work to do, not including rewriting all the reports of a woman who has left the school, and did a dreadful (so I'm told) job with her reports before she left. Roll on the weekend.
I believe that those of you in Lebanon are having a busy few days. Hope that your trip down to Tyre was good today and look forward to hearing about the grandparents treat to the movies once that has happened. Also hoping that you ALL are experiencing health with your backs (and yes that does include you Kerryn, because I'm always hoping that for you given your track record!).
Calvin will start occasional care next week and has asked every day since we enrolled him, 'is it my day to go to kindy yet' 'can I go NOW?' After all this build up I hope that he enjoys himself.
So far this week at school Natalie has had a road/fire/stranger/just generally safety thing on Monday, Easter presentation by the ministers association on Tuesday, Recorder and ballet lessons on Wednesday and a Footy clinic with the Magpies today! She told me that she played a lot of football but that she wasn't that good, oh well, sounds like she had fun trying.
Ummmmm, don't know what else to write. I'm tired. I'm ALWAYS tired so nothing new there. Pretty much made it through March without going to hospital so I'm pretty stoked about that!

Love and hugs to EVERYONE (yes, you).
Debbie Sheree Kitto.

Daddy Update

Well, Debbie was waiting for some good news after our chat so we thought we should give her some. After 19 hours of being stuck on the floor in huge amounts of pain, Dad was finally able to get up onto his knees, and from there onto a chair!!!! He hasn't been able to stand yet but at least he is off the floor for a while and able to eat and drink something. The Doctor did come yesterday afternoon and brought strong drugs. He has about had enough now of being upright so will go now to help sort him out. Lots of love to everyone there.

Poor Daddy!

I am very sad to have to report that Dad has gone out in sympathy, and while I am enjoying my first almost pain free day, Dad is now completely immobile on the lounge room floor. The doctor is coming by later but it seems that his back is having major spasms. Please do pray for him as he is in quite alot of pain.

Mothers Day in Lebanon

Today is Mother's Day in Lebanon and so we convinced the boys that they should take the mothers out for a Chinese dinner. We had a lovely meal and then went for ice-cream. It has been a good day!

Planning for an anniversary that should be a bithday party.

Eleven months have passed since we had to say goodbye to our darling daughter and that has put us in mind of what we would like to do one month from now. Obviously we are not going to let this day pass without suitable recognition, and although our thoughts might change, we have come up with a few things we would like to happen. On Friday the 20th of April Stuart and I would like to be able to leave the kids somewhere and have the evening to go into the city alone. Then on Saturday the 21st we will take the kids (and whoever else would like to join us) to Isabelle's garden so that the kids can give the sight some birthday decoration (flowers, balloons, pinwheels etc). Stuart and I will also be buying a gift from the world's most useful catalogue (or whatever it is called) and we would like to encourage others who would like to mark the occasion to do similar. Any cards etc Stuart would like to collect and keep in Isabelle's treasure box.
After we have been to Isabelle's garden we are planning to take our kids to the zoo and invite anyone who is keen to join with us (this may be for a picnic lunch or it may be after depending on what is happening in the morning).
Debbie.

What a busy weekend. On Saturday we helped Grandad celebrate his actual 80th birthday and Sunday was the BIG bash at the Pines. Was a nice opportunity to have family photos and I'm looking forward to seeing the final result (surprisingly we didn't take any photos on Sunday). Was nice to be able to stay with the Hogben's even if we only saw them briefly. The kids always like spending time with cousins Annie and Isaac (though Isaac had a friend over so Annie had to do most of the entertaining).
We then headed up to Orroroo and enjoyed listening to the rain ALL day Monday (and all through the night to Tuesday morning). As you can see Calvin enjoyed the puddles. [24mls when we left this morning] Not sure what was happening in Orroroo but the rain certainly stayed with us over in Gladstone today (rained all day there) and we were rained on all the way home and it has only recently stopped here (had to do my shopping in the rain this arvo)!
Tired now, love to all.
Debbie

The Proof!

Just in case you wanted some proof that Dad had a go too!!

camp!

yay!!!!!!!!!im going on camp now !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!good bye and hope tto share with u wat happend!!!!!!!!!

Guess what I'm listening to?

But first, I am really impressed with the snow pictures. You ALL look like you had lots and lots of fun. What a brave grandma you are, mum! And I'm gathering from the top photo that dad you also had a go at hill sliding etc. Glad to hear you didn't break anything.
Anyway, it is 7:20am and I am sitting at your computer in Orroroo dad (because we decided to come up here last (Sun) night, have a day of study and rest before going to grandpa Kitto's funeral on Tuesday morning in Gladstone). It was absolutely wonderful to wake to the sound and smell of heavy, consistent, steady, wonderful rain! Amazingly it is still pitch black here, making it not feel like after 7. I have no idea how long the rain has been going, but it has been long enough for there to be big puddles outside and a little river out the front. Will try and find out an exact messure some time today and let you know.
It is so nice to just have a day to stop! Thanks that we can use your house by the way. It is very relaxing having a place that is closer to Gladstone that our own home. Will go and see Jeanie this morning and might try and organise her to come to tea (so that I can show her the new snow pictures). I think Stuart's plan for the day is to get all the work done that he would like to do at school but students and teachers keep interupting him (a school without students and teachers would be much more well run!).
Grandad's party when well yesterday I think. I didn't handle the large crowd terribly well, but was able to find some space watching the kids play outside. Grandad seemed to have a lovely time catching up with friends and family and he has officially and successfully turned 80.
Oh, there is a bit of light outside now, should go and see to my boy. Hope that you continue to enjoy yourselves and be safe. Love and hugs
Debbie.

SNOW!!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then here is eight thousand!!!!!

Wadih took the four kids up to the mountains this morning to enjoy the snow.

Natalie ready for ballet

Was great to chat last night Lindy and I'm glad to know how easy it is to get text messages through to you dad. You asked for photos Lindy, well the only photos on the camera were of Natalie in her new ballet uniform ready for practice on Wednesday. My baby's such a big grown up girl now!
Love and hugs,
Debbie.

We are upright again!

Hello everyone. Just thought I should let you know that I am feeling miraculously better. The combination of medicine and prayer is very powerful and if you had told me yesterday, when I literally couldn't move at all, that I would be up and about today, I would have been very skeptical, but it was what I was hoping for. And here I am!!!

I'm afraid it also meant that I have put Mum and Dad to work, helping me prepare the mailing at the orphange, and tomorrow we have all the reports for the church AGM to stuff into envelopes. Still I am very thankful to have them here to help! We will try to do some fun stuff as well and give them plenty of time to rest and relax. Lots of love to all of you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

LONG weekend

Hi ho everyone. We're home safely. Was really great to talk to you the other night dad. Grandma and I both commented on how clear you were (guessed that was from your mobile phone - excellent reception).
The weekend started for us on Friday when Calvin and I went and saw Natalie's class running the school assembly (Natalie is the 'g' in the picture, and as well as holding up the sign she sang along with the class presentation of a swimming song). The whole school has been doing swimming lessons all last week and Natalie has been enjoying that very much. Because of this we collected Natalie from the swimming pool and headed off to Adelaide. The kids were very excited that we were able to drop in at the Morton's house on the way down and have a play.
Saturday were went into the city to get Natalie's ballet uniform and then we had a look around the museum (the kids really liked this), then we spent way too much at Koorong! Was great to catch up with the Hogbens in the arvo and we had a lovely tea with the Brocks that night before heading out to a Pirates and Princesses 21st party (see pics).
Sunday we traveled to Crystal Brook (the kids traveled up with Nanna, Aunty Heth and Sam which was lovely) where the Kitto family was gathering due to Grandpa Kitto's failing health (no updates, so we assume that he is remaining stable). Then we were off to Orroroo where we had a very lovely tea with Grandma Jean (though it was strange to stay there without mum and dad!). Caught up with Grandma again this morning and then traveled home (nice to be back with some of the day left to enjoy).
Hope that you have enjoyed your holiday Hogbens and that all of you in Lebanon had a lovely meal at the Masris yesterday. Love and hugs to you all.
Debbie.

photos!

here are some photos. hopfully they work!!!!!!!!!

Lebanon Update

Another lovely spring date. Spent the morning at home, Lindy had a meeting in downtown Beirut this afternoon at Starbucks in the Galaxy shopping mall. The photos were taken down at Tyre yesterday, views of the fishing port and one of the bridges that is still to be repaired. It is amazing how many of the 178 bridges destroyed that have been repaired and are back in service. Trust the birthday party goes well for the Kittos and that you are still able to call in on Grandma Jeanie on the way home. Are able to keep in touch with the Aust. news through the Advertiser link each date.
Hello, Lindy here, just to let you know that we are still here too. Dad has taken over the computer!!! Happy Birthdays all round and lots of love to all and sundry.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hey everyone!!!!!!! its been along time since i have writtin on here but i finally found the time because my teacher gave us no homework yay!!!!!!!! But first things first my birthday!!! Thank you everyone that said happy birthday to me!!! i got lots of great things that i love and breakfast in bed!! i loved the kewl e-mails some certain somebodies sent me! thanks heaps for them they were cute and i enjoyed looking at them. school was good some how everyone litrally everyone new it was my birthday so my day was filled with fun! One of my friends tay came over and we did our homework and watched movies and had afternoon tea with Nanna & Pop. Then after they left we got ready and went out to the movies! We saw Epic movie which was good and we almost had the whole cinima to our selves but just as the movie stared people came in :( .Afterwards we got subway and got cold rock ice-cream which was realy nice but tay and i(IS EVERYONE HAPPY! I DID SOMETHING WRITE IN MY SPELLING seeeeee tay and i!!) didnt finish it that night so we had it for breakfast in the morning!hhehehe!!! Hopfully i will be having a minor party sometime soon with other skewl friends! Now the second thing second! Awhile ago all the year 8s went to west lakes for a fun day thing. it was realy good my friends and i(i did it again!!!) went kiaking and that was great fun (but everyone was threatening to capsize everyone.) Soon we will be having sports day and camp. For sports day i am only doing shot put for 1994 and relay for 1993 because its diffrent i high school, u can only have a certin amount of poeple from your colour and year enter the races and other things. In a week we will be going on camp to middleton and we will be slepping in tents, going surfing, going to greenhills, playing sport and much much more. Speaking of sport i have strated playing basketball again and we won our last match 24 to 22 againest st. Marys. It was hard at first because i was very sore(our teacher asked us to do as many sit ups as we could and as many guy push up we could do and i did 70 sit ups and 10 push ups.) Hope everyone is having a good time and enjoyed my very long blog entry!!!!!!!

♥ annie
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

My gosh! Annie turned 13!

Hello from Debbie. Haven't really got any interesting news. And I haven't taken any photos for ages, but I thought it was about time I wrote something - anything!

Obviously, another happy birthday to you Annie for Tuesday. Glad to hear that you had a nice time at the movies with your friends. Was nice to talk to you Hogben's on the Skype - even if the quality wasn't completely fabulous. Will be great to see if we can get it working with you lovely lot in Lebanon.

Stuart has had a VERY busy week. Monday was normal (home after 6pm), Tuesday was home at 6 and out at 7 to Natalie's school AGM where he was elected to school council, Wednesday was home at 7:40 with Bible study starting at 8. Tonight he is at school until after 8:30 and tomorrow I collect him from school and we go to Adelaide!

Tomorrow Natalie's class is leading the school assembly and apparently Natalie has a role so Calvin and I will be getting alone to that to oooooh and ahhhhhh. This week Natalie has also been doing swimming lessons every day and apparently enjoying them a lot. Natalie is still doing ballet on a Wednesday and having lots of fun with that.

Calvin and mummy have been a bit at heads this week, so it will be good to get away to some different scenery and other people. On Tuesday (I think) Calvin cut a piece of hair out of his fringe so that inspired me to suggest a trip to the hairdresser (more for a need to do something with this boy of mine rather than a desperate need for a cut), but he had a great time and sat like a statue (meaning the hairdresser had a good time to!). He now looks very neat and smart.

I'm just continuing to potter through each day, completely depressed by the repetitiveness of housework! Oh well.

Hope that the holiday is going well mum and dad and that you are all having a lovely time. Hugs and stuff to you all. Debbie.

They're here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hooray

Thank you, thank you for letting us have Mum and Dad for a while. They arrived safely and even managed to suprise us by landing early and being outside waiting for us when we got there to collect them! Slightly embarrasing. The kids were extremely happy and also say huge thank you's to Aunties and Uncles and cousins for lots of lovely Christmas, Birthday and We Love You pressies!