Sandy Bay Park

Sandy Bay park is Emily's favourite park! She missed going there during the cold winter months and would often talk about it. Since it has started warming up we have been there quite a few times. On one visit Emily, Elle and I even saw some dolphins swimming by - it was quite exciting! 

While we were out doing a few things one Saturday morning, Mick and I stopped in with the kids for a bit of a play. The sun was shining so bright and everything looked so beautiful. Tassie really is a lovely place (when the sun is out!). We didn't have the camera but I took a couple of pics with my phone of Mick and the girls playing on these rock things! I love doing the simple things in life! 

Book Week

Leilani decided she would like to go dressed as Charlie B Brown for her school book parade. She has started reading chapter books and really enjoys reading about Charlie's adventures! We didn't quite have the colour right for the outfit - but the actual outfit was nearly spot on! Charlie dresses differently all the time anyway, so it didn't really matter! 

Mount Field

In July Leilani had a student free day and Mick happened to have a rostered day off on the same day so we took the chance to head to the Mount Field National Park to play in some snow! It wasn't all that cold...

... until we got there! Then it was freezing! We drove up in our thermals and track pants and then put on our England ski gear when we got there... which we hadn't really worn since England! It turned out to be quite funny: Emily's trousers were way to short and my pants wouldn't even do up (due to being 6 months pregnant!) I got them on though and even though I look huge - I was very toasty and warm!  Poor Em ended up with really cold feet and after a bit of a play, snow man build and a few sled rides she was ready to get back in the car! 

Leilani stayed out with her Dad for a bit more of a play and had some nice photos taken. We also took some video which the girls have enjoyed watching back! 

It was quite a long drive there and back, but it was a fun day and we were all exhausted when we arrived back home late in the afternoon. I do like coming home after a long adventurous day out!

Swimming Lessons

We did swimming lessons at the Friends pool for the 1st term of school, but decided to give it a miss during winter. The girls really enjoy it, but the pool is soooo cold (it's a lap pool really) that it's sometimes  horrible watching them in there shivering. They were very excited to collect their certificates at there last lesson!

Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists

On the 27th May Mick and I headed to Melbourne for his final exam (ever)! It was a bit of a stressful trip  - not knowing if we would return with big smiles or frowns and fear of more study!! But it was nice to be together and to be just thinking of ourselves - and not having to worry about the kids (they stayed with Grandma and Grandad so we didn't even have to worry if they would be okay - we knew they would be loving it!). 

We arrived at our hotel in the afternoon of the day before the big exam, so Mick did some study review and I went shopping at South Wharf DFO - which was great because it was only about 100m away from our hotel front door! We stayed at the Hilton which is above the Melbourne Convention Centre - where Mick's exams were being held - it was really nice.

The next day Mick was up bright and early and heading out the door for the big event that he had been waiting for (in one way or another) for the past 5 1/2 years. He spent 2 hours being grilled by the examiners, stopped for a couple of hours break to then go back and do it all again!

He felt okay after it was all over, but very nervous about getting the results that evening. At about 5pm we met up with Shona (another trainee from Hobart) and her husband (Paul) and Darren (The Supervisor of Training at the RHH) and his partner  for 'pre result drinks' and then caught the tram down to the ANZCA College building in St Kilda. We then joined about 100 other trainees and family members nervously waiting for 'the numbers' to be posted on the board!

As soon as they were up people were rushing over to either look for their candidate number on the board (the number only being there if they were successful) or collect an envelope with the results inside.
Mick opted for the board! I was so nervous as he headed up that I felt sick!

He was candidate 203.... check it out for yourself:

He returned quickly with a pretty big smile! I had to wipe back the tears! Shona and Shakeel (another trainee from Hobart who was too nervous to actually come to the college) both passed as well, so all Royal Hobart trainees were HAPPY!

Mick... looking pretty proud of himself being congratulated by The Chief Examiner.

Shona, Tom (one of Mick's bosses, who is also an examiner) and Mick.

We returned home the next day pretty damn happy!

Mick now has a formal project to complete and will still be a trainee until the end of November (when his 6 years of Anaesthetic training is up) but after that he can then call himself an Anaesthetist and add FANZCA to the end of his name!! Yipee! I'm pretty proud of him, because it hasn't been easy.