Three years in Australia..

Tomorrow I will have been in Australia for three years. I arrived on the 12th of February 2006. In a lot of ways I have looked back and found that I have moved on so much from Cape Town days, my business before that and my term in purgatory in Saudi Arabia and the African countries. I had missed being with the family and children. Jan did such a good job bringing them up for those "missing 5 years" and I hope that at least my children will understand that it was for that reason that we moved here. To be together, to be a family, to live in a safe and productive environment, and to have relative security where we can plan and have a future. I don't regret it one bit, I still miss my family back in South Africa, but it gets easier to understand what their world now entails. I look forward seeing Ryan in OZ soon, and Gray and Gaile and Mom as well. We are going to have an awesome time in March

As I approach my 50th birthday next month, I have some strange feelings, firstly of pride that we have achieved so much in such a short three years here, sadness that I can't see my middle "boet" when I want, can't see my Mom and Jan's Dad when I want, but generally happy with our situation. We are very fortunate and have a lot to be thankful for. We have made some wonderful friends in this time,and have a number of very special friends here that mean so much to me. I NEVER thought of myself as being 50 and it seems to have crept up on me so fast, but what can you do? I get more "soppy" by the day, cry when I watch TV - especially when our PM hugs the latest fire victims, and sport rivalries are actually not the end of the world anymore(certainly not mine anyway).

The best thing in my day, is to get in the car, drive home and kiss my wife and children hello after work - how good is that. I love you all so much!