Thanks for coming!!!

We'd just like to make special mention of Liliana and Rebeca (Cammie's Cousin & 'Niece') who went completely above and beyond to attend Cammie' Baby shower. They flew from San Francisco to Seattle and from there, they drove to Vancouver. They arrived at about 5pm Saturday night and then were back on the road to Seattle airport and then San Francisco at about 3pm on Sunday afternoon. It was great to see you both, thank you for the great gifts and for coming so far for such a short time to see us!!

Baby Four Season's

After a little blood, a lot of sweat and a couple of tears we are almost finished Baby Thomas' room in readiness for his arrival. There are a few adjustments and additions to be made, but as many people have been requesting to see some photos I thought it was time to at least provide a few.

Mountain Golf with the Golden Bear!

Finally, I get to golf at Nicklaus North....one of the finest golf courses in Whistler, designed by none other than.....Jack Nicklaus. Ever since I first visited Vancouver nearly 4 years ago and saw this course I have wanted to play here. (my first visit in June 2004)

As you can see from the photos below the scenery is pretty amazing!! My golf performance was only average but my excuse is that the snow capped mountains were incredibly distracting. I've been in Vancouver for just over 18 months now and the mountain views still blow me away!! Rest assured I'll be back to Nicklaus North and Whistler for another round soon.

Partying it up in Seattle!

Cammie and I hit Seattle for the weekend, for an engagement party for Jen and Jim and a 2nd baby shower for Cammie!
Jen and Jim (below) both live in Melbourne and are getting married there next March. Jen is an American who went to University with Cammie and Jim is another fine Hawks supporter from Melbourne who met Jen just after she moved to Melbourne for a 1 year job placement.....she fell in love with Jim, and Melbourne and has decided to stay down under (who can blame her).

As you can see Cammie also had a great time at the event, double fisting at every opportunity she could find......very irresponsible behaviour for an expecting mother!!Next was the baby shower which unlike the last one was a girls only affair. I was happy to make a quick exit to the local Brew House with the other guys. I did see my first ever Diaper/Nappy Cake which was completely "homemade" by Cammie's friends. Thank you very much to Cherish for throwing Cammie such a great shower and to all her other friends that were there for the very generous gifts that you gave us. We really appreciate it!

What's in a Name?

In a recent trip, Cammie and I came across this local husband and wife Realtor business. I think you'd all agree that they have one those names that you should keep out of your businesses name. I'm sure Trudy & Ian are lovely people, but really....would you hire these people to find you a house, or sell your house?!!

Disclaimer: Area code has been blacked out to protect the poor Bustards from unsolicited phone calls.

Ride 'em Cowboy!!

Rodeo, rodeo, rodeo was the theme of last weekend in Vancouver.....well at least Surrey anyway. The Cloverdale Rodeo was on and being that I have always wanted to, but never actually been to a rodeo, we thought we'd check it out. After all it was only 10 minutes from our house.

This rodeo is the 2nd largest in Canada, and most of the best Cowboys from North America were there competing. The action from our front row seats in the sun was HOT, and as you can see, not just because it was a 29 degree day. The bulls, broncos and cowboys were unbelievable.

People watching was also a highlight of the day

......starting with THE GOOD....

....moving to THE BAD (or sad).....

.....and ending with the DOWN RIGHT FAMOUS ........
(Steven Seagal for those who are Martially Artistically challenged)

'Seaplanes, Helicopters & Automobiles'

A Canadian version of the popular 80's movie 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles' starring Steve Martin and John Candy is about to be released.

It is set in Vancouver, and follows a day in the life of an upcoming young Vancouver Executive, named Simon Thomas. Simon needs to visit clients in Victoria on Vancouver Island in the morning and then make it back to Vancouver later that afternoon for an important meeting!! As in the original movie, the star elicits the help of many different modes of transport in order to get him where he needs to go. Also like the original, there are also plenty of laughs to be had along the way!! Unlike the original there is on show some stunning scenery of Vancouver (the world's 2nd Most Livable City behind Melbourne, Australia).

It was actually a pretty exciting day for me as I had never been on either a Seaplane or a helicopter before. I have been dying to go on a Seaplane ever since I first visited Vancouver back in 2004 and I've been wanting to go in helicopter since.....well, as long as I can remember. Both were very cool!!!

One Year of Wedded Bliss.

May 12th, 2008 - It was 12 months ago when Cammie and I tied the knot. If you're thinking to yourselves... "It seems longer".....I agree!
Cammie planned a great (and more importantly relaxing) weekend of celebrations:

1) Friday night - Drinks and a couple's massage in a fancy Downtown Spa. Followed by dinner at a new restaurant.
2) Saturday - Spent the day & night up at Harrison Hot Springs Spa and Resort . http://www.harrisonresort.com/ This area is famous for its natural hot springs and although it may not look like it, is only about an hour from our house. Unfortunately for Cammie, the hot springs were too hot for a pregnant body so she had to sit on the edge of the pool and drink water while I floated in the therapeutic waters with a nice glass of wine.....poor Cammie!

We had a great and relaxing time, thank you Cammie for organizing such a fantastic weekend!!

"Battle of the Bulges"

Cammie's 'Battle with the Bulge' has plenty of competition from her friends who are enjoying sharing the experience with her. Our friends Andrea and Dave (top) are expecting a baby girl 3 weeks before us. Our other friends Karen and Spencer (another lucky Canadian who got to marry an Aussie) are due in a couple of weeks.....they opted for a surprise on the day!
It's really nice to have some friends going through the same thing at the same time. Baby and related topics seem to dominate the conversation, even amongst the guys I'm sad to say. Cammie and I look forward to meeting more like minded couples when we start our Pre-Natal and Birthing classes in a few weeks time.

Pregnancy Side Effects.

One of the side effects of pregnancy that we are finding with Cammie is skewed spacial awareness and depth perception. As you can tell from the below pictures some of these side effects can prove to be expensive!! :(

Definitely a Boy!

Cammie and I went for our 2nd Ultrasound the other day and further to the 95% confirmation that we are having a boy, we can now confirm 99.9% that we are still having a boy!! :)

To quote the nurse directly as she hovered over the region...."Ooh gosh yes, definitely a boy!" (see below what the nurse saw)

My son's going to kill me when he finds out I posted this picture for the world to see!!

Vancouver Sun Run

I ran in the 2008 Vancouver Sun Run this Sunday just gone for the 2nd year running (excuse the pun). This is the 2nd largest 10km race in North America and this year they set a new record for the number of participants, with 59,179 people taking part. It was also the coldest morning in the history of the run (this it's 24th year) and when the starter's gun went off it was about only 2-3 degrees. I was a little disappointed with my time which was slower than last year, although in thinking about it I shouldn't have been surprised, given the prime physical shape I was in a year ago in readiness for the wedding!! ;-)

Our New Car

Well not ours but Baby Thomas'!!

Talk about travelling in style! Our son will without a doubt be the coolest kid on the block getting around in this beast.

Baby Shower - Thank You!

My Sister and Mum threw Cammie and I a fantastic Baby Shower while we were in town. I must admit it was a first for me......and I would guess a couple of the boys too. To cope with the shock, beer was required at 9:30am, even Kiera needed one. I'd have to say that Sime was the most helpful, volunteering to change and clean all the diapers.

Thank you so much to everyone for coming and for all of your generous gifts. It really meant a lot to celebrate with you all. A special thanks to Sarah and Mum for organising!!

Home Sweet Home.....

It's had been almost 2 years since I had been home and nearly 3 since Cammie last graced Australia's shores.......as you can imagine time was at a premium for the 10 days we were there.
First it was time to meet the newest Thomas'. Kate and Sophie made their first trip to Australia all the way from London. We also had a fantastic afternoon catching up with all the boys....and meeting little Kiera for the first time! We were even able to fit in some time for a little training for Cammie!! She actually did a really good job....and she loved every minute of it!!

It was really great to catch up with everyone. See you all next March!

New Zealand

They certainly know how to get around in style in New Zealand. I know that if I was ever going to convert a car into a Stretch Limo that it would be an Orange 1992 Ford Capri!!!

Cammie's growing stomach certainly got tested on our boat trip out to the 'Hole in the Rock' at the Bay of Islands. Although it may not look like it, the waters were rough this day my friends and half the people on the boat spent their day downstairs inside the cabin getting great value from their puke bags. Cammie and the baby had no such problems, I was very proud!!

It's a BOY!!!

Well "only god knows for sure" according to our Ultra-sound technician, but she did give us a 95% accuracy rating. Cammie and I also saw a large object on the little "guy" that we hope would not be present if were having a girl!! Needless to say that I was EXTREMELY happy and excited to hear the news, as was Cammie. Although she did say, "I don't know what to do with a boy".....to which I quickly replied, "you don't know what to do with a girl either!!"

I guess the truth of the matter is that we BOTH have a LOT to learn.

Yes it's True!!!!

Yes it's true!! Cammie and I are expecting our first child!! Our due is August 10th, 2008 which means Cammie is currently at 19 weeks. She is holding up extremely well, thankfully so far there has been absolutely no sickness, only limited tiredness and her "pregnancy hormones" have been very manageable!! ;-) Fingers crossed that this trend will continue........

No clues just yet as to whether we're having a boy or a girl, but I try to get inside information every day from the depths of her belly. Stay tuned!!

End of a Busy Year!!

2007 was a busy year with LOTS of changes and new challenges!!?

1. Moved to a New Country.

2. Started New Jobs.

3. Found a New Home.

4. Made new/Re-established Old friendships.

5. Planned a Wedding and got married.

6. Dealt with the long and tedious Immigration process (which is still going!!)

7. Last but certainly NOT least.......Expecting a Baby!!!!!

All in all a very busy 2007.