This is a month-by-month chronology of the year, to save the need to write anything coherent. Also interesting to see things unfold.
Click on a tab to see the happenings for the month.
January
January
Emily commenced her first teaching stint in Brighton, England. Not much of a Xmas holiday for her. She had to leave on Boxing Day and started on 2 January.
Milly and Steve started a 6-week early morning training regime. It didn't last. Mostly because Steve moved to Wagga. No truth in the rumour that he moved to avoid the training. Well less than 50% truth anyway.
Steve flew to Wagga for an interview with Wagga Wagga City Council. It must have gone okay, as they made him an offer on the way home. He was back in Wagga a week later arranging accommodation. Dubbo Council rang on the way back from Wagga, wanting to know if he could come to an interview! No, he couldn't.
Steve and his Mum went to Melbourne to spend a few days with Steve's brother, Phil, who had come over from Tasmania.
Phil was diagnosed with prostate cancer in late 2016 and elected to have surgery in Melbourne.
Hannah successful in being enrolled to take part in a medical trial for my epilepsy using medical cannabi. More from Hannah.
Australia Day BBQ with friends prior to Steve taking off for Wagga.
Steve completes the 10 km Noosa leg of the Sunshine Coast Run series. Its always hot and humid in Noosa and 2017 was no exception. Close to a personal worst for 10 kms, although just finishing was a bonus.
Steve packed up car and trailer on 31st, ready to head to Wagga.
February
February
Steve packs his bags and moves south, arriving in Wagga on 3 February. Michelle took over the garage and finally got to put her car in it. She wasn't too impressed that Steve took all the tools and didn't even leave her a tape measure. He claims that he did, and that she lost it.
Steve started work as Manager Operations for Wagga Wagga City Council on 6 February. Renting a little house with a big shed at 120 Raye Street, Tolland - which turns out to not be located in the best part of town. There was a
riot in Raye Street a week after he moved in. Just a coincidence, nothing to do with him moving in. He claims that it is the securest location in Wagga, with regular police patrols night and day.
Emily spent 8 days travelling through Budapest,
Bratislava (Slovakia), and Vienna. Described by Emily as "very cool places". She went ice-skating for the first time ever in Vienna.
Steve finishes 10 km Albury-Wodonga City 2 City fun run. Actually finishes in under 60 minutes (58:20), to his surprise.
Steve picks up his new car. A
RAV4. The old RAV4 was a good vehicle and hard to pass up getting the same thing. It has the same name anyway. Other than that not the same thing at all. Longer, wider and heavier, different engine, different interior, AWD. Steve sold the old RAV4 to Phil for a knockdown $500, which was all the car dealer had offered for it. Seemed a bit miserly on the dealer's part, but there you go.
Not to be outdone, Michelle also bought a new car, a Nissan Juke.
March
March
Emily turned
22 on 15 March. No longer a kid. Enjoying life in the UK so far.
Michelle travelled down to Coolangatta to attend leadership training, related to her work at Feros Care.
Amelia started her second year at Queensland University. This year she has moved back home. She has a mix of face-to-face and remote lectures and can get away with a couple of days a week in Brisbane.
Steve makes his television debut for Wagga Council on local WIN news, talking about drainage.
April
April
Michelle has a birthday. She didn't want it, but there you go. Number 56 in an unbroken sequence going right back to 1961.
Steve also has a birthday. By coincidence also the 56th in a long sequence of birthdays.
Hannah started the drug trial through the University of the Sunshine Coast on 7 April.
Emily spends 10 days travelling through
Scotland with a friend, doing lots of hiking and outdoor exploring – including a 65km bike ride along the Loch Ness.
Amelia and Steve join 30,000 others to compete in the 14.6-kilometre Run 4 Kids in Melbourne. Amelia blitzes her first long run, finishing in 1:23. Steve comes in some way behind her in 1:26. Great weather for a run, cool and overcast, after threatening thunderstorms all morning.
Steve heads to the Sunshine Coast for Easter. Catches up with some ex-colleagues from UnityWater.
May
May
Steve completes the 11 km Nail Can Hill run in Albury in what was his slowest ever time (1:14). That record no doubt to be shattered in 2018.
Hannah turns 27 on 19 May. Our eldest is, well, getting older.
Michelle attends her first netball game as a member of the new Sunshine Lightning netball franchise based on the Sunshine Coast.
Steve opens front door to sight of police cars and television crews. There had been an altercation over the road between two men, both 'known' to police. One of them wound up
dead after being stabbed. Still that was over the road, on the 'bad' side of Tolland. Nothing to worry about on the 'good' side.
Steve ran with Barb Kelly in the 23 km Apollo Bay half marathon. They struggled home in 2:28. A personal worst for both of them and the latest in a string of personal worsts for Steve. Still, time marches on and at least they got there (and in front of a lot of younger runners). Steve is hoping to be there again next year regardless, trying to run even slower. These
photos were pinched off the web site, hence the watermarks.
Emily heads off to Italy for what she describes as "probably one of my favourite trips so far". Emily spent 4 days in
Rome with friends, before they ventured down to Pompeii, and Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. She enjoyed the local faire, complaining that she "ate way to much food this entire trip!".
June
June
Steve makes it home to Queensland for a week, arriving in a rental truck. Cleans out storage and also takes the contents of the garage back to Wagga with him. Michelle actually gets to put her car in the garage for the first time since moving to Queensland in 2013.
Michelle went with friends to see and listen to blogger Constance Hall over a very extended and fun lunch. The event was held at the swanky Twin Waters Resort.
July
July
Michelle travelled down to the Gold Coast for her interview to be a volunteer at the 2018 Commonwealth Games being held on the Gold Coast.
Michelle's stepfather, Brian 'Sqizzy' Taylor, dies on 27 July after a battle with liver cancer. It was only diagnosed in February.
Emily jetted off to
Paris at the beginning the UK school summer holidays. She spent 4 days exploring the city as a lone traveller, before linking up with a bunch of Kiwis she met at the hostel and spending 2 days sightseeing with them.
Brian's (Michelle's stepfather) funeral held on the Gold Coast. Peter, Jean's brother, came out from England to attend the funeral. Her sister Pat also came up from Sydney. It was the first time the three siblings had been together for many years.
Hannah heads off to Tallangatta to spend a couple of weeks with Granma. Some notes from Hannah on the event.
Michelle and Steve head off on their 3-week trip to England and Wales. Caught up with Emily in Brighton (or Hove), checking out the local sights, before moving on to Wales for a week.
M&S spent 3 days on a canal boat to celebrate 30th wedding anniversary. More on the trip and the canal boat here at the blog site.
September
September
Emily starts the new school year as a full-time staff member at Brighton - better pay and paid holidays! She is no longer a contract teacher.
Hannah goes on a 'mystery trip' with Bernard and Kris. They had earlier asked her if she wanted to go to Beechworth for a day. "No way" says Hannah. "Okay, What about we pick you up for a mystery trip?" say Bernard and Kris. "Okay" answers Hannah. Where is the mystery trip to? Beechworth. I think she's been had!
Michelle and Stephen return from UK holiday via Hong Kong. Steve back to Wagga and Michelle back to Sunshine Coast.
Hannah hops onto a plane and heads back to the Sunshine Coast. She found Tallangatta fairly cold by comparison.
Steve buys a bunch of
guinea pigs, to help keep the lawn down.
Emily heads off for another round of trevel. This time it's Spain, Portugal and Morocco. October was the half-term break and Emily spent 15 days travelling throughout Spain (5 days), a quick trip over the border to Lisbon (2 days), and then off to
Morocco for 8 days. More from Emily.
November
November
Steve back on the Sunshine Coast for a long weekend.
Milly and Steve do the Brightwater Park Run in 29:30 or thereabouts. Milly wins again.
Michelle advised that she has been selected to be a volunteer at the 2018 Commonwealth Games being held on the Gold Coast. A total of 47,000 people were interviewed and only 15,000 applicants were accepted as volunteers.
December
December
Amelia turned 20 on 3 December. She seems to have been a teenager forever, but no more. A fully-fledged 20-year old now.
Amelia jetted off on 4 December to Nepal via Malaysia, to go trekking in the Himalayas. She arrives in Kathmandu on 5 December then begins a two-week trek to the Everest Base Camp. She arrives back in Australia on 22 December. You can read more about here adventures here.
Michelle reports the house being 'deathly quiet' with Amelia away. Hannah spends most of her day in her room and with Steve in Wagga Michelle is finding things very quiet. This will change with everyone bar Emily home for Christmas. Michelle's mum, Jean, will also join us for Christmas.
Steve interviewed by Nine news about potholes around Wagga. One of the hard hitting stories of the week in Wagga.
Steve became a victim of online fraud, after someone used his credit card details to purchase Woolworths gift cards online. Luckily this was the 'online card', with a fairly low limit. If anyone gets a Woolies gift card for Christmas - double check that it wasn't bought with Steve's credit card.
Emily is spending Christmas in the old country, hanging around
Brighton. [I will miss her - ed]. This is the first time ever that someone has been absent on Christmas. Some notes from Emily.