Everything Hahnel...

Our New Office have begun!  Goodbye Bassendean... hello Herdsman!  Just a few early photos of the emerging developments that will be John Holland HQ Western in about 6 weeks time.  Thoroughly impressed with layout and location.  Should be brilliant.  I'll take more photos as the site becomes more recognisable...

Back up north again!  This was another project mobilisation at Mesa A which was probably the smoothest one yet.  Everything went to plan.  The camp itself is still being built, so there was no wet mess!  We had to buy our beer t Fortescue Roadhouse at $27 a 6 pack!!  Given the remoteness, I suppose its justifiable!  The next morning me and a couple of guys were greeted by two dingoes outside the camp looking for some scraps.  They didn't really care about us being there - in fact they completely ignored us.  In typical camp fashion, the food was awesome... it takes someone special to work up there in the middle of nowhere for weeks on end.  People often say, 'well they get paid well to do it', which is fine, but if you've ever been living in the desert for a few months, it must become very difficult indeed.

All's fine on the homefront!  Laney is nearly 2 (next month) and Ella is enjoying Kindy at 4.  Well, she kinds of runs the place, but that's my Ella! 

Wow I'm slack at updating this... here's some new photos for those who I don't get to see as often as I should/would like to!  3 weeks to Phuket.  I need a holiday.  Bad.

Ella's first day at kindy yesterday, 5th Feb as shown in photos below... how cute - of course we got upset!

Anyway - take care everyone and the next photos you see here will probably be from Phuket after March sometime...

Justin

Just a general catch up... It's been 6 months since I updated this site, so I had better think of something soon!  I've just recently had an operation on my left hand... which hurt like hell - and I'll be in plaster for the next 6 weeks... well I've got 5 to go, and it alone is driving me nuts... They also took some bone from my hip to fuse the joint, and I think that hurt more than the hand itself! 

I now have a facebook account, which I'm finding quite a few old friends through - thanks to my brother who got me onto it.  I had always managed to avoid things like myspace and facebook, but thought I'd give in when I started seeing old mates who I've lost contact with appear on there.  One of the most amazing things that occurred through facebook was discovering a friend who I haven't seen in nearly 14 years - Robert...  absolutely amazing that I found him.. still living in Miami but now a doctor! 

My girls are getting bigger and bigger - and Buggy (Laney) is eventually walking, which reminds Jayde and I to remove everything a couple more feet off the floor... she grabs everything - no exception!  Ella is enjoying having her little sister around to play with and is constantly trying to keep Lanes out of her room!  I can only imagine what it's going to be like in another 5 years time... might have to build a granny flat on the back of the house to keep my sanity!

I'm still working for John Holland here in Perth, WA.  Such a good company to work for.  They really are amazing and what I would consider to be a 'caring' company.  They really take your family life into consideration and do everything to help you out when things aren't so easy...

Anyway, enough banter from me - I'll put some photos up and update the site again in a few weeks...  take care everyone!  Justin.

What can I say?  I love my two girls more than anything!  They truly reflect their mothers looks!  It's definitely a LOT different being a father to two instead of one... and Ella loves her little sister more than anything!  She makes Laney giggle and squeal, which in turn, makes me and Jayde smile.

I love spending time with my girls, all three of them.  It's funny how one minute you're a couple and the BAM! - you're a family and everything revolves around your kids!  It took me a little bit to get used to it, but now I wouldn't have it ANY other way.  My kids are my life.  They come to you when they've fallen over, or bruised their knee, or even if they just want a cuddle... it really melts my heart.  There's nothing I wouldn't do for my babies - but of course, Ella will tell you that she's a 'big girl now!'.  Just like this morning when she told me to go to work to earn the bickies!  I wonder where she got that from!!  I wonder...

Ella has just finished her first semester of dancing - which she did really well at!  Laney has just started crawling and makes a bee line for the fridge all the time!  Hahaha... She's starting to try and chase after Ella - it's quite funny to hear their little laughs of delight... I can't remember our house being any different now!

PHUKET - THAILAND - 2006/7

Thank you Mum and Dad for the Best Holiday Ever!!

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves... enjoy!

It really is a good time for the kids... for us, well, it's just money money money - and spending it until there is none left.

But - I think it's all worth it when you see the look on your childrens faces.  It really does bring back the earliest memories we have of Christmas with the excitement and wonder of what was to come on Christmas morning.

We have things a bit different here in Australia.  No snow.  No cold.  No fir trees.  No eggnog.  None of the 'northern' traditional stuff.  I've never experienced the Christmas' you see in the movies - and I've always wanted to.  Of course my northern friends have always raved about it and how good it is - but I really love the traditional Aussie Christmas.

The salads, the backyard cricket, the heat, the ocean, the salt, the sun, the ice cold beer... I guess it's what you make of it huh?  Being with family is the most important thing and now that I have two little gorgeous girls - it means more to me now than ever.

These photos were taken at Ella's school Christmas Party a couple of weeks ago.  She absolutely loved it.  Face painting, clowns, Father Christmas, lollies, bouncy castles, BBQ an lots of people enjoying themselves.

It was great! 

I hope everyone who reads this has a fantastic Christmas and a wonderful New Year.  And remember - when an argument is about to start on Christmas Day - remember the kids and just smile... they will remember it a lot longer than you.

Ahh - it was great to take Jerry 4WD'ing back up to the Alkimos on Saturday.  The old boy had a great time as did Bro and me.

It was pretty bloody windy too.  Getting sandblasted in a new 4WD is not good for the paintwork... neither is stepping out of the car and getting your legs done at the same time by the sand - stings a bit.

Cheers Nudge for the trip - next time we have to go further north.  Perhaps have a bit of a fish as well.

Wow - check these out... a friend sent these to me from Tuesday night (28th November 2006) at Yandi camp (about 30kms from where I was at Marillana). 

 It was hell windy and rained liked a terrential flood.

Hard to believe it was 44 degress (107 fharenheit) during the day...

One minute its 44 degrees, the next minute there's piles of ice outside your door!  Weird.

The lightning bolts came within probably 5 kms from our camp - and the thing is - all the dongers are metal and conductive.  Plus all the work vehicles have to have a 3 metre aerial with a flag on the roof for safety.  I wouldn't have wanted to be driving back that night.

Check out these photos...