Some news

We have moved from our old place into a rented flat the other side of the Downs (nearer the pubs and restaurants) which is a fab location but the flat is rather grannified (we even have a granny shower cubicle!). Can't complain though as the rent is really cheap for the size and location. We moved in on 3rd December after finally selling the other place - after having had 2 sales fall through it was a big relief to get it off our hands but we really did love the place so I do miss it a bit. I especially miss the neighbours!

My Auntie Maureen died in December - though expected, it was still a big blow. She was a real character and I'm really going to miss her, even though I didn't see her much because she lived in Australia we still connected brilliantly whenever we saw each other. I'm glad she is no longer in pain though, cancer is such an awful illness to battle.

We have recently invested in another property in Vancouver. The second apartment is in the same development as the other one so same arrangement with the deposit (ie now we have paid 25% we don't have to pay anything else until 2007 completion) but in a different tower and is a little bit special as although it is only a 1 bed & den, it is on the 33rd floor which is the sub-penthouse level so it should have fantastic views.

My parents invested 50-50 with Graham on the second property and the idea is to rent it out to some affluent young executive and cover the mortgage payments that way. But my mum is so excited about it that she is hoping that her and my dad will be able to cover the mortgage for at least the first year so that they will be able to use it as a base when they come over on extended trips to see us, and rent it out cheaply to other family and friends as a holiday base when they are not there. Of course if we end up broke by the time 2007 comes round and we can't afford to keep it then we will just sell it and mum and dad will invest their monies elsewhere, but we hope that won't happen.

We're waiting anxiously for news from Canadian immigration. The predicted 18 months was up in the middle of January but we got a letter from them in December saying that we should expect a delay in the processing of our application but that they will definitely have dealt with it by the end of March. Last week we received some original documents back with a note saying that they had been copied and added to our file, so it looks like an Immigration Officer is looking though our application right now so it should be a matter of weeks. We're just hoping that when we do hear from them it will be a request to take our medicals and pay the landing fees, rather than an invitation to interview or a rejection! I don't know what on earth we are going to do if we are rejected after all this time - our hearts already belong to Canada. When we were there again last summer we had such a fantastic time, and the more we go there, the more people we meet and the more we feel at home.

We've planned lots of British holidays as there are places we need to see before we leave! Just before Christmas we spent a long weekend seeing Ed in Brighton (brilliant place), for New Year we went to Ireland for the week with Ade and Sheila staying in Co. Cork (Kinsale, lovely little town) and for Graham's birthday a couple of weeks ago we went to Edinburgh (just fantastic). At the end of March I am off to Dorset with Kerrianne and her friends for her 30th birthday (staying on Portland), in April we are going to the Scottish Highlands for a week, and in May my parents are taking me and Graham to the Lake District for 5 nights where I will celebrate my birthday.

All is good right now. Graham and I are loved up to the max and getting on so well right now which makes everything all the more wonderful. Just hope that something doesn't come along to burst our bubble!