Day 25 heading north for New Years

This morning I took my mother to the surgery she had to have a blood test but they could not find the vein so I had to take her to gorseinon. All good in the end.

We left the bont at mid day and headed to Kidderminster to catch up with Linda and Keith. Linda is Paul severn s mum. We met up for a coffee at a service station on the m5

Anna and Linda 

Me and Keith he looks really well.

LUKE being a nuisance again.

All of us.

We then headed north to uppermill in yorkshire where our good friends Dave and Linda Freddie and Molly live.

Linda was at work but Dave anna and I picked up where we left off.

More news tomorrow

Day 24 29 Dec Happy Annibirthday

Today is my 46th Birthday and Anna and my Wedding anniversary no 14.

We had a lovely morning where my boys gave me gifts etc and we went to Llanelli to spend spend.

Thanks K and C for my card and gift I have not bought anything yet!!

I then thought that I had lost my Nationwide card but found it.

Then we met up at The Black Horse with the Morgans (Greg, Justine, Lewis and Ellie), Richard Evans then turned up with Karen and Kevin and Nia. Karens brother Ian also turned up which was great.

 The diners.

 Richo and kevin

 Ian and anna

Karen and Nia

It was agreat night thanks to you all for turning up.

Day 23 Outlets and a Ruby Murray

HI Today we went to Mcarthur Glen Outlet shopping mall in Bridgend.

Lots and Lots of specials.

I the evening I went out for a curry with Greg Morgan, Emyr Walters and Stuart Evans. we had a great catch up on old times!!

 Emyr and stuart

 Greg and eilian

 The Gang.

I had that horrible feeling of not being able to move..

Day 22 Ospreys V Scarlets

As previously mentioned today was the day of the big game between the Ospreys (Neath/Swansea/Bridgend etc) V The Scarlets (Llanelli based)

Firstly we were very lucky to receive free passes from The other Joneses (Ian, llinos, Osian, Llion and Gwennan) I an and Llinos were away at a wedding and the Grandparents Dianne and Matthew who have been really good to me and are the parents of my good friend Karen. Cody and I collected the tickets from Matthew and Diannes and who were there?? the Kids Cody and Luke are good mates with the boys.

Cody felt it necessary to have a ride on the sheep as he had when he was 18 months.

As we got home we had a wonderful lunch/dinner prepared by Anna and chef Luke New Zealand Lamb!!! Interestingly half the price of the welsh equivalent.

Cody, Luke and I then left for the Liberty stadium. The traffic was really busy but we timed it perfectly with 5 minutes to spare before kick off. It was freezing and raining but we were high up in the stand and rugged up!!!

On display were players such as Welsh internationals Priestland, Webb, Lee, Beck, Lydiate, Tipuric, Biggar, Ball, Shingler, AW Jones. Liam Williams, Eli Walker.

NZERS Hadleigh Parks (EX Auckland) Regan King(Ex Waikato) James King(Ex North Harbr I think)

Scottish international Barclay.

So there was plenty of talent. As the Joneses had given us tickets we went for the Ospreys.

It was a stop start affair with the Ospreys taking a solid 17-6 lead. They played by far the most attractive Rugby. The scarlets kicking away much possession. Kerry Connolly you would have been frustrated with the reffing!! It is  a worldwide story.

 Players entering the fray with Lukie.

 Liberty Stadium

 Union or League???

 Try ospreys?? it took the ref and tmo 5 minutes to decide. No Try

 The lineout was effective why cant wales win their own lineouts??

 Libert home of the Swans and the Ospreys.

We got home at 8PM and watched deathly hallows part 1.

Night night.

Day 21 St Stephens Day/ Boxing day

The weather today has been attrocious and venturing out to the sales or anywhere else for that matter was a waste of time and energy.

So we chilled watched movies and watched the Dragons against the Blues. Dragons won surprisingly.

Anyway Anna is still poorly and trying her best to get well.

Tomorrow we will go and watch the Ospreys against the Scarlets a massive local derby.

Day 20 HO HO HO Merry christmas everybody.

The boys were certainly up for it today they woke early as expected!!

I thought that santa was late as there was a being in a red suit??

It was Lukie!!

 Cody awaiting to open his gifts from santa

 Whats in here

 Its all the rage over here.

 Nice hat mum

 Swansea have signed Jones for Bony

 As I said before we were going to Dean, Sue Billy and Tom and Lisa Toms girlfriend.

 Billy playing monopoly with Luke

 Ladies in the Kitchen

 The Table

 Boys and girls drinking wine!!!

 Dean topping up

 Many thanks Morrises for your fantastic friendship and hospitality.

 Dean and eilian after a few!!

It was good to see Tom senior Deans dad and the rest of the family.

We got home to see the christmas downton abbey

Day 19 Its Christmas Eve Babe

This morning was busy as we packed a multitude of things for all. I love the 1 pound shops over here they are great. 100 christmas stickers and 4 big rolls of tape for 2 quid.

We have been invited for Christmas dinner to our good friends Dean and Sue along with their older kids Billy, Tom and Sues Dad Bill. So we were intructed to get some liquid no problem there.

Moet &Chandon thanks very much plus lots more.

When we got back from Tescos I had to go for a run, it was my first since the siberian type conditions of Helsinki. All good went 6KS

In Finnish  tradition we allowed the kids to open one gift this evening I suppose it is alreday xmas day in New Zealand.

 The boys about to open gift 1 with my mum and Anna

Lukediana Jones redady to mine and unearth some dinosaurs.

I then went to the Cricket club where we had some carols and a few beers. I caught up with ex England Cricketer Robert Croft along with a host of other well known Bont celebrities.

Day 18 Return of Crays meet Crays

Today was really governed by colleting my good lady wife from Scotland.

We did however have a fantastic playdate with one of my friends Ian and his wife Llinos the boys are 9 and 7 just like ours their names are Osian and Llion and their daughter who is undoubtedly the boss Gwennan.

After 20 seconds the boys all had weapons ready to defend the universe. It was somewhat confusing as they played a mixture of The Hobbit and Star Wars ooh and a mixture of Rocky and Jean Claude van damme all in the same game. Luke and Llion had boxing gloves on cody and Osian had Guns swords and daggers. Ian, Llinos and I all breathed a  sigh of relief  as at least our kids had some sort of congruence we think they are normal.!!!!!!

We left the Bont at 4.40 which gave us 2 hours to get to Bristol Airport.

We were 10 mins late but Anna was early you guys do the maths.

We arrived home at 10Pm ready for bed.

Day 17 Panto Time

The boys were up at 7.30 am that is. Luke and I had to go on a reconosance mission for the 25th.

When we returned the boys decidied that they would quite like to go to the Penguins of madagascar movie. As Anna is away I thought that it would be good to give my mum a rest as the weather has been average for Wales ha ha.

When we returned we had a quick dinner and then went to the Pantomime. They were unsure of whether it was appropriate to shout out, Did the boys get the idea "OH YES THEY DID"










There was another reason for going our friends Greg and Justine had their kids Ellie and lewis performing in the cast. The boys really enjoyed it as NZ doesn't do pantos. It was a great night.

Day 16 Bristol airport

Today was taken up by the ferrying of my good lady wife to Bristol Airport to get her flight to Glasgow to see our Familyfriend Hazael Brown from Kilmarnockshire.

The boys have played lego and watched movies thanks to my mum for looking after them!!

Dean and Sue Morris are about to visit and we are about to have dinner.

 The boys getting creative with the gingerbread house.

 Tucking in

 Dean and Sue .

Mum
Adios

Day 15 Carols and Mulled wine.

Today we had a lazy start which was great.

Then Cody and Anna went to see the Hobbit movie The battle of teh 5 armies. As they went to the movie Luke my Mum and Myself went to get some christmas gifts at Trostre park llanelli.

I rushed home and cooked Pork Belly and then went to get Anna and Cody.

I then got dropped off at Pontarddulais Rugby Club where the former players had carols and mulled wine. It was great to catch up with so many old friends from my playing days in Wales. I got home at midnight a bit worse for wear.

Night night

Day 14 Laying back

Sorry to all you avid readers.

Today was a day of relaxation though we did have the world cup on the back lawn.

I went and got tescos mobile for 12.50 for the month and also went to Carmarthen to the 3 shop to get a new dongle for the internet.

We had chicken and Vegetable pie for dinner cooked from scratch.

I caught up with some of the neighbours.

Early to bed after we watched the Scarlets play the blues.

Day 13 back to blighty.

It was the day where we flew back to uk and Wales to see my mum.

Anna and I woke at 7 and weighed everything to make sure we were ok and not get stung.

The thermometer read -5. It was to get colder.

We must thank Leena and Pauli for the use of the cottage. It is truly beautiful and peaceful.

The shed

The fire in the morning.

We got a visitor at about 8am the snowblower.

On our 90 min drive back to Rovanemi we saw 11 reindeer on the road.

It was now down to -10

we were warm in the car though.

At the airport in Rovanemi we met up with Leena and Pauli they made gingerbread for Cody and Luke so generous!!! Thanks guys.

When we got to Helsinki airport we found our gate quickly with plenty of time to spare.

We did not hear any calls from the gate. I got up to see what was happening and I heard a call could the jones family proceed immediately to gate 37d you bus leaves in 1 minute. We sprinted to the gate and we are now on the way to Heathrow.