Damian and Jenny after the ceremony
Damian looking very wise and learned
Luke in his Armidale Blues rugby gear
Lily is the tallest player on her team, but not the roughest
Damian recently graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Masters of Theology. It has been a few years of hard slog for all of us, but we are very proud of him. My sister Kathy and I attended the ceremony in the Great Hall which was very grand. Roy Slaven spoke which was very entertaining, and Nathan Bracken's glamorous wife from Dancing with the Stars was also graduating (not in theology I might add, I think it was counselling or social work).
The next night Stuart and Marianne joined us for a lovely celebratory dinner at an Italian restaurant with our 4 kids and 2 of Kathy's boys.
As you can see both Luke and Lily have started playing rugby for the Armidale Blues. At the first game when we went to watch Luke, Lily saw a few other girls in an under 8 team and said she'd like to have a go. She tends to hover at the back , but Luke is loving the physical contact and does everything hard. Lily's coach owns the local McDonalds so we should get a few vouchers at the end of the season.
Other Armidale Roff news... Amy is off to Tasmania in the holidays for a Gondwana choir tour around the island state which should be a wonderful opportunity for her. I will take her and her friend to Newcastle and put them on a plane, then spend 4 days with my sister which I am really looking forward to. I have been in contact with my teacher exchange partner via email for a while, but today we went on skype which was amazing. With the laptops we were able to give each other guided tours of our houses and back yards. There were sheep and cows in the school ag farm next to us so she thought that was fabulous. They have 2 children girl 9 and boy 7 and we met them too.
Come and visit us soon before we fly out on Dec 31. We will spend 3 nights in Waikiki before flying on to Calgary - the last warm temps for some time I think. I have to start work at St Elizabeth Seton (k - 9 Elementary school) on Jan 9 and the kids on Jan 10 so their Christmas holidays will be short lived this year. Amy, Luke and Lily will attend my school, and Cal will attend the senior Catholic high school Notre Dame. They will all start in the year they would start here, but in September after the summer break they will all go up one year for a few months before we head home. We will be home in time for the Roff reunion, and the place on the south coast sounds fantastic!!!
Take care
Jenny xxx
The next night Stuart and Marianne joined us for a lovely celebratory dinner at an Italian restaurant with our 4 kids and 2 of Kathy's boys.
As you can see both Luke and Lily have started playing rugby for the Armidale Blues. At the first game when we went to watch Luke, Lily saw a few other girls in an under 8 team and said she'd like to have a go. She tends to hover at the back , but Luke is loving the physical contact and does everything hard. Lily's coach owns the local McDonalds so we should get a few vouchers at the end of the season.
Other Armidale Roff news... Amy is off to Tasmania in the holidays for a Gondwana choir tour around the island state which should be a wonderful opportunity for her. I will take her and her friend to Newcastle and put them on a plane, then spend 4 days with my sister which I am really looking forward to. I have been in contact with my teacher exchange partner via email for a while, but today we went on skype which was amazing. With the laptops we were able to give each other guided tours of our houses and back yards. There were sheep and cows in the school ag farm next to us so she thought that was fabulous. They have 2 children girl 9 and boy 7 and we met them too.
Come and visit us soon before we fly out on Dec 31. We will spend 3 nights in Waikiki before flying on to Calgary - the last warm temps for some time I think. I have to start work at St Elizabeth Seton (k - 9 Elementary school) on Jan 9 and the kids on Jan 10 so their Christmas holidays will be short lived this year. Amy, Luke and Lily will attend my school, and Cal will attend the senior Catholic high school Notre Dame. They will all start in the year they would start here, but in September after the summer break they will all go up one year for a few months before we head home. We will be home in time for the Roff reunion, and the place on the south coast sounds fantastic!!!
Take care
Jenny xxx
5 comments:
Congrats all round! Lily and Luke look like they mean business...
- Kate
Great work Damo! Luke and Lily look like natural born wingers to me. The Calgary trip sounds incredible - I feel like there should be a camera crew with you!
Thanks Jenny for your newsy post. Damian - CONGRATULATIONS!! A M.Theol is a magnificent achievement.I would have liked to see you take on board some more radical views on women in the church but then you might not have passed!You deserve to be a house husband for awhile next year to get your breath back.Jenny, you'll no doubt enjoy coming home each day to a cooked meal!Glenn & I hope to visit in the Sept/Oct hols if you are around. Will be in touch.I don't know how you keep up with your kids and sport/music! Love to all, Sue.
Congrats Damio. I seem to remember Uni advice from you that went "A gentleman's pass is all you need, otherwise your social and sporting life may suffer". I don't think you are following your own advice!
Luke and Lilly, I played one game against your cousin Joe in Rugby, broke the line, and found myself 1 on 1 with him. A quick step off the right and I was under the posts. I just thought you'd enjoy that story.
Well done Damian - I know what effort is required. Have you come up with a thesis topic for your PhD? It's just another six years...
Thanks for the newsy post, Jenny. I'm with Sue - don't know how you do it.
Love, Grant
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