Guess the main change for us has been Malc working from home. Can't rave enough about this decision. It still gives me a buzz being around in the mornings to have breakfast as a family. Then to also be there in the afternoons when the boys get back from school with a bunch of mates who all need feeding because they are starving.......... If you don't already practice this lifestyle I encourage you to have the courage and make the decision, you will never regret it. We have plenty of fun along the way and our quality of life is magnitudes better. We don't however, seem to have any more time on our hands, in fact we seem busier, which makes me wonder how we fitted everything in our previous lives?
Business is steady and challenging but we make ends meet. I miss the camaraderie of the TAB team environment because I'm generally working alone from home. However, there are advantages also in that you are sole owner and commander of your time, with the family, golf and tennis being winners on this front. I have also been lucky enough to be able to travel with Liam to BMX competitions in a leisurely fashion, as opposed to rushing out the door after work.
Talking of BMX
, Liam has just returned from Hamilton where he competed in the North Island champs over Labour Weekend. He rode extremely well against the top 20 NZ riders in his UCI11 age group. After 5 moto's he was in 3rd place overall. Unfortunately he crashed in the 6th and final points moto, injuring his knee and severely straining his left thumb. X-rays showed no fracture but the belief is that he hyper-extended the thumb. Anyway, that was the end of his racing. 
, Liam has just returned from Hamilton where he competed in the North Island champs over Labour Weekend. He rode extremely well against the top 20 NZ riders in his UCI11 age group. After 5 moto's he was in 3rd place overall. Unfortunately he crashed in the 6th and final points moto, injuring his knee and severely straining his left thumb. X-rays showed no fracture but the belief is that he hyper-extended the thumb. Anyway, that was the end of his racing. 
Both Sean (rugby) and Liam (soccer) had great winter sports seasons.
Sean (left) 
played some excellent rugby at first-five and fullback and made the Waikanae under 13 rep team. They won their round robin matches but went on to lose the cup final to Tawa 12-0. 
Sean is first-five in the photo.
played some excellent rugby at first-five and fullback and made the Waikanae under 13 rep team. They won their round robin matches but went on to lose the cup final to Tawa 12-0. 
Sean is first-five in the photo. Liam 
had an excellent year helping his soccer team to win their grade and making the rep team for his age group. He won his age group "Player of the Year" trophy and the Waikanae Junior club "Player of the Year" trophy for his standout year. Liam also became a X-country running star mid year. He won his school champs and was second at the regionals culminating in his selection in the Wellington Primary School team to compete at an inter-regional competition. The competition included lower North Island and South Island regional teams and was held at Hanmer Springs. The course was 2.2km, crossing a river and over some steep terrain, more like a mountain running course than a x-country course! Liam was second in his age group, to his Wellington team mate Noah, by 1 second. The Wellington team successfully lifted the shield from Canterbury who had never lost it since its inception 5 years ago! I can tell you it was an exciting time (and somewhat vocal) for the Wellington spectators taking a sporting trophy away from Canterbury!
had an excellent year helping his soccer team to win their grade and making the rep team for his age group. He won his age group "Player of the Year" trophy and the Waikanae Junior club "Player of the Year" trophy for his standout year. Liam also became a X-country running star mid year. He won his school champs and was second at the regionals culminating in his selection in the Wellington Primary School team to compete at an inter-regional competition. The competition included lower North Island and South Island regional teams and was held at Hanmer Springs. The course was 2.2km, crossing a river and over some steep terrain, more like a mountain running course than a x-country course! Liam was second in his age group, to his Wellington team mate Noah, by 1 second. The Wellington team successfully lifted the shield from Canterbury who had never lost it since its inception 5 years ago! I can tell you it was an exciting time (and somewhat vocal) for the Wellington spectators taking a sporting trophy away from Canterbury!
Chrissy has taken up golf and plays 9-holes at the Kapiti Club most Fridays. She is also probably the busiest of all of us - Treasurer/Committee for BMX, Cricket committee, Cricket Gear coordinator, Cricket coaches coordinator, Cricket enrolment coordinator, works 4 days a week, manages the accounts for PeopleNet and still finds time for all the other family activities.
Malc has managed to play some golf, usually venturing out on a Friday afternoon and tennis happens two or three times a week - even managed to win the Paraparaumu Club Champs doubles and mixed doubles titles on the way through the year. Cricket training for the rep squads started in late July. The squads trained every second Sunday and now its into the season proper with rep matches scheduled every second Sunday. Role on summer and the good cricket weather!
For the Christmas holidays we will be at Waiotahi Beach. Arriving around 26th December and staying through to the end of January 2008. In that time we have a 2-day BMX (Liam) competition in Tauranga, a cricket tournament (Sean) in Wanganui (11-14 Jan) and another cricket tournament (Sean) in Palmerston North (21-23 Jan). If you are in or around the Bay of Plenty region do drop in or give us a call, we will fire up the barbie, open a beer and/or wine and "chew the fat".
When I read through this post I can see we are still a busy bunch, but thats the Perry way I guess - stay active and busy, eat healthy, play and practice hard, be passionate, be strong, be proud, achieve your best and above all have fun doing it.
With that - Chrissy, Sean, Liam and Malc wish you all a very Merry Christmas and safe and prosperous New Year. Take Care.
Thats Liam's MotoX bike stuck in the fence. No serious damage but a big crash all the same...
Apparently this is called "Stair Diving"....
Chrissy and good mate DL doing some Xtreme stuff...
At our good friends Jo and Paul's farm just out of Cambridge...
Good mate Sonya (Liam's soccer coach) getting 'creamed'....
