Sequoia has started high school at Mater Maria Catholic College (one of the token pagans). She’s in the advanced classes which is good as it’s challenging her and she’s loving it and thriving-has a large number of new friends and is happy.

Bodhi is in year 4 at Kamaroi and Cedar is in year 1. Both are very happy.  Bodhi and Cedar are surfing a lot.

Sequoia and Bodhi are still playing soccer, both in division 1 teams-Bodhi is in a mixed team and is the only female player in Avalon Club’s U10 mixed teams-which is testament to how well she plays.

Bodhi and Matt went on a surf trip together for a few days to Crescent Head and had amazing waves.

Car camping was the preferred style:

Bodhi was getting 300m (300yds) rides and had a great time.

Bodhi’s surfing has progressed a lot in the past few months since she got herself a new 5’2″ Rusty shaped by a local shaper Aido. A great little board, which was Aido’s son Izaac’s board (Isaac got a new 4’10″!).

Cedar has been surfing an old 6’6″ Aloha given to me by a mate of mine:

then moved onto a 5’10″ Al Merrick Flyer and has now moved onto to a 5’5″ Simon Anderson (known as The Sticker Board).

Jenna has a full-time job as an English teacher at Pittwater High School and is enjoying it-although challenged by the juggle of all the facets of her life.

So in a year, not much has changed-all a little older, not all of us wiser.

Jenna is now half-way through her Masters in Education-due to finish at the end of this year and working regularly as a casual and temp. English Teacher.  Jenna lost one of her very dearest friends (Amala) to breast cancer in September 2009, gratefully they shares time together in Amala’s final weeks.

Sequoia is growing into a woman and in her last year of primary school. A mad mad bookworm and wordlywise.

Bodhi is in year 3 and loving school and surfing (she won the 2009 BL Blast Off surfing competition last October).

Cedar is ever growing and always joyful and light spirited.

Koa the dog is happy and recovered from her car accident in June 2009-the escape dog went walkabout to the local dog park, was hit by a car and broker her pelvis and 4 ribs: a plate and 5 permanent screws, $7,000.00, time, patience and care and she’s all renewed and leaping.

Matt went to Indonesia kitesurfing and surfing in September and coached Bodhi’s U/8 soccer team at Avalon Soccer Club, and was a sideline soccer dad for Sequoia’ team.

Of course so much more happened, but these are snippets of a year in the life.

Photos will follow…….

One thing that did happen about 3 weeks ago is that while everyone was at school or work, Koa our 9 month Lab/Staffordshire Terrier cross went for a wander to the local dog park on her own: unfortunately she needed to cross a busy road to get there and was hit by a car. The lady that hit her was lovely and called me immediately and took Koa to our vet (which is 500m from our house) and Koa received great car-she almost died due to her injuries which were:

• 4 broken ribs;
• contusions to her liver with internal bleeding;
• contusions to her lung;
• some minor grazes; and
• 4 or so displaced fractures to her pelvis.

We took her the day after the accident to a specialist vet centre (http://www.vetspecialist.com.au/) where she was operated on to repair the pelvic fracture, ended up with a plate and 4 screws inserted into her pelvis.

Now 3 weeks later, she is walking and seems to feel very well-however, she needs to be restricted for another 2-3 weeks to ensure that the fracture heals correctly.

In the the past 2 months, Sequoia has turned 10, Bodhi has turned 8 and Matt has turned older. Sequoia and Bodhi have been madly playing soccer every weekend, Sequoia with an all girls team in the under 11 competition for Avalon Soccer Club a Bodhi in a mixed team (only 1 boy, so only a slight mixing) in the under 8 competition.

Jenna has been getting quite a lot of work as a casual teacher, mainly at Barrenjoey High School.  Unfortunately she has had a sinus cold/flu for the past 3 weeks and is only now starting to shake it off.

Cape to Cape lighthouses. In between these two lighthouses is an amazing stretch of the Australian coast-with waves and scenery to take your breath away.

Map of the Cape to Cape Region WA

Glen and Brenda were also ding their first ‘solo’ trip away from their 2 girls,for the first time in 8 years. It was great to feel like kids again. Western Australia is a very beautiful place and the area we went to between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin (main town being Margaret River) is a lovely limestone stretch well known for the Cape to Cape walking track and the many outstanding wineries in the region. We spent the first night at Yallingup and woke up to an amazing vista of desert like flora, bright white sandy beach and clear blue water:

Our trip was really too short and was basically a reconnaissance for a future grander trip.  We were lucky to arrive just as a new swell came in from the SW-the downside was that we arrived on a Friday and the swell on the Saturday, together with hordes of  surfers for Perth searching for ‘the spot’ to ride the new swell.  It was good to see a heap of places firing, we started off surfing Supertubes at Smiths (Yallingup) and then headed South to Gracetown as the wind started to come in from the SW.  We then headed south to Indijup Point which looked really good and was protected from the wind-BUT the hordes had decided it was the Spot so we headed further south to Gracetown where South Point was offshore and firing, unfortunately North Point which is by far the better wave was too wind affected-had some size though-would be great to catch with swell and an offshore wind.

After Gracetown we drove straight to Margaret River to meet up with Glen and Brenda-Matt and Glen went kitesurfing substantial waves and 25+ knot winds. Unfortunately Matt’s 6m Boxer SLE kite had a leak in the leading edge bladder-resulting in him having a kite deflating out the back reef in double overhead surf and lasting wind-unfortunately ending the session early.

We slept at Gnarabup that night overlooking Boat Ramps looking north towards Margaret River main break.

Next day the the swell had dropped but the wind went straight offshore and the waves were epic everywhere.  Unfortunately Matt spent 4 hours repairing his deflated kite in expectation of session later-meant we missed the best waves of the day and the peak of the swell-at least he’s good at repairing kites now!

A couple stand up paddle surfers went out early from Gnarabup to ride some double overhead waves at Boat Ramps-good to see them getting amongst it.  Also had a bunch of surfers launching jet skis from Gnarabup in search of some mysto outer bombie waves. We went surfing at Main Break Margaret River in some fun overhead waves which were surprisingly uncrowded-we both caught heaps of waves and had a great time.  After that it was back to the same spot at Gnarabup with Matt waiting for the wind to swing cross-shore to go kiting out at Boat Ramps.

Matt and Glen had a great afternoon kite out at Boat Ramps in overhead waves and only 2 others out.

That evening was a lovely simultaneous ocean sunset and full moon moonrise.

Next day was Jenna’s birthday and we surfed great fun little right handers at Main Break Margaret River back beach:

and went for a walk on a track next to the Margaret River:

to some limestone caves.

That night we had a birthday dinner for Jenna in the Glen and Brenda super camper with wine compliments of the local region and chocolate mud cake from Brenda:

Next day we went south to wards Augusta and Cape Leeuwin where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet. 

We stopped in at Hamelin Bay and patted the local tame stingrays:

Next day we headed north to Perth and Fremantle and visited a few vineyards on the way back. Left at midnight to return home-Matt went straight to work that day and Jenna that night-we suffered withdrawals for the next week or so…..

The girls (including Jenna) are on school holidays now-makes for a MUCH more relaxed atmosphere in the Leigh-Jones house. Xmas tree is up and the presents are starting to arrive-from friends rather than than the fat guy. Everyone has been surfing and sunning and just doing their own thing with the restrictions of school day schedules off the agenda.

Cedar finished her time at Palm Beach Kindergarten and next year she’ll head off to Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School with her big sisters. Because Cedar is young for kindy she will go for two years rather than the usual one.

Our new puppy, Koa, is ever growing, the girls, particularly Sequoia, are in love with her-just what they have always wanted. Makes for happy kids. Matt’s mum, Leah, came and puppy sat for a week when we were all at work or school-we call her the ‘dog whisperer’ because of her affection and affinity for dogs. She was great and a huge help.

We’re really looking forward to Xmas time when everyone is on holiday and we can catch up with friends. We’re not going anywhere this year overseas this year-no flight benefits with United anymore-boo hoo-but we made the most of it. Matt and Jenna ARE doing a solo surf trip to WA in early Feb (Jenna’s birthday) and the off to Byron Bay in early March (Sequoia’s Birthday) so we’re seeing more of our own country these days-beautiful as it is.

Definitely a further clipping of the wings and yet another interesting change.

Bodhi still has another year to grab 1st place-she tells us that next year is her year!  The girls love the camaraderie of the contest and new friends are made every year-this year became new best friend with Rose Henry, who is the 8 year old daughter (and 2nd place getter in the comp.) of my childhood sweetheart Georgia.  The girls became almost inseparable for a large part of the holidays following the comp. Photo below of Bodhi surfing in the BL Blast Off Surf Comp:

Girls are now back at school and so far all is well-every afternoon they’ve been surfing after school and loving it-warmer water, sunny days and fun waves. I will update with some pictures when I get a chance.

At least our final trip with United was made more memorable as a result of the hassles with getting back.