Hi to our wonderful BT friends:

We sincerely hope we all have a good Christmas - not getting tooo stressssseddd!!! Instead, simply spending really quality time with those we love, enjoying smiles, laughter, hugs and encouraging words- things that really build each other up,  and letting each other know how much we love them no matter what the circumstances!!!

Mark's tumour is nearly 14 years old now!!! And is playing up for the third time...He had a good first half of the year…and ran the Rotorua Marathon in May – knocking ½ an hour off last year’s time!!! Then he worked part-time for a term at the High School, looking after severely disabled students; but his health was worsening again - confirmed by MRI scans in July then really confirmed in September. Main problems are - very forgetful now, can't really read or write much and is going deaf (or is deafness just because he is male???) He also stumbles around a bit aesp when tired, and still gets numbmess seizures down right side - 3g of Epilim a day as well as Dilantin and trying all sorts of other anticonvulsants as well - but not much improvement yet. At this stage he has had 3 months of chemo (BCNU) and a MRI last week showed the tumour is back to its July state - so that's positive!!!

Nothing keeps a good man down long though…and we've just had a weekend away to Tongariro National Park, where Mark & friend Bernie walked the 7 hour Tongariro Crossing, while Bernie’s wife Julie & I did our Christmas shopping in Taupo!!! Mark’s & my Christmas present to each other was the fabulous 2 night stay at the Chateau! With it's sauna and underground heated pool, it was also perfect to soothe the guys’ aching bodies after their walk!!!

Lot of Love to everyone,

Mark and Liz in Gisborne