Well, I cannot believe how quickly 2009 has passed – in fact, how quickly has this decade gone? It has been such an exciting year, so many things have happened. Where shall I start?
We started the year with the Club’s New Year ‘do’ in Abu Dhabi and that’s where we expect to start 2010. It is always a brilliant night (& morning).
Of course we were wondering at the beginning of the year whether we would still be in Abu Dhabi this Christmas. Dubai has suffered greatly from the recession but I am pleased to say that Kevin’s job seems to be ‘on the up’ so that is good. I too started work again in September, teaching ICT at the British School in Abu Dhabi. I would prefer to be a ‘lady of leisure’ but then even when an ‘expat wife’ I was hardly idle, being involved in WIAD (Women in Abu Dhabi) which is a networking group, a crafting group, book groups…and of course I could travel at will…so I did.
In March, Kevin and I were in Australia for Kevin’s work’s conference in Brisbane – but that meant we could also visit Tom & Aiden, Dan, Matt, Nikki & Jasmine in Melbourne.
In May, Sophie and I joined Ella, Liz, Kathryn, Caroline and Nicola for Ella’s Hen Holiday – in Morocco. A brilliant week what with all the shopping & sightseeing, tagines & tours.
In June, I nipped back to the UK for the weekend – Mum and Dad’s Diamond wedding anniversary. Mum and Dad were delighted by a card from the Queen and so pleased to see so many of the family.
A short time later Kevin and I were back in the UK for Ella and Leo’s wedding – really beautiful, in Devon at the Summer solstice.
August saw Kevin & I and many of the family on Anglesey for our usual camping and sailing holiday and the Menai Straits Regattas – this year even more interesting as we had one of Abu Dhabi Sailing Club’s Kestrels to sail…unfortunately the regattas were cancelled on several days because of high winds.
October – yes, again in the UK – this time for Liz’s special Halloween Birthday Party.
Sophie was in Keele in July to receive her Masters in life sciences. She had spent the last year in Nottingham working towards a PhD but around this time she decided to change direction and is now doing a PGCE in London. She wants to teach Chemistry. She was very sad to leave all the good friends she made in Nottingham but she is enjoying her present course, and making the most of living in central London.
Dan also decided to change direction and has just completed his first year back at Uni in Melbourne, studying Engineering Design. He has just been accepted to do a study exchange in Denmark for the first half of next year. He also managed a trip to Thailand and the UK and called in on us in Abu Dhabi on the way back. He was very impressed with afternoon tea in the Burj Al Arab.
Tom continues to work for the same firm in Melbourne – he has just bought a plot of land and is having a house built in Cranbourne (South East of Melbourne). Aiden is now 9 and growing up fast.
Matt has now got a new outdoor ed job near Lakes Entrance (100km east of Melbourne) and he Nikki and Jasmine will move down there in the New Year – it will be a shame to leave their Eildon home which they have worked very hard on – but hopefully they will be able to let that.
I became a Great Aunt (& Kevin a Great Uncle) for the 7th and 8th time this year – Chloe was born to John and Julia in February and Lucas was born to Ella and Leo in October – Chloe, John and Julia came to stay with us in Abu Dhabi in July on their way to Perth where they will live for the next couple of years.
If you are on facebook you will have seen pictures of all these events – fb seems to have taken over from our website, but I do intend getting that up to date eventually…
That brings us up to now – we have just spent 3 weeks in Australia for Matt and Nikki’s wedding and Christmas. The wedding was in Eildon in Nikki’s mum’s property there. Bride and groom arrived by raft on the Goulburn River and the ceremony was held in the garden. A great time was had by all. In between the wedding and Christmas we travelled around in a “Wicked” camper van (see pics on fb) which caused a few heads to turn.
Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a wonderful 2010
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Love Sue and Kevin XX
We started the year with the Club’s New Year ‘do’ in Abu Dhabi and that’s where we expect to start 2010. It is always a brilliant night (& morning).
Of course we were wondering at the beginning of the year whether we would still be in Abu Dhabi this Christmas. Dubai has suffered greatly from the recession but I am pleased to say that Kevin’s job seems to be ‘on the up’ so that is good. I too started work again in September, teaching ICT at the British School in Abu Dhabi. I would prefer to be a ‘lady of leisure’ but then even when an ‘expat wife’ I was hardly idle, being involved in WIAD (Women in Abu Dhabi) which is a networking group, a crafting group, book groups…and of course I could travel at will…so I did.
In March, Kevin and I were in Australia for Kevin’s work’s conference in Brisbane – but that meant we could also visit Tom & Aiden, Dan, Matt, Nikki & Jasmine in Melbourne.
In May, Sophie and I joined Ella, Liz, Kathryn, Caroline and Nicola for Ella’s Hen Holiday – in Morocco. A brilliant week what with all the shopping & sightseeing, tagines & tours.
In June, I nipped back to the UK for the weekend – Mum and Dad’s Diamond wedding anniversary. Mum and Dad were delighted by a card from the Queen and so pleased to see so many of the family.
A short time later Kevin and I were back in the UK for Ella and Leo’s wedding – really beautiful, in Devon at the Summer solstice.
August saw Kevin & I and many of the family on Anglesey for our usual camping and sailing holiday and the Menai Straits Regattas – this year even more interesting as we had one of Abu Dhabi Sailing Club’s Kestrels to sail…unfortunately the regattas were cancelled on several days because of high winds.
October – yes, again in the UK – this time for Liz’s special Halloween Birthday Party.
Sophie was in Keele in July to receive her Masters in life sciences. She had spent the last year in Nottingham working towards a PhD but around this time she decided to change direction and is now doing a PGCE in London. She wants to teach Chemistry. She was very sad to leave all the good friends she made in Nottingham but she is enjoying her present course, and making the most of living in central London.
Dan also decided to change direction and has just completed his first year back at Uni in Melbourne, studying Engineering Design. He has just been accepted to do a study exchange in Denmark for the first half of next year. He also managed a trip to Thailand and the UK and called in on us in Abu Dhabi on the way back. He was very impressed with afternoon tea in the Burj Al Arab.
Tom continues to work for the same firm in Melbourne – he has just bought a plot of land and is having a house built in Cranbourne (South East of Melbourne). Aiden is now 9 and growing up fast.
Matt has now got a new outdoor ed job near Lakes Entrance (100km east of Melbourne) and he Nikki and Jasmine will move down there in the New Year – it will be a shame to leave their Eildon home which they have worked very hard on – but hopefully they will be able to let that.
I became a Great Aunt (& Kevin a Great Uncle) for the 7th and 8th time this year – Chloe was born to John and Julia in February and Lucas was born to Ella and Leo in October – Chloe, John and Julia came to stay with us in Abu Dhabi in July on their way to Perth where they will live for the next couple of years.
If you are on facebook you will have seen pictures of all these events – fb seems to have taken over from our website, but I do intend getting that up to date eventually…
That brings us up to now – we have just spent 3 weeks in Australia for Matt and Nikki’s wedding and Christmas. The wedding was in Eildon in Nikki’s mum’s property there. Bride and groom arrived by raft on the Goulburn River and the ceremony was held in the garden. A great time was had by all. In between the wedding and Christmas we travelled around in a “Wicked” camper van (see pics on fb) which caused a few heads to turn.
Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a wonderful 2010
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