As I write this I am wondering whether our proposed trip to the UK for Christmas will actually happen – all that snow! We only plan to fly in for 4 days - so am just keeping my fingers crossed – and then hope that Liz and Pete can get here for New Year. We are booked to go to the Gala Black Tie evening at The Club!
A year ago we were just about to celebrate Christmas in Australia, having gone over for Matt and Nikki’s wedding. This was lovely, held in Nikki’s Mum’s garden by the river at Eildon - Matt and Nikki arrived by raft! I will not mention the karaoke that brought the day to a close...It was wonderful to have all our family together for the occasion, along with Liz, Pete, Ella, Leo & Lucas (just a few weeks old) and John who came over from Perth.
And now here we are about to celebrate Christmas again – as ever the year has just flown by! I am not sure what to tell you – this could become a ‘travelogue’ of where we’ve been and who has visited! If you are on facebook, you have been updated anyway!!
We have had a good year sailing – Kevin and I here in Abu Dhabi, in the Kestrel every Friday afternoon, whatever the weather (and it can get VERY hot!) and Sophie and I in the Menai Strait’s Regattas in August. We were very impressed with ourselves when we sailed round Puffin Island in huge waves (no mean feat in a Mirror) and came home with trophies!
Kevin and I have also had a good year with the Amateur Dramatic Society here in Abu Dhabi. We have done a couple of productions backstage, but were then two of the four actors in the Little Grimley plays (a series of 3 one act plays, performed as dinner theatre). Finally finishing the year off we were the pantomime shark plus a cameo appearance as the pantomime camel.
My job, teaching ICT at the British School, came to an end in the Summer. Now I am not sure when I had time to fit it in! At the same time Sophie finished her teacher training course in London. We had been very envious of where she had been living – so many opportunities to visit the theatre and enjoy everything London has to offer. She also had many visitors! Sophie has been job-seeking ever since – so much for all the talk of teacher shortage! Finally something has come up for January in Newark.
She was happy enough not to be working in September though as it meant she could join Kevin and I on a trip to Australia – not only did we visit Melbourne, we went to Perth to see John, Julia and Chloe. The main reason for the trip was Tom’s 30th Birthday – once again the whole family were together again. Tom is still running the workshop for the taxi firm – but he had just moved into his newly built house. We spent some of our trip fixing light fittings and curtains & gardening and fixing a skate board ramp for Aiden!
We also went to visit Matt, Nikki and Jasmine and camped near Paynesville where Matt was working, leading school camps. He changed his job a couple of months ago and is now with the bushfire service. Matt and Nikki have sold their house in Eildon and are now hoping to buy one in the Paynesville area.
Dan has completed his second year back at Uni having decided to do another degree and change direction. Part of this year involved a few months study exchange in Denmark. So we (Kevin & I, Sophie and Liz & Pete) took the opportunity of spending a long weekend in Copenhagen in May. One of the things I remember about that trip is that the outside cafés supplied blankets – what a good idea! Not really necessary here most of the year...
Kevin’s office seems to have weathered the storm of the recession, and work is now picking up. However we both feel we are ready to move on (but to where?) Kevin was 60 last week – we celebrated with dinner à deux at a local restaurant.
But Abu Dhabi is a very easy place to live with lots going on for ex-pats. I love my crafting group and I would miss the various ladies’ groups I belong to. Let’s see what 2011 brings!
Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
Love Sue & Kevin
XXX
Postscript - Sadly Kevin's mum passed away on boxing day - peacefully in her sleep in the afternoon after she had had a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas Day. Her family was with her at the end. May she rest in peace.
A year ago we were just about to celebrate Christmas in Australia, having gone over for Matt and Nikki’s wedding. This was lovely, held in Nikki’s Mum’s garden by the river at Eildon - Matt and Nikki arrived by raft! I will not mention the karaoke that brought the day to a close...It was wonderful to have all our family together for the occasion, along with Liz, Pete, Ella, Leo & Lucas (just a few weeks old) and John who came over from Perth.
We have had a good year sailing – Kevin and I here in Abu Dhabi, in the Kestrel every Friday afternoon, whatever the weather (and it can get VERY hot!) and Sophie and I in the Menai Strait’s Regattas in August. We were very impressed with ourselves when we sailed round Puffin Island in huge waves (no mean feat in a Mirror) and came home with trophies!
Kevin and I have also had a good year with the Amateur Dramatic Society here in Abu Dhabi. We have done a couple of productions backstage, but were then two of the four actors in the Little Grimley plays (a series of 3 one act plays, performed as dinner theatre). Finally finishing the year off we were the pantomime shark plus a cameo appearance as the pantomime camel.
She was happy enough not to be working in September though as it meant she could join Kevin and I on a trip to Australia – not only did we visit Melbourne, we went to Perth to see John, Julia and Chloe. The main reason for the trip was Tom’s 30th Birthday – once again the whole family were together again. Tom is still running the workshop for the taxi firm – but he had just moved into his newly built house. We spent some of our trip fixing light fittings and curtains & gardening and fixing a skate board ramp for Aiden!
We also went to visit Matt, Nikki and Jasmine and camped near Paynesville where Matt was working, leading school camps. He changed his job a couple of months ago and is now with the bushfire service. Matt and Nikki have sold their house in Eildon and are now hoping to buy one in the Paynesville area.
Kevin’s office seems to have weathered the storm of the recession, and work is now picking up. However we both feel we are ready to move on (but to where?) Kevin was 60 last week – we celebrated with dinner à deux at a local restaurant.
But Abu Dhabi is a very easy place to live with lots going on for ex-pats. I love my crafting group and I would miss the various ladies’ groups I belong to. Let’s see what 2011 brings!
Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
Love Sue & Kevin
XXX
Postscript - Sadly Kevin's mum passed away on boxing day - peacefully in her sleep in the afternoon after she had had a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas Day. Her family was with her at the end. May she rest in peace.
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