We are still in Abu Dhabi but not for much longer we think. Kevin has been here 7 years and is ready for a new challenge. We do not know where but in preparation for a move we have both resigned from the Sailing Club Committee and I have retired from being Chair of WIAD (Women in Abu Dhabi). Both Committees have kept us busy for several years!
Both of us have travelled to Australia - Kevin for a long weekend for his annual conference in March - me in January for a little longer to catch up with our Aussies and attend Bec and Adam's wedding. We plan to visit again next year in May/June as Nikki and Matt are expecting another baby in April...
We have flown to the UK several times - sadly at the beginning of the year for Kevin's Mum's funeral (if you read last year's newsletter you will have seen that she passed away last Boxing Day...she had had a lovely Christmas Day and we were all with her...). In May we celebrated my Mum's 80th birthday. Mum was delighted to have all her daughters, son, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren around for the beginning of May. Tom, Aiden, Dan, Matt, Nikki, Jasmine, John, Julia and Chloe all flew in from Australia...Colin and Lyn hosted a garden party while we were all there so we also had a big family get together for Kevin’s side of the family – a rare event indeed. We also spent some time down in Devon at Liz and Pete's where a major excitement was the bees swarming!
At the end of June we took advantage of a long weekend and had a 3 day trip to Kathmandu. Fascinating, it would have been good if we could have stayed longer.
Then there was Menai in the Summer...I escaped the heat of the Emirates for the whole of Ramadan, enjoying the sailing on the Straits, visiting Scarborough and London with Sophie (staying with Robert), visiting Mum and Dad in Breaston, Liz and Pete in Devon ( this time we were jarring honey!). While in Derbyshire we organised a family trip to an open air theatre. Dad was very pleased to have the use of a very comfy wheelchair for the event and Andrew soon scooted him down to the show! Kathryn has now organised for us to go to the Derby pantomime when we arrive on Friday...
Since the Summer Kevin and I have had short trips to Jordan and the Seychelles - both coinciding with public holidays here so a good excuse for a long weekend...We enjoyed the Roman ruins of Jordan, saw the Dead Sea, visited Petra- and then in the Seychelles we managed to get very sunburnt snorkelling...
We see Matt, Nikki and Jasmine and Tom, Dan and Aiden on Skype quite often. Jasmine is now 3 and Aiden 11. Matt and Nikki moved into their new house in Paynesville earlier in the year and now Matty has built on an extra room. They have hens and a puppy and Matty is seriously into gardening. He is still working for the fire service and was recently enjoying doing controlled burns! Dan continues with his second degree course and is currently doing work experience. Tom still runs the workshop for the taxi company - he has just enjoyed another trip to the UK for a wedding in November so Mum and Dad were very happy to have him stay again. This time he didn't travel via Abu Dhabi - in May both he and Aiden and Matt, Nikki and Jasmine visited here on the way to/ from the UK. I think Tom probably remembers best his drive round the Yas Island F1 circuit in a race-tuned car (Aston Martin GT4) from that trip.
Sophie started teaching science near Newark in February and she moved into her own studio apartment there. Unfortunately this job was only a maternity cover and came to an end a couple of weeks ago but she is still in Newark and is now looking for something else!
That pretty well brings us to the end of 2011. All of the best to you and yours for Christmas and the New Year, and our very good wishes for 2012.
Love Sue & Kevin
XXX
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