We haven’t been very active on this site this year. Could give lots of excuses but really we’ve been a bit lazy and also a lot busy!  We also saw a lot of people gave to face when we came over to the UK in May which was great.  Rather a whirlwind trip but fantastic to catch up with you all.

I wrote about “crossing the bridge” earlier in the year when Aonghas went for 5 weeks to Great Barrier Island.  As the boys have reached the age where they are quite independent we are at a sort of hiatus in our lives.  Lachlan moved out in January and has been living with four friends from school. He is currently reviewing his living arrangements but it is unlikely he will come back home for long now he has had a taste of freedom and independent living. He has been working in an outdoor shop and now a bike shop over ther last year after returning from Canada so is financially independent too.  The harsh realities of working five long days a week (often at weekends when his friends are free) and earning not a lot have hit hard.  He now understands that the world is an unfair place; whilst he is working full time his friends, who are students or unemployed, are footloose and fancy free and playing footie! He has worked every day over the Christmas period with only the odd day off so has not had a summer holiday. In fact, he hasn´t had a holiday since this time last year!  However, he has bought himself a car and is now thinking about studying next year.  He has grown into a fine young man and towers over me at over 6ft tall!  Very proud Mum!

Aonghas is growing up fast too.  No longer my baby, he has not quite reached me in terms of height but measures himself against me every week – nearly there!  He loves his sport and computer games and hates studying!  There will be ongoing battles this year as he studies for his NCEA Level 1 Exams.  He represented Waikato at hockey again this year and plays both football and hockey at school.

Nigel continues his work at the University of Waikato as leader of the Waikato Centre for ELearning and I am still at Waikato Diocesan School for Girls now teaching Spanish rather than French and organising Outdoor Camps.  We are busier than we would like as we both added study of some sort to our jobs this year as well.  Nigel has been taking some Uni papers and I was awarded an eFellowship with Core Education this year.  I think our New Year’s Resolution will have to be to give ourselves more time together in 2015 to go away at weekends.

This Christmas we are all apart as I am currently in Costa Rica on a World Challenge expedition with eleven girls from school.  Nigel and Gus, after spending Christmas Day with Lachlan, are in South Island exploring the west coast.  We will all be together again on the 10th January.  Looking forward to it although I am having a fantastic time here in CR.

Once I am back I will try to put together a few photos of our year and post them.  Bye for now!  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.