Christmas News Letter

 

This is a run-down of our year. We are looking forward to hearing news from friends and rellies and hope that the year has brought you good health and happiness.

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This year, in July we welcomed a new grandchild, Molly Lanna O'Connell, her second name commemorating her grandmother who sadly died in February this year. I spent some weeks in Kuala Lumpur with Alison, Scott and Lucy, so was there for Molly's arrival. We should also give David and Rebekah's little Leah a welcome since she arrived on December 6, last year, after we had written our Christmas letter. David, Rebekah and Leah are still living in Albury, so we see them often.

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Earlier this year I had a week in Honiara with Karl, Ruth, Harry and Leo. That was a great experience - thanks Karl and Ruth.
Before going to Kuala Lumpur for Molly's birth, I did a week's teaching in Singapore, this time "Creative Arts", part of an Early Childhood degree, run by Ballarat University, and once again, I enjoyed every minute of it. Equally enjoyable was a couple of weeks I had in Japan with Toshiko and Kiyoshi. After I came back home, Keith and I went on a northern "friends and rellies crawl". It was great to see so many people we love. Unfortunately, we missed some of you but hope to catch up in 2012.
We both keep well apart from the expected "older age" stuff. Keith is busy writing his autobiography, has his head in lots of books and manages the vegie garden. I play my recorder (am having lessons too) and piano. I still struggle along with learning Japanese and do the grandma job on the flower gardens. I am  still doing some online teaching for Charles Sturt Uni. So you can see that our life is full.

We wish you a happy Christmas and hope that 2012 will be a good one.

Photos from top are:

Lucy and Molly

Leah

Karl and Ruth's house at Honiara, Solomon Islands.