As we have done for a number of years we are not sending cards this year, instead we have given a donation to Isabel Hospice, a local charity.
We would like to wish all our friends a merry Xmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2020.
To hear more about our year read on....
The year started with Graham's trip to Argentina to tick off another of the 7 summits. At 6,970 metres Aconcagua on the border of Chile and Argentina is the highest mountain outside of the Himalayas. It is situated an hours drive from Mendoza the wine capital of the area specialising in Malbec wine, which goes so well with Argentine steak. Which, surprise surprise, is where Graham started his acclimatisation for the trip.
In the middle of the 21 day climb Graham celebrated his 65th birthday with a birthday cake cooked in the charcoal ovens at base camp!
Arriving at the penultimate camp at 5,500 metres and erecting the tents the weather took a turn for the worse with a snow storm blowing through the camp and flapping the tents. The night was so cold even urine froze in the pee bottle. The onset of altitude sickness put paid to the attempt and Graham returned to base camp. To be retried at some future date.
The biggest event, and certainly the most exciting, of the year was the birth of Thea Isabella to Natalie. Our granddaughter tipped the scales at just under 4 kilos and instantly won her way into our hearts.
For the first few weeks Natalie and Thea moved in with us allowing Fiona to give her support to both mother and daughter during those hard early days trying to establish a routine. To date Thea is a delight except when we need her to sleep which she simply will not do through the night! I guess it must be in the genes or FOMO.
All holiday plans for the year have been built around Thea's arrival in March. Our main trip this year was Singapore, Borneo and Vietnam all fabulous places and included another Mountain!! - Mount Kinabalu in Borneo. Fiona managed base camp and Graham went on to summit the 4,100 metre peak just before sunrise.
Later in the year Thea continued her globe trotting with a visit to New York and then La Gomera with us. Here she discovered the delights of swimming and mountain walking!
Our Wednesdays, which we have loved so much for the last 3 years, changed this year with Devon reaching the age of 4 (his party theme was Pirates) he now goes to school 😢 We continued to enjoy our time with Devon up until September and took Devon on special trips to the seaside, crabbing, the London Eye, zoos and dinosaur parks. Then school started, he looked so smart and grown up in his new school uniform.
Liv and Lyndsey continue to improve their new home in Luton. Lincoln their mad French Bulldog continues to occupy their time with rigorous training regimes and playing with our Rosie when they are allowed. This year Lyndsey's family from Australia visited and our family circle extended at a big garden party.
This year Robert completed the final leg of the London Classics, a remarkable achievement. Having already run the London marathon and cycled the London 100 he completed the London Swim - a 2 mile swim in the dark and cold waters of the Serpentine.
One major project completed this year was the scanning of all the old 35mm slides we have stored upstairs in Natalie's old bedroom that has become a dump of all things not needed on a regular basis. It has revealed images not seen for over 50 years 😉 A sample:
As we are away this Xmas we had an early family Xmas lunch to make sure we had at least one day together over the festive period.
As we leave 2019 we are all well and looking forward to another year of family events, parties and the pleasures of a growing family. We wish you all the same. Merry Xmas from all of us:
Graham & Fiona
Xmas 2019 xxx
