Christmas Greetings 2013

Christmas Greetings for 2013

With Santa at North Pole, Alaska - July

This Year started with a trip up the coast to get mum’s place ready for sale. Fortunately it sold fairly quickly and dispersal of the estate is now completed. We came back to Yass for another house sit and enjoyed 5 of David’s 20 performances as Jean Valjean in Les Mis with friends and relatives in February. He was great and later in the year he was awarded the Canberra Critics’ Circle Award.

David, as Jean Valjean - Feb/March

So then in April we set off to LA, collected the RV in Vegas, visited friends in Texas, then headed for Alaska up the eastern side of the Rockies. The Americans “do” their National Parks well and we really enjoyed the Rocky Mnts NP, Grand Tetons NP, Yellowstone NP and Glacier NP.

The Tetons from Lookout along the Snake River

There was plenty of snow and the scenery was breathtaking. Then into Canada and followed the Alcan Hwy through The Yukon to Anchorage. A most wonderful trip.

Bear and cubs fishing for salmon in Alaska

Before we came home we joined a group of Rotarians on a friendship exchange to Indiana, another great experience.

The RV is back in Houston. We’ve decided to sell it – other places are beckoning us.

The kids are all well and healthy.

Ali and JP celebrated their 10^th wedding anniversary and are still enjoying their music, bands and concerts. They went to Cyndi Lauper and Van Halen concerts during the year. Ali does volunteer work in Penrith and JP is studying accounting at TAFE .

Alison and JP

After seeing Malta, Edinburgh and Paris earlier in 2013, Carolyn and Gavin returned to Australia from London in October. They are setting up in Canberra and planning a wedding in August. Carolyn has returned to her passion, early childhood education, and has accepted a Senior Educator position in a beautiful centre in the Toddler room. Gavin has enrolled in a course with Charles Sturt Uni doing Master of Security studies, and is working hard at it.

Carolyn and Gavin in London

Dave and Kirsten in Philadelphia

David (Les Mis) and Kirsten (Hair) - shows this year. Kirsten completed her Bachelor of Arts (majoring in creative writing) Dave auditioned unsuccessfully for Aust Opera but sang his arias beautifully at the recent Christmas concert. They had a great month in USA in April/May, Philadelphia, New York (Shows) to Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Kirsten and Dave in Washington DC

Huong and Luke

Huong and Quang had a much wanted beautiful baby boy in August and named him Luke. Jenny and Emma are enjoying having a brother and both are doing well in school. Huong is thinking about returning to work early next year.

Jen, with Jenny, Emma and Luke

We are all heading for Charlotte Pass in the Snowy Mountains, for four days over Christmas at the ski lodge with Kirsten’s parents (Adele and Brett) and brother (Brian) – away from phones and email – and hoping to have good walking weather and maybe another trek to the top of Kosciuszko.