2012

Quick summary of 2012.

Mike has been building hotels in Orlando, Chicago, and North Carolina, so he did 106 flights this year and would happily never get on another plane again. I'm still working at Unum as a Knowledge Manager - one day I will find out what my job title really means.

Ellie and Mark are now at the same elementary school, and Hananh is in her second year at middle school. Hannah's also in a choir called the Wescustago Chorale, and she sang a solo in her 6th grade show this year  which made me cry (of course).

January/February - we had snow although not as much as usual. Only a couple of feet at the house. Luckily in the mountains there was plenty, and the snow-making provided the rest, so we skiied and sledded.

In March we escaped to Costa Rica with Mike's mum Sue for a holiday of a lifetime - we ziplined, explored the cloud forest, got up close with hummingbirds and tarantulas and snakes and monkeys, lazed on the beach and drank a few caipirinhas.

For our summer holiday we had a week in Maine, in a cabin near the Appalachian Trail. The children spent most of it tubing along the nearby streams and rivers, while we watched and periodically pulled leeches off them. We also climbed Borestone Mountain and lounged in hammocks.

We also learnt how to catch lobsters, with a trip on the Lucky Catch, which resulted in some interesting photos of large gloves.

Ellie broke her arm but didn't need a cast - just a sling for a few weeks. She's completely recovered from that now.

The children spent the summer mostly swimming. Hannah went to visit both her grandmas in England, and did her first unaccompanied flight back. We've had requests to send her back again next summer, and Ellie's hoping to join in this time.

Mike got to spend a few days with his family in the UK celebrating Sue's 70th birthday, and caught up with his ever-increasing number of nephews and nieces.

At the end of August, we gained two 16-week old boy cats called Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin is part Maine Coon, while Hobbes is part Tiger.

In November Ellie and I visited the UK and caught up with friends and family in Macclesfield and Kilmarnock. We avoided most of the flooding, but did visit Bobby's house which is recovering from a flood earlier this year. We brought most of the contents of the Tesco confectionery aisle back to the US.

Now it's nearly Christmas, and we are all ready for a break and to spend some time together. Enjoy the photos, and maybe I'll blog sometime again next year.