Visitors!

Hi, we have just said goodbye to the Mertes Family. We had a fun long weekend with them that really revolved around drinking as many different Belgium beers as we could! They arrived when I was on my way out to Abi's Leavers Dining out night at school. Abi had got a new outfit and looked lovely. The night was good fun and lots of great things were said about the kids. Abi had written a play that the class performed and it was very funny with Abi stealing the show at the end!

We had a few hours in Mons on Friday day and then spent time on SHAPE at a music festival and also at our happy hour. We also did our favourite walk to our pub through the woods and had an early night out in Mons with Jacob babysitting - Abi was not that impressed but Kaden was!

The adults enjoyed steak on a rock and a few cocktails after!

It was sad to say goodbye to the Mertes but I am sure we will see them in Floirda at some point next year!

Abi also became a Merit Centurion at school, meaning that she got 1000 stars. She did it in record time - normally taking 4 years she has managed it in 2.5 years. You get your name on the board at school. I said she could have a treat for doing so well so she has asked to have her ears pierced and we agreed - I was going to make her wait until she was 13 so she's happy!

I have also included a photo of Abi and the cakes she entered into a baking competition. She did it all on her own - with the help of You Tube. She won and was extremely pleased.

Warsaw and Christmas 2014

As I said in the main blog that covered the year we went to Warsaw in October half term. It was a beautiful city, we explored it fully, stayed in an excellent hotel and would love to return to Poland.

Also found a photo from Christmas, we celebrated for the first time in 8 years at home. It was a really relaxed day doing absolutely nothing except eating and drinking!

Abi as Fairy Nasty Boots

Another post I should have included was star of the Christmas Show Fairy Nasty Boots. Abi stole the show and was a natural evil character! I didn't recognise her when she walked on stage due to the black wig.

Abi's 11th Birthday

Adding in a photo from Abi's birthday. She celebrated in Cyprus with a pedicure followed by a shop bought cake, a lovely lunch and then a Mc Donald's tea! We had a brilliant holiday in Cyprus and can't wait to go back. We are lucky that one of Abi's friends has just moved there so it will be a short flight from Jordan.

June 2014-June2015!

Well from the title of this post I think you can see I have been rubbish at up dating our blog! Will try and summarise the past year. We had a fab holiday in Florida, celebrating July 4th on Miami Beach. We also managed to meet up with Nadine and family in Northern Florida spending a few days with Phill's brother too. We did the Everglades, a boat tour and Orlando too, plus some great shopping!

Jacob finished at the British School on SHAPE and started at the British School of Brussels (BSB). This is around 1.5 hours on the bus each way for him. He's been brilliant and not moaned at all. I am not so happy about getting up at 6.10am each day! He took part in trampolining club and loved it. He has made so good friends there and will be sad to leave this summer. He's about to go on a school residential to the south of France.

Abi is about to finish year 6 at the British School on SHAPE. She's had a great year, she's continued swimming, swimming in the CHAMPS at Eindhoven in February. She bridged to Cadettes with Girl Scouts and completed her Bronze Award which culminated in handing

out Christmas bags to soldiers being deployed. She played her Ocarina at the British Fete in the talent show and also won first prize for her cake decorating skills. Abi will be sad to leave her friends here too.

I've continued my supply teaching and tutoring too. I have carried on leading my Junior Girl Scout group - with 30 girls! I have also enjoyed taking my English Conversation Group and trying to speak as much French in my French Conversation group - think I have improved, can now hold a decent chat and argue when needed! So all in all I have been extremely busy but happy too.

Allen has travelled widely with work, I got to go to Rome with him that was fun. He was president of Abi's swim team which took up a huge amount of time! He also ran a half marathon on no training and a tough mudder run. We are both in a fun running club that runs on a Sunday morning. He has loved the Belgium Beer!

Other holidays have included a trip to Warsaw, Prague, London, a few trips to the UK, Cyprus and Germany. Jacob turned 12 and is nearly as tall as me. Abi is now 11, she chose to go to the UK with a friend to a trampolining place - they had loads of fun.

So our next big move is to Jordan. Allen will be working for the Jordanian Army in Amman. We are all looking forward to exploring a new part of the world. However, before this big move we have Allen's Mum's 70th Birthday to celebrate, Allen's nephew's 21st birthday, friends visiting from America, Abi's leaving dinner from school and a farewell BBQ for us at Mum and Dad's - lots of things to fit in in the next 6 weeks. I will try to update this more. I will pick a few photos from the past year to add in!