Archive for the ‘Family’ Category
I realise it’s a bit of an uphill battle and what with needing electricity, etc to see this but here is our green Christmas Card for 2010.
We trust this finds you well and if we haven’t spoken recently then our apologies – please do get in touch.
Here’s hoping you have a blessed, peaceful, relaxed and joyful festive season and that 2011 brings you all your hearts desires.
Stuart, Kathryn, Owen, Jenna & Coel – aka SKOJC
Unlike previous years we are opting to do away with newsletters altogether. They just seem a bit passe and typically one forgets half the stuff that has happened anyway.
So no PDF as last year or paper based ones from years before that. Instead we will add news and updates here as and when we remember or see fit or indeed have anything newsworthy to report.
Please then, take this as your invitation to check back here on a regular basis or better still sign up to the RSS feed and be automatically notified when new content appears – that way you get to pick what news you do and don’t want to read.
The big news as far as we are concerned is that we have recently found out that Owen had applied to spend his industrial year at CERN (yes, it’s spelled with all caps) and what is more he has been successful. This is something he’s dreamed of for years and for it to come true is truly outstanding for him. Owen is over the moon and we are equally as excited for him. When you consider CERN only accepts 100 or so students from across the European Union then you begin to realise the scale of what he’s achieved.
It also means our holiday next year – which was planned to be Malta – will now be to Switzerland to visit our son in Geneva.
Aside from that we are all keeping well with no major health worries – usual coughs, colds, etc haven’t been that prevalent and even Owen’s glandular fever finally seems to have gone – they did warn us it could take a year or two to fully go.
Myself, Jenna & Coel are continuing or martial arts training in Tang Soo Do and we all graded to 7th Gup (orange with green tag belt) earlier in the year and myself also grading again to 6th Gup (they go downwards for those that don’t know) or Green belt. The big event next year is that our association is hosting the World Championships in Cardiff in May.
Kathryn’s big news is that she has passed her Level 2 British Sign Language exam and has started on her pre-level 3 course at night school.
Other than that the rest is already on the blog or you need to ask us ;)
Christmas blessings.
My 16 weeks of “exercise by referral” has ended and I mostly enjoyed it.
Unfortunately the final 3 weeks were a bust as life prevented me from getting to the gym. The good news is that my employer has come up with a corporate deal at the local Esporta and so I’m fully signed up and attending there – it’s amazing how much pain you can be in from exercise after having taken 3 weeks away!
All this can only be good though. Saturday (Nov 26th) is my next grading day for Tang Soo Do – this time it’s for my green belt or 6th Gup. From here on in it gets real serious and I need to know the Korean for everything rather than asking for a translation or demonstration …. anyone got a Learn Korean quick lying around? The children won’t be joining me this time as they couldn’t quite get to grips with the required form – Pyung Ahn O Dan. However ma’am tells us this is the hardest Pyung Ahn form we will learn and next grading the children get to do a much easier form. Coel was devastated but I’m hoping it’s a valuable lesson learned.
Jenna is loving year 6 at school – she was one of the comperes for their Coychurch has got talent in aid of Children In Need. Kathryn again helping Coel with a fabulous idea where he pretended to be a mini James Bond and finished by delivering a box of Milk Tray to his teacher … with appropriate music and voice over. We’re told he stole the show!
Kathryn has now re-taken her Stage 2 Signing exam module that she failed last time around and we should know the result by Christmas – she’s also stepping away from the slave labour that is her Thursday afternoon at work. It’s not worth all the extra grief, stress and hassle for an extra few pounds in the purse
Owen meanwhile has launched himself into Uni and in his own words is “happy and having a real good time”. He’s on top of his projects and excited about the potential of his Industrial Year. For those that haven’t heard he’s applied to spend the year at Cern. Although he’s dropped the physics for now he still loves the subject matter and the idea of being there for a year is a real draw. His Uni was only too happy to get behind his application and they have thoroughly praised h and recommended hi. They also told him they don’t let just any student wistfully apply to Cern and he’s one of a very select few that have been allowed in Cern’s history.
So if any of you know somebody there that could help him out then do tip them the wink – he’s under no illusions though that he’s guaranteed a place.