Popping by to say hello!

The past eight months have just flown by - I can't believe it was the end of May last year when I last blogged which just before I left to go home to the UK to surprise our eldest Jason for his 30th birthday!  Since then I've been back home again for Christmas.  We didn't fly until the 12th December so the lead up to Christmas was a bit hectic with buying presents etc.  Christmas was great though!  Colin, I and Matthew had an invite to spend Christmas with Jason and Nic, with Nic's family in Wales where they had their wedding.  It was Jase and Nic's turn to spend Christmas with Nic's family, but the invite meant we could all spend another Christmas together!  We had lots of fun and games, but could only stay for a few days as we had a lot to do when we returned home, so the Christmas festivities were over early for us this Christmas!  

During our visit home in the summer we had decided that while we were home over Christmas we would prepare the house for letting.  We didn't quite manage to do all we had set out to do but we were nearly there!  The first big job was to pack up the boys rooms and to hire a long wheel based van so that we could drop Jason's stuff off to him in London and then on to Brighton to drop Matthew's off for him.  We couldn't believe how much we still had at home belonging to them both.  As we were going to clear the house completely they both had bedroom furniture too, although Matthew hasn't really got the room for his yet, so that will be going into storage with our stuff while we are still here in Dubai.  It's been one heck of a job clearing the loft, garage and house of all the stuff we don't ever use or need, but I have to say it is such a wonderful feeling!  It shouldn't be too long before we pop back home again to finish off what we started, but what's left to do will be a nothing compared to what we've just been through!

This week I'm having a bit of a breather before I start packing up the villa we are renting here in Dubai as we are on the move again!  The landlord has given us notice to leave.  Apparently he has a son returning to Dubai who needs the villa, but we actually believe that this is an excuse to have us out so that he can increase the rent a lot higher if he was to get new tenants in then he could do with us if we stay!  We've already found a lovely villa which is about an hours drive from Dubai, at Al Hamra Village, Ras al Khaimah.  We already have the keys so we can move at our own leisure as we have until the end of February to be out.

Sadly I have no finishes to show having not done any stitching for all these months, but here are a few family photos instead.

Christmas Day - Matthew, Colin, Myself, Jason, Nic and Chota.

The Christmas table.

I can't remember what the young adults called it, but they had us all playing a game with a cereal box.  The rules were that you had to pick the box up with your teeth without touching it or the floor.  After each round the height of the cereal box was reduced by an inch, and those that couldn't do it dropped out of the game.  It was so much fun with music playing and us all cheering each other on!

This is me.

And this is Matthew, the last of the young males to drop out.

The champs!  Myself, Nic's Mum and one of the cousins.  We had to call it a draw between the three of us because the box couldn't be reduced any more!

Cereal box before and after.

Cheese and biscuits (including Stinking Bishop).  Our contribution towards Christmas.

Two days after returning to Dubai Colin had a quick business trip to Muscat, Oman.  As it was just one over night stop I went along with him.  This was the lovely view from our hotel room.

If you are still there I hope I haven't bored you too much!  Hopefully I'll be back before too long with some stitchy finishes to show once we've settled after the move.  :)