Christmas Message 2013

This years Christmas Message is early for once! December's going to be a busy month, starting with a trip to Saudi for me and then a couple of Days in Brussels for Mari, so our Christmas cards are written and we are trying to be a little ahead of the game.

The most significant happening of the year must be Maris' completion of her PhD, which she successfully defended in May. So I can now refer to her as Dr. Wife. Mari has now left the Veterinary University and is now working at the "Folkehelse Institut" (Institute of Public Health) in the department for Infectious disease epidemiology. This is a 6 month contract but there is a good chance that it will be extended. She has a 70% position and some possibility for home office so the commute to Oslo is manageable as well as fetching from Kindergarten most days.

No major changes for my work, still doing an acceptable amount of traveling, this year mainly Germany, Turkey and Poland. Next year I will most likely have a few trips to Saudi and a trip to Kazakhstan fairly early in the year, which will be, erm cold!

My efforts to keep myself fit now include cross country skiing races, something that I would never have dreamed of doing a couple of years back! My biggest achievement was completing Birkebeinerennet, a famous 54km race with well over 1000m accent over a mountain between Rena and Lillehammer. It was tough and I was very pleased to see the finish line after 5 Hours and 48 minutes. I have also started to run a lot more and as part of the Birken Triple I ran the Birkebeinerløpet half marathon (off road). I completed this with a badly twisted ankle, which meant that I could not run for about 4 month. Next year we are planning to run the Coniston Fell half marathon in July and the Bacchus Marathon in September. I am sure that my brother Stephen is really looking forward to joining me for these challenges!

The boys, Une, now 5, and Liam 2, are both growing and full of life. Liam is a real joker, something Mari claims comes from me..... Une can be a little more serious at times, but also great fun. He loves building Lego and can disappear to his room and work on a set for a long period. During last winter we attended skiing sessions which gave him a lot more confidence on skis. He has also been doing Jazz ballet, which has given him a real sense of rhythm, and started playing football, which, for the time being, is mostly an opportunity to be social and have a laugh with his friends! Liam is full of words and a real 2 year old, especially when he decides he can do something on his own!

Peggy is showing her age, she had a couple of age related episodes this year, but for now is still going fairly strong. Sadly, Vegas our oldest male Bengal, had to be put down before the summer. A combination of problems gave us a real issue to get any nutrition into him and he was wasting away.

We have done a fair bit on the house and the garden, including drainage around the basement which should help to dry it out. The majority of the electrics in the house are now changed, including a new fuse box, and we have come a long way with the insulation. In terms of aesthetics it may seem that we are going backwards, but we will get there in the end! So, lots of projects on the go for those of you who like working holidays!

Here's wishing you all a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2014!

Love,
Andy, Mari, Une and Liam