President Sirleaf opens new airport building in Liberia

Last week, President Sirleaf opened the new airport terminal building at Robertsfield.

Many of you will remember flying in and out of the old airport building, below, which was little more than a shed:

and will remember seeing the "new" terminal building which was destroyed during fighting in 1996:

And here's the new terminal building. Wow! Built by the Chinese I believe. 

Olly

Christmas miscellaneous

I guess food is an important part of Christmas, no matter what or where your culture is. Below, our Christmas table with the traditional British Christmas Day meal:

When Henry VIII seized Hampton Court Palace from Cardinal Wolsey in 1529, little did he know that 488 years later its grounds would host a seasonal outdoor ice rink, visited by Anna, Libby, Cousin Grace and Noah, in realistic 4 degrees C weather complete with sleet. Another great British tradition since, well, 1529 I suppose.

And I fell asleep on the sofa, whist trying to thaw out from the 4 degrees C...another great British tradition, before the ridiculously slow journey home.

Hope you all had a great Christmas too, dear reader. Olly

Merry Christmas Part 2

Anna just asked if Reindeer are real. Huh. Olly

Merry Christmas

Every Christmas Eve I barbecue bacon outside, whatever the weather. Maybe it’s a nod to our tropical Christmas barbecues in Liberia and South Africa. Passing dog walkers and people in the allotments behind must wonder what the smoke and smell is all about. But who cares. It’s our daft Christmas tradition. Olly 

                                         

She swims

Video clip of Libby swimming butterfly 50 meters recently. She's the one in the pink cap. Olly

2017

The year in photos:

In February, Hannah from Florida came to live with us for 6 months, whilst volunteering with Oddments Theatre Co in Yeovil. She was (is) great fun and the girls loved her. 

We were visited by ship friends: below, us and the Samaraweera family (en route to Texas from the Africa Mercy), and Jesse with malaria (en route to Canada from the Congo):

and more ship friends - the Yangas family:

Libby had her ears pierced:

We attended New Wine - Britain's leading week-long Christian camp/conference thing - which is always awesome - but unfortunately it was the wettest week in the organisations 28 year history:

And we were blessed with 2 amazing holidays overseas, the first in Spanish Minorca, in the Med:

...where Anna spent a lot of time leaping off high cliffs!

and the second in Tenerife, with Olly's parents and brother's family:

Libby continues to swim, and is progressing through the ranks. Here she is, doing the butterfly. She trains 7 or 8 times a week.

And Noah had his 18th birthday.

Olly's job has changed a bit - the school he works for has taken over another school, just outside Yeovil, so he spends his time between the two sites. The new site is in beautiful countryside, and includes a magnificent stately home in 28 acres of land. 

Sally continues to work as a Speech Therapist and Teaching Assistant, and is making a real difference in children's lives! I am constantly in awe of how she juggles work life, with our 3 kids!