Family summary of 2009

1. Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas and all the very best for 2010. Liz, Andy, Elizabeth, Milly and Pogo Christmas 2009Stevenson / Brown Family

2. This time last year we were moving to Burnopfield to live with Liz’s parents for a few weeks. We ended up splitting our time between there and Andy’s Mum’s house in Sunderland and didn’t actually get home until March. We’re thinking on doing the same this year – it saved a fortune on heating bills! However, the kitchen, new shower room and dining room are all finished and we love it! The Extension

3. What a busy year Biz has had! Moving house, Year 6 SATs, (level 5 in English, Maths and Science – so very pleased with that.) breaking a wrist, joining a synchronised swimming club, starting secondary school and getting some independence. Sandra moved house and she and Tim will be married in June. Elizabeth decided to give up swimming club, but didn’t want to give up swimming, so joined Gateshead Synchro club instead. She works pretty hard and is really enjoying it and has made some new friends too. She finished primary school with great results and couldn’t wait to start at Lord Lawson of Beamish Performing Arts College in September. She has settled really well and is absolutely loving it. She is rapidly catching Liz up height wise and seems to have turned into a young lady all of a sudden. Well, a teenager anyways! (Bed is her favourite place!) Biz

5. Milly has had a great year. She still goes to nursery one day a week and after Christmas will go in for two and a half. Andy’s Mum looks after her the other two days Liz is at work and we don’t know who has the most fun – Grandma or Milly! She is such a little character – great vocabulary, great imagination, shy one moment, hugely confident the next and very definite about what she wants. She has grown a huge amount this year and despite just turning three is wearing age 5-6 clothes and is just short of 4ft. At the moment she wants to be Aurora when she grows up! (One of the Disney Princesses for those of you not in the know!) Milly

7. Andy continues to work for BT, but it has been a year of uncertainty. His layer of management was one of many wiped out from his area leaving him in the transition pool, then moving to become a transition manager and finally securing another post, which he isn’t entirely happy with. Who knows what next year will bring. His current role involves him being in London a lot, so life is a bit of a juggling competition… Liz continues to be an Assistant Headteacher at Spennymoor School, working 3 days a week. She will be working 4 days from January on a temporary basis and we’ll see how that goes. She still enjoys the role and the many new challenges it brings, but as usual is madly busy as the school prepares for an Ofsted inspection. Andy and Liz

8. We’ve had two major birthdays to celebrate and three new arrivals this year. Both Liz’s parents turned 65 and celebrated with a cruise around the Med’. That sounded like real hard work?! We celebrated with them at their house with ‘the kids’ cooking. In May, Robert and Leanne (Andy’s half brother on Mum’s side) welcomed Alexander, who was a little premature, but is now making up for lost time! He’s a really happy little chap. In June, Andy and Helen (Liz’s brother) welcomed Isla, who has given them a really hard time for the first few months, but is now the most gorgeous little girl. In September, Peter and Wendy (Andy’s half brother on Dad’s side) welcomed Michael, age 7, who they are hoping to adopt. Everything is going really well and Milly enjoyed having him here to play with. Family

9. We’ve not been far afield this year, as the first 6 months were taken up with decorating and sorting and trying to make the house habitable again. So, we’ve had some great days out instead and revisited some of the fabulous places on our doorstep. In August we had another great holiday in France, returning to Mortagne-sur-Gironde and the same big, old house. This year Dave and Pauline (Liz’s aunt and Uncle) came out for a week and so did Shona, Liz’s friend. A great time was had by all, particularly Milly who discovered nudism… We’ve already booked up to go back again next year and are hoping Lynn and Tim from Canada might join us once more. Trips and Holidays…

10. We mustn’t forget the other member of our family – OgopogoFlintoff Brown – who as I write this is lying at the front door crying because he wants to be out in the snow. Pogo was 4 in the summer and we all still love him to bits. He is much less puppyish now, still obsessed with fetching balls and as affectionate as ever and he always loves to spend time with his mate – Wallace, who is Liz’s Mum and Dad’s dog. And last, but not least, we had a last minute visit from Colleen and Emily (Liz’s cousin who lives in the Czech Republic) and it was really great to see them. Emily and Milly got on great and we hope we might make it out to Prague or Klatovy (or both) sometime in 2010. Merry Christmas everyone! Pogo