A quick look back at the Noughties

At new year, I always like to think back to the previous year but this time I have my work cut out, I'm looking back to the last decade. It was pretty amazing to be honest. Lets think....

• 2000 - Celebrated the Millenium in Manchester with Madam, Rae and Portsmouth. Never been to Manchester before that, we stayed at Raes student place on a mattress on the living room floor and didn't get a wink of sleep as people came home full of the joys of the Millenium. I will never forget that they didn't play Auld lang Syne either, they played Hey Jude at the stroke of midnight. This later was a very funny answer that Rae gave to a Trivial pursuit question of 'what's the traditional song for new year'? :) Happy happy times. 
• 2001 - I graduated
• 2001 - Kirky and I travelled across Europe on our misson to cover every country on the inter-rail pass in 3 months. 
• 2002 - I started working at the Environment Agency as a temp. I then went for the longest temp award, 2.5 years!
• 2002/2003 - New years spent with Madam in London and then Edinburgh when Princes Street had to be evacuated due to high winds. Celebrated New year at Edinburgh Castle
• 2003 - Joined the Pink Sofa, where I met most of my now friends and discovered my love of Hungary. 
• 2005 - I went on my first cruise around the far east
• 2005 onwards - I became a serial prider
• 2007 - Ali and I together
• 2009 - Bought a flat in Exeter with Ali, took mum to live her dream and visit China, I celebrated my 30th birthday. 
• Countries visited - 36 i think..not sure
• My two neices were born
• My brother was married
• My uni friends had babies - Chloe and Marcus (Amanda & Andrew), Archie (Rae & Jue), Katie (Quilter), Noah (Foggy&Lucy). 
• I took mum to Egypt, Auschwitz and China
• I lost weight and then found it again
• Aunty and Cous Cous married
• Phil and I almost had hypothermia in Berlin
• Thanks to Rachael and Keith, I obtained my Gold Duke of Edinburgh
• I moved from my parents to my Redciffe flat, then Ashton flat, then Al's
• Marriages - Lucy and Foggy, Laura Dutch, Aunty and Cous Cous, Hayden and Sally, Quilter and matt, natasha and Simon, Rae and Jue, Rachael and Keith, Amanda and Andrew
• 2009 - We had snow across the country, and loads of it. 
• Ali and Jen were introduced to Camping for the first time. Al and I discovered that we couldn't put up the tent without an argument!
• I became a Brownie guider with the name of Kiwi
• Ali and I started 'whiskings'
• Multipe V festivals
• I discovered England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland as well as lots of day trips instead of travelling abroad so much

Oooo, that was fun. So, now to look forward to the next decade, the decade of my 30's and my hopes and dreams. I hope to be married, to have children, to stand on Antarctica, to have the diversity job that i love, and for Ali and I to be very very happy. 

A few days with my gorgeous neices

On boxing day, Sal, Liv and Caitlin arrived to have a few days holiday, complete with the obligatory suitcase for their holiday to the seaside. While Sal when shopping, we rode our bikes to the Quay and suprisingly, Liv rode all the way, with a bit of 'race you to there' coaching. Her legs goes round 5 times to my one, bless her. Feeding the birds was quickly halted as we were inundated by pigeons. And what did Liv have when we got half way? An ice cream, on a really cold December day.

If Liv isn't going to be either a train spotter or train driver when she is older, then there is something wrong in the world. She loves trains and will happily just stand on the platform and watch them. So, we took them on the train to Dawlish Warren again but this time the wind was so strong that it almost blew liv over! Caitlin was all snug in her buggy while the rest of us braced the cold. We didn't get very far before we went to the pub. However, after coming all of this way, we had to walk along the promenade so we ran instead. Running as an adult is tiring!

Our First Christmas

This year was in fact our first Christmas, which was great fun for making up traditions. So, as Ali has always celebrated Christmas in France, we decided to have a French Christmas and a Bristolian Christmas. The festivities started with French Christmas on Christmas Eve when Ali braced herself for the Christmas eve food shop. A few hours later, she returned. Instead of the French tradition of fish on Christmas eve, I opted for Thai green curry :) The best bit was that I lived a childhood dream, to open all of our presents on Christmas eve!

As always, i was too excited to sleep on Christmas day but didn't realise I would have to wait 2 hours until Ali woke up! Christmas day was Bristolian Christmas. We put on our santa hats (which remained on our heads for the entire day), and then had our stockings to open. I'd never had a stocking growing up so it was great fun. Due to the ice of late, Ali felt sorry for the birds so we slip slided our way down to the Quay to feed the swans, risking falling into the river, but at least the birds were fed. We had some funny looks as we walked by the river in our santa hats.

We then went to Dawlish Warren (still in Santa hats) for our beach walk. Law abiding Ali even bought a car park ticket on Christmas day, just in case there were any traffic wardens in Dawlish Warren on Christmas Day :) There was a glorious rainbow overhead as we walked the promenade. Back home for Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, including 7 different types of vegetables :)

Windband Christmas 2009

Our annual Windband Christmas at Al's was as good as usual, with us all crowded around a little table and Al working her socks off to get the dinner on the table. Secret Santa did very well, he gave me a basket of cheese! The Stoke Gifford float even picked up Carolines children and took then around the block! Winband christmas wouldn't be windband christmas without Ruth trying to get in something and this time was the Bhudda Bag sack, complete with Fran.

Essex family weekend

Just before Christmas, we embarked on a mamouth Essex family weekend with some part of the family each day. We needed a rest when we got back! We visited Minsmere nature reserve with Ali's Dad and wife for a walk and to look at the birds. However, Ali was the only person without Binoculars, so my binoculars were in ali's paws most of the time. Very pleasant walk, until it rained while we were in an open top bird hide :)