We have been blessed in many ways, not least with many friends and relatives who are interested enough to actually want to know what we have been doing and who read our annual newsletter. Clearly you are one of these - you are reading this newsletter! Thank you very much for your ongoing interest and friendship.
During the year Ken has continued working with the PC Centre business, with Chris and Brooke and the other staff. His main responsibilities have been with computer training, management, websites and other artwork.
He has also continued fortnightly commitments to play the piano at church and present a 2-hour program of contemporary Christian music on local community radio.
Elizabeth has had a very mixed set of activities this year. She did some casual nursing with Community Health and baby-sitting with Laura and Ethan while their mothers worked.
She took a two-week refresher training course and now works part-time in the Renal Dialysis Unit of the local hospital. She also does some casual work with the Cancer Council
Her other passion, the Shoalhaven Employers of Christian Education Teachers (SECET) has kept her extra busy since she was elected secretary. SECET needs to receive $300,000 from individuals and churches to support its high school Scripture teachers next year. That all this money comes in is nothing short of miraculous. Ken publishes the newsletter and website: www.secet.org.au
We have enjoyed some flexibility with work this year. In January Anna, Andrew, Joshua (7), Elisha (by the time you read this, 6) and Jacob (3) moved to Mildura where Andrew took up a position as the project manager with Australian Citrus Growers Inc. We couldn't resist an opportunity and took a week in January to drive the 1,000 km to see them. The trip was during a heat wave - the bushfires in Canberra were raging - and the air conditioner in the car failed! We went again for three weeks in April for Anna's 30th and a holiday along the Murray.
In July Anna and the children came home to deal with re-letting their Shoalhaven Heads house. Soon after they bought a wonderful old house in Mildura as well.
We drove there again in late August for a month to be on hand while Anna did her prac teaching as part of her Dip Ed she is doing by correspondence. Unfortunately she contracted pneumonia and was unable to complete it. However, she did get her assignments finished (nothing less than a Distinction ever!)
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During that month we took a wonderful weekend in Adelaide - only 4 hours away - with Ken's brother Michael and Cathy, and another day to visit Mungo National Park 150km NE from Mildura.
Leaving Mildura we drove north through Pooncarie, Menindee and Broken Hill to Tibooburra where we joined friends Paul and Rhonda Rutledge. From there we were on 4WD to Cameron Corner then to Innamincka and Cooper Creek then Birdsville. Then it was south down the Birdsville Track to Wilpena for a few days, back to Mildura and home. A great trip in fun company.
Elizabeth's mother went into hospital for operations to enhance the circulation in her legs and suffered a mild stroke. The consequence of this is that she has very little eyesight. She is doing very well at 89 adjusting to independence while being legally blind!
Ken's parents continue to do very well; his father has renewed his license yet again at 92.
Having celebrated Ken's uncle Don's 80th birthday earlier in the year it was with sadness the family gathered again later for his funeral.
In November Ken's cousin Anne Sandercock visited Australia from her home in Cornwall. We met her in Canberra and showed her around our capital then our own district before taking her to Sydney. There we joined others in the family for Pa Joyce's 92nd birthday.
Simeon and Kelly have taken the exciting step of buying a Victorian Italianate house in Annandale, which is just about as close to inner city Sydney as you can get. Simeon manages a team responsible for electronic publishing; Kelly is a lawyer with the ABC.
Chris and Brooke have done more work on their house, with a very attractive and useful extension. Laura (1) was up and running at 11 months and really enjoys the visits from Sam (12), Ben (10) and Eliza (8).
On the weekend I write this Peter and Virginia gave us our 9th grandchild, Elliot John a brother for Ethan (1). Peter continues at Illawarra Senior College and has articles and photos in every issue of a model car magazine. Virginia is, naturally, on maternity leave from her nursing career.
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