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| Marco Polo in the Pool! |
February: The Barlows take the plunge and buy a 2nd car (Subaru outback) to make trips round Australia a little more relaxed, comfortable and safer. Later in February we take a trip back to the Blue Mountains to test out the new car and to celebrate Spike’s birthday. The purchase proves to be very wise – transforming long trips and just making day-to-day life for a 4-member family that much easier.
Maria starts work at Miles Franklin Primary School (Zoe and Grant’s school) working 3 mornings for 3 ½ hours with a kindy child. Thankfully she still finds time for 1 morning of tennis a week (prescribed for sanity!) and helps out in Zoe and Grant’s classroom and at the canteen whenever possible.
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| Look! Yellow Belt, Orange Tip! :-) |
Mid March we take a trip to Ulladulla to try out Arthur’s (Maria’s uncle only a couple of years older than her) new Camper Van…..kids love it…adults would have liked a second one! Grant and Zoe spend many peaceful hours fishing with Uncle Arthur on the peer.
Spike begins Jujutsu this year and is hooked – returning to his passion of martial arts after a hiatus of about 7 years! Has trained hard all year…thankfully no cauliflower ears yet ….. and reached his green belt later in the year. In July Grant joins Dad at Jujutsu and is just as hooked as Dad!
In July the kids both start the first of three Blue Devils Junior Soccer camps that they do throughout the year. They have a ball training with members of the Matilda’s team, and the Canberra Blue devils. The coach joking says that he has a contract all lined up for Grant, after noting Grant’s skill with the ball.
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| Ready...set...strike a pose! |
We head back to the Ansarts in September and take a trip to Darling Harbour and a tour around a retired Naval ship and Sub. Kids have a hoot squeezing into the cramped sleeping quarters!
At the beginning of 4th term Zoe was extremely excited and proud to find out that she was given the opportunity to participate in the Gifted and Talented program at school. Well done Zoe…keep giving your best! Zoe also celebrated turning double figures this year and had an exciting birthday party during one of Canberra’s many amazing storms this year.
This year we have farewelled many of our close friends. In August we all had to say a very sad farewell to our great friends, Jodie, Phil and the kids, who moved to the US for 2+ years. Grant still misses his soul mate and best friend Nate most days. We also farewelled Matt and Katrina – to England, Pete and Katey – to Port Stephen and Dean and Moon to England as well.
In November, Spike learns that he and a colleague won a large ($300k) government research grant. Spike is both amazed (“must be some mistake...” :-) ) and delighted.
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| The gruesome foursome! |
Spike and Maria see a couple of live bands this year after a hiatus of many years. The Whitlams in October (at the cadet’s mess at ADFA – quite a surreal experience) and The Foo Fighters on 2 December!! What a great concert!! On this weekend we were staying with the Ansarts for the weekend, escaping major storms in Canberra which upended many trees at the kids’ school and around the neighbourhood. The school playground is closed for over a week while the cleanup is undertaken.
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| Western Plains Zoo |
The most recent family trip was to visit Maria’s brother Tony, and family on a large Cattle station in the middle of nowhere, near Mudgee. We were all very excited to meet Daniel (Tony’s new son) now 5 months old. The weekend was very eventful…Grant caught a fish which we fed to the local Goanna and the kids (and Maria) got their first up-close (…very up-close!) look at a Red Bellied Black Snake in the wild! A stop off at Dubbo on the way back and a visit to the Western Plains Zoo was a fitting end to a great 5 day trip!
Well, that's been our year. We look forward to spending loads of time together doing fun stuff and wish the same for you all! Love the Barlows!
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