For the first time since Matt & Helenes wedding 4 years ago the whole family was supposed to be together!. However, Liz & Tim had picked up some sort of bug on the flight over from the states… which meant various kids were vomiting from time to time.. thus we were almost but not quite complete for Christmas dinner!

Those two pics of Liz and Ciara, and Oliver and I. Oliver is 13 months and has just started walking about. I think he has a death wish, but besides that he’s perfectly normal.

It was really special to have the whole family around, I do miss these times.. I just wonder how long it’ll take to convince family & friends to all move out to NZ? 3 years or so I reckon… In fact residence points are fairly low at the moment so best to apply soon ;)

For the first time in 4 years the whole family (plus spouses and progeny) are back in the country. Liz & Tim (who I traveled in Vietnam with ) flew in on Saturday I think it was. We had a thoroughly enjoyable walk along the pier at Bray. The trip out was one I’d taken almost every day for 2 years while I was commuting from Shankill into town.. it’s a pretty nice train ride.

You can see Fiona will eventually become a fugitive from the law – clasped tightly in her right hand are quite a few stones! The sleeping babe is my latest god-daughter Ciara (whom I had not seen before)

I guess the things I know I’m missing in NZ is seeing my nephews and nieces grow up.. although I do try not to think about these things too much – I try to be where I am. At least as much as possible!! hehee, (was that profound? ;) nope, ahh well.. Did have an enjoyable evening with Chris + Irene + Orianna + Robin + Sophie&Oliver; (the twins I’d not seen). There’s a short video of Oliver learning to walk. Quite exictin’ stuff (to me)

Another day there was ice-skating, and then to the pub after for some quality pints of Guinness.. Mick and Ang (who flew over from the UK for a few days holiday) in this pic.

I think that’s one of the things that Dublin does do well.. a proper homey pub with a real trad band playing away in the corner.. that’s just great.

My friend Louise came over from Paris to say hello and have a bit of a long weekend around Dublin (and Limerick), and it was really great to see her again after – oh three years or so I guess? This pic of Declan and Louise at the front gate of trinity.

So I was cycling down to meet her (holding another bike) when something bad happened! Now I’ve cycled quite a few times with two bikes, but this time – I dunno how it happened really (well, the wheels touched ;) hehe, but I managed to completely buckle my front wheel (and get thrown off my bike in the process). Don’t worry, the bike is fine again … hehe, and there wasn’t any traffic (lucky), so I’m fine too (yay)

32 euro for a new wheel (and they forgot to put the covers for the ball bearings on.. will have to get that fixed on Monday) and a valuable lesson learned.. cycling with two bikes on busy streets with not too much room.. is a bad idea! :)

Had a fun time around town – checking out the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle. There’s an excellent exhibition on Albrecht Durer and his wood carvings at the moment – really worth checking out (and it’s free too!)

Party at my friend Emmas house – good to see Maeve and Andy again. Seems like they’ve been saving hard for a house.. it’s so impressive seeing friends hopping onto the property ladder!

And today my sister arrived in from Minneapolis with Tim (husband) Fiona and Ciara (my latest god daughter) – first time the whole family has been together in 4 years!

Oh – Eoin put some cool pics from bouldering at glendalough (and the rest of his other pictures are well worth checking out) – this next one is one of his – and links through to his website

Finally, I put a very short video (it’s the only one I have, but Marcel did ask!) of the belly dancing here. Unfortunately it’s of me – Gordo was way better!

Oh, and finally finally.. I thought this account of kayaking in Nepal was pretty awesome by my friend Clare (currently in Sweden)

So the slide show on Monday went well.. I think I might have convinced a few people that New Zealand isn’t an entirely awful place to go visit ;) When I have access to a better version of Powerpoint I’ll try to condense the slides and put it all up on the internet.

Then today had a very nice time bouldering down in Glendalough with Eoin and Barry

I really like Glendalough. It’s a place I’ve been to many times and have lots of fond memories of. It used to be a monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin in 498 (well, around about then, can’t find an exact date!). There’s some of the history here.

Really is quite a peaceful place. We had a very friendly robin following us around (I think he was after my fig rolls). And there are two little differences between NZ and Eire… you can’t get fig rolls in NZ (or at least I dunno where you can) and the robins in NZ aren’t red-breasted… or at least I’ve not seen any.

Then it was back to Shankill again for Dads presentation on their work in Uganda – another slideshow I will put up at some point. Then off down to the local for a few pints with Shankill friends – and Susanne from Engineering.. really is fun catching up with people.. Though it is weird when you see friends having cars and houses and all that sort of thing. One wonders on occasion if it’s right to have so much fun ;) But I don’t worry about it tooooo much.

In fact, it’s not really my fault.. seeing as the other day I got a mail from my manager in NZ (yay they want me back) saying that there was a rafting trip in South Westland down the Waiatoto river (grade 3 and 4) if I was interested. We even have to get helicoptered in. How cool is that? You can read the trip description here. There’s just too much fun to be had :)

Sunday lunch was just lovely. I ate as much as I possibly could and then some. 2 years without any of your mothers cooking makes you quite hungry for it. Or at least it does for me.

It’s weird not having the family home to go to – seeing as my parents let it out while they’re in Uganda. A family friend however has given mum and dad the use of their house in Shankill so that’s where we had lunch. The Ugandan in the picture is a priest in Fort Portal over here doing a course in development studies I think it is.