Casa Rural Asomadita...

When we presented the girls the choice of going skiing or seeking some sunshine for the February half term, they chose the sun. Luckily for us, Sally, John, David and Andrew also were in need of some sun, so we worked together to decide where to go. We eventually settled on Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands, located 150 miles from Morocco. 

There weren’t a lot of vacation rentals on the island that slept at least eight, but I managed to find Casa Rural Asomadita just outside the fishing village of Agaete. The photos don’t do this charming and spacious house justice. Built in 1950, it has been modernized with a lot of care.

We ate breakfast in the eat-in kitchen, but dinner in the dining room, which Veronica also used for studying.

We spent several evenings in the living room watching movies in front of a fire. While Sally investigated day trips, Jimmy worked on editing the panto video.

No doubt that the boys’ favorite room was the games room.

Ashlynn and Andrew took advantage of this wall to practice their juggling.

Back into Braces...

When Ashlynn was nine, she got braces on four top teeth to correct a Nanny McPhee tooth that stuck out past her lip. She’s said for awhile that her teeth are too unusually straight and the dentist finally confirmed that her bite does need adjusting. So, here’s her last photo before getting braces, again.

She wouldn’t let me take a photo of her braces, so these will have to suffice.

Mr. Sociable...

Jimmy is now the leader of the agency’s social committee. He started Thirsty Thursday, which typically involves a visit to the local pool hall. No surprise that he made a toast to his colleagues at the dinner dance.

After being married for four years, Davinder and Roohi finally came to their first dinner dance. Instead of getting a photo of the four of us, only the boys posed together.

Agency Dinner Dance...

This year’s agency dinner dance was back at the Carlton Beach for the second year. I was disappointed that Jimmy didn’t arrange for us to sit with his friends, but we managed to have fun anyways with lots of time on the dance floor.

Scottish Country Dancing...

It took me a while to get back into the swing of things, but eventually I got used to the rhythm of the dances and had a lot of fun.

Scottish Country Dancing isn’t anything like the ballroom dancing that Sally did at Oxford, but she thoroughly enjoyed it.

Burns Night Supper...

I must admit that I was skeptical when I heard that this year’s Burns Night Supper was to be held in the hall at one of the BSN junior schools. Not quite as elegant as the British Ambassador’s residence, but a surprisingly good venue. As usual, the event was kicked off with a salute to the haggis.

I was happy to be surrounded with several of my British friends: Sally, Jane and Gillian.

Jimmy was happy to pose with me while I wore my Scottish kilt. I teased Gillian that we both were wearing our tarty tartans. Of course, as a Scot, she had much more of a right than I.

We were especially happy that John and Sally could join us for the first time. 

First Project Nepal Fundraiser...

One of the requirements to go on the Nepal trip is participating in fundraising activities. Veronica and Michelle were in charge of the first group fundraising event. They decided to host a chocolate making workshop for junior school students for Valentine’s Day.

Veronica spent most of her time helping make Valentine’s Day cards. Hopefully the parents enjoyed the treats the kids made.