2024 Top 9

Looking back at my Top9 this year from Instagram (the posts with the most likes), I see smiling faces, milestones, celebrations, holidays - good memories. Thank you 2024 for all the good times!

What you don't see, is that below the likes lies deeper stories and the full spectrum of feelings. 2024 really was a mixed bag of ups and downs.
Life sure is more than highlights showcased on Instagram. For every happy picture, there has been untold moments of struggles, challenges, setbacks, hardship, uncertainty and difficulties.

Acknowledging the quite a few difficult moments this year, doesn't diminish the joy of these highlights though, it rather deepens my appreciation for them. They are my glimmers!
They remind me to savour each and every good time and all the simple pleasures; and to remember the effort, growth and resilience that brought us those moments.

Glimmers are those moments in your day that make you feel joy, happiness, peace or gratitude. Once you train yourself to be on the lookout for them, these tiny moments will appear more and more. These glimmers, they are everything - and I'll keep looking for glimmers in 2025, in every day!
I hope you will too!

Kiwi Christmas 2024

So, on Boxing Day we had Kiwi Christmas, together with not just Will and Hannah, but also Matt and Luca. Maybe we should call it a Brunei Christmas!

We had ordered another turkey box, this time from Mariott Al Forsan. It was the juiciest turkey ever, and even though initially we thought the trimmings didn't look like they were going to be enough for eight people, we actually got left overs.

Will and Hannah were going to pick up Tash from the airport at 01.30am in the morning, so we spent the whole day together in anticipation. Some had a snooze:

We played games, again, and watched some TV:

We did last all day, but considering we had started around 1pm, we sent Will and Hannah off to the airport to welcome Tash in quite a state... ha ha! Well, it's only Christmas once a year!

Christmas Day 2024

Nathan flew home from Paris on Christmas Day, I convinced him to grab a Christmas photo from his office!

The kids and I hadn't done much while he was gone, it was more of an in-between day for us, as we had planned to celebrate on Boxing Day instead. Kids slept in and I chilled out. But, once Nathan got home we decided to actually stay up and open our gifts!

Linnea had really gone to town with her gifts, and came home with tons of thoughtful and spot-on Christmas presents. Nathan got a keyring with a lovely inscription, a packet of 'Cuntibiotics', a book to fill out about his life; and his main gift, a certificate representing a star that carries the Watson name! Something for him to look for when he goes flying. ♥︎

She had bought Lucas two Japanese Manga-books, that he had wished for. Lucas gave her a beanie hat.

Mormor and Morfar had sent along Christmas gifts too of course. We all got Santas, especially made for us. Lucas' one had a Princess cake, Linnea's a Ballerina biscuit and mine a cup of coffee. The kids got underwear and socks, and we all also got the traditional wall calendars for next year, and cash.
I also got a moose Christmas tree decoration, a lemon juicer and some cocktail straws made of glass:

The boys got new Bose headphones, and Nathan got a massage gun.

Linnea had bought me tons of gifts as well, a huge Lego-set to build Mona Lisa, bath bombs, and TWO Taskmaster games, both the card game and the board game. Will be great for the next Game Night!

Lucas got me earrings:

Lucas also scored some new smellies:

Linnea got perfume, as well as a Kindle holder and remote, and The Office Lego set. I had also got them Christmas tree decorations for their collection, and a Christmas camel each from the Camel Lady!

A bit different for us to open the Christmas presents in the evening. It was a nice change not to have to hurry up to prepare the Christmas dinner, we enjoyed taking our time. Plus it sure was a good haul all around!

A Merry (Morris-Pike-)Brown Christmas Eve

Julafton's evening we were invited to Peta and Browny, for a revival of their Merry Morris-Pike-Brown Christmas Eve celebration.
This is a tradition we have participated in many times before, every Christmas Eve in Brunei, but then it was at Dave and Pippa's, Peta's sister.

It must run in their family to host lovely Christmas gatherings, Peta had prepared a huge table full of Christmas goodies:

The kids were on fire! The little kids, our big ones stayed more calm, luckily.

Peta had even organised a visit from Santa, and a group of carolers! Great atmosphere!

The evening started early so that the kids could take part in it all. The kids and I then went back home to eat chocolates and watch Die Hard, as you should on Christmas!

Julafton 2024

Our Christmas got a little bit topsy-turved this year, as Nathan (for the first time since we've been in Abu Dhabi) did not have Christmas off this year.
He left for Paris very late on the 23rd, or more accurately very early on the 24th. So the kids and I were on our own for Swedish Julafton.

I had brought food for a small Swedish Julbord back from Sweden, so we invited Hannah and Will (Tash was still in NZ) over to lunch on some meatballs, sausages, herring, ham and so on; together with us.

Linnea made a cheesy Christmas tree, inspired by Instagram:

After dinner we played the Hive Mind-game, which was lots of fun!

The kids and I:

Missing Ben, who was also in NZ, but it is always so good to see these kids together!

Xmas Lunch

I had one day of work between getting back and Christmas, and luckily it was also a day Kathleen was at work. Our last day together for a long time as she is returning to Belgium for 7 weeks, to help her daughter through exam time.
We decided to have nice lunch in the Museum Café.

I had brought a big box of traditional Swedish 'Juleskum' candy that I left in the office, for all to taste. Let's see how much is left next time I come in next week..!

The Globetrotter family

I only just made it home, to have Nathan go off on a quick trip to London. Lucas and Linnea also were flying the same day, from Copenhagen and London respectively.

So while I had a quiet day unpacking and getting the house all ready for everyone to be home for the holidays, at one stage all three members of my family were in the air at the same time!
I told Linnea and Nathan to wave at each other as they passed each other. (Nathan had requested the flight she was booked on, but unfortunately that was not the flight he got)

Three trips to the airport in one day, and both the kids arrived safely, suitcases full of Christmas presents! One even brought laundry... ha ha!

Xmas time in Sweden

I always enjoy Sweden in December, the build up to Christmas is a bigger thing there and I enjoy that as much as Christmas itself.

For example we managed to catch the Christmas greeting from the Swedish Airforce, the overflight in the shape of a Christmas tree with their Jas 39 Gripen.

The first few days it was cold and frosty, which made everything look really pretty, even though we didn't get any blue skies.

On Lucia day I took my Mum and Dad out for Julbord, a Swedish tradition. Nice to get to eat some Christmas food, without having to prepare it all ourselves.
We went back to Brunsbo Gästgifveri just outside Skara, where we also went five years ago.

Just like back then, they offered all our favourites, and had the right amount of choices; it didn't feel overwhelming but we still managed to eat way too much..! Ha ha! It was all so delicious!

Mum and I also went to see the Skara Lucia performance in the Skara Cathedral in the evening.

Both my Mum and her little sister Tina creates amazing Christmas Santa Villages every year. One day we went to see Tina's:

Another day Tina came to see Mormor's, together with Emma, Stoffe and Elicia.

She had grown so much since I last saw her! Now she could sit by herself and even crawl!

The day before I was going back home I finally got some sunshine. Absolutely glorious weather! So I had to go for a walk, my usual route through the forest and across the fields.

Obligatory farewell photo at the train station while waiting for the train. Had to take a few, because someone is always making a funny face...

Had a perfect seat on the train, forward facing and just next to my suitcase. Not my first rodeo.

I spent another day with Pia in passing. We also had a mini-Julbord for lunch after having been shopping for all my Christmas food. Yum yum!