Jesus is still the reason

Merry Christmas everyone!


Well it's that time of year again and Christmas this year was a pretty quiet one. We had the usual family dinner on Christmas Eve, after which we tackled the presents and headed down to Knox to watch their Christmas production. The day itself was pretty low-key, Calvary didn't have a service (as usual) and I couldn't really be bothered finding anywhere else to go to. Plus I guess I didn't feel like I needed to go... Spent the afternoon around at home, both the boys were out with their respective girlfriends and later Dad went to his family's do, so it was a quiet evening just for Mum and me.

I don't go back to work until the 12th, and over the break there are a number of cricket matches at the Basin (Wellington vs Auckland on the 30th, vs Otago on the 2nd*, vs Central Districts on the 11th - plus the international vs the West Indies at the Stadium on the 7th). On the 2nd I'll be up near Turangi with some people from work doing the Tongariro Crossing. Mum wants to have a day trip to Somes Island some time when the weather is nice, which could be today going by the look of things. I'm making slow progress on the CKC planning, and I need to do some painting around the window frames of the house, so there's no shortage of things to do.

Coming into the new year, my schedule is even crazier than 'last' year, if such a thing is possible!!
14-28 Jan Beamtime at Stanford
8-12 Feb Conference in Dunedin
15 Feb Stu and I and one of his mates are flying up to Auckland for the day for Top Gear Live
18-20 Feb Mike is visiting IRL
21-24 Feb Mike and I tramping the Northern Circuit
25 Feb - 2 Mar Beamtime in Chicago
8-10 Mar Beamtime in Melbourne
24-26 Apr Beamtime in Melbourne
And sometime in April I am supposed to be planning a mini conference for the NZ synchrotron people...
And, in August/September Mum and I are planning on going to Scotland (for the Edinburgh Tattoo) and Ireland. By then there'll be more beamtime to fit around, so it's never ending.

Not that I'm complaining - rather I am amazed at all these amazing opportunities and so thankful that I was born in NZ, at this time in history, etc. etc. One of my constant prayers is, 'Lord, please never let me take all of this for granted.'

Happy birthday Jesus.