The Family 2011

Katie's Family

2011 has been a challenging year south of the border, and that has meant a lot of time and travel, trying to help out, with me away in Northumberland for almost a third of the year. The saddest thing has been losing my lovely brother-in-law, Siân's husband Liam, on 22 September 2011, after two brave years fighting a very rare form of adrenal cancer. He spent most of that two years in Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, with Siân by his side, but when he was well enough to get home, his first stop was always the beloved beach huts, where we all had some very happy times. Liam also managed to celebrate his 49th birthday at a favourite restaurant in Manchester in May, and organised a wonderful 25th wedding celebration for Siân and the immdediate family at the hospice a few days before he died.

We have so many fond memories, Liam was a wonderful man who made a difference to so many lives, as the attendance at his funeral showed. Our thoughts are very much with Siân as she sets out on a journey without him by her side.

Our thoughts are also with Liam's family, who terribly unexpectedly lost Liam's younger sister, Clare, a mere six weeks after their beloved brother - too sad, too much for one family to bear. We're sending all our special thoughts and prayers their way.

Mum and Dad bump along, supported by a mad merry-go-round of carers provided by Age UK. They are both quite frail now, and both have had times in hospital over the year, but as we head towards Christmas they are doing OK. Mum is delighted to have Vince on the team of carers, a six-foot-two former prop forward, who is brimming with good humour and common sense in equal measure, and is a dab hand both in the kitchen and in dealing with all Dad's foibles. Indeed he regularly reminds Dad that he was a mere scrum half whom Vince could eat for breakfast, or at the very least tuck under his arm and run into touch! Mum very fondly calls him 'the butler' - how fine!

Euan's Family

Our trip to Australia allowed us to spend nearly two weeks with Ian and Jean, which was an absolute delight. I got to meet the nephews Hamish and Alex (fine fellows both, Alex the spit of Uncle Euan), and Hamish's lovely wife Kate - who let us into the fabulous secret that she and Hamish were expecting their first child - hip, hip, hurrah! And I also got the uncanny confirmation that brotherly tics and traits can evolve, despite being half a world apart - just witness the teepees of toast set to cool at breakfast, or the way kit is sorted and labelled...One of the very best things was to find that I had a sister - Jean and I got on famously, and our liking for trips out in search of coffee and cake became the subject of much teasing by the boys, who had a clear preference for pies... It's hard to think we will see each other so rarely. But we made the most of all the family contact while we could, and the Aussie leg of our honeymoon was superb. A big thank you to all the antipodean Nicols for their hospitality and kindness. And now the next generation has arrived, with Mia Isobel being born on 4 October 2011. See the proud parents and one very chuffed uncle in the family gallery below - can't wait to meet her!

Euan's other brother Alan and nephew Stuart also came to stay during the year, and much bird-watching was done - another example of Nicol list mania, which for Stuart and Alan also includes collecting countries and just a little plane-spotting. 

The Family Gallery

Here are just one or two memorable moments from family life this year - need to track down pics of Alan and Stu though - we must have been too busy twitching to catch them on film!

Beach Bunnies!	Birthday Boy
Silver Wedding Blessing	Gathering round to cut the cake
Mum & Dad in thoughtful mood	Here come the girls!
Proud parents!	Welcome, Mia Isobel Nicol
Uncle Alex!	The Grandparents