Our Family Connection

Hello world - Rich here. This is my first post of 2011, so it was my intention/new year's resolution to write at least one post a week - so I'm already three behind! Alas I will commit to 52 posts this year of varying lengths and topics (I think Raf & Al will figure a lot). It may not be every week but by the end of the year I should have 52 in the bag...

I do plan on a longer post detailing the many little things that make up Rafi's current life and how his world expands almost daily and his willingness to try new adventures - like hanging over the side of the bath, which without prompt intervention would lead to a fully clothed soaking.

However, I will for today mention 'family business' with one new arrival in the family, and remembrance of another family member whose birthday it was today. When considering the idea of family I'm frequently thinking how Raf will relate to his UK based cousins, extended family of aunts and uncles etc with him living abroad and not having the same cultural and social connections for the most part or close physical connection. Or how will he develop a family role for himself in our respective families, and perhaps later create his own family. Anyway that's for a longer post in the future...

The arrival - my sister had her third child on Wednesday - a boy named Billy Oliver Bartlett, coming in at a whopping 9.6 pounds. Another boy in the family! A football team could be achieved with only a few new additions - though a co-ed team would be just as much fun too...

Also today would have been my Granddad's 90th birthday, so we took a few moments over dinner to remember him - Frederick Ronald Sawyer (1921-2000), who served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and then a policeman for 25 years. I spent a lot of time with him and my grandmother growing up - watching cricket matches with him every summer, and going to their caravan in Weston-Super-Mare. Here's a photograph of Granddad in his navy days, some people said he had a bit of the John Wayne about him...