Sunday 30 December 2018

2018: A Year in Review


2018 was another big year of change for this Cross family of two. 
It was crazy and awesome all at the same time! 





The year started in Thailand with beaches, elephants, tuk-tuks and temples! 


After a rather hectic start to the year, we said goodbye to the golden shores of Perth, Australia, our lovely neighbours and many good friends at the end of February to start a new adventure! 
Thank you Perth! It was real. 


From Asian to African Ellies =) 





Over March and April we spent 6 weeks travelling around South Africa visiting family and friends and also managed to squeeze in a few days in the Kruger and do some sight-seeing. 
6 weeks, 7600 km, 8 of the 9 provinces in a 1L Opel Corsa. 
Thank you Mzansi! It's always a pleasure. 


Also in March, we welcomed this little fellow. Welcome Nathan! 
Isla you are the sweetest big sister and we love watching you both grow. 


And then in April it was time for a new adventure. This time in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
This is pho, pronounced a bit like far, one of our favourite local dishes. 


Moving day! 
We are a bit crazy and ship our furniture each time. 
This is probably the smoothest move overall we have had. 
Thanks for that Vietnam! And a special thanks to all the new friends we have made here, you guys also made a huge difference and thanks for your patience answering my 100s of questions! 


The view from our new apartment.


Our first Vietnamese wedding! 
Congrats Nghia and Huong!


Banh mi! A firm favourite. 
Think gourmet sandwich but for $1.50.


Birthdays in July celebrated in style in Phu Quoc.




Bron was blessed to spend 6 weeks in the UK visiting the Finnemore Four over the English summer. And what a summer it was. Thank you F4! It was awesome. Hope to do it again soon! 


While Bron was away, Justin had a work trip to Vientiane, Laos and also had some spare time to see some sights for a change. 



September came with the gift of a long weekend and we enjoyed some exploring, fresh air and hiking in Dalat.


In October we celebrated 10 wonderful years of marriage.
Thank you for an amazing 10 years Pookey! Looking forward to many more =) 


Bron recently started volunteering with an NGO dedicated to uplifting the disadvantaged and disabled in HCMC. This was a gift wrapping session for the Christmas Party at an orphanage the NGO supports. 

We are currently ending the year on holiday in Cambodia, bumper blog posts are sure to follow! 

Hope 2018 was just as kind to you! 
Wishing you all a very happy and blessed New Year. 
All the best for 2019! 

Tuesday 23 October 2018

10 years of Boibping

Happy 10th Wedding Anniversary Pookey! 

Wow, I can't believe it's been 10 years since we said I do! 
And what an amazing 10 years it's been. 
Thank you for choosing me and loving me the way you do and for being my adventure buddy. 
I look forward to the next 10 years and all the 10's after that too .

Hope you enjoy this whirlwind tour of the last 10 years in pictures! 

All my love always 
xxx




Our wedding day 
24 Oct 2008 


The day we met on Clifton 2nd 
Thank you Rob for inviting Justin to join us on the beach!!
Oct 2005 


Weekend in Langebaan
08 May 2006 


Hiking up Lion's Head 
16 July 2006 


My first trip to Justin's home town of Uvongo 
Sept 2006


Justin's Masters Graduation Day 
June 2007 


James Bond 007 Themed party for Justin's Birthday 
07 07 2007


Hiking up Woody Buttress, one of the 12 Apostles in Cape Town
Sept 2007


Picnic in Kirstenbosch, a favourite activity
Nov 2007 


Kloofing! 
On Allan's farm in Greyton. Thank you to Gus from PRDW for organising both the Woody Buttress hike and the kloofing adventures, good times.
Dec 2007 


Carols by Candlelight, Kirstenbosch
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are a firm favourite throughout the year but Spring there is especially magic as are the Summer concerts. 
Dec 2007 


Sparkly day: The day Justin proposed
09 Feb 2008


Granny Hilde's 80th Birthday Celebrations!
Feb 2008


Bron's Birthday Surprise
March 2008 


Graham and Shell's (aka Twinny) Wedding 
19 April 2008 


Me-Too-Day 
24 Oct 2008



On honeymoon in Knsyna and the Garden Route
Barrack Obama was elected as POTUS while we were on Honeymoon
Nov 2008 


Brenainn and Kirsten's Wedding
01 May 2009


River Rafting on the Doring River 
Thank you for keeping me safe and in the boat the whole way Pookey! 
Sept 2009 


Soccer World Cup 2010 in South Africa
This was one of the quarter final games in Port Elizabeth.
Netherlands 2 : 1 Brazil 
July 2010


Hanging out with family in Cape Town for Justin's 30th Birthday 
July 2010


A very intense game of Monopoly happening in Hermanus
Aug 2010


Welcoming our first niece, Micaela
I'll never forget, I handed in my PhD thesis on the Monday and she was born on the Friday.
Here she is at 3 weeks old.
Oct 2010


Justin's last day at PRDW in Cape Town 
Dec 2010 


Christmas 2010


The day we left SA to live in Europe
27 Dec 2010 


Exploring London with Shell and Graham
Jan 2011


Prague
We travelled around Europe for 3 months before settling in Rotterdam. 
Feb 2011 


Contiki Ski
Feb 2011 


The Dutch Boibs! 
We lived and enjoyed life in Rotterdam for 2.5 years. 
2011 - 2013 


Surprise trip back to SA for Bron's Dad's 70th Birthday
Feb 2012 


Twins 30th Birthday!
Shell and Graham made a surprise trip to Rotterdam for our 30th bday.
March 2012


Cycling in the tulip fields in the unseasonably warm Spring weather
March 2012


Joan and Mayira's trip to Europe and the UK
May 2012


Venice
May 2012 


With Dad Cross at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Kinderdijk
Aug 2012 


Iceland 
Aug 2012


Times Square, New York City
Sept 2012


Christmas Market in Aachen with Justin's German cousins
Dec 2012


Ring of Kerry, Ireland 
May 2013


Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam
May 2013 
Justin came to Vietnam in May 2013 for a work project. 
Who would have said 5 years later we would be back together to live in HCMC for a while.


Top of Europe at the Jungfraujoch, Switzerland 
July 2013 


Praia do Canto, Vitoria, Brazil
Straight after our Swiss getaway Justin left the Netherlands for Vitoria kicking off our two year stint in Brazil.
July 2013


A sneaky two weeks in London with this squishy monkey!
(Between finishing work in NL and moving to Brazil)
Welcome to our first nephew Joshua! (born Feb 2013)
Aug 2013


Feeding Hamish the Highland cow in Scotland!
Aug 2013


Vitoria, our new home for the next two years
Sept 2013


Our 5th Wedding Anniversary celebrated in Lima, Peru
24 Oct 2013


Machu Picchu, Peru
Due to Brazilian visa complications we also spent some time in Peru, the perfect opportunity to squeeze in a few long weekends away. 
Nov 2013 


Pucon, Chile
Our dear friends Joan and Mayira invited us to join them and their families for Christmas and New Year in Chile. Thanks for having us guys, it was awesome! 
Dec 2013/Jan 2014


Hout Bay Beach, Cape Town. One of our favourite beaches to walk on.
Due to continuing visa complications we made an unexpected but lovely trip back to SA.
Feb 2014


Visting Justin's parents in Uvongo
Feb 2014


The very worthwhile coffee date that resulted in missing my connecting flight to Rio, oops!
March 2014


Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
April 2014 


Hiking in Huaraz, Peru
June 2014



Costa Rica!
Sept 2014 


Pedra Azul close to Vitoria with our lovely friends Niels and Vivian
Dec 2014


Hiking in Los Glaciares National Park in El Chalten


Perito Moreno Glacier
Patagonia, Argentina and Chile
Dec 2014


With Joan and Mayira in Papudo, Chile
Jan 2015


Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil
April 2015


Florianopolis, our last weekend getaway in Brazil
June 2015


Table Mountain


The Nelson Mandela Capture Site
We left Brazil on 01 July 2015 for 5 weeks of travelling around and visiting family and sorting out some (much simpler) Australian visa paperwork.
July-Aug 2015


Perth, Australia
Our new home for the next 2.5 years.
August 2015 


Feeding kangaroos at Caversham Wildlife Park in Perth
Oct 2015


Pura Tirta Empul, the Water Temple, Bali 


Lombok
Our first adventure in Asia! 
Dec 2015/Jan 2016 


Selfie time! 
Welcome little Daniella! (Born Sept 2015)
London, Feb 2016 


A sneaky week in Sydney 
Justin was working and Bron was sightseeing.
April 2016


Swimming with Whalesharks at Ningaloo Reef 
July 2016 


Our resident photographer doing his favourite thing
Kalbarri Beach at sunset.
July 2016 


Snorkelling with a friendly Humphead Wrasse at the Great Barrier Reef 
Oct 2016 


Hill Inlet Lookout at Whithaven Beach, The Whitsunday Islands 
Oct 2016 


Christmas in Perth with the whole Finnemore Clan
Dec 2016


A week of R&R at Margaret River 
Shout out to the beautiful white sand beaches of WA, we miss you so.
Jan 2017 


Halong Bay


Hiking in Sapa


Cooking Class in Hoi An
On holiday in Vietnam. 
It was pure coincidence that we moved there 6 months later (true story!)
Sept 2016 


Railay Beach


Bathing elephants, Chiang Mai
Thailand, Dec 2017 


This little fellow joined us early on in 2011 and became our Mellow Yellow Travel Fellow
Here he is doing one of his favourite things, posting postcards.
Bangkok, Thailand
Jan 2018


Thank you Perth, it's been real!
On 28 Feb 2018 we left Perth for 6 weeks of road tripping through South Africa visiting family and friends along the way (and of course the obligatory trip to home affairs, bleh!). 
6 weeks, 7600 km, 8 of the 9 provinces in a 1L Opel Corsa! 
Thank you Mzansi, it was fab. 


In Jo'Burg with Bron's Brothers


A sneaky few days in the Kruger National Park


In St Francis Bay with Bron's Dad


and Mom!


Table Mountain you beauty 


Celebrating Bron's bday with sushi and chardonnay


Meeting Isla for the first time!! 
Welcome little Isla! (Born Sept 2015)
And welcome Isla's brother Nathan, our newest nephew! (not pictured, born March 2018)


Clifftop walk in Hermanus 



Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens with Justin's parents


A day out with our niece Micaela 
South Africa, March-April 2018 


View from our new apartment in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 
April 2018 


In an aeroplane waiting for take off
Where we seem to find ourselves super often these days! 
Flying to Phu Quoc for a weekend getaway for Justin's birthday 


Celebrating in Style
Phu Quoc, July 2018 


Visiting the Finnemore Four in an exceptionally hot London! 
July-Aug 2018


Pho! 
Beef Noodle Soup, our favourite go to Vietnamese meal. 
At HCMC airport on the way to Dalat for a long weekend.
Sept 2018

And that's a wrap! 

Can't wait to see what the next 10 years with you brings 

xxx