We started this year clouded in smoke from raging bushfires and ended it separated from family because of a pandemic ... so it's been a bit of a year. 2020 will likely go down as one of the most difficult years of our generation. And although challenging for us in some ways, we've had some wonderful things happen too and lots in between. Life goes on and for that I am very grateful.
At Christmas last year we told the kids and extended family that we were expecting another baby. Christmas had a real sense of joy and excitement with the announcement. At that point fires still raged and we couldn't really be outside for the smoke. But a baby! And that little Heaven-sent baby has given us absolute joy this year and made all of the trials that bit easier. Lily joined us in June and we all absolutely adore her. She is 7 months now and just the sweetest treasure. She is eating and rolling, working so hard to get those little legs to move her forward. She sleeps like a dream, loves, laughs and is entertained by her siblings all the day long and is the ideal number four. She goes along with it all and is just so happy to be with her family.
The seriousness of the Covid Pandemic hit us towards the end of March. I managed to get a few casual days in teaching at the Primary School before it hit which was a huge blessing to update my accreditation. But by April we had gone into lockdown, with Levi working from home and me homeschooling the kids. I was thrilled to have Levi home, he had mixed emotions but I think mostly liked it. Homeschooling was another story. I had a big cry at the prospect of managing it at the end of my pregnancy and with a toddler but after a little while I was actually excited for the possibilities of what we could do together. We slipped into a great routine that worked for us. We were allowed out for exercise so every morning we would walk, ride or scoot to the local ponds and then play games, run or do circuits on the field. We would head home for a snack and play, then when Quill went to sleep Finley and Primrose would do schoolwork. We had the time for things like music lessons, yoga, drawing, cooking and sewing, Overall it was a really positive experience for us and in the end the timing was just right and they went back to school and preschool two weeks before I had Lily. We've been incredibly lucky in
We moved into our brand new home a month before Lily arrived. We built on a lovely cul-de-sac in Bungendore with a view at the end of the street across the Great Dividing Range. We get treated to some pretty incredible sunsets and each day looks like a new artwork as the weather and animals in the paddocks take position. The kids and I love living on a closed in road. They scoot and ride on the street to their hearts content and lots of neighborhood kids come and join them. Bungendore is a wonderful place to grow up and I'm so glad they will have their childhood here, with some freedoms and friends and all the benefits of small town living. It's nice to settle into our own place again after renting for 18 months. We are working to turn our house into a home, with Levi steadily working on the outside on decks and landscaping plus all the rest. And me chasing up trades and decorating inside. It's a lot of work but we are getting there. We love Bungendore more and more and feel in a lot of ways we have landed in a good place for our family. The next few years will tell, but if we decide to stay on longer term we will look at getting a larger property out of town where we can have some space and run a couple of horses. It's nice to be dreaming again and feeling excited about the possibilities.
Some other lovely highlights were having my two dear Nelson Bay friends Sarah and Sig bring their kids to our place for a visit after Lily was born. The kids were in heaven and my two wonderful friends cared for me in every good way, taking care of all the food and cleaning and mostly giving me those conversations that help you feel connected beyond caring for a newborn. Finley was also baptised this year and Lily had her baby blessing. All lovely days we shared with Mum, Dad and Courtney.
Levi has had a big year at work. He became Managing Director of Gibbs and Cox in January and that keeps him very busy. There's lots of work in the role but lots of scope for interesting things too. With a year under his belt and the company making a mark on the naval industry in Australia, we hope the New Year will bring progress of Levi's vision to establish a ship design capability in Australia. We were also crazy enough this year to add an MBA into the mix for Levi. He deserves a high five for making it through a very full on year. He's a wonderful husband to me, I feel very grateful that despite all the pressures he keeps on giving for his family. I really feel like we are in everything together and life's challenges always feel a little easier that way.
The first half of this year really felt like I was running a marathon and just needed to make it to the end. With the pregnancy, the move and Covid, I breathed a sigh of relief to be on the other side of it all. Since Lily arrived in June and those few difficult newborn weeks were past me I've really felt like I've been moving into the next phase of my life. Slowly I've gone back to horse riding, running, sewing and knitting. I've found some quiet moments to think about what's next for me. And I've really tried to soak up all the moments with Lily knowing she in my last. It's been such a strange year but it many ways our little family has just inched forward together each day and taken alot of joy in each other. I don't have any huge plans for 2021, just doing more of all the good things.
Finley had a great year moving up to the cub scout program, horse riding each week, starting to learn guitar, swimming in the district swimming carnival and taking out first prize in the school K-2 talent show for his group performance of the song 'Believer'. More updates on Finley here.
Primrose had a wonderful year at our gorgeous local preschool getting ready for big school next year. She made great progress learning to swim, taught herself to ride her bike with no training wheels, did wonderfully learning to horse ride and is reading wonderfully. More on Primrose here.
Quill is our ball of energy and kept us on our toes this year. His is the most affectionate, fun loving, mess making terror that ever there was and we love him. He is obsessed with puppies, is speaking beautifully, eating more that all of his siblings, doing great on the balance bike and loving his one day of preschool each week. More on Quill here here.
Lily, our sweet, adored little cherub. Doing the best job making us all smile and bringing joy to every moment. More on Lily here.
And that's a wrap 2020. Now to hold onto our hats for 2021!
No comments:
Post a Comment