2012 | Colours of Sunset

Back at the end of 2007 I decided to write a review of the year. In 2008 I figured I might as well do it again. It was interesting to go back and read about things that had happened, the highlights, lowlights and everything in between. In 2009, 2010 and 2011 I continued with tradition. Now, it’s time to look back on 2012 and see what exciting things happened this year.

So much has happened in the last 5 years. When you talk about your “long term goals” and your 5 and/or 10 year plan, not many people would include all of the following:

Go to Europe
Move to the other side of the world
Have a child
Lose a grandparent
Lose a parent
Lose an uncle
Struggle with fertility

To say I wouldn’t change any of it is a lie. There’s plenty about it I’d change – I’d bring dad back for starters, and I’d get rid of this fertility problem. But we all know that’s not possible, and everything that has happened has shaped who I am and where I am right this very moment (still in PJs, determined to do nothing today until I have to go to work!).

Looking through my blog, the recurring themes for 2012 are gratitude, health and fitness. This year I lost 12 kgs, 45 cms and 2 dress sizes. In doing that I’ve gained happiness, confidence, fitness and surely health. I’ve learned that you really can do anything you put your mind to, anyone can lose weight and get fit, excuses just hold you back, and if you do anything hard enough and long enough, it WILL pay off!

Before & After

I’ve looked for the positive and given thanks for everything – even my challenges, for while they may give me grief, they are not insurmountable. They are not life-threatening or ending. I can, and will, face them with everything I have.

This year I’ve learned that support sometimes comes from the most unlikely places, that friendships can survive most anything, if you want them to, but sometimes the only people you can truly count on are the ones under your own roof (or who grew up under the same roof). I’ve learned that science and the universe can sometimes work hand in hand to make things happen (or not happen). I’ve learned that when you’re a parent, time flies faster than light and some decisions feel harder than climbing Mt. Everest. I still can’t believe my “baby” graduated from kindy and is headed to “big school” at the end of January. He’s not a baby any more (ok, so he hasn’t been for a while) but now he is really super grown up, and he’s my little mate, not my little baby.

I’ve done a lot of blogging and tried to be an active participant in the Australian blogging community, even just a small part of it. There are so many inspiring, talented, friendly, funny women (and men) blogging these days and it can be hard to find where you fit in, but I know my journey this year has been supported by many bloggers and may not have been so successful without them.

This year we travelled. To Melbourne, New Zealand, Fingal Head. We saw things we hadn’t seen before, we stood in awe of nature, we relaxed. I photographed.

Friends and family fell pregnant. Everyone seemed to fall pregnant. Meanwhile we tried to fight/cure/conquer our fertility issues. All the while questioning why we were struggling. The universe vs science battle raged in my mind. Maybe the universe was protecting us from something, or maybe there was some slight scientific/biological error that needed correcting. It’s something we’ve yet to figure out. I hope 2013 sees an end to this battle, with either a pregnancy, or contentedness that we did all we could and it wasn’t meant to be.

And then the year ended with a bang! Well, not a bang, more a blessing. A beautiful baby daughter for my sister and brother-in-law to love. And for her aunty to love too, of course! She was late arriving (11 days), took her time getting here (36 hours), but she is perfect and already forgiven. I can’t think of a better way to end one year and start another. Can you?

What were the highlights of your 2012?

Do you write a yearly review? If you do, why not link up with Grace at With Some Grace for Flog Yo’ Blog Friday?

The last few days have weighed heavy on my mind and my heart. I was already feeling overwhelmed and a little run down, and then Saturday morning we woke to the news of the school shooting. I’ve been trying to avoid the news, to avoid hearing any more horror stories out of Newton, CT. Sometimes it’s unavoidable and I’ve heard and read things I’d have been much better not knowing about. Then I think of the folks in Newton. I think of the parents who lost their child, the light of their lives. And I think they can’t just avoid it. They can’t turn the TV or computer off and make it go away, they can’t close the newspaper and pretend it didn’t happen. And it makes me feel like I shouldn’t, either.

What I can do, is think about things that make me laugh, things that make me happy. And right now I have a 4.5 year old who is saying THE funniest things, sometimes at the most inappropriate times. So, in an attempt to make people smile and laugh, I thought I’d share some of these things.

Me: I love you more than anything in the whole world.
Nick: I love you more than a new Christmas tree!

He had a bad run of wetting his bed three nights in a row recently. On the third morning he said to me, “Mummy, how come you don’t wet YOUR bed?” as if all the cool kids were doing it.

At his kindy graduation, after kids had received their certificates and told everyone they wanted to be doctors, policemen and pilots when they grew up, my boy got up and told everyone he was going to be Batman.

He was climbing on the playground and The Mechanic said, “Be careful please Nick!” He replied “Careful is my middle name!” (seriously, where does a 4 year old get that?!).

We went to the pet store to get some fish tank supplies. While The Mechanic talked to the sales lady and got all that organised, Nick and I went to look at the dogs and cats. Loudly, infront of at least 6 other customers, he announced, “There’s a lot of pussies in here!”