Here we are at the end of December and not only that but the end of another of the fastest years ever. Every year at this time, on this exact day in fact it’s the same thing, the same amazing feeling. We aren’t getting ready for New years eve, we don’t have any plans and we are not even reflecting on the year gone by or making plans for the year ahead. What we are doing….is just sitting with a big sigh of relief that we can finally breathe! Not because I don’t love this time of year, on the contrary, but what with Christmas madness swiftly followed by Eva’s birthday it is crazy and busy and a whole whirlwind of time flying by in a flash and a blur and basically just trying to keep up and not drop any balls. I used to feel bad about that, like somehow I was always waiting for it to be over but now I soak it all up and just appreciate being able to stop and know we had a blast. I am sat here now on the very last day of the year with a tidy house and content family just doing our own thing in peace with no plans to even leave the house. I can tell you that this feels pretty glorious, being content just to be alongside one another and moments like this is what makes me feel like a real family which is pretty special in itself. Sometimes it really is the small moments which make you realise the most isn’t it?
Of course December has been full of festive goodness, lots of days out, lots of cosy days in, nativities, advent, theatre trips, shopping, hot chocolate, Santa visits, gingerbread houses and twinkly lights galore. I have enjoyed some one on one time with both girls, some shopping days with Eddy and even some lazy lie in mornings, it has been all kinds of wonderful with a mix of ordinary lovely and ordinary not so lovely sneaking in. Real life and all that; who knew children would be not only normally feral at Christmas time but with an added amount of excited feral thrown in too!?! We end it with lovely memories to treasure and an 8 year old to boot! She had the best day ever yesterday and all the work that went into the Harry Potter party the last few days was totally worth the look on her face and listening to her and her friends giggling away, a sound I never want to forget.
As for next year, I’ve really no idea what 2019 will bring, what it will look like, where we will end up and I really have no big expectations, I just hope that whatever we do, wherever we are, whoever we’re with we are happy and that we put ourselves ahead of anything else. After all if everything else is stripped away, time will still go on, we will still get older, we will still be here and that right there is more than enough for me.
This months main photos were taken on Christmas Eve and I really love them. It’s no secret around here that these family photos aren’t always wanted by 3/4 of the family and I guess maybe even the mere attempt to take them is part of what has stopped me writing them in the first place. But this day every kept schtum, the girls found a worm, I found I love the candid shots and Eddy found that just going with the flow was the way to go!! Lets hope we can all keep it up for 2019.
I am very much looking forward to simple cohabitation with these three people this month, going slow, with no expectation, just time, just us.
So here we are sometimes talking, sometimes just living side by side, but always here together.
AND it wouldn’t be the end of the year without a round up right? Like I said last month I have missed writing a few months this year which makes me sad but this is my little family through the year and it is still the biggest privilege to get to see each and every month, something I never want to take for granted.
November (August, September & October too!)
Next year is going to be a big one, the year my last baby (sob) starts school (double sob) and I for one am not going to waste a single minute of the next 9 months as I prepare myself for that….not her, shes ready. I am going to fill it with as many special extraordinary and ordinary moments as I can and right now I am not sure where I or blogging fits into that as we may also be on the cusp of making other big changes still in the pipe line but whatever it is time will still go on and my promise to myself and these people here is that we will do everything to make that time happy above all.
Happy New Year everyone