Thursday, December 20, 2012

2012 - the year in review.

WARNING - long and photo heavy.

Sick of hearing me moan and whine and groan and complain? Me TOO! So luckily this post will have me easing up a little on the poor me stuff.  One of my steps in the grand plan to GET RICH QUICK by becoming a famous Mummy Blogger, is to link up with the lovely Grace's "Flog Your Blog Friday" linkie on her blog, "With Some Grace".  FYI the get rich quick plan is NOT working out. Lucky I enjoy the blog anyway.

Anyhoo Grace has set us the task of doing a 2012 highlights reel for Friday's linkie, so I have dutifully obliged.  Thanks be to God for Facebook keeping some kind of record of my life because frankly at the moment I can hardly remember what I did yesterday let alone 12 months ago.  The interwebs stole my brain.

FYI I might not be very funny in this post.  In fact you guys I'm probably going to get downright emo.  It's been a big year.

January - My aunt and uncle celebrated their 50th (yes!!) wedding anniversary.  I was great with child.  Baby no. 2 was due on 30 January.  I must have a hell of a comfy uterus because he didn't make an appearance until 11 days after the alotted due date.  Lazy, lazy little bugger.


The last photo of my overdue bump, before they evicted the squatter.
February - Our beautiful baby boy B was born, as I said, 11 days after his due date.  Darling boy we love you so much. I was stupidly worried I couldn't love a baby boy as much as I loved P. Ha! As if. You have us in the palm of your tiny hand.

Squishy faced baby is squishy.
P meets B.
March - I turned 32. I had a picnic in the park but there's no photographic evidence.  Apart from being insanely windy I think it was a nice day.

We learnt that my stepfather D had Stage 4 secondary bone cancer.  His prognosis was not good.  This was a dreadful shock for him, his kids and my mum. And for us.

Baby B and his "Dai".
Baby B getting used to the world.
April -  We traveled to Mum and D's beautiful beach house to spend Easter with them, along with 2 of his 3 children.

We didn't really talk about it, but I think we knew it would be the last time we were all together in that house.

 May - M had his birthday.  P "helped" make the cake.

Oh yeah.  Cake batter.  Nectar of the Gods.

June - We went to my lovely Aunt and Uncle's 40th wedding anniversary shindig.

My uncle is wearing his "formal" volleys.

The girl cousins.  Channeling Cate Blanchett with the out-turned palms for maximum thin-ness


M and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary with a rare date night out.

What a pair of lookers.  Well, you can't really tell but take my word for it we are SPUNKS!

Everyone felt that my stepfather D was responding quite well to some palliative chemo.  Unfortunately in June the cancer caused spontaneous fractures in his bones and he was hospitalised. We traveled up to see him.  It was for the last time.

No words are necessary really.
I think it was some time around here we found out M's mum had leukaemia and was going to undergo chemotherapy. Her prognosis is good.

July - On the 22nd July, my stepfather DJG died.  He chose some songs to play at his funeral.  This is one of them.





I could say more but it isn't my story. I wasn't very close to D. He was a quiet man and didn't involve himself much in my life, and anyway I was hard to get along with and very close to my own dad.  The grief for my mum and his children however is overwhelming, he was a devoted husband and father and I'm glad he got the chance to be a grandfather to my kids and to his first baby granddaughter D.

Some time around here I also got a phone call from the CEO of the government agency I work at to let me know my permanent full time position had been made redundant.  Luckily I was still being offered 2 days a week on a contract.  Still.  Upsetting to say the least.  Talk about timing.

August - Our beautiful P turned 3.  We got her a trampoline.  My darling girl, how can it be 3 years since we brought you home from hospital, tiny in the baby capsule, me sitting in the back next to you, Daddy driving at 20 kms/hour in case we crashed, the responsibility of our tiny cargo overwhelming us?  We love you.  You are spirited and creative, you love to dance and run and talk and of course watch telly.  You love drawing and most of all you love dress ups. You are a peach and you have everyone under your spell.


September -  I started the blog.

We traveled up to Mum and D's beach house again, to visit it one last time before Mum made the move back down to her old house on the Sunshine Coast. She and D had decided it would be too lonely for her up there after he had died.







October - We hung out lots with Grandpa G, as usual.

The awl man and the young'un, as my Irish cousin put it.
We did a bit of gardening and it looked good briefly before looking shit again.





November - Urhhhh I'm getting tired but I'm almost done...

Baby B was baptised.

Cute, no?
December - It's not over yet! Don't worry, as you all know through this blog I love oversharing EVERY small detail of my life so I'll keep you ALL updated.

Gawwd that took forever to do.

2012 has been a big year. So much joy, so much change, so much stress and grief.  I feel stretched so thin as to be almost transparent, exhausted, depleted and run down.

Goodbye 2012.  We laughed, we cried.  What more can I say?


48 comments:

  1. Lovely post. Life as a grown up is hard isn't it? Not necessarily bad, but definitely hard. Not quite how we imagined it at 20, hey? Love the blog xxx

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    1. Yes, it's kind of worse than I thought but also better too. I was a dickhead at 20 but I guess most people are.Thanks for reading C xxx

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  2. Thank you. Lovely, lovely synopsis of a year that would be an annus horribilis were is not for the joy and sunshine that loved ones bring. (Slapdash is a little ray of sunshine for us all!) I hope you have a chance to refresh, relax and renew this Christmas. Shall clink a glass with you in sprit on NYE to herald what has to be a less climactic year.

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    1. Thank you R. 2013 will at least bring to fruition my long ago promise to have you guys over for lunch! We will DO THIS THING!

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  3. That's what life is - births and deaths with lots of stress in between! But lots of great and happy stuff as well, as your two little darlings have proved!

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    1. Yes, I always thought that the point of life was that you should always be happy but I know now that's not the point at all, it's just a bonus.

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  4. Luckily we are almost at the end of what has most certainly been a most harrowing year. 2013 is looking much more promising I am sure. A little less drama would be nice. Xxoo

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  5. What a roller coaster ride you've had Sarah. Here's hoping 2013 will be a little smoother.
    Love to you and your gorgeous family this Christmas.

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    1. Yes. Sometimes years go by and it feels like nothing happens, and then sometimes it all happens. I'm hoping I have a long stretch of sameness coming up. Frankly for someone who craves security I've had more than enough change in my life now thank you very much.

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  6. What a huge year! I hope your mum's health is ok. Have a wonderful Christmas. Rachel xx

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    1. Thank you, you too. Thanks for asking about mum, she's as you might expect I suppose. xx

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  7. Excellent post, despite the grief and sadness.

    Reading your description of driving home with P sounded so familiar. With the addition of the fact that as soon as the car started moving I started crying and didn't stop for about 24 hours! They weren't lying about those hormonal baby blues!

    I hope you have a Merry Christmas and that 2013 holds much joy for you!

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  8. Thanks Kylie, you too. There's nothing so emotionally charged as bringing home the baby for the first time. Terrifying frankly!

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  9. Sarah, I really love your blog!
    This post is great - certainly highlights all the ups and downs we go through in such short spaces of time.
    And don't worry, my garden (well, courtyard) usually looks crap, too. (Occasionally the cat poos in it and it not only looks shit, but smells like it too. Ugh.)
    A merry, merry Chrissie to you and all your family x

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    1. Thank you Mandie. Our garden harbours cat turds too. Blargh. Merry Christmas to you also x

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  10. If i was writing a blog, i would link to yours and say DITTO. Well, apart from a few minor details! ... Grief is the price you pay for love... 5am wake-ups are the price you pay for the love and cuddles ... being made redundant is the price you pay for 95% of Qld voting for Can-Do ...
    Hopefully we can catch up in January (we're back on the 4th, so let me know when you are in Buderim).

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    1. I know KLF, you and I are living parallel lives. Love you. Have a great chrissy. Will be back home when you return but up there again in the near future no doubt xxx

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  11. 2012 was really the circle of life for you! Births, deaths, baptisms, work issues. Congrats for surviving! Hope you have a great xmas

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  12. This was a lovely post - sad, but with a lovely hope through it. Wishing you an excellent 2013

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    1. Thank you. Merry Christmas to you and your little squirm.

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  13. Another newbie! Well done on the blog! But am really sorry to hear that your step father passed away.

    I love all the photos, they really tell the story.

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    1. Thanks, it was a weird year. Thank you for commenting Sophie.

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  14. What a roller coaster year! So sorry to read about your step dad.
    It's lovely to have you here in the blogosphere. Look forward to getting to know you better in 2013 x

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  15. You know, I've only just realised you are this Sarah! I have a bit of a learning difficulty when it comes to remembering names or placing them with their owners (true dat) for years I read stories I loved without realising they were all by Ray Bradbury or other authors I already knew :D Looking forward to reading my way through your blog and so sorry to hear about your stepfather and your trials and tribulations.

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    1. Ha! It sounds like we are practically neighbors Alison. Don't worry about the name thing doesn't worry me x

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    2. Just too funny :) Just btw I have tagged you again for another award/acknowledgement blogger thingumy, the Liebster one this time. I'm not stalking you, honest!

      Happy Holidays, catch you soon :)

      http://alisontennentdennehy.weebly.com/1/post/2012/12/two-awards-makes-me-twice-as-cool-right-also-happy-holidays.html

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  16. Ups and downs, lows but mostly highs, it sounds like a momentous year. And those early photos of your little man are super dooper cute. Makes me want another newborn NOW DAMMIT.
    I'm glad you started blogging, you're pretty darn good at it woman!
    Merry Christmas and all that jazz xx

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  17. Wow. Look at your year!!
    Great to meet you Sarah Mac :)
    I finally did my year in review today too. Yes, 2012 has been at good one.
    Cheers and Merry Christmas
    Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit
    x x x

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  18. Lovely to "find" you via FYBF. What a year!
    Merry Christmas & looking forward to 2013.
    xx
    Danya

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    1. Thanks danya, merry Xmas and thank you for commenting x
      Haha my phone autocorrected your name to Santa. Topical.

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  19. What an incredibly emotional year you've had! Lots of highs and lows. Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy! Wishing you all the best for a wonderful Christmas and New Year :)
    xx

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    1. Thank you Tracey, best wishes and thanks for visiting x

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  20. A big year full of HUGE milestones.

    You make me want to have another baby...

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    1. Thanks Kelley. I'm so glad I found your blog this year too xx

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  21. Wow what a year! so glad you started blogging, I remember trading comments with you on other sites.

    Have a wonderful Christmas and here's for everything you want in 2013.

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  22. Oh gosh, what a year of highs and lows you've had. I love your focus and connection on family though. Have a great Christmas and I'm looking forward to reading more of your blog in 2013.

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    1. Thank you Lara, same to you, looking forward to your blog in 2013 too.

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  23. Coming from FYBF. I have to admit I'm a first time visitor to your blog. I'm sorry to hear about your grief. And, congratulations on your baby boy. Life is so full of highs and lows... Best wishes for the New Year.

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    1. Than you ritaazar2. Yes life is strange. Thank you for your lovely comment.

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  24. Looking forward to seeing more of you in 2013. That is such a thoughtful and lovely song for him to choose.

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Vent your spleen! You know you want to.

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