Well it is already the end of January 2014. Last year was possibly one of the most eventful and turbulent ones for me yet. I experienced some amazing highs and some pretty full on lows and for the most part of the year was in self preservation mode just trying to get through each day in tact. One thing that I did learn is that I have some of the most amazing people in my life and am loved. I had such great support from near and far and that love and support has helped me so much.
This year is going to be a great year, it will be dynamic, it will be fun and exciting and I will be positive, organised and productive. I plan to make time to be creative as much as I can (something that I haven't done for a while and miss heaps, I will enjoy everyday and record the great moments, which is why I am going to attempt to keep a semi regular blog going again. I am going to join a craft group here that meet regularly to help me make time to be creative and meet some new people which should be good, I am going to attempt to be super organised so I can be the best me and juggle full time work, uni, parenting, my relationships and my health. I am very skilled at looking organised but living in semi chaos and I am very good at procrastinating but I want that to change and am feeling pretty good about it.
All of this really is for my own record and I am not entirely sure that anyone else is at all interested but I thought that given I enjoy reading other's blogs about the goings in their lives it couldn't hurt to share. Before I reflect on the possibilities for the year ahead, I thought I would reflect on the year that was those highs and lows......
Ok the highs......
1) I was successful in receiving a scholarship to complete my early childhood teaching degree, awesome really as I am not sure that we could afford for me to complete the degree the conventional way and once I have the degree it will open more doors for me.
2) my contract for my job was rolled over for another 12 months. I LOVE my job, I have never really felt that way, sure I have enjoyed work but never truly loved it, the job challenges me in so many ways, is so varied and I feel that I make a little difference in the lives of the people I work with.
3) my gorgeous girl was made primary house captain at her school. She only started at the school the year before so to have peers and staff vote for her was a testament to who she is. She has also done some spectacular work and improved out of sight, a child who even at 12 battles with constant ear infections that get so bad that her ear drums burst and she doesn't even realize has worked tirelssly to work against the odds to go from achieving below expected levels in just about everything to getting high achievements in just about everything. She also graduated primary school and is off to high school this year. Yes I am one proud Mumma!
4) my sweet shy boy has overcome some of his shyness this year and has put himself put there and started swimming and tennis. It took us a while to convince him to have a go but he got there and loves both sports and it doing well. He also did very well at school and has some great goals to work towards achieving this year. Again a very proud mumma.
5) Travel - boy we squeezed in some amazing travel into 2013! Living up here has some advantages.... Being so close to some spectacular countries and amazing locations here in northern Aus makes for easy , economical and awesome travel. Ok our travel for 2013 consisted of,Tasmania, Bali, litchfield national park, a massive road trip across the territory with my family and beautiful niece which included seeing the Devils Marbles, Uluru, Olga's , The plenty highway, Birdsville, Longreach (spending some time with our family which was amazing! ) Hughenden, Muttaburra and more that I can't remember at the moment as well as more overseas travel to the incredible Malaysia (KL) and Singapore, then to finish off the year a trip to Brisbane to see our family. Oh and about 101 trips to Darwin throughout the year too! Lol.
Ok the lows-
1) breaking both of my arms in May - yep both! I had a terrible fall playing netball and broke both wrists, a rib and managed to hit my head as well giving myself a very spectacular black eye and lump on my head. I ended up spending 2 weeks in hospital 3 hours away form home, my husband and kids which was very lonely and stressful. I had a cast on my left arm for 11 weeks and a splint on my right arm for the same time and have been going to rehab physio and follow up appointments at fracture clinic since. I was only allowed to drive again in September and long distance driving is still problematic but I am allowed to drive. It has been tough and I still have a lot of pain in my left arm. Breaking both arms is not something I recommend! I lost all of my independence and had to rely on others for everything, sleeping has been difficult and my ways of working have changed a bit. None the less I am maintaining a positive outlook and working throug the challenges as they come along.
2) the week I started back at work after my injury, I found out that my program had lost funding and wouldn't operate in 2014. I was devastated. The program I had worked hard to build wouldn't be continuing after 2013 and I wouldn't have a job for 2014. Thankfully in September we found out that the a funding source had been located and the program would operate for semester one this year. I has to reapply for the contract and was successful so a low turned into a high. The other part to the low in this is that there has been through some major changes and where my program sits no longer exists and my program now sits with the regional office. It was really tubulent and sad to see a fantastic organisation go and I will dearly miss the people I worked with.
So the highs and lows are recorded. This year, I hope that I only have highs to reflect on, I think that I had enough lows in 2013 to last a while. Lol.
Ok so when I was looking back at my scrapbooking creations for the past year or so I realized that I have not shared any of them and I have also had a go at a challenge for scrap the boys that I will share in separate posts. To all my friends that are parents of school kiddies, enjoy the first week back at school and best wishes to all the children that are starting kindy, preschool, school or high school. Exciting times ahead.
Thanks for reading,
Tam xo
Onwards and upwards I say!
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