Reflections on 2009

I just poped by Emily Falconbridge's blog as I do sometimes and she had a delightful post summing up her year and I was inspired to do the same. I am reading back through my notes and pages and looking at photos month by month. I am not as concise as Emily, need to learn to cut back my words!
I am also really pleased I have a blog to refer back to. I am planning to make this some kind of a page I think. With 12 little photos and some words. Will see how it somes together.

January

I can't get over how little Katelin was, she seemed so big and able to do so much at the time, now I look back she seemed like such a baby, I think I am missing that a lot at the moment.

I love this photo of Katelin, our first outing with her on her own, Mum had Noah, and Andrew is not usually home on those days. It was a lot of fun.January was a quiet month of fishing, playing, growing seeds, the beach and playing with Christmas presents. Relaxed and happy.

February

Trip to Nelsons Bay was the highlight a holiday is a big thrill for the kids we don't do it often, maybe because w have lousy timing, we left in 40+ degrees and Victoria in a fire crisis and two days later it was 20 degrees and raining almost the whole time we were there. It was great to spend time with Nanny and Poppy, Kate and I shared some girly time and milkshakes and we practiced using the potty.

March

Some lawn bowls for the kids, Noah's own choice of shoes,  a trip to the Hawksbury, Katelin toilet training really well, Hil having a seizure and ending up in hospital, a funny sleeping spot for Noah, and Ruby's first birthday made up the month.

April

Easter and a trip to the show with the two kids on my own went really well actually and I loved it! And this gorgeous moment.
 
May

This is our family month, Katelin turned two, we threw her a tea party,  fairy day, our 10th wedding anniversary, our night away to Coogee, Noah's fourth birthday, and his trampoline and my Pop turned 80!

June

This was a fairly easy choice, Katelin in her ballet uniform for the first time, she looks so small and adorable. She loves ballet and has really grown to participate so well, she was a little under two when she started. This month also held Rose's fourth birthday and jumping on the castle until late in the evening. A bowling party with mother's group, Hil's surgery and diagnosis, and the arrival of the kids new beds!

July

A visit to a kids farm, both my kids loved the bunnies (perhaps where the obsession of a bunny for Christmas came from, Kate went to a Dorothy the Dinosaur show, and the highlight our trip to Sydeny for my Birthday Noah just loved the museum and the dinosaurs. I loved the day and my presents, flowers charms and my special necklace, but mostly spending the day with my family. It also marked the start of Hills' Angels meetings (although we had no name yet).

August

A snuggly winter morning photo I love this photo, it represents the start to a lot of days snuggling in my bed, this time after a shower. This month saw us giving Hil her video camera, the start of our huge journey, her trip to Fiji and an interest in bike riding, loving the bike track and Katelin's difficulties at staying in bed.

September

This month included Noah getting his own snacks, building a video camera - love kids imagination and creativity, some face painting, weeding and renovating the garden, Noah reading stories to Kate in bed, spring blossoms, movie and picnic dinner night, soccer out the window (my view), Katelin's first time on stage dancing, sleeping bags, the idea of Just like Katie, Father's day, a bush walk for Native flowers and Noah's first ever sleep over - at Rose's, doing chores and eating ice cream. Can't believe how full this month was.

October

This month makes me smile! It was a huge month all round. It started with my wardrobe falling down (not smiling much then) more sleeping touble with Kate, lots of scrapping, something I needed at such a busy time, lots of late night meetings, painting Kate's fingernail and toe nails for the first time in Hills' Angels pink mind you! A fantastic breakfast for Hilarie and she was able to be there and she was so very proud (just small beginnings in hindsight), a great night away at Avoca for us girls, so needed at that point in time, again more time with Hils and it was so good! A stall for Just like Katie and some more scrapping.

November

A bit more scrapping, a huge day for Katelin, her first day of pre school, a visit to the Christmas tree lighting, a fantastic FUNdraising night for Hills' Angels, where we suprised even ourselves and we were humbled by the recognition of our work, putting up the Christmas tree in preparation for a huge Decemeber. And a photo for our Christmas card, that has to be my favourite photo of the month - all of us together.

Decemeber

This month was a huge on for Hills' Angels and our Hilarie, we had her house made over by a tv show, Domestic Blitz, it was a full week of fun, and a great start to December, she was thrilled with the result. We managed to find a few quiet moments to get into Christmas, like our advent calender, a weekend away at Jamberoo was the perfect end to the year for Hills' Angels, some Christmas movies, a visit to Santa at story time, making cookies, Christmas lights, a Christmas train, some Fisher Price Christmas scenes, Road to Bethlehem, Christmas around our house, The Wiggles and Christmas in the city, Christmas with our friends, Mothers group Christmas, last day of pre school, presents for the wishing tree, letters from Santa, Hunter Valley Gardens lights, reindeer ears on the car, flowers for Christmas, leaving food for Santa on Christmas Eve, the MAGIC of Christmas day, our visit to Church, Boxing day with family, and a quiet wind down to the year with fireworks with friends on New Years Eve! I can't pick a favourite for the month there are too many!