at the end of the year


2015 has been a relatively uneventful year. I like it that way, I like my life being predictable with no nasty surprises around the corner. Despite the normalcy of our life, there are highlights that I would like to remember. I think more than anything, this past year has been about finding ourselves, finding my place in this small community of ours and feeling comfortable with it. Friendships have blossomed and more than once a chat and a hug helped overcome the minor adverse events that dotted the year. Lets just say, I have been lucky.  

This year Richard and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. He came to Muthaclubbers with me on our anniversary, when he would have much rather spent it in front of the telly watching some recording of the Tour de France. I know to appreciate this sacrifice!

Family holidays! We had two family holidays this year, one to Cornwall and one to London. Both were great. The city break was a fantastic experience for us. A couple of years ago, this seemed like an impossible undertaking. Four kids, a small budget and a general apathy seemed like too much to overcome. We all enjoyed our holidays very much.

Not caring so much about what other people might think of me. I tell you, more than anything this has added enjoyment to my life. 

I don't know what it is about camping, it just makes me happy. I would love to camp a lot more than we do. We went twice this year, both times with our well established camping group. We huddled together under the gazebo during downpours, we experienced a total lunar eclypse and we sat around the camp fire. It can't get much better.

Gaining new employment after a year of enforced staying at home followed by a few months of temping. It is great to have a job and although my career remains fragmented and I am not sure what direction it will take. Some days I feel optimistic that I will find my footing once more. 

I am blessed with a good relationship with my children. We often argue and we often shout. They are not perfect, and I am not perfect either. It is easy to embrace their strengths but less easy to accept their flaws. Letting the older ones spread their wings and find their own path proves challenging and I have to stop myself imposing my own strong opinions on them. I often feel overwhelmed by being a mum and I often think I don't do enough to win the mother of the year award but I know that they love me. They tell me so. 

Making a duffle coat helped me find confidence in my (sewing) abilities and it has helped me accept this body of mine. It looks a bit like a barrel but feels just like it always has, curvy and well proportioned. I am determined to make more garments that fit my body and spend less time trying to fit my body into garments that will never look good on me. 

I stopped making New Year's resolutions. It seems so random to make resolutions on this last day of the calendar year. Have a complete blowout on Hogmanay and then pay your debt after? I don't think so. Still, I have been thinking that I am currently walking on a good path and that I want to continue walking this path for a wee while longer. 

One thing though (you may call it a new year's resolution, I call it common sense): I shall try not to make excuses for the general untidiness of our house. I shall give it a good tidy up when the last child has moved out.

And now, if you will excuse me please, I have to get ready for Hogmanay. I love a good party! 

Thank you so much for visiting me throughout the year and for leaving many lovely, thoughtful, encouraging and funny comments for me to enjoy. I hope 2016 will be good for all of you! xxx

Comments

  1. Happy New Year to you too, Christina! Thank you for brightening up my year with your fabulous photos and your wise words xx

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  2. What a wonderful year you have had with the family all the best to you all throughout 2016

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  3. Happy New Year! Here's to a good 2016! xx

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  4. That sounds like a pretty good year :)

    Happy New Year!

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  5. Happy New Year my friend, I always love your honesty, I do have a few quarrels with my family too and I did yel a bit at Little Buddy last night when he rammed into the ladder I was standing on with his walker and I almost fell about five down to the floor. None of us is perfect.
    Hugs and here is to 2016!
    Meredith

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  6. Happy New Year, Christina. I have enjoyed reading about your and your family this year. Love the blue tongue pic and the one with you in the hat smiling.

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  7. Happy New Year Christina. I think your policy about the house cleaning is inspired! and I hope you had a wonderful party xxx

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  8. Happy new year Christina, what a lovely summary of 2015.

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  9. Ha - you always make me chuckle Christina! There was a mad panic in our house the week before Christmas, the window cleaner! God knows what he thinks when he trips over the mess in the kids bedrooms, but I was encouraged that they were concerned to have some random see the real state of affairs! Your idea to tidy up after the last one leaves is inspired except in Australia the kids never seem to move out :)
    Have a happy New Year I will look forward to joining you through out!
    Wren x

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  10. Your blog is definitely one of my favourites Christina. I love your honesty and acceptance. Your comment about tidying up after the last child has moved out made me laugh. Would love to see a photo of your Harris tweed duffel coat - I bet it is fabulous and suits you to a Tee. Happy 2016 to you and yours.

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  11. Christina, good for you for not worrying about what others think - our life is our own, so let's live it up! Happy New Year to you and your family. If your kids are telling you that they love you, then you are definitely doing something right!

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  12. Happy New Year Christina! As for mother of the year, the only women who obtain that title live in works of fiction, not actual homes with real people. :-)

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  13. Hey Christina,
    Love, love, love it! The big yes as opposed to the big no. I especially like the comment about not giving a fig about what other people think. That's one battle I won a few years ago, and it was entirely liberating. I'm trying my hardest with the tidy house thing, but what can I say? I'm an anal retentive. I haven't vacuumed for three days, so that's a start of sorts.
    Happy New Year. Hope Hogmanay was excellent. I've not yet recovered from mine....
    Leanne xx

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  14. It's hard not to worry what other think but after a while you come not to bother. I hope you manage to fit in more camping we love it too. Happy New Year to you and yours.

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  15. There's a lot to be said for normalcy, with a few lovely highlights thrown in. Wishing you and your family all the very best for 2016.

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  16. Happy New Year, Christina, I hope 2016 is just as good for you and your family xx

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  17. I think we just may be kindred spirits Christina, particularly loving the concept of tidying the house when the last one leaves. Sadly, I've only one more year before my baby heads off to boarding school, so that day of reckoning/tidying may not be far off. I'd love you to share your wisdom on not caring so much what others think, it's easy in theory but one I struggle with regularly. Possibly even the reason I stepped away from blogging for a year. Loved your recap, here's to a wonderful 2016, filled with more untidiness, yelling and 'I Love Yous'.

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  18. Ha ha, wonderful. Happy, happy new year Christina. Sam x

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  19. Oh I love the idea of a big tidy up after the last child has move out. Fantastic! The youngest is at the movies and I carefully ventured into his room... eeeek! All the blessings for a happy new year to you.

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  20. That's exactly what I did tidied up when the youngest moved out, unfortunately they do keep coming back and the mess gets bigger as another Grandchild is added to the mix. I wouldn't want it any other way, they are all a blessing, mess and all. Wishing you and yours a wonderful New Year, wishing you everything you wish for yourself.

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  21. I hope 2016 will be a great year for you and your family, Christina. I like the sound of giving the house a big tidying up once the last child has moved out but mine are only five and three- still many, many years to go! I just might try and be more relaxed about it though. X

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  22. Oh Christina, this is such a great post. You are so wise. You really seem like a woman who has her head screwed on, and you have such a good sense of humour too. I hope 2016 brings you more of the same - a good amount of normalcy with some really happy times too. And I hope the Hogmanay party was fun! xx

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  23. Hi Christina, I have just found your blog via Kimberley over at Creative Chaos, and I've really enjoyed reading some of your posts where you seem to have written some of the things that are going on in my head too. I hope this year is good one for you and your lovely family xx

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Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment, I love to hear from you, I really do. I sometimes reply by email but I am not all that reliable... Christina xx

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