What an eventful year!  Wasn’t it only a little while ago that we were seeing in the new year?  Here it is, nearly time for another one. 

Felicity has grown and grown.  It has been an absolute wonder watching as she has turned from toddler to little girl.  We swear she is 3 going on 25 or is that 35?  This year she has taught herself most of the stuff on the ABC Kids website, and those many sites that are linked to it.  She has even taught me some things about using the computer that I didn’t know.  She also exceeded our download limit 2 months running.  We have now fixed that problem by increasing the limit.  We have watched as she has completed a 35 piece jigsaw puzzle on the screen.  She started kindy this year, at first in junior kindy for the under 3s and then moved into the senior kindy room.  She goes one day a week.  She managed potty training, bottle weaning, and staying dry overnight all in the same week.  We thought it would never happen…  We have kept up our association with Play Group, as much for me as for Felicity, and it was through this association that we got to visit Little Mate’s Farm where Felicity got to try out her horse riding skills. 

We did a camp at Easter down in our friends’ cow paddock at Nimbin, as we have for the past 2 years now.  We caught up with Eddie and Len and Kay (all co-owners of the cow paddock), Dave and Hunter, amongst others. 

We attended Dylan’s 3^rd birthday party in May up at Caboolture.  My niece, Marita and her husband Michael had run themselves ragged to produce a wonderful birthday party and get together for family and friends.  It feels like yesterday that Hannah was a new baby.  She turned 13 this year if memory serves. 

Felicity and I visited Aunty Jess Mickelborough in Toowoomba in July just before Felicity’s 3^rd birthday.  It was probably our first solo trip of such a distance since I was crook last year.  It was a test and I pulled up exhausted but was so glad we went.  Aunty Jess looks more and more like Grandad Brydon every time I see her.  It really was a flying visit, there and back in one afternoon, and therefore we didn’t see the other relatives and friends up there. 

We also went to Uncle Luke and Aunty Moira Van Haudt’s place at Applethorpe to celebrate Luke’s 70^th birthday in September with extended family on Mike’s mother’s side.  For weeks before, Felicity was excited about visiting “Uncle Loop’s” place.  By the time we got there, she had learned to pronounce ‘Luke’ correctly, but Uncle Loop got a kick out of it anyway.  We had a wonderful time.  Moira didn’t miss with the food or wine either.  She catered beautifully.  It seems we have something about cow paddocks because we camped in their cow paddock too.  Flissy experienced her first taste of the cold.  It got to 0 degrees overnight.  We were about 90km or so across country from Yelarbon and I would so much have liked to have gone home, even for a quick visit, but we just couldn’t spare the time. 

Mike initiated a search for a Thomas the Tank Engine T shirt for Felicity to replace the existing, totally worn out, but much loved one.  Eventually, Cristina found one in California and forwarded it to us, together with Thomas overalls, a winter T shirt and some matching shorts.  It was a most worthy replacement.  She sent it home with her parents when they returned to Australia. 

Healthwise, I have been doing very well.  After hospitalisation for a couple of weeks last year, I’ve spent a year on low dose chemotherapy and high dose steroids in an effort to tame my overactive immune system.  I lost almost all of my hair at one time but whilst this seemed to be a concern for others, it wasn’t for me, except when the sun got a bit hot last summer and tried to fry my head.  I did not resort to scarves or wigs but did make good use of hats, through necessity.  Anyway, my hair came back curlier than it used to be but just as grey.  I will never again complain about my hair!  The added weight is now starting to drop off and my face has returned to just a larger version of the original rather than being aptly described by that wonderful medical term, “cushionoid”.

Mike and I have continued our membership at the local gym throughout the year.  Mike is enjoying the benefits of regular exercise.  I go there to stay alive.  Felicity has maintained her swimming lessons. Through happy happenstance, she gets individual or one on two teaching a lot of the time, which has really helped. She is now starting to swim quite well and loves the water.  The only troubles I have experienced, and they have been monumental, have been trying to get her out of the pool at the end of class. 

We also did a few things around the house to make life more comfortable.  We had a small deck built out the front, doubling the width of the existing front porch.  Railings were put on the front stairs for the very first time since the house was built in the mid 70s.  We had part of the court yard covered with shade cloth and had the house air-conditioned.  The deck, of course, needed painting and that has been a large undertaking.  My painting skills and knowledge of painting have never been brilliant but I’m trying my best.  Thanks to my dear neighbour, I now know that I have to put two undercoats on after the primer, and possibly two top coats too…  That means seeing every square centimetre of the deck as many as 5 times!  It definitely will not be finished by Christmas.  The air-conditioning installation didn’t go according to plan.  It was ordered on 3 October, installed on 6 November and it finally worked on the 2 December, with much to-ing and fro-ing of the refrigeration mechanic in the interim.  

Mike’s studies have been motoring along nicely, only to be interrupted by work – well paying work, so how could he refuse?  He suspended his studies for eight weeks to attend to that, although the work has taken a lot more than 8 weeks.  He has had a couple of trips down to Sydney as well during the year, all of which have been very interesting experiences for him.  Fliss and I stayed here but were contemplating travelling down had there been any more trips and if they had been any longer than just a couple of days here and there. Mike’s decompilation work with a U.S. client is possibly a world first.

All in all, it has been a busy year, one way or another, but also a very rewarding year for us.  So to everyone, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and safe new year!

Margaret, Mike and Felicity